Page 49 of My Demon Assistant

"He's not. He wouldn't be helping them if he was," Kor growled, speaking up for the first time, and a pang of sympathy went through me. Kor and Mammon had been best friends—more, according to Star—and while Kor had kept to himself before, he'd turned into an absolute hermit since Mammon went dark. This was the first time most of us had seen him in ages, and I was sure he would've skipped showing up if it wasn't important.

"Whatever Mammon's intentions are, as long as he's helping them, we can't go easy on him," Maximus cut in like the soldier he was, logical to a fault. I didn't blame him for it. It was his job. I just wished there was some way to bring our Mammon back. Once upon a time, he'd been a good friend, and a good demon.

This was exactly why Underworld had been closed all those centuries ago. People had realized that while being tortured would never change the dark souls, being in their proximity could make perfectly good souls turn dark over time.

"Have you heard anything since that day?" Lux asked into the uncomfortable silence, and Maximus frowned.

"We've been trying to map their route, and it seems like they're making a circuit of the continent. We can't figure out what they're up to yet, but if they keep to their current trajectory, they should pass through here next." Maximus circled a spot on the map, and I squinted at it. That was where Pythor lived, and close to Arnick too.

"I'll be on high alert," Pythor said, and Maximus nodded.

"Okay, let's talk theories," Consort Artemus, who'd been observing silently until now, said. "Dark magic. What could they be planning? Last time, they were trying to build hosts for themselves by infecting powerful supes with dark magic. Do you think they might be trying that again?"

"It's possible," Mortimer, one of the New York demons, said. "They failed the first time because we caught on, but practice makes perfect, right? They might've decided it was worth a second try, but since they're short on time, they are hunting down a large number of supes for their bloods instead of farming supe children like before."

I shuddered at the phrase. I hadn't seen the children who'd been kept as blood banks by some dark witches, warlocks, and their dark-magic-addicted shifters. I'd heard about them, though, and I couldn't imagine how traumatizing their experience must've been. I'd heard Maximus had found a good home for them in a town that was watched over by a dragon, and I hoped they'd be happy there.

"That's a good point. We might need to keep an eye on the supes they tried to infect last time. It's possible they might go for them again."

"I doubt it," King Damien said, shaking his head at his mate. "Before, they were all alone and vulnerable. But they've all found their mates since, which makes them stronger. They won't be as easy to infect, and even if the dark magic gets inside them, it won't be able to grab hold."

"That's good to hear," I said, and the king smiled.

"Maximus, you should still tell your team to keep an eye out for any supe who starts acting out suddenly. With Kym's help, we should be able to stop the infection from taking over as long as we get there in time."

"I'll make sure they do. And I'll talk to Kym too," Maximus said, referring to his mate, the man who'd made sure we could recognize our mates. He was a kitsune, and had fire magic that created the purest flame in existence, fire that could burn any hint of darkness out of a person.

The discussion went on for a while longer as we all came up with theories about their next steps and how we could stop them.

By the time the meeting ended, I felt like we were ready for every possible future. I was also more than ready to head home to my mate.

Once the meeting was over, the king and his mates left first, then Maximus, and then the demons started blinking away one by one until it was just me, Lux, Fressia, and Pythor.

"Why areyoustill here?" Fressia asked, raising a brow at Pythor, who grumbled in annoyance.

"I don't want to go back home."

"Why?" Lux asked, his brows furrowing as if he couldn't imagine why someone wouldn't want to go back to the human realm.

"It's my neighbor. He's driving me crazy."

"Still? What did he do now?" I asked, and he sighed.

"Nothing, really. He's just annoying. He plays music at random hours of the night, and he never turns his lights off, even the one on his porch and around his house. He never comes out, so I can't shout at him about it. It's very frustrating."

"You could just move. Find a different house," Lux suggested, and Pythor rolled his eyes.

"Oh, that would make him happy, wouldn't it? No way. I'm not gonna lose."

"I don't think he even knows you're playing," Fressia commented wryly, but Pythor merely huffed, then left without another word.

"Ready to head home?" Lux asked, and I grinned.

"Hell yeah."

Nineteen

Jerry

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