“What did you win?” someone calls when I stand there, silently staring at the words in front of me.
Words that can’t be right.
“Do you need more light to read it?” Holly asks. What should be a genuine, maybe even earnest, question is anything but, based on the twinkle in her eyes and knowing smile on her face.
Whatever this is, she’s in on it. A glance at the rest of my female friends tells me they’reallin on it. Lexi most of all, since there’s no way they pulled this off without magic.
Angling toward Holly, I whisper, “I can’t.”
“That’s okay, hon.” Supportive words, but she’s still smiling like a cat with a mouse as she relieves me of the paper. “Lilah is theverylucky winner of a deluxe demon dildo from Every Witch Way, courtesy of our fabulous Lexi Goodwin!”
Whooping, clapping, and whistling bombard my ears. Heat races to my cheeks, my neck, my armpits. Shielding my face with my hands, I squeeze my eyes closed, but I can’t hide forever. The sooner I face the crowd, the sooner this moment will end.
When I finally force my hands down and eyes open, it’s Amazra my gaze lands on as my comment to him replays in my head.“…there’s only one prize left in the bag and I know what is is. Something I’ve had my eye on for a while…”
Great. Just great.
Eight
AMAZRA
Demons have considerably better hearing than mortals. From my place at the edge of the town square, over ten meters from Lilah and Holly, every word spoken between them is audible.
Lilah is unaware of this and has her back to me while using a quiet voice. I am infringing on her privacy. It is disrespectful. Perhaps immoral. Yet I continue to actively listen as she pleads with her friend.
“Please,Holly? I know he doesn’t care about that whole…fiasco, but I can’t face him right now. Just tell him your plans have changed and you’re walking home with me so he feels relieved of the duty you imposed on him. Then, once he leaves, you can go meet Max at the waterfall for your moonlight skinny dip. I’m okay to walk alone. I won’t go near the woods, and the road from here to home is perfectly safe.”
“Fine,” Holly says while looking in my direction. Having lived here her entire life, she has robust knowledge of many nonhuman species, including mine. She knows I can hear them,yet she has not shared this information. Her behavior this evening does not align with the kindness and friendship she has shown Lilah.
The ensouled have always acted illogically. Emotionally. I have witnessed it for millennia, in the hell realm and here in the earthly realm. But the manner in which Holly and the other females treated Lilah tonight confounds me more than any other time in my existence. Why have they manipulated circumstances to aggrieve someone they seem to care for?
Lilah exhales. I hear it as clearly as if she were standing directly in front of me. The subdued lighting does not diminish my ability to see the tension leave her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she says, then raises one hand to point at Holly. “And we’re going to talk about that stunt tomorrow. You—all of you—have a lot of explaining to do.” The volume of her voice remains low, but its tone has changed. No trace of the previous quavering. While still soft, it is also strong.
In our private conversations, Lilah has shared information about her old life. She endured much distress while with an unworthy man. Witnessing her confidence grow each day here has introduced me to a new sensation I have grown to crave—joy. It pleases me that she is rebounding quickly from the unexpected cruelty of females in whom she has placed trust.
“Yes, hon, that’s better,” Holly says with a brief, warm laugh. “Okay, let’s go talk to your demon.”
Warmth spreads from my core, and without conscious effort, my mouth contorts into the smile I have spent many hours practicing. For her, my Lilah.
“He’s notmydemon.”
Tightness grips my midsection. My chest. Physical sensations I should not experience and cannot reconcile with logic. Emotional reactions elicited in response to Lilah. Unpredictable and beyond my control.
Turmoil runs rampant inside me as Lilah and Holly join me at the edge of the town square.
“Are you okay?” Lilah asks, head tilting as she looks up at my face. Into my eyes.
I do not require a mirror to know that the state of my features is no different from usual. Stationary. Neutral. Yet she is aware of the chaos beneath the surface.
“Demons are not susceptible to any manner of unwellness.” The accurate response elicits a small downward turn in her full lips. “I am fine.”
“Look at you, getting comfy with the lingo,” Holly says, then nudges Lilah with her elbow. “You’re rubbing off on him.”
Lilah turns her head, delivering a stern gaze to Holly, who simply laughs in return.
“Thank you for making sure Lilah gets home safely.”
