Page 52 of Hexes From Exes

She also needed the attention off of her.

It wasn’t until night settled and most of Anathamea was asleep that she slipped to the slums. She was sure to double and triple check her tracks – circling back, watching for anyone who may have followed her. It was hard not to feel paranoid, given that Rick was rotting away in prison underneath the demon council’s chambers and sentenced to death. If they knew a fraction of what Cass was up to when their backs were turned, she was sure she’d be in the next cell over.

Once she was sure no one was following her she ducked into the warehouse and made her way up to Dread’s lair. She took a deep breath. If this didn’t work, she was out of options. This was the only plan she could think of that didn’t end in her getting killed or thrown into prison herself.

“Cass,” greeted Dread, barely looking up from his computer screen. “Where to tonight?” he added.

Cass steeled herself, “Actually, I wanted to ask for a favor.”

“I don’t do favors,” Dread said, still not looking up.

“C’mon, I’ve been a good customer for a while. You know I’m good for it,” she pressed.

Dread shook his head. “A good customer can always become a bad customer. You’ve never needed a favor before, which means you’ve fallen on hard times, and the likelihood of you getting out of them is slim to none.”

“I’m not asking for a free ride,” she replied, her eyes narrowed.

Dread looked up, appraising her before shaking his head. “Not interested.”

“That’s not what I meant!” she practically yelled. He wasn’t listening and it was getting on her last, already frayed nerve.

Dread shrugged, going back to his computer screen, tapping away.

“I need your help to break someone out of prison,” she said quickly. Despite the fact that they were alone and already committing multiple illegal acts, she still looked around, making sure no one was eavesdropping as she spoke.

This stopped Dread from his incessant typing. He wheeled his chair around to really look at her, his eyes narrowing. “Prison? Like, a human?” he asked.

“No, like a demon,” she replied.

“I was worried you were going to say that. Is this about that revenge demon…Ralph?” he guessed, snapping his fingers in the air as he tried to remember his name.

“Rick,” she corrected. “And yes.”

“He’s there for some serious crimes,” Dread countered. “That place is impenetrable, there’s no way you’ll get in,” he added.

“Don’t you have any like…buddies? Or know anyone who does these sorts of jobs?” she countered. Dread laughed, shaking his head. “Do you think I run some criminal organization? Do I look like some sort of head boss?”

Cass waved her arms around her, starting with the big portal in front of them.

“Yeah, sorry Cass, but I’m not going on a suicide mission,” Dread said, shaking his head.

Cass took a deep breath, laying out her cards carefully. “You’d be the best one to get in, since you’re an enforcer.”

Dread went stock still. “What did you say?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. He was glaring up at her from under his horns, and she hoped she was right. She’d seen his magic slip once or twice, just the edges of it. Under it, she saw the unmistakable look of the enforcers – dark blue shoulders that were padded with rock like scales, a lighter blue chest, dark gray horns made of the same granite material as the scales on their shoulders. They all had some variation of this, and when she saw those horns and his shoulders, she was sure.

“You’re an enforcer demon,” she repeated. “I don’t think others using this platform would take lightly to the fact that the very demon that could arrest them is the one giving them access to this…and whatever else you do.” She was careful with her words, intentional. If she had to blackmail him, she would.

To her surprise Dread laughed. “The fucking gall of you,” he said. “What makes you think I’m an enforcer?”

“I saw your magic slip,” she said.

“Impossible,” he replied, his eyes hard on her.

She nodded. “I did. I saw your magic slip once or twice before. Plus, enforcer demons can portal within Anathamea without using Jerry. How interesting that you’ve figured out the mechanisms for portaling, as a demon who’s probably never done it before. What’s your disguise supposed to be – a common demon? How is anyone supposed to believe that some common demon even knows how the portal works? Or what real magic looks like?”

Dread moved quickly. One minute he was behind his computer desk, the next he was standing and had closed the distance between them. He was inches from her now, his finger pressed into her chest. “If you’re trying to blackmail me…” he started.

“I’m not. I’m just pointing out how you’re the most qualified demon to help me. I need to get him out – and soon. They’re going to kill him,” she pleaded.