Evelyn ignored his muttering and flopped back on some velvety pillows, sending more rolling to the side, and sighing loudly as she stared up at the curtained ceiling. The exhaustion was getting worse, overriding her fear and anger. “Well, explain to me what exactly made you choose to get a human pet, rather than a dog or cat or snake or I don't know, something—something normal.”

I mean to be fair, a human pet does sound kind of normal for a demon.

“Animals cannot survive Below, but that was not a part of my decision.” Az hesitated a moment. His second sentence sounded like a confession. “I suppose it is because my younger brother has a human of his own. The idea came to me after meeting her.”

What kind of a fucking reason is that?

Evelyn turned her head to give Az a withering stare. “So you're sure a pet is what you really want, and you're not just, I don't know, copying your sibling because of some weird rivalry or inferiority complex?”

Az didn't seem offended by the accusation; again, it was almost as if he didn’t recognize it as one and was treating it as a serious question. He stroked his chin as he continued to think, then shook his head. “No. Of that, at least, I am certain.”

He's really thinking about it now that I told him to instead of snapping back in a huff. That's... weird. He’s remarkably calm, even though he seems confused and even annoyed at times.

Evelyn watched him as he stood there silently, clearly deep in thought. His tail continued to wave slowly back and forth, sometimes deviating with a slight, rippling wave. Her gaze moved up to his face.

I'm honestly finding it really hard to be afraid of him. He’s just so… contemplative, even though he clearly didn’t think any of this through! And he isn't getting angry even though I’m pretty much scolding him for it all.

I’m also getting the feeling he doesn’t even really know what he wants with me. But… the way he’s stood back, and hasn’t raised his voice… I really don’t think he’s going to hurt me.

She covered a yawn. The urge to sleep was getting hard to ignore. “Did your brother also kidnap his pet?”

Az shook his head, still seeming completely unbothered by her sarcastic tone. “No, she summoned him for a contract. I am too high ranked to be summoned easily, and I also do not particularly care for the temperament of most humans that participate in summoning. Therefore, while I was Above, I decided it would be wisest to choose my own human to solicit.”

He paused for a moment before adding, “I do not feel it is due to competition, but I did use my brother’s human as a bit of a template on what to look for.”

Evelyn shot him another withering gaze. It was undermined by another yawn. This one she didn’t cover.

I'm surprised he's being so open about this. He really doesn’t seem to have any shame unless I criticize how he’s gone about it all rather than why. I wonder if his brother's... ‘pet’ has any idea what she's inspired, or if his brother is also this much of a giant weirdo.

“A template? Go on,” Evelyn said dryly as Az seemed to be waiting for her to speak.

I have a feeling I’m about to be really insulted…

Az shifted his weight, stroking his chin again as he thought. “She was ill—a very different kind of illness than yours, and also a female. Her personality is also quite different—much more subdued than yours seems to be—and you are a bit older, I believe, but that is probably not relevant.”

Evelyn made a face. “Relevant? Relevant to what? Are you one of those weirdos who think women wither away at thirty or something?”

“‘Weirdos’?” He raised a brow, but still didn't sound angry, only a touch annoyed. That, mixed with mild confusion, seemed to be his default tone now that they'd conversed a while. “You were withering, but it was not due to aging.”

Ow. Excuse me for having a degenerative disease, jerk!

She rolled her eyes, pretending the comment didn't sting. “Believe it or not, I'm only twenty seven.”

“I am about six years ahead, then.” He didn't seem to have said it for her benefit, but almost as if talking to himself. He seemed to be carefully organizing his thoughts. Evelyn frowned as she peered up at him.

Oh, that’s a lot younger than I thought. I mean, it’s not like he looks old or anything, but I guess I’m used to demons in media portrayed as like, ageless beings. But—

“Clearly, not emotionally ahead,” she said, crossing her arms again and scowling without sitting up or looking at him. “Did you even think about how a human might feel about all this?”

He tilted his head, shaking it. “I do not have emotions, so it is difficult for me to imagine such things.”

Really, like your constant confusion and mild annoyance aren’t obvious!

She rolled her eyes and gave a sharp laugh that once again became a yawn. She rolled to her side, putting her head on a purple velvet cushion, then wrapping her arms around a golden one and resting her chin on it. “I sincerely doubt that.”

Az lifted his head, lowering his hand from his chin. “What do you mean?”

She decided not to point out the displays of emotion he’d already had. She had a feeling he’d simply deny them. “Anything that can think can feel, whether they want to or not.”

I, of all people, would know that…

Az waved his hand dismissively with another head shake. “I suppose I am the first demon you have met, but it will not take long in Below to change your belief.”

“Whatever. But setting that aside… “ She sighed.

I’m too tired to keep dragging this out.

Evelyn sat up from the pillows and turned to him. “It's easy to conclude that you don't even know what you want, but I do. I know exactly what I want and what I was hoping would happen if I were magically healed someday. What I expected and why I accepted when you offered.”

Unexpectedly, he didn’t remind her again that she had been the one to agree without asking for details. Instead, he lowered his hand and looked at her with an expression she felt was as annoyingly calm as she was getting annoyingly heated. “What is that you desire, Eve?”

She exhaled angrily instead of correcting him. A wave of emotion was swelling inside her. “Obviously, I want to enjoy being alive and healthy for the first time. I want to go outside and breathe fresh air and walk on my own legs and touch things with my own hands and actually feel them instead of just pain.”

She blinked tightly to push back the tears. “I want to meet people who won’t look at me as some diseased thing, but another human they can actually bond with. Hell, maybe even make friends, if they can deal with my personality!”

The words were coming out quickly, almost hysterically now. “And I want to be alone. I haven't been alone for... I don't even remember how long it's been. It’s been hospital after hospital and roommate after roommate! I couldn’t even shower or go to the bathroom alone!”

Evelyn slapped her hands on the soft floor, which, again, didn't have quite the effect she was going for. “I want to live as a normal, healthy human being! How can I do that if I'm here? With you?”

She let out a huff of air as she finished speaking. It felt so strange to breathe without a struggle.

Well, that was a bit of an embarrassing outburst…

Az was silent. For a moment, even his tail stopped moving. Evelyn suspected she'd finally hit some nerves calling out his behavior—if so, she guessed it was more because she'd pointed out how ill-planned it was, rather than how morally questionable. She doubted that part bothered him at all.

I guess he is a demon, after all, so morals aren’t really a thing.

“I apologize, Eve, but I cannot provide you with that,” he finally said in a quiet voice. She felt a little surprised, she almost hadn’t expected him to respond.

“Well no shit, you can’t!” She didn’t match his tone. She took a deep breath and glared up at him, her fingers digging into the cushions. “There has to be a way. What do I need to do to get out of this, and to go back ‘Above’ as you call it?”

“To break our contract?” Az stroked his chin in what she was quickly recognizing as a thoughtful expression. He frowned, looking to the side. “There are not many ways that can be accomplished. I suppose you would like to know the easiest one.”

Evelyn nodded, hard. “Of course! The fastest too, please!”

He seemed to think a bit longer before nodding.

“I suppose, after all, that is simple.” Az looked down at her, and somehow, his expression had become even more inscrutable, although she thought he might have been giving a small, bitter smile. “You merely have to kill me.”