Page 123 of Demon Defeat: Part 2

“Come.Let’s go home and eat.”

Molev grilled the burgers on the patio, and I sat on the lawn chair, watching him.

“Speak what’s on your mind, Andie,” he said after a while.

“Waurlyn’s not wrong about the risk.So why are we going out there again?”

“The infected have been changing from the start and haven’t stopped.They’re growing more intelligent.Are they evolving back into humans like you?”

Stunned, I just stared at him for a moment.

“I hope not.Half of them are missing parts.They don’t bleed anymore.They don’t eat.They just bite.How can they be human when they clearly aren’t alive?”I tapped my finger on the chair’s armrest.“I think we need to tell Waurlyn what we know about how this started with the curse and the hunting.”

“Mya said humans don’t believe in magic.”

“Most don’t.I didn’t.But I saw the hound's glowing eyes and felt the wrongness when you removed its heart.That was all it took to convince me.Well, that and you.No one thought fey were real either.It’s kind of hard to say something doesn’t exist when you’re here.”

He grunted and closed the lid on the empty grill.

“Do you trust Waurlyn?”he asked.

“I trust her like I trusted Patrick.Our goals are aligned.She understands better than Patrick did that your cooperation is important.The better question is—will the scientists be able to figure out how to stop the infected and the hounds without this information?I know a group of your kind can kill hundreds of infected with ease.I saw that for myself at the tank.But there are millions of people in the United States, and only what?Five hundred of you?If the infected are starting to work together to set bigger traps, at what point will it be too much for you to handle on your own?Once you die, we all die.”

“Then I will speak with Waurlyn tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

Steve was already passed out when we came back in with the food.Roni splashed water on his face.It turned into a fight that Molev broke up with a single, stern, “Stop.”

Roni grinned.Steve scowled.Katie shook her head while Sid hid his smile.They all did an amazing job of acting like everything was fine, but I saw the pain underneath.They’d all said goodbye to someone they may never see again.

“I saw some board games in the closet,” I said.“Who’s up for some burgers, beer, and fun?”

We stayed up later than we would have, playing games and sipping our beer.When Katie had everyone’s play money and was laughing like a maniac, I grinned around a yawn.

Molev’s hand settled on the back of my neck, squeezing it slightly.The affectionate and slightly possessive hold had me leaning into his side.It wasn’t until he wrapped his arm around my shoulders that I realized what I’d done.It had been so natural.Instinctual.And snuggling up against him felt right.

Rather than fighting it or regretting it, I rested my head against his shoulder and watched the others horse around, trying to steal Katie’s money.

“This was good,” I said to him.

“When we get back, we’ll do it again,” he said.

I tipped my head to look at him.“Are you saying you’re going to start giving us a day off every now and again?”

“Please say yes,” Brandon said.

His words brought everyone else’s attention to us.Roni and Katie both smirked at me.I rolled my eyes.

“One day of rest in every seven,” Molev said.

“I’ll take it,” Roland said, standing.“G’Night, folks.Don’t wake me up for breakfast.”

After that, the group broke up, drifting off to bed until it was just Molev and me in the living room.

“Are you tired?”he asked.

“So tired I don’t want to move.”

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