by S. L. Wright
“Okay, Bliss. We’ll open up after I deal with the cops.” And make sure Mackleby wouldn’t try another drive-by.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” Shock asked. “What if you get rushed by Goad’s horde?”
“Then we’ll deal with it, like I always have. Come on, Shock. It’ll be fun. Let’s celebrate my return from the dead.”
Shock smiled in spite of herself. “Well, then, I’m calling in sick. I’m not leaving you alone here with only her for backup.”
It was a sign of her devotion that she was willing to give up work for me. There was no need for it, but I wanted Shock here for my celebration.
Ram was the only one who wasn’t smiling. He put away his pool cue. “It’s time for me to go. I’ll head out the back in case anyone’s watching.”
I wanted to ask him to stay, but Shock was clearly unsettled by him. No wonder. She had spent the past few days remembering the terror of a demon attacking her with no warning, with no hope of resistance. Ram had come within seconds of killing her. Only blind luck had saved her.
So I nodded helplessly. I lifted my hand in a wave good-bye. It seemed like too much and not nearly enough at the same time, especially with Shock shooting daggers of hatred at him.
As the back door closed behind Ram, she let out a noisy sigh. “Thank the Lord, he’s gone! Tell him to stay away from you, Allay. No good can come of him.”
“He can come back anytime,” Bliss said philosophically. “We wouldn’t be able to sense him. He could be anyone.”
Shock looked stricken, and I felt bad that Bliss had reminded her. It wasn’t something I could forget. Not now. “Don’t worry, Shock. He promised he won’t target any demon unless they hurt humans.”
“I don’t see why you believe him,” Shock said.
I thought about it: the way he had looked at me the first time we made love, such intimate strangers; the way he had saved me from Dread; how he had given me his tenderness in the park so I wouldn’t birth a monster.
“I do believe him,” I finally said.
“But you can’t trust him, Allay. Don’t tell me you trust him.”
I hesitated, and it was Bliss who blurted out, “Of course she trusts him. I should know better than anyone.”
“I don’t know,” I equivocated, unsure in the face of Shock’s disbelief—and hurt.
“You can’t dictate to the heart,” Bliss said philosophically. “The heart wants what it wants.”
“Does your heart want him?” Shock asked in dismay.
“I don’t know. I barely know him. But he did save my life. Three times, if you count helping me consume Pique.” I wasn’t sure whether I regretted that or not.
Bliss nodded agreement, while Shock was silenced. She didn’t like it, but in truth, there was nothing we could do about Ram. He would go where he wanted and do what he wanted. Because of him, everything had changed in the demon world. We would have to wait to see what happened.
I would see Ram again; I was sure of it. Meanwhile, I had all the time in the world to figure him out.
I also had time to forge the alliances I would need to protect myself. I already had Shock and Revel on my side. Somewhere in the past few days, I’d learned to trust Revel again. And I thought Bliss might turn out to be an ally, as well. Maybe I could bring Mystify into the fold. He owed me one for saving him, and it could be useful to have a demon around who could mimic others.
With a solid group of demons working together, we could even repel a horde if we needed to. We could make our own way without having to be beholden to some overbearing overlord.
I was ready. It was finally time to start living again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S. L. Wright has lived in New York City for more than twenty years, exploring every part of the city, from rooftops to underground tunnels. She moved to Manhattan to get her master’s degree in fine arts, and not long afterward met her husband, Kelly Beaton. Together they have spent the past decade restoring a big brick house on the edge of Bushwick, Brooklyn. Wright is an activist at heart, saving wild cats in the city as well as helping people who are persecuted for their personal choices.