he said, “Hi. Gray Darby. And second,” to Lyric he said, “demons have girlfriends? And, third, what do you mean by ‘meet my project’. Is that me? Am I supposed to be your project?”
The kid couldn’t stop eyeing Shivaun and was appreciating her good looks more than Lyric would have preferred. Even in the dim light of a sixty-watt porch light, the beauty of a female demon was incomparable. She hadn’t yet learned how to control the legendary glow that female demons emit. In fact, she wasn’t even aware of it. Lyric mused that Gray had no idea what a privilege he enjoyed, being one of only a few dozen humans in Loti Dimension to have seen a rare creature like Ms. O’Malley.
Even when she was sneezing. Sneezing? Lyric stared at her. Demons don’t sneeze.
“Yeah.” Shivaun said in a tone brimming with taunt and challenge. “Demons have girlfriends?” Her emerald-green eyes were alight with both delight and amusement.
“This one does,” Lyric replied matter-of-factly, still looking at Shivaun. “Thought you had to work, beautiful. And where’s your designated driver?”
After snorting inelegantly, she said, “A boyfriend would know I do no’ make a habit of doin’ what I’m told. Works though. The thing you told me about, em, how to get from place to place. ‘Cause here I am.” Looking Gray over she said, “Is this the singer? From the ice house? And ‘tis okay to tell non-service humans you’re a demon?”
Since she was reveling in having pulled off a rundown that involved time travel on her own, Lyric decided to save the scolding for another time.
“Is that an Irish accent?” Gray asked Shivaun.
She turned to Gray and pinned him with a piercing stare. “Okay, first. And only. Why are ye lyin’ about your name?”
Gray blinked slowly. “What do you mean?”
“Yeah.” Lyric turned to Shivaun. “What do you mean?”
“He’s lyin’. I can tell,” she said, still staring at Gray.
“How?” Lyric asked.
“Yeah. How?” Gray added.
“Shut up,” Lyric snapped at Gray.
“Whoa,” Gray protested, pulling his chin in.
Shivaun shook her head ever so slightly. “I do no’ know. I can just tell.”
“Is this new?” Lyric demanded.
She bit her bottom lip as she appeared to be turning that over in her head. “Maybe. I think so.”
“You’d know if you had lie detecting ability. Right?” Lyric asked.
“Then I guess ‘tis new.” She shrugged.
With a proud smile, Lyric noted, “Your abilities are expanding.”
“What is going on?” Gray asked.
“Is your name Gray Darby or not?” Lyric demanded.
“YES!” Gray insisted.
Lyric looked at Shivaun. “You’re gonna need to work on that.”
“Unless…” Gray started.
The two demons looked his way and said in unison, “Unless what?”
“My given name is Dougray. Dougray Darby.” He turned a lopsided grin on Shy. “It’s Irish.” It was evident she wasn’t impressed. When there was no further response, he told Lyric, “I don’t even remember a time when people didn’t call me Gray.”
Shivaun nodded confirmation at Lyric. “Aye. Rings true.”
Lyric shot her an indulgent smirk. “Like I said, needs work.”
“Can we get back to the thing about me bein’ a project?” Gray said.
Lyric turned to Shivaun. “Honey. Can you get me a beer?”
“I have beer,” Gray began. “I can just…”
Shivaun held her hand up to quiet Gray at the same time she turned to Lyric with wide eyes. “Can I?”
Lyric crossed his arms over his chest which stretched the knit Henley tight over biceps and defined muscles in a mouth-watering way. He waited without saying anything. It was answer enough.
After a deep breath, she looked around, closed her eyes and said, “Lonestar.”
The demon was secretly pleased that she remembered the brand of beer he’d enjoyed at Wet Willie’s. He was even more pleased when his prize student produced an ice-cold long neck. Since she hadn’t expected to be successful, she was completely unprepared to find an ice cold slippery beer bottle slipping from the grasp she’d never had. Luckily her innate athleticism coupled with demon-quick reflexes helped her catch it before it hit the ground.
Lyric grinned.
Shivaun practically shrieked with excitement.
Gray gaped for a couple of beats before asking, “Got a sister?” as he eyed the beer being passed from Shivaun to Lyric with envy.
“Aye,” Shy replied. “She’s taken. Did you want a beer, too?”
With a slight shake of his head, Gray said, “Figures. So y’all are the real deal. Like devils?”
Shivaun scowled, her brow furrowing. There was no doubt she didn’t like the sound of that. “Devils?”
“He can’t help it. His grandmother had odd ideas about things,” Lyric said.