Page 73 of The Deer and the Dragon
“She likes her coffee like she likes her men,” Fauna responded, hopping up backward onto the counter and letting her legs dangle off the ledge. “Hot.”
He chuckled as he slid a tall, black cup of coffee on a tray that included a tiny, bronze cup of cream, a little pot of sugar cubes, and the fanciest, littlest spoon I’d ever seen. It wasn’t honey, but I could make do. I looked around the apartment, if only to take my eyes off the demon. I hoped she’d never bring up my question about Hell and darkness, particularly the beauty of the morning light as it streamed in through the windows. It caught on the coppers and metals that accented his apartment, offering a shimmering quality to the entire space.
“So, working with Betty pays well?” I mused, remembering what Betty had said about converting malevolence the same way a hydro plant turned water into electricity. If that was the case, Azrames must have been the Hoover Dam.
He slipped a hand behind Fauna and sipped on his own coffee while nodding. “Centuries of smiting assholes has proven lucrative.”
Fauna kissed him proudly atop his head from her countertop perch but had no smartass remark to add. I recognized the twinkle of admiration in her eye and was once again struck with how easy he would be to love. Not only did he adore her, but she clearly respected him. He’d dedicated hundreds of years to ridding the mortal world of abusers and setting women free. If I had to sleep in a demon’s house, this seemed like the place to be.
“Ask him about his tattoo,” she said.
He’d begun to protest, but I took the bait. The scalding packaging had made it easy to forget how formidable he was, the shadow in the dark, the last thing a violent man saw before he died. I’d taken it for a cohesive piece, but my eyes lingered on it long enough to spy the way the dark tendrils were separated. Given the context of her remark, I thought of teardrop tattoos as I looked at him. “Your ink? Is each section from a kill?”
He lifted his arm as if remembering the piece was there. “These? No, the kills are not worth remembering. I make sure they deserve it, and I never look back. These aren’t for deaths, they’re for lives, Marmar. Every mark represents someone who was set free. It helps me remember why I do what I do.”
“The income doesn’t hurt either,” Fauna added.
For fuck’s sake, this man. Maybe Ididwant to borrow him. How was I supposed to function in the human realm after this? I was pretty sure I’d never find joy topside again.
Breaking my pre-caffeinated existential spiral, Fauna asked, “Az, would you be a peach and see how we can get word to the palace that we’re here seeking an audience with the King?”
Azrames nodded as he sipped. “Way ahead of you. I don’t run in royal circles, but I phoned a friend of a friend. I don’t think it’s going to be hard to get Marlow in front of the King once he knows she’s here. The challenging part is getting the news to him.”
“Can I ask a question?”
They both perked, but my attention was on Fauna. “This isn’t your kingdom. Why do you call them the Prince and the King? Don’t the Nordes have a royal family? Wouldn’t they be your princes and kings?”
“Can I askyoua question?” she responded. “Did you print your diploma off from a shady website, or did they actually let you graduate?”
Maybe if they hadn’t kept me awake for hours with their screaming, I wouldn’t have been so cranky. I narrowed my eyes. “You’re such a goddamn bully.”
She didn’t just roll her eyes but flopped her entire head backward dramatically. “Remember that hot pop singer who divorced the leader of France—Nicholas something or other? What’s the leader called there?”
“Oh, Carla Bruni!”
“You’re a nerd for knowing that.”
I clicked my tongue. “You’re a nerd for asking. Yeah, she was married to the president of France.”
Fauna slurped her syrupy coffee loudly, blinking at me with her large, mockingly innocent doe eyes before saying, “Are you sure you don’t want to say she was married toapresident? He wasn’tyourpresident.”
I hmmphed. She wasn’t the gentlest teacher I’d ever had, but she did get her points across. “Fine. I get it.” I looked around the apartment, admiring its lavishness in the morning light. “So, what does a day in Hell look like?”
Azrames unraveled himself from where he’d remained connected to Fauna. He planted his large hands on the island and leaned forward. I wished he hadn’t. It was deeply inappropriate to lust after your friend’s wealthy, muscled, powerful, kinky lover.
Probably.
He raised a brow as he said, “You mean, between the torture and dismembering?”
“Oh,” Fauna chimed from over his shoulder. “Should we do a tour of the Lake of Sulfur?”
“Go fuck yourselves,” I muttered.
He chuckled. “There actuallyisa lake of sulfur. Well, that’s what it’s named, anyway. It’s a mineral hot spring and a great tourist attraction. If you’re looking for a spa day, you could certainly tell your friends that you boiled in the Lake of Sulfur.”
“Lisbeth wouldlovethat,” Fauna said. Then to Azrames, she explained, “Az, her mom is a hardcore fan of the other side. Doesn’t her name mean something extreme like ‘God’s oath’? No beating around the bush with that one. Anyway, Az: Mama Marlow’s fae blood has given her way too much free time to chat with angels. She’s putting her psychic abilities to obnoxious use. A real stick up her ass, that one.”
“Speaking of talking to the fae.” Azrames’s voice quieted as he reached across the island for me. I froze as he gently straightened my arm, lifting it from the elbow so he couldlook at the sigil I’d had tattooed. He lifted his eyes to mine, marvel in his voice as he asked, “Look who has some ink of her own. How did you find this?”
