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The blood rushed from his face, turning the natural grey hue to a dirty, off-white, as if it was stained in places.

I scoffed and they turned Bane’s eyes to my face as if they forgot I was there. “Oh, don’t mind me. I was enjoying the show.” Waving them off, I leaned back on my hands. “Do continue. I’m learning so much about the inner workings of Hell and Bane’s deepest secrets.” I held up a hand and counted their infractions by lowering a finger for each. “If you’re to be believed, Hell is real, it’s ruled by someone named Lorcan,” Freddy and Marv drew Bane’s shoulders to his ears and I smirked. Whatever happened to Lucifer? “You’re some sort of higher tier demons trapped in his skull without forms of your own.”

“We never said that,” they retorted in unison.

“You were so excited to have control of his body, no further explanation required. I bet you assholes miss your own tails and horns, huh?” I shot them a droll look and continued. “I digress, Bane’s clan, of grotesques I’m assuming, banished him, which caused his mind to permanently fracture. Lastly, I might be his mate. Did I miss anything?”

“Bane’s right, you are a brat.”

Remaining stoically blank, on the outside at least, my eyes held theirs.

“Gah, this one is trixywixy. No, TrixyWixy, with a capital T and W. I suppose I like her too,” Freddy stated, widening Bane’s mouth into a grin. “I’ve changed my mind.”

“So, you agree, she’s his mate.”

I rubbed my sternum, an unnamed emotion zipping through my extremities. Whenever either of them said that word, that ache by my heart pulsed as if in agreement. Perhaps there’s some truth to their words.

“No, fuck-face,” Freddy said, narrowing Bane’s eyes. Somehow, I instinctually knew the expression wasn’t meant for me. “I’m saying we don’t have to, you know,” he drew Bane’s finger across his throat in the tell-tile sign of slitting one’s throat and shrugged.

“Well, that’s a relief,” I blurted, almost certain, perhaps ninety-five percent. Er, ninety percent certain Bane wouldn’t actually allow them to cause me harm, let alone kill me. “Back to the topic at hand, just to clarify. You’re Bane’s demon skullmates and you won’t murder me.”

“Sure, if that’s what you want to believe,” Marv offered, and I decided to let it go.

Freddy wheezed with laughter. “She said skullmates.”

“Wait, so why are you here instead of Bane?” My eyes narrowed to slits. “I’d really like him back.”

They stood Bane’s body, stretching his arms over his head, and I proactively pivoted my eyes from the inevitable arousal caused by seeing his abs peek-a-boo as his shirt rode up.

“You should be grateful; we stopped him from flying off to murder that guy on your phone. You know, solving all your problems for you.”

“The dean?”

“Yep,” they said in unison.

“Ah, okay.”

“You should have heard his thoughts,” Freddy giggled. “All the creative ways he wanted to play with the man.”

“Makes me miss the good ol’ days,” Marv added, shaking Bane’s head.

My lips flattened into a line, but my chest burned with the effort of holding back a startled laugh. “By play you mean…”

The mental demons huffed through Bane, contorting his face into an expression I’d yet to witness him make. “Torture, disfigure, lightly maim, and other enjoyable things. Obviously,” Marv explained, his voice edged with exasperation.

Freddy, I thought, blew a raspberry, Bane’s lips vibrating loudly in the quiet space. “Who are you kidding? Lightly maim? Try⁠—”

“Anyway,” Marv said, cutting him off, “we better go. Once you get Freddy started on talk of blood shedding he’ll never shut up. Gotta take advantage of this body while we can.”

“Wait!” I called as they jerkily sprinted to the door, Bane’s legs tripping over themselves as if the demons couldn’t coordinate his steps, or more likely, didn’t even try.

I wonder if they know about the glamor.

“Don’t forget to be mindful of humans. It’s the middle of the day, asshats.”

“Yeah, yeah. We got it, Mother,” they said together, then disappeared over the threshold.

I scrambled to my feet, intending to hurry after them, when something fluffy brushed my cheek. “For fuck’s sake,” I yelped, falling against the desk and hand flying to my chest.