Page 26 of My Demon Neighbor
Ten
Pythor
I was in bigtrouble, and I didn't know how to get out of it.
Lying to Codie wasn't an option, because I had to tell him what I was at some point, and if I lied now, how would I admit that to him later?
Codie deserved the truth, but I wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it.
"Pythor?" he pushed, and I sighed, then rubbed my chin, my beard scratching against my palm.
"We should sit," I said, and he stared at me for a long moment before nodding.
We made our way to the couch and sat down on opposite ends of it, and I turned so I was facing him.
"Did you show it to anyone?"
His eyes widened, but he shook his head. "I thought aboutit, but I didn't."
I nodded, glad to hear that. The Otherworlders would not be happy if I told them they had to erase someone's memories because I'd accidentally revealed myself.
"That's good."
"Will you tell me? Can you?" he asked, and I smiled.
"You're the one human I can tell," I admitted, and he blinked.
"So youaren'thuman," he murmured, and I couldn't quite tell how he felt about that.
Shaking my head, I flexed my fingers, feeling unusually nervous about telling him what I was.
"Before I tell you, I want you to know we're not like the human literature and media portrays us. We're actually the good guys," I said, then amended, "Well, all but one of us."
Codie pursed his lips, though he looked more curious than scared, which I was grateful for.
"Tell me," he murmured, and I swallowed hard.
"I'm a demon," I said, and he blinked, then blinked some more.
"Like the fire and—"
"Please don't," I begged, and he clamped his mouth shut, though his eyes twinkled like he was trying not to smile. "That's a stereotype, and false."
Well, demons used to live in Underworld and torture souls among a lot of fire and whatcouldbe called brimstone, but we didn't do that anymore.
Codie laughed at that, and I found myself smiling, though I was still nervous.
"Can you show me something? Use your magic?" he asked curiously, and I nodded. He seemed to be taking it well.
Thinking for a moment, I snapped my fingers, and a vase of sunflowers appeared on the coffee table, making Codie's eyes widen.
He reached out and brushed his fingers over the petals, making a sound of surprise when he touched them, as if he expected them to disappear.
"They feel real."
"Theyarereal."
Codie's eyes returned to me, his gaze roaming over me for a long moment before he said, "You don'tlooklike a demon."
