here, watching you." Rafe spoke gently, with an assurance that didn't allow for doubt. Then he took off. I bet he was remembering how I used to have meltdowns, positive I'd never look human again. He'd talked me through the whole thing.
I sat beside Penny, proud of her when she suddenly transformed without a hitch. I did the same, totally at ease with it now.
"Fantastic. You're a natural." I patted her shoulder, deciding not to mention the puncture wound on my arm that was already healing.
"Oh, my God! That was a total freak-out! I'm not turning into any more flying things, but now that I know I can get back, I can see shifting is definitely doable." Penny wiped tears off her cheeks. "What else can I be? What else have you been, Glory?"
"You can be just about any animal you're familiar with. Rafe was a Labradoodle for years. I tried my hand at being a golden retriever." I smiled. "You could be a cat too, a house cat. I'm sure your own pet would find that interesting."
"No kidding." Penny shook her head. "Don't think I'll go there."
"Isn't this just the coziest scene ever," a male voice said from the other side of the clearing.
"I'm getting teary just witnessing all the bonding going on." Another male voice.
Rafe and I stood in protective mode between the voices and Penny, when two men shimmered into view. One was tall and lean with long dark hair and an expensive black suit. His white shirt and gold tie were immaculate. The other man was a bit shorter but not by much. He was more casually dressed but you could tell he had an expensive tailor too. His trousers had an Italian look and his sport shirt was silk. He was dressed all in black, down to his leather loafers. But his hair was a golden blond. Both men were handsome enough to make Penny shove at me so she could get a better look.
"Well, well, I knew this was a demon's playground and here's the demon spawn himself with some of his playthings." Blond guy flicked his hand at the burned bush Rafe had taken out when I'd tried to dump him. Oops. Rafe had warned me that act might have stirred interest in him down below. So these guys must be ambassadors from hell. A slight breeze brought a whiff of sugar to me. I recognized it instantly. Demons put on the sweet smell along with a beautiful fa?ade when they came up to be around mortals.
"Glory?" Penny tapped me on the back.
"Hush. Rafe and I will handle this." I hoped and prayed we would anyway.
"Gloriana!" The dark one strode across the clearing, his hand outstretched. "I'd never have recognized you from Alesa's description. Though she was a bit rattled by her visit here, there is no excuse for missing the mark like she did. You are obviously a natural blond." His gray eyes swept over me, like he'd peeled the clothes right off to see down to my skin underneath. Rafe growled and stepped between us.
"You've gone far enough, Caryon." Rafe held up his hand. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Steady, demon child." Blond guy was at his cohort's side. "We're here on legitimate business. Some with you, some with the delicious Gloriana here." He smiled at me, suddenly around Rafe as if he didn't exist. "Alesa says hi."
"I'll bet she does." I didn't smile back. "I have no business with the likes of you. Go back where you came from." The sugary smell was so strong it was nauseating.
"Get away from her, Spyte." Rafe thrust an arm between us.
"Spite? Carrion? Are you kidding me? What is this? A bad comic strip?" Penny made the mistake of giggling.
"Oh, does the new vampire need a demo?" Caryon smiled, suddenly showing a mouthful of deadly looking fangs. His hunky fa?ade vanished and he was the stuff of nightmares, all scaly skin and snout. Beside him, Spyte chuckled when Penny clutched my skirt, then sank to the ground, whimpering.
"Quit it!" I don't know where my nerve came from, maybe from carrying around one of their evil sisters for weeks. "State your business and then go."
Caryon was back to his pretty-boy self. "Rafael, aren't you proud of your woman?"
Rafe glanced at me, sending me a mental message to be careful. "Of course I am. She's not afraid of your butt-ugly self or interested in your pretty one. Now what do you want? Come to collect