Free The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney Page B

haven’t seen anyone from the Order of the Crow at all. Miranda should be here by now.”
    “Maybe we’re just early.”
    “Yeah,” she said. “Because I was so keen to hang out with a bunch of demons.”
    His lips twitched. “Well, I was keen to hang out with you, Miss Underwood. I waited outside for half an hour.”
    “Xan! It’s freezing.” She shook her head. “Why were you waiting out there?”
    He gave her what he probably thought was a very mysterious look. “Well, I’d better not say. You’d tell me off for destroying my lungs.”
    Donna rolled her eyes but said nothing. She’d already smelled the tobacco on him. It wasn’t her job to tell him what to do, no matter how much she might worry. She wasn’t his mother.
    “I still can’t believe you came all this way … ”
    “Really? I thought you knew how I felt about you.” Xan’s eyes were filled with warmth.
    More people entered the hall, and the noise levels rose. Grand orchestral music filtered through hidden speakers, and a band appeared to be completing their equipment checks up on a huge stage in the center of the room. Donna was sure she’d just seen the Prime Minister of England remove his ivory Punch mask and wipe sweat from his brow. She did a double take, and there was his stylish wife beside him, hidden behind a demonic-looking Judy.
    It was surreal. How had Demian gotten all these humans to come? Was he using his magic to influence them? His natural charisma, the result of Otherworldly pheromones, was powerful enough to turn her to mush each time he even looked at her, so who knew what he could achieve by talking to humans in positions of power in the world? The possibilities were horrifying.
    Perhaps she should start hoping that Demian really was only interested in revenge on the alchemists. Whatever else he might have planned for the world, she couldn’t begin to imagine.
    Xan said something that she didn’t catch. She tucked strands of hair behind her ear and adjusted her mask, leaning toward him, trying to hear over the music. But before he could repeat what he’d said, the crowds parted and a lone figure appeared on the main stage. And “appeared” was the right word. Demian was obviously intent on making a dramatic entrance; he materialized out of the already magic-stained air.
    Donna squeezed her hands into fists, prepared for anything.
    Xan glanced at her, concern creasing his brow. “What’s the matter?”
    “You didn’t see that?”
    He grinned. “Oh, him . Sorry, I was too busy looking over there.”
    She followed the direction of his gaze and shook her head. Three immaculately groomed women had taken to the floor, each wearing a low-cut, backless gown. They looked gorgeous—almost unreal visions of female perfection. Each wore a jeweled bird mask, which made them look predatory and ever-so-slightly scary.
    She elbowed him. “Be serious. We don’t know what De-
mian’s up to.”
    “Seems like the dude’s just having a party, to me.”
    “You don’t believe that for a minute. Stop trying to put me at ease.”
    He shrugged. “It was worth a try. I know how much you’ve been missing Navin. I guess I should try to take on his role for you, right?”
    Donna continued watching Demian through narrowed eyes. “Maybe you should leave the humor to him. And honestly, I’m glad he’s not here. I don’t want Nav anywhere near Demian.”
    Xan squeezed her shoulder gently. “But it’s okay for me to be in the same room as a demon king?”
    “You know what I mean.”
    “If you mean that you think I can handle myself, I’ll take that as a compliment. We all know that Sharma would probably run screaming.”
    Donna glared at him, finally taking her eyes off the stage. “That’s not true! Nav is one of the bravest people I know.”
    “Hey, relax. I’m just messing with you. I know you’ve got a soft spot for him. For some reason … ”
    He was grinning again, so Donna chose to ignore his teasing. When she