Page 137 of Demon's Beauty

I lift my head a little more, an unlikely smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Is that right? And would your demon have anything to do with that revelation?”

“He… might.”

I laugh, though it comes out a little wobbly. “Remind me to thank him sometime.”

Seren lifts herself out of her chair. “I’ll do no such thing. The more he thinks I’m perfect and infallible, the better.”

I stand as well, and she folds me into one last hug before we part ways.

“Speaking of demons,” she says, arms tight around me, “you might want to talk to yours about all of this. Finn will understand.”

“He shouldn’t have to understand. I should never have put him in this position.”

“Funny how we have literally no choice in that, isn’t it?” She uses her thumb to wipe away the stray tear trailing down my cheek. “And even funnier how you might be surprised once you finally decide to trust him.”

43

Finn

I’ve nearly paced a trench into the floor of my rooms by the time Soleil returns.

She eases the door open slowly, tentatively, with a quiet knock, as if she’s not sure she has the right to come in.

Crossing the room in a few swift strides, I pull her into my arms.

“What happened?” I ask, the words a bit muffled against her hair.

“Esme wants me back at the coven hall immediately.”

My heart sinks, but I make myself nod. “It was what you suspected, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I guess I just… wanted to pretend I could ignore it forever.”

“And what are you going to do?”

She can’t answer me for a few long moments. She paces away, crosses the room, and steps out onto the balcony. The brisk autumn air catches her curls, and the afternoon sunshine brings out unexpected streaks of brown and auburn.

I follow, standing there beside her wanting just as badly to pretend none of this is happening.

The silence stretches so long that my better judgment grows thin. My restraint reaches a perilous edge, and despite knowing it’s entirely selfish, I can’t stop myself from speaking.

“Stay here.”

Soleil’s eyes snap to mine. “What?”

“Stay,” I say again. “Here. With me.”

“I… I can’t… I couldn’t just…”

“Why not?”

Her face crumples, and the sheen of tears washes across her eyes before she blinks them away.

The sight of those tears hits me squarely in the chest.

I never want to see her cry.

When I reach for her, she comes easily into my arms, burying her face against my chest and nestling closer when I draw my wings forward around her.