Page 6 of Kisses at the Crossroads

The last idea was perfect.

You got a crossroads demon.

And information.

Be grateful.

“I am grateful.”

Sure doesn’t sound like it.

“We need to do better.”

Yes, we. It’s been a one coin show so far.

I scoff. “Excuse me. I’m the muscle here. And I’ve been the only one trying for a long time. My brain is fried. Give me a break.”

A stick person with their tongue sticking out replaces the words.

Get rest. We’ll have fun in a few more days.

“I don’t think I like the sound of that,” I mumble.

Trust me!

“That’s what you said last time.”

Sighhhhh.

I roll my eyes as a yawn escapes. “Thanks, coin, but I think you’re right. It is time for bed.” My blanket and pillow nest looks cozier than usual and I strip down to my underwear as I walk. I settle the coin on one of the pillows and snuggle in. “Night. Night.”

Sleep tight.

My eyes shutter closed and thankfully my mind doesn’t race.

Chapter 4

Pike

One nice thing about a small country town is the sky at night. Stars twinkle in the dark sky and I hide in the shadows as I lurk.

For the last several days and nights, I staked out the parking lot and surrounding area of this Flutter place in the human realm. I’m not sure what the appeal is. The building is a boring warehouse type. I’m baffled why Hex needs a strip club, or is this a nightclub? Like the rest of Hex, there’s a large number of born witches, other demon types, shifters of all sorts, and a few rare vampires that frequent Flutter. With the vampires, I have to wonder why this Drake guy tied himself to Trick if he was looking for immortality. He could have just paid someone to change him and be done with it.

So far, Trick is always listed as the headliner on the sign out front. My imagination goes wild on what they have him wear. But that’s not why I’m here. The first person to summon me in two decades needs help, and I’ll be damned if I can’t. The thought makes me chuckle. I’m already damned. As long as my crossroads exists, I’m bound to it. Not that it’s been too bad, but I’m only thirty-five. I can’t imagine doing this for hundreds or even thousands of years. I doubt Hex will exist in thousands of years, though.

Flutter’s parking lot is at least nicely paved. Tonight, I plan on infiltrating the place to scope out the inside, but I don’t want to go alone. I teleport back home, where Frankie, my hellhound, greets me with a lick, burning my chin with her lava like saliva.

I rub her flaming ears. “I missed you too, girl.” Even though it was less than an hour this time.

Frankie looks like a Doberman from the human realm. Well, a giant Doberman. Real Dobermans aren’t as big as Frankie. She comes to at least my chest, and I’m damn tall is all I’ll say. Blue flames lick at her curled tail and pointed ears. We don’t dock our dogs, but she was born with the signature cropped ears of the human realm’s Dobermans. She wears a bright pink harness that she picked out herself. And because I don’t like scratching up the hardwood of my house, she has pink nail caps. Again, her choice.

“Come on, let’s bother Van.” I wave my hand in the air with Van in mind to open a communication portal. The air in front of me shimmers. I turn away for the bright flash so I’m not blinded and when I face the portal, there’s Van pumping away into whoever took him up on the offer to fuck today.

I’m not surprised when the slaps of flesh hit my ears before Van’s primal grunts. “Kinda in the middle of something.” He doesn’t stop. He never stops, which I don’t mind the show. “Unless you wanna join?” Van looks down to his partner of the moment and they moan out a yes.

“Not today. Can you pop over when you’re done?”

“Sure will!” Van gives me a grin and I release the portal.

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