I was pleasantly buzzed, when I noticed Seth and Sebastian exchanging glances. Suspiciously, I asked, “Can you read minds?”
“Hmm? What?” Sebastian asked.
“Can you read minds?” I repeated, glaring at them. “Have you been reading my mind?!”
“What? No, we can’t read minds!” Sebastian exclaimed.
“Then how did Sera call you, that night we met?” I challenged him.
“That’s different.” Sera replied for him. “We can hear prayers addressed to us and Lucifer. It’s really hard topside, so we can’t like, have a conversation by praying to each other.”
“What are you two doing then?”
Seth smiled lazily. “We’re brothers. We don’t always need to speak to communicate.”
I glared at him and sniffed. Seth grinned. “Do you want to know what we were talking about?”
I tossed my head. The answer was a resounding yes, but I didn’t want him to know that. “Whatever.” My tone was nonchalant. Finally I was getting the hang of chatting with these guys.
Sebastian barked a quick laugh. “Seth here was asking if he should ask you something. I was strongly suggesting he didn’t.”
I raised my eyebrow at Seth. He smirked back at me.
“Well?” I snapped. “What do you want to ask me?”
He straightened, and smiled at me. It was almost predatory. He captured my eyes with his cobalt ones, and I felt my pulse quicken. “Sebastian doesn’t think I should ask.” God, his voice was so sexy. I raised an eyebrow at him. He snorted, looked away from me for a second, then back into my eyes. “Wanna fuck?”
I blinked. “Wanna die?” I snapped back at him.
He smiled widely. “You wouldn’t even know how to kill me, Human.”
I smiled back coldly. “I’m pretty sure those knives that Sera is carrying would do the trick.”
He chuckled, and held his hand out to her. With obvious misgivings, she pulled a knife from behind her back. He took it, and walked over to me, holding it out. “This knife?” He smirked.
I took it from his hand and admired it. It was beautiful. There were two curved blades made from a smoky grey material on either side of a leather bound handle. I balanced it on my finger, watching the way it held steady, right in the centre.
“So, wanna fuck?” Seth asked again.
I got to my feet and grasped the knife, looking him in the eye. “No.” My voice didn’t even shake a little bit.
“Aw, why not? Don’t you think I’m pretty?”
“I guess you’re kinda pretty. For a really old dude.” I conceded.
Sebastian and Sera roared with laughter, and Seth spluttered.
“Katie wins that round!” Sebastian was still laughing. Seth sniffed.
“In demon terms, I’m roughly the age as you.” He pouted.
I smiled and held out my hand. “Friends?”
He regarded it for a moment, then shook it firmly. “Friends.” He agreed, with a grin. His face became serious, and he kept a hold of my hand. “Just so you know, we punish the wicked, not… not good people. I wouldn’t have… you know… hurt you.” He mumbled. I gave his hand a quick squeeze.
“I didn’t think you would.” I reassured him.
“Sure.” He scoffed, taking his hand back. “You thought I was going to eat your soul.”
“Can you do that?!”
He rolled his eyes at me. “No.”
“Oh.” I was disappointed. There were more than a few people that I’d like to see my new friends chow down on. Oh well. I offered Sera her knife back. She shook her head and smiled.
“I have a feeling you might need that. You keep it.” She stood and pulled her top up, revealing rock hard abs. She removed a sheath from around her waist and handed it to me.
“Damn, girl! That isn’t going to fit me! You’re as fit as…” I trailed off, realising I was about to say ‘Hell’ again.
“Don’t be daft.” She sounded uncomfortable. “Of course it will fit.”
I was surprised to find she was right, and I threw my arms around her in delight. “Thank you!” I exclaimed. She patted my back awkwardly, before gently pushing me away.
“That’s ok. No need to, uh, hug about it.” She sounded embarrassed.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I stepped back. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”
Sebastian waltzed over and gave me a quick squeeze. “You didn’t overstep. Sera just isn’t a hugger.” He smiled at me, and she shrugged.
Seth smirked. “I’ll have a hug.” I flipped him the bird without looking at him, and asked if anyone else wanted a drink.
And that was how most of our weekends went over the next couple of months. We fell into an easy routine of chatting and laughing together, down by the river. As the weather warmed, we often swam too. Demons love to swim, apparently. I found myself itching for the weekends, to discuss books with Seth, movies with Sebastian, and life in general.
Three.
I’d had a terrible day. Even though my outlook on life had brightened with friends to share my life with, the girls at my school were epic bitches. The boys, well, if I was lucky they mostly ignored me. Mum was working late that night, so when I got home I retrieved a family sized block of chocolate from the fridge, and headed to my room to nurse my sorrows in peace. I had my head stuck in a book, and didn’t bother to look up as I flung myself onto my bed.
“Ooof.” My bed wasn’t empty. I leapt to my feet with a scream, fumbling for the knife Sera had given me, flinging my book and my chocolate at the creep in my bed. It was Seth. He raised his hands and yelled, “The fuck? Stop throwing shit at me! What are you doing?”
“What the fuck are you doing?! That’s my bed!” I yelled right back.
He sat up and smirked at me. “If I knew it was this easy to get you in bed with me, I would’ve done it ages ago.”
“Tell me, does everyone who finds themselves in bed with you scream and throw shit?” I challenged. He laughed, and patted the spot beside him.
“Seriously, what’s up?”
“What do you mean what’s up? I’m just innocently trying to read my book and some weirdo is waiting for me on my bed!”
He shrugged. “I figured you didn’t want me to appear at the exact moment you prayed, so I came here and waited for you. Don’t worry, your mum didn’t see me.”
“Prayed? What the Hell are you talking about?” I was cranky. He’d interrupted my chocolate.
He looked at me as if I was not too bright. “Earlier today. You prayed for me. Here I am.” He spread his hands.
“I didn’t pray to you!” I was so confused.
He sighed. “You pictured me in your head, and thought, ’I wish he was here.’ Well, here I am.”
I felt the colour drain from my face, and I sat down heavily on the bed beside him. “You