Chapter Thirteen

Though the demon was speaking, Gabriela did not bother to stop or so much as cast a glance in his direction. In fact, she barely heard him, and his words just passed her by like the annoying crackle of background static. She wasn't particularly interested in anything he had to say, and even if she had been willing to listen to his distracting ramble, it wasn't as if he would actually have anything useful to say.

At least, that was what Gabriela's mind told her, up until the phrase "working together" penetrated the furiously churning thoughts that had been building up.

Gabriela paused mid-circuit, her blue eyes fixing on the demon as if he'd grown two heads, both of which were clinically insane. Of course, that stunned silence was destroyed as soon as he insulted her, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Yes, I'm stupid enough to believe every word you say wholly and without question, because you're just a concerned citizen trying to do the right thing." Her scowl disappeared as a feigned, wide-eyed expression of shock and complete innocence appeared. "I know!" She took a couple of steps towards the bars that separated them. "How about I just save you the trouble of asking and give you any and every soul, including mine, right now?"

With that point made, Gabriela's scowl returned, and she crossed her arms over her chest as she arched an eyebrow in challenge. "Sound about right?"

She knew they could both get out without much problem, without the other, though what he'd said about the human authorities had struck a chord. That was the only reason she wasn't gone already, and why she'd been pacing. Ignorant as they were, humans would never believe that she wasn't in the wrong, and it wasn't as if she could just tell them the truth. Even if she did, they'd just think she was crazy, which would just get her moved from one cell to another.

"What were you thinking?" It was a heavy-handed demand without any change in her posture as she continued to scowl at the demon. So far, she hadn't had a good idea, so if he had something that would work, she'd consider working with him briefly… just until they were out though, and then like he said, they'd be enemies again.

As she studied his face, Gabriela almost smiled. By the time this was over, she was really going to enjoy taking him down.