Page 118 of Demon Apathy: Sunderverse

“Good riddance.”

Despite my better judgment, I had confided in her, told her everything that had happened between us, the feelings I’d so foolishly developed for him. It’d been a load off to confide in her.

At first, she had seemed horrified, but lately, she didn’t seem to think it was so terrible. In fact, it seemed to excite her. Except she hadn’t seen Drevan’s true likeness. She’d only seen the alluring male who sent every woman's heart fluttering the instant he walked into the room. So how could she have a clear perspective?

“How are things with Benjamin?” I asked, to derail her from her current train of thought.

“He almost reached for my hand yesterday.” Jenna giggled.

I shook my head. I really couldn’t understand why she was enjoying this awkwardness so much? And why didn’t she just jump his bones herself?

That evening, as I sat studying at my desk, my cell phone pinged with a text.

Meet me outside.

My heart went into a full sprint, beating wildly against my ribs. I hated the nerves that attacked me. I wanted to feel nothing but indifference toward Drevan, but he had sunk his claws into me too deeply. I pushed the phone away, ignoring the message. Fifteen minutes later, it pinged again.

It’s Khargon. Please come out.

My nerves eased, and I felt strangely deflated. I didn’t know what it meant to go from agitation to disappointment so quickly, but I didn’t like it.

I left my room and a few minutes later, I was standing in front of the LDH’s main entrance, facing Drevan’sassistant. The demon stood in the blustery November morning, wearing a leather top that left her arms and cleavage bare. I huddled inside my hoodie and frowned at her.

“Did your boss send you?” I asked.

She grunted in the affirmative. “He wants to see you.”

“But I don’t.”

She sucked on a tooth, looking annoyed. “He… cares for you,” she said, avoiding eye contact at all costs. It was clear she despised this particular assignment.

“He has a funny way of showing it. By lying, I mean.”

“It’s hard for him. If you knew what he’s been through.”

I shook my head. “I would if he told me, but he never talks to me about anything but this stupid quest. And who are you anyway? Delilah?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Who?”

“This radio host that…” I waved a hand. “Never mind.”

Khargon went on. “He and I have been through a lot together. He asked me to help.”

I shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t care about any of it.”

“You still have to work with him.”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it, does it?”

“Drevan wants to explain. Give him a chance.” Her last sentence sounded like an order when, instead, it should’ve been a plea along with aplease with a cherry on top.

“Like you said, I don’t care. Nothing he could say will make me change my mind.”

Khargon gave a careless shrug. “All right, have a nice day then.”

She turned and walked away, her butt swaying from side to side in those skintight leather pants of hers. I willed my Truesight into place and witnessed a flash of her gargoyle semblance, all rough gray skin and knobby joints, not to mention hideous membranous swings.

I shook my head to dispel the vision and walked up the steps. When I reached the top, I stopped, a chill spreading across my back at the sensation of being watched.