The younger cult member was visibly agitated, tears gathering in his eyes. “Oh she’s SERIOUS serious.”
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN LESS SERIOUS IN MY LIFE.”
The younger cult member regarded me with the kind of respect usually reserved for dangerous women in mythology.
“That’s the scariest part.”
I stared at him. “Why are all of you acting like I accidentally conquered a small country?”
“Because,” the bandaged guy said carefully, “most summoning rituals fail.”
The old shop owner nodded tiredly. “Usually always.”
The younger guy pointed toward the demon still standing comfortably in my kitchen. “And even when summoning works, he normally leaves in seconds.”
I turned to the demon. He met my gaze calmly while sipping coffee from MY mug, wearing MY hoodie, in MYapartment. Then he had the audacity to smirk.
“…Oh I hate you,” I muttered.
“You offered a piece of yourself," he replied smoothly.
“I offered laundry.”
“That’s not how demons take it.”
Nina was entertained enough to make this into a ten seasons show.
The old man’s gaze swept around the apartment, lingering on the candles around the coffee table, the wine bottle, and finally the demon himself before his gaze settled on me. By then, he seemed deeply tired.
“You used vanilla candles, gold chalk, wine, personal clothing, and a private domestic setting.”
I blinked at him. “When you list it like that it sounds criminal.”
The younger cult member pointed dramatically at me. “That’s basically demonic foreplay.”
“I NEED EVERYONE HERE TO STOP SAYING THINGS.”
The demon quietly muttered into his coffee, “I told you humans are terrifying.”
His words offended me more. “YOU ARE LITERALLY FROM HELL.”
“Yes,” he said calmly. “And you are still the more aggressive one.”
The room went silent for about one second before Nina burst out laughing loud.
The bandaged cult guy leaned toward the old man slightly. “…I kind of understand why he stayed.”
“I heard that,” I snapped.
The demon almost smiled again, and I realized this situation had developed a completely different problem.
I narrowed my eyes on him. “Hold on. Why ARE you still here?”
The apartment grew quieter after that, and for the first time all night the smug expression faded slightly from his face. Hisexpression was serious enough for me to panic before he calmly set the coffee mug down on the counter.
“…Because,” he said carefully, “the summoning worked both ways.”
Nina furrowed her brow. “What does that mean?”
