A soft melody drifted through the air, and he followed it, peering through a window to see a woman playing the piano in a sitting room. His heart nearly stopped in his chest, but the woman’s blonde hair was streaked with silver. She must be Elizabeth’s mother.
Asmodeus kept looking at him like there was something strange about his actions, but he ignored him. They peered in and listened at the chimneys. He couldn’t hear or see her. The only people he saw were her parents and their servants.
Creeping around the house and taking care not to be spotted, Caspian landed on her terrace and slipped inside.
He stood in her bedroom, watching the door hungrily, as if the more he watched, the more likely she would be to stroll in smiling.
“Cas, this is madness,” Asmodeus whispered.
He sent him a withering look.
“The girl is not here. Let us leave this place.”
“Fine,” he snarled. “But I have one more stop.”
He jumped into the sky with Asmodeus trailing after. He directed his flight eastward, pumping his wings.
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket that Iago had scrawled an address on. The note whipped in the wind, and he clenched it in his fist.
Soon, they stood before a handsome stone manor in Wisterion.
Asmodeus knocked, and a plump housekeeper answered. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of them, and she ran off.
A young, bronze-skinned woman waltzed into the doorway, grinning broadly. So, this was Elizabeth’s friend.
Lady Charlotte faltered at their appearance, but quickly recovered. “I haven’t always attended prayer service, but I don’t think I deserve a visit from a pair of demons,” she said with an easy smile.
Her countenance could not be more different from his shy Elizabeth. He wondered how the two had ever become friends. But Fiza and Iago seemed certain that Lady Charlotte was her closest confidante. “Are those truly real?” she asked, poking Asmodeus’ wing. The woman actually touched him, smiling all the while as if this were some amusing prank. She prodded his wing again, as though she had to check twice to be sure that it was real.
“Excuse me, darling?” Asmodeus spluttered.
Lady Charlotte giggled and covered her mouth with her hand.
“My apologies. I didn’t think she was telling the truth that you actually existed. Why hello, gentlemen. What can I do for you?”
Caspian took a moment to formulate his thoughts.
“You were looking for little old me?” Charlotte prompted with a wry smile and a hand on her hip, prompting them to state their business.
Asmodeus started first, “Yes. We were.” She smiled prettily and waited, looking from one demon to the other.
“My name is Caspian, and this is Asmodeus.”
“You’re looking for her,” Charlotte said.
“Yes,” said Caspian with a touch of his usual relaxed confidence. “Where is she?”
“As if I would tell a demon where my friend is hiding,” Charlotte said amusedly.
“It would be wise not to insult me.”
Charlotte stepped closer, bringing herself near enough that he could smell her rose-scented perfume. She laughed, loudly and with feeling. “Or what? You want my friend? Then you may not touch my family or me. That is one thing she will never forgive you for.” Her eyes glittered. “And despite whatever sick games you are playing, you want to find her and have her not hate you. So, your threats aremeaningless to me, and we both know it.” She leaned in, bringing her face close to his. “So do yourworst.”
She had a foolish level of confidence for a woman staring down a demon. He cursed inwardly, though, for she was right. Hurting Elizabeth’s closest friend would not endear her to him.
“You have big balls for a woman,” Asmodeus mused. Caspian shot his friend a warning look.
Charlotte’s smile turned wicked. “Bigger than yours, I’d wager. Or are you still hiding under Caspian’s coattails, Asmodeus?”
