Kathy Love - Demon Cant Help It

Although Jo had to admit there had been an almost desperate quality to Maksim's touch, which seemed weird to say, because Jo couldn't exactly pinpoint what had made it seem that way. But that was the only way she could think to describe Maksim's behavior.

She did feel calmer today. And today was her last day of mandatory relaxation. Tomorrow she could go back to work—just for the morning. It was Saturday, but she was going to go in and get caught up on e-mails and other odds and ends, so she'd be ready for a normal Monday.

She was looking forward to the work, even though the rest had done her some good. Clearly it had not cured of her of her visions, but she did feel healthier, at least bodily anyway.

And she did feel hungry, plus she wondered where Maksim had gone. Then she remembered that he'd had to go in this morning to help Cherise. He'd be home at noon, then they would probably laze around reading, making love.

Oh yeah, her time off had spoiled her. Sighing, she rolled out of bed and padded to the kitchen. There wasn't much in the fridge. Mostly old takeout. She opted for some of the pork fried rice, which she ate cold out of the container.

While she wolfed down her dubious breakfast, she wandered around the apartment. The Easter-egg color choices for the walls wouldn't have been her first choice, but they oddly worked with the other decorating and furniture Maksim's sister had.

She browsed her artwork. And her cool furnishings. Finally she reached a room Maksim hadn't shown her last night. The room was clearly Ellina's study. She had an ornately carved desk with a new computer set up on top. Stacks and stacks of papers littered the rest of the desk.

Bookshelves took up one whole wall. Many appeared to be research books, all of them mostly about the occult. Several shelves were filled with Ellina's books, her name bold on each spine. And Maksim was right. Demons seemed to be her favorite subject matter. The Everyday Guild to Demons. Demon Do's and Don'ts. Demons For Dummies.

Jo set down the Chinese food container on the edge of the desk and pulled one of the books off the shelf, flipping through it.

Identifying your demon. Demons' names and their meanings. The Circles of Hell, Satan's Subdivisions.

Jo shook her head, Maksim's sister had some unusual interests. She continued to flip through the book until she reached the back cover.

Then she froze.

"Oh my God."

Maksim knelt on a dirty linoleum floor with shoelaces in his hands, and a small child with a runny nose attached to them.

"Right," he said, quickly finishing the task. Even double knotted them. Then he pulled a tissue out of his pants pocket and handed it to the little girl.

She took it, and mostly smeared the snot around her face, but Maksim accepted that as a start. For the first week she'd just wiped her nose on him.

The little girl darted off without so much as a thank-you.

You gotta love these little heathens. Although he didn't feel nearly as disgusted by the little creatures and their pretty revolting habits.

Maksim stood and surveyed the room. The kids were broken up in groups of five doing what Cherise referred to as "free choice centers." Which meant the kids got free playtime, moving between stations that were designed to get them to use different skills. One station was colors and sorting. Another was puzzles. Another was a kitchen area with fake food and a table. Yet another had books to play library, getting them familiar with letters and words. One was a store to play with numbers and money. Most of the stations had limited toys, but Cherise did her best. And the kids loved it.

He watched as the kids interacted, the room filled with noise, loud talking, laughter, some bickering, others singing. It was chaotic and overwhelming, but not in the same way it had been when he'd first offered himself up to this torture.

"The kids love you," Cherise said, smiling at him approvingly as she came over to stand beside him.

"Well, they are great kids." Did he have to sound so sincere?

Just then the little girl whose shoe he'd just tied came running back. She tugged on the pant leg of his jeans. He leaned down to her level.

"Thanks, Mister Mak'im for tying my shoes." The little girl with a multitude of braids banded with multicolored ponytail holders gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off again to join the others.

He remained bent forward, a little taken aback by the child's spontaneous show of affection. In fact, it took him several moments to even realize that it was snot that had made the quick kiss extra sloppy.

When he did, Cherise reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue, holding it out to him, grinning. She was where he'd learned the tissue trick.

"See what I mean. You are adored."

Maksim looked back to the kids, wondering why on earth they would like him so much. He certainly hadn't like them for much of the time he'd been here. But somewhere along the way that had changed.

He accepted the tissue and wiped his cheek, still watching the odd little creatures intermingling in front of him. What odd beings.

"Why would they like me so much?" he couldn't help himself from asking.

"Because you help them and listen to them and keep them safe when they often don't get any of that outside these walls."

Maksim frowned, considering them again. Really? This was the best their lives got? His gaze picked out Damon. He still wore that silly «E» necklace, valuing the gaudy thing like a family heirloom. Maksim supposed in his life it was.

And how would he be as a father? Could he really offer his child anything better? Self-centered, excessive, indulgent, ruled solely by his own wants and desires. Yeah, he'd be a great dad.

Then he thought of Jo. Look what he'd done to her. She was terrified, seeing her dead sister. She'd fallen down a flight of stairs and could have lost her baby. All because of his selfishness.

And to top that off, he was a demon. Last night, he'd made love to her, because yet again, he couldn't deny himself. But he'd realized it was the last time. He was going to let her go. He was no better than Jackson Johnson. He couldn't really offer her a life she deserved.

And the truth was, he loved her. He wanted her, but he was going to do the first unselfish thing of his life. He was going to let her go. She could never accept what he was, and he didn't want her to accept it, she deserved better.

He had to let her go.

Jo stared at the picture in the back of her book. That was her! That black-haired woman with the pale eyes. She was seeing Maksim's sister. Jo's first thought was that she needed to tell him. But then her excitement vanished. If she was seeing Ellina, then she must be dead.

How could she tell Maksim that?

She stared at the picture again. But that was definitely her. Just then, she heard a noise at the study window. Jo started as Erika's cat hopped up onto a flowerbox outside the glass. He pawed the window.

Ellina and that cat. Jo hadn't ever seen one without the other. Again she toyed with the idea that somehow Maksim's sister and the black cat were one and the same.

You're nuts, she informed herself. But then she was seeing her dead sister. So why couldn't her boyfriend's sibling be a cat? Nothing was out of the realm of possibility at this point.

Jo set aside the book and crossed to the window. The cat batted a paw against the glass again, the action distinctly impatient.

Jo unlocked the window and struggled to push it up, the old and swollen wood not making it easy. Finally she raised it enough for the cat to slip inside.

"Are you Maksim's sister?" she asked the golden-eyed feline, then felt decidedly stupid. But the cat meowed, making her consider the animal understood.