Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter 1)

"Robert, I didn't know you were so in love with Stan Lee. When's the wedding?" I mocked, climbing out of the backseat. Emrys chuckled behind me.

"December. I don't want to be sweating during the ceremony," Robert deadpanned.

"Truth. Lace and sweat don't mix," I added, walking through the door to Mags's Chowder House.

The dining room of the small beachside seafood restaurant was relatively empty when we entered, laughing. Several sets of eyes swung around in our direction, eyeing us critically.

"Why'd you pick this place?" I asked, taking in the older-than-sixty crowd that made up the majority of the diners.

"They have a wicked clam chowder that will make you weep," Robert answered, heading toward the rear of the dining room without waiting for the hostess to seat us. "Hey, Mags," he added to a blue-haired stout woman who had just exited from the swinging doors at the back of the restaurant. She had startling blue eyes that almost matched her hair.

"Don't 'hi' me young man. You leave me for months on end, and then stroll in all willy-nilly like nothing," she chastised, taking a swipe at him with the dish towel she held in her hand.

"It's not my fault," he defended himself, cutting his eyes at Lynn in an obvious attempt to blame her for his poor attendance.

"Oh come on, like it could ever be my sweet innocent girl's fault," Mags said, surprising me by enveloping Lynn in a big hug. I didn't know what floored me more, having Lynn called sweet and innocent, or her participating in the over-exuberant hug. I finally decided on the hug since it was acceptable to think that Lynn had hoodwinked the woman into thinking she was sweet, the hug was a different story. Lynn had admitted to me not long ago that hugging Robert came naturally, but with everyone else, her natural reflex was to stiffen up. Watching her not only accept the hug, but also embrace it, made wonder exactly who this woman was.

"Sorry, Mags. We were away on a business trip for a couple weeks, and then had to babysit some brat when we got home," Robert clarified, winking at me.

I countered his ribbing by kicking him under the table when I slid into the booth across from him. "Oops, I'm sorry, was that your leg?" I asked unsympathetically as he grimaced.

"Hmmph," was Mags's only response before she finally cracked a smile. "What can I get you to drink?" she asked, not bothering with a notepad.

"Coke," I piped in.

"Same," Lynn and Robert answered at the same time.

"Nothing for me," Emrys answered.

Mags looked at him shrewdly before turning back to my friends. "I've missed you two. Next time leave those demons to someone else," she stated before sauntering back to the kitchen.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded. It was a law that we couldn't speak about our involvement with the supernatural world with outsiders.

"Take a chill pill, Jordyn, she was obviously talking about whoever we were babysitting," Lynn reassured me.

"Oh, duh, I'm such a diphead."

"You just have Daemons on the brain twenty-four-seven," Lynn teased.

"Truth," I admitted as Mags returned with our drink order.

"What can I get you kids to eat?" she asked, placing the filled cups on the table.

"Um," I answered, picking up the menu for the first time.

"We'll take three bowls of clam chowder and a basket of your cheesy bread," Robert answered, plucking the menu out of my hands.

"Got it," Mags said, placing the stack of menus under her arm before heading back through the swinging doors.

"Hey, what if I didn't want chowder?" I gripped.

"We'd have to make you walk home if you ordered something other than the chowder."

"That's not much of a punishment for her anymore," Emrys answered for me.

"Ha-ha-ha, truth. I'd totally beat you guys home," I chortled.

"Gee, just what we needed. You with yet another gift," Robert said dryly.