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“Zalramon claims you make good sandwiches.”
Sky closed his eyes and cursed the demon king and his enormous mouth. He swore after this was over, he was never making another damn sandwich for as long as he lived.
After taking a deep breath, Sky opened his eyes and presented the demon with a wide, tight smile. “How about this? You take the whiskey as payment for services rendered—a.k.a. taking the dandy dogs to the underworld. As a bonus thank-you, I’ll summon Frank in the next twenty-four hours to bring you a sandwich.”
The demon stared at him, his eyes narrowing. A cold bead of sweat trickled along the back of Sky’s neck as he waited. He didn’t want to go for Plan C: Summon the Demon King. That demon was more trouble than he was worth, and Sky was all out of sandwiches.
Finally, the wolf-headed creature grunted and snatched up the bottle of whiskey. “Deal.” He tossed the bottle over his shoulder and Sky gasped. He could see hundreds of dollars going down the drain, but the demon’s snake tail wrapped around the bottle before it could smash on the ground.
Marching past the other witches into the center of the field, the demon grabbed a pair of chains off his hip and held them up in the air, jangling.
“Who wants to go for walkies?” the demon shouted.
The dandy dogs lost their goddamn minds. They yipped and bounded over each other, tails wagging so fast they were a blur in the darkness.
The dogs’ keeper continued with the baby talk as he walked. “Who’s been a naughty boy? Who’s been a naughty puppy? You know you’re not supposed to scare the humans? Just a bunch of silly babies, aren’t you?”
As the demon got closer to the dogs, Sky called out for the witches to lower the barrier. The second the magic winked out, the dandy dogs scampered over to the demon and rolled over onto their backs, tongues hanging out and whining so high-pitched Sky was sure they were going to bust his eardrums.
The demon chatted the dogs up as he slipped the chains over their heads like a couple of leashes. Once both the dogs were under his control, the bastard turned and gave him a salute. Then he, the dogs, and the five-hundred-dollar bottle of whiskey were gone.
Sky collapsed on the ground, his body drained. All that magic and chaos and no sleep.
And demons. So many fucking demons!
“Sky!” Nolan’s panicked cry cut through his foggy, exhausted thoughts. He twisted to see Nolan running at a breakneck speed across the field from the parking lot. It looked as if his car door was still hanging open, the interior light a beacon in the darkness. “Sky!” Nolan shouted again. He slid in the grass as he got close, his long legs nearly colliding with Sky’s inert form. “Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?”
Sky leaned into Nolan’s strong arms, his head resting on his shoulder as he closed his eyes. “I need a nap,” he murmured into Nolan’s warm neck. “For three days. A three-day nap. And maybe a snack.”
Nolan chuckled, his whole body shaking as he wrapped his arms around Sky, pulling him in even tighter. “I take it you’re okay? The demon didn’t hurt you?”
“No,” Sky whimpered. “But he took the five-hundred-dollar whiskey! I was hoping he’d turn it down and I could return it to the store. I still have the receipt!”
Nolan’s laughter grew, and he rocked from side to side with Sky. “I’m pretty sure you can’t return alcohol to the store. Most places have a policy against it.”
Sky lifted his head, tipping it up toward Nolan with a smirk. “You have no idea how persuasive I can be.”
“Oh, I know exactly how persuasive you can be, Mr. Flirt.” Nolan leaned forward, his lips ready to press to Sky’s when Audrey intruded.
“Hey, Death Talker!”
Sky would have rolled his eyes, but they were too tired to roll anywhere. He turned his head to her.
“Hey, Dirt Witch!” he shouted.
And she smiled. That grumpy old biddy actually grinned at him. Go figure.
“Nice job tonight. You up for after-casting drinks? The night is still young, and we need one last hurrah.”
Sky hesitated. He was tired, but it seemed rude not to join them for a drink or two after everything they’d done for him.
“How about a few drinks at my place?” Nolan piped up. “I got a firepit in my backyard, a stack of dry wood, and a new bottle of gin. BYOB if you want something else. Same with food. I’m due for a grocery run.”
Audrey snorted. “Aren’t we all? I’ll spread the word to the rest of the ladies.”
As she wandered off, Sky pushed at his lover’s chest so he could look him in the eye. “Are you sure you want a bunch of witches at your house?”
“Better mine than yours. You never know how your roses are going to react to the appearance of all these witches.” Nolan leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Besides, this is a nice thank-you. I think the witches could use a new friend, considering what’s coming.”
