reality and what my human brain could process. I saw demon and man. The two images blurred and combined, not quite gelling together. It was enough to make my eyes water and twist my stomach up in nerves. Joseph knew exactly how his appearances affected human minds and was using them as a deterrent.
I lowered my right hand and spread my fingers, hoping Torrent would see, and read the gesture as an it’s okay .
“What’s Vanessa’s pet doing here, half blood?” Joseph growled, words slurred around a demon tongue and teeth. He’d blocked my sightline to the end of the pier.
“Get out of the way, Joseph. We have business to discuss with Allard. Connie said he’s here.”
“ You can go. Not the pet. He stays with me.” Joseph tilted his head one way and then the other, cracking his neck in an oddly human display of macho nonsense. “I can’t play with you, but he’s fair game.”
“He’s with me.”
Joseph snorted. Heat swelled around him, and fire licked across his wings as he spread them wide. I had little choice but to shield my face from the heat.
“Back off, sweetheart,” Torrent said to Joseph, and I didn’t need to look to know he smiled. A dry, crackling humor laced through his words. “I have a proposition Allard is going to want to hear, and you’re in my way.”
If Torrent was afraid of Joseph, he gave none of it away in his voice. Joseph wasn’t Vanessa, but he was a capable fire demon and not one I’d choose to mess with. I’d warned Torrent. He knew what he was doing. I hoped.
I stepped aside and saw Torrent standing tall, hands at his sides, his stance braced—ready. If these two threw down, I couldn’t get involved. Helping Torrent would mark him as weak. My demon shifted, getting comfortable for the show.
“You think you can best me, boy toy?” Joseph growled. He gave his wings a dramatic flick, scattering embers through the air.
Whatever I thought of Joseph, he did have impressive wings. The bigger a demon’s wings, the bigger the egos—and other things. I smirked and skewed a raised eyebrow at Torrent. He wasn’t ruffled, not even when faced with Joseph’s display. Torrent scratched absently at his nose, glanced my way with that same cocky smirk he’d given me when he tossed the coronam in the air, and called his demon. All of it.
His wings unfurled, arching high and wide, leathery like Joseph’s, but that’s where the similarities ended. Torrent’s wings were thundercloud gray until they weren’t. Just as I’d seen scales shimmer on his cheek when we’d fought, his wings had the same pearlescent gleam. Moonlight poured over those scales, sparking them alive like liquid fireworks. Subtle colors swirled along the smooth membranes in an oil-on-water display. He stretched them wide until their tips almost touched either side of the pier.
Man and demon overlaid as one, Torrent readied and curled a claw-tipped finger at Joseph. “Bring it, imp.”
These two were really going to throw down right here.
Joseph roared. Warmth blasted over me like a desert wind. It was enough to stagger me on the spot, and for one heart-stopping moment, I thought this would be the end of Torrent and his pearly-gray wings. I’d forgotten where we stood, and so had Joseph. Torrent jerked his right hand up, lifting the water around the pier like someone might lift a rug to flick it, which was exactly what Torrent did. He flicked his wrist—such a tiny motion for what basically resulted in a tsunami slamming over the pier.
The flood of salty water knocked me on my ass and swept me sideways. Wooden boards whizzed by. Water gushed into my mouth, up my nose, and for a few endless moments, I couldn’t see or hear. My nail-like claws dug in, snagging me to a stop. Water washed over me, but its onslaught had faded, and it soon drained away, leaving me soaked and panting, but alive.
Slow clapping punctuated the hiss of receding water. I snapped my head up and blinked through wet hair. Torrent
I lowered my right hand and spread my fingers, hoping Torrent would see, and read the gesture as an it’s okay .
“What’s Vanessa’s pet doing here, half blood?” Joseph growled, words slurred around a demon tongue and teeth. He’d blocked my sightline to the end of the pier.
“Get out of the way, Joseph. We have business to discuss with Allard. Connie said he’s here.”
“ You can go. Not the pet. He stays with me.” Joseph tilted his head one way and then the other, cracking his neck in an oddly human display of macho nonsense. “I can’t play with you, but he’s fair game.”
“He’s with me.”
Joseph snorted. Heat swelled around him, and fire licked across his wings as he spread them wide. I had little choice but to shield my face from the heat.
“Back off, sweetheart,” Torrent said to Joseph, and I didn’t need to look to know he smiled. A dry, crackling humor laced through his words. “I have a proposition Allard is going to want to hear, and you’re in my way.”
If Torrent was afraid of Joseph, he gave none of it away in his voice. Joseph wasn’t Vanessa, but he was a capable fire demon and not one I’d choose to mess with. I’d warned Torrent. He knew what he was doing. I hoped.
I stepped aside and saw Torrent standing tall, hands at his sides, his stance braced—ready. If these two threw down, I couldn’t get involved. Helping Torrent would mark him as weak. My demon shifted, getting comfortable for the show.
“You think you can best me, boy toy?” Joseph growled. He gave his wings a dramatic flick, scattering embers through the air.
Whatever I thought of Joseph, he did have impressive wings. The bigger a demon’s wings, the bigger the egos—and other things. I smirked and skewed a raised eyebrow at Torrent. He wasn’t ruffled, not even when faced with Joseph’s display. Torrent scratched absently at his nose, glanced my way with that same cocky smirk he’d given me when he tossed the coronam in the air, and called his demon. All of it.
His wings unfurled, arching high and wide, leathery like Joseph’s, but that’s where the similarities ended. Torrent’s wings were thundercloud gray until they weren’t. Just as I’d seen scales shimmer on his cheek when we’d fought, his wings had the same pearlescent gleam. Moonlight poured over those scales, sparking them alive like liquid fireworks. Subtle colors swirled along the smooth membranes in an oil-on-water display. He stretched them wide until their tips almost touched either side of the pier.
Man and demon overlaid as one, Torrent readied and curled a claw-tipped finger at Joseph. “Bring it, imp.”
These two were really going to throw down right here.
Joseph roared. Warmth blasted over me like a desert wind. It was enough to stagger me on the spot, and for one heart-stopping moment, I thought this would be the end of Torrent and his pearly-gray wings. I’d forgotten where we stood, and so had Joseph. Torrent jerked his right hand up, lifting the water around the pier like someone might lift a rug to flick it, which was exactly what Torrent did. He flicked his wrist—such a tiny motion for what basically resulted in a tsunami slamming over the pier.
The flood of salty water knocked me on my ass and swept me sideways. Wooden boards whizzed by. Water gushed into my mouth, up my nose, and for a few endless moments, I couldn’t see or hear. My nail-like claws dug in, snagging me to a stop. Water washed over me, but its onslaught had faded, and it soon drained away, leaving me soaked and panting, but alive.
Slow clapping punctuated the hiss of receding water. I snapped my head up and blinked through wet hair. Torrent
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