Page 115

Evan paled. “Grim Reaper…?”

The masked figure craned his head to meet Evan’s eyes because he had climbed so high up Xen’s body, he could sit on his shoulder.

Seemingly confused for a moment, the figure reached up and shifted the mask aside to reveal a face that bore the exact expression on the mask. Blank eyes, straight mouth. “It’s me, sir.”

Evan stared wide-eyed at the familiar face, then croaked out. “You—rock head?”

“Zeev…” The Hellguard pressed a palm to his chest and bowed. “I’m terribly sorry to have startled you, sir.”

With a thick swallow, Evan pushed down every curse word in his dictionary that surfaced, threatening to make Zeev’s ears bleed until his organs decided to flee out from his apertures.

One more of these shocks and I’d surely descend into hell.

A hot breath fanned Evan’s stomach, the heat of it radiating through his shirt.

Evan froze.

The realization of the position he was in slowly sank in.

Sitting perched on the crook of Xen’s left arm, Evan’s legs were curled so high he could easily rest them on Xen’s shoulder if he shifted. He’d also wrapped his arms around Xen’s head in his moment of fright, thinking he could save him from the Grim Reaper.

Or…maybe I have already descended into hell.

Hastily, as if he’d touched a scalding iron, Evan removed his hands from Xen’s head. “Sorry! I’m sorry. I—I didn’t mean to…”

At his sudden retreat, Evan’s body slid down Xen’s front, and a grunt left the grumbly demon. “Stay still.”

Xen had already looked upset when he had caught him, and now, Evan had gone and slithered up his body like a fucking serpent in heat. If this was the moment the King of Demons decided he wanted to eradicate this world of Evan, he won’t even blame him. Actually, he’d prefer it so he could escape the embarrassment.

Yet, when Xen tilted his head up to look at Evan, still supporting his entire weight with just one arm like he was a lightweight baby, his expression softened. “Please, don’teverdo that again. Don’t ever disappear like that.”

Evan stilled.

In that brief moment, he caught his reflection in the dark pools of Xen’s eyes that went on forever and back. A human’s eyes would never be this clear, this…striking. Evan’s reflection in those eyes was like staring into a mirror, even though that reflection didn’t quite look like him. His hair was lighter, his face softer. Perhaps younger too.

It was him…but not quitehim.

Evan stared into those eyes and unconsciously leaned forward to study the reflection closely, missing the sudden rigidness of Xen’s body or the way his fingers tightened under Evan’s thighs.

There was something… A familiarity he felt with that reflection he saw in Xen’s eyes, like he’d seen that image somewhere but couldn’t recall where.

His fingers traced the smooth skin under Xen’s eyes, and his long eyelashes quivered. Evan didn’t notice that either.

Only when sounds of footsteps and voices echoed at a distance did Evan’s focus break. He leaned away from Xen’s face, which had turned completely impassive, almost frozen in time.

“Did you look for him properly?” A male voice grumbled. “Or were you busy clicking pictures of the forest?”

A girl clicked her tongue. “Are you projectingyourhabits, dear? I only click pictures of myself.”

Evan instantly recognized those voices as Nick and Elysia and jumped down from Xen’s arms, almost face-planting into the dirt. Xen steadied him, then wrapped Evan’s black coat—which he’d thrown God knew where—over his shoulders.

“Thank you,” Evan muttered, stealing one peek at Xen before turning to the group approaching them. But as soon as he looked up, his breath hitched.

Surely, the group of five teenagers was headed his way, too absorbed in their argument to even bother looking ahead.

All except one.

A towering figure trailed behind the lot, a pair of eyes locked straight on Evan.