Page 25 of The Hellkeeper

I shrug. “It’s what you ordered.”

Her eyes narrow. But she doesn’t say anything else. Instead, she grabs her purse, throws a couple of bills on the table, and leaves.

Weird woman.

The rest of the day passes in a blur of customers and the occasional strange interaction, though nothing quite as bizarre as that blonde woman. By the time the restaurant closes, my feet ache and my brain is mush.

I grab a rag, wipe down the last table, and head to the back. I kick off my shoes, plop down on the mattress, and let out a deep sigh. The mattress Damien got me feels like sleeping on a cloud.

Like an idiot with zero survival instincts, I pop my head under the bed, checking if he’s there. He’s not.

What if he’s the devil?

I mean… it sounds stupid. I know it sounds stupid. But the elders always warned us that temptation came dressed in wicked beauty, and he’s definitely that.

And just to be safe…

I grab the bundle of sage I keep in the drawer, light the end, and hold it out in front of me as I walk around the room, waving it through the air like some kind of exorcist.

“Alright, you demon. If you’re in here, get out.”

I waft the smoke extra hard into the corners.

My prayers are getting rusty, the longer I’m away from the village, the more hollow they feel on my tongue.

Nothing happens. Which is exactly what I expected but also vaguely disappointing.

I turn, pointing the smoldering sage at the door. “If there is an evil entity here, leave through this door and never return.”

And that’s when it swings open. I yelp, nearly launching the sage straight at him.

He catches my wrist before I can commit arson. “The hell are you doing?”

I stare up at Damien, heartbeat pounding. He’s close. Too close. His fingers are warm where they curl around my skin, and his eyes flick between me and the still-smoking bundle in my hand.

I swallow. “…Cleansing the room?”

His lips twitch. “You think I’m some kind of ghost?”

No, but—

Maybe.

I wrench my arm back and step away. “Demon, actually. Possibly the Hellkeeper himself.”

A beat of silence. Then, he laughs.

I glare. “This is serious.”

He’s still grinning. “And you thought sage would keep me away?”

“Maybe? Besides, if you were here from the start, why not pop out sooner?”

“Maybe I just like watching you act like a little lunatic.”

I bristle, puffing up. “I am not a lunatic. I was just raised with certain values and beliefs.”

“Speaking of values and beliefs, tell me, little flower. Have you been thinking about what I said?”

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