Page 10 of A Date With Demons

She shrugs. “I guess.”

“I’m joking. See, I don’t think you’re going to snitch on us because it would be terrible if Magda found out you were summoning demons.”

She juts out her bottom lip, her chin trembling. “Magda’s dead. She died last year.”

I do not know what to do with whatever human emotion that is. Cursing, I pull Rewd to one side. “I think we hurt the little girl’s feelings.”

“We do not care about feelings.”

“I know. I mean, I don’t care-care. I just… it’s annoying.”

“Very,” Rewd agrees.

“It stands in the way of our purpose here.”

“Which is what?”

I press a hand to his shoulder. “To have fun, friend.”

The big oaf’s shoulders slump a little. “I… don’t remember fun.”

Glancing back to our pretty little situation, the witch’s chin trembles, and her eyes are beginning to water. I can’t watch this.I turn back to Rewd, the big sad boy. The witch’s feelings alone are bad for my nerves. My throat feels tight, and I can’t seem to let go of his shoulder. I don’t wanna feel sorry for the guy. I refuse. If he doesn’t get summoned for fun activities, that’s not my problem.

“I got you, bro,” I tell him.

“Bro,” he repeats, with a deep nod of his chin.

The ache I feel at the wary trust in his eyes.

The little witch is correct. We’re not supposed to form community. No one-on-one attachments, not with humans or with fellow demons.

But despite all of that, the big demon is my friend. And it makes me happy when he looks at me.

Turning back to our witch, I say, “I’m sorry. Let me start over. We won’t hurt you; that’s the most important thing. Unless…you want us to hurt you.” I arch a mischievous eyebrow at the suggestion.

I wait for that to register. “If I…want you to hurt me?”

She’s not getting it. Poor thing.

“Rewd, we got ourselves a virgin.”

The witch lets out an affronted squeak, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What’s your name, little one?”

She hesitates, then tells me.

It is the prettiest name for an even prettier witch.

“Portia, baby, do you have any idea what a succubus is?”

Her forehead furrows adorably. “Kind of?”

Oh, she has no clue.

“We’re not here to eat you,” I explain. “A succubus drains your life force through seduction. Sex, baby. It’s all about the sex.”

Portia glances up at me, her gaze shifting between me and the big guy, Rewd.