Page 61 of My Demon Mate

Hand in hand, we leave the cabin. Since there is no longer a door, the wildlife are free to enter for a snack, just as Everest said.

CHAPTER 21

EVEREST

There was no chance Sheriff Drake would be found the night we killed him. He always told his deputies and anyone that would listen not to bother him while he was at his cabin, so Raven and I didn’t leave until the next morning. I went to sleep with a smile on my face—due more to the deep dicking I got from Raven when we got home than the kill, but remembering Drake’s face before he died helped too.

Right before I dropped off to sleep last night, a feeling of finality settled in my chest. I knew that would be the last night I spent in Plainsdale. And I wasn’t upset. I was eager, excited to get away from the town that did nothing to make me feel welcome. The thought of never waking up in that town again fills me with more joy than I could describe.

Before we leave Plainsdale for good, I tell Raven there’s one thing I have to do first.

When I step into the library, I see the old librarian at her usual station, scanning in books and putting return cards in the back. I smile, thankful she’s here and thankful to her in general. She allowed me to hide out and get some peace over the years. She tried to get me help over the years, but I constantly turned her down. I could tell it bothered her to see me in the state I was in, but she respected my wishes and didn’t pry. She gave me space and allowed me to be me. She’s the only person in this town that didn’t look down on me.

She smiles when she sees me, waving me over. “I have an extra of those novels you love so much,” she says in a sweet voice, passing me a graphic novel that was at her desk. “Figured you’d like this one.”

My eyes well with tears as I look at the cover. It’s the last in a series that I’ve been waiting on. I asked about it a few times, and she promised she would order it when she could.

Clearing my throat, I say, “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”

With a soft smile, she pats my hand and nods. “It’s okay, dear. Heading out?”

“Huh?” I ask in shock.

“I figured after what the sheriff did to you, it was only a matter of time before you left Plainsdale. And this young man,” she inclines her head to Raven, “seems like he’ll take care of you so you don’t go through that again.”

I look at Raven and smile, leaning into his side with my book close to my chest. “Yeah, we’re leaving. Wherever I land, I hope to find a librarian like you.”

“That’s sweet, dear.” Her smile is soft as he pats my hand again. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too,” I say around another lump in my throat. “Thank you for everything you did for me over the years. You’re the reason I survived.”

“I have a feeling you would have survived anyway.” She winks at me, then turns to her computer. I take that as the dismissal it is and grab Raven’s hand so we can leave.

The ride to the airport takes a few hours and in that time, I blow through the graphic novel. It makes me happy that the librarian ordered it for me, and I got resolution before I left Earth forever. There is internet in Xendail—still don’t understand how—but I can’t very well order a book to be delivered. Having this book to take with me to Xendail makes me smile the entire time we’re driving to the airport.

Our flight is uneventful. Before I lay my head on Raven’s shoulder and doze off, I pull out my sketch pad and some of the graphite pencils I brought with me. I sketch some of the shapes I see in the clouds. Raven sees what I’m doing and points out shapes I didn’t notice, smiling as he watches my hand fly across the page before the shapes disappear behind us. It’s fun, something to pass the time while enjoying Raven’s company.

As soon as we land in Las Vegas, Raven whisks me to a hotel so we can wash up after our flight. It’s still early in the day, so we decide to be tourists, our last bit of fun before leaving Earth forever.

Before we leave the hotel room, I shoot Danae a text.

Me: Any word on the sheriff?

Raven and I discussed our plan to kill him with her before we did anything. She was tired of hearing his disgusting comments about her body, as well as wanting to kill him herself for how he beat me up.

Danae: Nothing yet. His deputies came in during my shift last night and mentioned he’s out at his cabin. You’re covered until at least tomorrow night.

Good. That way we can have our time to sightsee and then kill Joey before anyone even thinks to suspect me.

Tucking my phone in my pocket, I loop my arm through Raven’s and we head out.

We walk around, checking out the sights and multitude of casinos that dot the strip. We gamble in a few, Raven having an endless amount of money for us to sit at a table for hours.

By dinnertime, Raven has won close to thirty thousand dollars at a craps table. Not like we’ll need it. Human money doesn’t translate in Xendail. I’m sure Raven has plans to give the money to someone that needs it.

When Raven asks what I want for dinner, I offer going back to the room and getting some room service. We have to discuss the plan for Joey. Before we left Plainsdale, I was able to find his address—somewhere outside of town that’s not in the hustle and bustle of the city. It’ll only take us about twenty minutes to catch an Uber there.

We get back to the hotel and take a shower before we order room service. Raven orders a little of everything since there’s so much I haven’t eaten. He loves taking care of me in the little ways, making my heart swell.

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