Chapter 43

“Florida sure is pretty.” Mike was walking next to her in a pair of board shorts and wearing Ray Bans, unseen by everyone else. This version of Mike was a small piece of his soul grafted onto her demonic essence. At least, that was the working theory. Otherwise, his presence was actually a sign of a mental break, which wasn’t unheard of in demons. “It’s even better when you don’t need sunscreen or bug spray.”

“Have you ever been?” she asked. It was easy enough to make it look like she was speaking into an earpiece, so she wasn’t worried about looking like she was crazy. Not that she really gave a fuck.

“Not to the beach. Attended a conference here one time, but didn’t make the effort to get some sand between my toes.”

“Tragic.” She paused at the sight of a family gathering. A collapsible shelter had been set up along with a barbecue. About twenty people milled about, clearly related to one another. There were some kids, too, and a pair of women monitored the childr