Page 8 of Knotty Bargain (Monster Holidays #3)

CHAPTER 8

LEVIATHAN

S ometimes, I get so caught up with work that I forget to check on how humans are faring while they’re alive. I walk down the quaint street, observing how some things don’t change. Sure, the clothes are different, and their vehicles have changed, but they still walk around in small groups, laughing and smiling, and there are little humans running around, and dogs.

They’ve had dogs for thousands of years. I wonder if they don’t get bored with it. I would have domesticated something more interesting by now. Like a tiger.

The mortals’ chatter fades to a distant hum. The weather is much nicer up here. It’s cool instead of Hell’s permanently warm atmosphere. The blue sky is so bright it stings my eyes. Not bad at all for a short-term stay.

The city itself is small, but well taken care of. There are trees everywhere . I missed those. Hell doesn’t have trees, obviously. There’s no sun. And these trees are golden and brown and orange. It’s a dazzling sight.

Almost as good as the blond rushing next to me to keep up with my pace.

“Leviathan, wait!” Cordelia’s voice cuts through my musings, her hurried footsteps pattering behind me. She quickens her pace to match my long strides, cheeks flushed and chest heaving. “You can’t just go wandering around town. What if someone figures out who you are?”

I scoff, pausing next to a window. “Cordelia. The only way these humans could figure that out is if I let them. My magic is strong. No one can see through it.” I motion for the window. “They see me the way I want them to.”

Cordelia meets my gaze in the reflection. Assuming a human facade is easy for any demon. I maintain my features, my height, and my body shape, but I conceal the things that would make them fear me. My red skin, the horns, the second pair of arms. For the humans passing us, I’m just a very tall man. Even my clothes blend well.

Cordelia does a double-take. I don’t miss that, so I let myself do the same with her. She’s changed out of her top into a sweater. A pity. I already miss the sight of her cleavage. Her blond hair is down and damn, it looks so damn soft. For some reason, it makes me want to run my fingers through them.

She has the temper to bite my arm off if I attempted it, so I don’t.

She looks away, twisting her lips. “I don’t know. This doesn’t sound safe. And I don’t trust you. What if you hurt someone?”

“That would be a diplomatic incident too nasty for me to handle,” I tell her. A demon attacking humans in the daylight? Worse, someone in my position? I’d have trouble up my ass in two seconds flat and we don’t need another war this soon. I start walking again.

Cordelia scrambles to follow, her eyes wide. “Well, if there’s such a risk,shouldn’t we head back home?”

I shoot a glance at her. “I’m not one of your mortal pets to be confined. I’m offering you a truce, Cordelia. No chaos, no destruction. Just a moment’s respite from my responsibilities. That’s all.”

She bites her plump lower lip, but she doesn’t look convinced. I watch, amused, as war wages behind those bright blue eyes. Finally, she sighs, shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine. But any funny business and we’re out of there. Got it?”

“You have my word if, “ and I raise a finger toward her, “you take me somewhere to eat. That’s the best way to absorb a place’s culture.”

Cordelia curls her nose in confusion. “You’re really looking at this like a vacation.”

“I told you that.” A door opens and closes up ahead. A rich, warm scent wafts its way to me. “There. That smells good.”

A sign above the door reads The Golden Cup . I open the door and motion Cordelia in, stepping inside after her. The air is filled with a rich aroma, withhints of something sweet. The interior is sleek, boasting polished marble counters and golden accents that catch the light on an opulent display. The store is very large, though still quite full. Soft music plays in the background. The gentle clinking of fine china joins the chatter of mortals as we walk in. Displays showcase pieces of breads and colorful cakes. Yes, I remember that. Humans, bread, and dogs go way back. Some things never change.

I make a beeline toward the mortal behind the counter, but Cordelia grabs my arm. Her cool fingers release a small charge against my skin. I tense, but don’t pull back.

“There’s a line,” she says, pointing at a line of people.

“So?”

“So, we take the line.” She pulls me toward it. I let her. I could argue a demon in my position doesn’t do lines, but then what’s the point of visiting other places if you will not blend in?

“What do you drink?” I ask her after we take the last spot in line.

Cordelia pulls a small metal rectangle from her pants pocket. “During fall, pumpkin spice latte.”

I curl my nose at her. “I don’t know what any of those words mean.”

Cordelia presses her lips as if stopping herself from laughing. “Do you know what fall means? The earth rotates around the sun and, depending on the angle and distance to the sun, we have seasons...”

I roll my eyes. “Witch, I know what seasons are.”

She jerks. “Don’t call me that,” she hisses. “Cordelia. Call me Cordelia.”

“What I meant,” I go on, “is that I remember humans drinking water and ale and wine. This doesn’t smell like any of them. What do you drink if not those?”

“Coffee. Juices. Made from fruit.”

“Coffee is made from what fruit?”

“Coffee is not a fruit. It’s a grain. A seed. We roast it and brew it in hot water.”

“That’s...” Actually fascinating. And it does smell good.

The person behind the counter calls us next. She gives me a once-over, then stops and looks again, her eyes widening. Cordelia steps in front of me.

“Hi!” Cordelia says, with much more cheerfulness than she’s shown me. “He’ll have a large Black Cold Brew. No sugar. And I’ll take a medium pumpkin spice latte with whipped cream and oat milk, please.”

I watch the cashier give her a total, and then Cordelia taps her metal rectangle to a box. I’ve missed a lot on human technology. I recognize nothing. There’s no exchange of cash, but I imagine that’s what the metal thing is for. Cordelia guides me aside. It’s easy to find a spot to wait. The humans step back and away when they look up at me.

