Beth hurried to Tyr's SUV, grateful to escape the biting wind. She slid into the passenger seat, watching through the windshield as Nathan and Harper somehow managed to get the enormous puppy into their back seat. The car visibly shifted under his weight as he bounded inside, his tail still wagging enthusiastically.
"Ready?" Tyr asked, starting the engine.
Beth nodded, still grinning as she watched red sparks dance past Nathan and Harper's car windows. "This is going to be interesting."
Chapter 14
Beth watched the taillights of Nathan and Harper's car disappear around the corner before them, the hellhound's massive silhouette visible through their back window. Red embers occasionally flickered through their windows, creating an otherworldly light show against the dark night.
"I can't believe we're actually going to meet a demoness." Beth bounced in her seat, unable to contain her excitement. "I mean, I've met a couple of Djinn and now vampires, and whatever Angus and Renee are, but never even imagined I'd meet a demon."
Tyr's lips quirked into that half-smile that made her heart flutter as he navigated the quiet suburban streets. "Kayja is... unique."
"Is she scary?" Beth twisted in her seat to face him better. "I mean, she's Lord Damien's sister, right? And he's pretty intimidating from what I've heard."
A low chuckle escaped Tyr as he turned onto Nathan and Harper's street. "Oh, you have no idea."
Excitement buzzed through Beth as they pulled into the driveway behind her friends. The hellhound puppy bounded outof the car the moment Harper opened the door, dragging Nathan behind him on the makeshift climbing rope leash.
Red sparks showered from the pup's shaggy fur as he attempted to investigate every snow-covered bush along the front walk at once. His enthusiasm nearly knocked Harper off her feet before she managed to steady herself against Nathan.
"Easy there, big guy!" Nathan laughed, somehow maintaining his grip on the rope despite the puppy's size and strength.
As they reached the front steps, movement in the shadows of the porch caught Beth's eye. A small figure stepped forward into the porch light, and Beth's breath caught.
The woman - if she could be called that - had mottled red skin with darker patterns blending into black. Small glossy black horns curled up from either side of her head, partially hidden by long, arrow-straight hair that mixed true red and black. Black-veined red wings stretched behind her, and Beth glimpsed dainty black cloven hooves where feet should be.
But it was her eyes that held Beth transfixed - they seemed to swirl between green and blue, filled with ancient knowledge and barely contained mischief.
"Well," Kayja's smoky voice carried clear amusement as she took in their unusual group. "What have we here?"
Beth's throat went dry as she stared at Kayja's wings. The black-veined membrane seemed to pass right through the demoness's flowing dress without disturbing the fabric. She blinked hard, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
An excited bark snapped Beth from her daze. The puppy lunged forward with enough force to drag Nathan stumbling across the snow-covered yard.
"No! No!" Nathan's voice cracked as he desperately tried to maintain his grip on the climbing rope. His feet slid on the icyground while the puppy bounded toward Kayja, showering bits of crimson flame in his wake. "Down!"
The commands had absolutely no effect. The hellhound's tail wagged frantically as he attempted to climb into Kayja's arms, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was nearly twice her size. His enormous pink tongue darted out, trying to give her face a thorough washing.
Beth watched in amazement as Kayja threw back her head and laughed, the sound like silver bells chiming. The demoness's eyes sparkled with mischief as she gazed down at the enthusiastic puppy.
Harsh, guttural syllables rolled off Kayja's tongue, the sound making Beth's ears throb unpleasantly, as if the demonic words operated on frequencies not meant for mortal hearing. She noticed Nathan and Harper both flinch at the alien sounds, Nathan's jaw tightening while Harper's shoulders hunched defensively. The language seemed to vibrate in the air, carrying otherworldly power that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
The change in the hellhound puppy, however, was instant and dramatic. The puppy dropped into a perfect sit, his oversized paws planted firmly in the snow. Though his entire body quivered with barely contained excitement, he remained perfectly still, staring up at Kayja with complete focus. His tail still wagged, sending more of the red embers dancing through the night air, but even that seemed more controlled now.
Beth's jaw dropped. She glanced at Nathan and Harper, finding their expressions mirroring her own shock. The climbing rope hung slack in Nathan's hands as he stared at their now perfectly behaved charge.
"How did you do that?" Harper blurted out, her amber eyes wide with disbelief.
"Oh, he's old enough to have been trained," the demoness explained, her eyes swirling oddly between green and blue. Beth found it hard not to stare. "But of course he would not understand any human language."
Another rough word rolled off her tongue. The hellhound immediately flopped onto his belly in the snow, though his tail continued wagging enthusiastically.
Kayja crouched down beside the pup, her black-veined wings folding gracefully behind her. As she stroked the thick, shaggy fur, her expression shifted to a concerned frown.
"These sparks..." She traced her fingers through another shower of red embers. "They only appear when a hellhound is distressed or agitated." She studied the puppy's face intently.
Harper shifted her weight anxiously, biting her lip. "But he doesn't seem distressed at all. He's been super happy meeting everyone. If anything, he's been trying to wash us all to death with his tongue."
