Page 5 of Claimed By Night

“Just a few more seconds and the pain will be gone, gorgeous,” she assures me.

I don’t respond.

CHAPTER TWO

FLUMPH

Mortal Realm

“Flumph! More wine!” Anona yells. Then she lean back in her wooden chair, all casual-like, an’ plops her feet up on the table in front o’ her like she think her shit don’t stink. She stretch her arms out an’ laughs. I can’t stand the ugly bitch but she’s in a good mood, which is good for me.

“Comin’ right up, mistress!” I say as I fly up to the counter an’ grip the bottle o’ wine, my arms barely circlin’ it. My little wings beat like crazy an’ I’m airborne for a few seconds while I get near Anona’s table. Then, I’m all strugglin’ to get the damn bottle (which be the same size as me) up in the air agin, but I does an’ I get to refillin’ the ugly bitch’s glass without spillin’ a drop.

“You see that?” I say with a big-ass smile as I put the bottle on the tabletop an’ cross my arms ‘gainst my chest, real proud-like. “Didn’t spill a drop!”

“Refill me too, winged pig,” Dravon say, slammin’ his fist into the table while he face me.

Dick.

I glare at him, ‘cause he know I hate bein’ called a “winged pig.” I ain’t no pig. Maybe I’m a little chubby, but still… I ain’t no pig. An’ definitely no winged pig. I’m a sprite, an’ a damned good tavern-keep, too.

Dravon, the ugly bastard, is gonna pay for that one. Maybe I’ll take a ripe piss into his wine—or maybe I’ll ask Godwin to take a ripe piss into it, ‘cause everyone knows there ain’t nothin’ ranker than ogre piss…

‘Course, I’m not sure how I’m gonna get my todger anywheres near Dravon’s wine when I’m floatin’ right in front o’him an’ he’s askin’ for a refill. Really, the only place you can piss in someone’s drink be behind the counter.

“Winged pig!” Dravon shout. All the ugly bastard has to do is reach ‘cross the table, lift up the bottle, an’ refill his glass hisself. But nooooo. He doin’ this on purpose.

Anus face.

I lift the bottle an’ float over to the fucker. Then I refills his glass but I ain’t careful ‘bout it an’ end up spillin’ some on his lap.

“You little shit!” Dravon rail, but I’m already flyin’ back ‘cross the main room o’ the tavern an’ Dravon is so damn slow, there ain’t no way he gonna keep up with me. I land safely on my counter with a big ol’ smile. Dravon look at me real angry-like, an’ I stick my tongue out an’ then flip him the bird.

That’s what you get, dick.

Anona reach out an’ put her hand on Dravon’s arm, like she tryin’ to calm him. But calmin’ a demon ain’t no easy feat. Especially one as stupid as Dravon.

“No time for yelling,” Anona say with a laugh. “Not when our luck has turned so much for the better.”

Dravon grunt an’ turn away from me toward his mistress. He down the glass o’ wine in one gulp an’ slam it into the table with a thunderin’ echo. He be the ugliest of all Anona’s men: scaly red skin, little black eyes, an’ shitloads of horns coverin’ his head an’ face. An’ he smell like a fresh goblin shit.

“Dravon, do you realize what this angel will mean for business?” Anona continues while Dravon shake his head real slow-like. “An angel beneath this roof, Dravon. Do you understand the money she’ll command?” She take a breath. “And she’s the most beautiful angel I’ve ever seen.”

Not that she seen many angels. None o’ us have. Angels be rare ‘round these parts. An’ for good reason—they been rounded up ever since Variant took control o’ things. Rumor got it that allthem girl angels are bein’ purposely put on the extinct list. Same thing happened to the boy angels a long-ass time ago, an’ there ain’t none o’ them left.

“Then you ain’t gonna turn her over to Variant?” Dravon ask in his big, dumb voice that matches his dumb expression. I hope he chokes on his tongue.

Anona laughs, but it’s a cold sound. “Turn her over to Variant?” she repeat an’ shake her head like Dravon gotta be the biggest idiot she ever met. He definitely the biggest idiotIever met.

“And forego the fortune I’ll make on her? Why would I even consider such a foolish thing?”

Hmm, not turnin’ the angel over to Variant would be considered an even foolisher thing. Variant ain’t someone you want on your bad side. An’ he don’t exactly like Anona as it is. For reasons jist like this one. Anona’s always tryin’ to ride the line ‘tween doin’ what Variant orders an’ doin’ whate’er she want.

“Ain’t it the law, mistress?” Dravon ask.

“She’s legal,” Anona tells him as she downs another gulp o’ wine an’ then belches real loud. She ain’t much o’ a lady. “She has the markings on her back. That’s all I care about.”

“But, mistress, Variant’s edict says all angels gotta be turned over to him, markings or not.” He pause for another second before he open his big, ugly mouth agin. “An’ ain’t you worried that once our customers realize what she is, word gonna spread and get back to Variant anyways? Or maybe someone goes to him direct to tell him we keepin’ an angel?”

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