“Neither is fucking your client.” He grinned wolfishly. “Let’s call it even, eh?”
I chuckled as Sagitta pouted. Then he shook his head. “I—I knew Faust was powerful, but I had no idea he was...”
Hartford crossed his arms. “I didn’t want to tell you boys since it might give you stage fright. It’s not every day an exorcist deals with a demon lord. Not that you’d ever win that fight, of course.”
Sagitta blinked slowly. It looked like a million thoughts were racing through his head. “Then... you’re saying it was all moot? That I wouldn’t have been able to exorcise Faust, no matter what I did?”
“Nope,” Hartford agreed.
“And Cygnet wouldn’t have been able to do it, either?”
“Highly doubt it.” Hartford glanced at Faust. “Anyway, I summoned that demon to challenge you. After you protected Chase in my office, I figured you were just shielding your host. I assumed you’d let Sagitta eat shit if it meant saving your own skin.”
Hartford’s steel gaze didn’t waver as he stared Faust down. “If that happened, you’d be a proven danger to humans, and I’d be forced to intervene.”
Faust smiled.
Hartford smirked back. “But you didn’t abandon him. You actually saved his life.”
From Faust’s peripheral vision, I saw Sagitta looking at him. At us. Gratitude shone in his eyes.
“Hold on. You knew Faust was dangerous, but you let him walk around anyway?” Sagitta asked.
Hartford shook his head. “I never said he was dangerous. Not all demons are malicious. That’s why I tested him. I wanted to know the truth.”
Faust’s tail flicked back and forth. “My, you are knowledgeable, aren’t you, doctor?” he asked, amused.
Hartford winked. “I know a thing or two.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Sagitta pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a long breath from his nostrils. “If you’d told me a week ago that demons could be anything other than pure evil, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he mumbled.
Faust broke into a toothy grin. “And now, darling?”
“It’s no question that you’re annoying,” Sagitta said. “But I’m starting to change my mind.”
Hartford put out his cigarette. “To be frank, it’s good you were the one Faust picked to bother. Cygnet wouldn’t have accepted this so easily. He’s too set in his ways.”
“Yeah,” Sagitta agreed, sighing. “I know.”
Hartford rolled his shoulders. “Now what, o demon lord? You gonna hand over that boy’s body, or keep taking it for a joy ride?”
Faust scoffed. “Joy ride? Please. I barely got to have any fun. He wouldn’t even let me eat all the donuts I wanted.” Hegestured to Sagitta. “Besides, I was barely around since all these two did was have sex. So shameless!”
Instantly, Sagitta’s face flushed pink. “Faust!”
“And the poor guy probably still had a boner during that entire goat demon altercation—”
“Okay, that’s enough, thanks,” Sagitta snapped. “Can you bring Chase back out, please?”
Faust winked. “Since you asked so nicely.”
My reality tilted. One second, I was a disembodied voice in my own mind, and the next, I was thrust back into control of my body. In the blink of an eye, Faust’s demonic features receded, leaving me as a normal human again. It was disorienting, and I swayed as I came to.
Sagitta rushed over to support me. I leaned on him gratefully.
“Hey,” I said, grinning.
“Hi,” he replied with a shy smile.
