Page 57 of Hexes From Exes

“No, Cass, think. They don’t care about the human realm. They don’t care about the possessions or any of that. They only cared that someone may get magic they couldn’t steal and use it to overthrow them. This isn’t about saving the human realm, this is about greed,” he told her. He was fumbling through his belt now, grabbing out items and rearranging them on the ground in front of him as he spoke.

“But why?” Cass asked.

Dread shrugged. “You’ve been in the human realm. You know all about power and greed. You walk by homeless people sitting next to empty buildings, and grocery stores that throw out thousands of pounds of food while people starve. This is how demons and humans are similar,” he said. Then, under his breath, murmured, “One of the many ways.”

Cass watched him work, trying to piece through what he was saying. She knew it was true. She knew it the moment she read that first passage, that a magic that couldn’t be taken would be dangerous to a hierarchy that hinged on the unequal distribution of it. Like everyone else, Cass just accepted it as the truth, that the council was powerful and wise, and she was just a lowly demon meant to work for them.

It’s why she didn’t push back every time she was promoted away from the texts. Well, publicly – she could argue that seeking out Dread was pushing back in her own way. She had a feeling that a public push back would land her in the exact same spot Rick sat now.

“Here,” Dread said, handing her a pill he’d extracted from his belt.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Just give it to him,” he said, nodding his head toward Rick.

She took it without further question, tilting Rick’s head back to open his mouth. He didn’t fight, a realization that made her stomach drop. Was he going to die? Would this all be for nothing?

To her surprise, Rick swallowed the pill. Within a few seconds his scales looked less faded, and his eyes fluttered open.

“It worked,” Dread said, sounding surprised.

“It worked?! You didn’t know if it would?” Cass hissed at him.

Dread shrugged. “It’s in its experimental stages. It’s magic consolidated into a pill. Small amount, can’t have the council getting suspicious.”

“Cass?” Rick asked, blinking at her. “Why does an enforcer sound like my ex-girlfriend?”

“Shut up, it’s a disguise,” Cass said quickly. “Look, Rick we’re going to get you…”

“Rick, was it?” Dread interrupted, kneeling next to Rick.

He frowned at Dread, his eyes roving over him. “Yeah?” Rick replied.

“Wonderful. I have some questions for you. First, did Ynnia bring his box?”

Rick nodded, his face contorting at the mention of it. For a moment Cass thought he was going to be sick.

“Mmm, I thought so. Second, did you really fuck a human?”

“I mated with a human,” Rick corrected, his eyes narrowing angrily at Dread at the implication. It’s clear he thought whatever went on between him and Stephanie was more than just sex.

“Right, okay - and did something happen?”

Rick averted his eyes. Instead of answering right away, he tried to sit up. Cass helped him. It was a slow process, and by the time he was sitting, he was panting from the exertion. “I’ll take that as a yes. Did it happen during the act, after the act?”

“What are you asking?” Rick snapped, clearly losing patience with Dread.

Cass supposed she wouldn’t be very friendly if she were in his place.

“What I’m asking is if something happened when you mated,” the word dripping from his mouth like it was made of poison, “with the human, something magical? Something that would make you survive Ynnia’s little box when every other demon has died from it. Something that would make the demon council want to kill you to hide it.”

The realization on Rick’s face was plain, just like most of Rick’s emotions. He was never good at hiding things, his heart always on his sleeve. “Yes,” he said quietly. “It was like…I was stronger, I felt younger. It felt like…” he trailed off again. “It felt like a different kind of magic. I thought it was…” he trailed off, shaking his head as if the thought were ridiculous.

“What?” Dread pressed, clearly needing the information for whatever interrogation this was.

“Love,” Rick said simply. He was purposefully avoiding Cass’s gaze. Cass put a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

“We’re going to get you out, c’mon,” she said.