Zach made his displeasure with Drew known for the rest of the day, ignoring him completely, hissing at him whenever he had to open his backpack, and one time even taking a swipe at his arm when he reached inside. It put Drew in a bad mood, and they were both furious when they finally got back to the apartment that evening and Zach transformed back into his humanoid self. “What the fuck is your problem?” Drew snapped, holding up his arm to display the three long scratches along his pale forearm.
“My problem?” Zach snarled. “You’remy problem!”
“How do you figure that?”
“Because you’re a stubborn child who refuses to take care of himself!”
“And why exactly do you think that’syourproblem?” Drew demanded, breathing hard, too angry to even argue about being called a child when he was only a few months shy of twenty.
“Because if you haven’t noticed, I’m bound to you, you moron!” Zach shouted. “If you pass out from malnutrition, there’s very little I can do about it unless there’s something within ten feet to help you! What part of we’re stuck with one another did you not understand? You need to take care of yourself, at least for my sake while I’m here, and that means eating during the day!”
“And what part of ‘not everyone is rolling in money and can afford to eat at the overpriced university cafeteria’ doyounotunderstand?” Drew shouted back. He’d be lucky if his neighbours didn’t complain about the noise.
Zach whipped his credit card out of his pocket and threw it down on the small table. “That was in your backpack the entire day. There’s more than enough credit on it to buy a damn sandwich!”
“I don’t need your charity or your pity!”
“Then what is it you need, Drew? Hmmm?” Zach stalked forward and with one sharp yank, he ripped the shirt off Drew’s chest, leaving him exposed to the room.
Drew gulped as his nipples immediately tightened and his cock twitched. Zach ripping his shirt off was way hotter than it had any right to be, especially since he didn’t have many shirts to spare. Dammit. He’d have to go to the thrift store to find another.
Zach’s eyes gentled as he placed a hand against Drew’s prominent ribs and sternum. “You’re skin and bone, Drew, and you’re on the verge of collapse. Please let me help you.”
“Why?” Drew whispered, his voice close to breaking. “Why does a demon care about what happens to me?”
Zach looked conflicted, like he wanted to answer but he couldn’t. He opened and closed his mouth several times and then finally managed to say, “I just do, okay.”
“I don’t understand,” Drew confessed. “You seem to be invested in my health, saying that it’s because you’re bound to me, but then you don’t seem at all interested in helping me find a way to send you back? It doesn’t make sense, Zach.”
“I’m a demon, kid. I’m notsupposedto make sense.”
Suddenly feeling dizzy and shaky, Drew slumped down into one of the chairs at the table. “This is all so confusing.”
A warm hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. “I know. Now, can we please have dinner? You might not be hungry, but I’d really like something to eat.”
“What?” Drew gasped out. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I didn’t think your stubbornness would appreciate me guilting you into eating.”
Drew let his head fall onto his arms, hiding his face. “I’m screwing this all up, aren’t I?”
“We just have to figure out a way to cohabit for a while,” Zach said. “I’m sure we’ll come to some sort of arrangement.”
Knowing he should bring up the issue of finding the spell to send Zach back, but holding back for some inexplicable reason, Drew simply nodded. “Would you like me to make some pasta for dinner?” he said as a peace offering.
“Sure, that sounds good,” Zach agreed, his warm hand still lingering on Drew’s shoulder. When he stood to go and find a new shirt so he could make a start on dinner and the hand fell away, a small part of him felt bereft.
Zach lay in bed that night, watching Drew under the soft purple glow of the gem. The salty tang of cheap pasta sauce lingered on his tongue and he wondered how on earth Drew had survived for as long as he had, living like this. Over the pasta dish that could onlyjustbe called edible, Zach had questioned Drew about his studies and his life, trying to learn more. He was studying under a scholarship, and one of the stipulations was that he had to devote himself entirely to his studies, which meant he wasn’t allowed to work. The scholarship came with an allowance, but it only just covered the rent and bills and left very little for anything else. When Zach had questioned why he didn’t live on campus, since it would be cheaper, Drew told him how it was a compromise he’d come to with his Aunt Hariett. She was a nurse and had seen too many universitystudents in the Emergency Department for alcohol poisoning or drug overdoses, and she was terrified that if he lived in the student accommodation, he’d fall prey to the wrong crowd. She paid half his rent, but with the cost-of-living crisis, rent still took up most of Drew’s allowance.
Zach had always been curious—some would call it nosy—and he’d prodded for more information about Drew’s past. Apparently, he used to live in Edmonton, but he’d been orphaned at a young age thanks to an icy road and a drunk driver. Drew had been uprooted from everything he’d ever known to move across the country to live with his father’s sister on the island, just out of Victoria. His aunt had welcomed him with open arms, but she wasn’t well off and she’d struggled to keep a roof over their heads at times. Reading between the lines, Zach knew the scarce meals had begun long before Drew had moved to Nanaimo and started university.
Under the pale glow of the gem, the sharp contours of Drew’s body cast deep shadows over his milky skin. His tousled light-brown hair fell across his face, highlighting his sunken cheeks. Despite his emaciation, he was beautiful, and Zach wondered how Drew was so oblivious to his own attractiveness. He’d been surprised when Zach pointed out that his friend was flirting with him, acting as if it was some anomaly. Zach had watched all day and had seen the lustful glances thrown Drew’s way by students and faculty alike, to which Drew remained blind. He wondered if he’d also be blind to the flirty innuendo directed at him by Zach?
Reminding himself he’d vowed not to touch, Zach turned onto his back, forcing himself to look away from the tempting man beside him.
He rubbed a hand absently over the gem embedded above his heart, feeling the familiar ache there. Even after twelve hundred years, he was still not used to the weight of the gem holding him down as good as shackles. Bitterness flooded through him and he attempted to dismiss it, but it was hard to let it go. The betrayal he’d suffered had not only robbed him of his friends and family, but his very life. He’d once flown so high, only to find himself catapulted to the very depths of Hell. Not a day went by whenhe didn’t long to be allowed to return to his home, but as long as he was chained to the gem, there was no escaping his fate.
At least this summoning allowed him to escape, if only for a little while. He was still surprised that Drew had had the strength to summon him,by accidentof all things. Even some of the strongest magic users had failed in their attempts in the past, but this kid, with no training of his magical ability whatsoever, had done it whilst attempting to make soup. It was ludicrous, despite having its benefits. It made Zach begin to question what else Drew might be capable of. Could he possibly even be able to break the hold the gem had over Zach? Could he free Zach from his imprisonment?
