“To be honest, I don’t know what my secret is. I guess I kind of attract paranormal beings. As you may have guessed already, I’ve always been a nerd, the kind who reads all kinds of books and knows stuff nobody else is interested in, so, therefore, has no friends or social life to speak of. After my parents died, I opened a bookstore, and before I knew it, I was the go-to specialist for antique occult books and Japanese manga. Don’t ask me how those go together because I myself don’t know. It just happened. I started a book club with two adorable older ladies who turned out to be witches. Within a year, a zombie, two werewolves, a banshee and a vampire joined. The zombie now lives in my cellar behind his computer and only comes out for the meetings. Two weeks ago, the banshee tried to kill us all with ballistic pastries. I still haven’t found out what she had planned to bake originally, because those lumps of blackened sugar could have been anything. The vampire comes from an old European coven and is training to become a carpenter, of all things. The werewolves are alphas without a pack who make more money in a week than most people see their entire lives and they have a secret crush on Jane Austen.” Sammy took a deep breath. “As you can see, I’m used to oddness. I knew demons existed, but I always thought you liked to stick to your own kind…like old vampires.”
Dre couldn’t believe it. He stared at Sammy open-mouthed. “You deal with Japanese manga? There are a few I want to get my hands on.”
Sammy’s face lit up. If there had been any fear still lingering, it was apparently completely gone now, evaporated in the joy of sharing a hobby.
“You like them too? Great. Why don’t you come over to my shop sometime and we’ll see what I can do for you?”
Dre grinned happily. “Deal. And since we’re talking about favors already…”
“Are we?” Sammy lifted a brow.
“Man, if you can get me the manga I’m after, we’re definitely talking favors. Big ones. Anyway, since I’m here and in a good mood, I’ll grant you a wish. How does that sound?”
“A wish?”
“Yes, you know… As in, tell me what you want, and I do it for you…the reason why humans summon demons.”
Sammy appeared to be confused by Dre’s generous—and completely atypical—offer, even though the boy probably didn’t know how unheard of it was for a demon to offer something freely. “First of all, I thought it was djinns who grant wishes, not demons. And second, from what I saw, the spell wasn’t done correctly. Why would you freely offer me something that is usually taken from you by force?” There was a tenderness in Sammy’s voice that touched something deep inside Dre, yet another layer to the mystery Sammy posed. He cleared his throat to mask how moved he was.
“Well, you’re right about the djinns. Wishes as such are their business, but you can’t summon a djinn. You have to find their lamp, which is quite difficult. The things people want from demons are usually a bit more—let’s call it ‘hands-on’—but the principle is the same, basically. Not that I’m anything like a djinn… They’re nasty. Devious. Cunning. I’m nice…or try to be. And as to why I would be willing to grant your wish, it’s because you’re a victim in this, because you quotedSpeed, which happens to be one of my favorite movies, because you made me laugh and because you didn’t let your initial fear cloud your judgment about me. You gave me a chance and trusted me. That doesn’t happen often…like never.”
Sammy sighed deeply. The smile he gave Dre was bittersweet. “That’s very nice of you, Dre. Unfortunately, the only thing I really wish for cannot be granted by even the most powerful demon. As for everything else, I’m happy. There’s nothing I need or want so badly that I would ask you to give it to me.” Sammy took Dre’s hand and squeezed it. “But if you would visit me at the bookstore, I’d be thrilled. If you want, you can come to the next book club meeting. It’s next week and we’re discussing the concept of the hero. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”
Dre stared at Sammy…then he stared some more.A human without a wish. That was an absolute novelty. It piqued his interest in Sammy in a way he had never felt before.
“Thank you for the invitation. I’d love to come. Do I need to read a certain book?”
“We tookThe Chronicles of Corumas our base, so to speak, but the discussion has already moved to more general grounds.”
“I’m going to read it. I want to be prepared.” Dre looked around. “Do you have any idea where we are?”
Sammy nodded. “It’s the old industrial block of Beaconville. It was built in the sixties, when they found oil here, but the field was so small that it dried up within ten years. The factories were closed and, for some reason, the people who lived here left as well. Most of them moved to the southern part of Beaconville. Anyway, we have to go in that direction”—he pointed—“to get to the road. Perhaps we can stop a car, but I doubt it. It’s too late for that. I’m afraid we have to walk the entire way.”
Dre split his lips into a smile. Since Sammy had relaxed so obviously, he could risk showing off a bit. “You’re with a demon. We don’t walk.” He pulled Sammy against his body. “Imagine your kitchen.”
The picture of a small, yet tidy kitchen with white tiles on the wall, a scrubbed wooden floor and a trim of ornate flowers flashed through Dre’s mind. Demons weren’t really able to read minds, but when a human concentrated on something, they could pick up on it. Dre used the picture as his map and simply stepped into its counterpart in reality. Sammy gasped softly in his arms and looked around as if he had never seen his own kitchen before.
“Wow. How did you do that? I could get used to traveling this way.”
Dre chuckled. “That’s a secret.” When he saw the disappointment in Sammy’s face, he hastened to add, “But I can take you on a trip next time we meet, okay?”
“Okay.” Sammy smiled a bit nervously. “I’d ask you to stay and have a coffee with me, but I’m afraid I’m too tired.” He looked down on the floor, an adorable blush on his cheeks. “But I’d love to see you again—if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. I mean, how can I say no to somebody who likesSpeedand manga? We have an obligation to find out what else we have in common.”
Dre was surprised to find that he meant what he said. Hewantedto find out more about Sammy.
“So…see you tomorrow?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow.”
He winked at Sammy, cut time and space open and vanished.
Chapter Three
“Sammy? Sammy, are you okay, dear? You look horrible!”
Mavis’ soft voice pried Sammy from the trance he had fallen in in front of the coffeemaker. He was so tired that it took all his willpower to force his eyes open. After Dre had left him the night before, Sammy hadn’t been able to get any sleep at all—not because he wasn’t exhausted, but because every time he closed his eyes, he saw Dre’s handsome face and delicious body, which was unnerving, to put it mildly.
