Page 233 of Mayhem and Minnie

“Cara?” Minnie’s veil slips off her head as she rapidly moves around the room. “But how?”

“Don’t demons trick people and all that?” I call out, still trying to hold my breath so I don’t inhale the toxic fumes.

“They do but…”

“There you have it. My brother wasn’t possessed. He was just an asshole.”

She slashes some more tentacles as she reaches the middle of the room. One step closer to me.

“Oh, I’m sorry he died,” she says suddenly.

“It is what it is. He was an asshole.”

“Still, he was your brother,” she mentions.

“Estranged brother. Shouldn’t you focus on slaying this demon? I’d really like to breathe normally again.”

“It’s not as easy as you make it sound, Marlowe. I’m trying to keep my powers under the radar,” she says in an annoyed voice. “Instead of criticizing my fighting, why don’t you thank me for saving you?”

“You haven’t saved me yet,” I point out.

“That’s just a technicality,” she adds, breathing hard as she spins around and cuts a tentacle trying to hit her from behind. “It should be done soon.”

“How soon? Please say within the next few minutes because it’s really getting stinky in here.”

“You and your obsession with cleanliness,” she scoffs. “If you only knew about the conditions in which I had to fight demons before…”

“I don’t think I want to know,” I mumble. “It’s enough that I know you ate from dumpsters, Minnie. I still haven’t forgotten that.”

“It was just a few times, okay? And the food was sealed.”

“Still from a dumpster.”

“Ugh, Marlowe. Can you just shut up? You’re messing with my focus,” she says right before a tentacle catches her in the chest, throwing her against the wall.

Ouch.

I know how that feels.

But unlike Minnie, I don’t have her fancy healing powers.

She grinds her teeth as she gets up.

“Damn it, why did this demon have to be close to ascension?” she mutters, annoyed.

“Ascension? What do you mean by that?” I frown.

“It’s at the cusp of becoming a mid-level demon. Hence the monstrous appearance,” she explains while fending off more attacks from the demon.

Oddly enough, it hasn’t moved from its position in front of me. All the attacks are remote, using its tentacles.

“Well, can’t you call your brother or something?” I ask, bringing my hand to my nose.

Goddamn it. I’m definitely going to have stinky nightmares for the foreseeable future.

“No. I will not call my brother for a low-level demon. Do you think I’m that weak?” she asks, clearly offended.

“Since you can’t use your full powers…”

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