Page 82 of Devils Don’t Deal

“I never made a deal with you.”

“No?” The devil snapped his fingers, and a mirror floated in front of the fairy king.

He stared into it, touching his face with disbelieving fingers. “What is this? Trickery?”

“Part of the deal. My darling fiancé requested that you be left alive. She begged for your life in spite of the fact that you compelled her to desire you.” The devil tsked. “That’s not very gentlemanly, is it? My delicious mate has informed me that being gentlemanly is something we aspire to.”

The fairy king reluctantly took his eyes off the mirror and focused on me. “What game is this?”

I really, really disliked him looking at me. I cleared my throat and ducked under the devil’s wings so I could stand beside him, like I wasn’t terrified of the fairy king. “I don’t want your kingdom. I don’t want to deal with policy or fairies. I don’t want your mess to get dumped on me when I have baking to do.”

“And the scar?”

“Ah…” Did I have to say how attractive I found it?

“A promise,” the devil said coolly. “What can be done can be undone. As in your life. It will be unraveled completely should you break the deal. Your side of the bargain is to never see my sweetheart again.”

Sweetheart? Aw. So much nicer than commenting on my blood.

“And not hire or persuade anyone else to harm her,” the fairy king said, once more studying his reflection in the mirror.

“Obviously. You should read it.”

The fairy king shrugged and smiled at me. “You think you’re in safe hands? As long as your blood is what he craves, you’ll never be safe from him or any other infernal creature.”

He spun around and spread his fairy wings, darting toward the rainbow falls in a blur.

The devil didn’t try to stop him. He just pushed his hand at nothing until that nothingness became a door then he turned the handle and stepped through into the butterfly garden where we’d met, pulling me along with him.

The butterflies and mushrooms were vibrant, like the pool and waterfall, glowing, splashing, dancing and singing as much as water could.

He finally released me and walked over to the bench, leaving me by the door like he’d forgotten about me. But when he threw himself down over it, wings and tail dangling off the sides, he raised his head and stared at me, unlike the first time we met, when he’d asked me if he could take my injuries and return my blood, and in exchange, he’d stolen my strawberry shortcake. There was nothing casual about the way he was looking at me now. It was a look that devoured.

I swallowed hard and reached for the door. “Okay. I guess I’ll go to bed now.”

He smiled. “Before the wedding?”

I blinked at him. “Um, what?”

“Are we not getting married? You proposed to me so romantically, how could I possibly refuse?”

I stared at him hard. “You got rid of your heart on purpose because it was so annoying, didn’t you? I have to get to the bakery. It’s part of the deal.”

His smirk was so cocky. “And loving me? Was that also part of the deal?”

“Um. No. But dinners are. So I can see you at dinner.” I turned toward the door and tugged on the knob. While I was trying to turn it, it dissolved, leaving a handleless door.

“And leave you without your goodnight kiss? And tucking you into bed? Which bed would you like?” His voice was silk and velvet, silkier than his wings.

I whirled around and stared at him, still in nothing but those small black shorts. So many scars. So much skin. So ridiculously tempting. “Shouldn’t you put on a suit before the fairy enchantress shows up?”

He blinked and stood. “I’d forgotten about her. You’re such a distraction.” He shrugged, and a suit melted to his body—button-up shirt, vest, long pants, but no shoes. “Why don’t you want her to see me without a suit? Are you jealous?” He raised a brow and succeeded in looking mischievous, but not quite cruel. He was adapting quickly.

“Yes. You loved her, you know. And…you’re mine.” Was he? Could he be?

He flashed his teeth in a sharp smile as he walked over, slow, languid, like he had all the time in the world to reach me.

Heart pounding, I stepped back until I ran into the handleless door.