Page 74 of Their Princess

“I’m a demon, too, and they love me. Plus, Papa Dan loves me a ton and you’re a lot like me.”

“I am?” she gasped.

“Yes,” I nodded. “You’re a lot like me when I was your age.” I actually worried it might make him cry and get sentimental, but it was hard to tell with him sometimes. Though, Grandpa Deryn swears he’s getting more sentimental the older he gets.

She smiled and stood. “I’m going to wear one of my new dresses.”

I stood as well and said, “That sounds like a great idea, Kora.”

“I’ll wear my new shirt!” Elrith said. “The one Grandpa Triston got me.”

“I think he’ll like that,” I agreed. “I’m going to change now, okay?”

They nodded, already headed in different directions to get their clothes.

There were still a couple hours until my family was scheduled to arrive, so I hopped in the shower, allowing myself time to decompress and relax a bit. I knew Kayden was right, but my bigger anxiousness came from it being my first time hosting my grandparents and great grandparents. I’d helped Mom and Dad, but this was my first time as the hostess.

After showering, brushing out my hair, and putting on some light makeup, I stood in my closet and debated which dress to wear.

“The purple one,” Mason said behind me.

I hissed in shock as I spun around, glaring at him as I felt his joy at startling me. “Rude, Mason. Rude.”

“You’re so easy to startle and make the cutest little hisses,” he teased as he wrapped me in a hug and bit my neck.

Gasping and arching into him, I gripped his shirt and said, “You bite me again and we won’t make it to the party.”

“Promise?” he breathed against my neck, his breath warm against the wet spot from his bite.

With every ounce of willpower I could muster, I shoved him gently away. “Out.”

He pouted, reminding me of his ten-year-old self when I’d refused to let him steal one of my shiny pens. “Fine.”

Once I was certain he was on his way out, I turned back to the closet and pulled the purple dress off the hanger. The dress was made from silk from a small bug-like demon that reminded me of a silkworm back in the other world, but so much softer. It was easy to spell with designs, too, which Druth apparently loved making. She designed this dress for me and did all the spell work herself, spending three days on it, according to Azgon. The vibrant purple matched the purple within my hair when it glowed and had a series of flowers and vines made from tiny crystals around the edges and around the mermaid cut bodice. There were slits on each side of the dress, but since it overlaid a bit, you only noticed if I stretched my leg out. It was the perfect style for someone who might need to fight while wearing it, which was a testament to my life so far that I needed that.

The only issue I had with the dress was that it was impossible to put on alone because you had to tie the laces in the back.

“Mason!” I called.

“Yes?” he asked, right behind me … again.

I couldn’t stop the hiss before it came out, which made him chuckle.

His warm fingertips slid down my bare shoulders to the laces. “Need help with these?”

“Yes, please.” I nodded.

“Oh, being polite today, are we? How refreshing.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m always polite.”

He scoffed and began tightening the laces carefully. “Often, not always.”

“Pot. Kettle.”

His lips pressed against one shoulder and then the next. “Guilty.”

“Is everything ready?” I asked when he finally finished tightening the laces and patted my back to let me know.

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