Page 110 of The Demon's Pet

He smiled again. “We have vast areas underground. We had to live there at first, when humans had the world. It is nice to be in the sunlight again.”

“And why did humans give up the world?” I asked, wanting to know if it aligned with what the celestials had taught me.

“Because they nearly killed it, so the supernaturals took it back,” Zadis said. “The humans covered it in plastic and ugly buildings and chemicals. The vampires live in the ruins of their cities. Fae and elves won’t live anywhere near those areas. They’re still so poisoned.”

I thought about those humans for a moment. Why they did what they did. How they lived.

In the celestial haven I was raised in, we sometimes got human goods, and I was fascinated by them. By how far their technology had gone. Apparently, some vampires were still selling human tech and such from their areas.

I shivered at the thought of vampires.

“If you go with Sam, you’ll be going into danger,” Zadis said.

“I know,” I said. “But I don’t have any choice.” I twisted my hands in my lap, not sure who to trust.

I liked Sam. After what we did together, after seeing his incubus and letting him… do that to me, I just felt confused about everything.

My biggest worry was what would happen if I stayed with him. Would he wind up hurting me?

Did I have any other options?

I liked Griffin and Os, but I barely knew them as well.

“I can see you’re hesitating. Good,” Zadis said. “Now tell me what Sam has on you, and I’ll tell you how I can rescue you from his clutches.”

I laughed, resisting the urge to touch the collar around my neck. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Zadis looked at my collar anyway. “The fae don’t acknowledge slave bonds. If you’re his prisoner—”

“It’s complicated,” I said. “Besides, after growing up in that haven, I could never go back. I’d rather do anything but that. And when Sam took me with him, I promised him a favor.”

“He may well kill you,” Zadis said. “You understand that, right? Celestials don’t really care about anyone but themselves. He will get what he needs and then abandon you. This situation, whatever he has offered you, is temporary. And what does he plan to do when he has to go slay someone in a realm you can’t go to? Think clearly, girl.”

“Don’t call me girl,” I snapped.

He paled slightly, offended. “Why not?”

“I’m twenty-two. I’m a woman.”

He snorted. “A girl. To me. But fine. I’ll call you Cleo.”

I stood because I couldn’t see this going anywhere beneficial.

“Wait,” Zadis said. “I’ll get tea.” He moved over to the kitchen, and I leaned back on the cushion, listening to the sounds of him presumably preparing tea while my thoughts wandered to that swarming black creature in the cage.

Sam seemed reluctant to kill it. Plus, what was a void walker, and why was Sam accusing the fae of bringing it here?

Nothing made sense.

And I kind of wanted to sneak out and see the creature again. See what it would ask me. See it take that odd humanoid shape again.

“So that void-walker,” I said. “What is it?”

I heard a snort from Zadis. “Why do we have to talk about such an unpleasant creature?” He walked in from the kitchen, carrying a tray with an ornate teapot and two cups of steaming yellow liquid.

He handed me a cup, set the tray down on a short table, and sat down again with a cup in his hand. He blew on it.

I looked down at my cup suspiciously. He reached over, took the cup, sipped it, and smiled at me with those glowing green eyes.

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