Page 60 of The Music Demon

“Stop that! I couldn’t like you more if you were my own daughter. And youhaveto know that. Please don’t make me get sappy.”

“So how did all those other, um, angels find out? About me?”

Kellareal blushed bright red. “I have a weakness for nectar. Might’ve had more than my share a time or two. I’m told that, past a certain point, I’m loose lipped.”

“I see. So, everybody who’s anybody knows.”

“Pretty much.”

“But not my mother or grandfather?”

“Either of them could have figured it out if they’d looked, but they both see you through the eyes of love. That means they project onto you what they want or expect to see. That said, it seems likely that your grandfather has heard the rumors.”

“If I’m thought to be a megaton threat to all creation, why haven’t they sent somebody to try and, um, do away with me?”

“You just said it. You’re a potential megaton threat and they don’t know enough about you to guarantee your predictability. Would you go after the quartermaster with a pea shooter? No. You wouldn’t. Because you’re not human. That level of stupidity is generally reserved for them and their ilk, wherever they may be found.”

She nodded. “I’ve noticed that you’re especially big on qualifiers today; being more careful with words than usual.” He shrugged. “When you say ‘generally’…”

He sighed. “I mean that occasionally elementals can be yahoos. Humans were, more or less, fashioned on our template. Mistakes were made.”

“More or less,” she repeated drily. “You’re saying assassination attempts are not unthinkable.”

He shrugged again. “No. They’re not unthinkable.”

“And you didn’t think this was need-to-know intel?”

“You mean did I think you were in danger?” He laughed out loud. “You’re listening, but not hearing. I’m not worried about an assassination attempt on you. The idea is fairly ludicrous. I’m worried that you’d destroy the perpetratorsandaccidentally blow a hole in the planet while you’re at it.” Pause. “And, while you may be the most amazing thing ever, not even you can put a damaged planet back together again.”

After a slow blink in which she tried to picture that, she said, “Alright. You let the interested parties know that I’ve volunteered to enter into a pact. Three things on my end. First, I won’t do anything elementals can’t do, but I’m going to need a list. Acompletelist of everything every kind of elemental can do. It will be fun to find out what’s under the hood.”

“Thought you weren’t into car references.”

“I like car references. I also like teasing you. Second, if somebody comes after me or somebody in my circle in an attempt to manipulate me, all bets are off. Third, I’m going to insist that you’re my agent.”

“Agent?”

“Yes. My contractual supervisor. I answer to you and only you. You don’t answer to anybody. And you are untouchable. That means Micheal oranybodyelse.” A slow smile began to spread over Kellareal’s face as he imagined being ‘untouchable’. “If anybody questions it, Micheal or otherwise, have them call me.”

“Call you? You mean summon you?”

“No summoning allowed. Meant what I said. Said what I meant. Anybody who can loiter in a club with no floor can figure out how to use a phone.”

“Complete list. Hands off you and yours. I’m your agent. No summoning. Is that all?”

“No. I want word put out that no one is to harm my hunters.”

Kellareal pursed his lips. “There aren’t many entities who could hurt your hunters.”

“And I’m not worried about those who can’t. Right?”

“Right. Tall order, but I’ll pass it along.”

“It’s not an order. It’s a condition.”

“Okay, but I’m pretty sure the ‘heaven set’ as you call us is going to want to negotiate a stop on production of new demon mimics.”

“I’m not in charge of that and you know it. That’s Black Swan.”