My stomach flipped as I scurried across the floor. I was going to snoop through a demon’s bedroom! Deep down, I knew I was far more excited about this than I had any right to be. But this was the perfect opportunity to find the answers to my burning questions. I might not get the chance again.

Did he have anything to do with those murders? Were there trophies hidden in his drawers? Would he have a list of everyone he’d targeted or an elaborate diagram plotting out his nefarious deeds? Did he wear a different type of boxer shorts? You know, for his tail. Not the other thing.

Adrenaline surging through my veins, I twisted the door handle and pushed. The door held firm against my attack. It wouldn’t budge. Frowning, I released my grip and stepped back. He’d locked his door.

Now, that was weird. And not a great sign. Why would he have locked his bedroom if he had nothing to hide? What did he have in there that he didn’t want me to see?

There was no other reason he would have locked it. No one else was here. He’d locked it to keep me out.

* * *

“You ready to go?” Asmodeus called through the door, and then gave it a light knock. I stood before the floor-length mirror, staring at myself with wide eyes. I hadn’t seen Asmodeus all day, so I’d had a lot of time stuck alone with my thoughts.

I was going on a date with a demon who was hiding something.

To keep myself occupied, I’d dressed up for the occasion. Instead of my standard uniform of jeans and crop top, I’d chosen the only dress I’d packed. One I’d borrowed from Serena and hadn’t returned yet.

She was a little smaller than me, so the dress hugged my curves. It was a little black number with a scooped neck edged in delicate lace. The bottom hem hit mid-thigh, the perfect length to pair with my boots. The outfit was a combination of class and edginess, and it gave me the boost of confidence I needed to get through this night.

I topped it all off with a pair of dangly earrings my sister had given me for my eighteenth birthday, a reminder of where I’d come from and why I was here. Her face flashed in my mind. Even after everything that had happened, I wouldn’t go back and make a different decision. At least, not about saving her.

“Yep, I’m ready,” I called out as I turned from the mirror. Now was not the time to think about my sister. If I did, an avalanche of competing emotions would crash around me, burying me beneath the weight of it all.