The Demon's Song - By Kendra Leigh Castle Page 0,65

at him.

“Somehow I missed this,” she said, “but you’re such a guy.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Ouch. Listen close, and you’ll hear the sound of my manly pride shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.”

She swatted him playfully and hurt the back of her hand in the process.

“Damn it,” Sofia said, allowing him to kiss the stinging knuckles when he reached for her hand. “You know what I mean. I thought ethereal beings would be less, you know, earthy.” She popped the pilfered fry in her mouth and began to munch.

That made him laugh. A glance around told Sofia that the sound wasn’t one any of his friends was accustomed to hearing. Their looks ranged from puzzled to bemused to, in the women’s case, actually pleased. The last made her feel good. He’d involved her in a small part of his life tonight, and it made him smile.

“It doesn’t get a lot earthier than Hell. You’re just going to have to trust me on that,” he said.

She stole another fry. “I bet.”

Phenex watched her and snorted. “We’re going to start talking indentured servitude if you keep eating my fries. These are some of the best in town.”

“I should have known you were a fry junkie.”

“I am,” he replied. “All strung out on potatoes and oil. I’m just a few steps away from living in a fast-food dumpster.” He plucked one up for himself and ate it. “There are worse things.”

Sofia chuckled and turned to her own dish, which, on first bite, was excellent. The conversation around them ebbed and flowed, both in the room and beyond it, the candles lending a warm glow to the space. The rest of the warmth came from the people themselves. Even Meresin leaned in to listen, connected with the rest, although he stayed silent.

She was glad that Phenex was a part of this. Somehow, she’d worried that he’d been all alone among the brothers he talked about. It was good to see she’d been wrong.

“You’re doing a lot of thinking,” Phenex said. When Sofia turned her head, she realized he’d been watching her. She smiled, a little embarrassed, while she enjoyed the fact that he kept his wing curved around her back. It was a wordless pronouncement—she’s mine.

“I was thinking that the food is amazing. And that I like your friends,” Sofia said. The surprised pleasure that lit his eyes made all her earlier worries worth it.

“I’m…glad,” he finally said. “They keep things interesting. I’ll say that.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything different, considering how interesting you are.”

Phenex leaned in close, and with his wing at her back, Sofia felt as though the two of them were wrapped in their own private cocoon. She loved seeing him this way, relaxed and in his element. His smile was just a little wicked, and Sofia was struck by the oddest sensation.

She hadn’t understood until right then just how much she’d come to enjoy his company. How much she didn’t just want him, but liked him. A lot.

“You’re looking at me funny again,” Phenex said softly, touching a finger to the tip of her nose. “If you’re wondering what my opinion is on dungeon design, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

Sofia laughed. “Trust me, if you never say a word about spikes and oubliettes, I’ve got the right guy,” she said. She could feel the others’ curious eyes on them, even as the conversations around them continued. It didn’t bother her. Better, it didn’t seem to bother Phenex.

“No spikes,” he said. “I think I can handle that. How about I tell you about the time I hung out with David Bowie and he gave me one of his saxophones?”

Sofia lifted an eyebrow. “Gave it to you?”

He shrugged, grinning. “I could tell he wanted me to have it. Even if he didn’t actually know I was hanging out with him.”

Sofia laughed and nodded. “All right. Tell me.”

He made it so easy to pretend they were a real couple, lovers and friends without any sort of danger involved. She was on a slippery slope, and she knew it. But for tonight, Sofia let herself indulge in the fantasy. Phenex was funny and cynical and completely impossible, she thought. And as he pushed his plate between them to share his fries with her as he started to spin the tale of what sounded a lot more like a break-in than a visit, she realized she wouldn’t have him any other way.

Chapter Eighteen

She was going to kill him.

“Damn it, Phenex,” Sofia muttered, and paced the length of