by Michael Todd
Calvin chuckled. “Who knew being human and having a few broken bones would be so difficult?”
Katie laughed. “I don’t even remember what it was like. I’m sure it feels strange. How are you doing with it all?”
Calvin took a deep breath and shrugged. “It’s different. It’s been over a decade since I was infected, and that’s a long time. In reality, I miss Marty. He was a taco-loving asshat, but it was like having a pain-in-the-ass brother by your side. You can’t stand him while he’s in your face and sharing your room, but when he moves away for college, you miss his shitty antics.”
Pandora took over Katie’s voice. “I’ll come inside you.”
Katie clamped her hand over her mouth, shocked. “That wasn’t me.”
“Oh, I knew who that was.” Calvin laughed. “Thanks, Pandora. I think I’m okay. There’s no way I am rocking this life with someone like you inside me.”
Pandora pouted. “Come on. You could share me with Katie. It’ll be fun.”
Katie pushed Pandora out. “I think he’s good with the silence, Pandora. No offense.”
Pandora peeked back in. “I don’t mind sharing you with Sofia.”
“I think I’m good without the constant body makeovers and donut obsession. Never really liked donuts.” Calvin shrugged.
Pandora gasped. What? I am disowning this man. That’s the last straw.
Katie shook her head. Calvin looked at Sofia, who was in mid-conversation. She caught Calvin’s eye and winked at him, smiling slightly. He smiled back, and something unspoken passed between them. Katie loved seeing her friend so happy. “Now you get to spend some quality time with Sofia, right? You guys can redo your Mexican vacation or something, minus the drug cartels.”
Calvin chuckled, but stopped. He went wide-eyed. “Oh, shit. I should tell you that Sofia popped the question.”
Katie was stunned. “What? When? Oh, my God!”
Pandora made a gagging sound. All this fucking love is giving me a headache.
Calvin nodded. “When she first got here.”
“And?” Katie was practically standing on the couch. The suspense was killing her.
Calvin snorted. “Of course, I said yes!”
Katie threw her arms around Calvin. “What! Oh, my God! That is so exciting. Congratulations!”
Timothy popped over to the couch next. “What are we congratulating him for?”
Katie glanced at Calvin. He nodded, letting her know it was okay. “Calvin and Sofia got engaged!”
Timothy clapped his hands together. “Ohh, I love weddings. This is so fantastic.” His face grew dark. “But, really, Calvin? You had to break this news at my coming-out party?”
Calvin held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to intrude!”
“Just teasing you, darlin’. Well, fuck it.” Timothy clapped his hands three times. “Attention, everyone! I want to thank you all for coming out to celebrate my fabulous self, but we are scratching the No More Hound in My Head Party. It is now an engagement party for Calvin and Sofia!”
A cheer went up from the crowd. Timothy rolled his eyes. “Ugh! We’re going to need a lot more champagne.”
10
Belphegor leaned down as if he were tying his shoe. Instead, he pulled back on the skin on his cheeks, situating the flesh. He had yet to pick an appropriate body for his size, but he supposed it was too late. The leaders of various countries already knew his face and assumed everything he said was true. He had to stay the course, even if that meant a slightly saggy face.
The Chancellor of Germany, Adler Schroder, tucked his napkin into the front of his shirt. “I was told, but remind me of your name.”
Belphegor tried his best human smile. “Belfast. Just call me Belfast.”
“Belfast, then. You are a lawyer for the Council?”
Belphegor pulled at the neck of his shirt. “Yes. I’d like to speak to you about the mercenaries and this war.”
Just then the food arrived. The server placed two large plates of sauerkraut in front of Belphegor and an array of meats and sausages in front of Schroder. The chancellor gave his plate an admiring look, but Belphegor dove in. He shoveled sauerkraut into his drooping jaws like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. He burped softly as he finished one plate and moved on to the next.
Schroder chewed a piece of sausage and sipped his lager. “What do you wish to discuss with me?”
