My mother pointed at him again.
“Who. Is. That.”
My demon answered before I could. Calm. Respectful. Completely serious.
“I’m in love with your daughter.”
Absolute silence. The younger brother covered his face beside Nina.
“Oh wow,” Nina whispered. “He went directly for homicide.”
My mother blinked once.
Twice.
Then: “…EXCUSE ME?”
Meanwhile my father was still staring at the glowing portal residue fading behind us. Reasonable reaction finally. I openedmy mouth to explain. Then closed it again because where do you even START.
“Okay,” I said weakly. “So technically….”
“No,” Nina interrupted instantly. “Never begin explanations with technically.”
Fair. His mother stepped forward smoothly afterward wearing enough elegance and ancient terrifying energy to make the apartment hallway feel way too small.
“Hello,” she said warmly. “We appear to have caused dimensional complications.”
My mother stared at her. Then at the father. Then at both demon princes. Then finally at me.
“…Eva, why are there five goth supermodels in your apartment building?”
The younger brother beamed. “I like her enormously.”
“You stop talking,” Nina ordered.
Meanwhile my father finally recovered enough to speak carefully.
“You disappeared for weeks.”
The guilt hit instantly after that. Real guilt. Because beneath all the chaos and romance and Hell politics, our families had been terrified.
I stepped forward. “Dad…”
“No,” my mother interrupted while crossing her arms tightly. “Absolutely not. You vanish for WEEKS, your phone goes dead, and now you’re standing here with…” She gestured wildlytoward my demon. “…whatever terrifying expensive man this is.”
My demon was strangely focused afterward. Then carefully, almost cautiously, he stepped slightly forward.
“I understand your anger.”
My mother pointed at him. “You are not allowed to sound reasonable while looking like that.”
The younger brother was visibly trying not to laugh himself unconscious. Meanwhile Nina’s phone rang loudly beside us. She looked down.
Then groaned dramatically. “…My aunt.”
“Answer it,” Anderson muttered from the back.
“I hate all dimensions.”
