I grabbed the nearest couch pillow and threw it at him. He caught it without even looking away from his coffee. The pillow barely spent a second in the air before it disappeared into one of his hands. That was far more irritating than if he'd simply moved out of the way.
“This is insane,” I muttered, dragging both hands through my hair. The apartment still smelled overwhelmingly of vanilla, and every time I noticed it, the entire conversation became worse. “Demons are not supposed to be real.”
The demon finally turned his attention toward me. Candlelight flickered across his face while his eyes glowed faintly red in the dim apartment. The sight should have been terrifying. Instead, I was mostly annoyed.
“I feel like we already passed that stage,” he said carefully.
The conversation died on its own after that. Nina had retreated back into the couch and pulled the blanket up to her chin,though her attention never left the demon for more than a second. Every time he moved, her eyes followed him like she was waiting for a reason to start running again.
Meanwhile, the demon leaned against my kitchen counter drinking coffee. Out of everything happening in my apartment, that was the detail my brain kept tripping over. The glowing eyes were one thing. The demon from Hell making himself comfortable in my kitchen was another.
“You’re acting way too relaxed for somebody from Hell,” I muttered.
He lowered the mug slightly.
“You invited me into your home.”
“By accident.”
“That distinction seems very important to humans.”
“Because it IS important.”
The demon tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. The expression made him look less like an ancient creature from Hell and more like a man trying to understand why a customer was yelling at him over a coupon.
From the couch, Nina lowered the blanket from her face. I'd almost forgotten she was there until she sat forward, her attention bouncing between me and the demon like she'd just remembered an important detail.
“Wait. If she accidentally did some demon dating ritual thing... what happens now?”
I pointed at her.
“Thank you. Finally, a useful question.”
The demon considered it for a moment, turning the mug in his hands.
“Usually the evening continues naturally.”
My stomach dropped. A few hours ago, getting fired had been the worst thing that could happen to me. The universe had apparently reviewed my situation and decided there was still room for improvement.
“What does that mean?”
The demon answered so casually it took a second for the words to register.
“You spend time together.”
I frowned.
“That sounds suspiciously normal.”
“It is courtship.”
“It is NOT courtship.”
Across the room, Nina lowered the blanket another few inches. She wasn't even pretending to be concerned anymore. The traitor was enjoying herself.
The demon gestured lightly with his mug.
“You summoned me personally with candles associated with intimacy. It would be rude to leave immediately.”
