The inventions littering other tables were of the tried and true variety. Demons were very slow to change, and there was a beauty in the proven timelessness of the gadgets and tools here. The smallest improvement or alteration in such a gadget would always be viewed with aweandsuspicion.
Loincloth stands.
Nipple string stands.
Cloaks too. Because loincloths and nipple string got chilly sometimes, though I had to credit the vendors with their creativity. There were a lot of ways to modify loincloths and nipple string.
Food, food, and more food.
My gaze settled on a dagger display, and more importantly, on the purple demon behind the table. I choked on laughter. “Ah, here we go.”
Carmine turned to follow my look. “What is it? Do you know him?”
“Wait and see.”
If Gratia had decided not to pursue her purple demon, then I was afraid destiny was about to truly screw her. The demon princess swept down the stone stairs from the fortress and glided between the rows of stalls. She greeted a few crimsons here and there, then stopped to accept a tasty morsel on a stick before she caught sight of us. She frowned at my staring, and I felt Carmine’s attention on me too.
I just held Gratia’s gaze, then pointed to the purple.
She followed the direction of my finger.
And then, I seemed to recollect that she would feel as though the entire world had disappeared to recenter on one individual. Gratia staggered forward. All of her ties would be cut in one swipe of a blade. Beside me, Carmine grunted at the loss.
Soon power would explode in her. Gratia screamed.
And last, she would be consumed with the drive to mate. Both of their heads snapped up as something akin to fury filled their expressions.
Usually now the weaker demon would faint.
Which he did.
Gratia staggered forward as the purple collapsed to the dirt. The surrounding demons were realizing that somethingwas amiss with the princess. They cleared the space, and then shocked gasps erupted.
Let the turmoil and heartache begin.
“A purple,” Carmine mused, then sighed in relief. “That is well.”
I glanced up at him. “Why?”
“I won’t need to kill her children.”
I studied his relief. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d care.”
“You imply there’s choice.”
“There is always choice.”
Carmine didn’t answer. “Mother will object.”
I laughed. Yep, Gratia didn’t owe me any more favors—though she didn’t need to know that. We were more than even now.
“Come, enamai. I can see you are determined not to eat. Let us return to the thrones to make our announcement.”
I nearly askedwhat announcement,then remembered my wedding day. I tried to eat more of the sweet bread on the way back. I really did need my strength for Tiers tomorrow. I’d barely had time to contemplate a strategy, relying on the hour or two after tonight’s festivities to scrape something together.
At least keeping myself busy was helping me to manage my lust. I chose to believe that was to blame instead of the orgasm I’d grinded my way into.
We were nearly at the stairs to the thrones when a red demon stepped into my path. He bowed very low, then extended a wrapped gift to me.
