The muscle under his eye twitches and he is glowing a deep purple. I don't know if he's on the edge of burnout like I was. While I burst into flames and burn from the inside out, he lights up like a lightning storm. It's just as deadly. This isn't anything like what he usually goes through.
“Holy shit, did you get cursed?”
“What? No.” He forces out a laugh.
“Then why's your voice all squeaky and high?” I grip the back of my neck. “First Clara, now you. I just can't catch a fucking break.”
“Wait, Clara's cursed too?” He grimaces when I give him a look. “Fine, Imightbe. What's wrong with Clara? Is she still here?”
“I'm not telling you shit. It'll only get both of us in trouble.”
Dimitri taps his finger to his chin, then nods. “Fine, but you know you're going to need my help. Especially if she's cursed.”
“She's not cursed. She's spellsick.” The words slip out before I can stop them.
His face lights up like I've handed him fries. “Omen, seriously? You know what to do. She's spellsick and you're her soulbound. Do the freaky and she'll be better.”
I scrub my hands down my face and mumble, “You did not just call it the freaky.”
“Oh ho, I did. How you think she got spellsick?”
“She's got a book.”
“A grimoire?”
I shake my head. “Not exactly. I've got an idea where it came from, but that shit is sentient. The fucking thing keeps fucking with reality.”
“Yet it got you and her together.”
“Won't mean shit if the book keeps showing her spells to make her sick.”
He rolls his eyes. “Already told you how to help with that.Now, go get your girl.” He pushes me around and slaps my ass before shoving me out the door.
Unfortunately, he shoves me straight into Ludovic. The older demon stumbles back. Before I can react, his fist slams into my cheek. Dimitri whispers a curse from behind me. Ludo pulls his fist back again and I raise my arm to block it. He drops his hand to his side.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
Dimitri slides around me, a placating grin on his face. “Ludo! Just the demon I wanted to see. We've got a problem with the gauntlet. Triton says the fireballs keep going haywire. Omen's going to help us out. Hope you don't mind. You can talk to Triton if you do. I'm sure he'll tell you to fuck off, but you can try.”
Dimitri claps him on the back, then grabs my arm and hauls me away. He marches us down the hallway, back toward my rooms. Once we're far enough away, he pulls me to a stop.
“You'd better rank up if you don't want Ludo on your ass.”
“I'm not ranking up. I like where I am,” I grumble.
“Yeah, sure. You justlovethe paperwork and the shit Ludo throws at us, and the portal duties, and the night watches, and?—”
“Okay, I get it. I hate my job. Except if I level up, I'll be…”Alone.
I'll be completely alone. Except I won't be, not if I keep Clara with me. If she wants to stay here, I could rank up and spend the extra time with her. A new rank would allow me to pick what I want to do, whether it was train new demons or manage the lower ranks. Hell, I could even take over Ludo's job. He'd fucking hate that.
“You know…if you level up, you'd outrank Ludo. Definite perk.”
“And I wouldn't be able to go back to the human dimension,” I whisper.
“Yeah, but she's here now. Maybe?—”
“I'm not having this conversation,” I growl.
