Page 22 of Craving Demons

Ick, I wouldn’t want to have the job of dealing with this, but then, this was a bar, I supposed sick did happen and someone had to clean it up.

Water sprayed out from Maera’s fingers over the soiled carpet and shoes, and me. I felt a fine mist on my face and hair, cool and refreshing, and the water Maera controlled gently washed the grossness away. Then it seemed to pick itself up — pulling the wetness from the carpet and my face and those shoes — to gather into a floating ball. Everything was clean and dry, and the mess was literally floating away.

“All clean,” Maera said. Her voice was breathy and soft.

“Thank you,” I said, mesmerized by this strange power, but still very thankful for it. I only wished she could wash out my mouth, but I wasn’t going to ask for that.

Maera smiled and rose, taking her floating ball of water and… other stuff… away.

Harmonia had risen and returned with a glass of water. “Here.”

I drank, which helped to soothe the burn in my throat. “Thank you.”

She helped me up and got me back into a chair while Krystal hung out at the back of the room.

“Where was I?” Harmonia asked as she sat behind her desk once again.

“Thatgod,” I prompted.

“Oh, yes, right. Well,Hecame along and had a really good marketing campaign. Part ofHisdoctrine was to separate the world into good and evil.He’sthe one who separated the daemon into angels and demons.Hisdaemon, they were good — according toHim— and called angels. All the other daemonsHedeemed evil and became demons. But in truth, very few of us daemons are truly evil. We’re like humans in that respect. Some are goody-two-shoes, some are true motherfuckers, and most are somewhere in between. And we look like you because we always have. It wasHisdoctrine that made daemons into devils with pitchforks and red skin, living in hellfire.”

“Oh,” I said nodding as if all of that had been perfectly logical. In truth, it had at least been easy to follow, but the entire basis behind it: that gods and angels and demons — or whatever — were real was ludicrous. I’d fallen off the good-Catholic-girl train a long time ago, though I wasn’t opposed to dressing up as one for a little roleplay.

“And I’m a sex demon?” I asked, then quickly corrected myself seeing her about to do so. “Daemon, I mean. A sex daemon.”

Harmonia shrugged. “I can only assume so, given what you’re making me feel.”

I blinked. “What I’m makingyoufeel? Are you into women?”

She gave a breathy laugh. “I’m from the Greek pantheon, we’re… flexible. But that’s not really the point. It’s more like your power makes people feel sexy. It makes them want to have sex… if there happens to be someone around they find appealing.”

“And is that why that man in the elevator was all over me?”

Harmonia nodded. “Yes.” She then raised a brow. “Although, that was Ramsey, and he’s pretty horny to begin with.”

“Is he a sex daemon too?” I was curious. “Because I felt like I really needed to… ah…” Yeah, that was too much information.

“No. Ramsey is the Lord of Strife and Conflict. But I’m guessing his natural chaotic nature probably befuddled your power enough that it was working on you as well.”

Lord of Strife and Conflict? What the fuck?

“When you say lord…?”

“I mean daemon lord, more like a daemon prince actually.”

“Yeah…” I drew out the word.

“You still don’t believe any of this? Even after everything you’ve seen?”

“Ah…” That was the trouble. I know what I’d seen and felt, but a large part of me was still thinking maybe someone had spiked my dinner with ’shrooms and I was tripping balls right now.

Harmonia sighed. “Well, let’s hypothetically say that we’re all daemons here and that you have power. And let’s hypothetically say that your power is just a little out of control at the moment. If that were the case, then I’m here to help you get it under control.”

“Ah… thanks? That’s very kind of you.”I think.

“For now, since we’re still speaking hypothetically and you’re probably not ready to do much yourself, I’m going to use a bit of my power on you. It won’t be like before. I’ll be targeting just your power to calm it a little. Would you be okay with that?”

“Ah… sure?”