Page 26 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

She realized her hands still sat in her lap, curled with nervousness, but lying there all the same, and remembered how she had eagerly gripped Vallen’s shoulders as they ground against each other in the river only a few days ago. The memory sparked a bit of longing within her, and she guiltily wished the one bargaining for her kiss wasn’t the witch, but someone else entirely. She shouldn’t be longing for the demon’s attentions.

Eventually, Majo withdrew, sucking on Shumei’s lower lip in parting before releasing it and leaning back with a satisfied look. Shumei wanted another kiss, but from the one whose spicy scent set her heart at ease and whose desire brought out her own in equal measure.

“If only you were interested in women, dear Shumei. What pleasure we could have in the privacy of my hut,” she said. Shumei was tempted to wipe her mouth but resisted the urge.

“Please, Madam Majo. I willingly gave you the kiss. I am most eager to learn about demons and their properties,” she said. “What I know of them is very little and most likely contains exaggeration.”

Majo lightly chuckled. “You speak of them as if they’re medicinal plants. Very well, let us not waste daylight.”

The witch was clear and succinct as she outlined the origins and motives of demons. Most of the information Shumei had already known from eavesdropping near the elder members of the village, who loved to flap their mouths about the Damned One and his minions.

What she didn’t know was interesting and frightening at the same time. She hadn’t realized how much danger lurked outside the barrier charms, and knew she would have nightmares that night. According to the witch, demons only felt basic needs—none of them healthy. The Damned One released these creatures with only one purpose in mind: to kill any human they could find, making the death as painful and as violating as possible.

Majo wouldn’t give her details on any specific types of demons, and she wondered with a great deal of trepidation what kind of price she would have to pay for that information.

Next came a brief but detailed explanation of controlling one’s magic. Doing so took concentration, but reining in her magic was no different from using a muscle, like closing one’s fist or swallowing. She didn’t have an immediate chance to practice, but she was at least more confident about being able to stop her newfound power if she lost control of it again.

“It couldn’t be simpler, dear. The only thing easier is breathing,” Majo assured. She stretched elegantly, rolling her head in a circle. “Now, if you would like to ask your extra question, I can answer it and retire for the night. Sunset is coming.”

Shumei pressed her lips thin as she considered which question to ask. She knew she wanted to know more about the kind of demon Vallen was and the magic he could do, and Majo had said the question had to be specific, but asking about the binding or about why sex demons could pass through barrier charms was far too specific to be anything but suspicious.

Hoping Majo would be lenient, she went with a more general inquiry. “Tell me about s-sex demons,” she said, frustrated when her words didn’t come out smoothly.

The older woman looked at her with mild surprise. “Sex demons? Why would you ask about them?”

“I once heard some other girls talking about them.”

The witch stared at her for a moment, but Shumei’s mask was in place, and Majo would find nothing in her face to give her away. “Well, that type is certainly interesting. If it weren’t for the fact they kidnap their prey and exhaust them to the point of death, I wouldn’t mind meeting one someday.”

“Why are they interesting?”

“Most demons are the creations of the Damned One, but a precious few types are…shall we say, born from another source? The spell to create sex demons is quite complicated, which is all I really know about the ritual. Oh, I do know the main spell component is the seed of a male specimen, and that by using it you can curse that male to be reliant on sexual energy to live. Thus, a human becomes a demon. Quite cruel indeed,” she clucked, crossing her arms and drumming her fingers.

Vallen used to be human. Shumei had to use all of her concentration not to gasp in shock or show much more of a reaction than a surprised jump of her eyebrows.

“Do they become immortal, then? Invulnerable?”

“The curse gives men the status of a demon but forces them to either fulfill their role or die. If a sex demon does not consume the energy of a woman by the end of a full moon’s passing, the human soul is doomed to spend eternity in Oblivion. In exchange, he has certain unearthly abilities that lend themselves to his sensual task, though I do not know what they are or how long they last. I do know that sex demons weaken the longer they go without sexual energy.”

Shumei nodded slowly, feeling a great swell of pity. No matter her lot in life, she was at least still human, but Vallen…

“Dear Shumei, you seem quite lost in thought. I fear I confused you more than enlightened you, but if you wish to ask more questions, I’ll be glad to answer all of them should you decide to pay the right fee,” the witch said, lips curving into a smile.

Shumei shook her head and stood. “Thank you for your wisdom this evening. I shall leave you to your rest, Madam Majo,” she muttered, wishing to return home before Oka began to worry. Indeed, the sun would be setting soon.

Majo remained seated, arms crossed. “You’re welcome, dear Shumei. Feel free to ask more questions in the future.”

Shumei pulled on her boots at the door, feeling an awkward silence settling over her shoulders as Majo watched her from her cushion. She reached for the handle of the door, but a thought made her pause.

She looked over her shoulder. “Madam, why do you stay in this village?”

The woman smiled. “Unfinished business,” she said, a reply surely as vague as she had intended it. Shumei nodded and left, not wanting to press any further. She shivered as she closed the door behind her.

Chapter Seven

Dawn pressed close, not yet over the horizon, but the incessant chirping of birds told Shumei she’d soon see Vallen again. All day yesterday, her mind had been consumed with thoughts of him, and it had left her tense and irritable. The night had crept along, and only her brother’s sleeping presence kept her from screaming with impatience.

Her control certainly had been stripped from her in the past week. When dawn did arrive—and the fact it eventually would was her only comfort—she told herself she would sprint to the meeting place and demand two things of the damnable demon.