Page 43 of Hurts So Good

“Shall I book you all for another fantasy for this time next year, then?” The bald man was tall but clean-shaven and dressed in such an old-world Butler suit that it was almost hard to take him seriously.

Ronin touched my shoulder.

“You know, I’m in.” His deep voice rolled through me, making me shudder. I’d missed his touch.

“I’m in, too,” I said, grinning back at him.

“Mistress Tru?” The Butler bowed toward her.

“Hell, yes, we’re in.” Tru smiled, and Ari nodded her consent as well.

“Perfect. You all have one month to reply with your wish for your next fantasy endeavor. Charles will be waiting for your call at Fantasy.com headquarters. And as always, it was our pleasure to serve you.” He set a top hat on his head and quietly slipped out the front door.

“So, who’s hungry?” Ronin clapped his hands together. “The grill in the back is waiting to be used.”

“Me,” I said. “Beer?”

“Yep.”

EPILOGUE

The Butler

“Henry, we need to keep serving the humans.”

“But, Madame Dai, we are seriously delving deeper into our magical well to keep their fantasies going. The seers have foreseen a problem in the near future.”

Madame leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, thinking. Turning, I walked to her fridge and grabbed her a blood-rot berry martini. It was clear she needed her strength. Yes. I knew that I worried about her too much sometimes, but Madame didn’t deserve to be the Sin of Wrath. She was too good to be a demon.

The End For Now.