Page 110 of The Music Demon

“No.”

“Well then I’ll just remember.”

“Your call. What’s her name?”

“Shivaun.”

“Shivaun with an s?”

“I… guess.”

After clearing the last step, she set the jar on the table in front of Quicksilver and went straight to a chest of drawers with bluebirds painted all over it. She opened and closed three drawers.

“Ah. Here we go.” She pulled out a beautiful white linen hanky with hand-crocheted edges and a large, embroidered S, also in white and placed it next to the jar. “This is all you’ll need. I’ll give you the instructions right after you pay me.”

The fact that shapeshifters were able to share their shifting magic with others was a carefully guarded secret, for obvious reasons.

“Out of curiosity, what made you think I can make you younger?”

“Gossip wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Come on.”

She shrugged. “One of your kind didn’t seem to have anything I wanted in payment for services. He said he knew a secret about your species that could come in handy.” Her face spread into a grin. “Seems it did.”

“Yes. Your bet paid off. And who did you say that was?”

She laughed. “Nice try.”

“Tell me,” he said using his best cajoling tone.

“It’s not that I have any particular love for the demon, but I do have a reputation to think about.” She raised an eyebrow. “I can’t have it said that I reveal confidential information.”

“And his identity is confidential?”

“Stop stalling. You want the stuff or not?”

Quicksilver’s shoulders sagged with dread, as if he feared leaving the workshop half dead.

Shelejiah couldn’t stop admiring herself in the full-length mirror so that execution of the contract could be concluded.

He was ready to go. “I need you to give me these instructions while I can still crawl out of here.”

Quicksilver, being the very clever and amoral demon that he was, made a big show of looking like he could barely sit up. The fact was he was fine.

While Shelejiah was climbing the steps to retrieve whatever was in the jar, he’d scanned the contract and found an advantage. The contract stipulated youth. No time frame was mentioned, which meant there was a loophole the size of the Grand Canyon.

He’d expended just enough energy to make her young for a few days, practically no expenditure at all. So far as he was concerned, their transaction was concluded and he was ready to get out of there.

“Hold onto your britches.” She’d cinched her belt tight around her smaller waist to create the illusion of curves. “Take this hanky. Douse it with this liquid.” She pointed to the jar with a long nail that wasn’t nearly as yellow as before. “Cover her nose and mouth with this.”

“Are you insane?” he gritted as a muscle jumped in his jaw. “She’s demon. She doesn’thaveto breathe.”

“You know that. I know that. But doessheknow that? From what you’ve said, she’s a new demon physically. I’m betting she still behaves like a human, thinks like a human, and breathes like it’s involuntary. The lungs have the most powerful muscle memory of any organ in the human body. She may never get used to the idea of breathing being the means to carry sound over vocal chords and nothing more.”

“This sounds like you’re gambling with my outcome.”

Again, she shrugged, and looked away as if no longer interested in the conversation. “Call it what you want, we both know I’m always right. That’s why you’re here.”