She stepped outside the gates and approached them. “Daisy. Lieutenant. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’m following up on your little excursion this afternoon,” Des said.
She folded her arm over her chest, which only accentuated the floppiness of her sleeves. “Why? I’m not a child.”
“Really? You certainly look like one. What did you do, raid your father’s closet?”
Aurelie blinked, glancing down at herself. “Actually, yes. This was my father’s coat.” Something akin to sorrow passed over her features, only for a moment, and he felt a stab of guilt after remembering she was an orphan. “Not that it’s any of your damn business.”
Guilt officially revoked. “You made it my business when you decided to go consorting with... demon consorters!”
Aurelie scoffed. “Demon consorters? What in the name of Aciano are you talking about?”
A shout rang out in the distance, causing them all to turn their heads. “I’m going to check on things,” Daisy said. “Behave yourself.” She shot Des a warning look, and he sucked a breath in through his teeth. He had to maintain control of himself, even if Aurelie was disproportionately infuriating for someone of her size.
“You have no right to be following me.”
He blinked as if he couldn’t possibly have heard her right. “Noright? I’m a member of the Iron Guard. It’s my sworn duty to protect the citizens of Wisteria from demons.”
“I don’t see any demons,” she said, tapping her foot in annoyance. “Just you.”
He couldn’t help himself. A groan of sheer, unadulterated exasperation slipped out of him.
“Did my uncle put you up to this?”
His eyes bulged in disbelief. “Your—” He shook his head. “Ofcourse not. I followed a demon to the university last Friday night, only to discover it was trailing a man you were...” He waved his hand in the air vaguely. “With.”
Aurelie’s mouth dropped open in outrage. “We weren’t...” She made the same gesture. “He came fordinner. And what do you mean, a demon was trailing him?”
“Don’t tell me I have to explain the termtrailingto you.”
Her nostrils flared. “No, you absolute clod. If there was a demon trailing him, why didn’t youkill it?”
It was bad enough that this irritating gnat of a woman was taking him away from his actual work, but turning this around on him? “You’re unbelievable. Someone died today because of you, and you have the nerve to ask whyI’mnot doing more to stop demons?”
Aurelie blinked and took a step back. “What?”
Much to his relief, Daisy hadn’t returned yet, because she’d no doubt be throttling Des by now. He looked back at Aurelie’s pale face. He’d clearly stunned her with his outburst. He gestured to a nearby bench. “Sit.”
“I beg your pa—”
“Would you please sit?” he ground out.
Aurelie rolled her eyes and sat, her arms still folded over her chest. Her coat gaped open, revealing the lacy collar of what was definitely a nightgown, and his thoughts stuttered to a halt. Clearing his throat, he shifted his gaze to the crown of her head.
“Why did you run today?” he asked.
Aurelie sighed. “Is that what this is about?”
“No. But indulge me anyway.”
She brought her eyes up to his. “I had something personal to attend to. I don’t have to explain what it was. In fact, it’s rather rude to expect me to.”
Personal? Was she visiting the apothecary? Meeting a lover? He could feel the tips of his ears going pink and straightened a little. “In that case, I apologize.”
“There’s no need. Now tell me why you’re so sure this attack—which I’m the first to admit is a tragedy—has anything to do with me.”
“There has been an unusual amount of demonic activity this past week, and geographically, it all leads back to you.”