by Xenia Melzer
“You like them too? Great. Why don’t you come over to my shop sometime and we’ll see what I can do for you?”
Dre grinned happily. “Deal. And since we’re talking about favors already…”
“Are we?” Sammy lifted a brow.
“Man, if you can get me the manga I’m after, we’re definitely talking favors. Big ones. Anyway, since I’m here and in a good mood, I’ll grant you a wish. How does that sound?”
“A wish?”
“Yes, you know… As in, tell me what you want, and I do it for you…the reason why humans summon demons.”
Sammy appeared to be confused by Dre’s generous—and completely atypical—offer, even though the boy probably didn’t know how unheard of it was for a demon to offer something freely. “First of all, I thought it was djinns who grant wishes, not demons. And second, from what I saw, the spell wasn’t done correctly. Why would you freely offer me something that is usually taken from you by force?” There was a tenderness in Sammy’s voice that touched something deep inside Dre, yet another layer to the mystery Sammy posed. He cleared his throat to mask how moved he was.
“Well, you’re right about the djinns. Wishes as such are their business, but you can’t summon a djinn. You have to find their lamp, which is quite difficult. The things people want from demons are usually a bit more—let’s call it ‘hands-on’—but the principle is the same, basically. Not that I’m anything like a djinn… They’re nasty. Devious. Cunning. I’m nice…or try to be. And as to why I would be willing to grant your wish, it’s because you’re a victim in this, because you quoted Speed, which happens to be one of my favorite movies, because you made me laugh and because you didn’t let your initial fear cloud your judgment about me. You gave me a chance and trusted me. That doesn’t happen often…like never.”
Sammy sighed deeply. The smile he gave Dre was bittersweet. “That’s very nice of you, Dre. Unfortunately, the only thing I really wish for cannot be granted by even the most powerful demon. As for everything else, I’m happy. There’s nothing I need or want so badly that I would ask you to give it to me.” Sammy took Dre’s hand and squeezed it. “But if you would visit me at the bookstore, I’d be thrilled. If you want, you can come to the next book club meeting. It’s next week and we’re discussing the concept of the hero. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”
Dre stared at Sammy…then he stared some more. A human without a wish. That was an absolute novelty. It piqued his interest in Sammy in a way he had never felt before.
“Thank you for the invitation. I’d love to come. Do I need to read a certain book?”
“We took The Chronicles of Corum as our base, so to speak, but the discussion has already moved to more general grounds.”
“I’m going to read it. I want to be prepared.” Dre looked around. “Do you have any idea where we are?”
Sammy nodded. “It’s the old industrial block of Beaconville. It was built in the sixties, when they found oil here, but the field was so small that it dried up within ten years. The factories were closed and, for some reason, the people who lived here left as well. Most of them moved to the southern part of Beaconville. Anyway, we have to go in that direction”—he pointed—“to get to the road. Perhaps we can stop a car, but I doubt it. It’s too late for that. I’m afraid we have to walk the entire way.”
Dre split his lips into a smile. Since Sammy had relaxed so obviously, he could risk showing off a bit. “You’re with a demon. We don’t walk.” He pulled Sammy against his body. “Imagine your kitchen.”
The picture of a small, yet tidy kitchen with white tiles on the wall, a scrubbed wooden floor and a trim of ornate flowers flashed through Dre’s mind. Demons weren’t really able to read minds, but when a human concentrated on something, they could pick up on it. Dre used the picture as his map and simply stepped into its counterpart in reality. Sammy gasped softly in his arms and looked around as if he had never seen his own kitchen before.
“Wow. How did you do that? I could get used to traveling this way.”
Dre chuckled. “That’s a secret.” When he saw the disappointment in Sammy’s face, he hastened to add, “But I can take you on a trip next time we meet, okay?”
“Okay.” Sammy smiled a bit nervously. “I’d ask you to stay and have a coffee with me, but I’m afraid I’m too tired.” He looked down on the floor, an adorable blush on his cheeks. “But I’d love to see you again—if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. I mean, how can I say no to somebody who likes Speed and manga? We have an obligation to find out what else we have in common.”
