looked at Sam. “You would have tried to kill us?” he asked.
“Of course not; it’s against the law,” said Sam evenly, and it didn’t take a mind reader to sense the murderous intent in his eyes. Cassie stared; she had thought his resigned look had meant he’d given up on her. Now, it seemed like he’d been planning something else entirely.
The lead demon cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter; we’ll see you all in court in two weeks. Sammael, if you want to keep your servant, be sure to show up this time.”
“Will do,” said Sam icily.
“Good day, gentleman,” said Serenus cheerfully, like they’d all just met for a spot of tea. The two demons shot him more glares for good measure as they exited the room.
As soon as they were gone, Sam jumped up from his seat. “I was handling it,” he said to Serenus.
“Yes, but your method of handling it wou ld have led to more dead bodies. I thought it was prudent to try a different approach.”
“They would have deserved it,” Sam said, glaring at Serenus. Cassie realized, for the first time, how angry he was; she’d been too caught up in her own situation to realize it, but he really had wanted to kill them.
Serenus fixed Sam with a withering look, like he was a spoiled child who needed reprimanding. “And what, pray tell, would you have done next time when they sent not two, but 20? You start killing your own kind, they’ll send a squad to put you down like a rabid dog, Sam!”
Cassie was surprised at the barely contained fury present in the older man’s voice; apparently, he was seriously concerned that Sam was going to get himself killed. She swallowed; if Serenus hadn’t shown up, Sam could have gotten rid of the demons, just like he’d gotten rid of the poor souls who’d tried to kidnap her over the weekend-- and that would have been the end for both of them.
Sam grimaced, like he knew what Serenus said was true and couldn’t stand it. “Maybe they would be doing me a favor,” he murmured.
Cassie stared; Sam wasn’t normally “the happiest camper in the lake” by any stretch of the imagination, but this was a new side of him. She got to her feet gingerly, hoping she wouldn’t agitate him further.
“Sam, it’s over, okay?” she said, everyone turning to look at her as she spoke for the first time in a while. “No one needs to die.”
“And what do you know!” he said, turning to tower over her with a suddenness that made her gasp. “If you’d just listened to me and let me handle it- - if you could somehow have avoided hitting me for another five minutes-- they might not have realized what you were and none of this would have happened! Now we all have to go to court because of you!”
Cassie drew back, shaking. She was confused; she didn’t know how to defend herself, because she didn’t really know what she’d done. He was that upset that she’d slapped him? She’d thought he’d be pissed that she had embarrassed him in front of his peers, but it sounded like there was more to it than that.
“It’s not her fault, Sam,” said Serenus. “This is all on your head.”
Sam turned his rage on Serenus. “They were trying to take her illegally! How is that my fault?”
“Because it’s your r esponsibility to know our law, and just like human law, possession is nine-tenths of it. They called you on your ignorance, and, if not for me, by the time you figured out you had the right to file a complaint, Cassie would be a thousand miles away.”
At that moment, the door opened and Khalil popped his head in. “Look, I hate to interrupt demon business with silly nonsense like our jobs,” he said, shooting Sam a dark look, “but I see those suits are gone now. Can I get a little help out here? The natives are getting restless.”
Sam exhaled, as though letting all the tension of the last few minutes out of his body. “I’ll go,” he said, turning away from her. Dwight stepped forward and put a tentative hand on
“Of course not; it’s against the law,” said Sam evenly, and it didn’t take a mind reader to sense the murderous intent in his eyes. Cassie stared; she had thought his resigned look had meant he’d given up on her. Now, it seemed like he’d been planning something else entirely.
The lead demon cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter; we’ll see you all in court in two weeks. Sammael, if you want to keep your servant, be sure to show up this time.”
“Will do,” said Sam icily.
“Good day, gentleman,” said Serenus cheerfully, like they’d all just met for a spot of tea. The two demons shot him more glares for good measure as they exited the room.
As soon as they were gone, Sam jumped up from his seat. “I was handling it,” he said to Serenus.
“Yes, but your method of handling it wou ld have led to more dead bodies. I thought it was prudent to try a different approach.”
“They would have deserved it,” Sam said, glaring at Serenus. Cassie realized, for the first time, how angry he was; she’d been too caught up in her own situation to realize it, but he really had wanted to kill them.
Serenus fixed Sam with a withering look, like he was a spoiled child who needed reprimanding. “And what, pray tell, would you have done next time when they sent not two, but 20? You start killing your own kind, they’ll send a squad to put you down like a rabid dog, Sam!”
Cassie was surprised at the barely contained fury present in the older man’s voice; apparently, he was seriously concerned that Sam was going to get himself killed. She swallowed; if Serenus hadn’t shown up, Sam could have gotten rid of the demons, just like he’d gotten rid of the poor souls who’d tried to kidnap her over the weekend-- and that would have been the end for both of them.
Sam grimaced, like he knew what Serenus said was true and couldn’t stand it. “Maybe they would be doing me a favor,” he murmured.
Cassie stared; Sam wasn’t normally “the happiest camper in the lake” by any stretch of the imagination, but this was a new side of him. She got to her feet gingerly, hoping she wouldn’t agitate him further.
“Sam, it’s over, okay?” she said, everyone turning to look at her as she spoke for the first time in a while. “No one needs to die.”
“And what do you know!” he said, turning to tower over her with a suddenness that made her gasp. “If you’d just listened to me and let me handle it- - if you could somehow have avoided hitting me for another five minutes-- they might not have realized what you were and none of this would have happened! Now we all have to go to court because of you!”
Cassie drew back, shaking. She was confused; she didn’t know how to defend herself, because she didn’t really know what she’d done. He was that upset that she’d slapped him? She’d thought he’d be pissed that she had embarrassed him in front of his peers, but it sounded like there was more to it than that.
“It’s not her fault, Sam,” said Serenus. “This is all on your head.”
Sam turned his rage on Serenus. “They were trying to take her illegally! How is that my fault?”
“Because it’s your r esponsibility to know our law, and just like human law, possession is nine-tenths of it. They called you on your ignorance, and, if not for me, by the time you figured out you had the right to file a complaint, Cassie would be a thousand miles away.”
At that moment, the door opened and Khalil popped his head in. “Look, I hate to interrupt demon business with silly nonsense like our jobs,” he said, shooting Sam a dark look, “but I see those suits are gone now. Can I get a little help out here? The natives are getting restless.”
Sam exhaled, as though letting all the tension of the last few minutes out of his body. “I’ll go,” he said, turning away from her. Dwight stepped forward and put a tentative hand on
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