Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

P ortia

Everyone is staring at Princess Lily and her demons.

Me. With two demons.

And they don't even know that Bragg and Rewd are genuine, fire-and-brimstone demons who popped into my attic straight from the pits of hell.

Forget about the 3-D printed horns I made for tonight. They disintegrated anyway. How could I pass up the opportunity to make an appearance with the most realistic-looking demons who ever attended the annual Halloween House Party? Sure, they were both too big for the Lord Darkness fur pants I ordered, but who needs cinematic precision when I have two actual creatures from hell. Besides, no one is looking at their gray sweatpants, which I scrounged from my dad's donate pile.

"Oh my god! You look fantastic, Bob Ross!" I exclaim when I see my friend Esther. She runs at me, her curly wig and beard making me sneeze. Her date, Aaron, wears an easel over his head, featuring a mountain scene with a dozen happy little pine trees. He waves at me, then apologizes to someone nearby as his easel bumps into them.

"Are you kidding? I got this at the costume shop. You made this all from scratch!?" Esther holds my arm aloft, and I'm forced to spin around so she can take it all in.

My boy

She shakes her head. "You are amazing. And so are you guys!"

I was worried people would run away screaming, but no one even bats an eye at the war demon and the succubus on either side of me, hovering like two bodyguards.

I have to admit, it feels pretty damn good to be doted on. I think my dad would approve. Well, except for the part where Bragg and Rewd are actual demons from hell.

Esther reaches up and touches the end of one of Rewd's horns. "Portia, did you make these costumes too?" He recoils, but I squeeze his arm reassuringly where it's linked with mine.

I smile at my two new friends and wink. "They brought their own," I say.

She claps her hands. "I guess your vision was right after all. You were meant to have a date tonight."

I shrug. "I guess I missed the fact that I was getting two instead of one."

Shaking her head in amazement, she says, "I don't know who you are anymore, but I'm crazy happy for you."

We introduce ourselves, and Esther kindly points out the food table and the beer coolers.

"Someone brought a trifle made with witch fingers, if you guys are hungry," she says.

"I require no sustenance," Rewd says. "Other than the blood of my enemies."

Bragg either doesn't hear it, or he's listening to everyone's conversations around us. He's been so overprotective since we walked in.

I wince, but Esther and Aaron laugh. "Way to stay in character," Aaron says, patting the big guy on the arm.

A curious look comes over Esther's date, who probably got a weird feeling when he touched Rewd.

I had the same feeling in the car on the way over. The full-sized demons barely fit in my car, and it was pretty cramped. When Bragg's leg brushed up against mine, he felt so hot I would have thought he was suffering from a fever if I hadn't known he was a demon.

Just then, the deejay plays Esther's favorite song, and she jumps up and down on the balls of her feet and grabs Aaron. "Let's go dance!"

They scurry off to the dance floor, Aaron's easel knocking into others right and left. I say to my dates, "They're gonna have so many happy little accidents!"

I laugh at my own jokes. Bragg and Rewd don't get it.

People mostly stay out of our way as Rewd, Bragg and I dance. In actuality, I try to teach them how to dance, then give up and let them do their favorite thing—sandwich me in between them and gyrate slowly. Way too slowly for the music. So slowly and erotically that couples dancing near us are starting to notice.

But who cares? We're having a great night.

I drink too much, eat too many carbs, and dance some more. Several people try to grab me away for a harmless dance, but Bragg and Rewd keep them away.

"Sorry, maybe next year," I say apologetically to my hopeful dance partners. "Call me."

"There will be no next year. The world will end before then," Rewd tells them.

People at the party take these strange comments in stride. It's Halloween, and everyone's under the influence of one or more substances.

Even if Rewd were trying to make an end-of-the-world joke in his own adorably awkward way, it serves as a reminder that this date won't last forever.

My one perfect date is going to end sooner rather than later.

It's almost 4 a.m., and my demons will have to go home soon. Wherever home might be. I shudder to think.

Maybe…maybe they don't have to go?

That's crazy to think about.

I'll just enjoy this night, and keep dancing.