If I didn’t know she was a demon, I’d think she was a model or heiress.
“Perhaps you’ll take me more seriously in this form. I want to sign the contract, Delaney. I want to be a citizen of Ordinary. I will follow the rules.”
Lie or truth?
“What form are you going to take in Ordinary?” I asked.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Is that part of the contract terms?”
“Yes.”
“But I can choose?”
“Within reason and with my approval.”
“You must so enjoy telling people what they can be. Controlling other living beings.”
“Move it along, Xtelle. I’m just doing my job.”
I’d never forced any person—supernatural or otherwise—to change who they were on a whim. It wasn’t like I told Bigfoot to shave. And he hadn’t.
But since he’d chosen to keep his Sasquatchy shape, he couldn’t wander town without getting a lot of questions, at best, or being shipped off to some kind of experimental lab, at worst.
He stayed away from town in daylight, and our “there’s a bear in the area” cover story worked well enough. Still, he had a spell necklace he could wear that would hide his true form if he needed to.
“How about you show me which form you prefer,” I said.
She glanced at Myra, who had rejoined us. I don’t know what she was looking for there. Myra was on my side.
“This form is pleasant.” She ran her fingertips down her sides before bracing palms on hips. “But being human is…tedious.”
“Any day now, Xtelle.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Pink smoke, a puff of glitter, and she was once again a little pink unicorn.
“Nope,” I said. “That won’t work. We told you that before.”
“But Ilikethis form. It’s so…me.”
“You agreed to the pony form the last time you were in town. How about we just go with that?”
“Boring.”
I waited.
She looked between Myra and me again.
“Fine. But I refuse to be happy about it.” She shimmered, no glitter and only a thin wisp of smoke. And there stood a pony. She was a palomino, her tawny color a little on the pink side, but not so much as to draw attention.
Was her sun-bleached mane a little shinier than normal? Maybe. Were her hooves polished with a subtle iridescence? Definitely.
Frankly, that was a lot easier than I expected.
“Are you happy now?” Xtelle moped.
