Page 10 of Raising Hell

Because,damn.

“Do you have any soda?” he asks, and it distracts me from his dick as I find myself once again blinking in confusion.

“What?”

“Soda. People keep saying that if I am ever summoned to the human realm, I must experience soda. Doctor something or other. Peeper? Pet… peck…”

“Pepper,” I offer weakly, pinching at the bridge of my nose as a headache threatens my temples. Could this day get any weirder?

“That’s it! Do you have the Doctor Pepper?”

“I…” I shake my head, unable to tear my eyes away from this powerful and probably lethal creature, bouncing around with the enthusiasm of a puppy, all for a sip of sweetness. “Yeah,” I finally relent, wandering to the fridge in a daze.

I hand over the can and he scrutinizes it, turning it over so he can look from all angles and tapping his finger against the top. He’s confused—that much is abundantly clear—and far too proud to ask for help. Frustrated, I snatch it back, popping the top open as joy lights his eyes.

“The things humans create without magic,” he mutters, fascinated, as he raises it to his lips and takes a tentative sip.“Oooh ho!” he shouts, eyes round as he stares at the still-fizzing can. “No wonder demons want to come up here. This Doctor is incredible. Tell me, does it cure ailments?”

I snort, unable to help myself. “No, it definitely does not.” He upturns the drink, guzzling the cold, bubbly liquid as I wince. “You might want to slow down and be care-”

Triumphant grin in place, he crushes the empty can in a fist. His eyes widen even more, and a sense of alarm overtakes him as he pounds his fist on his chest, his lips clamped shut and cheeks puffing out. His face contorts and skin reddens until a thunderous, rattling burp rushes out. He stands there, mouth agape, staring at the crushed can in his hand. “What is this?” he demands, his distress clear as he looks at me. “Have you poisoned me, Rory?”

The betrayal in his eyes, combined with the absurdity of the situation, causes an involuntary giggle to escape from my throat. Before I can respond, I’m laughing louder, bending over and resting my hands on my knees. The sexiest man I’ve ever seen… scratch that, the sexiestdemonI’ve ever seen… stands in my kitchen, naked as can be, convinced I poisoned him with a soda.

How’s your Friday going?

“What...” I stammer, my laughter making it impossible to form coherent words. “Whoareyou?” I finally manage, tears flooding my eyes as I crack up.

“Name’s Casimir.” He still watches me with caution. Another quiet burp bubbles out of him and he glares at the can in his grasp. “Are you sure you didn’t poison me?”

“Positive,” I say, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye as he sits the annihilated can on the countertop.

“Well, you may call me Cas.”

“And you’re a demon? That I… summoned?”

“It would…” Another small burp, followed by a grimace. “… appear that way.”

“Alright… and you’re here… to do what?”

He shrugs, casual and one-armed like it’s no big deal. Like having ademonin my kitchen is just some everyday, normal occurrence. “From what I understand, I have to do whatever you ask of me until you release me from your service.”

“But you don’t know how I do that?”

He shakes his head, attention fixed outside the window. “Never been summoned before.” Shadow wriggles in my grasp, desperate to break free. When I let her go, she darts straight towards Cas, who greets her with a radiant grin. He leans to pick her up, and as she nuzzles into his touch, I decide that maybe he’s not half bad.

“Why do people usually summon demons?”

“All sorts of nefarious purposes,” he says, still petting Shadow with a smile on his face. “Murder, blackmail, world domination.”

“World… domination?”

He nods. “That hasn’t been requested in a few centuries, at least from my understanding.”

“Right,” I say, a little weaker in the knees.

“What were you thinking of when you summoned me, Rory? What sort of changes were you looking to make in your life?”

A blush creeps into my cheeks as I turn away. “I was just… trying to change my luck. Nothing’s been going right lately… I lost my Granny, then lost my job, and I guess… I’ve been feeling alone.” The words seem to climb out of my mouth, unbidden.

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