Cool.Working for some sort of unhinged crime lord who wouldn’t let the dead rest.Of course.
I felt a headache coming on.And Inevergot headaches.Such was the power of having children.
“Well then,” North was saying happily.“I’m sure the children are eager to return home.”His dark eyes flicked our way, and I saw the hint of greed there.Of genuine interest.“Do feel free to come visit me again sometime, my dears.”
I stood just a little too fast.“No.Thank you.I believe one unplanned visit was more than enough.”I ushered the kids out the door and down the hall as fast as I could without making it look like I was intimidated or worried.I wasn’t.I was just… impatient to get home.Yes, that was all.
I made a mental note to tell my sister about all of this, just the same.It wouldn’t hurt to have the interim leader of the Silverleaf fae ready to intervene if a demon came knocking.
Derek, Orion, Hisashi, and Kaimana all joined us outside on the sidewalk.Asa and Kana had already lost their fearful demeanors and were babbling to each other about their narrow escape and pointing at various things on the busy streets around us.They had probably learned nothing from this little disaster.
I might be developing an ulcer.
“I hope that item you promised him wasn’t something horribly valuable,” Hisashi said to Derek, rubbing his forehead as if even the nine-tail was feeling the effects of parenting.
“Oh, it is,” Derek said with a broad smile.“When I came across it a couple hundred years ago, I knew it would come in handy one day.And Troya used her lovely powers to inform me that today was that day.There is something she and I have both been wanting for a few years now.”
Kai groaned, and I absolutely seconded her opinion.
“What is this going to cost us?”I said tiredly.Because “friends” or not, this was a demon we were talking about.There was always an exchange involved.Though, Derek did tend to always make sure we got the better end of the bargain.
“Oh, nothing much,” he said magnanimously.“Just Iolani.”
All three of us gaped at him.
“Iolani?”Hisashi said slowly, as if he had possibly heard the man wrong.
“You want us to give you one of ourchildren?”I asked incredulously.“Surely you can make your own.You are married to a goddess!”
“I will kill you,” Kaimana said firmly, planting her feet in a fighting stance and readying herself to shift into a giant monster.She’d most likely die without water, but not before she crushed White to death.
Twin fae blades appeared in my hands with a mere thought.
White just laughed and held up his hands as if we were all being ridiculous.“Oh, do calm down.Clearly Gesa has worn off on all of you.Such impulsive reactions don’t suit the three of you.”
I sneered at him.“You can’t have our baby.”
He blinked at me, and I realized how hilarious my words might sound in any other situation.But now was not the time for joking or innuendos.He had two seconds to explain himself before I cut him into tiny chunks and fed him to the kraken child he was trying to steal.
My child.My blood offspring.Mine and Kaimana’s.If he thought he would steal the progeny of an ancient fae king and his evenmoreancient kraken mate, he was sorely mistaken.
Orion stepped between us, his scarred hands held up in a placating gesture.“He’s merely toying with you,” the incubus said tiredly.Then to his employer, “It’s not funny, Derek.One doesn’t get between a parent and their child.Didn’t youjustcome here to help them for that exact reason?”
But White was still grinning.Laughing at all of us.“Oh, do calm down.No one isstealinganyone.Though I may have hoped things would pan out this way.”
Right.Hoped.That was bullshit and we all knew it.Derek White had strong future premonitions, and his goddess wife could see and alter fate.He knew how this whole situation would play out and had positioned himself to be our savior just so he could make his ridiculous demand.
“Gesa was right all those years ago,” I informed the smug asshole.“You are evil, and we should have killed you the moment we met.”
White just laughed.“Oh, my dear fae.I know it pains you to admit you are honored by my request to be your child’s demon godfather.I don’t expect you to thank me.”
I grimaced.“Disgusting.”
But Hisashi pulled back on his magic and replied like a normal person.“Is that what all this is about?You want to be Io’sgodfather?”
Derek nodded, as if that should have been blatantly obvious.“Of course.This deal is satisfactory for my assistance today.”
I shook my head at the idiot.Demons and their bargains.They were worse than fae.But Derek always purposefully botched the bargain when it came to Gesa and the rest of us.Because that was the way demons showed affection.
