Page 6 of House of Demons and Bones

Start by telling them about me,Sy said.And fix your posture. And you’re doing that lip-biting thing again.

Since when are you an expert in manners?I snorted.

“Are you two talking right now, Barbie? Sy?” Rowan demanded.

“If she’s not criticizing my every move, she’s dropping terrible advice I never asked for.” I raked my fingers through my curls, trying to tame them.

Sy pouted.

“I want you to be nice to Sy and let her take over now,” Rowan urged. “I need to hear her voice.”

Let me take over, Barbie,Sy demanded.My sugar needs to hear my voice.

Later,I snapped.I’m not done with Killian yet.

Make it quick, then,she snapped back.I might not be the primary, but I’ve got rights too!

I massaged my temples. Everyone was entitled. Everyone had demands these days.

“Barbie stays,” Killian insisted. “I’m not done with her.” He turned to me, heat in his storm-blue eyes. “How long have you been sharing space with that wild thing?”

“Her name is Sy,” Rowan growled.

“Since birth,” I said.

I’d thought that I’d created Sy as an imaginary shield against my father when I was a child. But Sy had been there from my first breath—I just hadn’t known it. After the oracle dropped her cryptic hint, the puzzle pieces started falling into place, and I was beginning to understand what Sy really was.

I was what-you-see-is-what-you-get. But Sy had layers upon layers. And now that our secret was out to both princes, there was no stuffing it back in the bottle.

No more hiding her away in fear.

Sy’s eyes went misty at my change of heart.

Partners in crime,she whispered.

Two peas in a pod,I offered.

“How is this even possible?” Rowan asked. “And you two aren’t twins.”

I spread my arms. “We aren’t twins. We’re something else.”

Rowan nodded and sucked in a breath. “There’s never been anyone like you two. What are you? Let Sy out. She can explain this better and with less attitude.”

While Rowan was starting to get on my nerves, Killian just watched me patiently, not demanding shit.

“I’m the primary,” I said. “Main control’s mine, though Sy gets her time too.” Every battle Sy had waged for dominance, she’d lost. “Think of it this way,” I added, and Rowan’s eyes narrowed at my tone. He was so protective of his precious Sy. “Sy is a sex worker, and I’m her pimp. When I need some shiny, I send her out to play. She’s quite the professional, isn’t she? You’d know all about that, Prince Rowan.”

“What did you just say?” Rowan’s voice dropped to a dangerous growl, his eyes on fire.

Killian rose, putting himself between Rowan and me, even though I could hold my own. “Back off. You pushed first, and you know how Barbie handles threats.”

He slid two fingers of whiskey on ice toward Rowan. An odd choice. Fae usually drowned themselves in sweet flower wine, but maybe some mortal fire would cool that temper.

Killian poured his own glass and drained it, looking at Rowan. The fae prince matched him, the sharp edges of his ethereal features softening.

“My little scorpion stings,” Killian said with pride, and Rowan didn’t even bother to raise an eyebrow at the chaos prince’s claim on me. The unspoken truth hung between the two heirs—they’d nearly killed each other over what they’d thought was one woman, only to discover we were two entities sharing the same space. “It’s who she is, Rowan. She challenges authority, and you stepped right into it. If you want answers, ask nicely. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way. Pushing her gets you nowhere.”

“I don’t sting. I’m not a scorpion.” I narrowed my eyes at Killian.

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