Page 7 of Sky’s Edge

He was a demon.

I was half demon, half human, but in things like this, the demon always won out.

And the “thing like this” was, you didn’t cross the pride of a demon.

I could, and had, taken my father’s dressing-downs for reasons, admittedly, I deserved (what could I say? again, I was half demon, this always won out, so naughtiness, rebellion and willfulness was ingrained—Dad had even conceded he often got in trouble for these same things when he was younger). And for others I would vociferously contend I did not.

However, these were always studiously private family affairs.

Speaking to me like this in front of Tanyn was unconscionable.

And I noticed, belatedly, Dad realized it.

“Catla,” he murmured.

“Carry on with it,” I said in a dead voice.

“Sweetheart, I—” Dad tried.

“Please, carry on with it,” I hissed.

“Perhaps I should—” Tanyn started.

My gaze shot to him. “No. Stay. Let’s get this done.”

There was a long, awkward silence after that, and this long, awkward silence had a lot to do with the fact, not only that you didn’t cross a demon’s pride, but also, demons had grave difficulty apologizing, like my father should be doing right now.

But he would not.

“You were keen to do this, Mammon,” Mom said in an irate tone (oh yeah, even human, she knew you didn’t mess with the pride of a demon, maybe even better than Dad and I did—also, she was a mom, and you didn’t mess with that either). “Do it,” she finished.

Dad took a breath in through his nose and stated, “Mira, Tanyn’s PR director, will explain the ins and outs of things before you two officially come out at Aleksei and Laura’s engagement party. However, none of that can happen until you move beyond the compatibility trial. This has been arranged for the weekend after next.”

Even though this was going to require me changing plans, since it was right then Thursday, so I only had just over a week to prepare, I said nothing.

“Tanyn wants to host you on Sigil Isle. In the home where he grew up,” Mom said. “Won’t that be nice?”

I looked to her and replied without inflection, “Lovely.”

She pressed her lips together before she sent a cross look to Dad.

Tanyn finally spoke.

“Does this work with your schedule?”

I turned my expressionless face to his equally expressionless (but still handsome) one.

“Does it matter?” I asked.

“It does to me,” he answered.

I arched a brow. “Indeed?”

It was an excellent question.

As noted, he knew I was with Bash too, when he went into negotiations with my father…

No, when he approached my father to negotiate, then signed the betrothal agreement that would, if we got through the compatibility trial, tie me to him for the rest of my life.