Page 77 of The Demigod

How could I explain everything we’d been through? What he’d endured? How we’d gotten here? Without waxing on for an hour?

“I… didn’t know what else to do,” I told him. “I got him free.” That was… true enough. Even if Nemesis had technically done it the last time. “And I just… I brought him home.”

“Ace!” Bael roared, the force in his voice making his horns poke out of his dark hair.

And that sound also did something else.

But not to Bael. To Daemon.

A weak, rumbling growl moved through him.

Then, suddenly, wings flew out from behind Daemon’s back, shooting out, and… wrapping me up.

“Whoa,” I gasped, suddenly enclosed in their warmth.

They weren’t bird-like wings with downy feathers. They were more like a bat. But also weirdly, velvety smooth.

I just barely managed to resist the urge to rub my cheek against them.

Alright, fine.

I didn’tmanageanything. I would have absolutely done it if Daemon hadn’t collapsed from whatever energy expelling his wings had sapped from his already weak body.

“Shit,” another voice said, but I was on my knees on the ground, holding up Daemon as his wings stayed tight around me. “Daemon, man, we’re not gonna hurt your girl.”

“Shoulda known he was out Claiming someone,” another voice said.

“Daemon, hey, you have to, like, suck your wings back in,” I said, patting his leg. “Come on. You don’t have the energy for this,” I added, pressing my forehead to the side of his head. “Please, they need to help you.”

I wanted to believe he heard me, that some part of him was still able to respond to me. But I knew it was more likely that he just ran out of energy to keep them out.

So they fell.

Then disappeared.

“Arick said Lenore might be able to heal him,” I told the demons gathered all around.

There were women inside the house, watching from a distance, giving the demons space to lift Daemon and carry him into the house.

One of the demons hung back, all blond hair and a big, comfy-looking grandpa sweater.

Ace.

Their leader.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m Nox.”

“And, Nox, what happened to Daemon?”

“That’s a bit of a long story.”

“Luckily, I have time,” he said, waving an arm out to invite me inside.

“Can Lenore help Daemon?” I asked.

“I’m mildly uncomfortable with how you know us, but we don’t know you.”

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