Page 84 of I Accidentally Summoned a Demon Boyfriend

“Take it.” Keri held the pink gun out to me. “There is no way you’re going to poof your ass up out of here without this.”

“I don’t think that’s going to help where I’m going.” I pushed the weapon away.

“Look, girl.” She grabbed my wrist and forced the gun into my hand. “I dropped two demons with it. Take it. I know you’re full of new power, but maybe something human will help. Just bring her back to me, please. It was hard getting that shade of pink, and I don’t want to have to fill out all those dumbass forms for a lost weapon.”

“Thank you.” I took the gun and hugged her. “Thank you for being my friend. I love you.”

“Yeah, I love you too.” She hugged me back. “Try not to get too much blood on that jumpsuit. I’ve only worn it twice. Oh, and don’t die!” Keri called out as the world shifted.

The shift took me first back to Earth 2.0. I needed to see if there were any clues to what happened, and I could still feel Piko’s energy there. I found the little guy hiding behind the bed, frightened.

“Oh, Piko.” I pulled him into my arms. “What did they do?”

Piko whimpered.

“It’s okay. I can still feel him. He’s hurt, but he’s alive. We’re going to get him back.”

While clutching the little blue guy, I shifted from our hidden campsite back to hell. The first place I could think of starting was the cavern, that hideout where Metice took me to heal. Everything was exactly as we left it, even the shadowy corner.

Piko jumped out of my arms and ran to the opposite corner.

“I guess you’re not going in there with me?” I laughed. “Don’t worry, little guy. I got this. Maybe you can meet us at the next stop?”

Piko actually nodded, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Then, he took off running down the narrow path that led out of the cavern. While Piko ran, I walked slowly toward the shadow. Metice told me the lesson he’d gotten from his friend. Walking through shadows was dangerous, and it took practice—practice that usually required a guide.

The shadow rippled like it was beckoning me forward. This was what I had to do to get to the man who could help me, I knew it. I took a deep breath and then headed into the shadows.

And it was a lot harder than Metice said.

The next thing I knew, I was entangled in the darkness. My eyes were blinded, but I had one foot on something hard and the other flailing around, searching for support. Groans of lost souls, foolish people who had no business in the shadows, rang out around me. The icy grip of death tickled my neck, and I stumbled as my foot slipped off the platform and my heart jumped into my throat.

A hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me forward and out of the darkness. I fell to the ground as my heart raced, and I struggled to breathe.

“That was really risky. You’re just as nutty as Meti.” Metice’s friend stood in front of me, rolling a coin across his fingers. “What are you doing here?”

“Metice is in trouble.” I stood and dusted my pants off. “I need your help to save him.”

“I can’t help you.” He shook his head. “I already put my ass on the line once. You can’t ask me to do it again.”

“Look, Cufio, right?”

He nodded eyes locked on the gun I balanced in my hand with Piko. “That’s me.”

“You helped us once. I know it’s a lot for me to come here and ask you to do it again, but the fact that you risked your life for Metice once means something. If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead now, which means you care about Metice just like I do,” I reasoned. “You know where he is, don’t you? I’m not even from here, and I can tell you that wherever he is, Olian’s not far away. You’re the only person I know who can get me in there. You can use your shadows to help me.”

“I told him this would not end well, but I thought it would be on him, not me.” Cufio brushed the short bangs from his face as he looked at me with strange cat-like eyes and took a deep breath. “I hope you have a good plan. And I can tell you right now, you’re going to need a lot more than shadows.”

“Right, and that’s why we need to go see one more person.”

“Are you going to use that thing on me?” He pointed to the gun.

“Not if you don’t give me a reason to.” I winked.

“I see you’re just as funny as your demon lover.” Cufio rolled his eyes. “Let’s go.”

Moments later, we stood at the entrance of a cave. Cufio was still reluctant to help, but he’d come, and that was enough for me. I only hoped he wouldn’t change his mind in the middle of the battle.

We entered, showing the same respect as Metice did the first time. And just the same, she was sitting in her throne next to the pool of water.

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