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“She looks nice,” Jen said, her gaze fixed on a gargoyle standing at the bar.

The gargoyle was undeniably pretty, with smooth mint-gray skin, a light, skimpy summer dress that contrasted sharply with the stony texture of her arms, and wings tucked neatly against her back.

But she wasn’tJen.

“I guess so,” I muttered.

Jen’s eyes flicked to me, her brow arching. “Well, go and talk to her, then.” There was the slightest edge of irritation in her tone, like she knew I wasn’t putting in the effort.

Suppressing a sigh, I made my way toward the gargoyle, her eyes narrowing slightly as I approached.

“Excuse me,” I said, keeping my voice even.

She turned sharply, her expression already set in a frown. “Listen, dude, I’m just here for a nice night out with my girlfriends, and I’mnot interested.”

“No problem,” I said, giving her a polite nod. “Sorry to bother you. Hope you have a great night with your friends.” Relief surged through me. Without hesitation, I spun on my heel and started my way back to Jen, whose expression was a perfect mix of disbelief and barely contained amusement.

“Wait,” the gargoyle called from behind me.

I froze.

Jen made ashooingmotion, and with a resigned sigh, I turned back to the gargoyle.

“I guess you can keep me company while I wait for my drink,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “If you want to.”

I didn’t want to. And the last thing I wanted was to lead someone on. But judging by the look Jen had thrown my way, I wasn’t getting out of this so easily.

“I should probably be upfront with you,” I said, exhaling slowly. “My friend and I made a deal—I’d help her with her project, and she’d help me find a date. But... I’ve started to second-guess whether I’m actually thedatingkind of demon.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling uncharacteristically awkward.

The gargoyle’s gaze flicked over my shoulder before settling back on me, the corner of her lips twitching into a knowing grin. “That’s actually kind of sweet,” she said. “Your friend—she wouldn’t happen to be the cute little witch currently glaring a hole into your back, would she?”

My lips quirked into a grin before I could stop them. “That’d be the one.”

She hummed, clearly amused. “And why don’t you want to find a date anymore?”

Because I’m interested in Jen.

“It’s... complicated,” I said instead.

She arched a perfectly sculpted brow, smirking like she had me figured out. “Ahhh, I see. You’ve got the hots for your witch but don’t want to admit it.”

My eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she just giggled.

“Well,” she mused, “I guess I could humor you a bit longer if you want to keep up the ruse. I’m Jade. And you are?”

“Devlin,” I offered.

Jade tilted her head, considering me. “Well, Devlin, what do you want to talk about?”

I let out a slow breath. “Do you live here, or are you just vacationing?”

“I moved here a few years ago.” She swirled the dregs of her drink idly, then shot me a sharp look. “My parents arranged mymarriage to a gargoyle from another audacity—that’s a clan, if you’re not familiar with the collective noun for gargoyles, which, honestly, most people aren’t.” Her lips twitched like she was used to having to explain. “But I couldn’t go through with it. So, I ran away.”

Jade’s gaze met mine, a challenge in her expression, like she was waiting for judgment.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said sincerely.

“Don’t be.” She lifted her chin, her tone unwavering. “I’ve made a new family here.” As if on cue, her phone buzzed on the bar. She glanced down, then smirked. “Speaking of which, that’s my friends checking in. They want to know if you’re bothering me and if I need them to swoop in with an excuse to leave.”