Page 10 of The Demon's Due
Morgan’s laugh was shaky. “Yeah? Well, hate to break it to you, but this-” he jabbed a thumb at his own chest “-this Airbnb is not open for business.”
The demon hissed, voice deepening into something like confusion. “Defy me? You dare?”
“Defy you? Buddy, I’m ignoring you.” Morgan squeezed his eyes shut, teeth gritted, willing the thing to disappear. To hisshock, the burning presence flickered, stuttered-then slipped back into the dark.
Silence.
Morgan blinked. “...Huh. That actually worked?”
For a moment he almost believed it until laughter coiled through his skull.
Morgan swallowed hard, pulse thundering in his ears. “Who the hell are you anyway?”
The answer rumbled out, halting but thick with pride. “Ashmedai. Demon. Imprisoned by cursed human king Sol. My followers… set me free. I feed on your essence. This is your calling.”
Morgan barked a laugh, sharp and humorless. “My calling? No. This is my body, my life. You’re just squatting in it. A parasite. And I am not calling you that…Ash it is.”
The golden eyes narrowed, ember-flecked fury sparking in their depths. “Parasite?” The word tore from Ashmedai’s mouth like it was a rotting piece of meat. “I am King of Demons. Honour to be used by me. You vessel. Hollow clay. I give purpose.”
“Purpose from someone with the vocabulary of a toddler?” Morgan’s lips curled into a sneer. “You mean I get to be your battery pack while you ride shotgun? Yeah, hard pass. You’re not giving me purpose, you’re draining me like some creepy tick.”
Ashmedai’s head materialised again, smoke spilling from his molten grin filling the room with the smell of burning wood. His voice rolled, low and dangerous. “Ungrateful whelp. Mortals beg…kill..or chance to serve me.”
Morgan stood his ground,“Then they can have you. I’m not signing up for the privilege of being hollowed out by a self-important parasite with bad grammar.”
The demon’s roar rose, jagged and furious, shaking the room like stone splitting underground.
Morgan’s stomach dropped. “I would rather carve my own heart out than follow my ‘calling’. And if I die too soon, you’d be what?... punted straight back to Mamertine, right?”
The demon cocked his head, confused. “You… would end life? To spite me? I will not allow.”
Morgan smirked, though his heart hammered. “So, you admit it. You need me alive. Which means I get a say in this roommate arrangement.”
Smoke curled from the creature’s nostrils as he looked down at Morgan, as if assessing him.
Morgan narrowed his eyes. “So let me get this straight-you need to get back to the demon realm. The Undercroft, right?”
“Yes,” Ashmedai rumbled, chin lifting. “I am king.”
“Yeah, yeah, heard that already.” Morgan waved a hand. “And to get there, you need my essence?”
“Correct,” the demon said, and then-mocking-tilted his head. “Coorrrrect.”
Morgan arched a brow. “And that’s all you need?”
For the first time, Ashmedai hesitated. His molten stare flickered, as if unsettled by the way this mortal spoke to him. “I need… three artefacts.”
Morgan smirked. “And for me to find those artefacts, you need me to take your arse there. Correct?”
“…Yes,” the demon admitted, voice lower now, wary.
“So it’s time-bound, right?” Morgan pressed.
“Time… bound?” Ashmedai echoed, like the word was foreign on his tongue.
“It means you’ve only got a limited time to get this done.”
“Yesssss,” the demon hissed reluctantly. “A sennight.”
