Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
Ethan's alarm chirped at seven AM, and for one blissful moment, everything was normal. Then he remembered he had a demon sleeping on his couch.
Ethan shuffled over to him quietly, still half in disbelief about what had happened the day before.
Mal sprawled across the too-small couch, one leg dangling off the edge, tail curled around himself. His horn had poked a hole in Ethan's favorite throw pillow.
The TV displayed a text asking, "Are you still watching The Great British Bake Off?"
One episode had turned into seven last night before Ethan had given up and gone to bed.
And no strategizing had happened whatsoever.
He padded to the kitchen, trying not to wake his unexpected houseguest while he started the coffee. The demon shifted, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "soggy bottom."
Did demons drink coffee?
The smell must have reached Mal because his eyes snapped open. He sat up and sniffed the air.
"Is that..." Mal's tail perked up. "Coffee?"
"I wasn't sure if you?—"
"We literally run on coffee in Hell." Mal sat up, smoothing down his rumpled suit. "Granted, it’s never good coffee, but still."
Ethan poured a second cup, black as sin. Mal cradled it like it held the secrets of the universe.
"So," Ethan cleared his throat. "I have to get to work."
"Work?" Mal eyed him curiously. "The library? Where your paramour awaits?"
"Kyle isn't my… I mean, yes, but…"
A slow smile spread across Mal's face, revealing just a hint of fang. There was something cute about that.
No, Ethan told himself. Demons are not cute.
But Mal was still smiling. "Perfect." He set down his coffee and raised his hands. Dark smoke curled from his fingers. "Hold still."
"What are you doing?"
"Trust me." Mal's eyes gleamed. "I'm a professional."
"A professional what?" But the smoke had already wrapped around Ethan like a silk scarf, sinking into his skin. It felt... warm. Tingly. "What did you just do?
"Made you irresistible." Mal picked up his coffee again, looking immensely pleased with himself. "You're welcome."
The library parking lot was mostly empty when Ethan arrived. Normal for a Tuesday morning. He fumbled his staff badge twice, trying to unlock the back door, still feeling weirdly tingly from Mal's spell. Nothing seemed different. Maybe demon magic wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
Louisa from Acquisitions rounded the corner just as Ethan pushed through the door. She usually barely glanced up from her phone during their morning pass-by.
Today she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Ethan?" Her eyes went wide. "Is that a new cardigan?"
"No?" He tugged at the worn sleeve. It was the same one he'd worn at least twice last week.
"Huh." She stepped closer, twirling her hair. "It looks... different. Good different. Really good."
"Thanks?"
"You know, I was just about to grab coffee from the break room." She touched his arm. "Want to join me?"
Louisa had never invited him to hang out before. Had never touched his arm before. Had definitely never looked at him like... that.
"I’d like to get a head start on work," Ethan managed, backing away. "Before the patrons come in."
"Right. Of course." She didn't move. Just kept staring. "Maybe later?"
"Maybe?"
He practically sprinted down the hallway. Okay. That was weird. Was this due to Mal's spell?
Did Louisa find him… attractive now?
"Ethan!"
David from IT stepped directly into his path, grinning like he'd won the lottery. "I was hoping I'd run into you. Having any computer troubles? Anything at all? I could stop by the circulation desk later, make sure everything's running smoothly..."
Oh no.
David too?
And not just him, either.
Two student volunteers whispered together and giggled as they walked past. Dr. Wilson, the ancient head of Reference Services, peered at him over her glasses and actually winked.
Ethan shuddered, and then nearly jumped out of his skin when the maintenance guy dropped his wrench with a clang that echoed through the lobby.
Was everyone in this library attracted to him now?
No, no, no.
That couldn't be right.
Ethan never wanted everyone to ogle him.
Breathe , he told himself. Just do your work.
But how could he?
His day just got stranger and stranger.
Two coworkers nearly crashed their book cart watching him shelve in Ancient History. Three different people 'accidentally' bumped into him, and when he left the building for a short moment to get a breath of fresh air (and maybe scream) he found that someone had left their phone number and a chocolate bar on top of his cart, making him want to scream all over again.
This was not what he'd signed up for. He’d only wanted Kyle to notice him, not...
Not all of this attention.
It made his skin prickle like he was constantly being watched, like he was the last cookie at a bake sale.
And the worst part was that Kyle hadn’t even come into work yet. He was having a late start because of some appointment he had to attend.
At noon, Ethan ducked into his usual hiding spot between Religious Studies and the Occult section. The same spot where, less than twenty-four hours ago, he'd checked out that cursed spell book. The same spot where he usually felt safe and invisible.
"There you are!"
Ethan jumped. His best friend Noah stood near the end of the row, carrying a stack of picture books. His dark hair was artfully messy as always, and today's bowtie featured tiny dinosaurs wearing party hats—exactly the kind of thing that made him a hit with the kids during story time. "You never responded to my texts last night. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything’s fine," Ethan said quickly. Too quickly.
Noah tilted his head. "You look... different." He squinted. "Did you do something with your..." He waved vaguely at all of Ethan. "Everything?"
"It's nothing. Just a..." What could he say? "A small enhancement."
"Enhancement?" Noah's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"
Before Ethan could answer, a gaggle of graduate students rounded the corner. Their rapid-fire discussion about which of their professors was the least competent died the moment they spotted him.
