“You gotta make deals and take souls to Hell,” Jazmin said. “I’m familiar.”
“Well, did you know that the only way for me to retire is to age out? Oh, but don’t forget that if I don’t want to wait to age out, I can always have a kid and trainthemin the succubus life so they can replace me.”
Jazmin frowned. “And that’s bad?”
“Isn’t it? I hated this life. I hated collecting souls, and it’s not a life I would want for my child.”
“Are other succubi happy with their life?”
“Well, yeah. That’s beside the point.”
“Is it?” the witch asked. “Because it sounds to me like you’re already trying to decide how your kid’s life is gonna go and who they will be, and you’re not even pregnant yet. Maybe you’d have a kid who is totally okay with being a succubus or an incubus.”
Ruby blinked at Jazmin. “You did it again.”
“Sorry, only, not really. It’s good for you to talk about these things.”
“Not with you. For all I know, you’re collecting information against the Adair wolf pack.”
Jazmin shook her head. “I’ve done what I was asked to do. That’s it. No more.”
“Ha! You slipped!” Ruby jumped to her feet. “You totally just told me that someone asked you for that curse to affect the whole pack.”
“Did I?” Jazmin asked, returning to her book. “Those words never actually left my mouth because …” The rest was all cat.
Jazmin must have started talking about the curse because the only sound coming out of her mouth was mewls.
But it was enough for Ruby. She ran for her aunt’s office, grabbing Ethan by the arm on her way there.
SIXTEEN
ETHAN
Ruby tugged him along down the hall and past the gift shop.
“I need to get more snacks for Ocho,” Ethan commented.
“You’re giving him too much at a time. You’re causing some serious inflation, and the other guests won’t thank you for that.”
She didn’t even bother knocking on Portia’s office door but swung it open.
There was a sudden scream of surprise, and then popcorn exploded everywhere. The office had gotten a bit of a makeover since the last time Ethan had been in it. There was now a big comfy couch with a bunch of throw pillows and blankets, and the computer and desk were replaced with a massive wall of flat-screen televisions on which the entire resort was displayed.
The computer he and Ruby suspected ruled the resort had obviously been transformed into a television.
There were a few controls … like from a teen’s video game.
The ground was covered in popcorn, and the spilled bowl was still spinning on the floor, making even more popcorn appear on the floor.
“Well, that’s a waste of bottomless popcorn,” Lou, the bartender, grumbled. He moved his hand in the air, but for some reason, Portia grabbed his wrist and stopped him. He pursed his lips and proceeded to get on all fours to pick up kernel by kernel.
“What is this?” Ruby asked. “Are you filming everything in the hotel?”
Portia and Lou exchanged a look and burst out laughing.
“That would be bad even for us,” Lou said through peals of laughter.
“Seriously, Ruby baby. Who do you think we are? No, it’s not everywhere. Just in the common areas. You know, forsecurity.”