Page 26 of Premonition of Peace

I turned to the Nat dressed like mine in the real world. The one I knew her others called Prime. “What’s she talking about?”

Prime sighed. “There was a boy . . . I was close to him. I thought we were friends. I was wrong.”

Jealousy licked at my skin, but I didn’t let it show. Boy or girl, it wouldn’t have mattered. Someone was close to my witch. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they hurt her.

Perhaps if I took up punishing as a hobby, I would pay this person a visit.

“Ann is right,” Prime continued after an extended silence. “He’s unimportant. What I’d really like to know is whyyou’rehere. Again.”

“I have no idea. One minute I was hearing different versions of your voice in my head, next I’m here. Somehow you’re pulling me into your head with you.”

“Hmm,” the Prime hummed.

“I’m starting to think you’re doing this on purpose,” another Nat countered. This one wore jeans and an eighties band t-shirt, and she watched me with guarded eyes. The Warden, surely.

“He can’t lie,” another Nat scoffed. This Nat had her feet kicked up on the table, a cigarette dangling between her fingers as she pointed at me. Bad Nat. Fitting.

“Okay,” Prime cut in, “so you’re not doing it on purpose.”

“Nope, but since I’m here, can a demon get a chair?” I tutted at them. “Where are your manners, little witches?”

A chair appeared in between two Nats who hadn’t spoken. One wore comfy clothes and a shawl with her hair tied back in a messy bun, the other dressed in shorts and a feminine blouse with her hair down—the way I liked it best.

“I’ve got it, Luci,” a soft-spoken Nat said.

I strolled over and folded myself in the chair. Leaning on the table facing her, I used my free hand to lift her chin toward me. “You have to be the sweetest one, aren’t you?”

“I’m Peace.” She blushed and giggled, holding a romance novel to her chest. My eyes skimmed the cover, and I suppressed a chuckle at the shirtless man embracing a woman half-spilling out of a corset. I heard a gagging sound and turned to look at Bad Nat.

“Why are you flirting, Peace?” The Warden sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You know he can’tdoanything with us.”

“We should ignore them,” Ann said. “Peace isn’t useful most of the time anyway, and Lucifer . . .” Her sharp gaze raked over me.

“And Lucifer what?” I prompted.

She turned her chin, the slightest blush rising to her cheeks. My, my. Even my analytical Nat wasn’t unaffected by me.

“Is too interested in toying with me and my others to be of any real help,” Prime said firmly. Her gaze settled on me, unamused but not upset. She saw me and accepted my hedonistic nature for what it was.

“I disagree.” My hand dropped from Peace’s chin as I settled back and crossed one ankle over my knee. “But I do love games, and I find I’m quite good at them. I could be an asset—if you let me.”

“Out of the question,” Ann muttered.

“He’s been respectful of our wishes even though it goes against his nature.” Caretaker Nat said, setting her tea aside. “I think we should give him a chance.”

The Prime closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, it wasn’t me she was looking at. It was The Warden. “And you? What do you think?”

“We can handle this. It’s not outside our power, and if it were, Piper is the one we should be going to.”

“Exactly,” Ann cut in. “So we’re in agreement.”

Bad Nat scoffed. “I wouldn’t exactly call that a consensus. You never asked my opinion.”

“Or mine,” Peace muttered.

“Do you actually care?” Bad Nat asked her, hiking a brow.

“Well, no?—”

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