Dre was surprised to find that he meant what he said. He wanted to find out more about Sammy.
“So…see you tomorrow?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
He winked at Sammy, cut time and space open and vanished.
Chapter Three
“Sammy? Sammy, are you okay, dear? You look horrible!”
Mavis’ soft voice pried Sammy from the trance he had fallen in in front of the coffeemaker. He was so tired that it took all his willpower to force his eyes open. After Dre had left him the night before, Sammy hadn’t been able to get any sleep at all—not because he wasn’t exhausted, but because every time he closed his eyes, he saw Dre’s handsome face and delicious body, which was unnerving, to put it mildly.
Sammy knew he wasn’t perfect boyfriend material. He was too shy, neither flashy nor twinky, and his two-colored eyes were often considered weird. Add to that his tendency to either say nothing at all or bury his conversational partners under an avalanche of knowledge nobody needed to know—as the heating-blanket blabbering had evidenced—and he was probably the very definition of an anti-date, if a thing like that existed. Getting a crush on a demon who was so far out of his league that he’d need the Hubble telescope to see him was counterproductive to finding ‘some nice boy’, as Maribell had stated the day before. The only problem was that there were probably no ‘nice boys’ out there who would even think about going out with him, not if they weren’t drugged.
Sammy could practically watch his self-esteem going down the drain. It was never that stable to begin with, but after the events of the past night, it had taken a nosedive. Maribell and the others were right, though. He needed to get a life outside the bookstore. Sammy was also pretty sure that having the hots for a demon wasn’t what Maribell had had in mind either. There was also no avoiding telling Mavis what had happened, because the woman was like a bloodhound when it came to the embarrassing private parts of his life.
“I’m fine, Mavis. Just tired. I had an interesting night.”
“Discussing the concept of the hero? Please!” Mavis snorted in a very un-ladylike way.
“No, afterward. I got abducted and—”
“Sammy, if this is a prank, you’d better stop it now. If not, I need something the person who did it has touched.”
Sammy actually felt a chill going down his spine at the change of tone in Mavis’ voice. She might look like a nice old grandma with her gray hair, the old-fashioned clothes—she was actually wearing a plaited apron over her light blue floral dress today—and the ever-present basket with her knitting, but underneath that reassuring exterior hid a powerful witch who could kill with a look…literally.
“No, there’s no need for that. As I said, I was abducted, but I don’t know who did it. And I don’t want you to go ballistic on an innocent.”
“Don’t you worry about innocents, dear. I would always verify first.” The smile on Mavis’ lips was a little odd, as if a shark and a granny were doing it at the same time and somebody had overlaid the two pictures. Sammy was glad to be on her good side.
“Anyway, when I woke, I was in some derelict room somewhere in the old industrial block, my hands tied, and there was this huge demon who scared my kidnappers away, freed me then carried me out of the building.”
“Sammy! How do you always end up in situations like this? A demon? Really?”
/> “Hey! It wasn’t me who summoned him!”
“And you will never try… Understand? Demons are a complicated lot and it’s sheer luck you’re still alive. What happened?”
“He didn’t want to devour my soul, if that’s what you’re asking. He’s pretty nice, actually. And he knows Speed.”
Mavis rolled her eyes. She looked very serious when she finally spoke. “Sammy, he may have been nice yesterday, but you should never trust a demon. They see the world very differently from us, and you can never tell what will make them laugh and like you or throw them into a rage and eviscerate you. A demon on a rampage is not a pretty sight.”
“So, uhm, you’re saying it was a bad idea to invite him over for our next book club meeting?”
“You did what?” Mavis’ voice increased in volume. Sammy gazed around quickly, but the shop was empty. “Sammy, are you aware that not even Maribell’s and my powers combined are a match against a demon? None of us can protect you, or ourselves, for that matter, if he decides he rather wants to bath in your blood than discuss a book.”
