I should have been focusing on the fact that a demon was sitting in my living room. Instead, my brain kept circling back to the glowing eyes.
I raised my hand. "Okay. Quick question before I panic properly.”
The stranger met my gaze.
“What exactly are you?”
He regarded me for a moment, looking entirely too comfortable sitting on my coffee table.
“…Currently?” he said. “A demon questioning every decision that led me here.”
Nina finally seemed to remember that running away had been her original plan.
“Nope. Absolutely not. I’m leaving.”
“You can’t leave me alone with the demon!”
“You bought a demon home, Eva.”
Chapter 2
Eva POV
“I DIDN’T KNOW THAT WAS AN OPTION.”
Nina was already halfway to the apartment door. Then apparently deciding she wasn't leaving me alone with a demon, she stumbled back and grabbed my arm hard enough to hurt.
“We are way past discussing options, Eva.”
Meanwhile, the demon remained exactly where he'd appeared, sitting on my coffee table with the calm patience of someone waiting for a delayed train instead of an ancient supernatural entity dropped into a stranger's apartment.
His glowing eyes made it difficult to think, which was impressive because reality had already been difficult to process since he'd appeared.
For a few seconds, nobody moved. Candlelight flickered across the apartment walls while the smell of vanilla lingered in the air. Twenty minutes ago it had felt cozy. Now it seemed like evidence for a serial crime.
The demon's attention drifted toward the wine bottle beside the coffee table. Then to the circle of candles surrounding it. Then to the gold chalk on the floor.
Something in his expression shifted.
“This explains a lot,” he muttered.
“No actually,” I said, cutting him in between. “This explains NOTHING.”
My voice came out sharper than intended. At that point I was willing to accept demons, glowing eyes, and apparently the existence of Hell. What I was not willing to accept was the possibility that any of this made sense.
Nina grabbed my arm hard enough to hurt.
“We need to leave.”
Her fingers dug into my sleeve as she tried pulling me toward the door. The panic in her voice finally cut through my own shock. Nina wasn't dramatic when things got serious. She was dramatic when someone ate her leftovers. The genuine terror on her face did absolutely nothing for my peace of mind.
“And go WHERE?”
“Outside!”
“There’s still a demon in here!”
“Yes, because YOU BROUGHT IT HERE.”
