Page 19 of Demon's Beauty

It will take more than translation. After we’ve got the pages, the next step is to brew some samples and see if they do what we think they’ll do. But if we can accomplish that, we might find something of actual worth in the pages of this ancient grimoire.

We might find something that can actually help people.

That, more than anything, makes it easy to sink into the work.

I’m not back in my workshop making my thousandth anti-wrinkle serum for a priestess who can’t accept crow’s feet just come with the territory of getting older. I’m not spending all day on a vitality elixir that will be sold off to fund some other priestess’s twelfth office renovation.

It’s nice to feel like I’m doing something that matters, for a change.

But reality—like it always does—comes crashing back in way too soon.

Hunched over the grimoire, glasses on and eyes squinted as I try to make out a particularly tough passage, I nearly jump out of my seat at the sound of a door opening.

Seren and Allie stand in the workshop’s doorway.

“You called the queen on me?” I ask my sister with a glare, then flush red when I realize how rude that was.

Goddess, what’s the protocol for addressing royalty?

I probably should know that since we’re in her court.

Even though we’re around the same age and even though she’s the High Priestess’s daughter, I barely know Allie. She didn’t make the cut for coven training, which was a pretty big fucking deal around the coven hall when it happened, and meant she went to regular school instead of magickal training with the rest of us.

Now—almost two decades later, after she married the king of the demon realm during the last Tithe,andafter she helped me escape the coven hall and come here—I’m keenly aware I have no idea how I should be speaking to her.

“Sorry, uh, your Majesty.” I wince at how awkwardly in comes out. “I didn’t mean to involve you when I’m sure you’ve got much more important matters to—”

“Soleil,” Allie says flatly. “No need for theyour Majestycrap. I’m still just Allie Hawthorn.”

She’s really not.

Here, in this court, wearing a dress fit for a queen and with that regal aura radiating off her, she’s so much more thanjust Allie Hawthorn.

But I’ve already put my foot in my mouth enough today, so I nod.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Allie continues, gently, stepping further into the room. “Seren told me what happened. With Finn.”

“Nothing happened,” I say quickly, flushing again.

Seren snorts. “I wouldn’t call thatnothing.”

Allie shoots her a look. “Listen, I know it can be really… unexpected. Finding out you’ve got a demon m—”

“I can’t have a mate,” I interject.

Seren mutters something under her breath, something that sounds likeisn’t that familiar?, but I ignore her.

“Well,” Allie says, “if that changes, or if anything happens you’re not comfortable with, you can always let me know. I’ve been really invested in making sure all the witches who’ve come here and partnered up with demons are doing alright. Maybe it’s just me worrying too much, but…”

“It’s natural you’d feel responsible for what happened after the new bargain was struck,” Vayla interjects from where she’s working across the room.

Allie sighs. “Yeah, I suppose it is. And really, Soleil, anything you need, just let me know.”

It’s more charity than I deserve, but I give her a shaky nod anyway.

With one last sympathetic, understanding smile, Allie departs.

Seren, however, stays right where she is.