The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1)(92)

“Hell no,” Rohan growled.

I punched Drio. “I’m not whoring out for a demon.”

“You don’t have to fuck him,” he said. “But you’re his type. Be a tease. I don’t care. The more people we have on him, the faster we take him down. Besides, you’re a good Rasha,” he added grudgingly.

Wow.

Still, any plan of Drio’s to send me in and play nice with a demon needed to be examined inside and out for all the possible ways I could end up dead. I started with Baruch, dropping the comment casually in during a training session the next day. “Drio wants me to go to Prague undercover and get close to Samson for proof he’s a demon. What do you think?”

I startled my trainer enough that I managed to land a right hook on his jaw. A first.

“Ben zona,” Baruch swore. “No.”

“It wasn’t a yes or no question, Tree Trunk. I could help.” I raised my fists back up to my face.

“You have no experience.” He corrected my stance.

I laughed. “Getting guys? That’s pretty much the most experience I have.”

“Outing demons. You don’t have to do this.”

Oh, I knew that, but I figured that the Brotherhood would, too. Sure, Ari would be taken care of now but they were still undecided on me. I wanted to change that.

“Scale of one to ten,” I asked later, “with one being me coming out unharmed and ten being my grisly remains found twenty years from now. Where do you put this job?”

“Fifty-seven,” Kane said. We sat on the front porch, Kane keeping me company “for no reason” but really because Ari was coming over.

“You don’t think I could do it?”

“I don’t think I could do it and I’ve pulled straight boys with the best of them.” Kane wagged a finger at me. “King is dangerous. And not in the fun way that makes you do that moaning sound that I find highly irritating to have to hear, child who has not processed that my room is directly over Rohan’s.”

I blushed.

Ari showed up, looking between me still totally embarrassed and Kane, legs splayed in his Adirondack chair. “Do I want to know?” he asked.

“Your sister is being very naughty.”

“That would be a no, then.”

“Also, she has a death wish.” Kane got up. “Talk to her.” He swatted me across the top of the head and went inside.

Ari sat down in the vacated chair and held out a gift bag.

“What’s this?” I pulled out a giant box from the fancy-ass chocolatier I loved but could never really afford.

“Because you believed in me.”

“Aww, Ace.” I kissed his cheek.

He allowed one peck before he swatted me off. “What was Kane babbling about?”

“Prague.” I explained the situation and why I wanted to do it.

“You’re not ready.”

“I’m Rasha.” I lit up my hand. “I am not without resources.” I flexed my fingers. “Ever since I became a hunter, I’ve been focused on doing this job to survive or prove a point that I wasn’t a total fuck up. But I’ve missed having something to be passionate about and being Rasha might be it. You were right. I am happy. At least, I’m starting to be.”

Ari was silent for a while. “Okay.”

“Also, I–wait. Okay?”

He nodded. “You’re right. You’re Rasha. This wouldn’t even be a discussion if you were a guy. And the passion for the gig? I get it.”

“We are going to be the coolest super twins ever.” I broke open the chocolates. While I chose mine by shape most likely to contain nuts, Ari carefully studied the legend. My first choice contained a macadamia so I nailed it. Next I went for a dark chocolate surprise. “So you don’t think the Prague idea is a subtle murder plot by Drio?”

“No. Though once Samson’s dead, you might want to watch your back. Sweet! Hedgehog.”

“Wait!” I tried to grab the chocolate, but Ari stuffed it in his mouth before I could. “No fair. There was only one of those.”

“You snooze, you loose,” he said through a mouthful.

“So much for gratitude.”

He looked at me like I was insane. “It was a hedgehog. You’d push me into traffic for one.” I couldn’t argue with that, though I did make sure and eat his second favorite flavor of Mexican hot chocolate truffle next.

Once I had Ari’s support, blessing, and common sense take on the matter, I gave Drio my assent. He told me that he was waiting for official permission from the Brotherhood, but that he expected the call soon.

I hurried downstairs to Rohan’s room, rapping softly on the door. “Hey, Snowflake.” My plan was to keep things professional. He hadn’t said word one to me about the tap shoes so I was taking that to mean it had simply been a kind gesture from a colleague.

Rohan stepped out from behind his half-open closet door, dressed in tight black jeans and a white T-shirt, his hair spiky and gelled. And, oh my, he was wearing eyeliner.

He grinned his rock fuck grin.

I clutched the doorframe in support as every bone in my legs dissolved into jelly. “I’ve decided to go to Prague.” My voice came out in a squeak.

“I heard.” He advanced on me, pure strut. The light caught the silver of his multiple rings on each hand.