Interlude
The house felt much too large with Belinda gone, although Asmodeus did his best to ignore how huge and echo-y it felt. He turned on the stereo and opened a few windows to let in some fresh air, since the day had warmed up enough that the wind was no longer chilly, but mild and friendly, like a promise of spring even though he knew that season was still months away.
Despite these measures, he ached for her, wanted her at his side, even if they ended up doing nothing more exciting than watching television. At least they would have been together. But she needed to be with her family, and although she’d invited him along, he knew it was better to keep some separation between them for now. He’d had dinner with Nina’s parents several times, and although they’d been cordial enough, he
