The Lure of the Devil (The Demons' Muse #4) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,16

to be. It wasn't tiny. Even if there was just one rune per page, it was still an impressive collection of research.

"You're kinda cute when you're being all sciencey," I teased.

"Yeah," he said, then cleared his throat. "So, are you honestly ok with the changes to the bubble that will show our skins?"

That sounded like a loaded question, and this was Ron. He tended to change topics when he was nervous or hiding something. From the sound of his voice, this had a little of both, and it caught my complete attention.

"I am. Why?"

"Um, because I was working on that with Nick and Luke earlier." He glanced up quickly, then back to his book, convincing me I was right. He was trying to edge around something sensitive. "My natural body..."

Was bent, twisted, and painful, I realized. "Is there a way to skin you in here?"

He just shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then we shouldn't do it," I decided. "Not if it's going to make you hurt when you try to walk."

"It's more the wings, actually," he admitted. "I like being able to spread them. And I know why Sam asked for it. If this is going to be our home of sorts, then it makes sense to allow us to be in our own bodies. Our natural ones. The problem is just that my natural form is my least favorite."

"What if we change your body on Daemin?" I asked.

He shrugged, refusing to meet my eyes. "I don't know. I do miss my tail. More than you know. I'm willing to do it, but I thought I should mention the downside."

"We'll think of something," I assured him, "or we'll pull it down, ok? I don't want this to be a place you dread coming. I'd rather re-skin all of us for this world and just deal with the..." I paused. "Wait. That's it!"

"What's it?" he asked, clearly unable to read my mind.

"Tyrnigg! Oh, that's the answer! This plane has been reaped to near extinction, which means there are huge swaths of land with nothing but plants and pixies, right? The slaves from Angelis, Ron! We need a place to bring them, and this is the only world that has an area where they won't be noticed. We can set up a town or something, have the angels from Vesdar slip over and help mind-fuck them so they don't remember anything, and then return them to their own planes."

"And the ones with families?" he asked. "Never mind that if you bring humans here and the native fairies breed with them, you're decreasing the lifespan of the inhabitants, but I'm not sure you'd increase their fertility rates. Sia, letting them mingle could be enough to wipe out the last of the fey."

"Ok," I groaned. "So maybe that's not the best idea."

"It's not the worst," he assured me. "We just need to devise a way to contain them. Possibly an island that's large enough, but devoid of sentients. This planet is larger than Earth, so I'm sure there's something." But he patted the book again. "Rune first, Muse."

"Yes, teacher," I grumbled, but I made sure he knew I was teasing.

Ron smiled, making it clear he understood. "You have time to make all of this happen. Slow down, Muse. There is no crisis. We've already saved at least one world this week. Heaven can wait."

"But can the people?" I asked.

"Sometimes, Sia, it's ok to put yourself first." He flipped open his tome, but watched me while he did so. "It's ok to be a little selfish. Mostly, because it makes you stronger, and taking on all of Heaven? You are going to need to be stronger than ever before. They will fight for their way of life, and they will not care who they destroy in the process." He paused. "Which means you need to be powerful enough to destroy them first, not a girl running on fumes and anxiety. Rest. Recover. Plan. I promise that your legion will help, but only when it's the right time."

I just nodded and pulled his journal a little closer. "Rune first," I promised him, because yes, he was right. I knew it.

That didn't mean I had to like it.

5

Sienna

I put the rune for minimizing scars on my wrist. Then I took it off. Just to make sure, I put it back on, watching a minor blemish on the back of my hand that I'd earned as a child. It faded to nearly invisible. And when I took it off for