Page 114 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck

Demi snorted. “No. She punched Robin in the face during his rant. I shouldn’t laugh, but it was really funny. He looked pretty stunned before he walked away.”

Astria cringed. “I didn’t mean it. I swear. I just reacted. One second, he was yelling at her and the next, my fist was bashing into his face.”

Demi touched her cousin’s tattooed arm. “This is new.”

“By-product of a run-in I had with Henry’s monsters in college,” she said. “When I was four, and Henry first made the monsters at the manor, Stratton’s Hunter ring fell off and I found it. I never told anyone, but I always wore it, hidden beneath my shirts. The symbols are from it. The thing kind of imprinted on me. Branded me, if that makes sense.”

Demi smiled. “You’re a walking Hunter mood ring. I love it. Badass, Astria.”

Astria laughed and kissed Demi’s temple. “We should get you somewhere comfortable so you can rest.”

“Is he still here?” she asked, looking toward me but holding tight to Astria’s hand.

I knew who she meant. “Yes. When I left him, your father was downstairs helping to coordinate the huge cleanup project out front.”

Astria snorted. “I vote we put all the bad guys on a huge pile and have a bonfire. Easy cleanup then.”

Demi grinned. “You’ve changed so much, yet not at all. I missed you.”

Astria gave her a gentle hug.

“Are you ready to go down and officially meet your father?” I asked. “Or do you want to get in bed, and I can have him come up here?”

She started for the bathroom door and swayed.

Astria and I steadied her quickly.

“Bed it is,” I said.

“Mom, please. I really want to see him and not while I’m in a bed looking pathetic. You told me stories about how he’s a badass Hunter. I don’t want him looking at me like I’m fragile. I want him to be proud of me. Not ashamed because I’m not kick-ass like you and Astria are.”

Astria spoke before I could. “Demi, that man has spent the whole of your life looking for you. The last thing he cares about is if you can hunt demons and other bad things. I spent the day with him. Trust me when I say there isnothingyou can do that would disappoint him.”

I nodded my thanks to her.

She winked.

“Can you keep Demi steady?” I asked. “I’ll go see if Robin can carry her downstairs.”

“Of course,” she said. “And, um, I should probably apologize to him for punching him.”

I went for the bathroom door and opened it to find Robin there, about to knock.

He met my gaze, worry creasing his brow. “How is she?”

I simply stared at him. “Heard you made a great first impression on my niece.”

Robin offered a sheepish grin. “I have that effect on women.”

“You all right?” I asked, unsure if he’d been harmed at all in the fighting.

“I’m good,” he said. “Is Demi okay? Is she decent? I can go, I just… I couldn’t stop worrying about her.”

I touched his arm gently. “She’s decent. You can come in.”

He came into the bathroom, his attention going right to Demi. “I’m so sorry that I yelled at you. I was worked up and worried. That’s no excuse, I know. Normally, I think everything is funny, but not this. Not you being in danger and hurt.”

“Robin,” I said sympathetically. “Can you help Demi downstairs? She wants to see Drest, but I’m not sure she’s going to be able to do the steps safely right now. She’s pretty worn out and banged up.”

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