"Oh!" One of them stumbled. "We were just... looking for books on... what were we looking for?"
Her friends shook their heads, staring at Ethan.
"Classic literature… things?" another managed.
Noah's eyebrows shot up. "Three rows down for Literary Studies." His tone had shifted from friendly to protective. "Way down there."
The students didn't move.
"Now," Noah added firmly.
They scattered, but not without several backward glances at Ethan.
"Okay." Noah turned back to him. "What's going on? Because that's the second group I've seen looking at you like you're giving away free tuition. And Helen asked me where you usually eat lunch, which is weird because she's never even noticed you exist before."
"I might have done something stupid." Ethan slumped against the shelves. "Really stupid."
"Define stupid."
A loud crash echoed from the next aisle over, followed by the distinct sound of books avalanching off shelves.
"Sorry!" called an unfamiliar voice. "Just trying to get a better view— I mean, trying to find a book!"
Noah set the picture books on a shelf and crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."
"Promise you won't think I'm crazy?"
"Too late for that. Remember the time you organized the entire romance section by trope?"
"That was a valid organizational system!" Ethan took a deep breath. "Okay. Last night I tried to summon Cupid."
Noah blinked. "You what now?"
"I found this spell book in the occult section and I thought, you know, maybe..." Ethan gestured vaguely. "But instead of Cupid, I got... a demon."
"A demon," Noah repeated flatly.
"Named Mal. He's staying on my couch. He really likes The Great British Bake Off."
Noah pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me make sure I'm following. You tried to summon Cupid, got a demon instead, and now he's... your roommate?"
"It sounds stupid when you say it like that."
Noah stared at him. "That’s because it is stupid."
Ethan couldn’t really argue with his friend’s logic.
Noah continued to look at him. "Well, go on, what did your demonic roommate do?"
"He uh… " Ethan’s face burned. "He promised he’d get me together with Kyle."
"And in exchange?"
"He gets my soul?"
Noah stared at him with so much disappointment written in his features that Ethan could barely stand it. "You sold your soul to a demon to get a date with Kyle 'I only read literary fiction' Edwards?"
"I didn’t really have a choice after I summoned him!" Ethan insisted. "It seems hell’s bogged down in bureaucracy."
Noah stared at him some more.
"I’m not making this up!" Ethan pulled out his phone. "Look, I took a picture of the demon when he wasn't looking."
Noah squinted at the screen and went very quiet.
"Check out those horns." Ethan pointed. "And that tail."
"So you summoned a demon," Noah said slowly. "And he's just... living on your couch? Watching baking shows? You sure you two aren’t getting baked together?"
"Noah!" Ethan complained. "I’m serious. He’s worked some sort of spell on me and now everyone thinks I’m hot." He paused, then asked in a small voice. "Do you think I’m hot?"
Noah took a step back and eyed him from top to bottom, then he shook his head. "You sure seem different, but you’re still my nerdy friend and I’m still…" He let the sentence hang, then he shook his head.
Ethan didn’t need him to finish. He was just relieved to have an ally in his friend.
Noah’s tongue darted out to wet his lips as he pondered the situation. "So you’re now demonically enhanced so that everyone finds you hot?"
"Pretty much."
Noah thought for a moment longer.
Another crash from the next aisle reminded them they weren't alone.
"Still trying to find that book!" called the voice from earlier.
"Oh God." Ethan slid down the shelf until he was sitting on the floor. "What am I going to do?"
"First, you're going to get up before someone takes a picture of you looking tragic and poetic down there." Noah hauled him to his feet. "Then you're going to practice flirting."
"I don't need to practice."
"Yeah? The other day you spent twenty minutes telling me about Kyle’s coffee order. Which you learned by watching him while hiding behind your mug of mint tea because you were scared to talk to him."
"I was being observant!"
"You were being a stalker. A very awkward stalker." Noah's expression softened. "Come on. The universe is giving you a chance here. Use it! Talk to people. Flirt back. Have some fun for once in your life."
"I have fun," Ethan protested weakly.
"Reading romance novels alone in your apartment is not having fun." Noah grabbed his arm. "Look, there’s Axel Tanner. He's cute, he's single, and he's friendly. Just... say hi."
Axel rounded the corner, carrying a stack of magazines. His eyes lit up, brightening his face with a warm smile when he saw Ethan.
Not the kind of reaction Ethan usually got from people.
"Hi!" he squeaked. Then immediately hid behind Noah.
Axel shot him a confused look, then waved and went on his way.
"Wow." Noah shook his head. "That was... something."
"I panicked!"
"I noticed. But hey, at least you made a sound this time. That's progress from last week when the coffee shop guy smiled at you and you just stared at him like a startled deer."
"It was unexpected."
"Start expecting it! You’re smart and kind and you deserve love." Noah straightened Ethan’s cardigan.
"You think so?" Ethan wished he sounded more confident.
"Yes, I do. Now repeat after me. I’m smart and kind and I deserve love."
Ethan took a deep breath, and then he repeated the words. They didn’t seem quite right, but he felt stronger for having said them.
Noah gave him a smile and a pat on the shoulder. "Well done. Now you need to learn how to form complete sentences. We’ll head to the circulation desk and you’ll have at least one conversation where you don’t hide behind furniture."
"Can I hide behind you instead?"
"Nope. Now march."