Page 59 of The Misfit Mage and His Darling Demon

“How’d you do that?” Wally asked, somewhat composed at this point. “I must be a hundred times your weight.”

“Please. You’ll always be a feather in my delicate grip.”

“But you’re six…you’re so small.”

“Walter, I know this is hard to hear, especially coming from someone such as myself, a true stallion below the belt, but it’s never the size that matters. It’s how you use what you got.”

He half-smiled, the kind that showed he was too flustered or annoyed to give me the satisfaction of a fully happy expression, but one lost in my words, allowing the rest of the world to fall away. I yanked his curls and pushed him until he sat upright. All the panic had passed. Good.

“There will be plenty of time for more jokes, Wally,” I said. “First things first, I’m going to need you to enchant me something to wear. I must face my enemies with the dignity of a fine suit, and unfortunately, I’ve lost the remaining Mythic residue I had stored up, so I can’t enchant a proper ensemble.”

“Of course.” Wally weaved together glittering enchantments. “What are you planning?”

“Kill a demon, save my villa, and take my boyfriend on a lovely date to forget his recent woes.” I smirked, reminding Wally that no matter what, I remained confident, even if it wasn’t true.

I’d allowed myself to be caught off guard, let my memories of Eligos hinder my reaction, and now I’d lost almost all my strength. He was one of the strongest demons in Hell, one even Beelzebub tolerated due to his power, and now I had to face him, kill him, all while wishing to ask if he remembered me.

If he knew I wasn’t Beelzebub, not truly, would this situation play out differently? I didn’t think so. Eligos was a Diabolic of honor. If he knew the pathetic know-nothing demon he’d championed, rooted for, and offered advice had guised himself as a devil to intimidate enemies and slaughtered thousands over the centuries, his principles would resign death for my actions.

That was fine. I could exploit his rigid beliefs and kill him first. He wouldn’t be the first demon I’d ended—certainly wouldn’t be the last.

17

Walter

Bez adjusted the red tie I’d materialized with an incantation to properly fit it with the dark blue suit I’d created. “We’re going to have to move soon. Can’t risk Eligos sensing your magic at work.”

He was extra surly and less appreciative for the outfit. I couldn’t decide if that had to do with his pint-sized rage, the fact he’d had his head chopped off, or the fact that Mora might actually be dead. He acted like he didn’t care, willfully shrugged off her fate, but I saw how his eyes darted about scanning the essence laced throughout the villa. I’d seen him do that every time we moved somewhere new, searching for potential threats, unwilling to share his concerns, and I always remained quiet—because if he knew I knew, it’d make him even more worried than he usually pretended he wasn’t. Bez was complicated. Lovely, sweet, and caring too.

“Are you listening to me, Walter?” Bez snapped his tiny fingers. “Move.”

“Right.” I grabbed Tony, placing him on my shoulder, and offered Bez my other shoulder. He scoffed, flying at eye level as we exited the pocket portal storage room and entered the labyrinth of the lower levels again. This seemed the best place to hide. With all the essence funneled throughout the villa, even Eligos must’ve struggled to navigate his way through this maze. Maybe that was wishful thinking.

Sunny barked.

“Silence, hound!” Bez snapped.

Cloudy whimpered. Stormy growled.

“Don’t think for a second because of my current stature, I won’t muzzle you, you grumpy fuck.” Bez pointed at Stormy. I was about to intervene until Sunny licked Bez from head to toe, completely slobbering all over him.

“Disgusting!” Bez fumed, arguing with Weather about proper dog etiquette, which didn’t sound like a real thing, nothing I’d researched anyway, which could make for an interesting study.

Tony’s claws clacked as he cheered for their fight.

“Stop that.” I gave him a look, then paused.

His powerful joy of a potential battle between Bez and Weather came in crystal clear. I felt the entirety of his emotions, the words trickling just beneath the waves of his feelings. I smiled. Despite everything, despite always failing and requiring others, I continued to show some tiny bit of progress. Our familiar bond had grown, probably more to do with the fact Tony was the best familiar a mage could ask for, but still—I was one small step toward mastering the familiar bond from the Pentacles of Power.

I tilted my head, letting my hair bounce against Tony’s shell.

“Mush, beast.” Bez sat on Sunny’s head, holding his ears and directing Weather to run through the labyrinth.

“Wait up.” I followed, meeting them at a glowing sky-blue door that led to another storage room filled mostly with paintings.

We stepped inside, and I wondered why Bez picked this place. Maybe he didn’t realize the lack of importance of this room. Before everything fell apart, I did my best to study the surveillance and memorize the layout of the villa since Bez didn’t want me exploring alone and hadn’t bothered searching until Mora arrived.

“If I’m going to end Eligos, I’ll need to restore some of my essence,” Bez said, sitting crisscrossed on Sunny’s head. “Normally, I’d soak in the natural energy from the environment, but there isn’t much of that here in the villa, being all disconnected from reality and blah, blah.”

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