I didn’t open my eyes, and didn’t let go of the pillow I had totally stolen, wondering what he was going to do about it.
He lowered himself into bed, and pulled the covers over both of us. I felt his fingers grip the pillow. I held on as he tugged. Just when I thought he was going to give up, his grip already slacking, I loosened my arms and rolled over.
He shuffled the pillow into place under his head, then pressed up behind me, his arm wrapping warm and heavy over my waist. He smelled of the diner: apple pie, bacon, and butter. He smelled like a strange perfume, and I knew it must be Vivian’s. Knew she had touched him, hugged him, or hell, knowing her, sprayed him with it. It was weird to smell someone else on him.
I wanted to ask him how it had gone with the monster hunter, but three breaths later, I felt his whole body relax, his arm go heavy, and I knew he was asleep. Answers would just have to wait until morning.
* * *
He wasout of bed before me. It was barely light outside, the birds still running through their warm-up songs for the day. I smelled coffee, heard Spud’s leash jangle, then the door opened and shut. Only a few seconds later, I heard the door open and close again.
Ryder must have forgotten something.
I pulled the pillow over my head, wondering if I could catch fifteen more minutes of sleep, but my mind was already chugging.
We needed to find the thief demon who had broken into the god realms. We needed to find the ghoul wandering through town and find out what part it had played in all this. We needed to get rid of the monster hunter before half of Ordinary got up on stage to show off their talents, some of which would undoubtedly be magically enhanced.
There would be no more sleep for me this morning. Darn it.
I shoved the pillow off my head, opened my eyes, and screamed.
There was a pink unicorn nose stuck in my face.
“Your man be cheatin’.” Xtelle’s breath stank of burned strawberries. “I saw him. Out all night with some floozy while you were working.”
I shoved at her face. “How did you get in my bedroom?”
“Through the front door. How else do you think I’d get in your room?”
“You’re a demon,” I said. “Maybe you have demon ways.”
“Oh, that’s what you think I’d break Ordinary’s stupid rules for? To smell your morning breath, which is hideous in case you wondered. I have followed all of your rules.”
“Says the demon standing in my room in the shape of a pink unicorn.”
“Well excuse me for expressing myself. I’m so sorry I can’t be as plain and boring as the rest of you.”
I pushed off the covers and sat.
There was a small, very muscular black bull with very long, sharp horns in front of my dresser.
“Avnas,” I said to the newest demon in town.
He had been the king of hell’s right hand man, his councilor. He’d given all that up to come here. Even though it had been a rocky start, he’d signed the contract and agreed to follow Ordinary’s laws because he was in love with the queen of hell. Well, now the ex-queen. Xtelle.
And while I’d never quite understand why he had also taken the shape of a compact farm animal, he had been one of the people telling me there was a war coming.
The war he thought involved the King of the Underworld.
“Delaney,” Avnas said, inclining his head a bit. “Your man was, indeed, out at all hours of the night with another woman.”
“I know.” I stood, and walked past them both to the door. “How do you know?”
“We followed them.”
I groaned and pressed my palm over my eyes. “Why would you do that?”
“Your heart is broken,” Xtelle said, with a little too much glee. “I can see it. I know human hearts inside and out.”