Sammy shook his head. “No, Mavis. Dre is nice. He would never—”
“Dre? Is that his name? Never heard of a demon called Dre.” Mavis furrowed her forehead. “Perhaps you have only imagined everything? That would be great. Well, I suppose not so much in terms of your mental health, but I’d rather find you a good shrink than have you playing with a demon.”
Sammy looked down at his hands. He felt like a three-year-old who’d just got scolded by his granny for trying to pick out hot chestnuts from the oven without gloves. “Uhm… I guess now is a bad time to tell you that Dre is just short for Dresalantion?”
The look on Mavis’ face would have been priceless if Sammy hadn’t picked up on her obvious worry by then, which in turn made him re-evaluate everything that had happened the night before. Dre had seemed so nice. And nobody that good-looking could be evil, right?
“Did you just say Dresalantion?”
Sammy nodded miserably. “Yes. Who is he?”
“Just the second son of the demon king.” Mavis waved her hand dismissively, but Sammy could see a hint of fear in her lively blue eyes. “You need to tell me exactly what happened between the two of you. Don’t leave anything out!”
Sammy gulped. All of a sudden, inviting Dre to the bookstore didn’t seem like such a good idea anymore. Why did these things always happen to him? It was almost as if he had a big neon sign over his head, saying You’re a dangerous, paranormal creature looking for some fun? Come here! It had all started after he’d bought the bookshop and sometimes it made Sammy wonder if something was wrong with the building, though it did seem pretty normal all the time. There definitely weren’t any ghosts living there—just Jon in the cellar, but he paid rent, so Sammy was sure that didn’t count. On the other hand, zombies were dead as well, so perhaps it did count and nobody had bothered telling Sammy. He had to ask Jon if he sometimes felt the urge to walk around the house rattling some chains.
“Sammy, focus, please!”
Mavis’ voice reminded Sammy that he hadn’t answered her question yet. He took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts.
“As I said, I woke when Dre scared my kidnappers off. Naturally, I was afraid at first, but when he approached me, he said he would never harm an innocent. Then he cut the rope around my wrists and carried me downstairs. We talked about Speed and Japanese manga, and he offered to grant me a wish, saying he was already here anyway.”
“He offered to grant you a wish? No strings attached?” Mavis looked stunned.
“Dre said it was because I made him laugh and didn’t judge him, despite my fear.”
“What did you wish for?” There was something in Mavis’ eyes that told him she already knew the answer and felt sorry for him. She patted his forearm with her warm hand. Sammy felt tears welling up and a sob blocking his throat. With all his willpower, he fought down the grief over the loss of his parents. Five years and he still missed them as if it had only happened yesterday.
“I didn’t wish for anything. I know the dead can’t be brought back, and there’s nothing else I need badly enough to use magic to get it. I know those things always come with a price.”
“Which is always more than you can afford, especially when it comes to wishes—and even more so when it’s a demon granting it.” Mavis sighed. “There’s nothing much we can do at the moment, except hope and pray to any deity who might listen that he’s already lost interest in you.”
Sammy didn’t know why, but the thought of Dre losing interest in him made his stomach twist.
“Is he really that dangerous?”
Mavis tapped her right index finger against her lower lip, a sign that she was considering her answer very carefully.
“I haven’t heard anything bad about Dresalantion yet. He seems to be okay for a demon. The problem is that, unlike werewolves, vampires or any of the other paranormal beings who live among humans, demons have absolutely no human traits, and they aren’t close enough to humans to understand their motives and vice versa. Whenever a human gets killed by a demon, it’s mostly not because demons are naturally aggressive. They are, but they are good at holding back. No, usually there’s some kind of misunderstanding involved that would never occur, say, with a shifter. Demons are more or less immortal and often bored out of their mind. In their eyes, humans are a source of entertainment. If Dresalantion has offered to grant you a wish without any strings attached, then I think his interest in you might be real. Still, we need to be very careful. Do you understand?”
