Page 118 of Demon's Beauty

“Depends,” Allie adds gamely. “There was one time in high school when I snuck out to stay the weekend with a boyfriend. It was close to Samhain, and she was so busy planning and getting ritual supplies ready I don’t think she ever found out.”

The conversation launches into a brief discussion of Esme, of the priestesses, of the coven, and all the absurd nonsense we each dealt with over the years.

“How can anyone be expected to willingly go back to all of that?” I ask with a laugh as the conversation winds down, and I’m only half-joking.

Here, from the outside, laughing about it with friends, it doesn’t seem all that bad.

Or maybe it does.

Maybe we’re all bonded by the insanity of coven life and we can’t see it clearly at all.

“Whatever you do, I’ll try to give you some cover,” Marianne says. “I can mention I’ve seen you, and that you’re very busy here with very important potions work, if that’ll help.”

“Thanks,” I say, and mean it. “Maybe that will buy me a little more time.”

“Well, whenever you talk to Esme, good luck. I can’t imagine what kind of mood she’s in.” Marianne stands from the table. “And with that in mind, I should probably be getting back before she thinks I’ve gone missing, too.”

“I’ll go with you,” Joan says. “There are trading terms Rhett’s village wants to present to the coven for some upcomingloads of crystals. And what about you, Allie? Any bones to pick with your mom over what a pain in the ass she’s been lately?”

Allie sighs heavily. “No, I’ll leave you all to it. I don’t plan on doing any more travel through the Veil. Not for… oh… about seven months, give or take.”

She lays a hand on her belly while she speaks, and I’m slow on the uptake, but Joan’s not.

She lets out a squeal of delight and throws her arms around the queen. “Oh my god, please tell me you mean what I think you mean.”

“That we’re going to have a little prince or princess at court this time next year? Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

Allie’s announcement delays Marianne and Joan leaving by several minutes as we all offer congratulations and well-wishes for her pregnancy.

Our little party is only broken up by the creak of a door opening, and the sight of the very abashed demon king who appears.

Eren hovers in the doorway, looking both like he wants to come over and steal away his wife, and like he doesn’t want to intrude on her conversation.

Allie lets out a soft laugh when she sees him. “He’s been awful since we found out I was pregnant. I thought he was protective before, but apparently I didn’t even know the half of it.”

Despite her words, the way she’s looking at him doesn’t seem like she thinks he’s awful at all.

It’s the same way Joan looks at Rhett. How Seren looks at Callum.

My heart squeezes painfully in my chest.

“I should go,” Allie says breezily as she stands. “Before he worries himself to death.”

“We should be off, too,” Marianne says, and Joan nods.

“And I should be…” I start, then flush and trail off. “Well. I should go find Finn.”

We all go our separate ways, and despite what should be reassurance and support from my friends, the recognition I’m not alone, I feel worse than ever.

The reality of it all is setting in, and the clock that’s been ticking since the moment I fled the coven hall is getting louder and louder.

I’m going to have to face this. I’m going to have to decide sooner rather than later.

Now if I only knew what the hell I’m going to do.

35

Finn