Belphegor wiped his face with his napkin and looked across the table at him. “I would like to discuss Katie and her team of mercenaries. Specifically, her overreach. She has unlimited power when it comes to the demon war. No one to answer to, and no one to control her.”
Schroder sat back, wiping his hands. “I disagree with you on that. I believe she has proper oversight. General Brushwood in the States directs her. Katie and her teams have saved many German lives over the years. I would be hard-pressed to muzzle her now.”
Belphegor narrowed his gaze. “Understandable, but maybe you haven’t given it the right amount of thought. Romania was also very supportive of Katie and her team until a few tough questions were asked. The more questions we asked, the more suspicious her activities looked.”
“Questions like what?”
Belphegor smiled. “Like, does this Katie end up doing more harm than good in the long run? Who does she answer to? Shouldn’t she be answering to the World Council?”
Schroder thought about it for a second. “The World Council has only recently been formed.”
Belphegor nodded. “Yes, and it should have been the first business on the agenda. The Council should have pushed to gain control of these mercenary forces. She is able to travel the world, destroying cities and towns and bringing demons into countries. Oh, yes, she brings them. They look for her specifically. And if they can’t find her, the demons destroy cities as retaliation for her actions. If she were on a tighter leash, how many incursions could have been prevented?”
The chancellor waved his food away and waited for the waitress to refill his stein. He took a big gulp and wiped his lips. “Yes, but she will be less inclined to help us if we pile on restrictions.”
Belphegor took a deep breath and put his napkin on his plate. He pushed his chair back and leaned toward the chancellor, putting both palms on the table. “I can see you need to think about what I’m saying a little more.”
Belphegor nodded to the next table, where three scantily-clad women were watching them closely. “Please enjoy. I took the liberty of booking them for the night. I figured they could help you relax and think about the situation at hand, and perhaps in the morning you will come to a clearer decision on Katie and the mercenaries.”
The chancellor smiled at the prostitutes and looked at Belphegor, shuffling in his seat. “This is a bribe.”
Belphegor grinned and quickly straightened the chancellor’s tie. “No, no! I just want to give you time to think. To relax, so you can understand the seriousness of the situation. The world must have laws, and this Katie, well, she thinks she is above the law. You don’t believe anyone should be above the law, do you?”
Schroder looked at the girls, then back at Belphegor. “I suppose without laws we have pure chaos.”
Belphegor stood up. “Exactly. And with chaos comes terror. I can see Katie’s red eyes glistening in the German night sky as we speak. She swoops down and delivers her own form of punishment to those she feels aren’t living up to her expectations. We wouldn’t want you to be ripped from your home and carried off by a demon angel who thinks she is better than you, would we?”
Schroder shook his head. “No one tells me how to act in my own country. I make the choices, and we as an authority punish those who do not live up to our standards. We do not go by the rule of some girl.”
Belphegor stood up with a smile on his face. “You are starting to see where we might have a problem. The World Council is looking out for the best interests of the world. No one said we cannot harness the power of Katie and her angel-demon, but we will need to
use her powers in a restricted manner. She cannot be allowed to continue this reign of terror over the citizens of the world.”
Belphegor waved the prostitutes over. “Think about these things. Mull over your choices as you enjoy an evening of relaxation on me.”
Belphegor picked up his briefcase and walked from the restaurant. Schroder looked at the prostitutes, then waved at his assistant. “Clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I suddenly feel the need to rest up.”
Wild webs of gray swirled around Brock. The sound of Sasha’s moans echoed through his head and he gasped for air, trying to work his way out of the thick goop surrounding him. He pressed his hands against an invisible shell encapsulating his body. All at once a terrible pain shot through his body. It was his demon dying inside him.
