So this was how Daruka unwound.
We were more alike than she’d probably ever be willing to admit.I preferred to be in a meadow or the woods, but it was still outdoors, and, until I’d moved here, there had always been a lake or a river nearby.
It was peaceful.And soothing.And kept our volatile demon natures in check.
And honestly, I needed to let her have this peace.Afterward, maybe she’d be amenable to talking about that outrageous display out on the sidewalk a short time ago.But right now, I was being a voyeur, and honestly, that was only fun when the other person was aware and playing along.
“Come on, Krishna.”I grabbed a fistful of the kid’s long-sleeved T-shirt.“Don’t you need to get back to your pet store or something?”
“Hang on,” he said, tugging out of my grip.“Something’s wrong.”
“I told you, she’s a mermaid.She can literally breathe underwater.She?—”
Krishna’s body began to vibrate.His nose elongated.Long whiskers sprouted to go along with the heavy dark scruff already there.His ears grew into fur-covered points.His back rounded, forcing him to drop to all fours, then his shirt split at the seams, revealing more thick, dark fur.A tail sprouted from his ass, and he shook, sending fur and the remnants of his tattered clothes flying.
With a warning bark, he dove into the drink.
Oh, come on.
Was I about to have to save a mermaid and a damn werewolf?
ChapterEight
Daruka
Asmoday slept with Selina.So what?Why did I even care?
I didn’t.
So why was I so damn bothered by that knowledge?
I didn’t actually want to know the answer to that question.
What I wanted was to get the hell out of this place.
No.I wasn’t ready to deal with dear old Dad.Nor was I willing to face Asmoday yet.And I knew he was coming after me, I could sense it.
I could also hear the soles of those fancy—and sexy, damn it—two-toned leather ankle boots he wore, slapping the pavement behind me.
I needed water.It had been far too long since I had a good soak, my earlier bath notwithstanding.
It was never not a good time for a swim when you were a stressed out mermaid.
Except I was in central Texas, and if there was water here, I hadn’t yet been made aware.My hopes were not up in that regard, unfortunately.
So, what’s a frustrated, confused half mermaid, half demon to do?
Well, might as well go check out the hellmouth.Might as well attempt to alleviate one worry.If it was closed, hey, good news, I could stick around for a while.
If it was closed, oh, crap, I could stick around for a while.
Damn it.
I darted down the alley next to the coffee shop.Gave serious consideration to setting the stupid place on fire, except then I wouldn’t have amazing coffee tomorrow.Fire and brimstone, why couldn’tanythingbe easy?
I hung a right behind a row of scrubby trees only as tall as I was.I had the impression there had once been a building in front of them, which made me wonder if I was getting close to my goal.Often, when demons had the opportunity to escape through an inadvertently opened hellmouth, they came out guns a-blazing.It was a poor choice of entrances—the huge display made it easy to find them and wrangle them back to Hell.
And that was how I discovered the moat located just outside the city limits of Arrythmia, Texas.
