He cupped her hand in his and placed a tender kiss on her palm. “Marry me, Lil. Make me the happiest demon who’s ever been born.”
Happiness overwhelmed her to the point that all she could do was laugh and nod. Then she threw herself against him and held him tight.
Laughing, Caleb lifted her up off her feet and swung her about.
The door opened.
Still in Caleb’s arms, she saw her father shaking his head. “I take it that you asked her.”
Caleb slid her down the front of him until her feet were returned to the floor. Even so, he kept her cradled in his arms. “Indeed, I did.”
“By the looks of her, I assume she said yes.”
Lilliana wiped at the tears in her eyes. “Of course, I did.”
“Good. Now I don’t have to watch you mope about whenever Caleb’s in the barn. So, when are you two planning this ceremony?”
Smiling, she reached up to smooth down a curl on Caleb’s forehead. “Solstice.”
Caleb frowned at her decree, as if a bad feeling went through him. “Why then?”
“It’s the mark of a new year. New beginnings. Rebirth. All the wonderful celebrations. What better time to marry and start our life together?”
He visibly cringed. “It’s the longest night of the year. Portals open. Bad things can walk in this world. Seems like we’re tempting fate.”
She tsked at him. “Ever the optimist, eh?”
Malphas wanted to argue, but he knew how much she wanted this date. How could he deny her anything, especially something so simple?
Still, he hated solstice. Too many of the demons he knew used it to their best advantage so that they could prey on humans.
But if it would make her happy…
“What can I say, Lil? There’s only so much changing I’m capable of. I have to keep something of my old ways. Otherwise, you might not recognize me and go off with someone else thinking he’s me.”
With an impish smile, she kissed the tip of his nose. “I will always know my best friend. You can’t hide from me.”
But over the next six weeks as they headed into the solstice, Malphas was tempted to not only hide from her, but to run back to his hell realm to escape all the preparations she was making. It was ridiculous.
There were so many details. He’d never dreamed humans would torture themselves like this.
Who needed demons to terrorize their lives?
But he didn’t want to live that way anymore. He much preferred their innocent, simple life than all the glory he’d received battling against humanity.
Humans weren’t the despicable animals he’d once thought they were. They actually had a lot in common with his brethren. True, some were weasels. Yet compared to demons and their powers, the human weasels were tolerable.
All in all, he’d much rather live among them than either the gods or demons who’d birthed him.
“Wishing yourself back home?”
Caleb snorted at Ophelos’s question. “Aye. I much prefer our cottage to this crowd.”
Ophelos laughed. “I meant your former home, not our little place.”
“I’ll never wish myself back there.”
That was what he said. However, the thronging mass of humans around him was very similar to the court at Azmodea. They were laughing, dancing and drinking as if this was their last night on earth. Or in the case of Azmodea, as if they were planning on a slaughter come dawn.