Brock gasped lightly and opened his eyes. The room was too bright. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He put his hand to his chest. He could feel the presence of a demon inside of him. He knew it was there, but for some reason everything felt different. He couldn’t put his finger on the reason, but it was drastic. His hands slid down to the edge of his cotton blanket and looked around the room. A steadily beeping EKG machine was hooked up to his chest, and a clear fluid of some kind was being dripped into his arm.
With some effort, he turned his head. He had to put his hand on the railing of the bed to steady himself. Katie was curled up in an armchair next to him. Her face was still, and her hair fell over one shoulder. The skin of her face was pale, and her cheeks glimmered and glistened in the bright lights of the room. She clutched the edge of his blanket in her outstretched hand, and Brock wondered just how long she had been there. He wondered how long he had been there, too. His mind was foggy, but slowly, bits and pieces came back to him. The last thing he remembered was being face to face with the monster who called herself Sasha, but he could not remember what happened next.
Brock rested his head back on the pillow and stared at Katie, warmth gathering in his chest. He hadn’t forgotten just how amazing she was, but until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he cared about her. She was not only gorgeous and, honestly, amazing in bed, but she was kind. Despite having the wife of Lucifer inhabiting her body, she was one of the best people he knew. It didn’t hurt that she was one badass bitch when it came to kicking demon ass.
A voice began to speak in Brock’s head, but he didn’t recognize it. Man, there is a lot more room in here. No more of that cramped shit. And the strength! You are one strong dude.
Brock narrowed his eyes. Who are you? Where is my demon?
The demon chuckled. She was sucked out by the eight-legged freak you keep dreaming about. Of course, if you want her back, I could look around?
Brock shook his head. No, I don’t want her back. How did you get in here?
Wild fucking story, brother. That crazy chick over there? A badass demon popped out of her. Lilith, I recognized her right away. She pulled me out of Timothy, threatened my balls if I didn’t heal you, and shoved me in here. Bro, you were on the verge of death. I used all my powers and skills to fix you up. My name’s Wormwood.
Brock swallowed hard, still not fully comprehending. He had to set some ground rules, that much he knew. Wormwood, I want to make one thing clear. I’m in control of this body and my mind, no matter what you’re capable of. I think by now you know I have ties to some demons who could kick your ass.
Wormwood hissed. Calm down, dude. I don’t want to take over. I just really hope you like chicks. I haven’t gotten laid in a very long time.
Brock thought about it for a second. Yeah, I guess not. Timothy isn’t a chick kind of guy. None of that matters to me, though. My demon might have been a pain, but she understood the boundaries.
Wormwood sighed. Fine, fine. I don’t want anything to do with controlling this meatsack. I’ve never been very good at the wheel. It’s embarrassing. I really couldn’t get the whole control of the body while controlling the bladder thing. Last dude I tried to control pissed himself at least four times a day. Not cool. Timothy? We pretty much kept to ourselves.
Brock wrinkled his nose. Yeah, I got my bladder. Don’t worry about that.
Okay. I’m still fixing your liver, but you’re almost good to go. By the way, you like chicks, right? I need a firm answer here.
I like women, yeah.
Wormwood was relieved. Good. Now that we got that settled, how about we pick up that guitar you keep thinking about and get us some ass ASAP? Okay?
Brock couldn’t help but laugh. He tried to cover his mouth so as to not wake up Katie, but he failed. Katie opened her eyes and sat up quickly. Brock lay there smiling at her. “Brock! You’re awake!”
Brock nodded. “Seems that way.”
He grunted as he pushed himself to a sitting position. Katie moved over and put down the rail on the bed, perching on the edge. Before he could say another word, her arms were wrapped around him.
Katie had to hold herself back or she was afraid she’d squeeze him to death. “I’m sorry. We just weren’t sure it was all going to work out.”
Brock smiled as she pulled back. “What the hell happened?”
