Immortals After Dark 07 - Kiss of a Demon King

difficult for me. And your female is not mild-tempered in the best of circumstances."
    Rydstrom frowned, absently saying, "Maybe a hot bath would be welcome." She'd just sounded so reasonable.
    And he hated that his first thought was, What's her
    game now?
    "Ruffles? Your revenge is devilish and hateful, Rydstrom." Once she'd bathed, he'd dressed her in an ankle-length flowing skirt and a long-sleeved blouse with-she shuddered- fhuncy things.
    A plain corset and pantalettes served as underwear. Soft slippers covered her feet. She frowned down at them. "How am I supposed to kick with these?"
    "You're not."
    "Have you ever seen pictures of cats dressed up by humans? That's how ridiculous I feel right now."
    "Good. Maybe this will curb your ego," he said as he led her back to the tent.
    "Doubtful. It burns too bright, demon. So do you agree that women should dress like this? Are you old and stodgy?"
    "I think women should dress as they please. Within reason."
    She was about to grill him on that last bit, but she noticed that people were stopping what they were doing to spit on the ground after she passed. "My popularity here, well, it's just embarrassing how they fawn."
    "I can't blame them for how they feel."
    "What?"
    "They're among the hardest hit by Omort's regime- hence their determination to risk Grave Realm to escape his rule."
    "And I'm to be hated for what Omort has done? Have you heard of any specific account where I've gone out of my way to hurt any of the people here?"
    "No, just as I've never heard any where you've gone out of your way to help them."
    "Of course not. I will never aid someone, not unless there's something in it for me. Because I have a brain in my head. Demon, you want things from me that I simply can't give. And you hope to see things in me that just aren't there. I will always lie, cheat, and steal-"
    "And duly kill anyone who defends their gold."
    "You saw my dreams."
    "I did. I saw your mother. And I saw when you were buried."
    She swallowed. Don't you pity me. Don't you dare.
    "You're strong, Sabine. If you could temper that strength with-"
    "Compassion? Kindness? Mercy?"

    "Why not?"
    "Rydstrom, I wouldn't even know where to begin. . . ." She trailed off as they passed Durinda.
    The pretty demoness smiled winningly at Rydstrom. He gave *
    her a wave.
    Sabine didn't like this little exchange at all. She recognized that she was feeling jealousy.
    She'd experienced it before Rydstrom, but for things -objects others possessed that she didn't.
    Now she felt as if Durinda had just taken a grab at her gold. Wondering how her gold would feel about that, Sabine gazed up at Rydstrom. "Do you think it's possible to desire another after you've found your female?"
    "I think it depends on how badly one wants his
    female."
    |
    "Then it's a good thing you're obsessed with me."
    "Why? Are you concerned that I might desire another?"
    She was saved from answering when a tussle broke out among boys nearby.
    Durinda hurried over to snare Puck from the fray. He'd been fighting with much bigger kids-which meant that Puck was scrappy and marginally worth a second of Sabine's attention. For a juvenile demon male, she'd seen less cute.
    He'd probably been teased about his name. "What kind of parents would name their kid something that
    rhymes with f-"
    "Dead parents," Rydstrom said quickly. "They're both dead, Sabine. And he's having difficulties because he's
    an orphan who hasn't yet been fostered by another family."
    "What about Durinda? Why isn't she his new mother?"
    "Because she is... unwed."
    "The demon made his first funny." He was serious! "It is impossible that you just said that."
    He only ran his hand over the back of his neck.
    When Durinda spoke to Puck in Demonish, Sabine said, "What is she telling him?"
    "That fights solve nothing."
    "Are you ... are you jesting7." Before Rydstrom could steer her away, Sabine called, "Don't listen to her, kid! Fights solve everything! Just be sure to win them!"
    "Enough! The boy doesn't understand English like the others. He was raised in a small farming village and only speaks Demonish."
    "You agree with that twit about fighting, don't you? My dark gods, the world's gone mad! Tell me you wouldn't teach our child that, because it would be a deal breaker."
    He stepped close to her, gazing down at her. His voice was gravelly when he said, "I didn't know you were still in negotiations."
    Sexy demon. She swallowed, again wondering if there would ever come a time when