Page 27 of A Beginner's Guide to Demonic Possessions
“Trent said you better not try to separate us again,” Paz said.
Cassius stared at them for a moment before replying. “Is that what you’re worried about as well?” Cassius asked.
Paz must have nodded his head. Trent wondered why they’d come if Paz was worried about that, but he took another bite of the croissant, and Trent almost didn’t mind because it just tasted that damn good. It wouldalmostbe worth a trip to the astral plane or whatever just to taste this.
“Lots of your kind end up here…” Cassius paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. “Well, let’s just say they show up with temporary job contracts. Some decide to head back home when the job is done. Some decide to lay low and stay in the area. It’s got an energy that attracts certain… people.”
“It’s just that easy, then?” Paz asked.
Trent wasn’t totally following the conversation, but he kinda thought Paz was asking about staying. He hoped so, anyway.
“Easier for some than others,” Cassius replied. “If you have a high level job at home, or if you’re in demand, they’re more likely to want you back. If you have special technical skills, so to speak, they’re more likely to look for you. The length of time you’ve been here also matters. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. If your contract is for five or ten years, well, management seems to stop keeping track of time. If it’s much shorter, you’re more likely to be missed, because the orders for your services might be building up.”
Trent was a little confused—there was a lot of talking in code going on, obviously, but Paz was nodding his head, so he seemed to understand.
How does he know so much about demons?Trent asked.
“How do you know all this?” Paz repeated.
Cassius just smirked at him. “That’s my business, Pazuzu. I don’t work for your… company, but I’ve got a job of my own to do, and I do it well.” Cassius stood up then. He turned as if to walk away, but he turned back before taking a step to add, “Icould be wrong, but I don’t think you need to worry. I would enjoy your time together. It’s supposed to be a beautiful day for mid-February. Take advantage of it.”
With those parting words, Cassius walked back behind the counter, tied an apron on, and took over for the girl with purple hair at the counter.
He’s weird, Trent stated.
“Yeah, but he seems to know a lot. Hopefully,” Paz said, and then he focused on giving Trent the last of the croissant and coffee, keeping him so occupied that he couldn’t really ask questions.
Perhaps it was best. Trent was hoping that maybe there was some way Paz could stay, and he wanted to hold onto that hope. Yeah, it might be a little weird to live the rest of his life with another person inside his body, but he didn’t really mind. Paz let him experience the fun stuff, and he was kinda used to feeling the demon as a part of him.
Thinking about Paz leaving would make the whole day gloomy, and for once, he wanted to actually enjoy Valentine’s Day, so he’d let himself hope. If Paz did disappear, Trent would come back and get help from Cassius to summon him again. The guy obviously knew shit.
With that thought, Trent drank the last bit of sweet, sugary goodness in the cup, and Paz got up to throw their trash away.
“Ready for some excitement, beautiful?” Paz asked, and although Trent didn’t quite trust the mischievous tone in Paz’s choice, he was ready for whatever his demon had planned for them.
Chapter
Sixteen
IS PLUNGING TO YOUR DEATH SUPPOSED TO BE ROMANTIC?
Trent’s scream was high pitched and constant, and hereallywished he could close his eyes.
It gave him a tiny bit of comfort that Paz was also screaming, although he could hear laughter amidst the yells. The wind was rushing through their hair, they were plunging down a steep drop miles up in the air, and there was nothing preventing them from falling into the canopy of trees below except a thin tether holding them to what looked like a pretty flimsy wire.
Ohmygod! You’re going to kill us! We’re going to plummet to our death!Trent screamed.
Paz just laughed and looked down, which is exactly where Trent didnotwant to look.
Only below them was a break in the trees, and a stream was flowing around rocks, and it was so pretty that it sort of looked like a painting.
Before Trent could admit that maybe they weren’tmilesup in the air and it wasn’ttotallyhorrifying, there was a wood board attached to a tree coming up fast ahead of them.
Ohmygod—are we supposed tolandon that thing? How the fuck are we gonna do that? We’re gonna crash into it and die! Fuck, Paz!Trent yelled.
But somehow they were slowing down, because the wind wasn’t blowing through their hair quite as much, and by the time they reached it, Paz easily put his feet out and landed on the platform, walking himself up it until he was standing upright.
“That was amazing!” Paz said, slightly out of breath.