Sammy nodded, a bit dazed. He couldn’t remember when Mavis had last spoken so seriously to him, if ever.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She patted his arm. “It’s fine, Sammy. What’s done is done. Let’s see how well your demon can adapt to our little group. And, dear, you should get some sleep. The way you look at the moment, not even those sex-crazed hunks on Grindr would want to have a piece of you, which is a shame.”
She winked, picked up her basket and was out of the door before Sammy could react to that painfully accurate non-compliment. He wondered if, and when, Dre would come today and if he had the time to put some cucumber slices on his eyes. They were supposed to make eyes look all young and vital. Or is that teabags? And which tea? Wet or dry? Surely not dry? Though it hardly mattered, because Sammy knew the moment he closed his eyes, he would instantly fall asleep. He had to find something to keep him awake. Thinking about Mavis’ words sure helped, since he felt torn. His rational mind told him to listen to Mavis and trust her. She was an experienced witch, who no doubt knew better than him about the dangers of the paranormal world. His gut argued that Dre had been nothing but nice and deserved the same chance Sammy had given the other members of his paranormal social circle. His libido wanted to know why he even contemplated backing away from the finest male he had met in…ever.
Sammy was not an aggressive suitor, never had been. Thanks to his loving parents, he had come to terms with his sexuality almost immediately after he’d realized that he wasn’t like most of the other boys, who liked girls. He had crushed on guys during high-school and college but had never gone farther than a hand job. Somehow it hadn’t felt right, and his father had reassured him to do these things in his own time. Now Sammy was a twenty-five-year-old virgin with more emotional baggage than people his age should have, attracted to a hundreds-year-old demon who probably saw him as nothing more than an amusing distraction along the way.
Sammy groaned inwardly. When it came to dampening his mood, nobody did a better job than he did.
The wind chimes he had hung up instead of the usual bell let out its musical tones, alerting Sammy to a customer. When he looked up, his breath caught in his throat. In broad daylight Dre looked even better than he had the night before. He wore faded blue jeans, heavy biker boots that looked well-worn and a sinfully tight, black long-sleeve that hugged his upper body like a second skin. Sammy itched to touch the
demon and see for himself if the shamelessly displayed muscles were as hard as they seemed. Dre’s lips curved upward in a bright smile, and for a moment, Sammy saw a flash of fang, reminding him that he was dealing with a non-human, potentially dangerous person, not just an unbelievably good-looking hunk. The sharp teeth would have probably intimidated him more if he hadn’t gotten used to seeing them on a regular basis from Declan, Troy and Emilia. As terrifying as it had been the first few times, now it was part of his reality. Sammy smiled back.
“Hello, Dre. I wasn’t sure if you’d come.”
For a moment Dre appeared to be confused. “I said I would. And hello, Sammy. It’s nice to see you again, though I have to say you look a bit tired. Yesterday must have been stressful for you.”
“No, it’s fine. I just couldn’t sleep because I was so excited. And now I’m contemplating if it’s a good idea to have another cup of coffee.”
Dre seemed to mull this over. “How many have you had already?”
Sammy sighed. “Don’t ask. I stopped counting when I reached my fourth latte. That much coffee can’t be good.”
“You’re right. I’m not much of a coffee drinker myself, but I know humans have a different reaction.”
The word ‘human’ reminded Sammy of what Mavis had told him about demons. He felt torn, and it must have shown on his face, because Dre looked at him sharply.
“Sammy? Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry if I offended you. It’s just—”
The obvious concern in Dre’s voice made Sammy feel guilty and he raised his hand to stop the demon from saying more.
“No, that’s not it. I’m used to the way paranormals refer to humans. It’s just… You know, one of my witch friends was here before you came and, well, she said demons are dangerous. She got very nervous when I told her you’d come today, and believe me… There’s not much that can make her nervous. But I like you, a lot, and now my brain’s having a discussion with my heart and… I’m really fucking this up, aren’t I?” Sammy shot Dre a reproachful look. The demon was clearly trying hard not to laugh and failing miserably. He made several attempts to speak and finally managed after a serious coughing fit.