Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

B ragg

"Look what we have here, Rewd," I say, my gaze trained on the petite blonde witch with plump little breasts and an hourglass figure. "She smells like peaches, ripe for plucking."

The little witch has been screaming for minutes, barely stopping to catch her breath.

"What is that noise it makes?" Rewd grumbles.

I turn to my enormous war demon friend. He frowns, his clawed hands covering his ears.

"She's scared. Humans scream when they're afraid."

"I do not like it. Make it stop."

I shrug. "I agree, it's not the most conducive. But we can wait her out."

"It hurts," Rewd says, screwing up his face.

"She'll tucker herself out eventually," I assure him.

My friend doesn't reply, except for a low, frustrated growl deep in his chest.

Finally, the screaming stops, and the little witch sucks in a ragged breath. "Why," she rasps between breaths, "…are there two of you?"

Her body trembles. I can smell the terror in her blood. In her very breath.

I take one step closer, and the witch recoils.

Pausing, I go for nonchalance. "It happens sometimes."

Rewd remains stiff and anxious. At this rate, I'll have to sedate both of them.

"This is too much," the witch says, shaking her head vigorously. "Go back. Go back to where you came from. This is not what I signed up for…I don't want to do this, I…"

"Before you fly into another panic, would you like me to give you something to calm down?" I ask.

She frowns. "Why? So I don't fight back while you eat me?"

Rewd pipes up with a growl, "I don't like witches. They taste stringy and bitter."

I turn to Rewd, blinking. Why in the finger-licking hell did I think it was a good idea to bring this guy?

"Well, they do," says the war demon after a pause.

I gotta turn this ship around, fast, before the witch claims a breach of contract and I never earn work-release rights again.

Holding my palms out to show her I mean no harm, I use my best charm on her. "No one is eating anybody. We're not monsters. Well, we are monsters, but we're here to do a job that you asked us to do."

She shakes her head, trying to hide behind a dressing screen in the corner. "I made a mistake. I didn't know what I was getting into. I promise I'll leave you a positive review; just go back, please!"

"That's not how this works, sweetheart. I gotta do whatever it is you called me here to do."

She peeks out from behind the screen, her chin trembling. "But the price. What are you going to take from me? Are you going to hurt me? Turn me into a demon? Take me back to your h-hell palace?"

For the first time in my life, my heart might crack open. Not even as a joke would I entertain bringing her back to that hellhole as my bride. Not even a witch, whose ancestors are responsible for my eternal prison.

"My friend and I don't want to do that either."

Her pretty brows come together. "Demons don't have friends. Forming community among demons goes against the 1859 Accord."

"Oh. Well, if it's against the accord, then by all means, we should be going, right?"

She shrugs. "I guess."

"I'm joking. See, I don't think you're going to snitch on us because it would be terrible if Magda found out you were summoning demons."

She juts out her bottom lip, her chin trembling. "Magda's dead. She died last year."

I do not know what to do with whatever human emotion that is. Cursing, I pull Rewd to one side. "I think we hurt the little girl's feelings."

"We do not care about feelings."

"I know. I mean, I don't care-care. I just… it's annoying."

"Very," Rewd agrees.

"It stands in the way of our purpose here."

"Which is what?"

I press a hand to his shoulder. "To have fun, friend."

The big oaf's shoulders slump a little. "I… don't remember fun."

Glancing back to our pretty little situation, the witch's chin trembles, and her eyes are beginning to water. I can't watch this. I turn back to Rewd, the big sad boy. The witch's feelings alone are bad for my nerves. My throat feels tight, and I can't seem to let go of his shoulder. I don't wanna feel sorry for the guy. I refuse. If he doesn't get summoned for fun activities, that's not my problem.

"I got you, bro," I tell him.

"Bro," he repeats, with a deep nod of his chin.

The ache I feel at the wary trust in his eyes.

The little witch is correct. We're not supposed to form community. No one-on-one attachments, not with humans or with fellow demons.

But despite all of that, the big demon is my friend. And it makes me happy when he looks at me.

Turning back to our witch, I say, "I'm sorry. Let me start over. We won't hurt you; that's the most important thing. Unless…you want us to hurt you." I arch a mischievous eyebrow at the suggestion.

I wait for that to register. "If I…want you to hurt me?"

She's not getting it. Poor thing.

"Rewd, we got ourselves a virgin."

The witch lets out an affronted squeak, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's your name, little one?"

She hesitates, then tells me.

It is the prettiest name for an even prettier witch.

"Portia, baby, do you have any idea what a succubus is?"

Her forehead furrows adorably. "Kind of?"

Oh, she has no clue.

"We're not here to eat you," I explain. "A succubus drains your life force through seduction. Sex, baby. It's all about the sex."

Portia glances up at me, her gaze shifting between me and the big guy, Rewd.

She swallows. "Why is he here? Does he…watch?"

"I do not wish to watch," Rewd says abruptly.

I lay it all out for her. "The two of us will do whatever you want us to do. So, tell us. What is it that you want? More than anything?"

"All I wanted was one perfect date. A party. Some dancing. To feel pretty. I want a man to be nice to me for once. And then, later…well, you know."

My shriveled, cold heart cannot take any more of this.

I take a step closer, and she lets me. She doesn't recoil, and so I reach out and cradle her face.

"I'm not psychic, but I don't have to be. Someone hurt you."

At this declaration, Rewd steps forward. "Who?"

Suddenly, he's right on top of us, breathing heavily. Portia's eyes are wide, and she is afraid and fascinated as she glances between Rewd and me.

"Tell me who hurt you so I may grind them into dust," Rewd insists.

Portia begins to tremble as if in shock. "I made a mistake. I made a huge mistake over nothing. A stupid party."

This is getting us nowhere. I only have 12 hours of freedom. It's supposed to be as easy as wham, bam, thanks-for-letting-me-drain-your-life-force-ma'am. And yet, she's terrified of both of us.

I wave my hand through the air in a downward motion.

Instantly, the witch's eyelids blink slowly. "What's happening?" Portia asks dreamily.

"Get ready to be human, big guy," I say to Rewd.

The big demon grunts, "Huh?"

The air around us snaps, and we shift. For me, it's as quick as a finger snap. For Rewd, the transformation sounds like bones breaking one by one. The process is only about ten seconds, but watching him go through the pain feels like an eternity.

Finally, we're both humans. Well, human-ish. Turns out, we look like a couple of ripped gym bros with horns.

"Oh," the witch gasps. "Oh. Wow."

Portia sways on her feet, and I lunge forward, catching her before she falls.