Page 37 of Demon Queen
“She’d have to avenge you.”
He shook his head. “She’s too smart for that kind of sentiment.”
“She’d get Lucy to help her.”
“And Honey.”
Hazen wrinkled his nose. “And the demon king’s mate. This is she, correct?”
I snorted. “No. I’m not anybody’s mate, and if I was, it wouldn’t be to some arrogant jerk who can’t even dump me properly. I’m here to see the White Rabbit and question him about angels.”
Hazen’s brows went very low over his eyes. “Are you? Why?”
I frowned at him. Why was I going to ask the White Rabbit about angels? I shrugged. It didn’t really matter. “I can’t remember, but it went with the rest of the night. Did you know that Lucy drained almost all of my blood, but while she did, she held my head in her hands and gave me brain damage? Look at my arm. Do you see these stitches? I’m like Frankenstein.”
“Frankenstein’s monster,” Hazen and Tom said at the same time.
I scowled at them. “Whatever. I said what I meant.”
“She drank a lot of vodka while I gave her stitches,” Tom said, like I needed some explaining.
“Ah.” Hazen nodded soberly. He had sobriety down. “In that case, why don’t I lead you to the White Rabbit. He’s possibly the most dangerous creature I know, and has been refusing to tell me anything no matter how much meticulous torture I apply, but by all means, ask him your questions. He might make you kill yourself if you look him in the eyes.”
I frowned at him then shrugged. “That would go with the night too. Are you coming with me? You could probably keep me from strangling myself with my harness or something ridiculous.”
“I could, but I can guarantee that he wouldn’t talk to you if I was there.”
“Oh. Well, the point is to talk to him.” I sighed heavily. “All right. Show me the way, if you’d be so kind.”
He gestured to the door at the end of the hall. Okay then. I walked over there while everyone stared at me like I was a rat doing neat tricks. Also edible. Whatever.
“What is she wearing?” one of the vampires whispered to another vampire.
“She must have gotten caught in a sausage grinder,” the vampire responded.
I wrinkled my nose at them and pushed open the door. Whatever. Like I’d admit to putting my elbow through a window, or wearing Dorian’s shirt after I messed up my lady’s tea outfit with demon gore. That was such a long time ago. Maybe that had happened to someone else.
Inside the other door was a long hall and a room at the end, bars across the cell as well as a green film on the other side of the bars like a seran-wrap seal to keep the angel slaughterer in and everyone else out.
I walked down the hall, noticing that the temperature got colder and colder until I was shivering by the time I got close enough to see inside the bars. The man was perched on a white stool in a crisp white cell beneath a bright white light. The light was warm, but the floor had frost over it. Weird.
The man raised his head and then we both started at the same time.
“Mr. Heller?”
The pale man with a perpetually surprised expression blinked at me. “Ah. How nice to see you, Candy Queen. I’d like to order two tons of truffles, a truckful of caramels, and a milkshake.”
“I don’t sell milkshakes. I should, though, in the tea shop. It could add a nice dynamic. Ooh, I could do a fifties diner with the Halloween theme. Monsters were so charming back then, you know, monster mash, Igor, Boris…None of these modern demons and vampires with all their angst.”
He nodded soberly. “They really were. Are you drunk?”
I held out my arm. “I broke a window with my elbow, so I had to put vodka in it to clean the wound.”
“And then you drank the rest?”
I shrugged. “It’s been that kind of day. Week. Um, not to be rude, but are you really the White Rabbit who slaughtered all the angels?”
He shook his head, no. “Unfortunately, not.”
