Page 95 of Better in Black
So here they were, in the shadow of a revolutionary fort, talking to a giant demonic toad.
“Ajatara always said she’d love me even if I looked like a toad,” Krog complained. He waved one of his webbed, warty hands, then flicked his thick tongue at a cluster of lightning bugs. They were still glowing when he swallowed them. “But did she ever actually want me to take on my toad form? No, she didn’t. It was always,Oh, Krog, don’t you think it would be so much more deliciously evil to do your evil deeds in the shape of a handsome man?And what Ajatara wants, Ajatara gets.”
“Sounds rough, bro,” Simon said wearily. They’d been here for what felt like hours. Krog had produced a steady stream of complaints about his relationship with Ajatara. Broken only by the occasional toady sob.
Izzy snorted.Bro?she mouthed.
Simon shrugged. It wasn’t like he had a lot of experience bonding with a demon.
“Fine. You try,” Simon said. The anger he’d started to feel in the cab had only grown, and now he was furious with Izzy. She was so judgmental. She’d judged him immediately in the club, as soon as he’d told her about the job at the Scholomance. She hadn’t even asked him any questions about why he was considering taking the job. She hadn’t given him a chance—
“Okay, Krog, what will it take to get you and your demon girlfriend back together,” Izzy demanded. “Will threats work? Because I’m very good at threats.”
Krog sighed miserably. “My Ajatara loves a good threat. No one can put the fear of hell into a heart quite like her.” He turned to Izzy with a reptilian hope in his eye. “Did my mistress send you to apologize for what she’s done?”
“She claimed she didn’t do anything,” Simon said.
Izzy glared at him. “Would it have been so hard to just say yes?”
“She is a liar,” Krog said. “She knows exactly what she did.”
“Well, all right then,” said Simon. “Explain it to us. Slowly.”
Krog growled. The sound came from somewhere deep in his throat and evoked some kind of hungry lion-like predator. Which was particularly unsettling from the throat of a giant toad. “She gave her favors to a mortal,” Krog said.
“She what?” said Simon.
“She hooked up with a mortal,” said Izzy. “Really, Simon, have you read no gothic fiction? Or anything that doesn’t have pictures?”
Simon saw a sort of red mist behind his eyes. “If you feel that strongly about it, maybe you should GIVE ME A READING LIST,” he yelled.
Krog looked alarmed. “Are you guys all right?”
“We’re fine,” said Izzy, with dignity. “Please continue your tale.”
Krog was only too happy to do so. “That’s right. Ajatara gave her love to another. And not to torture him or destroy his life or conquer your puny little world or anything that would actually be reasonable! She seems to have done it because the mortal wasgood,” Krog said. “Can you imagine anything more disgusting? The things she did with him—my mistress of darkness volunteered at a soup kitchen! She helped old people across the street!”
“Uh, maybe she was trying to push them into traffic?” Simon said hopefully.
“And I’m sure she poisoned the soup,” Izzy offered.
“No!” Krog bellowed. “She did good works, pure and simple. And did I mention,pure?” He sounded nauseated.
“How’d you find out about all of this?” Simon asked. “Were you following her?”
“Not me,” Krog admitted. “But fortunately I have good friendsin low places. Iago showed me visions. I watched every single disgustingly good thing she and this mortal did together.”
“You have a friend named…Iago?” Simon said. “Who told you your girlfriend was cheating on you? And you trusted that?”
“Perhaps you are the kind of foul and cold-blooded creature who’s never known the benefits of friendship, but we demons are of a different kind. Iago’s loyalty runs deep.”
“I mean, the name alone—”
Izzy nudged him. “Let it go,” she murmured. “I don’t think demons read Shakespeare.”
“I’m the fool here,” Krog moaned. He was pacing back and forth. “I should have seen this coming. She was always too good for me. Way out of my league.”
“That’s no way to think,” Simon told him. “Love doesn’t have leagues.”
