Page 20 of The Music Demon

She grinned. “Did she no’ tell you about the New Forest? Where we grew up?”

“No. But I’m glad she didn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d rather hear it from you.”

Warmth spread through Shivaun’s upper body on hearing that. She was normally the furthest thing, in personality, from the nickname of Shy. But shyness suddenly overcame her and made her turn her face away, toward what she would always think of as the Dragon Sea.

There was no question that she’d felt an immediate, on-first-sight reaction to the demon, but attraction, perhaps even sexual magnetism, is a chasm away from feelings.

“Tell me,” he said.

Unused to having the intensity of demon attention solely focused on her, she deflected. “Why do you no’ tell me about yourself? I’m sure your story is much more interestin’.”

“My story is not more interestingto meand, certainly, it would take longer to tell.”

“Are you sayin’ you’re old?”

“By human standards. Yeah. I’m ancient.” Stopping to face her directly, he said, “I’m as old as music.”

She laughed until she realized he was serious. “You’re jokin’.”

“What about your newfound gift for lie detection? Does it not work on me?”

“Do no’ know. Let’s do a test. What’s your name?”

“Lyric.”

“What sort of creature are ye?”

“Music demon.”

“How many females have you slept with?”

Lyric’s mouth twitched before he lowered his chin. “Ihonestlydo not know how many.”

She believed he was telling the truth, but she pressed on.

“More than two?”

“Yes.”

“More than a hundred?”

“Yes.”

“A thousand?”

“Yes.” When she opened her mouth to continue, he said, “Let’s move on. I have a feeling this is not the stuff of successful courtships.”

She pouted momentarily before saying, “What’s your favorite thing to do?”

“Be with you.”

Dismissing that as if it was not the most charming, romantic thing any suitor had ever said, she forged ahead with self-report. “I’m no’ sensin’ anything different in your answers. Seems it does no’ work on you.”

“Let’s see what happens if I deliberately lie.”

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