Katie shook her head. “I have no idea. You were missing for a long time, but we found you in the old church in Romania. There were these cocoons, and you and your team were in them. We cut them down, but then this beast came down from the rafters. I don’t know how else to say it. She started to suck the energy right out of Pandora. We tried to fight her, but for every leg I cut off, another would grow in its place, and fast. You ended up stabbing her in the gut with your sword and she ran off. We brought you and the guys back here to recover. She had done her energy-sucking trick on you, too. All of your demons were lost. They were just gone. Timothy sacrificed his demon so you could heal. Without it, you would have died.”
Brock immediately sat up further. “And my guys? Are they okay?”
Katie pushed him gently back. “Turner, Sean, and Eddie are all recovering very nicely. They don’t have demons anymore, but their injuries were far less serious than yours. They are awake, though, and really want to know how you are doing.”
Brock relaxed once he knew his guys were okay. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. She latched on, but she didn’t even have to touch me. When she breathed in there was pressure in my chest, and it felt as if my entire body was lifting off. All the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful was coming right out of my mouth into hers. I wanted to stop it, to scream and fight her, but the more she pulled, the less I was able to fight back.”
Katie put her hand on his. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine. Pandora was out of my body when Sasha attacked. After, she told me it was like Sasha drained her. Like she made an empty place inside of her.”
Brock nodded. “That’s a good description of it. It was like being hollow. Like my soul had been deflated.”
Pandora sighed. When we put Wormwood in there, he said it looked like he had been hollowed out. I bounced back fast, so I know he will feel whole again. It will just take a bit of time.
Katie squeezed his hand. “Pandora says you will be back to normal, but it will take time. Do you remember much?”
Brock shook his head. “No. I mean, what I do remember comes in flashes. When I remember her taking my energy, seems like it was days before you arrived. Then I remember flashes of stabbing her with my sword, but that’s it. Like a dream sequence almost. When I woke up a minute ago, I saw you lying there asleep.” Brock’s lips curled up into a smile. “I have to admit, it seemed to fill my soul back up again.”
Pandora scoffed. You sure that wasn’t your pants?
Wormwood couldn’t hear Pandora but made a comment of his own. Filled up more than my soul, if you know what I mean.
Brock tried not to make a face. Are you already ruining moments with other people? Don’t make me have Pandora muzzle you.
Wormwood grumbled. Fine, I’ll say it more nicely. I like this chick. She seems cool, calm, level-he
aded, and together. Not the kind of chica who would stab you in the middle of the night or burn your house down for the insurance money.
Brock twitched. Good fuck, what kind of girls have you been hanging out with?
Wormwood chuckled creepily. Oh, you wish you knew. Wild women, brother. Wild.
Katie watched Brock’s face twitch. She figured he was probably talking to his new demon. Pandora yawned. Did you see his eyes twinkle when he fucking saw you? It was gross. This dude has it bad for you. Like, so bad.
Katie let a little smirk cross her lips and looked down until she could straighten her face. She stood up and kissed Brock on the forehead. “Get some rest. Trust me, you’re gonna need it.”
With a sly wink, she sauntered from the room, leaving Brock speechless and Wormwood cheering.
Angie turned her head away from the window of the plane and looked at Juntto, who was playing his Nintendo DS. His chiseled chin twitched as he clenched his teeth, pressing the buttons hard. Angie had requested he look like Channing Tatum again, but anything would have been better than the creepy-eyed military guy from the cartoon movie. That look freaked her out. Having Channing Tatum next to her definitely kept her warm. Then again, having Juntto in any shape or size made her happy.
“Sonofabitch!” Juntto yelled, dropping the DS in his lap and slamming his head back against the seat.
Angie giggled and reached over to turn the thing off. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’re almost there anyway. I’m just glad that New Orleans went well and you are back safe and sound. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to being in love with a warrior.”
Juntto turned his head and smiled. “No need to worry. I am the size of twenty men, and I can kick ass. New Orleans was simple, and come to find out, Bourbon Street has absolutely no demons. I was very relieved.”
Angie lifted an eyebrow. “Oh, I’m so glad Bourbon Street is safe.”