Page 31 of The Music Demon

“We were roommates!” Sheridan protested.

“You were assigned a room withtwobeds like all the other trainees.” Shy examined her nails. “None of the others were fu…”

Rosie held up her hand. “Stop right there. I get it. Things are complicated and I’m not your mother. Who am I to judge? Shivaun, would you at least let me fit you with some sort of tracking mechanism? I’d breathe a lot easier if I knew you could be found. No matter what. Demons… Please believe me. They can be very, very tricky.”

After due consideration, Shy agreed. “Thank you for your concern. I will do this. If ‘tis no’ permanent or intrusive.”

“We have such a thing?” Sher asked.

“Honestly,” Rosie said, “I don’t know, but I work for the most inventive outfit in the history of history. I’ll get back to you on that.”

“Very well. Meanwhile, I will go on about my life,” Shy said.

“Meanin’ what exactly?” Sher cocked her head to the side.

“That I’m meetin’ my demon in a few minutes. With or without a trackin’ mechanism.”

“Yourdemon!?!” Sheridan was beside herself.

“You need to get over this. You mated with that boorish elf without askin’ my opinion.”

Sher gaped. “Boorish? You can no’ talk about Torn that way. ‘Tis no’ acceptable. ‘Tis downright offensive!”

“Fine. I call truce. I will no’ tell the truth about Finngarick, at least no’ out loud. And you will mind your own business.”

Sheridan fumed, but eventually gave a sharp nod.

“I’ll let you know when I have a tracker. Wait a minute, did you say you traveled in time?”

“Aye. We did. No’ by much. Just a few days. He showed me how to do it.”

It was Rosie’s turn to gape. “He showed you how to do it?” Shy nodded. Rosie stood abruptly and began muttering as she paced. “Why that irresponsible…”

Shivaun decided she’d done her duty. She’d reported her possible lie detecting skills, which was what she’d come to do. Since their business seemed to be concluded for the moment, and since Rosie was again lost in her own internal deliberations, Shy quietly backed out of the room.

Of course, Sher followed. She grabbed her twin by the elbow and turned her around. “I’m worried.” It was almost a whisper. It didn’t take a walking lie detector to see the truth of that. It was written on Sheridan’s face. “Please be careful. You’re the only twin I have to my name.”

Shy smiled and gave her sister a crushing hug. “I call myself lucky to have you care so.”

Sher hugged back just as hard. “Always.”

Lyric was waiting for Shivaun in the Abbey courtyard. He knew she was in training for something. He wasn’t sure what and she was closed-mouthed about it. She’d said that, if she couldn’t be there at six, she’d send word by one of the caretakers.

None of the old creepers had shown up. Their version of ‘showing up’ would be cracking the giant wood door open and presenting one eyeball or the other. So Lyric felt confident that his date would be joining him any minute.

She didn’t come through the door as usual. She materialized next to him.

Lyric didn’t startle or jump the way humans often did because his sense perception alerted him when another demon was close in proximity. The air would shift with a micro-electric charge a little like feeling a light breeze on the tiny hairs of forearms.

His thrill of seeing the flame-haired goddess delighted to see him was in a category all its own. Incomparable to all other experience, which made him wonder what sex with Shivaun would do to his lists of pleasures. Of course, one didn’t enter into an intimate relationship with a female demon indiscriminately. They were, after all, creatures unlike any other.

“Hi, honey,” Lyric quipped. “How was your day?”

“Comparatively uneventful.”

“What sort of event would make your day complete? We could go to my lair. I could conjure a very large and inviting bed with silk sheets, candles, wildflowers from the mountains of Aragon, and sexy music.”

“Nice try, demon. I’ll no’ be sharin’ beds with any males, demon or otherwise, till I’ve pledged my heart.”