My mouth dropped open as I plucked a chunk of pancake from the stack and padded over to the balcony. There was a single black spot above Hendrix’s left eye. It was him alright. With a grin, I threw him a pancake. He caught it in midair and swallowed it whole.

“How?” I asked, turning back to Asmodeus who leaned back in his chair with a smug smile. “Surely he couldn’t find me.”

“Pigeons are smarter than people give them credit for.”

This had to be some sort of demon thing. He’d called Hendrix here. With his mind. Or something. Whatever he’d done, I didn’t really care. It was an oddly touching gift. Grudgingly, I gave him a smile.

“Well, I don’t know how you got him here, but it’s good to see a familiar face.”

“You’re welcome.” He motioned to the stack of pancakes. “Don’t forget to eat. We have a big day ahead of us. Tonight, we’ll attend a party together. It will be our first official outing as a couple.”

My stomach dropped. Right. That explained the pancakes and the pigeon. He was trying to soften me up before dropping the news about our impending date.

I eased back into the apartment, trying not to rush toward the pancakes like the greedy squirrel I was. “That’s soon.”

“It hasn’t taken long for news to travel. People are already talking about you.” He folded his arms. “It will be good to put in an appearance while we’re fresh on their minds.”

“So strategic.” Throwing all caution to the wind, I dropped into the chair and pulled the plate close. To hell with it. I wanted these damn pancakes.

“I got to where I am today by being strategic,” he said. “It’s the only way I know to be.”

“Doesn’t that get lonely?” I asked as I jammed a forkful of pancake into my mouth. It practically melted against my tongue.

“I have plenty of people close to me.”

“Who?” I asked.

“The bouncers you met last night, for one.”

The Legion. That’s what the angels had called them. Were they all demons? Caim and Phenex and the other three guys? It explained a few things if they were. They’d been just as intense and unnerving as Asmodeus was, and Valac had made me feel like knives were being dragged across my mind.

“And what about you?” he asked, leaning forward with an intent expression on his face. “Where are your friends?”

“You’re looking at one.” I pointed at Hendrix, who had flown into the penthouse to join us. Strangely, Asmodeus didn’t seem to mind a pigeon on his dining table.

“And the others?”

I swallowed down a lump of pancake. Suddenly, I was no longer hungry, even though my stomach still growled. “I don’t really have any, other than Serena. I’m pretty much all I’ve got.”