Page 144 of The Devil's Trials

No one speaks up as I look around the table, and when my eyes land on Blake, I find him grinning. “Go help your girl, mate. The rest of us will hold down the fort here, put our detective caps on, and find something that’ll help us take that bastard down when you’re back.”

I nod. “I was hoping you’d actually head home before we travel there. Camille won’t want her sister spending another holiday alone.”

Camille already took care ofmysister’s plans for the time we’ll be gone, convincing Harper to go to the all-inclusive resort she’d initially booked for the two of them.

Blake drums his fingers on the table, flicking a glance toward Harper for a brief, almost non-existent moment before his gaze returns to me. “Of course.”

I give him a look that expresses my gratitude without words before I walk out of the dining room, my heart beating faster in my chest as I head for the stairs. I never thought the very thing my mother loathed about me would help me rule, but it was my human heart that led me to choose my council. To fight for a relationship with my sister. To fall in love withCamille. It seems I need to listen to it more and recognize that caring isn’t a weakness as Lucia led me to believe for years.

I care more about the demons than the power ruling over them grants me, which is something the queens and kings before me would never be able to grasp.

Perhaps that is my real power.

While that might work for me topside, embracing my humanity—or what’s left of it—is a dangerous gamble and something I absolutely cannot do in hell, especially not as the demon king.

Which is going to make this trip the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

THIRTY-SIXCAMILLE

I wasn’t expecting to have dinner with a bunch of demons and my best friend, but here we are.

Gio lures us into the dining room with his incredible cooking. The aroma of grilled steak, steamed vegetables, and garlic mashed potatoes fills the room, and my stomach grumbles as Harper and I sit next to each other at the table.

The others follow, taking their seats. While Xander sits next to me in the chair at the head of the table, Blake drops into the open one on Harper’s other side, much to her dismay based on the way she immediately fills her wineglass.

Francesca, Jude, Roman, and Gio sit across from us, while Greer takes the open chair on Blake’s other side, leaving the opposite head across from Xander empty. My stomach dips with a pang of sadness at the evident absence of Xander’s council member. I never met Declan, but I can tell how special he was to Greer by the haunted look she still carries in her eyes.

I haven’t really gotten to know the demons Xander trusts, though none of them are outwardly put off by a couple of humans dining with them, so I’m doing my best to keep an open mind.

Francesca, Blake, and Gio are the only ones close to my and Harper’s age, while Jude, Declan, and Greer appear in their forties—though being demons who age significantly slower, they could very well be much older.

“Dig in, everyone,” Gio announces, uncovering a steaming dish with mixed vegetables.

“Thank you for preparing yet another delicious meal,” Greer says to him with a fond smile.

“My pleasure.” He glances my way. “There’s a dark chocolate cheesecake with fresh strawberry coulis waiting in the fridge for dessert.”

I smile. “You know your audience.”

“Oooh, you might have to fight Fran for it,” Blake says amusedly.

Harper snorts, leaning into Blake’s space to reach the platter of steak in the middle of the table, and stabs a piecewith her dagger.

His eyes flit between her and her weapon, blazing with intrigue as she pulls her arm back, dropping the steak onto her plate.

Francesca whistles under her breath, smirking softly at Harper. She looks…impressed?

“Please don’t encourage her,” Xander grumbles, shaking his head.

I nudge Harper under the table with my foot, arching a brow when she looks over at me. She offers me a brief smile before setting the dagger next to her plate.

“Think we can get through a meal without any violence?” Xander asks, scooping some mashed potatoes onto his plate before offering the dish to me.

“With these two sitting next to each other?” I jerk my thumb toward our best friends before taking the potatoes. “Not likely.”

“Oh, come on,” Francesca chimes in, sprinkling salt over her plate before wiping her hand on the napkin in her lap. “Give poor Blake a break. He’s not used to being around a human that can kick his ass.”

“You are so right about that one, Fran.” Harper snorts at the same moment Blake scowls, though I can’t help but notice his lack of argument. Or Francesca not snapping at Harper for using the nickname I’ve only heard Blake use.

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