11. Lucien
LUCIEN
The glare Sparkle gives me is almost comical, if not for the fact that he pushes someone younger behind him. It almost hurts. I cut off the chuckle because those beautiful green eyes dig into my soul.
“What are you doing here?” Sparkle asks just as Beau comes out from Renaud’s.
“I invited him,” Beau says. “Well, I emailed him because I don’t have his number.”
“Why?” Sparkle keeps the young person behind him as he now directs that pretty glare on his best friend.
“Um, you needed help?”
“I asked for friend help. I don't need some pompous—”
I hold up my hands. “I will take the compliment, but I can help. I should have offered my help earlier at the grocery, but you rejected me, and I wanted to follow your wishes. But then I get the call from Beau that you need help, and I'm here. What can I help with?”
“Nothing,” Sparkle says, as he crosses his arms.
“Who is this?” the boy asks as he tries to peek around Sparkle's hip.
Sparkle grumbles. “His name is Lucien. He's a demon.”
“I like demons,” says the child.
If not for Sparkle's ears and tail, they would definitely be an identical match. The child has the same white blond hair and dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks. I have to wonder if that's what Sparkle looked like as a child.
Sparkle rolls his eyes and presses his hands to the child’s shoulders. “This is Ferris. My brother.”
“Only brother,” Ferris says and puffs out his chest. “We have five sisters. Two of them are twins.”
“He doesn’t need to know all the details of our family.”
Beau bounces on his toes. “And everyone is always so nice. I used to live in their basement.”
“Interesting,” I mumble and turn back to Sparkle. “I'm not here to go against your wishes. But Beau asked for me and I came running.”
Beau walks up to Sparkle. “I’m sorry, I don't have a lot of time today. I told my grandparents I'd be there for dinner, and Poe is working on a project.”
Sparkle's shoulders drop. “It's okay.”
Beau looks up at him. “I don't want you to think you're not important because you are.
You're my best friend. I've had tonight scheduled with my grandparents for weeks, but I wanted you to know that you're loved, and that's why I called the demon. But I also told everybody else that I had it handled because—”
“You wanted to play matchmaker,” Sparkle says.
Beau drops his head and nods. “You deserve to be happy.
I want you to be happy. You're the bestest person in Hex.
You're always helping people, and you hardly ever ask for help. You hardly ever need it. You just trudge on. Then your sparkle kind of dulls.” Beau doesn't look at Sparkle.
“Plus, Lucien seems really nice. He sang you a whole song.
He wrote you a whole song. That's part of your guide.”
Sparkle chuckles, and he loosens his grip on his little brother. The child takes a few steps away from Sparkle.
There’s a beat of silence and Ferris speaks up again. “I'm in sixth grade, and I like being a cat.”
I chuckle and hold out my hand. “I’m a demon from the second ring of the demon realm. And I like being a demon.”
“I like you,” Ferris says right before he walks back to his brother and hides behind him again.
Sparkle pats his brother on the head. “He really is a nice demon. He just frustrates me.” Sparkle's tail sways and the fluffy hairs dance in the breeze.
“I'd like to help if I can,” I say. “Even if it’s just teleporting you home and leaving. I can do that.” I cross a finger over my heart. “But first, I'd like to give you my phone number.” I hold out my hand, waiting for Sparkle to give me his phone.
He just stares at my hand.
Beau laughs. “If you don't get his phone number, I will, and then I'll give him your phone number.”
Sparkle snorts. Obviously it's out of fondness for the bat shifter.
Cause even in this tiny amount of time of knowing Beau, I think he's a good guy.
I think all of Sparkle's people are good, and I know Sparkle knows that.
But he doesn't allow himself to lean on them.
It's okay because I can be his person. I can be his go-to.
Ferris tugs on Sparkle's hand. “Give him your phone.”
Sparkle chuckles and finally hands me his phone. I add my phone number and text myself so that I have his.
“Painless as possible,” I say as I pass it back.
Ferris bounces on his toes. “Can I have your number?”
Sparkle shakes his head. “I don't think that's necessary.” He looks to me. “There's no need for you to infiltrate my family.”
Beau gives me a look, then to Sparkle. “But it's part of your list.”
Sparkle sighs and just scrapes a hand down his face. “I was sixteen when I wrote the list, and I haven't updated it in a decade.”
“Well, do you want to update it?” Beau asks.
“Perhaps one day.” Sparkle gives me a look. “But I don't know that it's anytime. I have too much going on. And right now, I need to get back home.”
Beau hands Sparkle, the bag from Renaud’s.
“I don't have fleas,” Ferris says. “Mama said I had fleas, but I don't have fleas.” He scratches his head. Beau and I both take a step back.
“He doesn't have fleas, I checked,” Sparkle says and scratches his own arm. “But I'll take the flea powder anyways. I don't know why Mama said she got a call from school about Ferris having fleas.”
“I'm insulted,” Ferris says. “I've never had fleas. Why would I have fleas?”
Sparkle's face turns pink, and he scratches at his elbow.
“I'm guessing you had fleas?” I can’t help the question.
“Shut up,” Sparkle mumbles. “I was like ten, and I was a cat for like three hours in the sunlight with another cat, and it gave me fleas. Yes. I'm not a fan. So it's probably a good thing that we keep the flea powder.”
“Mama's gonna be mad if we’re late,” Ferris says.
“No, she won't be,” Sparkle says. “She's never mad about anything.” He gives me a sheepish look. “I would appreciate transport home, if you don't mind. That way, we don't have to walk so much.”
“And he ran,” Ferris says. “All the way to my school. That was a long run from the Hawthorn Coven House.”
Sparkle goes pink again. “It was nothing.”
I clap my hands. “Well, how about we get this show on the road? Do you need a ride, Beau?”
“No, Poe is gonna meet me here. Then we’re gonna get all dolled up before meeting my grandparents.”
“Enjoy your time with your grandparents.” I turn to Sparkle. “I just need to know the location of where I'm going.”
Sparkle gives me the address, and I wink at Ferris. This is going to blow his mind. In a blink we’re right on the Boots’s porch. Ferris and Sparkle sway.
“That was awesome,” Ferris says. “I didn’t know demons can teleport without touching.”
“Some of us can.”
Ferris bounces on his toes and spins around. “That was so cool. And—”
“Frederick.”
The name makes Sparkle go pale, and he pushes me from the porch.
“Get out of here,” he hisses.
“Who is that?”
“Papa!” Ferris says, answering the question.
“Go!” Sparkle says. And I do, because the anger in his eyes tells me he’s serious.