Page 16 of My Demon Assistant

It didn't sound like a request or an invitation because it wasn't one.

"I'm fine, thank you," I valiantly tried anyway.

"Be here at six or I'll come over myself."

"Fine."

At six on the dot, I stood at Kat and Fressia's doorstep, regretting it already. If Kat thought I liked Eshim—which I didn't—she wasn't going to let it go.

The door opened, and Fressia stared at me, her expression blank. Her brown, almost yellow eyes, though, watched me like a hawk, and I smiled hesitantly.

"Hello, Fressia."

"Jeremiah," she said with a nod, and I bit back a cringe. She was one of the few people who insisted on using my full name. I'd told her to call me Jerry the first few times, but then I gave up when I realized she wouldn't be changing her mind anytime soon.

"Fres? Is that Jerry?"

"Yeah!" she called back, her voice distinctly warmer, and I bit back a smile. As long as Fressia treated Kat well, I didn't care how curt she was toward me. Hell, I could understand her in a way too.

I walked into the house, and Fressia closed the door behind me as Kat walked out of the kitchen, a wide smile on her face. Her strawberry blond hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and she was dressed in her usual weekend-at-home getup of an oversized T-shirt—that she'd stolen from me or Archer at some point—and sweatpants.

"Hey, Jerry. Want something to drink?" she asked, linking her arm with mine and tugging me toward the kitchen. I was very aware of Fressia following close at our heels, but I ignored her, keeping my focus on Kat.

"Yes, please."

"Beer?"

I nodded, and she dropped my arm to grab three from the fridge, offering one to me and another to Fressia.

We chatted inanely as we drank, and then Kat plated up the food and we took our plates to the living room. Kat hated eating at the dining table, so I was used to eating on the couch. Even now that she'd moved out, I still did the same.

We'd just settled into our meal when loud barking made me jump, and I turned around to see a large, black dog standing in the hallway that led deeper into the house. Had the dog been in their bedroom?

Fressia jumped to her feet with an, "Excuse me," and I watched as she led the dog deeper into the house, murmuring softly to it. She glanced back, and shared a look with Kat that I couldn't quite read, before disappearing into a room.

Kat watched her go, silent for a long moment, before turning to me with hints of worry in her eyes that she shook off with a smile.

"Tell me about Eshim."

So much for hoping she'd forgotten all about him.

Eshim

"Thank you for coming with me, Hella," I said, and the big, black demonhound peered up at me, panting happily.

Since it was the weekend, I'd decided to spend some time walking around the city. King Damien's words about the evil souls and Mammon planning something had been stuck in the back of my mind, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to be extra careful. Especially when my mate lived in this city. There was also Lux, and his new family. I would never forgive myself if something happened to that beautiful baby of his.

There had been no trace of Mammon and the souls in the last month, which told me they had to be hiding. No matter how careful they were in their movements, they would always leave a trace. The only way they could've avoided detection was by hiding.

So here I was, walking through the most downtrodden and derelict areas of the city in the hopes of finding some clues. This wasn't the first time I'd done it, but last week, I hadn't had enough time for a deep search.

It'd been hours since I started doing this, and Hella had joined me of her own accord halfway through. The demonhound—the only one of her kind, since animal souls were usually reincarnated straightaway, as far as I knew—spent her time flitting between all the demons currently living in the human realm, though I knew she preferred staying with Azazel and his human partner, Elijah.

"Wait," I murmured as something tickled my senses. Glancing around to make sure there were no humans around, I shifted into my incorporeal form. This form allowed me to pass through walls, and humans or supes wouldn't be able to see me. Mammon and the dark souls would still spot me, since they were dead themselves, but that was okay. I'd mostly shifted so I could move around without scaring some innocent human.

Hella, following my lead, did the same, and I moved closer to the strange awareness. As a demon, I could sense other demons and dark souls, which was why the king and his mates had decided to station us in the human realm in the first place.

Once I was close enough to confirm that yes, there was a demon close by, and at least one dark soul, I decided it would be risky to go in alone. While I was confident in my powers, Mammon was much older than me, and I'd be an idiot to think I could take him.

---