What Monica had given me was snark ammo against Tyz’vel, but it wouldn’t do me any good for getting rid of him.

Of course, his admission to her might, but no. I wasn’t going to go there. I wasn’t going to cross that particular line and talk to the scariest demon of all.

No. I was going to pass on the ammo to somebody who might know what to do with it. Which, of course, meant cayenne brownies.

He showed up right as I was getting them out of the oven. “Your timing’s perfect!” I called as he let himself in.

No. He didn’t have a key. “Give me one of those.”

I put one on a plate and handed it over, then grabbed a second for himself. I idly wondered if Monica would like one. “Apparently, Tyz’vel’s lousy in bed.”

“I won’t try him then,” Loki quipped.

I rolled my eyes. “Who says you’re good in bed?”

He started to count off his fingers.

I laughed then took a bite out of the brownie. “Lousy in bed and planning on making a move on Lucifer.”

“Hrm. Somebody should…I know this very nice young succubus who would be quite interested in giving the boss a piece of news like that. Whether or not it’s true.”

I grinned. “I’m not about to go talking to him, but…”

But Loki knowing succubi? Not a surprise. “…but really? Succubi?”

“I was distracting her,” he excused. “She was really after a very nice young man who didn’t deserve to end up in Hell. As I can’t end up in Hell.”

“…and Monica did the same thing for me. Except she can. She’s mortal as far as I could tell. So how could she spend a night with him and not be tainted? She thinks it’s because she’s good at casual sex.”

Loki pursed his lips. “More likely she’s under somebody’s protection and doesn’t know it.”

“She said she always wanted all of this to be true. But…”

“She doesn’t have to agree for simple protection. She only has to agree for, well…ownership.”

“Don’t put it that way!”

He frowned, just for a moment.
“We got over white people owning black people…”

“Got a better term?”

I had to think about it. “Protection isn’t enough. Guardianship? No, that’s what animal rights people say about pets.”

He bit into his brownie. “I know, I know. But you understand my point. Heck, somebody could have seen what was going on and put a shield over her to spite Tyz’vel. A certain angel, perhaps?”

“Maybe. But I’m going to have to keep an eye on her.”

“She’s not likely to be one of ours, I don’t think. But you never know.”

“I’m not going to try and recruit her.” Plus, that ownership thing still stung. I wasn’t entirely happy with him.

Kanesha was not my property.