She grinned. “Did you meet Lula and Brogan?”
“I did. They areverysuspicious people.”
She pivoted and frowned at us. “You don’t like Raven?”
“Should we?” Lu asked.
Abbi tipped her head, taking a moment to consider. “I think so. But maybe not. He does tricks sometimes to hurt people.”
Raven stared at the ceiling dramatically. “Ouch, my reputation. Ooch, my ego. How will I ever bear the curse of being a trickster god?”
“Are you going to hurt them?” Abbi asked, serious now, her magic a cool wash in the thick air. “Because I won’t let you. Hado won’t let you, either.”
Raven waved a hand. “If I wanted to hurt them, I wouldn’t be just sitting here eating a brownie, would I?”
“Yes,” another voice said. “You would.”
Standing behind Raven was a man who had not been there a moment before.
The man was big, at least as big as me. His dark hair was combed back old-Hollywood style, his skin pale and unmarked, his shoulders wide. He was as handsome and rugged as a leading man. I immediately knew that was a disguise.
He had chosen this form. I didn’t know what he really looked like, but he wasn’t a man.
“Bathin,” Raven said with forced cheer. “How not wonderful to see you. I don’t remember inviting a demon to lunch.”
CHAPTER TWO
“Demon,” Lula whispered.
Bathin dragged a chair over from a nearby table so he could crowd into Raven’s space.
“My name is Bathin,” he said, not bothering to offer his hand for a shake. “You’re Lula and Brogan Gauge, correct?”
We didn’t reply. Abbi wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t relaxed. Raven still had his arm around her, but the mood was tense.
“Why are you here?” Abbi asked. “Why is a demon here?”
Raven sighed, breaking the tension. “You know I could throw you under the bus here, Bathin. Demons are not known for being the sorts of creatures to sit down for a chat. It’d be easy to convince them you aren’t trustworthy.”
“You won’t.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like me.” Raven shifted to rest his elbow on the table. “Want to tell me why I won’t tell them to ignore you?”
“Because Delaney Reed hasn’t caught on to what you’re doing yet, and neither has Myra or Jean. But if you’re going to follow through on this plan, whatever the hell it is, I want tomake sure there are guardrails in place—guardrails on you—to keep Ordinary safe.”
“You mean guardrails that will keep your girlfriend, Myra, safe,” Raven corrected.
“Both, Crow. Both need to remain safe from your wild ass ideas.”
“Who is Delaney Reed?” Abbi asked.
“She and her sisters are the people who keep Ordinary, Oregon, a safe haven for gods, supernaturals, and humans. It’s a vacation town, and the Reed sisters have the power to say who can and can’t stay,” Raven said.
“I’m staying,” Bathin said.
Raven sat back and grinned. “Delaney really got in your head, didn’t she? Big powerful demon stealing all the souls, signing all the lives away on the dotted line. Sitting here in a mediocre diner in the burnt-end of Texas, big mad that I got the best brownie in the kitchen.”
“I don’t give a damn about brownies, Crow.”
