Page 21 of My Demon Assistant

Eshim winced, then rubbed at his stomach. "Well, kind of. He kept me from using my magic while the dark soul who was with him did the actual hurting. Fressia showed up just in time, and I'm glad she just grabbed me and came right back, or they could've killed us both. Mammon is one of the oldest demons to still exist, so he's strong. Very strong."

I nodded, then blew out a breath. This was...all of this was a bit too much.

I pulled Tom closer, and he didn't protest, as if he could sense I needed him right now. Fuck, I was so glad I'd adopted him.

"Can we come in now?" Kat called from the hallway and I winced. Damn. Had I just made her go hide away in her own home?

"Yeah," I said, and four adults and one baby tumbled into the room. Archer and Kat made a beeline for me, while Fressia made her way to the kitchen and Lux lingered in the doorway with Gunner, a hesitant look on his face.

"I'm so fucking glad you know," Kat said as she sat down on the coffee table in front of me.

"Me too," Archer piped up as he perched on the arm of the couch Eshim and I sat on, his arm pressing against mine.

I glanced between my best friends, unable to push away the hurt, even though I knew it wasn't their fault. They'd been following someone else's rules, and that was the only reason why they hadn't told me.It wasn't their fault.

"I'm so sorry," Archer murmured, giving my arm a squeeze. "I wished so desperately I could tell you. Hell, I'd been ready to do it anyway and deal with the consequences, but then Eshim showed up."

I had to clear my throat before I could speak, and I turned so I could look at Archer. We'd known each other for years, and one look at his face told me he meant every word he'd said.

"It's okay. I understand why you had to." I turned my gaze to Lux, who still hadn't come closer. "Why are you hovering over there?"

Lux's eyes widened, and he shared a glance with Archer. "I, uh, I was worried you might be scared of me, now that you know."

I glanced from him to the perfectly content baby in his arms, and snorted. "Yeah, you're not scary, Lux."

"You wouldn't say that if you could see my true form."

"I doubt it," I said, and of course, Lux had to prove me wrong.

His form shimmered slightly, and a moment later, Gunner was cradled in the arms of a seven-foot-tall demon with grayish skin, large horns curling backwards, sharp claws and teeth, small eyes, pointy ears, and a fluff-ended tail that Gunner instantly grabbed onto.

"Holy fuck!" I jerked back, pressing closer to Eshim almost instinctively. He'd been silent since he'd explained everything to me, but now he wrapped an arm around me, holding me close.

"It's okay. He's still Lux," Eshim said in a low voice, and I swallowed hard as I nodded. I glanced over at Archer, and he looked completely at ease. Clearly, Lux's demon form was nothing new to him. Or Kat, from the looks of it. Did that mean they'd all hung out together with Lux and Fressia in their true forms?

Suddenly, I felt like I was a foster kid again, left out of the little 'clubs' the other kids made up because I was too new or not fun enough. Logically, I knew it wasn't the same thing, but I didn't have the strength to think logically right now.

"Ah, thank you for showing me, Lux," I said, because I didn't want him to think I was weirded out by him. Despite everything, I liked Lux. He made Archer happy, and he was amazing with Gunner.

Lux changed forms again, and smiled at me.

Shrugging out of Eshim's hold, I grabbed my dog as I stood up.

"I'm gonna go home now." Fressia was back, so whatever danger there had been must've passed.

"Jerry," Kat started to say, but I shook my head at her.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Before any of them could try to stop me again, I escaped the house, got into my car, and started driving.

My mind was somehow at once too full of thoughts and completely blank. I knew there were a lot of things I could think about, that Ineededto think about, but for now, I wanted to enjoy the numbness for just a little longer.

Once we got home, I let Tom run around in the backyard while I changed into sleep clothes. Then I brought him inside and gave him some food before heading to bed.

I was under the blankets with the lights turned off when Tom scampered into the room, his nails scratching against the side of the bed as he tried to climb up. I needed to get some stairs or a ramp for him.

For now, I picked him up and plopped him onto the mattress, and he snuggled against my chest, lying belly-up for pets. I rubbed his belly, and as the repetitive motion started centering me a little, I remembered something else.

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