3. Gabe

3

GABE

I’m just about to my apartment building when the wind picks up and whistles in the trees. I clutch my purchases close to my chest as my heart pounds and sweat beads on my brow. Something isn’t right.

Blinding white light flashes in front of me and I stumble back, trying to keep my footing, but it’s no use. Something blue tumbles into me, knocking me flat on my ass and stealing my breath. I’m squashed beneath a hard body with horns precariously close to my eyes. See, I knew my feather would bring trouble, and here it is!

“Are you okay?” I squeak out as I pat a shoulder. There’s blood coming from somewhere. They don’t move and I do my best to push them off me.

It takes me a few minutes to get my bearings and push to my knees. The demon sprawled on the ground is stunning despite all the blood. The only clothing they wear is a pair of black jeans. A sculpted chest and abs are on display, and damn, these biceps make me drool. The demon is mostly blue, with spots of what appear to be tan human flesh color. Fangs poke from their slightly open mouth. Long lashes brush their high cheekbones. Short hair tangles in their horns. Their tail is lifeless. Blood leaks from their chest around a strange device that seems to be counting down. It’s a mechanical number display that shows seven hundred and forty, with a second four already halfway leading to three. What’s the significant of the numbers? Blood drips down their side and?—

The blood! It’s not stopping.

“Hey. Uh.” I reach for the strange counting disk in their chest. Maybe it comes off?

My fingers dance along the metal edge, looking for a way to wedge it away, but it doesn’t budge. At least their chest rises and falls with their breath and they don’t seem too distressed if you discount the whole being out cold part.

“Hey.” I snap in their ear, trying to get a response and nothing. Cringing, I resort to a sternum rub, hoping for something and get nothing. I hate the idea of leaving them on the road. It’s just not safe, even if they are a demon.

My apartment is mere feet away. I look from the door to the demon and back.

“We can make it. Probably.” As long as I use magic, anyway. There’s no way I’ll be able to pick up this massive demon without it. I contemplate the demon, taking in every inch of them. What’s the best way to drag them? The arm pits probably.

My cheeks blaze as I check the perimeter before digging my feather from my pocket and placing it in the waistband of the demon’s jeans. It’ll give me the boost I need to try this. I take a deep breath and focus on the tips of my fingers, willing my magic to flow. With my wings packed away, it’s a little harder than if they were free, but I concentrate the best I can. My fingers tingle and when they glow white from the second knuckle down, I send my magic to the feather, wrapping around it, then around the demon like some intricate magical shibari.

“Light as a feather, stiff as a board,” I chant softly and the demon stays rigid while I push to my feet, bringing them with me. I’ve found using kid games helps a lot in situations like this. I used Ring-A-Round-The-Rosie to trap a zombie some necromancer sent after me a couple years ago. Not exactly fun times.

Thankfully, I live on the ground floor in a two-story apartment building. I don’t exactly want to explain why I’m levitating a demon as I dig my keys from my pocket. My eyes dart to my fallen purchases. I’ll have to retrieve them after I get the demon settled.

Once I get the door open, I pull the demon through sideways with a bit of grunting. My feather starts to turn gray and I have to move fast if I don’t want to drop the demon in the middle of my apartment. My couch won’t do. They’re still too big for my bed, but it’s my best option. I tug on my magic until we’re around the corner and into the hallway. But I’m losing them. They’re no longer stiff as a board. Even as I continue to chant, their body loosens and they get so much heavier.

“Come on, just a few more?—”

My feather disintegrates and my magic fails. The demon falls awkwardly in the doorway of my bedroom.

“Well, shit,” I mumble and stare. I’m trapped in my room unless I want to try and leap over the demon and I’d rather not accidentally fall right on top of them. There’s no way I can get them completely through the door on my own.

The alarm on my phone goes off. Shit. Work. I fish my cell from my pocket to text Pike.

Gabe: I have a bit of a situation. I think I need help.

Pike: Sure, what can we do?

I nibble my bottom lip and take a picture to send to Pike, so he doesn’t think I’m making this up.

Gabe: A demon situation?

The demon’s still asleep and thankfully breathing. Can demons die? I tip my head, taking them in. They’re ridiculously handsome and I hope they wake up soon because I want to know what their voice sounds like.

“Where the fuck?—”

I yelp and jump when Pike teleports behind me. When I spin to face him, he’s staring at the demon sprawled on my floor.

“Where the fuck did you find Van?”

Once again, I take in the demon’s appearance. “ This is Van?” He does look a lot like Warwick now that Pike says that. “He ran into me? Literally.”

“Fuck.” Pike’s eyes go wide when he squats and notices the device. “He’s in big fucking trouble, too.”

“Is that what the…thingy is? Trouble?”

Pike nods. “Looks like he’s been given a month for… whatever his punishment is. Poe must have finally found him.” He threads his fingers through his hair and stands again to pace. “We should tell Warwick.”

“I’m sure he’d like to know his brother is back in town.” I wipe at the crusty blood around the weird countdown device. I can’t help it and press a hand to Van’s cheek. A bit of color comes back to his flesh. “He’s almost sweet, isn’t he?” I thought I said the words to myself, but Pike snorts above me.

“Sweet, he is not. Loyal as fuck, absolutely. And if you piss him off, watch out.” Pike squeezes my shoulder. “It’s good to see him again. Not like this, but still good.”

I nod. “Will you help me get him into bed?” I wave to my sad excuse of an offering for the demon. “He probably shouldn’t be moved too much until he’s awake.”

When I try to pry off the device, Pike stops me. “You can’t remove it. It’s his punishment, and until he either succeeds or fails, it must remain.”

Pike already has Van up on his shoulder and carries the demon to my bed. While Pike gets Van settled, I rush to my kitchen and grab the big bowl I use for popcorn. I fill it with hot water as I rummage around for dishtowels. There have to be dishtowels somewhere. I had a whole stash of them?—

“He’ll be okay,” Pike says behind me, making me jump again.

“I don’t want to leave him.” I turn off the faucet and frown at my lack of dishtowels. Maybe they’re under the sink? I kneel to rummage around in the cabinet. “I feel responsible. Like if I wasn’t in the way when he teleported, he’d be okay.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s entirely on Van.”

I turn to glare at him.

Pike lets out a sign and rubs a hand over his chest. “But I don’t want him left alone either. It’s like if I leave, he’ll disappear. He’s magic-less right now. He can’t disappear if he wanted to.” Pike drags a hand down his face. “Warwick needs to know. Can I leave Van in your hands?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thanks. Don’t be surprised if Wick shows up. But also don’t be surprised if he doesn’t show up. He’s not as volatile as Van, but he’s at least as unpredictable, and I can see him being pissed off enough that he doesn’t wanna see Van anytime soon.”

“So I can come in late?” I ask as I finally find my dishtowels crammed way in the back of the cabinet. All three of them. I would have sworn I had more.

“Take the night off and let me know as soon as he wakes up.”

“I can’t just?—”

Pike holds up a hand. “Don’t worry about lost wages. I’m paying you to be his caretaker tonight. Deal?”

I give a quick nod and gather my supplies. “Deal.” My eyes fall on my table and my bag from The Magic Shop somehow made it inside. Curious.

“Let me know as soon as he wakes up.”

“Will do!” I waddle to my room with water sloshing up the side of the bowl.

Pike chuckles as he poofs out and I get to work cleaning up a sexy demon who happens to be in my bed now.