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Vi pointed an accusing finger at Alicia. “Alicia Davis.”
If it bothered her, she didn’t let on as Alicia lifted her shoulders slightly.
“Vi,” I started.
“Eden Perez!” she shouted.
“Vi… what the hell, man? Are you good?” She was unravelling as quickly as I was.
Her eyes glassed over as her chin wrinkled and her lips quivered. “Am I good?” Her voice was shrill and too loud. “Of course, I’m not good! I fucked around and now you have a demon… an actual fucking demon in your house. Somewhere. I don’t know where the hell he went, but he’s here. And I did it! It’s my fault!”
A shove from the table moved my chair away enough so I could get to my feet. I moved behind her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and dropping my cheek to the top of her head. “Vi. Go home. Hug your babies.”
“But I—”
“Honestly. I’m fine. He’s gone for now and I could use the time to just… I don’t know. Sort through my shit.” I was way past overwhelmed. Between the weird supernatural stuff that made me think I was a part of a horror movie — lights flickering and friends passed out — the actual demon, and the high my body felt rocked by, I was ready to curl up on my sofa with a KDrama and pretend I had no responsibilities for the next twelve hours.
Vi shifted, tilting her head so our cheeks pressed together. “I’m really sorry, Ede.”
“It’s okay.” It wasn’t and it was all at the same time. This was majorly fucked up, I could admit that. Just as easily as I could admit Vi could have summoned the devil himself, and it wouldn’t make me scoff at her apology. She was sorry, and as weird as it was, I forgave her.
There were no grudges in this group.
I sighed, standing and stretching my arms above my head. “Home time,” I announced.
The plan had been for them to stay until the evening, but I was ready to cut those plans short just as I knew they were too — even though they would never admit it.
They were quick to pack, loading up the back of the car and giving sad hugs and waves like they were leaving me forever. I kept a tight smile on my face as I watched them pile in. Sad they were going as much as I wanted it.
My house felt too big now. Every dark corner was a cavern that hid taloned fingers that would reach out and snatch me if I weren’t careful. As scary as it was, I was honest when I said I didn’t want them there.
At least alone, all I had to worry about was myself.
Me and the demon.
10
ASMODEUS
The trouble with the mortal realm was everything was pointless. They piled millions of people into one small area, making it tedious to sort them out. I would need a cane of judgment to usher them into their respected groups — and judgment had never been a friend of mine.
I followed the women from Eden’s home because I didn’t know what else to do. Their accusations hinted the one with the lighter skin adorned with speckles over her nose and cheeks was responsible for acquiring the book. I hoped she would bring me to where she got it, wanting answers of her own.
Disappointment filled me when she was dropped off at a house that sat too close to its neighbour and she went in, never to come out again. I peered into the window for a time, watching as she clutched at her offspring until they shoved away from her, annoyed at the prolonged contact.
It was her fear that made her hold them so tightly.
Fear was something I understood.
A woman kept chastising her. She asked questions at a pace that left no room for answering while Olivia ignored her and kept alternating between the two spawn who would allow her to hold on to them before they ran off in screams and giggles before they were caught again. The woman left, mumbling down the driveway about Olivia and her having no sense. Maybe that was a theme in this woman’s life. As she drove away, I realized I couldn’t find answers about the book there. Mortals seldom left such small humans unsupervised. They were useless things at this age.
Alone, this woman would be going nowhere while her spawn were in her care.
Waves of new emotions made the hollows of my chest feel empty and I groaned as I battled against them. There was nothing worse than having to navigate a new world. At least, that’s what I thought. I was quickly realizing having to do that while feeling was infinitely worse.
Wandering the mortal realm left my skin coated in a filth that only further annoyed me. I traversed the city, walking the busy streets before I found a quiet park where my realm called to me. A place where the wall between my world and this squalor thinned. There, I tried once more to transport myself out of this human hell and back to the depths where I thrived.
With my hands before me, I felt the ground singe into a circle around me. The points intersected, creating a pentagram inside. Each line lit red, and the longer the hellfires burned, so did the excitement seated in the pit of my stomach. But just as the last attempt had failed, so did this one. A pain ripped through me, dropping me to a knee. My taloned fingers gripped the damp soil as I growled, gritting my teeth to keep from unleashing the destitute sound I knew would shake through this world.
