"Make yourself at home. You and your gargoyle, Bis. Would you like something to eat?" His eyes met mine and I stifled a shiver. "I'll make cake."
I didn't trust this at all. His show of congeniality was more disturbing than if he were howling at me. But if I sat down, I might be able to get Bis off my shoulder.
Watching him, I went to sit. I didn't want to get smacked by sitting in his chair, but they both looked alike. The fireplace was to my right, and the dim library spilling out and down to my left. "You okay, Bis?" I said, hoping he'd move, but the kid was terrified and-only nodded.
"No cake?" Al murmured with forced idleness - scaring the crap out of me. I'd gone to him for help, but now...
"I can't say how pleased I am that you're accepting your place," he said as he filled a kettle from a pitcher and set it over the fire. Coming close, he seated himself on the adjacent couch facing the fire, his knee almost touching mine and his burnt amber scent pinching my nose. "First a new vanity curse to hide your bite, and now asking for a curse when an earth charm exists. Bravo."
I put a hand to my neck, glad that he couldn't see my hairy legs.
"Don't hide it," he said, ignoring Bis's hissing as he took my hand and pulled it to him. "Your skin is beautiful. None of those lowbrow vampire marks anymore. You're worth more than vampire teeth, itchy witch."
Worry tightened my gut even as I nudged Bis to be quiet or get off my shoulder. "I can't invoke a locator charm made from earth magic," I said, remembering last winter when I'd stirred a batch to find a banshee, only to learn that my blood wouldn't invoke it. Marshal had done it. Seemed the more complex the magic, the more the subtle difference in my blood mattered.
"Neither can I," Al admitted lightly. "Welcome to the club.
I'm not a witch," I admitted, scooting into the cushions to get some space between us.
"You're not really a demon either." Al's eyebrows rose.
Forcing my jaw to unclench, I blurted out, "I didn't give Pierce my gun. He took it when I was hopped up on that drug. I thought he had it to keep you from taking Lee or Ivy."
"Which is why you're here, itchy witch, and not screaming in my bedroom."
Fear came out as anger. "Knock it off, will you? That doesn't work anymore."
I had time for a breath, nothing more. Al was on me, pushing me into my chair, his face inches from mine, his arm under my chin. Bis fell back, wings flailing as he left my shoulder.
"I need to work harder at it, then," the demon said, his words clipped.
I could feel my pulse lifting my skin to touch him. His heavy weight pressed into me, and my breathless reflection was in his red, goat-slitted eyes. "Get off," I panted.
Bis hissed, and I saw a flash of reaching claws.
"You need to learn your place, goyle," Al said, and I jerked when his eye twitched and Bis thumped to the carpet, unseen but wheezing in what had to be shock and pain.
"Hey!" I shouted, squirming to get out from under Al.
The demon leaned into me harder, and my breath whooshed out. "And you need to develop some manners. Or is it respect?"
A part of my brain realized he wasn't using magic, and I struggled to move. My hand got free, and he shifted to grab my wrist, bringing it to his nose as he breathed deeply. Sensation spilled down, and I realized he had the wrist that carried his mark. Damn.
Behind me, Bis mewled, "It's gone. It's gone. I can't hear them."
Double damn, I was in trouble, and I tried to see Bis, failing.
"That runt of yours tried to drop me with your charms, Rachel."
My eyes flicked back to Al's.
"Lie to me," he coached. "Tell me you had nothing to do with it or you will fund my mansion. I don't care if your brats will be demons or not."
"What are you doing to him!" I exclaimed as Bis mewed. "Bis, go home!" I added, knowing a circle couldn't hold him.
"I can't," the kid panted. "I can't feel the lines. Rachel, I can't see them!"
Holy crap, what had Al done?
Al pressed my wrist against my chest, his fingers against me. "Pierce could have killed me. Me, who has survived... everything!"