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When I hear a blast of flames my head pops up from the charts I’ve been mindlessly staring at to see Bax appear in his office in a gush of fire.
His gaze locks with mine immediately and I have to force down the lump in my throat.
Right. I need to fix this so I can move on. Avoiding what happened between us solves nothing. We must acknowledge it and find a way to work together despite our differences.
On stiff legs, I approach Bax’s office, ignoring the other demons whose heads pop up immediately, almost as if they can sense the tension between their boss and me. A soft knock on the mahogany and I hear his booming voice ordering me inside.
“Enter.”
The door opens on its own to reveal Bax sitting in his chair. The heaviness of his gaze is almost too much to face. That guarded look in his eyes mirrors my own apprehension.
“We should talk,” I begin gently, stepping inside to allow the door to close and give us a bit of privacy, as I’m sure the entire office is listening. “Clear the air, reset our working relationship. What happened was…”
“A mistake.” Bax is expressionless. “It cannot happen again.”
I swallow my hurt. “You’re right. It was inappropriate.”
The silence that follows is deafening. When it’s clear there’s not more to say, I give Bax a curt nod and slip back outside, allowing the door to close softly behind me. There’s the sound of a blast of flames, and I know he’s gone again.
I’d thought perhaps we’d turned a corner in our working relationship. But now it feels like we’re right back where we started—walled off and at odds. Only now, my heartstrings are tangled up in it too.
I distract myself sorting files, one eye perpetually trained on Bax’s office, waiting for him to reappear. But when he does, his gaze slides right past me as if I’m invisible. My shoulders slump.
Enough moping, Elara. I came here with a purpose greater than myself. If Bax prefers to ignore what transpired and revert to our previous animosity, so be it.
I will continue pressing forward with the overhaul. My sister needs me, and too many lost souls depend on me succeeding for any personal turmoil to stand in my way. Bax’s cooperation would have been ideal, but I don’t need it to fix what’s broken here.
With renewed determination, I gather my proposals and march toward Bax’s office. His door is ajar; perhaps he’ll actually speak with me this time. I push it open, ready to be civil, but firm regarding—
The room is empty. My steps falter. Bax’s unique scent of brimstone and spice still hangs in the air, his ornate pen atop scattered papers. He can’t have gone far.
I sink into the chair opposite his imposing desk to wait, heart pounding at being in his private workspace. But as the minutes tick by, he does not return.
With a sigh, I begin to rise. Yet, my gaze snags on one document tucked under a massive tome. Elaborate calligraphy spells out my full name. Why has he been looking into my background?
Curiosity wars with caution. After an internal debate, I tug the folder free and open it. Inside lies a formal petition…for my transfer out of the department. No, out of the actual Underworld. Effective immediately.
The parchment crumples in my shaking hands. He’s firing me? Without any explanation? Just because of what happened in the library?
Footsteps sound outside. I lurch up, but it’s too late. Bax stands in the doorway, inscrutable eyes taking in the scene. He knows I’ve seen the petition.
Straightening slowly, I drop the offensive page on his desk. We stare at one another for a suspended moment. Then I lift my chin, ignoring the ache in my chest.
“Request denied,” I state crisply, brushing past him. If he wishes to be rid of me, he’ll need to try a lot harder than avoiding the issue. I’ll be damned if I make it easy for him.
Because I have no intention of leaving this job unfinished.
Storming out of his office and plopping my butt in my chair, I glare at the work set out before me, not seeing even one bit of the information written on the many pages of files scattered across my desk. All I can see is Bax’s annoyingly handsome face in my head. I can almost feel his gaze on me through the still-open door, but I refuse to turn and look.
“Uh, mortal Elara…”
“What?!” I snap, turning my attention to the demon that approached my desk. Asmodeus quails a little and I immediately regret it. He’s one of the nicest demons working in this department. Always ready to help me with my many requests.
“A phone call,” he says. “From Aboveworld. Would you like to take it at your desk,” his gaze slides to Bax who is still visible through his open door, “or—”
Releasing a heavy breath, I nod and take the phone from his outstretched claw. A knowing look at Bax’s door and he sighs before disappearing shortly after.
“Hello? Elara Hunt speaking.”
