“There’s a King of Hell?” Stefan had the same look on his face I must have had when I discovered the princes weren’t the worst the netherworld had to offer: an expression of abject shock and awe. “And Akil knows where he is?” I nodded. “That’s why the princes fear him. Do you know where Akil is?”
“Yeah, I do.” I hedged. “But I don’t want to tell you, especially after what you’ve said about who’s in your driver’s seat. Trust me, okay. Don’t ask. I’ll get to the bottom of the king rumors. If there’s truth in it, I’ll tell you.”
He nodded. “I do trust you.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Life is pretty simple now that the demon has control. Our past is irrelevant.”
There was so much wrong with his words that I pinned my lips closed and shoved the shock aside. It shouldn’t be that simple. Human beings are made up of turmoil. We challenge ourselves, we second-guess, we doubt, we live, we love, and we’re complicated, messy, and outright destructive. Stefan’s words denied all of that. Our past wasn’t irrelevant. It was right here in the room with us, but he didn’t feel it. That was how he was able to sit and chat like nothing had happened. He no longer cared.
I busied myself tidying away the breakfast neither of us had eaten so he couldn’t see the despair tugging at my face. “I guess you’re leaving again?”
“I need to get closer to Val’s half-bloods to see what we’re up against. I might be able to buy us more time.”
The thought of Stefan confronting my brother had my stomach fluttering with nerves. “Watch Val’s wings. They’re lethal.”
“So are mine,” he said from too close behind me. I turned, just enough to see he’d moved from the window to the breakfast bar, and was close enough to reach out and touch. My imagination played the scene of me doing just that, and in my head, things quickly escalated to more carnal endeavors. If what he said was true, I might never know him intimately again, and that thought, like so many others while in his presence, added to my burden.
Stefan could only wonder at the color in my cheeks. If he’d felt anything for me, it was probably buried under his demon’s desires. Demons don’t love. Maybe he never had.
I smiled despite my broiling emotions. “You know what? Maybe when all this is over, we can go out, grab a bite to eat, maybe catch a movie. Like normal people do.” I watched closely, trying to determine if what I saw was real or just a demon act.
“Like a date?” A frown touched his face, but didn’t cut deeply. Playful suspicion chased it away. He leaned a hip against the cupboard and crossed his arms. That trademark smile tugged at his lips. When he looked like that, I could forget how he’d changed. That smile reminded me of the old Stefan, living the demon-slayer dream: the wise-ass cocky half blood, with his red coat, flashy guns, and quick wit. So in control. So confident in his half-blood nature. His enthusiasm and lust for life had attracted me like a moth to the flame. But like those moths, we’d both been burned by our attraction. Yet, there I was, like an idiot, attracted to the cool burn of him all over again.
“Yeah, like a date…” I filed the plates in the dishwasher, keeping him in my peripheral vision.
“Did you just ask me out?”
“Yeah.” I gathered various plates, careful not to catch his eye, and loaded the dishwasher. “You got a problem with that?”
“Will there be ice cream?”
“Definitely.”
“Deal.”
I kicked the door closed on the dishwasher and straightened to face him. “You realize you’ve just made a deal with the Mother of Destruction?”
His eyes sparkled. “Will I forfeit my soul if I call it off?”
“Totally. No backing out, or I’ll send in my minion.” Jonesy prrped on cue despite not lifting his head.
“Hell no. My soul is all the human I have let in me.”
CHAPTER FIVE
L ess than an hour later and back at Stone’s Throw, Ben didn’t hesitate when I ordered whiskey this time. He frowned at the hostile crowd and back at me while he fixed my drink. I wasn’t welcome, but it was a public bar, and unless Ben barred me, I could do whatever the hell I wanted there. Still, having half a dozen enforcers eying my head for a trophy wasn’t a particularly pleasant feeling. Ryder had made their thoughts