Page 49 of The Misfit Mage and His Darling Demon

“There aren’t any demons you like?” I asked, dodging his avoidance tactic and bulldozing directly toward a bit of honesty. If I allowed Bez to lead the conversation, he’d skirt the truth with crass humor, deflect with flirting, and I’d end up face down ass up in a matter of minutes. “Not one Diabolic?”

“Nope.” Bez kissed my collarbone, light pecks trailing up my neck. “Hate ‘em all.”

“Aside from Mora, of course.”

“I don’t like Mora. I simply know it’s wisest not to cross her.” He slid his hands around my waist, already trying to get frisky to avoid conversation.

“If you don’t like Mora and very much believe in killing Diabolics as a priority, why not kill her?”

“You’re insatiable, Walter. You always want me to kill away a problem.”

I grabbed one of his curled horns and jerked his head back, getting a clear look at his wicked smirk. “I’m being serious, Bez.”

He released my waist. “Mora was the only demon to offer me aid in the mortal realm.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes. And had I met another before her upon my arrival, I doubt I’d be as fortunate now.” Bez nuzzled my neck, nibbling.

“No hickeys,” I protested.

“But I must mark my claim,” he said, sucking on my skin wrapped in his teeth.

“I’m trying to have a serious conversation.”

“Fine. I’m trying to have serious sexcapades, but fine.” Bez huffed. “I keep Mora around because she basically saved my life and sort of helped me navigate this world for a quarter century before I ventured on solo explorations. At the end of the day, I don’t kill her because I feel indebted. Suppose I always will.”

Bez’s crimson eyes glossed over. He closed them as his lashes became wet with tears. I kissed his eyelids, silently waiting for him to continue. If he chose to continue.

“She could’ve snuffed me out the moment our paths crossed. Chances are it would’ve been a bigger payoff for her.”

“I know you can die, but you’re so cavalier about anyone being bold enough to challenge a devil. Do you really think she could’ve, you know?”

“I was so feeble, incompetent, and naïve when I arrived in the mortal realm, holding no notion on how to harness my Diabolic demon abilities, let alone the fragmented devil essence circulating inside. If Mora wanted, she could’ve easily overpowered my essence when we first crossed paths—shredded it and added to her own power. A demon like Morax, acquiring the power of a devil, even a tiny fraction… Oh she could have made an even bigger name for herself than she already has.”

“But she helped you instead?” I asked, truly engrossed by every word. “How so?”

“I can show you if you’re curious.” Bez trailed his fingers up my stomach. “We both know you love to snoop.”

“Huh?”

“You know, diving into my memories.”

“Unfair. That’s unintentional.” I’d only fallen into his past three times while we slept. It was mostly his fault, too.

I couldn’t control what his subconscious thought and I certainly wasn’t the one demanding spooning as we slept. Cuddling was all Bez, all the time, and after a whole day of saturating things, sometimes I’d inadvertently latch onto his past.

The first time I learned the truth about him, about Beelzebub. The other two times, I caught snippets of Hell and the actions of demon lords I couldn’t forget. Even their blurred forms in those foggy memories were haunting. The scent of blood, the anguish in Bez’s voice, the horrors of demon corpses. It wasn’t surprising he held no regard for his fellow demons, but I wished there was someone, something good he had from his long time in Hell.

He walked his index and middle fingers up my chest like a pair of legs, his sharp nails delicately touching my skin. “With my permission and guidance, I may be able to steer where and what we see.”

“Really?” I buzzed, practically jumping up with excitement. The only thing keeping me mostly still was the weight of Bez’s body, pinning me under him. “Show me. Please.”

“It’ll require some intense, synchronized saturation.” Bez wrapped his arms around my back, pulling me into a tighter embrace. His hips pushed between my thighs, and the length of his shaft rested beneath mine, pulsating.

“I don’t think your dick actually has to be inside me to share memories.”

“Since when did you become an expert in the Pentacles of Power?” Bez joked. “I assure you, in order to divulge such memories, it’s important to be completely in sync.”

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