Page 68 of The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil

I rolled off the other papers to the other end of the tiny bed. My legs dropped to the floor, knees holding me upright while I lay out on my stomach staring at Walter while he returned to work. So painstakingly precise. I remained at his side for hours, observing his detailed work. Dwelling somewhere between curiosity and boredom. Only the slightest murmurings from Walter, the leaky AC unit, and the busy streets outside filled the stiff silence between us.

“I’m over this.” I crawled back onto the bed, slowly making my way on all fours toward him. Using a tail, I lifted the pencil he jotted notes with from his grasp.

“Hey.”

“I’ve got some thicker wood for you to hold in your hands.” I smirked, carefully crawling over the stack of papers and straddling his waist. “It’ll turn that frown upside down, guaranteed.”

“You’re such a romantic.” Walter held a sarcastic edge in his voice, but he grabbed my belt buckle all the same, swiftly unfastening it.

I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it on the floor.

“I aim to please.” I shoved the papers off the bed. “Or to be pleased.”

“Was that necessary?” He huffed.

“Of course.” I ran my hands under his shirt, lifting it. “Unless you wish for cum stains all over the documents you plan on presenting to the Collective.”

“I wouldn’t present these papers. It’s all jumbled nonsense. No, I’m going to have to rewrite all of this properly and—”

“I have a lot of plans for your mouth this evening. Rambling about your research isn’t one of them.” I removed his glasses and kissed his neck, right in the sweet spot that made him make the cutest, most bizarre sound. Somewhere between a growl and a giggle. Ticklish and aroused. I could spend hours exploring his body.

The motel door burst open, carrying an aroma of blood and death. A wispy trace of citrusy cologne lingered but did nothing to hide the scent. I snarled. Ian panted, clutching the doorframe. Blood and sweat coated the mage’s face. His furious eyes tightened.

“You think a few sentinels could really stop what I have planned. Nothing can stop me. Especially not you, Wally.”

“Guess I get my wish after all.” I fastened my pants. “Didn’t even have to blow out Walter’s candle.”

“You don’t frighten me, devil.”

“I should.” I zipped off the bed in a blur. Walter scrambled to secure the grimoire, then retrieved his glasses. I waited. I wanted him to have a pristine view of me eviscerating this mage that dared lay his hands on my Walter.

“Killing you would’ve secured my position, certainly. The Collective would’ve offered trust and acclaim, granting me status to work my way into this flawed system. Years of work and I could’ve brought it to a halt from the inside.” Ian fished a red vial out of his pocket. “But I’ve found a better solution.”

The blood within the vial hummed in my presence, vibrating inside the glass. It called to me. Not blood. It squirmed and wriggled. He’d stolen my essence. How? When? I planted a hand on my chest. The rooftop. My near death. Walter’s near death. I fled before securing the terrain.

“If I can’t kill the devil, then—”

Fuck that. I lunged forward, everything stilling as I moved in a haze. I’d rip the vial from his grasp along with his arm, then beat him to death with it.

Crimson tendrils sprang from the mage, whipping at my face and defending him from my strike. He’d already consumed my essence. This was merely an act. “When?”

“I took a sip right before stepping inside. Guess the effects work quickly. Good thing, too.” Ian chuckled, popping the cork off the vial. “I think commanding a devil will be quite beneficial. Should probably finish this off to ensure you behave.”

He guzzled the Diabolic essence. My essence. The bond between us seared my insides as it swelled. This was nothing like the subtle link Walter and I had held.

I had to stop him by any means. My essence would fight to protect him. But it’d take time before he could invoke a command. Coating my arm in Diabolic energy, I prepared to impale his chest and take back my essence, even if it killed me.

“Kneel before me, devil.”

My entire body quaked, disregarding my will to fight. I dropped to my knees, obeying his command. I ground my teeth, disdain boiling my blood.

23

23

Walter

Ian had obtained Bez’s essence. That was my fault. Even when he bled in the courtyard, it sizzled and burned away, leaving no trace. The remains on the rooftop lacked the same security measure because he’d prioritized my life above his freedom.

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