Page 6 of January Blues
I took Hela down to hunt as I got some work done. Much like the human realm, we demons had industry, commerce, farming. We were people, just not human people. I owned a farm with a massive orchard, and Hela worked to keep the pests from damaging the crops.
Previous contracts with Basil had gone on for weeks, so I’d learned my lesson about having an office outside of the castle I called home. Instead, I’d made a room in a barn that had held livestock long ago.
Time moved at the same rate between the realms, so I set an alarm on my phone (yes, phones worked here) to ensure I returned long before Cody woke.
My task for the day was nothing overt like the previous day with his car. I was going to work on something more subtle. Concentrate on the unease he would take into his waking hours from the nightmares he’d had during the night.
Little by little, I would infect him with anxiety and paranoia. Soon he would be jumping at his own shadow. As bad as I felt about it, at that moment, it was between him and me. I chose me.
There was a small problem with my plan. I needed to stay close to Cody for it to work. There was an unusual feeling of gratitude toward Basil because he had left me with Austin’s contact details. I arranged for an interview at Mars Acquisitions in order to help me stay close to my target. He spent most of his week there, so it was the obvious choice. Austin may not have been in the running for the promotion, but he held influence, and soon I had a job on the same floor as Austin and Cody. Close, but far enough away that I could avoid suspicion when things invariably went wrong. Or maybe I could make him look bad by having him blame me for his failures. Hmm, something to consider.
“What do I call you here?” Austin asked as we toured the floor for my induction. I was to be his assistant’s assistant.
“Toth.”
Austin laughed. “No seriously. Basil made you look human. Supernaturals shouldn’t be able to tell, but with that name, they will.”
I didn’t reply, mulling over his words instead. “Quill,” I finally answered.
“That’ll do, I guess,” Austin sneered.
Dead. He was so dead as soon as I could make this happen.
As witches were the most magical and prevalent supernatural species, they held demons to strict rules in this realm. They ruled it and protected the humans. We couldn’t directly harm anyone physically unless they had contracted with us. The witches that had closed the main portals when the elves and fae had left the human world had ensured that humans would be protected from those that would dare to summon my brethren. We could influence, tamper, infect, but there were always lines to skirt.
The witches hadn’t left us too vulnerable to oppression, however. We had pleaded for a way to balance the scales of power, seeing how demons would be misused. In the end, there was a compromise, and they gave us a way to fight back. They figured that those that would harness a demon’s power for their own gain were immoral and therefore exempt from the protections.
Although Basil technically owned me, he was only the agent for the contract. Austin had set out the terms—ruin Cody so that he lost the promotion before January was finished. February first was when Cody’s new job contract would begin.
Once I was done fulfilling the terms, I was free to hunt Austin. First, I’d dose him with fear. I would break his life apart. Like I’d do to Cody. Then I’d tear him to pieces.
It would be too late for Cody, of course, but he would earn me my freedom and I had to live with that sacrifice on his part. Maybe I’d do something for him after. Try to pick up the pieces.
My thoughts startled me. Help him? After it was all done? Why did I care about an insignificant human so much?
Austin led me to Cody’s office. “Hey, Cody.” He greeted him in a cheerfully fake way.
Cody looked wary. “Hi, Austin. How can I help you?”
“Oh, I just wanted to introduce our new hire. We’re to share him. Quill, this is your other new boss, Cody Valentine.”
Cody rose and met my eyes for the first time. I was hit with the power of his assessing stare. Warm brown eyes cut me to my soul. “Hello, Quill. Nice to meet you.”
He stretched out a hand, and I took it. His skin was warm and so soft and smooth. Cody’s hand looked small in my larger, rougher palm. I was careful to be gentle with him.
This would have been the perfect opportunity to infect him with some more unease, yet I held back, thinking of the long game. If I ended up needing to seduce Cody, I didn’t want him scared of me. I wanted him to trust me, to come to me when he needed something.
“If you need anything, just call for me,” I offered in a low rumble.
His reaction was instantaneous. Pupils dilated, cheeks heated, and the subtle smell of arousal tinted the air.
Perhaps I could convince Austin to skip the ruining part and head straight for seduction. It would be kinder to break his heart than mess up his life.
Austin watched the interplay between us and barked my new name to gain my attention. We withdrew from Cody’s office to Austin’s much smaller one.
“No.”
“What?” I asked.
