Once again, I saw surprise flash in his eyes. “Do you know who?”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and guess it was a demon.”
“Lily, this is—”
“She’s staying with me,” I said, my voice flat and firm and designed to brook no argument.
“No. I don’t think—”
“She stays,” I said. “She stays, and I protect her. She was supposed to be sacrificed to demons, Clarence. You think they’re just going to give up on her? She’s in their sights now, and no way am I leaving her unprotected.”
Clarence was shaking his head slowly from side to side. “I can’t agree to that.”
“It’s not your choice,” I said firmly. “I killed the demon priest before he could open the gate, right? I think I’m entitled to a little leeway here. And what I want is to keep an eye on my sister.”
“She has a father. You can’t just pull her away—”
“Joe isn’t going to give a flip,” I said, my heart light in my chest. Because my alcoholic stepfather really wouldn’t care. I’d won. I knew it, and Clarence knew it. All I needed was for him to acknowledge it.
“It’s not a good idea.”
“It’s a great idea,” I countered. The point was non-negotiable.
“I can’t allow it.”
I smiled broadly, pretending I hadn’t heard him. “Then it’s settled. I’ll keep doing your kill-the-demon errands, and you let Rose move in with me.”
“I don’t like it,” he said.
“Get used to it,” I countered.
He stared at me, hard. Then his head tilted slowly to the side. “What else have you been up to?”
I swallowed, hoping my face didn’t show my guilt. “Nothing. What do you mean?”
“You’re thinking one hell of a lot softer these days, Lily,” he said. “What did you do?”
“Oh?” I pretended shock. “No way? You mean you really can’t get into my mind anymore? I don’t have to sing ‘Conjunction Junction’ in my head to keep you out of my thoughts?” From the first second I’d known him, Clarence had had the ability to poke around in my head. An ability I’d thwarted by going out and killing a Secret Keeper demon—a fortuitous kill, as that was how I’d learned about the plan to sacrifice a girl in the pub basement.
I had no intention of telling that to Clarence, however.
“I didn’t do anything.” I shrugged, hoping for casual. “Maybe it’s a little present to me for a job well-done. The Big Boss giving me my privacy.”
His lips thinned, but his expression was thoughtful. Maybe my suggestion wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
“What’s the matter,” I pressed. “Don’t you trust me?”
I waited one beat, then another. Finally, he nodded. “Of course I trust you. I’m just used to hearing all the prattle from your mind buzzing around me. It’s damn quiet in here now.”
I rolled my eyes, my entire body sagging in relief. “And Rose? We’re cool there, right? She stays with me.”
I held my breath, waiting for his response. Finally, he nodded. “But you’re Alice,” he said. “Not Lily. You’re not that girl’s dead sister.”
“Sure thing,” I said. “No problem.”
“Did she see the demons? When you killed them? Did she see them melt away?”
I shook my head. “She’d passed out by then. No worries about explaining demon goo to my little sister.”
“What about explaining who she is to Rachel? Alice’s sister will wonder when you bring a young girl home. And what about taking care of her while you’re at the pub? Finding someone to watch over her while you’re off fighting demons?”
“Well, listen to you,” I said. “You’ve really got the lowdown on child care. But she’s fourteen, not six. And I swear I’ll work it out.” Of course, I was going to have to break the news to Johnson that he would have to fake being fourteen. I stifled a wicked grin. Finally, something I was looking forward to.
“I suggest you put some thought into the care and feeding of your sister. I need you focused, Lily.”
“See, this is what I don’t get,” I protested. “When you first sold me this gig, you told me I was the girl who could prevent the gate from opening. That I’d stop the Apocalypse. You said that was my mission. My purpose.”
“And it was,” Clarence said, his expression slightly concerned, as if he wasn’t sure where I was going with this.
“I did all that,” I said, working to keep the rage and self-loathing out of my voice. Because I didn’t do that, as Clarence damn well knew. “So why aren’t I done? Lily Carlyle,” I said in a newscaster-style voice, “you just saved the world. What are you going to do now?” I peered hard at Clarence. “I should be going to Disney-land, not working harder.”