Page 14 of Beauty At Stake
“And you think I'm tactless.” Killian plopped down on Star's bed.
Star's face scrunched up as he looked from my uncouth husband to me and back again. “Shall I send for more blankets or are you comfortable?”
Kill looked down, stroked the comforter, and grinned. “No, I'm good. Is this silk? It's nice.”
Star rubbed at his forehead. “I'm not sober enough for this.”
“I usually say I'm not drunk enough for something.” Killian laid back on his forearms. “This is a comfy bed.”
“Thank you.” Star grimaced at me.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “It's been a rough night for all of us.”
“Yes, indeed.” Star picked up his bottle, set it on a dresser, and then strode out of the bedroom.
“Killian!” I hissed and waved him up.
Kill chuckled and got out of the Devil's bed. “I'm just having a little fun.”
“Well, stop it.”
He stuck his tongue out at me.
Honestly, it was a relief to see Killian back to being himself. I hated when he got serious because that meant things were really bad. Like when I cried. Shit, I had cried and didn't even realize it. Maybe I was the one who needed to get drunk.
“Sayadi!” Star shouted as he strode down the corridor.
I lifted a brow at Killian.
“They're not technically Sayadi anymore.” Kill rolled his eyes. “You'd think he, of all people, would know that.”
I chuckled. “I think they're whatever he wants them to be.”
“You're damn straight they are,” Star said without looking back.
“Hey!” Killian called after him.
Star spun to glare at Kill. “What?!”
Killian tossed Star's letaq at him.
Star caught it.
“A king shouldn't be unreachable,” Killian said.
“A king can be whatever the fuck he wants.” Star put his letaq on. “And if the worst of my shortcomings is being incommunicado, I'm already superior to my predecessor.”
“That was never in question, dude,” Killian drawled. “But answer your damn phone.”
Star shook his head and continued down the corridor. Up ahead of him, his King's Guard was already gathering. They took one look at Star, then turned and strode in the opposite direction. I would have questioned this, but I saw where they were going—into a room at the end of the corridor. Star followed them in, and we followed Star.
“What fresh hell is this?” Apitron asked as we entered.
“That's pretty funny, dude.” Kill fist-bumped the Demon, then took a seat at the long, ebony meeting table that took up most of the room.
The wall across from the door was floor-to-ceiling glass with a view of a lush, sun-drenched garden. The rest of the walls were bare, as was the table. But as Star sat at the head of the table, the black surface came to life, projecting a hologram of Earth above its center.
Star set his hand on the table and the planet spun, lowered to the tabletop, and then flattened. A 3D image of Thailand covered the table. “The Ambassadors and a united team of vexes and extinguishers apprehended three, human vampire hunters tonight.”
