Okay, maybe that was a lot to read in my face, but he seemed to manage it. He gave me the slightest of nods, acknowledging. But now I couldn’t help but wonder—why was I so shocked that Zack had knocked up Jill when only a little while ago I’d been worried that Rhyzkahl had done the same to me? But the demonic lords aren’t demons, I reminded myself. Yeah, great, so what are they?
Ryan turned. “Who are we congratulating for what?” he asked, gaze flicking from me to Zack and Jill.
Zack spoke up first. “Jill’s pregnant.”
Ryan inhaled sharply and gave a cautious smile. “Surfer boy’s going to settle down now?”
“Looks that way,” he said. Zack gave Jill’s hand a squeeze along with a look of such fondness that I almost felt guilty for being so angry at him. Almost. I was still plenty pissed. I wasn’t an expert on relationships by any stretch, but it didn’t seem like starting off with a big whopping lie—like the fact that he wasn’t human—was a good way to go about it.
“He’s stuck with me now,” Jill said after giving him a return squeeze and an equally fond look.
Ryan finished up at the counter and slid into his seat. He lifted his chin toward the map hanging in the hallway. “I get that the red marks are where bodies were found. But what are the blue marks?”
“Well…” How to explain this? Crap. Nothing to do but just say it. “Not long ago Rhyzkahl went onto my computer,” I told him. “Did some sort of internet search on a bunch of locations in this area.” I waved a hand at the map. “That’s the blue marks.”
Ryan’s brows drew together. “Well what are they?”
I shrugged. “No clue.”
His frown deepened. “You didn’t ask him what he was doing?”
I poked my fork into a waffle. “I wasn’t there when he was doing it.” I jammed a piece of waffle into my mouth. “I fas sweep.”
Jill’s eyes were dancing in amusement, but Ryan’s narrowed even farther. “You were what? Asleep?”
Jill piped up to save me. “Maybe they’re places where people are going to die. Have you checked out those sites?”
“Only a couple of them are nearby,” I said, giving her a grateful look. “There are a few more that aren’t even on this map. But no, I haven’t gone and checked them out yet.” I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied.”
Ryan’s scowl hadn’t abated. “Hang on, did he go up and use your computer without you knowing about it?”
I set my fork down. “Ryan, let it go. I’ve already dealt with it.”
“Dealt with it?” Ryan said, anger in his voice palpable. “He’s sneaking around, and you’re acting like it’s nothing!”
“Would you stop treating me like a goddamn child?” I exploded. “I don’t need you looking out for me! Yes, I confronted him. We’ve established boundaries. I fucking dealt with it. Like the grownup that I am! Could you please get off the ‘I hate Rhyzkahl’ horse for just a few minutes and try and work with me?”
Hurt and pain seared across his face, and I immediately regretted my outburst. “Shit. Ryan, I’m sorry. I just can’t take any more sniping right now. It doesn’t help anything.”
“I understand,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry.” A horrible silence fell, and after about a dozen heartbeats Ryan pushed back his chair. “Excuse me. I need some air.”
My chest constricted as I watched him exit out the back door. Zack began to stand to go after him, but Eilahn put a hand on his shoulder. “I will see to him,” she said. “You three need a moment anyway.” The two demons exchanged a long look, then Zack gave a soft sigh, nodded, and sat back down. To my surprise Zack looked at me expectantly as Eilahn left and quietly closed the back door behind her.
I frowned. “What?”
He took Jill’s hand in his, gave her a fond look, then returned his attention to me. “I am in need of your assistance.”
“Sure thing,” I said. “What do you need?”
He took a deep breath. “You are wroth with me for failing to disclose information that you feel your friend and my lovemate deserves to know.”
I narrowed my eyes a touch, gave a cautious nod. I didn’t miss the fact that he was talking like a demon and not like Zack Garner. Jill merely looked baffled.
“Information?” Her eyes went from him to me and back again. “What are you talking about?”
Zack gave her hand a light squeeze but kept his eyes on me. “I do not deny her right and need for full disclosure. I dishonor her by failing to provide it. Yet I am bound by oaths that counter my ability to be fully truthful.”
The light bulb went off over my head. My anger at him evaporated. “Ohhhhhh. Wow. Gotcha.” He wanted to tell her and couldn’t. Apparently there were hierarchies of honor, where some oaths outweighed others. Poor guy. No wonder he looked so frazzled. “You, uh, want me to help explain things?”
