Page 19 of Cuddly Demon

"I tracked the energy signature of your magic. You're not able to hide from me, brother."

I stare at my brother, unable to believe my luck. As the oldest in the family, Moloch's always been the most responsible one. He's blue-skinned like me, but he has a beer belly, one that he refuses to get rid of. He's never been one to conform to society's beauty standards, that's for sure.

I love that about him. I learned a lot about loving myself the way I was from Moloch, and accepting my body. He's a great older brother.

Moloch grins. "So, what have you been up to? And—where the hell have you been?"

"I was trapped in an Etruscan mausoleum called the Tomb of the Blue Demons for three thousand years. My last master refused to pay up, and I just got out recently. I'm with a human now—Saint. His summoning spell freed me."

Moloch's eyes widen. "You're with a new master? Are you serious, brother?"

"I'm protecting him."

He shakes his head. "This is crazy. I never thought you'd fall for a human again."

"You know how it is. It's very difficult not to fall for the master who summons you."

My brother's eyes twinkle. "I can tell you're smitten with him. I can feel it in your energy."

I snort. "Yeah, okay. I am."

Moloch claps his hands. "This is great news. I'm happy for you. I'm sure your master is a great guy."

My heart swells as I think of Saint. Perfect in every way is the least apt way to describe him.

I nod. "He is. He's kind, caring, and he's helping me adjust to the modern world. I've learned about brownies, Zebra cakes, drag queens, and so much more. I'm still adapting, but I'm getting there."

Moloch smiles. "Love always finds a way. No matter the circumstances, you have to trust that love will prevail. Just like in ancient times. Love always wins, no matter what."

I smile. He's right. Love has a way of conquering all odds. I know that.

"Tell me what you and the rest of the clan has been up to." I hand a pool cue to Moloch.

He fires off a shot, then blows blue chalk off the tip of the cue. "I'm not sure where Azazel is. Me and Asmodeus settled in a small town near Naples. We've been able to build a life there away from humans. We have a few businesses, and we grow vegetables on our own farm. Things have gotten worse over the past thousand years, brother. We've got to make sure that no one ever finds out about our existence."

I furrow my brow. "How have things gotten worse?"

"People in ancient times were far more accepting of our kind, even if it didn't seem like it then. Since new religions came into existence, people formed witch hunts to go after paranormal creatures. They've altered the notion of Hell to one that's cruel, filled with evil beings. We used to try to raise awareness about their lies, but now it's become too dangerous, so we try to stay under the radar. We stay out of sight. We don't want to get into any trouble. It's dangerous."

My stomach churns. I figured it was bad, but I didn't quite realize how bad it was.

"That's awful."

Moloch sighs. "It's a scary world, brother. I just hope that you and your master will be able to stay safe. I'm sure you two will be able to find a way."

"We will."

"How will you extract payment from your last master who locked you in the tomb?"

"I'll need the help of you and the others, of course. My old master must be long dead, but I'm sure his descendants still have the means to make good on his debt."

Moloch nods. "We'll do our best to help. We owe it to you." He grasps my shoulder. "It's great to see you, brother. I'm happy you were able to make it out and I hope you find your true love in the process. I'm glad you're alright."

I smile. "Me too. Now, let's get back to our game of billiards."

Moloch and I reminisce about our days back in Etruria, and the adventures we used to have. It's nice to catch up with my brother.

When we finish our game and he departs, he leaves me with a hug and a few words of wisdom. I feel a little lighter, and I'm grateful that I got to spend some time with my brother.