Sammy chuckled. “Looks tempting. To be honest, though, I think wereallyshould leave here. I’m not too sure how much weight the floor can still handle, and you’re awfully big. No offense.”
“None taken. Let’s get you out of here.”
Without waiting for Sammy’s response, Dre lifted him in his arms. He figured that was the fastest way to leave the building without using his usual means of transportation. Somehow Dre got the feeling Sammy wouldn’t appreciate a trip through time and space at this moment. Sammy yelped in surprise and slung his arms around Dre’s neck, which felt better than he cared to admit. It was also strangely comforting that Sammy seemed to feel safe enough to cling to him.
“Wow, your skin is almost burning.”
“Perks of being a demon. We’re never cold.”
“Like a heating blanket. Must be nice during cold nights.”
Dre raised a brow while he tried to move gracefully through all the debris scattered around the abandoned building. Now that he was out of that tiny room, he realized he was on the second floor, according to the faded sign on one of the walls. In his search for a staircase, he turned right, where the floor seemed to be a little less cluttered.
“Did you just compare me to an electric device?”
Dre could feel Sammy’s grin against the skin on his neck and couldn’t suppress his own. Sammy was obviously relaxing more and more in his company, and he liked it.
“You have to admit it’s kind of an obvious comparison. And heating blankets are a great invention, first used in the 1900s, but back then they were still kind of clunky and considered an oddity.”
Dre was so baffled by this completely superfluous piece of information that his mouth hung open. “An oddity?” was all he could say.
“Yes. They started getting more attention in 1921, when they were used to keep tuberculosis patients warm. From then on, the heating blanket started its triumphal march to popularity, and in 1936, the first automatic electric blanket was invented. That basic design didn’t change until 1984, when the first thermostat-free blanket was introduced to the market.”
“So I’m a thermostat-free blanket?” Against all odds, Dre was having fun with this. He was a sucker for useless knowledge himself, but he hadn’t known about the heating blanket.
“I’m not sure. Do demons have thermostats? It would make sense, since you’re so hot—no pun intended.”
Sammy obviously tried his hardest to sound serious, but there was a hint of laughter in his tone that Dre found almost irresistible. Sammy sure was an interesting human.
“You’re aware that I’m an almost-eight-hundred-year-old demon who just saved your skinny ass from being sacrificed and you want to know if I have a thermostat on my body?”
He must have sounded harsher than he’d intended, because Sammy shuddered, and Dre instantly regretted his words, even though he had meant them as a joke. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You must be in shock, and I blabber like an insensitive asshole.”
“It’s fine. Iamin shock, but I’m also known for having a terrible brain-to-mouth filter and being horribly inappropriate. And, if you haven’t noticed yet, I tend to divulge my wisdom when nervous. My social skills are abysmal. You did save me, so thank you…again. And I’m sorry for comparing you to a heating blanket.”
Dre pressed Sammy’s body a little closer to his chest when he finally found the stairs and started a slow, very careful descent toward the ground floor.
“I don’t mind. I wouldn’t mind being your heating blanket, if you wanted it.” It was a mild attempt at flirting, meant to distract, but Sammy seemed to take it quite seriously. He leaned back a bit to look directly into Dre’s eyes, his expression so serious that it fooled Dre until Sammy opened his mouth.
“You know, relationships based on intense experiences never last.”
The derelict staircase groaned when Dre came to an abrupt halt.
“Tell me you’re not quoting Annie fromSpeedhere!”
“I’m not quoting Annie fromSpeedhere,” Sammy deadpanned. Then he broke into a broad smile. “I’d have never guessed that a demon would know the film.”
“Are you kidding?” Dre started walking again, very mindful of where he was treading. “That film’s a classic. I’ve seen it at least fifty times.”
“So there are cinemas in hell?”
“Not to disappoint you, but I don’t live in hell—well, at least not the kind the Christians invented. It’s quite cozy, actually.” Dre hesitated, not sure how to breach the topic he wanted to talk about. “But I assume you probably knew that already. Drugs aside, you seem awfully relaxed for somebody who just narrowly escaped becoming a sacrifice and is now in the presence of a frightening, clearly non-human creature.”
“If I told you this was a side effect of the drugs, you wouldn’t believe me, would you?” There was a hint of laughter in Sammy’s voice. Okay, the boy obviously was over his initial fear. Mission accomplished.
“No. I’m a demon, not stupid. Out with it. What’s your secret?”
They reached the ground level, and after a quick look at the floor, Dre decided it was safe to let Sammy stand on his own feet. He did keep an arm around his waist, though, in case he got dizzy again. Sammy was apparently grateful for the support, because he placed his hand on Dre’s biceps when they started walking toward the exit of what must have been some kind of apartment block. And if Dre weren’t completely mistaken, which he rarely was, then Sammy had discreetly sniffed him while he’d put him down.