Jill frowned. “You guys are weirding me out. What the hell is going on?”
I looked at her. “Zack has something that he wants and needs to tell you because you totally deserve to know it, especially now that you’re all pregnant and shit—”
“Even were that not the case,” Zack interrupted, expression painfully earnest, “I still dishonor her by—”
I waved him silent. “Yes, we know. You’re a good guy.” I gave Jill a reassuring smile. “He really is. But he’s not allowed to come right out and tell you this thing.”
“Kara,” Jill said. “I swear to god I’m about to throttle both of you. Just tell me.” Her mouth twisted in annoyance, but I could see a touch of fear in her eyes. Fucking hells, I hoped this wasn’t a dealbreaker for her.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I said. “Even Ryan.”
“Especially Ryan,” Zack added, face a mask of worry.
“Fine!” she said, bafflement and worry warring on her face.
“Zack’s a demon,” I announced.
I half expected her to yank her hand from his and storm out. But instead she pursed her lips, fell silent for a moment, then gave a short nod. She cocked her head and looked at Zack. “You’re like Eilahn?”
He shot me a pained look.
“He can’t confirm it directly,” I explained, more than a little surprised that she took it so well. Then again she’d also accepted pretty easily the presence of demons and my ability to summon them. And she and Votevha hit it off pretty damn easily, too. What’s up with that? But I didn’t have time to wonder about that right now. “Apparently he’s under some pretty serious oaths,” I said. “But as far as I’ve been able to determine, yes, he’s a syraza, and he’s protecting Ryan.”
She frowned and looked down at their intertwined hands. I watched as she absently ran her thumb over his. “Okay. So, hypothetically speaking, if a human woman and a demon were to have a kid together, what would the kid…be?”
Zack cleared his throat. “First off, I wish to state that if, hypothetically, I were a demon, I would never purposely get a child upon a human woman without her informed knowledge and consent.” The look he gave her was agonized and earnest. “And truly, if I were a demon, I would likely have had utter faith in contraceptive methods in place.” Then he winced. “Although, if I were a demon, I should have remembered that we are quite…virile.”
Jill’s lips twitched ever so slightly at that.
“But a child,” Zack hurried on, “would appear human in every way, though as the babe matured it might show an aptitude for handling arcane power.” He fell silent and looked at her miserably. “Jill, I care for you deeply, and I already love this babe beyond measure. But if you wish me to leave and cease to bother you, I will abide by your wishes. I do not wish to cause you to suffer.”
She let out a snort of laughter. “You ass,” she said and leaned in to kiss him. “Stop talking like that. You’re freaking me out. Don’t you fucking dare leave me.”
I excused myself as the two started shamelessly snogging, though I don’t think they noticed me leaving.
I headed out to the front porch, surprised to see Eilahn and Ryan sitting on the steps, the cat on the side of Eilahn away from Ryan, who glanced back and gave me an uncertain smile.
I gave him a reassuring one back, then crouched and tried to pet the cat. To my annoyance it hissed and swiped a claw at me, then ran off in a streak of calico fur.
I watched it go. “That cat is psychotic.”
“It hates me too,” Ryan offered, shrugging.
“Yeah, but…” I trailed off as a realization smacked into me. “She didn’t hate me when I was wearing the cuff.” I turned to Eilahn. “Can you go get her?” I asked.
Eilahn stood, nodded. “Interesting theory. You think she dislikes non-demons with arcane ability?”
“Exactly!” Maybe I didn’t need to worry about summoning another demon after all. Grinning, I dashed back inside and grabbed up the cuff. Jill and Zack gave me a curious look, but I simply winked at them and hurried back outside, just as Eilahn was returning to the porch with the cat snuggled in her arms. I snapped the cuff on and did my best to ignore the rush of queasiness that came with it.
Eilahn held the cat loosely as I reached out to pet her. Fuzzykins gave a mild mrowr and bumped against my hand. Grinning, I pulled the cuff off, nearly chortling in delight as the cat’s mood instantly shifted to hostile.
“Do all cats act this way around arcane practitioners?” Ryan asked, peering doubtfully at the cat. “Or is this one more than just a regular cat?”
Eilahn picked Fuzzykins up and nuzzled her. “She is simply a cat. Not a demon in disguise.” She shot Ryan an amused look. “Which is what you were thinking, yes?”