Page 29 of Minions and Magic
Adrienne’s eyes narrowed. “Then I’ll make sure the lice are ready.”
That made me giggle. Then I remembered the stupid wager I’d made, and that wiped the smile right off my face. “I’d appreciate that, but I’m not sure how much good it will do. I betted him that I could make a better brisket. Winner gets whatever they want.”
Adrienne nearly choked on her peanuts. “You made a deal with him? A crossroads demon? Oh, Glenda, how could you?”
“Like I said. I was an idiot. I trusted him. We made a bet that day about who could make the best lunch, and I won. It was flirty and sexy and I just assumed this bet would be the same.” I bit my lip, really wanting another shot of tequila. “But I think if he wins this bet, he’ll want my soul.”
The vulture hissed and power whipped around Adrienne, her aura shifting to blue and violet. “Over my dead body. None of us will let that happen, Glenda. Cassie won’t let that happen. She’s banging the son of Satan. That’s got to pull some weight.”
“But I made a deal. I voluntarily agreed to this. Hell, I was the one that proposed it.” I stared glumly down at my empty shot glass. “I don’t think Lucien, or any of you can help me. I just need to make the best brisket ever, and hope Xavier’s isn’t better.”
“You’ll win,” Adrienne announced. “If it has to do with food, you’ll win.”
There was an edge of worry in her voice that told me she wasn’t as confident as she seemed. I had two days until the werewolf barbeque—two days to work my magic and try to save my soul. And after I won, I’d let Adrienne lice that demon and banish him from Accident forever.
The front door flung open and I along with Adrienne and the other three occupants of the bar turned to see a petite red-haired witch burst into the bar. She had on a black mini skirt and a black tank-top with a white skull imprinted across the front.
Babylon. The youngest of my sisters, and the only Perkins in known memory to be gifted with the skill of necromancy. She stopped halfway through the bar, staring at the vulture.
“Whoa! That is one sick bird, Addy. Where’d you get him?”
As witches we were all a little on the odd side, but Babylon with her affinity for the dead was the sister evenweconsidered weird. Adrienne was like Snow White on steroids with her animal communication skills. Ever since she’d been a child she’d been collecting animal friends, and not just the fuzzy and feathered woodland creature kind either. Addy liked bugs and creepy crawlies just as much as she did the cute animals. The only thing stranger than seeing your sister best friends with a swarm of wasps or a nest of spiders was seeing your youngest sister animating corpses.
“That’s Drake.” Adrienne made the introductions and Babylon knelt down to put herself at eye level with the bird. It wasn’t something I’d do, given how sharp Drake’s beak looked.
“I love vultures!” Babylon exclaimed. “This is way cooler than the time you had that colony of fire ants in your backyard.”
“I miss the fire ants,” Addy said with noticeable regret. “Stupid neighbor and his lawn chemicals.”
“These guys can pick a carcass squeaky clean in an hour,” Babylon informed me. “Their beaks are like freakin scapels.”
“Nice to know.” I eyed the bird’s beak with renewed respect.
“Can you bring him over next week sometime?” Babylon asked Adrienne. “I want to do a skeleton army of mice, and it would be so much easier with his help. Better than trying to boil all their flesh off, especially since a few of them are a bit ripe.”
Annnnd it was time to change the subject before I barfed up my tequila.
“How about you guys keep the disgusting details of that project for later, okay?” I patted one of the stools. “Belly up to the bar, Lonnie. We’re drinking tequila. Or have we switched back to beer?”
“Tequila is totally my jam. What did I miss?” my youngest sister asked, squeezing between Adrienne and me. “How many drinks have you had yet? Damn it, I’m behind. Pete! I need to catch up. Send two shots of tequila my way and get us all another round.”
We caught her up on the news as Babylon slammed down two shots of tequila. By the time Adrienne had told her about my latest bet with Xavier, we were all facing a third shot of tequila.
“No biggie. You’re absolutely going to win this thing with sexy-crossroads-demon,” Babylon told me. “No one’s food comes close to yours. The gnome thing will blow over in a few days, and you’ll wipe the floor with this demon at the werewolf party.”
“Let’s drink to that!” Adrienne lifted her shot glass and Lonnie and I did the same.
The tequila didn’t burn like the first two shots had. Instead a pleasant warmth spread through me and I smiled, suddenly feeling like everything was right in the world. Although a tiny bit of my brain was well aware that come tomorrow morning, I’d probably have the worst hangover ever.
“So, what do you want?” Babylon asked me. “When you win, what are you going to ask him to do for you? Or give you?” She winked. “Or dotoyou?”
I blinked, suddenly envisioning a re-do of the last few days. Not the sort of re-do where I slammed the door in Xavier’s face and never even let him in. No, the sort of re-do where he didn’t tamper with the slugs, and the gnome party had been a huge it. I’d come home, and when he’d arrived, we’d eat the leftover sour cherry pie, then made love. And when I woke up, he was there.
That’s what I wanted. But it wasn’t going to happen, and I didn’t want to admit to my sisters that I had somehow managed to fall for a demon I’d met four days ago, and feared I’d never get over him. Ever.
“I don’t know if what you want is possible,” Adrienne said, making me wonder if mind-reading was one of her talents. “He sounds like a total ass, Glenda. You can do better. Ask him for something ridiculously extravagant when you win, then boot his ass to the curb.”
My mind immediately went to the Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven.
