Page 61 of Demon Sworn
When her feet are firmly back on the floor, she looks up at us and bites her lip. “I know it’s too late for the others…but do you guys think you could try to bring back William? He…might have been an ass…but he didn’t deserve to die.”
We all nod simultaneously and fly forward, landing in front of her. Van hugs her tightly to himself, kissing her forehead, stroking her cheek. “I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight for a moment—”
She shushes him. “You didn’t know.”
Raz snatches her out of Van’s arms when he feels like they’ve made out long enough. “Baby girl…” He can’t get anything else out and just pulls her into him, hugging her tightly.
Finally, she taps him on the shoulder, and he releases her.
She turns to me, and I swallow hard, glancing at the floor. I watch her feet get closer, stopping just in front of mine. They’re so tiny in comparison.
I see her hand reach out and take mine, and as she threads our fingers together, I swear it feels as if I’m floating on the ocean, weightless and free.
When I lift my eyes to hers, she says, “Let’s go home.”
If home’s what my girl wants, then that’s what she’ll get. Because from now until forever, I’m going to give her everything.
24
Zolroth
I promisedI’d stay with Adam, but anxiety is a bit of a prick, right? It picks at you until you’re scratching at your arms, jiggling your foot, randomly clasping and unclasping your very expensive Rolex.
After twenty minutes of waiting at home, I hadn’t been able to handle it. I’d said, “Bloody hell,” and snagged up Adam, cradling him in my arms and literally ripping the back of my suit as I let my wings expand.
We flew straight here, and I’d been completely prepared to hide out in the bushes and use Akor’s binoculars to check on everything. But we’d hardly landed when Adam pointed over at the gymnasium.
“Zolly, look! Lightning!”
He was right. I’d gripped his pudgy little hand tightly as I’d worried what the hell I should do. Then I’d decidedfuck it, and I’d drug out my cell and called Lucillania. I already owed her a favor. What was one more?
It’s only seconds later that I’m bowing before the Queen of Hell while Adam stares up at her. Today, she’s wearing a hot purple spandex onesie and black boots that make her look as if she came off of aStar Trekporn set. She hasn’t bothered with a cane to feign blindness.
“Whoa! I like your hair,” Adam says enthusiastically, reaching a small hand out to tug at a strand.
Luciliana smiles graciously down at him. “You must be Adam.”
She extends a hand, and he shakes it like a grown up before saying, “Oops. Sorry. That was my booger hand.”
“Booger hand.”
Adam leans forward confidentially. “My sister doesn’t like me to eat boogers, so I hide them between my fingers so she can’t tell.”
Lucillania’s face breaks into a small smile. “You know, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We shouldn’t be ashamed of the choices we make, should we?”
“Ummm…” Adam looks confused by this little philosophical pop quiz.
Personally, I want to rush Lucillania. But you don’t rush a queen. It’s just not done.
“If we’re ashamed of a choice, then perhaps it’s not the right choice for us and we should make a different one,” she continues. “So either you stand proud and bear your booger-eating soul to the world or—”
A loud boom cuts her off, and the ground quakes beneath our feet.
“What was that?” Adam gasps.
Fear snatches my heart and squeezes it in its filthy hands. That sound came from the gym, which now has a large crack running up the outer wall.
Lucillania turns calmly and holds out her hand to grip Adam’s booger hand. When he slips his fingers into her palm, she squeezes and starts to lead him towards the quaking building as she says, “That, Adam, is your sister.”
