The Teddy Bear’s Prize (A Date with a Demon #1)

Chapter 10

TEN

Tobias

Mia might not be a witch, but her friend is, and she recognized what I was immediately.

It takes a lot of training to see past a demon’s glamour, especially without the full benefit of dreams, where her subconscious is attuned to every change.

Despite it all, she isn’t afraid of me, though I am only getting bits and pieces of her emotions. Unlike Mia, she has herself almost completely shut off, a trick that some clairvoyants use to keep their peace and ensure that unwanted spirits aren’t able to manipulate or influence their thoughts.

“These are old rituals.” Erika says, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear, looking down at Mia’s phone, “They were just painted there on the side of the ring toss?”

“I assume some set designer saw this book, Shades of the Occult, and thought the symbols looked cool and demonic.” Mia says from beside me, folding her arms across her chest .

“I told you the rituals were dangerous.” I lean closer to her, “That book should be locked away or destroyed.”

“Do you at least know how to break the summoning circle?”

“It’s not that simple,” Erika moves her finger across the screen and holds the phone out to Mia.

Mia reaches out and takes her phone, “What do you mean?”

Erika spears me with a look, “You shouldn’t be here. Spells like these have clear rules etched in those symbols. The seal should have kept him in the summoning circle until a deal is struck or he'd be returned to the demon realm.”

“Yes, because of the cross-dimensional visa,” I say, borrowing Mia’s explanation.

She quirks a brow and glances at Mia, “Something like that. The only thing I can think of is, maybe there’s a stronger magic keeping you here? Some kind of attachment?”

“It must be me,” Mia mutters under her breath, “I guess I got pretty attached to the bear over the last week.”

I taste the sour tang of shame in her words. Does she think I don’t care? That I am here with her against my will? I want nothing more than to wrap her in my arms and show her the comfort that she craves. Erika continues to watch me, almost daring me to say something.

“It could be. A lot of magic is about intention,” Erika says, taking another sip of her coffee.

Intention. The magic of will above all else, manifesting your wants and desires into reality. Could my desire to protect her be what is keeping me here?

“How do we send him back?” Mia asks.

Erika looks down at her mug, “That depends on if he even wants to go back. ”

Mia stands up straighter and I look up to see Jason step into the kitchen, adjusting his tool bag over his shoulder.

He ignores the rest of us, speaking directly to Mia, “So, it looks like the bulb went out. I checked the levels on the fixture along with the other outlets to make sure everything was stable. You’re safe. Just throw a new bulb in there and you should be golden.”

“That’s great! I’m sorry I brought you all the way out here for something small.” She laughs.

“Better safe than sorry, especially with some of these older houses. The good news is that it looks like the outlets were updated in the last decade.” He notices me staring and flashes a nervous smile.

“I’ll walk you out.”

Mia escorts Jason from the kitchen, leaving me alone with her friend. Erika sets down her cup of coffee.

“I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but if you hurt my friend, I will make sure that your return to the demon realm is permanent and very painful.” She says, a sweet smile stretching across her lips.

“I would question your loyalty if you didn’t.” I lean back against the counter, “I’m surprised you have kept your powers a secret for so long.”

“I know better than to meddle with fate,” she quickly averts her gaze, looking over towards the door, just as Mia steps into the kitchen, “I should get going.”

“Thanks for stopping by,” Mia says, wrapping her friend in a hug.

Erika pulls away then looks between the two of us, “If it comes to it, I’m positive there is a ritual in the book that can send Tobias home.”

There is one last threat embedded in her words. The spell she is describing would ultimately banish me from the human realm.

“What did you think?” She asks, gesturing to the empty Chinese food containers.

“It was good,” I wave my hand as she offers me the last crab rangoon, only because I can sense how much she loves them, “I really liked the chicken.”

Mia bites into the flaky pastry and hums to herself, covering her mouth as she chews. She finishes and tucks her feet under her, curling up further against the couch, “Can I ask you a question?”

I can’t take my eyes off of her, “Anything.”

“What is it like in the demon dimension?”

I lean back against the couch, all too aware of how close she is and how good she smells, our kiss still lingering in my thoughts.

“Oh,” I clear my throat, “it’s not much different from the mortal realm, except there are no cars or any of this modern technology that you are accustomed to.”

“What do you have instead?”

“Magic,” I smile, “It would solve most of the world’s problems, but I know the witches have been fighting to keep it hidden away in fear of starting another war.”

“Another war?” Mia leans in close.

“Why do you think folklore is so rich in magical beings? It fell out of fashion to worship The Old Gods and with that, in fear of being hunted, those from other realms respected the veil and returned home.”

“Is that why you have that treaty with the witches?”

I shake my head, “Our conflict started long before that. Witches are in tune with The Gods and when The Gods didn’t listen, some witches turned to demons for help. They would bind us to objects in order to use our powers or to keep us around for protection.”

Mia runs her fingers across her neck, flattening her palm to her chest, “That sounds horrible.”

“Just as Erika mentioned, the summoning ritual requires an exchange, a deal. At times, it's a life or a soul. Sometimes, you can find a loophole. It only takes one angry demon to rend the veil that divides our worlds. The last time, it caused a bit of a mess.”

“Like the demon portal.” She nods, and I notice her eyes skirt over my body, searching.

“Ask me, little doe.”

“What kind of demon are you? What are your powers?”

“Mortals call me an incubus. A lot of your myths are mistaken, it’s not only about sex. I mainly walk through dreams and feed on the emotions there, giving the subconscious a gentle nudge. There is also this,” I lift my hand, calling the shadows, their ethereal form winding up my forearm, threading between my fingers and grabbing at the air, “A remnant of my magic from the demon realm. I can call the shadows to do my bidding. I have little use for them outside of dreams.”

She slowly lifts her hand and drags a fingertip along the spine of a single tendril, her eyes going wide as it coils around her finger. “I didn’t think they would feel solid like this,” she smiles, biting her bottom lip.

I don’t have to read her mind, all of her wicked thoughts are written on that beautiful face as she plays with my shadows.

Each stroke of her fingertips sends a new sensation through my body, I shift, feeling my cock pressing uncomfortably against my boxers. Maybe I was wrong, they might have some use after all.

“Careful, little doe,” I purr, “They’re quite sensitive.”

“Sorry,” Mia pulls her hand away, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of pink that travels down her neck and hides beneath her t-shirt.

It would be so easy for me to slip my tendrils around her waist and pull her onto my lap and kiss her senseless, leaving her needy. Who am I kidding? I am the desperate one, I cannot move past our kiss and I am already trying to find the correct combination that would allow it to happen again aside from reading her mind.

Not that she is much of a mystery after touching my tendrils. With a wave of my hand, I dismiss my shadows and watch as her lips part in surprise.

She blinks and glances down at her watch, “Damn, I should get to bed. I’m going to be on call all day tomorrow.” She pauses, “I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch. I converted the spare bedroom into my office after Erika moved out?—”

I hold up my hand, “The couch will be fine.”

She gives me a soft smile and touches my shoulder, “I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow.”

Home is a distant memory as I lie back on the couch, adjusting myself. If the Old Gods above can hear my prayers, perhaps I will be lucky enough to dream of her again tonight.