Page 14 of Demon's Bane

It makes me feel jumpy. Unsettled.

I don’t know if it’s the slight hint Esme’s power lingering in the air, some strange bit of demon magick, or just my own nerves about all of this bubbling up, but it has me on edge.

“The bathroom’s down the hall,” I blurt, face flushing. “I can, uh, show you how it works, if you want.”

With another nod, he follows me down the hallway. He watches intently as I explain the shower and the toilet and tells me they’re not all that different from the way plumbing works in the demon realm.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him more about it.

I have about a million and one questions about the demon realm, and no one I’ve been able to ask. Knowing it’s where Allie is going to spend the rest of her life, imagining just how different it is than the human realm, I could probably keep us both awake all night with the number of things I could ask him.

But I don’t, and that’s not why he’s here.

It’s late, and this whole arrangement is already complicated enough without me trying to make friends with this demon who so very obviously doesn’t trust Crescent witches.

Despite his strangely intense reassurances that he’s not going to hurt me, despite the wards and bindings Esme put in place, and despite my own nonsensical guilt over being a bit short with him and letting him know in no uncertain terms how things are going to work here, I can’t let myself forget it.

He’s here to get his information.

I’m going along with it to keep my standing with the coven.

Why I’m doing it, I’m still not exactly sure, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re not here to make friends with each other.

This is strictly business.

Strange, convoluted, demon-witch business.

“There’s food in the kitchen,” I say as we step back out into the hallway. “Help yourself to whatever.”

I’m ready to retreat to my room for the night, go to sleep, and hopefully wake up tomorrow and find out that all of this was a dream.

“Thank you, Joan.” Rhett steps back into the guest room, pausing in the doorway.

We linger there for a moment. Rhett leans a shoulder against the doorframe, folds his arms across his chest, and the murmur of magick in the movement has me blinking in surprise.

Was that the shadow of wings?

It’s gone before I can fully register it. Rhett’s back to his average, forgettable appearance, and I shake my head and exhale through my nose, obviously tired enough to be seeing things.

He frowns, opens his mouth like he’s going to say something, but I cut him off before he can.

“Goodnight,” I say on a rushed, awkward exhale. “I’m just gonna… head to bed.”

“Goodnight.”

The rumbling echo of the word follows me down the hall, body prickling with awareness of a keen demon gaze on me. It stays there even when I shut my door, lock it, rest my head against the smooth, cool wood, and the absurd reality of the situation crashes over me again.

What in the Goddess’s name have I gotten myself into?

The question hounds me the entire time I get ready for bed. It sticks in my throat and hangs over my head like an ax as I strip off my clothes, put on my PJs and creep out into the hall for a quick trip to the bathroom. It chases me back to my room as I tiptoe past the closed door to the bedroom and let out a long, tense breath when I’m locked safely back inside.

It’ll just be a few days, I try to convince myself as I climb into bed and pull the covers up to my chin.

I’ll find Seren somehow. She’ll either help, or she won’t, and that will be it. I’ll have kept my end of the bargain, Rhett will have his answers, and Esme will be out of my hair.

Just a few days.

I can deal with a demon with a voice like sin and dark humor sparkling in his eyes for a few days. I can have my life upended for just a few days.