Page 88 of Demon Demands

“Your chosen legion…” Franklin chimed in, smiling at me.

I took one look at him, knowing I rarely saw him smile, and sunk as low in my chair as I could get.

“Oh, gods. You heard that, didn’t you? I am so sorry, and so is this asshole.” I pointed my thumb at Novak, daring to peek at him from the corner of my eye.

“No, no.” Franklin patted at the air with his right hand. “I didn’t hear anything. He cut me off the moment that your thoughts went wayward. I’m actually impressed to see that kind of power in a vampire so young. It’s not an easy feat to keep someone as old as me out of his mind, much less another’s.”

I let my forehead hit the edge of the tabletop as I breathed a sigh of relief. “The legion,” I reminded myself. “They’re waiting for us.”

Lucy stood from the table, Lil and my parents following him.

“I’ll send them in, Monster.” He sighed, a small grin tugging at his lips. “Just try to control yourself, for the rest of us at least. We still have more to talk about when you’re done.”

I huffed at him.

“We’ll be in the kitchen, pretty lady. Just holler when you get finished with your official Devil Spawn business.” Dad pulled his lips down in a sarcastic frown, wiggling his shoulder at me. I wasn’t even sure what to call that combination. Was he... making fun of me?

Of course he was.

“She’s the Devil now, Charlie.” Papi rolled his demonic eyes at Dad as he slung his arm around the alpha’s shoulders. “I’ve been the Devil for six hundred years. It feels gut-wrenching to have my own daughter demote me. Just wait until she kicks you to the curb too.”

I waved my hand in the direction of my retreating parents. “If anyone was wondering where Jack’s dramatics came from, I give you examples A and B.”

Dolyn chuckled before growing serious. “We need to switch up the seating arrangements before the new First Legion comes in.”

“Mmm, yep,” Jack agreed as Grim got up. “Musical chairs?”

“York? Vaughn?” I made eye contact with both of them, hating that they were all going to be in the room. I wasn’t positive that the new demons coming in wouldn’t try something stupid. But I knew all my guys would protest if I asked them to leave. “I need the two of you to stand behind me.”

“Okay, Sweetheart,” York replied, furrowing his brows as he did what I asked. “Why?”

Picking at some grapes on Stone’s plate, I shrugged. “Because you’re both princes of your respective realms, and that makes you a bigger target, if it’s known.”

Vaughn shook his head, not understanding how hellish politics in the demonic realm worked. “I thought you trusted the demons you guys chose?”

I laughed humorlessly. “No. They’re loyal, and they’re killers who aren’t scared of anything. Trust has nothing to do with it.”

“Who’d you choose?” Jack inquired, and I felt him probing inside my mind as he tried to find the answers himself. “You still haven’t told me.”

And I wasn’t going to. I slammed the connection between us closed, causing my best friend to glare at me.

“You’ll see…” Dolyn grumbled, standing awkwardly as he waited for his assigned seat. I wanted to snort, but instead I waved Hyde on, wordlessly asking her to take over. She needed the practice.

“Jack, you need to sit beside me, then Grim on your left and Dolyn on the end.” Hyde nodded her head as she looked at my mates. “Stone stays at Sloane’s right, then Novak, Palmer, and Briggs.”

Novak huffed at her as he pulled his chair out. “I feel like this arrangement makes so much sense to you, but none to me.”

“It’s a power thing,” Stone explained poorly.

Hyde grinned as she surveyed the positions she’d put everyone in, then sighed. “Briggs and Dolyn are the largest, they need to go on the ends. Grim and Palmer both throw some sort of quick magic, so they go next. Jack and Novak are the fastest to jump into motion should a threat arise. Stone and I have important titles. Vaughn and York need to be out of the fray. Franklin stays between Lo and I for protection, because other than the Devil herself, he’s the deadliest person in the room. And nothing is scarier than a vampire who’s as old as he is.

“This is the way formal meetings will go here. You have to know your allies’ strengths and weaknesses, and be ready to use them to your advantage,” she finished.

“I’m so fucking proud of you.” I pretended to wipe tears off my cheeks, and Hyde rolled her honey eyes at me.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Briggs muttered, snapping his head toward the door. “They’re here.”

I glanced at Jack. “Please, don’t be a dick.”