tries to counter. “He was with an adult over the age of eighteen—”
Kastros demonic signing interrupts Dad’s retort, his big hands moving so quickly and arms waving so widely that he nearly jabs my father with an elbow. I’m disappointed he doesn’t. I’m also disappointed I don’t understand demon sign-language yet, because I’m not certain what he’s saying.
Raz gives Kastros a single nod before turning to my father. “What about your history of illegal drug use?”
Dad’s face nearly turns purple. “I have not—”
Raz snaps his fingers, and a thick stack of photographs appear in his hand. He tosses them across the floor. And it’s clear to see that in them, my dad is bent over a coffee table, snorting something from its glass surface.
“Those are fakes,” Dad growls.
“Are they?”
Mom is suddenly staring at Raz with new eyes. “How did you do that?” she whispers.
“Mom, I told you. They’re magic, duh,” Adam responds as he continues to make his Godzilla light up and growl.
Raz and Mom have a stare down, and the tension in the room ratchets up like this is some Western saloon and there’s about to be a shootout.
“It’ll end your careers,” Raz promises in a low growl.
Apparently, that’s a shot to the heart. Because it makes Mom and Dad exchange a look. And then slowly, Mom sets Adam back on the floor.
Her expression isn’t defeated though. It’s a look I’ve seen on her face before, when she’s had a hard day at trial and is going to stay up all night, fueled by caffeine and hatred, to prep a closing argument that will sway jurors to her side.
Mom and Dad walk out without another word, her heels clicking in the tense silence.
Adam turns to me, only realizing they’ve left after the front door has slammed behind them. “Wait. Katty. Aren’t we supposed to go with them?”
I rush forward and kiss the top of his head. I hug him too hard, and he exclaims, “Ow!” But I can’t help myself. I don’t let go until Kastros gently pries me off my brother so that my guys can sweep Adam into hugs.
I look up at my giant of a demon, and while the graceful and grateful thing to do would be to sign, Thank you, I end up asking, How did you know what buttons to push?
Kastros’s mouth is set in a grim line. A vengeance demon always tries to do what will hurt their enemy the most.
I wrap my arms around his waist and squeeze. I know we’ve just delayed this battle with my parents to another day, but Kastros gave me more time with Adam. And no matter how this feud ends, I’ll be forever grateful to him for that.
15
Raz
I’m beginning to hate the cretins at this school. Teachers who lust after me, as if I’ll ever give them the time of day. High school girls attempting to push their breasts out in some poorly thought out, utterly failed attempt to replicate attractiveness. Teenage boys who are unsure which head they should be thinking with. Plus, the smell of the guys’ locker room. It’s like someone took some guy’s sweaty swamp ass and turned the scent into air freshener and sprayed it all over that room. Ugh.
It’s a miserable existence, and if Katrina wasn’t a part of it, I would almost wonder if I’d somehow transferred myself and my murder to a deeper layer of Hell.
Stalking briskly through the halls, I’m barely aware of the blatant “come fuck me” eyes from some of the girls and almost all of the female teachers. Hell, even some of the men. I ignore them all as I lean myself against the wall in front of the decathlon classroom.
I haven’t seen my Katrina since gym class, and already, I feel like some sappy fuck who can’t last more than five minutes without being in his lover’s radius. Oh, fuck me. Am I going to be the type of fool who calls her on the phone and then refuses to hang up? If that ever happens, I’m going to give Akor permission to kill me. He’ll like that.
My scowl is firmly in place as my eyes drift to the clock above the row of lockers. Comically enough, it’s locked away in a steel cage, as if some fucker actually has intentions of stealing it. That’s the problem with mankind—they always assume the worst of each other. Us demons? We don’t assume anything. We know. We’re the meanest, baddest, scariest motherfuckers who have ever