“A coincidence,” Aurelie said with a dismissive wave of her hand, though he thought he saw her shift uncomfortably.
“Multiple demons have appeared within feet of you in one week. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence.”
She rose then, as if that would somehow put them on equal footing. Even if she stood on the bench, she’d still be shorter than him. “What do you thinkcoincidencemeans, exactly?”
“Excuse me?”
“A coincidence is a remarkable concurrence without causal link. The very fact that it’s unlikely, even unbelievable, is what makes it a coincidence.” She started to pace up and down the sidewalk, her chin in her fist. “If it was hunting me, then why did it kill someone else?” she continued. “You assume that because I lostyouin a crowd, I was also capable of losing a demon, which is a lot of credit to give a person you didn’t think could walk home from a café alone.”
“I—”
“Besides, even if I’m somehow inadvertently attracting unusualdemonic activity, which is a very bigifby the way, it in no way makes me accountable for that man’s death. I can’t control what demons do. You of all people should know that.”
Aurelie was so focused on her ranting, her eyes trained on her pacing feet, that she failed to notice she was headed straight for Des. As much as he would have liked to watch her run headlong into his iron-studded breastplate, he put his hand out.
A moment later, Aurelie’s forehead butted up against his palm. She blinked and jumped back, blushing profusely. “Do you mind?”
Des snorted and stepped aside. “Begging your pardon,my lady.”
“My—what? What exactly was that supposed to be?” she asked, flapping her hand at his attempt at a bow.
He hooded his gaze, refusing to let her get the better of him. “I assume that’s how you like to be treated by men.”
“You have no idea what I like, least of all in men.” Their eyes met, hers blazing in challenge. He couldn’t have said what his conveyed, because his thoughts were jumbled at the sight of Aurelie, fists on her hips, the implication of her words hanging between them.
Why was he letting this slip of a girl rattle him? He’d stared downveritawith nothing more than an iron switchblade in his fist. He’d killed twonatiain one night. He’d put up with Daisy foryears. And yet five minutes with this creature, and all his composure and reason fell to pieces.
He leaned in close, his voice lowered to a rasp, his finger thrust in her face like she was a child in need of scolding. “I know you’re a consorter. I’ve known it since the first night I laid eyes on you. That demon was a thrall, wasn’t it? That’s why you had to ditch me. So you could send the demon to do your dirty work for you, while youflit around like a pixie, all wide-eyed and innocent, and—and leave the rest of us to clean up your mess!”
“Des!”
They both turned to see Daisy stomping toward them, and Des realized he hadn’t been quiet at all. He’d been shouting at full volume. Daisy reached up to punch Des in the arm, thought better of it, and slapped his cheek instead. It was about as punishing as a smack from a wet towelette.
She tutted in disgust and turned away from him toward Aurelie. “Are you all right?”
Instead of answering her, Aurelie rounded back to Des. “Howdareyou?” she snarled. “I’ve done nothing to you since the day you met me, and you’ve turned your bizarre hunch into this... this... obsession!”
Des was caught between astonishment and indignation. “I amnotobsessed with—”
“I’m not finished! Why can’t you just admit that someone got hurt and you didn’t stop it? That you’re being crushed by your own guilt. That it’s easier for you to take it out on a woman than to accept the truth!”
From the corner of his eye, Des saw Daisy dig her hands into her hair and turn away, but his blood was pumping so loudly in his head he couldn’t hear what she was muttering under her breath. Aurelie had no idea how many lives he’d saved, how many children he’d kept from being orphaned. She didn’t know that every time he failed a mission, he punished himself for days with grueling workouts on little sleep and less food. She could never understand what it was like to devote his life to a cause that didn’t allow for a single misstep, where every day was life or death.
He’d never allow a subordinate to speak to him this way if they were back at the Iron Fortress.
But they weren’t at the fort, and she wasn’t a guard, and she wasn’t worth his wasted breath.
Des’s gaze shuttered, and whatever Aurelie saw on his face, she must have realized she’d touched a nerve, because she closed her mouth and stepped back.
“You really don’t need to worry about me,” she said softly, deflating. “I promise I won’t go out alone this weekend. I’ll be back at the university, safe and sound.”
His eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his sides. He stepped closer, Daisy momentarily forgotten, his entire world tunneled to Aurelie’s pale face, her wide eyes and flushed cheeks, and that vicious, beautiful mouth. “I’m notworriedabout you. I’mwarningyou. My job is to eliminate threats in this city. And as far as I’m concerned, that includes frivolous, self-absorbed, dangerously irresponsible menaces like you.”
Almost as soon as the words were out, a part of him wanted to take them back, because he knew she was right. He was taking out his own guilt on her. He was the one who was supposed to be watching Aurelie. And he was the one who had failed to save that man. But a strong leader didn’t back down; hedoubleddown. And so he closed his lips and said nothing.
Tears welled in Aurelie’s eyes, sending a stab of regret straight to his chest. Wrapping her coat tighter around herself, she murmured goodnight to Daisy and turned on her heel, Des’s gaze boring into the space between her shoulder blades until she was finally, blessedly, out of sight.
Chapter 14