The Demon's Song - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,60
at least. “I can’t say much right now, but believe me, I’ll have stories.”
Stories she’d have to come up with later, Sofia decided. But for now, hearing Amy’s relief more than made up for the guilt she felt from lying. She’d never believe the truth anyway, Sofia told herself as they lapsed into familiar, comfortable chatter about other things. She wouldn’t believe it, and it would be dangerous for her if she did. This was better.
Too bad it didn’t feel that way.
Ten minutes later, Sofia hung up after an affectionate good-bye, then simply sat on the velvet couch. Her smile faded as she stared into space, lost in thought. Outside the window, the world was as dark as it always was here, brightened only by the soft glow of the gaslights. This was only her fourth day in Terra Noctem, and the lack of light was already getting to her.
At least there was work. For all his grousing, Phenex had escorted her to and from work the last two nights, skulking around the hospital during her shift just to make sure nothing awful happened. Well, nothing awful to her. In the ER, there was generally at least a small amount of awful every day. If she was lucky, she managed to help fix it.
The last couple days, though, it seemed that for every triumph over death she’d helped facilitate at work, there had been two or three people who were beyond saving. Normally, she could detach herself, but some of the losses broke through the shell to really hurt. That, along with the fact that she’d only seen the sun in the brief trips between Amphora and Georgetown heading to work, seemed to be wearing her down. She needed to get out in the daylight for longer than a few minutes at a time, and soon. Otherwise she was going to end up just as pathetic as Phenex’s flowers.
Sofia exhaled softly, stretching her legs in front of her, frowning over her unpainted toenails. She wore a simple pair of jeans and a soft emerald sweater, things that had come in the suitcase Meresin had brought for her. The big, dangerously quiet fallen angel with the violet eyes wouldn’t have been her pick to gather up essentials from her apartment, but not only had he followed her list exactly, he’d put in a few extra things, thoughtful things, that surprised her. Her perfume, for one. A framed photo of her and her parents, for another, smiling and laughing on a day last summer. That Meresin had picked it up off her dresser and thought to include it floored her.
Far from understanding these men Phenex had escaped Hell with, Sofia felt that they only got more complicated with time.
Especially the one she was sleeping with.
“You ready to go?”
Sofia turned her head to look at the front door, which was now half-open as Phenex leaned in to look at her. He’d taken a guitar out on the front steps to amuse himself while she talked to Amy, and she appreciated the privacy. She was less appreciative of the dinner plans he’d made, but Sofia knew her discomfort was her own problem. She was holed up in a vampire city. It stood to reason that eventually, she would have to mingle. With vampires. And probably a few more fallen angels. And maybe other things that, in any other situation, would want to eat her.
She tried to smile instead of grimace and knew she’d only barely succeeded.
“Sure,” Sofia said. She rose and walked to the door, slipping on the ballet flats that she’d left beside it. Phenex brushed past her in one of the preternaturally quick moves she still hadn’t gotten used to, and in a blink his guitar was back on its stand, his hand instead at her waist. The feel of his hand on her, even in the most innocent way, was enough to make Sofia want to arch into his touch. She fought off the urge, somehow managing to act like a normal, non-nymphomaniac human being as they headed out to the street.
She couldn’t seem to get enough of him. It was a problem…or it was going to be. Phenex was no wild rock star, but hooking up with an immortal ex-demon made this relationship just as impermanent. He’d said it himself—she’d never have to worry about taking him home to meet her parents.
What he didn’t know, what she wouldn’t say, was that far from being a relief, that statement just made