Shadows (Dark in You 5)

Devon shrugged. “It’ll be lair business of some kind.”

“Well, I know that much,” said Khloë. “But would it kill them to turn the volume up so we can eavesdrop a little?”

“I asked Harper about it,” Raini told them. “She said something big happened that’s related to the children’s home that Knox and the sentinels grew up in.”

“Really?” Khloë might have said more, but then Keenan looked her way. She gave a haughty sniff and then cut her gaze back to Devon and Raini. “Anyway, let’s talk about something interesting.”

“Personally,” began Raini, “I find it interesting that the incubus is now heading your way, frowning at the glass in your hand.”

Moments later, Keenan sidled up to Khloë. “Should you really be having shots?”

The imp lifted a brow. “This pearl of judgementalism is coming from an alcoholic? Really?”

His mouth thinned. “I’m not an alcoholic. And I’m being serious about this. The last time you had shots at a party, you were contemplating the wisdom of positioning a party horn at the tip of your ass hole to see if you had enough, and I quote, ‘fart fire-power’ to make it go off. I managed to talk you down, but it took some serious effort on my part.”

Khloë patted his arm. “I was just fucking with you, Keenan. As if I’d honestly put a party horn in my ass!” She angled her body away from him just enough to subtly look at Devon and mouth, “Did I really talk of doing that?”

Lips twitching, Devon nodded.

“Whoa,” Khloë mouthed.

“Just lay off the shots this one time,” Keenan told her. “In fact, give me the glass. I’ll go get you a soda or something.”

Khloë turned back to him. “I don’t want soda.”

“And I don’t want to have to talk you down from doing dumb shit again.”

“You don’t have to, Keenan. I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a full-grown adult.”

“With the impulse-control of a child.”

“All I’m hearing is blah, blah, blah, it totally sucks to be me, blah.”

Devon went to exchange an eye roll with Raini, but the blonde’s gaze was focused inward in a tell-tale sign that someone was speaking to her telepathically. Devon gently nudged her and asked quietly, “Everything okay?”

Raini blinked, and the cloud left her eyes. “Yep. Fine.”

“Was that Maddox telepathing you again?”

The blonde just shrugged and grabbed a brownie from her paper plate.

“You can’t block him?”

“Nope. Either he’s a guy who can’t be blocked or it’s because he’s my anchor.” Raini bit into her brownie. “I’m okay. It’s just frustrating.”

“Do you talk to him?”

She shook her head hard. “I know better than to respond to him. He’ll get bored soon enough.”

Well that was the hope. “And if he doesn’t?”

Raini’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.”

Hoping to get rid of the lost look on her friend’s face, Devon said, “I will say one thing. He’s hot.”

Raini’s eyes lit with amusement. “Don’t let Tanner hear you talking like that. He’ll growl and snarl and throw you over his shoulder. Which sounds like it could be fun.”

Devon laughed. “Yeah, it kind of does.”

Soon Asher was done opening his gifts and the party games began. Honestly, it was amazing how competitive imp children could be. Jolene had to step in several times to stop the kids arguing and trying to choke one-another. Khloë’s little sister, Heidi, even set a little plastic chair on fire when she lost at musical chairs.

When it came time to light Asher’s candles, they all crowded around him and sang happy birthday. Knox helped him blow them out, and then the kid shoved his hand right into the cake.

Laughing, Devon snapped a photo with her phone as Harper wiped his sticky hand. “You’re a menace,” Devon told him.

He took a blob of frosting from his sleeve and offered it to her. “Kick.”

“He means cake,” said Harper, her mouth quirking.

Devon took the blob from him. “Aw, thanks little man.” And then flames burst to life around her phone, which then disappeared in a blink.

Fire erupted out of Asher’s clean hand. The flames died away, revealing her damn cell. “Ooh, mine.”

Devon twisted her mouth. “Ah, so he was trading the frosting for my phone.”

“No,” sighed Harper. “I think he was just trying to keep you distracted so he could take the cell. Asher,” she drawled in her “you’re in trouble” voice. “Give it back to Auntie Devon.”

He mimicked his mother’s frown. “Mine.”

“No, not yours. You can’t take people’s things.” Harper took the phone from him and handed it back to Devon. “Stuff it in your pocket fast.”

Devon did so, chuckling at Asher’s pout. She scooped him up and balanced him on her hip. “I can make faces too.” She crossed her eyes, sucked in her cheeks, and stuck out her tongue. His pout melted into a smile, and he tried copying her.

“Now wait a minute,” said a voice to her left.