Page 37 of Hellfire & Tinsel
He looked to Kassel for evil approval.
“Diabolical.”
Beau grinned, exuding joy, and Kassel could feel something melting in his chest, like sugar caramelizing and dripping everywhere with no hope of ever cleaning it up.
They outpaced and lost their pursuer within five minutes, but the farther they got the dimmer the shine from Beau’s soul became.
“Something is wrong,” Kassel said.
Beau shrugged.
“That didn’t feel very nice,” he said, holding the stolen decoration up to Kassel’s face.
“Oh.”
“He was very old, and I think he really liked his penguin.” His eyes went misty.
Kassel’s insides turned at the sight.
“I can send it back!” he said quickly, racing against the tears. He would consider it a personal failure if they slipped down his cheeks.
“You can?” Beau blinked up and Kassel nodded, focusing on the penguin until it was no longer between them. “Is it back? Is the grandpa happy now?”
“I can’t see that far, but I would imagine he is ecstatic,” Kassel said.
“Oh, yay.” Beau hopped in place, sighing in contentment. “That feels much better.”
He gripped Kassel’s hand again and they followed the cardboard directional signs that had been put up on lampposts until they came to the winter fair’s entrance.
A large wheel was fully lit up, towering over everything, hanging compartments spinning slowly around its base. Music, the same exact songs that had been playing in the grocery store, was being blasted obnoxiously loud.
They walked into the park through a shiny portal of red and gold made to look like one of the baubles Beau had on the tree in his living room. They weaved their way through the crowd, the concentration of living humans here far bigger than anything Kassel had seen before.
Booths lined the pathways ahead. Tiny houses covered in snow and twinkling lights and a few makeshift open-sided tents. It was a lot of holiday spirit to stomach, and Kassel wasn’t really sure where to look—there was just so much of everything everywhere.
“Excuse me!”
A hand gripped Kassel’s sleeve and gave his arm a tug. It had no power behind it, but Kassel still grunted in irritation, like an imp was buzzing around him trying to be annoying on purpose.He turned to find a tall human male with red hair holding on to his jacket.
Beau frowned out of the corner of Kassel’s eye.
“Why are you touching me?” Kassel asked.
“I really like your hat,” the human said with a wide smile.
Kassel glared. “You can’t have it.”
The guy laughed. “Fair. That’s not really what I’m after, anyway.”
Kassel narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. His soul was in the middle ground between good and evil, like most humans. He placed a surprised Beau behind him and squared up to the human. He lamented his lack of height and looming ability, about ready to drop his glamour. “What are your intentions?”
“Wh-what?”
“Know that I will take pleasure in ripping your limbs off one by one when you enter the fiery afterlife should you intend to steal the hat gifted to me by my human.”
The guy backed up a step nervously. “Listen, I think you’ve gotten the wrong idea. I was just trying to give you a compliment, swear to god…”
“God is busy.” Kassel leaned in. “I know the devil personally, however.”
