Page 21 of Raising Hell

We turn as one towards the human warlock.

“Whaaaa…. wh-wh-wh-what? What is… who is… what…”

“Is he broken?” I whisper out of the corner of my mouth, only to grunt when Cas slams the back of his hand into my stomach.

The human man flushes deeper but gets ahold of himself as his eyes pingpong between us, his confusion carrying an undertone of anger. He’s got balls, I’ll give him that. “One of you better start talking!”

Cas and I exchange glances, and I nudge my head towards him in a gesture that says, ‘This one’s on you.’ Before he can utter a sound, the human continues, “Are you in a relationship? Cas, is this yourpartner?!” My hackles rise at the accusation in his tone as he wrings his hands. “Did you…”

“Did I what, Rory?” Cas purrs, a tiny smile digging into his cheeks.

Rory’s voice becomes a hushed, shrill whisper, hissing through his teeth. “Did you…cheaton him with me?”

A loud laugh barks out of me as Cas looks terribly pleased with himself, wearing his signature hooligan grin. “Casimir, have you been a naughty demon?” He laughs and even I manage a small chuckle, until the warlock steps forward.

“This… this isn’tfunny!” Rory shouts, jabbing both of us with a rough finger. My laughter dies in my throat as I turn to him, releasing my aura to fill the room again. The bonds between us mean I couldn’t hurt him even if I wanted to, but scaring him sounds like fun. His eyes widen and he stumbles backward, and I’m stunned as Cas charges between us.

“Knock it off, Amon,” he growls, eyes flashing a faint red glow as he plants a hard palm on my chest.

“You dare challenge me?” I taunt, projecting my voice until it bounces off the walls, then lean into the pressure of his hand. “Five hundred years separate us, Cas… you are no match for me.” My chin lifts, and I turn on a condescending smirk as I look down my nose at him. “You know this… and yet, you still defend the human. Has young Casimir developedfeelingsfor his new master?”

An inkling of respect burns in my gut when he doesn’t even flinch, forcing his own power towards me until it prickles over my skin. “Do not push your aura on him again, Amon. Back off.” For a long second, we stare off, until I relent and take a half step backward.

“I’m going to puke,” the human mutters, sinking his face into his hands as he shakes it. My brows raise as Cas immediately kills his aura, the glow fading from his eyes as he turns and wraps his arm around him.

“Rory,” he murmurs, tugging him into a hug, and my brows lift higher. “I’m sorry.”

“For making me sick with your weird power thing, tricking me into summoning your boyfriend and having him slap me with his penis, or for cheating on him with me?”

Cas laughs, reverting to his usual happy-go-lucky nature that makes everyone love him. “There’s a lot to unpack in that statement, so let’s clarify a few things. Amon is not my boyfriend…”

“Definitely not,” I add with a grunt.

Rory glances up at Cas, asking for answers. “But you kissed him. Like…reallykissed him.”

“He’s done more than just kiss me, human. A lot more.” My grin is full of snark as he steals a glance at me, his eyes pointedly staying above my waist. Taunting him, I place my hands on my naked hips, but he only lets out a tiny squeak and turns back to Cas.

He turns on the charm as he pushes that red hair out of his face. “We’re friends.”

“Who sometimes put our cocks in each other’s mouths,” I add.

Cas sighs. “Amon…”

“And asses. Well, my cock goes in his ass, not the other way around.”

“Always a class act,” he mutters, his voice dripping with sarcasm, while Rory’s eyes flicker between us in confusion. Cas clears his throat and says, “We are friends... with benefits, but not in a relationship of any kind. Now, the other things I’m apologizing for…” He sighs and swallows with difficulty, his face becoming a reflection of his genuine guilt.

Astonishment runs through me as I witness the extent of his care for the human, with no attempt to conceal it. Cas is an anomaly among demons, putting his emotions on display instead of shielding them, but he’s never somber.

Not like this.

“Rory, I’m not ready to leave you.” The warlock’s face mirrors my surprise at the honesty. “I’m young for a demon, but old enough that I should have more experience. Traveled more… seen more…donemore. When you summoned me, I was excited. Maybe it was greedy, but I couldn’t wait to explore this world. Instead, I’ve been locked in this house.”

With a purposeful stride forward, he grabs Rory’s chin, directing his gaze towards him. “And yet, inside these four walls, I’ve uncovered something extraordinary, haven’t I?”

Ugh.

Drama queen, much?

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