For a Few Demons More

me.

'Then you have a problem,' Ceri said, turning her back on me to open a cupboard.

I couldn't read her mood at all. 'I never said I was good at this,' I muttered. Getting up, I pulled a mug from the cupboard, but when I dropped a tea bag into it, her eyes narrowed.

'Go sit and drink your foul coffee,' she said, her voice harsh. 'I'll make my own tea.'

Jenks snickered, and after I moved the plate with the honey and fudge to the table, I sat with my cold gourmet coffee. It had lost much of its appeal. Ceri's silent disapproval was obvious, but what was I supposed to do? I didn't like the idea that Ivy had left to move in with Skimmer without telling me, but it was the best explanation I had right now.

Ceri brought the ceramic teapot out from under the counter. Throwing my tea bag away, she measured out two spoonfuls of loose tea. Jenks flitted to his honey and wrestled with the top until I opened it for him. Some birthday this was turning out to be.

'Jenks?' I warned, my eyes going to Rex. The orange cat was sitting in the threshold of the kitchen, watching me with those creepy kitten eyes. I'd seen Jenks on honey; it got him drunker faster than a frat boy avoiding finals, and Rex liked little winged things too much for my comfort.

'What!' he said belligerently. 'You bought it for me.'

'Yes, but I was hoping you'd be sober this afternoon for our run.'

Snorting, Jenks settled himself before the jar brimming with the sticky amber. 'Like I've ever been drunk for longer than five minutes?' Clearly eager, he pulled what looked like a set of chopsticks from his back pocket. Manipulating them expertly, he spindled a wad of the honey into his mouth. His wings drooped and stilled when he swallowed, and a giggle slipped from him. 'Crap, this is good stuff,' he said around a gooey mouthful.

Five minutes. That was about right, but I was worried about Rex.

Ceri stood at the sink and warmed the teapot with hot tap water. I thought it a useless step that only served to make more dirty dishes, but Ceri was the expert when it came to tea. Her gaze went to Jenks, now holding the sticks high over his uptilted head and letting the honey dribble into him. It was going exactly where he wanted, even if he was starting to cant to one side.

'Can you take that into the overhead rack?' I said, worried.

Stiffening, Jenks gave me a wide-eyed, unfocused look. 'I can fly, woman. I can fly better honey-drunk than you can fly stone sober.' To prove his point, he lifted into the air, Making a whoop of exclamation, he lost altitude. Ceri's hand was under him in a flash, and he started giggling. 'Listen, listen!' he coaxed while he slumped on her hand, then belched the first two lines to 'You Are My Sunshine.'

'Jenks…' I protested. 'Get off Ceri. That's disgusting.'

'Sorry, sorry,' he slurred, almost falling. 'Damn, that's good honey. Gotta take some of this to Matalina. Matalina would like it. Maybe help her sleep a little.'

Clearly concentrating, he had sparkles sifting from him thick and furious as he wobbled down to the table. I sighed apologetically, and Ceri smiled, snagging Rex as the cat padded past her, headed for Jenks. The cat settled herself in Ceri's arm, purring.

'Kitty, kitty, kitty,' Jenks slurred as he landed next to me and his honey. 'Kitty wants some honey? S' good hu-honey?'

Yeah, my life was weird, but it had its moments.

Ceri leaned against the counter while she waited for her water to warm. 'How have you been sleeping lately?' she asked, as if she were my doctor. 'Any more sneezing?'

I smiled, flattered she cared. 'No. I didn't sleep much this morning, but that wasn't Minias's fault.' Her eyebrows rose, and I added, 'Do you think Newt will show up again? '

She shook her head solemnly. 'No. He will watch her carefully for a time.'

Fingers gripping my warm coffee, I thought that if Newt did show up, there wasn't much I could do about it, seeing as she had taken control of Ceri's triple circle with the ease of opening a letter. Remembering me taking Tom's circle. I went to ask her about it, then didn't. It had to be because I'd walked into its construction. That's all. I was sure I'd read somewhere that that was possible. And I didn't want to risk hearing her say it was unusual.

