This was bad.
Everything about her damn well slayed me.
I pulled out my phone and sent a message off to Adrik—not for the first time—expressing my annoyance over this entire situation. I’m supposed to be ascending in less than two months. Yet here I am, in a human bar, babysitting your damn favor, I told him. I hope you’re pleased with yourself, asshole.
I set the phone down and signaled the waitress for a drink. She saw me just fine, while Zaya remained utterly oblivious, lost to her target.
Seriously, I’d taught her better than this.
Was she even aware of the cameras? All the eyes on her? The men fantasizing about fucking her against that damn bar?
I nearly growled but instead forced a smile for the pretty blonde approaching me. Her jeans coated her long legs like a second skin, just like her tank top that left little to the imagination. In another life, I would have been interested. But since Zaya entered my world, I’d been a little too focused on the petite little blue-haired demon.
“What can I get you, sugar?” the blonde asked.
“Whiskey. Neat.” I gave her a label I caught from the bar.
“Sure thing,” she drawled, her Southern twang kind of adorable.
But my eyes immediately returned to Zay.
She had her palm on the man’s thighs, her body angled in a way that exuded interest. I sighed. This was going to be a long fucking night. Because I suspected she was about to make a mess, one I’d be forced to clean up.
Fucking responsibilities.
As if I didn’t have enough of
those floating around my head.
Leave it to Zay to add more to the pile.
Little brat, I thought, studying her legs again. Maybe I’d spank her later. No, that would just end in us naked in my bed.
Regardless, she had my full attention for the evening.
Just as she did every night.
My phone dinged, alerting me to Adrik’s incoming reply. I assume you’re talking about Zaya?
What other favor could I be talking about? I shot back.
What’s she up to now?
I think she’s hunting a human, I replied. She wants to take down the other demons who assaulted her. She thinks it’ll help her recover. What my little warrior failed to realize was that she’d been recovering every day since the attack, her heart and spirit growing stronger with every breath.
And you disagree? Adrik asked.
I think she’s about to create a mess in the mortal realm that I’ll be forced to take care of on her behalf, I returned. And no, it won’t help her feel any better.
So she’s practicing the art of killing, he clarified.
Pretty much. While part of me admired her for it, another part was livid.
How’s she doing so far?
She has no idea I’m watching her from twenty feet away, I typed back to him. What does that tell you?
That she needs more lessons.