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Grace slanted a warning glance at him. “Do not smite our daughter.”

So I hadn’t imagined that look in Faris’s eyes.

“Why should I not punish her disobedience?” If he’d pumped any more scorn into his words, he might have exploded.

“You know why,” Grace said.

“The child she carries is immortal. It will survive. And surviving a good smiting now and again builds character.”

“Your parents smote you all the time, Faris,” said Grace. “So if it were true that a good smiting builds character, your character would be the universe’s gold standard.”

A smile lifted his lips. “It is.”

Grace rolled her eyes.

Faris looked at me expectantly, as though I was supposed to speak up for him and declare his character to be beyond reproach.

“You’re the perfect god,” I told him.

He began to nod, then stopped. His eyes narrowed. “You are being insincere.”

“Of course I wasn’t sincere. Sorry, Pops, you’re a grade A ass.” I flashed him a grin. “Even River thought so, and she’d only just met you.”

“River, the impudent wretch,” he said in a low snarl. “How dare she lay a finger on the Lord of Heaven’s Army and King of the Gods.”

“Actually, she didn’t lay a finger on you. A cute little funnel of wind did,” Grace pointed out. “Apparently, you aren’t as powerful as you think you are.”

Chuckling, Grace showed me a picture of Faris that she’d snapped while he’d been stuck to the tornado. The photo was indeed funny, but I didn’t laugh. I didn’t want her to think things were ok between us. She’d manipulated me and Nero. Things were definitely not ok between us.

“Just wait until I share this little gem at the next meeting of the demons’ council,” Grace said lightly. “I trust you’ll hear the laughter all the way back at that distant, barren, miserable rock of a world you call home, Faris.”

“I am in no mood for your snark, Grace,” Faris said coolly.

She tucked her hair behind her ears. “You’re never in the mood for anything but world domination.”

“If only you could set your sights so high,” he shot back.

Grace took a forceful step forward. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“But instead, you let your sisters do all the fighting and scheming and ruling.” A sardonic smile curled his lips. “While you hide behind their skirts.”

Grace drew her trident, and red flames shot across the black metal. She swung her very large, very long weapon at him. He dodged.

“Now who’s hiding?” she mocked him.

He blasted her with magic. She swung her trident, knocking away Faris’s spell like a bat hitting a baseball. He had to duck again, which made her laugh and taunt him some more. He unleashed more magic on her. One spell burnt her hand, and she dropped her trident. Now it was Faris’s turn to taunt her.

“So those are your parents,” Zane commented as we watched Grace and Faris fight.

I sighed. “Unfortunately.”

Zane patted my arm to reassure me. It helped—at least a little.

He glanced down at my cat. “Nice cat. It’s big.”

“Thank you.” I stroked Angel under her chin. “She’s aspiring to be at least as large as a tiger.”

“She’ll need to get big to handle your big magic.” His eyes twinkled. “And your big attitude.”