Page 26 of Cry for Help

Stolas dropped Murmur into the backseat, and the drunk demon didn’t twitch.

Stolas didn’t bother conversing, though I wanted to ask about Behem and the party invitation. I wanted to ask him about the Tailor and Seir or his meeting with Asmodeus—whoever that was. Instead, I sat silently in the passenger seat as we drove through the city.

We parked up by the dumpster, and Stolas pulled Murmur from the backseat by his feet, slinging his over his shoulder as he carried the unconscious man into the house. I followed on his heels, wondering if the neighbors were used to this kind of thing. It was the Red City, so I guessed they were.

I didn’t even realize I hadn’t eaten all day until we walked through the front door.

Malphas was nowhere to be seen, but Caim stood at the counter drinking espresso from a tiny mug. He flashed us both a grin as if he hadn’t hurt my feelings the night before.

Caim glanced at Murmur’s unconscious form. A dark look clouded his expression. “He went to Lust, huh?”

Stolas shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I’ll put him in his room to sober up.”

“How did the meeting with Asmodeus go?” Caim sipped his coffee.

Stolas’s eyes flicked to me, then back to Caim. “Two more missing.”

Caim’s lips rounded to an O.

Clearly not part of the conversation, I sauntered past thetwo men, dropping my paper shopping bags as I made my way to the fridge. I grabbed a bottle of OJ and drank from the carton as I thought of Malphas’s pretty boy face creased in anger.

I tried not to look at Caim as I drank from a glass. I felt his eyes on mine as a curious hush stole all conversation.

I was trying hard not to be angry at Caim—the one demon I could actually speak to in the house—but Iwas.

He was a hypocrite.

I’d wager that Caim had killed more people than I had.

I’d killed zero people, so it wasn’t a hard record to beat.

“I see Seir worked his magic.” Caim waggled his brows. “You look almost human, Maddie.” He winked.

I raised a brow but didn’t sign a response.

Caim blinked, regarding me for a moment before turning to Stolas. “What did you have to trade for all those pretty clothes?”

“Behem is having a party.” Stolas removed his long coat and folded it over his arm. “Naturally, our attendance is required.”

Caim snorted and put down the tiny mug. He flicked his ear, revealing the curl of his horn. “Run that by me again?”

“Behem.” Stolas clipped.

“Gluttony? Since when has Seir been in with Gluttony?” Caim snorted. “You won’t catch me at that bottom-feeders mansion. I might have spent millennia as a statue for crimes against demon-kind, but I won’t go to Gluttony. I won’t do it.”

Stolas gave him a long look. “Dramatic, aren’t you?”

“Statues?” I signed, unable to help myself.

Caim signed back. “Curiosity outweighs your hurt feelings. Interesting.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Maddie wants to know why we were statues.” Caim lifted a shoulder and let it drop in a half-hearted shrug. “Maybe shecan tell us why she killed her foster family at the same time? We could light a bonfire by the dumpster and make an evening of it.”

I narrowed my eyes, seeing through his act immediately. Caim liked to attack as a form of defense. If I asked a question he didn’t like, he circled right back tomypast—trying to hide his.

I shrugged, letting it go. It didn’t matter to me.

---