Page 48 of Hell and Hexes
“Not now,” I hastily told the demon. “She means is it possible for you to do that.”
That gleam was back in his eyes, and I didn’t trust that the guy wouldn’t smash through the roof of the house by turning into a twenty-foot tall dinosaur just to annoy Cassie.
“Sure,” he said through a mouthful of cereal.
“So, here’s the plan.” Cassie stood and began to pace. “You shapeshift into a T-rex. Then you go to Clinton’s compound and stomp on a few sheds or houses something. Make sure no one’s in them and that you don’t hurt or kill any of the werewolves.”
“You want me to check the houses before I stomp on them?” Eshu asked. “Like bend down and shove my head through the door just to make sure?”
I stifled a laugh and Cassie glared at him.
“Trust me, if you roar really loud before you do it, no one is going to be in their houses.”
“Yeah, they’ll all be shooting me or trying to claw me in half,” Eshu shot back.
“You’ll be forty feet long,” Cassie informed him. “And you’re a demon. Just…just roar really loud, kick a few trucks over and stomp a few houses, then run—but don’t run too fast because they need to be able to follow you—run through the forest to Dallas’s compound and do the same thing.”
Eshu ate another handful of cereal. “How many bullets am I going to take during this little adventure? Stab wounds? Bite marks? Splinters from the houses and trees I’m stomping? Because it doesn’t sound like you’re going to let me defend myself here.”
“I’m not. You’re a demon. You’ll be okay.”
“Will you?” I asked him, concerned. He was right. The werewolves would shoot him, rake him with their claws, and bite him. And he might very well get splinters.
He sighed dramatically. “I’ve died before. There better be a really good offering, though.”
That took Cassie aback. “You’re dating my sister. You’re living in the town. Why wouldn’t you just help us?”
I knew Eshu would do it if I asked him, but I wanted Cassie to stop being such a jerk to him, so I sat back and kept my lips zipped.
“Because I don’t like you and I don’t do things for people I don’t like. Unless they present me with an offering.” He leaned against the counter and dug around in the cereal box.
Cassie turned to me, her expression pleading. I shrugged, giving her no help whatsoever.
“Wine?”
Eshu waved a hand for her to go on.
“A bottle of wine and a bottle of rum, and a box of cigars.”
Eshu pursed his lips. “Eh.”
“And you get to be at Sunday night dinner with the family,” Cassie added.
“I already get to be there because Sylvie said so,” Eshu countered.
“Then…” Cassie looked around the kitchen. “Wine, rum, cigars, and a quarter of beef from Woody’s Butchery. And a pizza.”
“With sardines?” Eshu asked.
Cassie shuddered. “With sardines.”
“Deal.” Eshu extended a Cocoa Puff dust-covered hand and Cassie reluctantly shook it.
“So, I’m supposed to turn into a raptor—”
“A T-rex,” Cassie corrected.
“A T-rex. Then I roar, destroy Clinton’s compound and kill a few of his packmates, then head to Dallas’s—”
