Nick’s feet scuffed as he edged even with Ku’Sox, and the demon gave him a disparaging glance. “Wait your turn, Nicholas Gregory Sparagmos,” Ku’Sox said as he shoved Nick behind him with one hand splayed on the man’s chest. “You can beat Rachel when I’m done with her. Besides, I want to hear why she’s here. She might, I don’t know . . . want something?” Bis spread his wings, and Ku’Sox looked at him until the gargoyle eased back. “A cup of sugar? An egg, perhaps?” Ku’Sox said, struggling with an increasingly vocal Lucy. “Are you doing a little cooking this afternoon, love?”

My eyes narrowed. “There was no need to kill Ceri and Pierce.”

A hint of a smile lifted Ku’Sox’s thin lips. “Simple enjoyment.” He glanced at the nursery. “What a marvelous woman she was. Al taught her so many, many things. She lasted the entire morning. I didn’t even have to be careful. Ahh, that’s so rare, so invigorating.”

Trent’s jaw was clenched, and my stomach twisted. Lucy had both hands out, craning her neck to see Trent as her fists opened and shut, struggling to reach him, little whines of frustration punctuating her loud demands. “You should have left,” Trent said. I could see parts of him starting to reassert themselves, assessing the situation, deciding what would be cast aside as unrecoverable and what might be salvaged. I wondered which side of the scale I was on.

“Ku’Sox won’t kill me,” I said, my insides shaking as I shifted my feet to find my balance. “If he does, the demons will start looking at him to fix the line.”

Ku’Sox’s expression twitched. “Just so. Unless you give me provocation, it’s best to leave you alone. For a few days.” Now he smiled, and again my loathing fought with my fear. “Which begs the question of what you are doing here, Rachel? Rescuing your familiar?”

Ku’Sox was moving. My heart pounded, and I backed up. Trent, though, didn’t move.

“As he has probably told you, he is here of his own free will,” the demon said, stopping to keep Trent just out of Lucy’s high-pitched, angry reach. “We’re good friends,” Ku’Sox said as he smacked Trent’s cheek. “The elf freed me, and in return, I’m going to free him of everything that binds him, no ties to anyone at all. Aren’t we, little Lucy?”

Trent was almost panting as he stood inches from his daughter, afraid to reach out.

Laughing, Ku’Sox turned away. Under his arm, Lucy cried her frustration.