Page 115 of The Demon's Pet

Griffin was apologetic, still wearing the red robes he’d had on earlier. “Sam wants to talk to you,” he said.

My stomach clenched. “Right.” I stood, accepting Zadis’s hand when he extended it to me.

His green eyes glimmered in his handsome face. “I had a nice afternoon, Cleo.”

“Me too,” I replied, almost too eagerly. I released his hand. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Soon,” he said.

Griffin grabbed my hand and practically yanked me out through the front door. I had to put a hand up to shield my eyes as we stepped out into the blazingly bright sunlight. “Over here,” he said, pulling me off the beaten path and into the trees, where we were hidden in shadow.

“I thought Sam wanted to talk to me,” I said when Griffin released me and put his hands on his knees, panting.

“He does, but I wanted to check on you first. See how you were doing before he gets to start berating you again.”

“Ah,” I said. “Thank you.”

Griffin’s deep-blue eyes glowed. “No problem. We’re friends, remember?”

I grinned. Even after I left here and no longer had Zadis, I definitely had an ally in Griffin.

And my adventure was just beginning.

“So you’re okay, aren’t you? Nothing happened?” Griffin shook his head, releasing me. “Honestly, I don’t sense anything bad about Zadis, but Sam and Os keep acting like we should really watch out for him.”

“Do you trust them?” I asked Griffin.

Griffin rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I trust Sam less, knowing he forced a kiss on you.”

I sighed. “It wasn’t exactly like that. I was in the stocks. Yes, I didn’t consent, but it wasn’t exactly… forced.”

Griffin’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “It doesn’t sound sexy.”

I grinned at him. “That’s the messed-up thing. It kind of was.”

Griffin shared a look with me. “You like him, don’t you? You like Sam!” He laughed. “Poor Zadis.”

I flushed deeply. “I don’t like him. I’m attracted to him. There’s a difference.”

“Well, who wouldn’t be?” Griffin asked. “He’s an absolutely beautiful specimen of a male. But that personality…”

I kind of liked his personality. But I was also his pet. Was it Stockholm syndrome? Still, despite everything that had happened, I couldn’t help feeling excited to see him again.

“You do like him,” Griffin said, leading me out of the woods and back onto the bright main path.

“Maybe. I don’t know. It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I’m just his pet.”

“I’m Os’s pet. I don’t mind it.”

It was my turn to smirk at him. “So when are you going to tell me more about that?”

Griffin’s cheeks resembled strawberries. “I don’t… I just… It’s complicated.”

“I get that,” I said.

“Besides, Sam needs you. He’s still arguing with the fae, and he wants you to come talk to that void creature. He says he thinks it was trying to talk to you.”

My stomach clenched. “I think it did. It asked me who I am. What I am.”

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