Page 59 of Mortis

Unfortunately, I couldn’t exactly fry up a nice plate of human meat in the staff kitchen.

“Nope,” I said. “That’s for dinner.”

His shoulders slumped, and his bottom lip pushed out into a sulk so convincing I had to resist the overwhelming urge to squeeze his cheeks.

Cuteness aggression.

That was another thing I had to deal with now.

“How about the Frappuccino you like from Bump ’n’ Grind?”

His whole face brightened. If he’d been in his true form, I was fairly certain his tail would have been wagging.

Over the past few weeks, I’d slowly introduced him to human food. Mostly snacks from the kitchen cupboards. But he’d also worked his way through most of the menu at the local coffee shop and had even enjoyed a slice of pizza when we’d ordered takeaway over the weekend.

Human food didn’t fill him up completely. He still needed flesh to survive. But it helped him stretch the time between his usual meals. And more importantly, it meant he could eat with us, rather than lingering at the table like an outsider.

Watching him experience ordinary things for the first time had become one of my favourite pastimes. We’d discovered he preferred red meat to chicken or fish, and he loved anything spicy. He also possessed an absolutely ridiculous sweet tooth. While I drank my coffee black enough to strip paint, Kael preferred his loaded with syrup, sugar, and whipped cream.

Barely coffee at all, if you asked me.

“And maybe a ham and cheese panini?” I added.

His eyes sparkled beneath the harsh fluorescent lights. Oddly enough, they suited him. Most people would look dreadful under lights designed to reveal everything. But Kael somehow looked unfairly good.

Arlo had started tying the top section of Kael’s hair into a messy bun before work each morning. A few loose strands had already escaped, framing his face. But with the curtain of hair no longer covering his face, he looked exactly as I’d imagined.

Handsome.

Dangerously so.

Red eyes or maroon. Blunt teeth or sharp fangs. Goatlike legs or human ones. It didn’t matter. Kael was beautiful either way. And I was beginning to notice my heart beat a little faster whenever I looked at him.

“Is that a yes?” I asked, smiling despite myself.

Kael nodded enthusiastically. “May I also have a Twix?”

I laughed, the sound light and . . . happy.

“Yes, you can have a Twix.”

I waved to Emma, the barista, over my shoulder as I stepped out of Bump ’n’ Grind.

A cardboard cup holder carrying both Kael’s drink and mine was in my other hand. A black coffee for me, and a toffee apple Frappuccino with extra syrup and an obscene amount of whipped cream for Kael. Tucked beneath my arm was a paper bag containing two toasted ham and cheese paninis, the warmth from the bread cutting through the autumn chill.

I’d sent the demon to the Tesco Express further down the high street to buy a multipack of Twix bars. He had the exact change, I’d carefully explained what he needed to do, and he’d been to the supermarket with me often enough that I doubted he’d run into any problems.

I just hoped he didn’t eat the entire multipack before he returned.

I was halfway back to Adler & Sons, where we’d agreed to meet, when someone slammed into my shoulder.

The drink carrier flew from my hand and hit the ground, followed, unfortunately, by me.

“Shit.”

Black coffee pooled across the pavement while Kael’s sugary monstrosity exploded into a puddle of melting ice and whipped cream. I’d changed out of my scrubs before we’d gone to get lunch, and now my green Converse and skinny-fit jeans were soaked.

“I’m so very sorry.”