We’d opted for a toned-down version of my infamous devil costume from the promo photos, with the elaborate eyes, cheeks and lips, but no red body paint or face. I’d told them that it was itchy to wear the paint on my arms and chest, but really, I was hoping that SJ would make it in time to see me today, and I knew how much he loved my pink, human-coloured skin.

And while having him get all grumpy and domineering washing it off me had been fun, I thought I’d much rather see the look of longing in his eyes when he saw me in this skimpy outfit—a leather corset and teeny little matching skirt—but still looking like me.

Jules leaned over to Luci, who was set up in a raised pen to one side of my booth. Luci eyed Falcor, sniffed, accepted Jules’ pats, and scuttled back into her hammock with a huff.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, grabbing a ferret treat and popping it into the hammock. “She’s sulking because her boyfriends haven’t been home for a fortnight.”

“SJ away on business again?” Jules asked, quirking an eyebrow. “It’s so cute that he takes his ferrets on road trips with him!” She peered into the hammock, where two beady red eyes glared back at her. “I guess it’s not cute for you, though, Luci.”

I nodded, thankful that Jules had made an assumption about SJ’s ‘business’. Sometimes it was so hard to remember that not everyone knew my boyfriend of almost a year was really the brother to the Queen of Hell and the official Soul Judge of both eternal realms. And that his ‘road trips’ were interdimensional.

“He going to be back in time to attend today?” Jules asked, hefting Falcor up and draping him over her shoulders.

I shrugged. “Depends. He’s negotiating a sensitive deal at work at the moment.” Yeah … overseeing the final stages of a soul audit of Heaven and managing the transfer of the souls who should never have made the grade down to Hell … it was dicey. Especially when SJ was hoping that turning up with a bunch of Heaven-fattened souls would convince Hellen to let him do a similar audit on Hell … and take the good ones back to Heaven.

I worried for him every time he had to deal with his sister. He promised she was much less volatile now that she had what she’d coveted. But I didn’t fully trust her. Those winds …

BUZZZZZZ!

“That’s quite a vibrate you’ve got on that phone!” Jules remarked with a chuckle as my phone juddered its way to the edge of the table. I lunged forward to snag it before it vibrated off the edge. The screen was bright purple, and my heart soared.