“So I’ve heard. Look—whatever you choose to believe about it, I still owe you one,” I said. “Just... please keep Edward and my father safe.”
The massive guard crossed his arms over a muscular, leathery chest. “That’s why we’re here, demonkin.”
I nodded, swallowed hard, and slunk past him and his equally massive companion to knock on the door. Edward opened it a moment later, looking very much his normal self, and not like someone who’d been reduced to messy, bite-sized chunks less than twelve hours previously.
“Ah. Zorah,” he said. “Do come in.” His eyes moved past me to the hulking guards, and he sent them a quick smile. “We’re fine here, gents. One of us will make some sort of terribly undignified shrieking noise if anyone pops in who shouldn’t.”
The guards nodded acknowledgement and turned their backs to the hut, taking up position again. Edward closed the door behind me, and my shoulders sagged in relief.
“Are you two doing all right?” I asked, my eyes seeking out my father. He was seated at the small table, picking at a bowl of food, but he did look up at my entrance.
“As well as can be expected, Miss,” Edward said, before turning his attention to Dad. “Darryl, old chap, you should at least say hello to your daughter. She’s been worried about you.”
My dad continued to look at me for a long moment, his brows drawing together. The silence stretched for long enough that I wasn’t sure he’d speak, but eventually he said, “Zorah. Why did you come back here?”
My pulse picked up at this fresh evidence of my father’s mental improvement, even if the words themselves weren’t exactly what you’d call welcoming.
“I came back because Edward got... hurt,” I said, opting for something that sounded a little less upsetting than ‘torn to bits.’ “I was worried about you. I needed to be sure you were all right.”
Dad’s frown deepened. “Edward didn’t get hurt. He got killed. I don’t understand this place. But I do know it’s not safe for you here. I keep telling you—you shouldn’t be here.”
I pulled up a stool to the table, sitting down and resting my elbows on the worn wood as I regarded him. “Yeah, about that. I know this isn’t exactly reassuring, but the truth is, I don’t think anywhere is safe for me now. Myrial—Grandpa Hawkins—made sure of that.”
The muscles in my father’s face worked. “He’s a demon.”
My excitement surged anew at this indication that my father was gaining a deeper understanding of the events going on around him.
“Yeah. Yeah, he is,” I agreed. “Mom was half, and that makes me one-quarter demon. Myrial wasn’t supposed to marry a human or have a kid. There are rules about that, and he broke them. I don’t know exactly what’s motivating him now, but he’s seriously got it in for both of us. You still remember what I told you before, right? Don’t make any bargains or agreements with him or any other demon.”
“Pfft. I don’t want anything to do with the bastard,” Dad muttered. “Don’t want anything to do with any of them. Here... or in that other place.”
I wondered if the other place was Dhuinne. If so, I couldn’t blame him a bit for the sentiment.
“That’s good. Hold that thought, all right?” I told him. “Just the demons, though. Edward’s okay. The tithelings are okay, too. You need to let them look after you.”
Dear god, let me not be wrong about Edward being trustworthy. But if his selfless act the previous night wasn’t proof enough, what more could I possibly expect from the man?
“You should leave,” my father said again, repeating what seemed to be his new refrain.
The worst part was, I suspected he was right. The demon Council was aware of the attack, even if they still had their own opinions about my earlier actions with Myrial. They’d posted guards, as they’d promised they would. Nigellus was continuing to work on them. But as long as I stayed here, Rans was on his own if Myrial decided to go after him directly. Plus, by remaining here I was offering Myrial a shot at grabbing both my father and me for use as leverage against Rans, if killing the vampire really was the goal.
As much as it rankled to admit it, Dad was obviously doing better in my absence than he’d done with me hovering around him for more than a month. And even without any sort of backup, Edward had somehow managed to run Myrial off before she could do anything to my father. With luck, the additional demon guards meant that the poor old guy wouldn’t have to get torn apart if Myrial came back again for round two.
I shivered.
“Edward,” I began, “I wonder if it would be better if I did leave. It’s pretty clear I’ve become a controversial figure in Hell. But I don’t want you to feel like I’m abandoning you. What do you think?”
Edward made a soft huffing sound. “I think you’d do better to worry about who you’ve abandoned back on Earth, Miss.”
My chest tightened. Ouch.
“... Yeah. You’re probably right.”
The elderly butler smiled. “Judging by your attire, I would guess your decision to come here was rather spur-of-the-moment. And while I’m flattered by that, such decisions aren’t always the most productive in the long run.”
“It’s true, I might have a bit of a track record of leaping before I look,” I admitted sheepishly.
He nodded. “Don’t feel bad, Miss—impulsive decisions are the purview of the young. But as you can see, I’m perfectly well now. Your father is fine, and it seems unlikely that Myrial would dare try a repeat performance with so many eyes on us.”
With an effort, I tried to think about logistics. Another concern reared
