Page 5 of One Hell of a Deal

He pulls in a deep breath and releases a long, hot sigh before bringing his lips to my own. A blast of wind circles around us, and my body vibrates and glows. He pulls away, and the sensations within me fade, and once again, all is quiet and painted in soft blue light. Everything is different. I am different. I can’t believe it actually worked.

I nod, licking my lips before mumbling to him. “A deal has never tasted so good.”

He is emotionless. “I guess I will be going now.”

“Enjoy the next thirty years,” I squeal, euphoric from the victory, and he turns away. “I’ve got a lot of living to do.”

Chapter Four: Max

That didn’t go to plan even a little bit. Watching the newly freed demon girl bounce away towards the old bar, I’m filled with dread. Not only did I fail to avenge my best friend’sunfortunate death, but now I have sealed my own fate and released a demon into the world on top of it. I’ve mucked things up before, but never to this level.

Unsure of what else to do, I head over to the rental car and get inside. My brain swirls with the replay of what just happened. I’m too nauseous to drive, so I plop my head on the steering wheel and take several deep breaths to try to calm my nerves.

My emotions shift between scared and angry as I work through my thoughts. Shame mixes into the mess, and my eyes start to burn, threatening to explode with tears. Thrusting my head backwards onto the headrest, I blow out a sigh and press my thumb and finger hard against my eyes to keep the tears away. I hate feeling so weak. I need to figure out how to fix this.

A sudden knock on my window startles me, and I yelp, swinging violently toward the intruder. “Oh for fuck’s sake,” I mumble as I turn the key to roll down the window. What could she possibly want from me now?

She’s grinning like a damn schoolgirl and slightly bouncing up and down. “Um, hey. I’m sorry to trouble you, but it seems as though I may require your assistance.”

I’m disgusted. How dare she ask me for anything? Is my soul not enough? Scowling at her, I decide not to answer, knowing I owe her nothing more.

“You see,” she continues despite my obvious indifference, “I wasn’t expecting to be freed tonight, and in my excitement, I forgot some important details.”

Oh God, what now? “Such as?”

“That’s the funny part,” she giggles, as fresh bile moves up my throat. “I don’t have any money. It’s more than that, really. I don’t have anything. You are the only human I know. Can you help me out, please?”

Now it's my turn to laugh. “Pardon the expression, but there isn’t a chance in hell I will help you with a damn thing. Why don’t you conjure up some demon magic or something? You are crazy to think I would ever help you.”

“That’s not how it works, though.” Panic flashes in her eyes. “I’m human now. All of my powers are gone now.”

“Oh, poor baby,” I snort. “Guess you’ll just have to starve to death then. Oh well.” I put the car in drive and start to pull away. But she screams, “Wait! I can help you,” so I screech to a halt and glare at her.

“Help me? How?”

“If you take me with you, get me on my feet, teach me the ropes, so to speak, then I will help you out of the deal. I’m sure we could find a loophole somewhere. The ancient laws are full of them.”

I swallow hard. “Suppose you can’t find a loophole, then what?”

“If that's the case, I will take your place,” she said firmly. “I will make a deal to save you.”

I glance at her up and down. The thought of being forced to help her makes me furious, but if there’s a chance she can save me, it may be worth suffering through. “Do you really expect me to trust you?”

She cocks her head and smirks. “No. but I think it’s the best option you have. Please. I won't be any trouble, and I will make good on my word. Please take me with you.”

I can’t believe I am doing this. “Get in.”

She squeals, jumping up and down before running around the front of the car and getting in. A blast of cinnamon hits me, almost burning my nose. It’s pleasant, but strong.

“You expected me to smell like Sulphur, right?”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t know what I expected, but cinnamon wasn’t it. Now just sit back and be quiet. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“Fine,” she says, swiping her hand across her lips like she’s closing a zipper. “I won't say a thing.”

Chapter Five: Daphne

It’s been torture staying quiet for so long when I have so many questions I want to ask. But every time I look over at him and open my mouth to say something, he shoots me a look that says, “Don’t you dare,” and I snap my mouth shut and obey. I don’t want to risk him changing his mind and kicking me out of his car, especially in the middle of the night. I don’t know much about humans, but I do know enough to understand that most cannot be trusted.

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