The question hit her harder than I expected. Her shoulders gave a tiny tremble. "It's just that… I haven't been entirely honest with you about something. In fact, I—"
A sharp squeak sliced through the air before she could finish. Beelzebub shot down from the sky like a falling star, landing on my shoulder with a proud thump. He stretched out one tiny leg, pointing insistently toward the trees ahead.
"Good job," I whispered, giving his head a quick pat. Then I turned back to Elira. "You were saying?"
But she only shook her head with a bright smile that hid more than it revealed. Her eyes gleamed like sunlight bouncing off snow. "It's nothing important. Come on, I want to know where we are too."
Before I could question her further, she hopped ahead in playful little steps, practically bouncing in the direction Beelzebub had indicated.
