Quiet settled between them, and I opened my mouth to speak.
“Maybe you can show me the hideout,” said Owu.
Adeuto nodded. “Then do you want to go see a baby nismus?”
“Okay.”
That settled, they went inside.
Athira immediately exited. “He’s a crimson. A strong one. Why does he have scales?”
I listened to the boys within. They didn’t know what to do with each other yet, but in a matter of weeks, they’d be fighting and shouting and completely at ease with one another.
I said, “He was sick. His parents’ power never combined within him. He had scales and smoke from birth and has retained them.”
He would have sixteen years more to hone his power and grow his scales over any other of his age in the realm. That was a huge benefit. To him and my son.
“Is he more powerful than Adeuto?”
I shook my head. “Not with Adeuto’s magus power in the mix.”
Athira relaxed. “Then I hope it is as you say and Adeuto will have a trusted friend all his days. That is nearly impossible for a demon.”
“He will.” And for a mother that knowledge was a gift indeed.
29
The crowd roared, and I tugged at the bottom of my tight and stretchy skirt. Yiti hadn’t lied. It was comfortable and didn’t ride up, even though the “skirt” only brushed the tops of my thighs.
“Does this cover my ass?” I asked the yellow that I’d soon kill.
The red was miserable on my other side, but the yellow was cheery enough about joining his mate.
The yellow bent down. “Just. It looks like it’s meant to make people wonder when the skirt will fail. If you know what I mean.”
“I did.” And I understood Yiti’s game, which was why I’d worn the piece. Demons needed to be presented with baby steps. I’d been too drastic in the coverage of my other clothing.Thiswalked a line between my tastes and demons’ tastes. Sure, this was far closer to what they would like. But with this, I might succeed in drawing them away from a dark history of loincloths and nipple string.
I adjusted my boobs in the crisscrossed bands. Most of my torso was showing above the low-cut skirt and to my ribs. The stretchy bands crossed over my ribs and boobs, then behind my neck and back around my chest for more support.
And more cleavage.
“Fashion is pain,” I reminded myself.
At least I was wearing my usual boots.
The yellow touched my arm. “Mate-Intended, thank you. I expected that I would not win, but you have given me hope.” His gaze was dark and searching. “I wish you luck in your endeavor.”
In killing the king.
I allowed a small smile. “I don’t need luck. But thank you for it anyway.”
I glanced at the red demon. “She will be okay. I will make sure of it.”
He nodded, and we were all aware of the three other demons lurking in the back of the passage. “Thank you. In the end, I got what I came here for. And I might not ever have gotten that much without your help. I do not know why you chose to help me, Mate-Intended, but I die grateful for it.” The red sighed. “It is a strange feeling to walk to death while knowing that it is not time and there is so much to live for.”
“We take immortality for granted,” I replied.
He stared through the gate. “Immortality. Mating. Fatherhood. Everything seems small against the few things that matter.”
