Page 18 of The Teddy Bear's Prize

“That’s great! I’m sorry I brought you all the way out here for something small.” She laughs.

“Better safe than sorry, especially with some of these older houses. The good news is that it looks like the outlets were updated in the last decade.” He notices me staring and flashes a nervous smile.

“I’ll walk you out.”

Mia escorts Jason from the kitchen, leaving me alone with her friend. Erika sets down her cup of coffee.

“I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but if you hurt my friend, I will make sure that your return to the demon realm is permanent and very painful.” She says, a sweet smile stretching across her lips.

“I would question your loyalty if you didn’t.” I lean back against the counter, “I’m surprised you have kept your powers a secret for so long.”

“I know better than to meddle with fate,” she quickly averts her gaze, looking over towards the door, just as Mia steps into the kitchen, “I should get going.”

“Thanks for stopping by,” Mia says, wrapping her friend in a hug.

Erika pulls away then looks between the two of us, “If it comes to it, I’m positive there is a ritual in the book that can send Tobias home.”

There is one last threat embedded in her words. Thespell she is describing would ultimately banish me from the human realm.

“What did you think?”She asks, gesturing to the empty Chinese food containers.

“It was good,” I wave my hand as she offers me the last crab rangoon, only because I can sense how much she loves them, “I really liked the chicken.”

Mia bites into the flaky pastry and hums to herself, covering her mouth as she chews. She finishes and tucks her feet under her, curling up further against the couch, “Can I ask you a question?”

I can’t take my eyes off of her, “Anything.”

“What is it like in the demon dimension?”

I lean back against the couch, all too aware of how close she is and how good she smells, our kiss still lingering in my thoughts.

“Oh,” I clear my throat, “it’s not much different from the mortal realm, except there are no cars or any of this modern technology that you are accustomed to.”

“What do you have instead?”

“Magic,” I smile, “It would solve most of the world’s problems, but I know the witches have been fighting to keep it hidden away in fear of starting another war.”

“Another war?” Mia leans in close.

“Why do you think folklore is so rich in magical beings? It fell out of fashion to worship The Old Gods and with that, in fear of being hunted, those from other realms respected the veil and returned home.”

“Is that why you have that treaty with the witches?”

I shake my head, “Our conflict started long before that. Witches are in tune with The Godsand when The Gods didn’t listen, some witches turned to demons for help. They would bind us to objects in order to use our powers or to keep us around for protection.”

Mia runs her fingers across her neck, flattening her palm to her chest, “That sounds horrible.”

“Just as Erika mentioned, the summoning ritual requires an exchange, a deal. At times, it's a life or a soul. Sometimes, you can find a loophole. It only takes one angry demon to rend the veil that divides our worlds. The last time, it caused a bit of a mess.”

“Like the demon portal.” She nods, and I notice her eyes skirt over my body, searching.

“Ask me, little doe.”

“What kind of demon are you? What are your powers?”

“Mortals call me an incubus. A lot of your myths are mistaken, it’s not only about sex. I mainly walk through dreams and feed on the emotions there, giving the subconscious a gentle nudge. There is also this,” I lift my hand, calling the shadows, their ethereal form winding up my forearm, threading between my fingers and grabbing at the air, “A remnant of my magic from the demon realm. I can call the shadows to do my bidding. I have little use for them outside of dreams.”

She slowly lifts her hand and drags a fingertip along the spine of a single tendril, her eyes going wide as it coils around her finger. “I didn’t think they would feel solid like this,” she smiles, biting her bottom lip.

---