Page 2 of The Music Demon

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Ready or no’, I can no’ see a way clear to communication between us without, em, communicatin’.”

“A valid point. You’ve very astute.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’ve noticed you’re a very flatterin’ sort of demon. I’ve also noticed that you use compliments to distract from the fact that you’re no’ answerin’ my questions.”

Lyric sank down to sit on the bluebonnet-covered ground then gestured for Shivaun to join him. She complied, folding herself into an Indian-style pose with an athletic grace too fluid to be purely human.

“It’s not that I don’t want to answer,” he said. “It’s that I don’t want to step on toes.” He lightly tapped her jeans-clad knee with the tips of his fingers; a gesture that shouldn’t have felt intimate, but did.

“Whose toes would those be?”

He raised his eyes slowly from where his fingers had made contact until their gazes locked. “Perhaps that was inaccurate. The Order of the Black Swan is a toeless entity.”

With an indignant huff, she asked, “And why are ye thinkin’ honesty would be a problem for Black Swan?”

“Not honesty per se. But they may just have some plan for how to unfold the secrets of elemental living. Perhaps allow the newborns to adjust gradually.”

“Newborns?” Her brow pinched in confusion then smoothed away. “You mean the hunters who are, um, more? Like me?”

He nodded and leaned back, bracing himself by straightening his arms and putting his palms on the ground behind him.

“Then you may as well take me back, demon.”

“Call me Lyric.”

“’Twill be no need to call ye anything if ye do no’ agree to stop bein’…”

“What?”

“Evasive.”

“Evasive,” he repeated.

“Aye. I can find my own way back ye know.”

“You can’t.”

“Of course I can.” He shook his head. ”And why no’?”

“Relates to your question.”

Shivaun popped to her feet with an economy of movement that would be the envy of any dancer. “I do no’ care for riddles, demon.”

“Lyric.”

“I’m goin’ home.”

He rose to his full height, towering over her by a head. “Okay. You win. You agree to call me Lyric and I will agree to be more forthcoming.”

With narrowed eyes, she said, “Moreforthcomin’ is no’ exactly the same asplainold forthcomin’. Rosie told us to watch out for exactly this. She said there’s a world of demon trickery hidden in semantics.”

Lyric threw back his gorgeous head and laughed. “Rosie,” he said simply.

“What about her?”

“She’s mostly demon, isn’t she?”

“I’ve noticed you like to qualify things with words that create wiggle room.” He didn’t respond, just continued to smile with eyes that said he was reveling in amusement. She didn’t know if that meant that he was laughing at her naivete or enjoying her company. “A conversation with you is like tryin’ to decipher code.”