Mei didn’t look particularly compassionate or benevolent. Her expression darkened. “They say Nanette did this?”

I hesitated. I’d already gotten in enough trouble with the archdemoness for telling on her. Of course, my friends had undoubtedly already told Mei the truth, and anyway, she was the closest I currently had to a boss. I wasn’t entirely sure if I could trust her, but if I had to place my money on the demon most likely to have my back right now (no pun intended), it was her.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “I told Cedric that Nanette had met with Jerome. She’d met with Cedric too, so it seemed kind of like she was manipulating both of them.”

Mei’s face grew harder still. Whether she agreed with me or not, she didn’t reveal. “Nanette won’t bother you again.”

And with no more than that, the demoness vanished.

“Girl fight,” said Hugh, looking the happiest I’d seen him today.

“I don’t think it’s going to be in creamed corn or anything like that,” I remarked dryly.

“Her sense of humor returns,” said Peter. “Definitely on the road to recovery.”

I tried to sit up and winced. “Or not.”

“Don’t push it,” warned Hugh. “Mei can only do so much—”

“What the hell’s going on?”

We all turned. Dante stood in the doorway to my bedroom. His face was a mixture of incredulity and utter confusion. Without waiting for an answer, he hurried over to the bed and knelt down so that he was at my level.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

His expression was so tender, so full of concern that I was momentarily taken aback. Dante was indeed selfish and arrogant, but he did care about me, no matter what my friends thought. And in dire situations—like now—that bitter façade of his fell, revealing someone whose soul hadn’t turned completely black yet. He tried hard to hide this side of himself, but I knew it was there.

“I had a run-in with a demon,” I said. I gave him a brief explanation of what had happened.

He grew more and more incredulous as I spoke. When I finished, he glanced around the room, studying everyone accusatorily. “How does something like this happen? I thought demons couldn’t go around roughing people up. Aren’t you under some kind of protection?”

“Technically Jerome’s,” I said. “But he’s kind of busy right now.”

“Maybe you’re under Grace and Mei’s protection now,” mused Cody. “Mei looked pissed.”

“She always looks pissed,” said Hugh.

“I should hope so,” snapped Dante. “Are they going to go kick this other demon’s ass?”

“She’s not likely to smite her, if that’s what you mean,” said Hugh. “Grace and Mei are under the same scrutiny as everyone else, but I bet Mei’ll bitch Nanette out.”

“Great,” said Dante. “A stern talking-to. That’ll show her.”