She flattened her ears and showed a little teeth, but then she took a deep breath.
“You can’t keep Amy in jail because Vychi will be looking for him and when he finds him and finds him trapped he will attack Ordinary with legions of demon hordes and even if you think you can beat them I will remind you that Vychoro will not care if there are human casualties especially those outside of Ordinary like that person at the casino you yattered on and on to about his child and college andboringI do not like children with their sticky hands and tiny screechy voices and they kick and they bite and a petting zoo for children is theworstthing I have ever experienced in my life and I have not one but two houses in hell.”
Pan nodded along and scooted closer to her, his side against her side. He bleated a littlebaathat sounded like “babe.”
She made her eyes wider and stuck out her lower lip, which made her look ridiculous, and leaned into him.
“Vicki?” I asked, somehow stuck on that name.
“Vychi. Vychoro, the king of course.” Xtelle sniffed.
“Got it. Well, whatever the demon king does won’t change how I do my job. Avnas is in jail. That’s what happens when you break the law in Ordinary.”
“Oh,” she said. “Then don’t worry. I thought you actually cared about human life.”
“Xtelle.”
“I thought that person at the casino was someone you liked. Someone you thought should remain alive.”
“Xtelle,” I warned.
“But if you’re fine with The Brute tearing the world apart at the seams and killing everyone you care for, then by all means, keep Avnas behind bars.”
“Who’s The Brute?” Jean asked.
“Her husband,” Myra said.
“King of the Underworld,” Jean said. “Why are you still married to him?”
Xtelle’s mouth fell open, and her eyes dashed between Jean and me. “Because…you wouldn’t…he’s very…I can’t…well, it’s not like Iwouldn’t…it’s just. Complicated.”
“Is it?” I was going with my gut here.
“What?”
“Is it complicated?”
Her ears flattened half way. “It always has been.”
“You know you have a home here in Ordinary, Xtelle, if you follow the rules.”
She held very, very still. Those pony eyes suddenly looked much more human, or maybe just demon. Vulnerable. Hopeful. “Do I?”
“Yes. You signed the contract. Our contracts are good.”
Pan moved closer to her again, leaning his shoulder against hers. I thought I heard him whisper: “I told you so.”
“Well,” she said. “Well. I see.”
Ryder clapped his hands once. “Great. Now that we’ve got that figured out, Delaney is going home for the rest of the day.”
“Delaney isn’t going home,” I said.
He frowned.
“Xtelle.” I stood and waved away everyone’s helping hands. “You need to come with me.”
“I don’t want—”
