“What's he going to do? Ground me?” I chuckle when he scowls. Dimitri's always been a stickler for the rules.
“Possible. Or send you down to level seven. No one wants that shit. You actually know what the hell you're doing.”
“No pun intended,” I mutter, and he scowls again. “If you keep making that face, it'll stick like that.”
“What happened up top? Why are you putting it off?”
I grimace as I glance around. No one's close enough to overhear us. Doesn't mean I want to actually tell Dimitri about my little witch.Not my little witch.My encounter withthewitch. If he spreads it around, I'll get even more shit about it. Humans, even of the witch variety, think we're petrifying. We are most of the time, though a lot of that is probably born from rumors. Demons are supposed to be unnerving and horrifying. Not that Clara seemed fazed by me.
“Okay, but if you say anything I'll set your room on fire,” I grumble.
He smirks, raising an eyebrow. “Do go on.”
“I was summoned by a witch.” I clear my throat.
“Holy fucking shit. A witch? Haven't seen one of those…oh wait. Yes, I have. Because them and fucking teenagers are the only ones who summon us.”
“Shut the fuck up and listen. She wanted me to open a jar.”
He narrows his eyes, then glances around slowly. “I thought it was a box.”
“What?” I pull back, searching my memories for a clue. “She isn't a descendent of Pandora. For fuck's sake. It was a jar of spaghetti sauce. Top was stuck, apparently.”
His dark lips part as he processes what I've told him. I'll give him as long as he needs. I clearly didn't grasp the request at first. In my many centuries, I've never had one quite like it. Ludovic will certainly think I'm taking the piss out of him when I turn in my report. He doesn't have a sense of humor either. I'll be lucky if he doesn't send me back to earth to help Nex find errant souls evading him. It's tedious work and I fucking hate it. And I won't even be able to tell him no since he's technically above me.
“Was it good?” he finally asks.
“Was what good?”
“The spaghetti.”
My jaw clenches. “I didn't stick around to eat it.”
“Why the fuck not?” he cries, and I kick him in the ankle.
“Shut the fuck up. I opened the jar, then told her to send me back. She did.”After sassing me.
He leans forward, propping his elbows on the table. “Well fuck. If they start asking us for easy shit like that, maybe Ludo will get off our asses.”
I snort. “Doubt it. He's?—”
“Got eyes everywhere. Write your damn report.”
Dimitri shoves to his feet and prowls away, probably to terrorize some of the younger demons. A fresh crop came in a month ago and he's been spending most of his time dealing with them. Ludovic is supposed to be training them, but he foisted thejob off on Dimitri. He wanted me to help, but I told him I was busy. I wasn't.
It takes me another ten minutes to start the report. As soon as I finish I vanish, aiming for my estate. It's not truly a mansion, but dimensions in Hell, like most things, are wonky. From the outside, I merely have a door. Inside is a maze of hallways leading off to a plethora of rooms. It's designed to disorient anyone who steps into my domain. I built it myself over several decades. There's even a lush bedroom—an oasis of my own.Contrary to popular belief, demons do sleep.
My clothes disappear, going to whatever pocket of time they're from. As I collapse onto the silk bedsheets, I let out a sigh. I haven't slept since I was summoned. On earth it might be mere seconds between summoning and appearance, yet the journey is much more brutal from Hell. It's arduous and burns for some. Never for me, but it takes for-fucking-ever. Afterward, it takes a while for my body to settle. Exhaustion washes over me and darkness takes me quickly.
A yanking from my gut pulls me from sleep minutes later. I groan as magic swirls around me, forcing me between the worlds. Whoever the fuck got a hold of my summoning sigil is going to get my boot up their ass. Except I'm not wearing any boots. Or shoes. Or a stitch of clothing. I could fix my dilemma, but they deserve to see it all if they're bothering me while I'm sleeping. Not that they'd know.
Darkness wraps its tentacles around me, and I tense as the world shifts. The journey isn't taking as long this time. I wonder if the clothes slow me down or if it's a product of being topside just a short time ago. Either way, at least I won't have to swim my way through the inky night to get there. A loud pop echoes in my ears and my nostrils flare as a familiar room takes shape.
My little witch. I shake my head, banishing the thought.
Apprehension covers her round face, creating an adorable red glow on her cheeks. I squeeze my eyes shut, wondering wherethatcame from. I doubt I've ever used the word adorable in my existence and I'm not about to start now. Just because she has a symmetrical face with wide blue eyes and glossy black hair and full lips doesn't mean anything. Although, now I really wish I grabbed pants before I got here.
“You again,” I rumble, crossing my arms as I attempt to pull the shadows around my waist to hide my reaction to her.
