“This is perfect!” Mira interrupted. “You came in at the exact right moment. Okay, so me and Jax have been experimenting with this blanket, right? When I wrapped Jax in it, I did not have my power suppressed, but he did. We tried it the other way around and it was the same. But that was all it did. When I wrapped this little demon up in it, though, he practically went to sleep. Ask him if he can access his powers, Kerry!”
Raising my eyebrows, I did as she asked. The reaper replied, then yawned and stretched out one chubby fist, as if it really were a baby safe in its mother’s arms.
If demons who hounded humans until they committed suicide had mothers.
“It says it can. It says that, at any second, it could drive you all to your deaths in despair, so you should be afraid. Very afraid.”
“Oh,” Mira’s face fell. “He can use his powers? That’s not fair!”
“Of course it can’t.” I made a face. “It’s bluffing. And don’t call it a he. It’s an it.”
“But he—I mean, it said it could!” Gigi said. Then, biting her lip, she asked Mira if she could hold it.
“Sure. Is that okay with you, lil weeping reaper?” Mira baby-talked to the demon and passed the bundle to Gigi.
I traded a disbelieving look with Rome.
“She’s all yours, my friend.” I swept my hands toward Mira, welcoming him to it. “Do not be an idiot and screw up.”
“Huh?” Mira scrunched up her eyebrows.
Rome dissolved his sword and took a knee next to Mira, then gathered her hands in his and looked up at her with concern on his face.
“This little demon is trying to ensnare you,” Rome explained. “It looks all snuggly and acts babyish because that’s what it sensed would entice you closer. Sure, it can’t use any Diabolical power right now, but it’s already done the damage. You feel something for it and it’s feeding on that. And if you cry when Kerry or I kill it, it’ll go back to the Pit with a full stomach.”
Mira’s face went slack with shock, but her eyes showed a deep hurt.
“It’s … using me?”
“That’s all demons do, baby girl. Use people. They take anything they can, from your compassion to your soul.” Rome released her hands and his palms on either side of her face. “I’m sorry. I wish you would have asked me to help you with your experiment. I would have found a way to do it that spared you this.”
“It’s my fault, too,” Jax said, lowering George. “I went along and helped her. I’m sorry, too, Mira.”
“You only went along because I made you,” she said with a washed-out smile. “Neither of you need to apologize. I brought this all on myself. In fact, I apologize to both of you. And Kerry, you smelled him … it … as soon as you walked into the building, didn’t you? It must have panicked you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about that.” I waved one hand. “You learned a good lesson, so it was worth a little panic.”
“I learned several.” She lowered her eyes to the floor.
I hated that she was upset, but there was nothing I could do that I wasn’t already doing.
“Oh, hey, here.” I tossed Rome a small glass jar. “One of Josef’s people was kind enough to share a little healing. Take care of your headache.”
Turning to Gigi, I saw she was still holding the reaper like it was a baby. She stared down with a soft look on her face.
Not good.
“Can I hold it?” I moved closer to her and held out my arms.
She swung her eyes up to mine and backed away, her face white.
“No! You’ll hurt him!”
“I’ll make it quick,” I tried to reassure her. “It won’t feel a thing, I promise.”
“You can’t kill a baby!” Her eyes wild, she pressed the demon tighter against her body. “I won’t let you!”
Oh, not good at all.
