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Since she received no true answer the first time, she presses, “If you’d like to come over, we’d really love to have you.”
“That’s a wonderful offer,” Paimon says, “but I’m not hungry.” He looks at Lauren?iu. “Are you, dear?”
“No. I had a large meal this morning.”
She gives a nod. “I understand. Hopefully, we’ll see you at the church soon. I’m Martha, Martha Graves.”
Paimon retorts, “Bill and John.”
She offers another polite nod. “God bless you both.” Because she’s already turning away, she doesn’t see Paimon wince.
“Bill and John,” Lauren?iu states plainly.
“Yes.”
“Are you Bill or John?”
With a straight face, Paimon asks, “Which name is more daddy?”
Lauren?iu stares.
Sometimes, he doesn’t know what’s wrong with Paimon.
But in truth, of course he does. No matter how many jewels and golden spires he surrounds himself with, he’s fallen. They’re fallen. They’re outcasts, thrown to the wolves and blamed for being scarred. Maybe there are some differences. Lauren?iu had been relatively innocent before he died and spent his purgatory in the hospital. But then again, before “sin” or whatever it was crept into Paradise, maybe Paimon was innocent, too.
He changes the subject.
“They’re going to be watching us. I imagine if we stay around, they will be giving us a visit tonight.”
Breezily, Paimon replies,
“Oh, most certainly. Do you smell what they were cooking?”
“Of course. It’s hard to avoid.”
Paimon shrugs lightly and takes another drag of his cigarette. “If they ever think about making us into burgers, we’ll react accordingly. You know, cannibalism is severely underrated.”
Lauren?iu leans against the brick wall behind him and crosses his arms. “Really? I’ve never really thought about it. Do tell.”
“I did quite a lot during the War in Heaven. I wasn't always so dashing and charming, believe it or not.”
“I would think that you'd be at your most charming in Heaven.”
The demon king presses a hand to his heart. “You wound me.”
“I don’t mean to.”
“Ah.” Paimon dramatically sighs and rests his knuckles on his temple. “Can’t take it back now.” He perks up, while Lauren?iu feels eyes on them. “Oh, by the way.”
“Yes?”
“Would drinking blood be considered cannibalistic?”
“I don’t think so. It’s only when you eat the flesh of one of your own.”
“Don’t you consume even a little skin when you feed?” So casual, after what Lauren?iu did. He likes it. It’s not so much that he feels less like a monster. He’s a monster, but it’s accepted. He’s accepted.
“Sometimes. Not on purpose. I can’t say I like the taste too much. It’s in the way.”
