Page 88 of The Devil She Knows
Maybe not the kind of deal demons cared about, but a deal nonetheless.
“That’s rather wily of you.” Her jaw ticked. “I respect it.”
Sam stood a little taller. “Thank you. Now, if you wouldn’t mind—”
“I can reach out again, but she’s still not going to answer.”
Then enough with the demon telepathy. “Quit calling or whatever it is you’re doing and go ring her doorbell.”
“She won’t come. She won’t listen. What she’ll do is find some way to bind me in Hell so you can’t summon me a second time. Then we’ll both be fucked.”
Shit.This couldn’t be the end of the line. It couldn’t. Sam refused to accept that. No, there had to be some other way.
Everyone was terrified of Daphne? Well then, Sam just needed to find someone who wasn’t. An exception to the rule, someone Daphne hadn’t put the fear of God into. If Sam could get them to listen toher, and Daphne to listen tothem… she’d still have to convince Daphne to hear her out. Convince her that if Daphne didn’t care about Sam getting older, neither did she. But she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
“Okay. Fine. If she won’t listen to you and she won’t listen to me, go find me somebody she will listen to.”
The demon shook her head slowly, brows drawn together, her scowl softening into a sympathetic frown. “Thissomebodyof whom you speak—do you even have the slightest clue who they are? Because I sure as hell don’t.” She shiftedher weight from one foot to the other and looked over her shoulder, as if making sure they were still alone. “Look, I don’t know what Daphne told you, what all you know, what youthinkyou know, but Hell is a hierarchy much like any other organization. Rank is determined by seniority and experience. Are there demons down there older than Daphne? Of course. But she climbed the ranks expeditiously, collecting more souls in a shorter period of time than any other demon. Very few demons outrank her, meaning there are very few demons she’ll answer to. The best advice I can give you?” She reached out and with a stiff hand patted Sam on the shoulder. “Go home, Samantha Cooper, and do your damnedest to forget any of this ever happened.”
Sam shrugged off her clumsy attempt at comfort. “You’re saying—you’re saying I just need to find someone who outranks her.”
Her heart felt sluggish and heavy with every stuttered beat.
The demon opened her mouth only to shut it with a sigh. She stared up at the sky as if searching for strength in the clouds. “Technically. I guess.”
Without a doubt, this would go down as the dumbest thing Samantha had ever done, but she knew. She knew what she had to do. “Then I would like to speak to your manager.”
“My what?” she asked flatly, blinking owlishly at her.
“I said, I’d like to speak to your manag—”
“No, no, turns out I heard you just fine the first time.” She palmed her forehead, looking faint. “Have you lost your godforsaken mind?”
“Maybe I have,” Sam said, tucking her balled-up fistsunder her arms so her hands wouldn’t shake. “It doesn’t change the fact that I’d like to speak with him.”
“You don’t. Youreallydon’t. Trust me.” She stole a step back and shook her head. “Daphne wouldnotwant you to do this.”
A bitter laugh escaped her. “Maybe she should have thought about that before she left me high and dry. So.” She gave a curt nod. “If you’d please do whatever it is you’ve got to do, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’m starting to think you two are made for each other. You’re both fucking crazy.” She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a long, shuddering sigh as her hand fell to her side. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She shut her eyes, face creased in clear concentration. After a moment, the tension bled from her face, and when her eyes opened, they were black from corner to corner.
“Thank you, Eithrig.”
Sam started at the voice over her shoulder. A voice as smooth as velvet with a lilt she couldn’t place.
“Samantha Cooper.”
A cold shiver skittered down her spine, like someone had walked over her grave, her grandmother would have said. She held her breath.
“I believe you wanted to talk?”
19
THE DEVIL WAS shorter than she expected.
He had an inch on her, maybe two. Though that may have been his shoes.
