“Well, this has certainly been a day of revelations,” I said as Reyes and I walked from Misery into the apartment building together. He was apparently not leaving my side. “So, the Twelve beasts, huh? I’ll bet they’re fun at parties.”
“Not unless you like massacres,” he said, scanning the area as we walked.
“Not really. We probably shouldn’t invite them to our engagement party.” When he glanced at me in surprise, I added, “You know, if we have one.”
He followed behind me on the stairs. “Probably not.”
“I want to know more about the Dealer,” I said over my shoulder. “I mean, I didn’t even know they had slaves in hell. That place has to be bad enough without throwing the title of indentured servant into the mix.”
“My father has millions. He can create them from the remnants of lost demons.”
“Like from their DNA?”
“Something like that.”
“So, this Dealer was a champion? Of what? Volleyball?”
“Think more along the lines of gladiator.”
“Seriously? They play gladiator games in hell?” It just seemed unfathomable.
“We had a lot of free time.”
I stopped on the landing and turned toward him as he ascended behind me. “Reyes, I want you to give him a chance. I think he really is out to help us. You can be mad at me if you want, but I just think he really does want to see your father fall.”
“Sure he does. Wouldn’t you want to see your captor fall? It doesn’t mean we can trust him.”
“I think you’re letting your prejudices get in the way,” I said, turning to ascend the next flight.
“Dutch,” he said, taking my shoulders and urging me to face him, “you can’t ever trust Daeva. No matter how much they help. No matter what they do for you, they simply cannot be trusted.”
“I understand the generalization, but he’s different. There’s something very special about him, and I have a feeling we are going to find out what that is someday.”
“Not if you’re smart, you won’t.”
“I’m not stupid,” I said, growing tired of his questioning everything I did. “I do use common sense.”
“You have to have common sense to use it.”
I stiffened. He did not just say that. “You did not just say that.”
“When it comes to humans, Dutch, you are blind. You do things for them that no other person alive would do. And if you believe even remotely that this Daeva will help you in that endeavor, you’ll lose everything to him.”
“No person alive would do for me? That just goes to show how well you know humans. You may have been one for the last thirty years, but you know nothing of our spirit. Of our generous nature. It’s different for everyone, but most humans are kind and giving. And we care about our fellow man. And woman.”
“I know enough about humans to realize not one person on this earth would risk his life to save yours.”
“You’re wrong. And if my suspicions about the Dealer are right, you’ll be eating those words before all this is over. We allegedly have twelve very nasty creatures to fight, and I’d bet my last dollar he will be with us to the end.”
“At which point, he will trick you out of your soul and grow fat and old on you.”
I unlocked my door and shouldered my way in to block his entrance. “I’m tired. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He offered me an angry nod, then turned toward his own apartment.
I shut my door softly. He slammed his.
* * *
Cookie came in later than I did. I could hear her familiar footsteps on the stairs. She knocked softly before opening it, which was so not like her. “Are you still up?” she asked.
“I sure am. How’d it go?”
She still looked great and had a fresh glow to her face.
“Wait, you’re not falling for Barry, are you?”
“Oh, heavens no. But we had such a good time. It was fun to get out.”
“I’m glad.”
“Did Robert, I don’t know, ask about it?”
I giggled. “He did. It was great. He was dying to ask me, but it took him a while. Did you see the look on his face when he saw Barry?”
“Yes. Charley, I feel guilty.”
I pursed my lips. “Cook. I can feel emotions, remember? And it’s his own fault.”
“Oh, right.” She grinned. “I think this could work. He was stunned speechless when he saw my date.”
“Honey,” I said, putting a hand on hers, “he was stunned speechless when he saw you.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. I don’t think he’s into men.”
She dismissed that with a wave.
“You know what I mean.”
She had stars in her eyes. I guess I’d never realized how much she liked Ubie. I mean, it was Ubie. Who could’ve guessed that?
“So,” she said, easing up to the bigger questions of the night, “how was the card game?”
“I lost my ass. And, well, have you seen my ass?” I patted it to emphasize my point.
She laughed at first, then sobered. “Wait, really? You lost money?”
“Nah, I convinced the Dealer it would be in his best interest to let that one slide.”
“Oh, good. So, was he really a demon?”
“Yep, or as they are called, a Daeva. A slave demon.”