Page 33 of Demon Apathy: Sunderverse

“Are you sure? What are you going to do?”

“That’s none of your business.”

In yesterday’s world, that statement would’ve been true. Today, however, it was definitely my business. Man, was I a glutton for punishment? Or what?

I had to assume that since he was the Sloth Subject, he wasn’t going to do anything. He was probably just going to go home and take an eight-hour nap.

Playing it by ear, I said, “You need to help your sister. You need to find her. Um, I can help you.”

He shot death rays at me, and I knew that’d been the entirely wrong thing to say. It’d just made him more suspicious of me.

“I think…” I grasped at straws, “I think… one of those guys that took her was a demon in disguise.”

“What?!”

“They teach us to recognize that sort of thing at the league.”

—Good thinking,Drevan piped in.

But it was a load of crap! You had to haveTruesightto be able to see through a demon’s glamour, and you didn’t get that until you were a third-year apprentice. I wouldn’t mind having it, especially since I often wondered about Drevan’s true form.

We can acquire whatever shape we like,he’d told me once. But I assure you, thisismy shape.

Of course, now I doubted everything he’d ever told me.

“What would a demon want with my sister?” Solar asked.

“Dunno. You tell me? The fuckers are out of control. Haven’t you been following the news?”

He peered out the window, considering. We passed a traffic sign that readQueens. Solar did a double-take.

“Hey, why are you going this way?”

Oops!The guy was no fool and had quickly realized we were headed toward his neck of the woods.

“Um, I—I heard you tell your sister you rode the subway from Queens. I figured that’s where you live.”

He shook his head. “Nah, none of this makes sense. Look, just let me out, okay? I don’t know who the fuck you are and I don’t trust you. So just let me out.”

“Okay. Okay. Don’t do anything stupid. I’m going to stop when it’s safe.”

—It’s all right. We don’t want to spook the guy. The good thing is you got to meet him.

When I found a good place, I stopped the car and set it in neutral. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you somewhere else? I don’t mind. What just happened to you and your sister is really shitty. Those fucking demons are out of control, and it’s my goal in life to keep them in check.”

“Thanks, but I can handle this.” He pulled the handle, threw the door open, and stretched out of the car.

My mind reeled for something to say that would convince him I was on his side, but I couldn’t think of anything other than, “If you need help, you know where to find me. Lucia Sunder is my name!” I rattled my phone number as he slammed the door shut, cutting off my last few words.

I stayed put and watched him go. He was practically stumbling around as his head swiveled left and right, making him look like a spooked squirrel. Every time he glanced over his shoulder and saw that I was still there, he hurried his step. When he turned around the corner, Drevan appeared in the passenger seat.

“Not bad for our first day.”

“Shit!” I exclaimed, heart jumping into my throat. “I didn’t miss you doing that. Not in the least.”

He shrugged. “Old habits die hard.”

“This is so messed up. Who do you think took his sister?”