He shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.
She raised an eyebrow.
“I need your help, all right? Warning Cosmo and George and the others isn’t enough. If Nathan’s looking for all of us, none of us are safe until he’s neutralized.”
Raya considered. “This is novel—you asking me for help.”
“Don’t rub it in, witch.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, demon. Or should I say, ‘my little dark prince’?” Raya ruffled his hair and darted away, giggling.
“Don’t you dare call me little.”
“Oh, I’m scared now!” She fell over on the bed, laughing uncontrollably.
“Some help you are.”
Raya sat up and wiped tears from her eyes. “I’ll be serious.” She crossed her legs and folded her hands primly. “Just the facts, ma’am.”
“That’s better.”
“Also, I’m hungry.”
Phoenix covered his face with his hands. If he were able to die, this woman would be the death of him. “Now you’re hungry?”
“Hey, a girl’s gotta eat. I didn’t even get a full night’s sleep, thanks to your dream shenanigans.”
“Shall I go? Shall we let Nathan enslave an unlimited amount of demons just because you need a nap and a cookie?”
“Don’t be a pill. Just because you don’t need food or sleep, doesn’t mean we poor mortals can do the same.” She threw a pillow at him. “And I don’t need a cookie. I need a meal. So shut up and let’s move.”
“Is that what you’re wearing?”
“Why? Would you be embarrassed?” She shimmied her shoulders at him.
If he showed any hint of embarrassment, she’d wear her pajamas in the streets of Paris just to get his goat. He schooled his expression to neutral. “Of course not. The lady wears what the lady chooses,” he added diplomatically.
“Well, since you put it so nicely, this ‘lady’ is going to go change. Privately. In the bathroom.” She retreated, but peeked around the doorframe for one last shot. “Away from the prying eyes of naughty little kitties.”
“Don’t call me a—” he started, but she laughed merrily and slammed the bathroom door before he could finish.
Outside, Phoenix glanced at the sky for a hint of how soon the sun would rise. It looked like they would have just enough time to make it to Cosmo’s before the demons abandoned the night’s recreation.
At a nearby Métro station, they hopped on the first train of the day, populated by a handful of early morning Parisians.
When they arrived at their station, Raya stopped him. “Aren’t you going to blindfold me?”
“What for? Are you going to go running off to Nathan to tell him where the demons hang out?”
“No. But being blindfolded was kind of fun.”
“You have a weird idea of fun.”
“And you don’t, Mr. Dream-Crasher?”
At least she wasn’t calling him her little dark prince. “Fine, we have equally weird ideas of fun.”
Raya made a satisfied noise.
