Page 34 of Demons Dig Donuts

“Ah!” King gasped. “Your eyes…”

Indy braced himself for any of the usual comments. “Yes?”

“They work. Fair play.”

Indy scoffed. “Wow. Anyway.” He sat on the couch and opened the matchbook. “So, Dill. Is something horrible going to happen when I do this?”

Dill shook his head.

“What is going to happen?”

Dill clasped his hands over his heart and smiled. He looked so earnest and hopeful, and it was oddly endearing on an otherwise terrifying face.

“Okay, adorable. Great. Can’t wait.” Indy struck the match, sighing haggardly as he lit the candle. He stared at the flame. “And… now what?”

Dill purred, his eyes glistening.

The flame flickered.

And then it grew.

A shape emerged—a tiny woman with long hair, turning all around in active search of something.

Dill extended his hand toward the tiny woman.

She immediately stepped away from the candle, bringing all the fire with her, and twirled around Dill’s palm. It was hard to read the face of someone literally made of fire, but she seemed happy to see Dill.

Dill brought up his other hand to make a larger space for her to dance, and his purring reached a rumble comparable to a lawnmower.

“Who is that?” Indy asked softly.

“Who is what?” King whined. “I can’t see a fuckin’ thing.”

Indy picked King up from the table so he could set him in his lap. “There. Happy?”

“Not sure I’m ready for us to take this step in our relationship.” King gasped. “Ah, would yeh look! A wee little fire person.”

“Yup.”

“Her dancing is telling such a beautiful story.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“And what story is that?”

“That… she can dance.”

Indy had no idea why he expected anything else. He watched the fire woman and Dill’s adoring expression, and he smiled as he asked, “That your little girlfriend?”

Dill beamed.

The woman curled up as if to sleep, but her flames remained bright.

Dill cradled her close, and it was then Indy realized Dill’s hands were black because they were burned. He’d smelled burning wood before, and now he was certain it had to be related to this connection to the fire woman.

“They tell tale of a lass who was born with the kiss of fire and died by it too,” King said suddenly, his voice oddly calm. “She went to the forest and found its spirit beautiful. The forest came alive and found her beautiful too. They were Aodnait and Laisréan, the fire and flame, lovers whose hearts burned brighter than any other the land had ever seen. But the people must do as people do, and they were angered by her love for such a beast and hunted Laisréan to his death. When she saw what they had done to her beloved, she built a funeral pyre for him and burned the forest down around them all. She laid with him and died there, fire and flame, joined once more.”