Page 9 of Demon Food

“I know it doesn’t feel like it, Lennox,” I whispered into his ear, “I know you’re scared, but you are going to make it. You’re going to survive. I’m here for you.”

His chest expanded with a breath, and I could feel his worry loosen. Just a bit. “You are?”

“Yes. You’re more capable than you think.”

He hesitated. “I… I am?”

“I know it in my heart to be true,” I said, nodding. “Now, all you have to do is try. And have hope it’ll all work out. Do you have hope?”

He was staring vacantly at them, but his voice was a determined whisper as he said, “Yes.”

I smiled softly. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go get them.”

He gulped, then nodded as he started forward.

“Oh, and hey, one more thing.”

He twisted back, hopeful to receive another nugget of wisdom. “Yes?”

I grinned. Hell wasn’t hell without a little twisted humor. “Remember to have fun while you’re getting railed.”

4

The rules did not allow us to end our shift early, but I’d already broken much bigger ones than that, so why not finish strong?

A few minutes later, I was climbing the stairs to the concubine quarters above the brothel where Landry and I lived. It was a single dwelling intended for one person that was so decrepit, it felt like it was held together by eroded nails and good intentions.

Especially now, when it’d been raining for so long that the bucket we used to catch the leak from the ceiling was overflowing every two hours, and the balcony, or rather the rusted metal basket attached to our window could no longer support the weight of a person.

The door creaked when I pushed it open, hauling a small bag of potatoes from the market.

Landry startled, shooting up from where he’d been lying in the bed. “Feloré, um. Shit.”

I halted cold, my heart staggering in my chest. That was because he was not alone.

“Who’s that?” asked the vultus beside him, wiping his mouth like he’d been fucking using it.

No. NO. This wasn’t happening. My eyes could simply not be trusted, because my little brother wouldn’t be in bed. With one of them.

“It’s my brother,” Landry said, scrambling to pull up his pants, shoving the demon with an elbow. “You should go.”

“Wait, what? But why?” the vultus asked. He was so clearly confused. With his youth and his stupid handsome face and chiseled bare torso. “Can’t he come back later? We were just getting started⁠—”

“Oh, no. I think you heard him,” I said, my voice a deep and hollow timbre. “When he said you should fucking go.”

The demon gave me the most affronted look, like he couldn’t believe I’d dare to say such a thing. In his defense, he likely wasn’t accustomed to humans talking to him that way.

I should’ve been scared as he rose from the bed to eye me down. Even a nobody vultus could beat me senseless and not face a single consequence. All he had to claim was that he felt disrespected. It was an official law. Humans were required to conduct themselves with the utmost homage at all times. It was why my cheek currently throbbed.

“All is well,” Landry said, hobbling up to a stand, which was a struggle without his cane. He gripped the demon’s face and twisted it to him. “Shh, he doesn’t mean disrespect. He’s just tired, that’s all. Been working all day.”

The demon twitched, suddenly lost in my little brother as he dragged his fingertips down his arms.

Anger swelled in my chest. I took a breath and shouted, “Out!”

The vultus whirled his head to me, his long hair fanning his face.

“Feloré,” Landry hissed, his eyes flaring wide. “He’s leaving, okay? Give him a damn second.”