17. The Seating Arrangement

CLOVER

“Clover and I are the only sensible ones here,” Mip grumbles.

Clearly, Mip still doesn’t trust Kushim. I had to promise to find him a good donut shop as soon as we’re done with this curse thing just so he wouldn’t attack him with Needlestrike.

“I’m sitting by you, and you can pass that along to the knavish demon,” Aldrich snarks, before opening the door and climbing into the passenger seat. Mip teleports to his shoulder, crossing his arms as he glares at my demon.

“Aldrich says he’s going to sit in the front with me,” I repeat so Kushim can hear.

“I don’t care if Aldrich has had his invisible ass in the front seat since you two met. If I’m going to ride in this… van… we will be sitting in an actual seat with actual seatbelts, which I insist on you using, by the way,” Kushim says, eyeing Suisy with disdain before looking at me with his eyebrow raised.

“Clover, you know I have to be able to touch you,” Aldrich argues.

“He has to be able to touch me, so he doesn’t disappear,” I repeat, rubbing my forehead. I don’t see this disagreement ending any time soon.

“Mip, you be Aldrich’s voice, since you can hear him, too.”

I open the side door and plonk down on one of the cushions, effectively removing myself from the argument but still keeping close to the guys. Fitzy comes over and lifts me into his lap, replacing the cushion I was sitting on with his warm and cozy self.

“I’ll sit wherever you need me to, Clover.” He nuzzles me, and the tension oozes from my body. “I got everything settled. The Prez sends his congrats.”

Mip’s little doll self teleports out of the van, and he starts strutting around and wiggling his tiny doll butt in Kushim’s direction.

Kushim rolls his eyes but continues arguing. “If I’m riding in the van?—”

“Suisy,” I interrupt.

“Suisy,” Kushim repeats. “Then I’m either driving or riding in the passenger seat. I will not be thrown around like a rag doll in the back.” He gestures to my cushions and then looks at Mip.

“You should be offended,” Aldrich says, also looking at my little friend.

Mip nods at Aldrich’s words, then looks Kushim directly in the eyes.“Aldrich says that he’s seen ragdolls that are more handsome than you and that if you want that seat, you can sit in his lap while he jerks off and sprays ghost jizz all over your specially made custom suit.”

We all gape at Mip as he makes a lewd gesture in Kushim’s direction and then turns around and slaps his butt. Mip seems very sour about the whole kidnapping incident.

“That’s it,” I say, getting up. “Fitz is driving. Kushim gets the passenger seat, and I’ll sit in the back with Aldrich and Mip.

Everyone is silent for a beat, then Aldrich comes over and wraps me in a hug. “I’m sorry, love. I’ll sit behind you and hold on to your shoulder so you can drive. The demon can have his seat.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

“Aldrich says that he’s the better man, so you can have the seat, you big jerk,” Mip says, teleporting to his cushion and effectively ending the argument.

We pile into the van and finally pull away from the Reaper’s Bar. I’ve never really given much thought to breaking the Calla curse. I don’t know if any of us Callas ever did. But now that all three of my mates are with me, and we’re on the way to Spells Hollow, I allow myself to feel hopeful that maybe it’s possible. Maybe I won’t fade away into nothing to be devoured by Blobby, ending my family for good.

The windy voice would be proud of me.

“Moon Goddess above, man. Shut up,” Fitzroy grumbles. “It’s been thirty minutes of nonstop complaints!”

“You are exaggerating. I just want to know if Clover does regular maintenance on the vehicle.” Kushim sniffs. “I’m just making sure she’s safe.”

“Whatever.” Fitz waves his hand at my demon. “So, you’re really cursed. That… thing was really going to eat you, and Aldrich, your other mate who is invisible to everyone but you…”

“And me,” Mip interrupts.

“…has been either fighting it or running from it for over three hundred years?” Fitz finishes.

“Yep! According to Aldrich, Blobby has been eating my family members for years. He’s really strong now, and after he eats me, he’ll probably be strong enough to break out of the realm he’s been stuck in.”

“He will not be eating you,” all three of them growl.

“Potato, tomato.” I shrug. “I’ll either fade and he’ll eat me, or I’ll die in an accident when I’m split between this world and that one.”

“Or, we’ll break your curse and live happily ever after having wild sex and traveling the world in your Suisy,” Aldrich says, winking at me.

I giggle, and Mip, having decided that he likes being a stand-in Aldrich, says, “Or we’ll break your curse, and I’ll murder your other mates so I can have you all to myself.”

Kushy and Fitzy growl, and Aldrich breaks into a coughing fit.

“That’s not what he said,” I say, taking turns patting both men on the hand reassuringly. “Besides, he wouldn’t do that.”

Aldrich nods, and I focus back on the road. The van is silent until I spot a rest stop. “Oooh! Good. A place to stop for the night!”

“For the night? You just mean you need to relieve yourself, and then we’ll be going again, right?” Kushim says in disbelief.

“No, I mean we can stop here and sleep in the back. It’s been a long couple of days. I don’t want to drive all night, and we’re not going to have another argument about who’s driving and who’s sitting where.”

I pull off the highway, and we all get out. Kushim takes one look at the shabby little bathroom building and all the cars and semi-trucks pulled off so their drivers can rest, then shakes his head.

“No, this is not going to happen.” He pulls his phone out and after a few quick taps, says, “We’re about an hour away from a diner, motel, and a gas station. At least then we can have walls.”

“All right, I suppose I’m good to drive for another hour. Just let me pee, then.” I look at Aldrich, blushing. “Although, maybe this time, I could go alone?”

Fitzroy snorts, and Kushim shakes his head as Aldrich waves me away. “Just go, Clover,” he says with a laugh.