I blinked at that, but she was right. Samael was answering each question with serious intent, his focus entirely on the boys. His palm lit up with a ball of demon fire as we watched, and the gnomes danced excitedly on their feet at the sight. I didn’t know what to make of that, so I shrugged.

“Let’s go.”

We bundled the kids into the car Bael had ordered for us. The demons thought of everything. Once we arrived at the tower, the kids were obviously in awe, their eyes huge as they stared at everything.

“They will stay on the floor below mine,” Samael said. “I have a nanny on staff.”

I blinked at that. “You have a nanny? Do you have kids?” The thought did something to my gut, made it twist in a way I didn’t enjoy.

“No. Some of my staff do, and I like to be prepared.”

I was learning more and more about this guy. I nodded, and we all stepped into the elevator. Evie had insisted on staying to help get the kids settled in, and her eyes were almost as wide as the gnomes’ as the elevator opened to the kids’ floor.

Cil let out a gasp. “Wow, cool!”

We exited the elevator to a room that was clearly designed for kids. A huge TV offered some kind of video console that the boys crowed over, and the bookcase next to it was full of games. One corner of the room held a mini-library, complete with beanbags and shelves bursting with books. Another corner was clearly created for younger children, with a huge box filled with toys, a motorized car big enough for a toddler to sit on, and a rocking horse.

Four pinball machines took up most of the far wall, and a small boy was standing in front of one of them, slamming his hand into the buttons. He turned as we walked in, and the three boys eyed each other.

“Zip, Cil, this is Brokk,” Samael said. The boys weren’t shy. They immediately headed toward the pinball machines, talking a mile a minute.

“Who’s the kid?” I murmured.

“One of my employees had to investigate a murder in South Carolina. I told him he could leave his family here to ensure their safety while he was gone.”

“He’s a demon.” Talk about stating the obvious.

Samael gave me a look. “Yes.”

For some reason, I tended to forget that demons had children. That they had families like everyone else.

“Why can’t his mom protect them?” I’d seen just how powerful high demons were.

“She’s light fae. A healer. She has few combat abilities.”

So, the kid was half demon, half light fae. What a combination.