I sighed and slouched in my chair, crossing my legs at the ankles. I think even my bones were tired.

I glanced sidelong at Piaras. He’d been running a nervous hand through his dark curls, making them even more tousled than normal. Though if he stayed around me for much longer, he’d probably get some white hairs to go with the dark. Piaras was tall and lanky, and he didn’t quite know what to do with his height, so he had a tendency to slouch, which was about the only comfortable position in these torture devices that passed for chairs. I guess watchers didn’t care if accused criminals were comfortable or not.

“Sorry, sweetie,” I told him.

Piaras still looked straight ahead, but one corner of his lips curled upward, trying for a smile. “We’re making this a habit, aren’t we?”

He tried to sound casual, but I wasn’t buying. The kid had a death grip on the arms of the wooden chair he was sitting in. I didn’t think he even realized it. Probably his first time in a watcher station, along with being his first time latching on to a demon.

“No, I’m making this a habit,” I told him. “You just keep coming along for the ride.”

His lips twitched again and his grip lightened. A little. “You’d think I’d know better by now.”

“Hey, at least this time we weren’t kidnapped, tied up, and blindfolded. The watchers asked us nicely and there were no handcuffs involved. And we’re not in a cell.”

Piaras almost grinned. “That is an improvement, isn’t it?”

“Damn right, it is.”

“So, how many times have you been arrested?” Talon piped up, his aqua eyes sparkling.