My appearance is that of a human, yes, but humans were prey for many thousands of years. There’s still that fight-or-flight instinct inside them. They still have that gut feeling to distinguish a predator.

Cordelia leans in, voice lowered. “So... when you say we’re bound together. Do you mean, like, a deal? Did I accidentally... sell my soul or something?”

I let out a bark of laughter, drawing curious glances from the other patrons. “No, I don’t engage in such base pursuits. My role is... supervisory.”

She nods slowly, but she doesn’t seem convinced. I give that to her. She’s careful.

Except for accidentally summoning me.

The person behind the counter calls Cordelia’s name. She walks back to me with two cups—a paper one she keeps and a transparent one she offers me. The cup is flimsy, so I have to hold it carefully.

“What’s this?” I ask her.

“Your cold brew. My ex used to say that’s what men like.”

I flare my nostrils. Ex ? Why are we talking about an ex-partner? “I meant the material of this cup.”

“Oh! It’s plastic. It’s made from oil. Not sure how, though. We use it for a lot of things. Too many things, in fact.”

Alright, that’s an interesting piece of knowledge. I bring the cup to my nose. It doesn’t smell as good as the rest of the store. Maybe because it’s cold. Bringing it to my lips, I sip.

And it takes everything in me not to spit it.

“This is foul,” I spit, grimacing at the cup. “Fucking hell, who would drink this?”

“Shh!” Cordelia takes the cup from my hand, her eyes wide but her lips curling. “You don’t have to scream.”

My lips curl downward. “Fuck, I think I’ll taste that shit forever. It’s stained my tongue.”

Cordelia chuckles as she puts the cup away. “I should have ordered a small.” She looks up at me, her cheeks pink. “How am I supposed to know what you like?”

Shit, I need to get rid of this taste. It tastes fucking awful. I pluck her paper cup from her hands, ignoring her indignant “Hey!” and take a hearty gulp.

Ah, much better. Much better . Creamy, sweet, with a hint of spice. Warmth spreads down my throat and across my chest. I give a satisfied nod.

“This,” I say, pointing at the cup. “This is good.” I take another gulp.

Cordelia stares at me, more surprised than when she saw my demon form. “Sure, help yourself,” Cordelia grumbles, but there’s no actual heat behind it. Amusement dances in her eyes. “I’ll grab another one for me.”

With drinks in hand, we walk toward the doors. I hold it open for Cordelia. She steps out onto the sidewalk and almost immediately collides with a couple. I steady Cordelia with a hand on her back as she mumbles an apology.

“Cordelia?” The woman, red-haired with sharp features and a forced smile, looks between us with barely concealed shock. “Hi! Who’s your... friend?”

I size up the pair. Are they Cordelia’s friends? Both are tall and thin and both have green eyes. The woman looks strangely at Cordelia. She reeks of envy, her gaze colored with thinly veiled disdain.The man, presumably her relative since they look so much alike, has brown hair and wears a strange combination of pants that look too short and a shirt that looks too tight.

“Vivian, Marcus, hi!” Cordelia’s voice pitches up, a telltale flush creeping up her neck. Something tingles down my spine. She doesn’t look comfortable at all.“Yeah, um... this is... Levi. Yeah, this is Levi.”

The two look up at me. They have to tilt their heads back. I say nothing, arching an eyebrow at them.

Marcus clears his throat. “Nice to meet you, man.” He looks down at Cordelia. “Long time no see, Lia. How are you doing?” He smiles, but it’s as false as Vivian’s. His voice is warm and smooth, but I can’t help but feel there’s something wrong with these people.

“Good,” she responds. “I’m doing okay. This is the first vacation I have in a while, so I’m trying to enjoy it.”

“Yeah...” Marcus nods. “Good for you. Are you still working at that McDonald’s?”

Cordelia blinks. “Um, no. That was years ago. I’m a data engineer.”

Vivian laughs. “Data engineer? Is that even a real job?”

My patience is running thin. I don’t like these people. I don’t know what McDonald’s is or what a data engineer does, but I don’t like their tone of voice. When you work in a field like mine, you learn to smell lies.

“We should go,” I point out, my hand on Cordelia’s lower back. Leaving is the best way to get rid of these people without making Cordelia hate me. Not that her feelings matter—I’m just here on vacation—but her hatred would complicate things.

Cordelia nods. “Oh, of course. Nice seeing you two.”

“Wait,” Vivian calls. “You didn’t explain who you are,” she says, looking at me. “Are you new in town? Marcus and I have been traveling too much, so we miss newcomers all the time.”

I feel Cordelia tense beside me. My jaw ticks. “No, I’m with Cordelia.”

Vivian’s brows shoot up. “Really? What do you mean?” She places a hand on her chest in mock surprise. “You can’t be the mysterious boyfriend. You’re too out of her league.” She takes a beat. “Just kidding, of course,” she adds with a grin.

I curl my nose. “What’s wrong with you?”

Cordelia tenses even further. Vivian looks between Cordelia and Marcus. “What do you mean?” she asks.

Oh, I’ve had enough of this one. I lean down, capturing Vivian’s gaze with a predatory smile. “I know you’re jealous of Cordelia. It’s pretty obvious you’re an insecure girl who has to put others down to make you feel better. It must be hard knowing you’ll never compare to her. You’ll never have what she has.”

Vivian’s mouth drops open. Her face goes dark red. Marcus chokes on air. Cordelia makes a strangled sound beside me.

“I—Who the hell do you think you are?” Vivian sputters, cheeks blazing.

I open my mouth to reply but Cordelia beats me to it. She steps forward, linking her arm with mine and tilting her chin up.

“He’s my boyfriend.”