"I take it they're not that kind of band?"
"No," he agreed, grinning.
"Boring. So where are these red caves?"
4
Ifastened the last knife to my body and stood, casting a look in the floor-length mirror in my bedroom to check my leather trousers and jacket concealed them all. Perfect. I was looking forward to trying out my new weapons, even if I missed my old ones. My heart panged when I thought of the knives Taj returned, but I ignored the tight, achy sensation.
"Where are your hair ties, babygirl?" Dev asked, making me jump half a mile.
I was in my bedroom. Myhuman-sized bedroom. It was the last place I expected the giant, red guy to show up. But when I spun to give him a dirty look for startling me, I froze in surprise.
"Uh. You're ... smaller?"
"Yes," he agreed, stalking across the room and peering at the mess I already made of my dressing table in a day.1"But I prefer not to use this form; my other is more efficient for inspiring fear."
"No shit," I muttered, letting my gaze pore over his body now I could see all of him in one glance. His shoulders were broad and tipped with a spike, his skin deep crimson, hands tipped with claws that looked sharp enough to slit a throat. The black trousers and shirt he wore clung to his body, outlining the shape of muscles I kinda wanted to run my hands over, his spikes poking through the expensive fabric.
"Turn around," he said in a calm order, finally locating a hair tie from my dressing table. I found the drawers full of everything I could ever need and happily ransacked the whole thing.
I did as he ordered, and a cool shiver went down my spine when careful hands gathered my hair into a ponytail and began to braid it out of my face. My cheeks turned hot and prickly, and warmth built in my chest, fizzing through my heart. I wasn't used to someone being this touchy with me, and plaiting my hair for me was next level. I liked it way too much; another knot of guilt formed inside me.
"There," Dev said with a smile, stepping back.
I reached back and ran my hand down the braid, impressed at how neat it was. "Nice. Thanks."
The devil kissed the top of my head, making even more brittle warmth spill through me. "Any time, babygirl. And take this. I forged it myself. It'll stay invisible and undetectable unless you spill a drop of blood on the blade."
I tilted my head, looking at his outstretched palm. Hisemptypalm. "Uhh…"
"Like I said," he laughed, fiery eyes crinkling. "It's invisible. Hold out your hand."
I did so warily and jumped when something cold and weighted pressed into my palm. I wrapped my fingers around it, settling into smooth grooves. "It's a knife…?"
"Exactly." He peered at my face. "Do you like it?"
I pricked my forearm where I roughly imagined the tip to be, and laughed in delight when a black dagger sprang into existence, dark smoke and fire twisting within the glass. Not metal—glass. It was fancy and I instantly loved it.
"This might be my new favourite knife," I told him, and the devil beamed as if I gave him the greatest gift in any realm.2
He palmed the back of my head with a clawed red hand and pulled me against him, pressing his lips to my crown.
"I could have stabbed you, you giant moron," I huffed, angling the dagger away.
"I would treasure that wound as a reminder of my beautiful, broken girl until she returned to me," he replied fervently.
Holy obsession batman. "And you'd treasure sepsis, too."
"I'm the devil—do you really think an infection can take me down?" he drawled, ruffling my baby hairs with a soft laugh.
"Let's not find out, yeah?"
He paused and held me tighter. "You care for me."
"What? No," I scoffed. "No way. Don't be ridiculous. That's totally insane."3
Dev chuckled and released me when I began to wriggle in his clingy arms. Fuck, he was like Joseph with all this tactile affection.4