Singing the Rolling Stones' 'Satisfaction,' Jenks sat cross-legged before his one-ounce jar, ladling honey into himself. 'I will protect you, Rache,' he said, cutting his music short. 'I'll give that demon a labeotomy, boobotomay, lob, lob, lobotomy if he shows up again!'

I made a wry face, watching him fall over, laughing merrily at himself, then sitting up with a loud 'Ow.' Depressed, I pulled a ribbon of dough from the pastry. It was dry, but I ate it anyway.

Ceri's water started to steam. Managing to fill her teapot with Rex still in her arms, she brought her brew it to sit on the table. Jenks staggered to the teapot, wings a blur for balance as he put his back to it and slid down with a heavy sigh.

'May I ask you something?' Ceri asked, her eyes on her empty cup.

I didn't have anything to do until about six, when I would start getting ready for my run, so after putting the top back on Jenks's honey, I pulled a foot up onto my chair and clasped an arm around a knee. 'Sure. What?'

A faint hint of pink on her cheeks, she asked, 'Did it hurt when Ivy bit you?'

I stiffened, and Jenks—his eyes closed—started mumbling, 'No, no, no. Damn vampire made it feel good. Ah, crap, I'm tired.'

Swallowing, I met her eyes. 'No. Why?'

Her lower lip turned in, and, biting it to look charming, Ceri grew solemn. 'You should never be ashamed of loving someone.'

My blood pressure spiked. 'I'm not,' I said defensively.

I was belligerent because I was afraid, but instead of responding with an equal amount of ire, she unexpectedly dropped her eyes. 'I'm not finding fault with you,' she said softly. 'I… envy you. And you need to know that.'

My fingers laced about my knee tightened. Me? She envies my screwed-up life?

'You say you don't trust people,' Ceri rushed to explain, her vivid green eyes pleading for understanding. 'But you do trust. You trust too much. You give everything even when you're afraid. And I envy that. I don't think I could ever love anyone without fear… now.'

Jenks hiccupped. 'Aw, Ceri. It's okay. I love you.'

'Thank you, Jenks,' Ceri said, sitting primly in her chair. 'But it would never work. Your body is not as big as your heart, and much as I'd like to think I am a soul and mind, I have a body that needs to be satisfied as well.'

'The hell I'm not big enough!' he protested, lurching up. Only one wing was working, and it almost knocked him over. 'You just ask Matalina.' The pixy went pale. 'Never mind.'

Ceri poured out some tea, the amber liquid gurgling with the sound of contentment to stand at contrast with my unease. I slowly pulled my second knee up to my first. 'Jenks, sit down,' I murmured when his staggering path toward the honey went off track and he angled for the table's edge. Glad for the distraction, my thoughts drifted to Trent and Ellasbeth's marriage. I was reaching for Jenks when he collapsed into the napkins and pulled one over his head.

Why hadn't I told Trent about Ceri? Or Ceri about Trent? I was a lousy judge of character, but even I could tell that the two seemed made for each other. Trent wasn't that bad. Though he had kept me caged as a mink. And put me in the fights. And tricked me into trying to take Piscary down by myself, though some of that stupidity was my fault.

I pulled another ribbon of pastry from a roll. Trent had treated me with respect the night I'd been his paid bodyguard, then kept me alive during the aftermath. He'd trusted me to take care of Lee on my own instead of killing him like he wanted to. Though if I had let Trent kill his friend, I wouldn't be playing bodyguard at his wedding… probably.

This is a mess, I thought, washing the pastry down with a swallow of cold coffee. Ceri could decide what she wanted to do. And if Trent used her, I'd freaking kill him. And because I was gaining his trust, I could probably get close enough to do it. Which was a terrifying thought.

My heart beat faster, and I wiped my fingers on a napkin. 'Ceri?' I said, and she looked up expectantly. Rex