It didn’t take long.
A demon with a red face and black facial hair and horns that curled over his head saw us, nudged the demon next to him, who used her pointy tail to tap another demon on the shoulder.And on and on until awareness rippled down the street.My father glanced over his shoulder and slowly lowered his arms.
Asmoday’s bed and breakfast ceased shivering and shaking.
I blew out a breath.Okay, now I just had to convince Dad that I wasn’t going to stay here in Arrythmia, which would ensure he didn’t return someday and flatten the place.And all the monsters who had taken refuge here.
And apparently, I was doing this with Asmoday by my side.
Was it wrong that I liked the idea?It would be nice to have a partner, someone to bounce ideas off.Someone to help me stay a couple of steps ahead of the devil at all times.
Someone to keep me warm at night.
Someone to do other things with me at night.Or the middle of the day.Or anytime, really.
“Hi, Dad.”I waved.“Over here.”
He shoved the nearest demon out of the way.The guy fell into a cluster of demons, and they all went down like bowling pins.
The rest of them scurried to part like the Red Sea.
He strode through the gap; his unwavering gaze latched onto me like he was trying to hold me in place.If I were anyone else, it would have worked.Luckily—in this context, anyway—I was his daughter, so therefore immune to his powers of persuasion.A fact that really, really irritated him on the regular.
“Daruka, how lovely to see you again,” he said pleasantly enough, as if he hadn’t just threatened to destroy Asmoday’s livelihood if I didn’t comply with his wishes.As if he hadn’t been unsuccessfully chasing me down for eight freaking years now.“How’s your mother?”
“Dead.”I managed not to wince as I said it.Points to me.
His face fell.“Oh, how terrible.She was such a delightful woman.In mermaid and human form.Especially in her human form.Those legs.So long.The way they wrapped around my waist…” He closed his eyes and lifted his face, reliving a particularly fond memory.
Not a memory I wanted him to expound on.“Can we focus on the here and now?”I suggested.
His eyes popped open, and the moment was gone.He nodded at Asmoday.“You’re keeping company with a fellow demon.How absolutely fascinating.”
“It isn’t what you think,” I said.
“You aren’t having sex with him?He’s a lust demon.What else would you do with him?”
I wrinkled my nose while my face heated.“Okay, it is what you think.But it’s more than that.He’s…” What was he to me?
Was this something I was ready to admit to myself, let alone the devil?“Um, I think we might be, maybe, sort of dating.”
“No maybe or sort of about it, sir,” Asmoday clarified.“I hope that meets with your approval.Sir.”
Asmoday was acting like we were teenagers and he was nervous to ask my dad if he could take me out on a date.Yeesh.
“Um, news flash.I don’t really care if he approves.”
“That’s my girl.”Satan sounded delighted.
I sighed dramatically.“Look, Dad, do you think we can come to some sort of agreement?A compromise?”
He sniffed.“The devil does not compromise.”
Of course he didn’t.
“But an agreement, well… What do you have in mind?”
Oh shit, I hadn’t actually had anything in mind.I’d simply blurted that out in what I assumed was a pointless attempt to reason with the guy.
