Page 66 of Higher Demon

“Think of your brother’s stroke when he finds out,” Tasha counters.

I lift a brow. “What a delightful notion.”

Ian waves that off. “Con will be fine. Especially when he immediately sees that I’m safe and sound.”

None of us believe that.

“My mind’s made up,” Ian insists. Only someone who knows him as well as I do would hear the tremor on the last word. “This is the ideal solution. It lets us stick to our schedule here and have the full time we planned for in Illinois. Plus, no traveling. It’s done.”

Tasha pinches the bridge of her nose. “In that case, I think it’s best for everyone if we keep this a surprise. I won’t tell anyone, and I don’t think you should either. Not until you’re safely there.”

“Done.”

* * *

We’rein Ian’s car, driving back to my house, before he brings it up. “Will it hurt?”

“Listening to this?” I gesture to the radio. “Yes. It will cause your brain cells to die at an accelerated rate.”

He scoffs. “You have no appreciation for art. No, I meant the whole…” He takes a hand off the steering wheel and waves it around. “The poofing thing. Will it hurt?”

It takes me a moment to realize what he means. “Transporting from one place to another? No. You may be momentarily disoriented while your brain tries to process why you’re not seeing the same thing anymore, but that’s because humans don’t even notice that it’s happening.”

His whole face scrunches up, and I resist the urge to pet him. I’m not sure where that came from. Probably another side effect of this human body. Just like the warm affection that floods me at the thought of petting Ian.

“So I’ll be here and then there? Just like that? No, like… whirlwind? Or sparkles?”

I take a moment to compose myself and shake off the insult he just casually delivered. “Have you ever known me to be…” I pause, trying not to choke on the word. “Sparkly?”

“True. Okay. Do you know where to go? Should we get a map ready? Do I need to ask someone there to prepare a safe room for us to appear in?”

“Are youtryingto offend me?”

He blinks twice and looks over at me. “No, why? Oh. Sorry. I’m sure you’re the navigator supreme and can stick a landing to a tenth of an inch.”

“Watch the road and stop talking.”

Grinning, he turns his attention back to his driving. We’re almost at my house when he says, “Connor really is going to freak out.”

“I look forward to it.” I can picture his outrage already.

“But I figure this is a good way to test the waters. In case… you know, in case one day things get serious between us.”

Today is clearly the day for Ian to test my range of human emotions. The current contender is shock. “You would tell him?”

“Not right now,” he says hastily. “But… I mean, I guess it’s not up to me. You get a say too.”

This isn’t how I thought we’d have this conversation, the few times I considered how it would go.

“Is that something you’d want?” I ask carefully.

“Would you?”

I sigh. “Ian, it’s a source of endless pleasure for me that you trust me not to hurt you. But the power imbalance between usdoesexist, and for that reason, you need to be the one to lead this discussion. I can’t… There can’t be any influence from me. Not even hints. What you want has to come first.”

He pulls the car to the curb in front of my house, turns it off, and twists to face me. “There. That’s why I trust you. You care about that shit. Making sure I know I’m in control of myself matters to you.” He sucks in a breath. “It’s one of the reasons I’m falling in love with you.”

The sentence echoes through my mind, over and over, until the words no longer make sense. My chest begins to ache, another entirely human reaction. I swallow. “Truly?”

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