Up in Smoke - Katie MacAlister [83]
“Sweet May, it wounds me near unto death that you would deny the fact that you are my consort,” he said, still making eyes at the policewoman, who was starting to look doubtful.
“That’s true, you are, and in”—Sally’s voice dropped to a whisper—“in this world, the equivalent would be a spouse.”
“I don’t care. I won’t have you slighting Gabriel in order to pump up your own ego,” I said, taking Gabriel’s hand again.
The policewoman watched with growing suspicion. “You are monsieur’s legal representative?” she asked Gabriel.
Gabriel smiled his usual charming smile. “That’s right. And if you do not mind, madame and I would like to talk to my client. Privately.”
She left us alone with Magoth, but only after insisting the others remain outside. Sally raised a bit of a fuss over being excluded.
“It’s not like I don’t have a right to be here,” she told the policewoman. “I’m his apprentice! Well, at least I was until he sent me to May, but even if you consider that binding—and I don’t, not at all, because I didn’t sign on to learn how to be a consort!—even if you consider that binding, then I should still get to stay because she does, and I’m her apprentice.”
“Only family and legal representatives may remain with the prisoners,” the policewoman said, politely but firmly herding Sally out the door.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me!” the latter called as the door was closed.
The second it was closed, Magoth was on his feet, storming around the room waving his hands in the dramatic fashion he favored when irritated.
“Get me out of this . . . this . . . hellhole of mortal sensibilities!” he demanded, stomping to the door and back in a fairly good imitation of a caged beast.
I leaned my hip against the small wooden table in the center of the room. “And what, exactly, do you expect me to do? You’re the one who had a hard-on of such extent it required a stone statue to relieve.”
“Don’t be idiotic,” he snarled, pacing between the door and the far wall. “I wasn’t screwing the statue—it was a matter of a simple incantation. I was trying to bring forth a Sybarite, if you must know, not that it’s any of your business.”
“You’re kidding,” I said, surprised. “A lust demon? What on earth did you want a lust demon for?”
Gabriel touched my arm and nodded toward the corner. A video camera was perched jauntily on the wall, its red light blinking as it obviously filmed us.
“Er . . . that is . . . never mind.” I said, mindful of that fact. “I take it you weren’t successful?”
“Do you see a small being with giant genitalia humping your leg?” he asked with an exaggerated arm movement.
“No, but it concerns me that you were even trying.” I mulled over the idea of Magoth with a being wholly devoted to pleasures of the carnal sort.
“Does it really matter what his reasons were for being arrested?” Gabriel asked, glancing at his watch. “We have things to do, little bird. I believe it would be best if we were to provide bail for Magoth and conduct our discussion in a more appropriate location.”
Magoth pounced on one of Gabriel’s words. “Discussion? What discussion do you wish to have with me? I sincerely hope it is not that you regret spurning me for Manimal here, because much as I would like to see you grovel before me, I do not have time for the proper training that would be required to turn you into a suitable slave.”
“Yes, I believe it is important,” I said, answering Gabriel’s question while ignoring Magoth’s comment. I glanced toward the camera, picking my words carefully. “He shouldn’t have access to the sort of . . . abilities . . . that would allow him to call a Sybarite.”
Magoth’s eyelids dropped until he was gazing at me through half-closed lids, a smug little smile playing with his lips.
“He knows that very well, so for him to even try . . . well, it says something isn’t quite as we expected it to be.”
Gabriel and I both considered Magoth, who had suddenly stopped pacing and had adopted an expression of almost angelic innocence.
“He certainly looks guilty,” Gabriel observed.
“He does, which is why I still think