Chapter 374

Keep breathing.

"You really did it this time," he said.

"It couldn't be helped."

His stare pierced my soul. "You sure?"

We sidled around a large family laden with multiple strollers.

"Yeah," I said. "Take your pick. Mandelbaum's demon face ripple, a giant rift, a fifty-foot Maliligog, the cat was out of the bag."

"Why would I care about that?"

"Because emon-days aren't ecret-say anymore."

"Ugh. You are the worst." Malik smiled at a passing couple, full wattage. Hard to tell who blushed harder, the dude in the trucker ballcap or his wife in her Confederate flag sweater. "Do you know how much fear you've created? It's delicious."

"You're welcome. Then why are you all bent out of shape? The cyclops demons? That was Gog and Magog. Those two went for them like mini quiche at one of those really boring receptions where it's taken ages for any kind of food to come out and - "

"Stop."