Everything with these guys seemed pretty normal—until it wasn’t. Things could escalate to a whole new level of fucked up in the blink of an eye.
Iris didn’t like anything that wasn’t what it appeared to be. If they were demons, they ought to look like demons.
She appreciated that about Mist. Sitting there with his deathly sharp claws and teeth, leathery wings folded at his back, he was the only one not putting on a charade.
“Bye, Iris.” Eva waved and smiled. Raum and Ash nodded at her. Meph didn’t look at her at all.
“Bye.” She knew she wasn’t the demons’ favorite person either, considering she’d been openly antagonistic toward them when they first met. She was pretty sure they only tolerated her now because Lily asked them to.
Iris gave one last look at Meph, waiting for him to glance at her. Just an acknowledgement of her presence in any way. Just a split second of those red eyes locked on hers.
It didn’t happen. He appeared to be studying the wall with deep concentration. Shaking her head at herself, she finally spun away and walked around the corner to the door.
“I wish you could stay,” Lily said while Iris zipped into her parka. “You’re always in such a hurry to leave whenever we hang out lately.”
“I’ve been busy,” Iris replied, avoiding her gaze.
“With what? I thought you were cutting back shifts at Le Repaire?” A dusty old occult shop in the Mile End neighborhood, Le Repaire des Sorcières—The Witches’ Lair—was, in actuality, the business front for the Montreal witch coven, who met regularly in the basement.
“Who told you that?” Iris asked with a frown.
“Suyin did. I was there yesterday.”
“What were you doing there?”
“Youknowwhat. I’ve been trying to find info on Mist’s brands? On how to remove them? It’s pretty much consumed the last six months of my life?”
Shit. Iris hadn’t thought once about Lily’s burning obsession in the last while. Mist didn’t seem to care—the poor guy had been branded for thousands of years, and he was just grateful not to be tied to Paimon anymore—but Lily sure did.
The brands had forced Mist to serve the evil Queen of Hell, but when Lily had inadvertently defeated her, the magic had bound him to Lily instead. Sure, “defeat” meant simply watching Paimon get swallowed up by a gorath, one of the hideous centipede monsters that lurked in the bowels of her lair, but the magic hadn’t cared.
Lily, of course, did not particularly enjoy having the power to forcibly summon her boyfriend or stop his heart at her leisure, and she wanted Mist to finally be free. Mist claimed he had no problem being connected to Lily because he trusted her not to abuse her power. It was all very sweet and somewhat disturbing.
Iris frowned. “But I thought Eva’s dad’s angel friend was going to bring you information or whatever.”
“You mean Sunshine?” Lily looked impatient. “Dan met with her once, but she didn’t know anything. Apparently, she promised to search in the Empyrean Library for more information, but it’s taking a long time. That was months ago, Iris. What has gotten into you lately?”
“Nothing.” Guilt made Iris’s stomach churn. She should have been making more of an effort to be there for her sister. Lily may have proven she had a more natural connection to her power, but Iris had more book knowledge.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Ris? You seem off lately.”
Why does everyone keep asking me that?“I’m fine.”
“Okay...” Lily didn’t look like she believed her. “I’m having a movie night at my place this Friday. Will you come?”
Iris pulled her tuque on and made a face. “Really?” It went without saying that the demons would be there.
“Please? Just one movie?”
She couldn’t resist those doe eyes, damn it. And she had a hell of a lot to make up to Lily after all the lying she’d done.
Keeping the truth about their parents’ deaths from her sister was one of the worst mistakes Iris had ever made, and if she’d had any less of a compassionate sister, it could have ruined their relationship. Instead, Lily had pretty much forgiven her on the spot.
Iris cringed whenever she thought about that. She didn’t feel like she deserved it. In some way, she almostwantedLily to hate her for it.
Yet Iris wouldn’t change her twin for the world. Since they’d left Ireland nearly a decade ago, Lily was all she had. The least she could do was sit through one movie.
“Fine. I’ll be there.”
