Page 71 of The Misfit Mage and His Darling Demon

“You bastard.” The sapphire-eyed demon gurgled, holding his essence in as glittery blood spilled over the feathers on his torso.

“Fair’s fair. You stabbed me in the back first, asshole.” Bez winked at me. “I missed you.”

Stabbed him in the back? My body tightened. When did that happen?

“Are you okay?”

“Always.” He blew a kiss, ignoring my concerns in favor of bravado.

“Good. I was worried, but…”

“I love you too, Walter. With all my heart”—he yanked his hand from the demon’s chest and playfully tossed the heart at me—“and his.”

The bloody organ hit my chest and then thudded on the floor, making a squishing sound, pumping blood and attempting to beat.

“Gross. Seriously, Bez?” I shuddered. “Why?”

“Wow. Romantic gesture completely lost on you.” Bez grabbed the demon by the head and pulled him in close to make eye contact. “Can you believe how ungrateful my boyfriend is?”

“I’m going to…going to kill—”

“No sense in talking to you.” Bez dashed toward the wall, slamming the demon’s head against the stonework untilmy incantations holding that portion up shattered, and rocks collapsed onto the demon.

“Excessive much?” I muttered.

“Anything for you.” Bez appeared in front of me in the blink of an eye, hands already pressing me against the wall, his mouth finding mine.

His touch was soft, considerate of the injuries I’d sustained. His lips were passionate and sweet but different somehow. Everything about this had a slightly unique feel. It had to be the lack of the composite taking full effect. His shoulders weren’t as broad, and he wasn’t as muscular—both made wrapping my arms around him that much easier. He was shorter too, which worked to my benefit since I didn’t have to extend my neck as much to reach his lips. His lips that were thinner, not that I could talk.

“Okay.” I pushed Bez off. “This isn’t the time for kissing. We’re not in an eighty’s horror flick.”

“I don’t know what that means, but I’m just delighted to see you in one piece.”

“I’m happy to see you too. And happy you restored some of your essence, even if…you know.” I stared at Bez. Though the face was different, the expressions were true to form. So much of this body didn’t quite fit him yet, but hopefully, he’d find himself in the flesh again. I knew that was important to him, feeling comfortable in his own skin—well, in the skin he acquired through possession.

Bez grinned, running his fingers along my abdomen. “You’ll be pleased to know, while my composite hasn’t changed much yet, this mage is pleasantly endowed—you know, since you’re clearly a size queen.”

“I am not.” My ears burned. “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

“Who’s joking? I’ll gladly whip my dick out for you this second.”

“Bez,” I whined.

“Fine.” He brushed my hair. “It’s just so hard when you look so adorable.”

“No, Bez.” I pointed to the shifting rubble.

“You’re going to pay for that.” The feathered demon stood, shaking off rock and dirt.

“Learn to read the room, dickhead.” Bez zipped behind the demon.

He wrapped his hands over the shoulders of the demon whose body began to blur, locking him in place. The demon wriggled in Bez’s grip. Black drops pooled out of the pores of Bez’s hands, taking form and changing to sheen metallic bladelike claws. Good—he’d not only gotten a full body back but a solid amount of essence restored too.

“You’ll pay for this,” the demon snarled. “Cheap devil like you has no idea who you’re screwing with.”

A vampire zipped in front of the demon that resisted Bez’s grip, fangs glimmering against the light of the labyrinth lanterns. Definitely a vampire, not a ghoul—I’d studied the difference enough that I’d never have to listen to Bez mock me about it again. I almost died that night in the Magus Estate—once from him—and his takeaway was I didn’t know the difference between vampires and ghouls.

“Should we fear you because you’re Lilith’s kid?” The vampire grabbed the feathered demon’s head, yanking it back. “I recognize the essence this close. Foul and pretentious. Though aren’t all the demons in Lilith’s Hell her babies? Children she loves with all her heart, so long as they heed her warnings about not wandering into the wilderness of other worlds.”

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