Crap.
My mind races through everything I know about this demon class. If A is the toughest, then dyads are A+++. The best way to kill dyads is with an ambush. Straight-on assaults rarely succeed. But how could I approach them without it being an obvious attack? I’m the most famous lust demon in all the after-realms. Unlike Dusk, I can’t easily change my appearance, either. I glance over to Lincoln. “You got any ideas?”
“Not yet.”
Inside the hospital, Dusk and Mourn step closer to Desmond. “Tell us how you began working for Aldred.” Waves of demonic power wash over me. Dusk and Mourn have started working their lust demon mojo.
Desmond puffs out his chest. “Oh, Aldred noticed how I follow around the President of Purgatory and the great scala.”
Dusk and Mourn speak in sync again. “So you made a deal with Aldred?”
“Yup. A good one too.”
“Then you know how the man works. We also have an agreement with the Earl of Acca. We can’t hurt you.”
By the way, this is how Aldred controls people: crappy magical agreements. He also specializes in blackmail. For example, Lincoln has never stopped trying to put together an alliance of all the thrax Houses against Acca. Even so, the second someone is close to signing? They back out under sketchy circumstances citing their “good name” or the “safety of their family.” In other words, blackmail.
All of which is why Aldred and Acca need to go buh-bye.
“You can’t hurt me?” Desmond’s yellow eyes widen. I can clearly make out the vertical slits in them. “Truly?”
“Of course not. So why don’t you hand over the codex and go home?” Another pulse of power moves through the air. The lust demons are now pushing their mojo to eleven. “You want to do this, don’t you?”
Desmond’s features go slack. “If I gave you the codex, would Dusk give me a kiss?”
She blinks her heavy-lidded eyes. “Perhaps.”
“Then, sure. I’ll hand over the book.”
“Good.” Mourn raises his right hand, and a small cloud of black dust curls around his palm. “Because our deal with Aldred was very particular. We agreed not to harm you, with one exception. If you betray his orders, then you’re fair game.”
Desmond keeps up his goggle-eyed stare at Dusk. “So I get a kiss?”
“No, you just betrayed Aldred’s orders,” Dusk explains. “He instructed you—and only you—to deliver the codex to the Lady, didn’t he?”
“Sure.” Desmond keeps up his stare-fest with Dusk’s mouth. He has no idea what they’re saying at this point. I’m starting to feel a little sorry for him.
That said, they haven’t frozen him solid, which is what will happen to Lincoln and me the second we make our presences known.
Unless we can come up with a way to protect ourselves from the freezing magic of a dyad demon.
Which no one’s ever done before.
Yipes.
“You’ve disobeyed the terms of your deal with Aldred,” says Mourn. “Now, we can end your sad little life.” The black dust flies away from Mourn’s palm. Instantly the dark power envelops Desmond, freezing him in place.
My hand moves to my throat. I knew dyads could turn their opponents into statues. That said, I had no idea it would work so quickly.
Next it’s Dusk who raises her hand. A flurry of red particles whirl around her body, obscuring her from view. A moment later, the lovely woman is gone, replaced by a massive praying mantis with a red exoskeleton and long razor-sharp forearms. She tilts her tiny head, and a gleam of red demonic power flits through her overlarge eyes.
That’s one nasty sight, right there.
Swiping her arm, mantis-Dusk slices right through Desmond’s neck. I choke back a gasp. Desmond’s body is still frozen in place, but with a line of blood across his throat. Not good.
Dusk turns to Mourn. “That wasn’t so hard.”
“It never is.”
“What do you think Aldred will give us for the codex?”
Mourn sets his hands in his pockets. “You won’t offer it to the Lady first?”
“She won’t want it.” Dusk shrugs her thin insect shoulders. “She only volunteered our help to find it because Aldred begged her.”
My forehead creases with thought. Whoever this Lady is, she and Aldred are in deep cahoots. Too bad that doesn’t narrow down her identity any.
“We did the right thing.” Mourn shoots a disgusted look at Desmond’s frozen body. It’s beyond weird that the klepto still stands upright, even though there remains a bloody line across his throat.
“Of course,” says Dusk. “We had to get rid of him. Desmond was certain to bungle things up. The Lady relies on us to ensure her missions succeed. That codex will go to the Wheeler Institute.”
Mourn snaps his fingers. The black dust that had surrounded the klepto demon vanishes. Desmond tumbles to the floor, his body and head rolling in different directions. Now I’ve seen my share of gore, but…Yuck.