Chapter Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Seven
Pythor
It'd been a week since Mammon killed those witches, since I killed the four men and 'punished' the fifth.
Somehow, he'd made it a week without dying, though it was clear his end was very near. Maximus had promised me he'd take the bastard's soul to the Chasm himself, and I was glad. Not that I thought another soul collector would make a mistake, but I still wanted to know for sure he made it.
Codie had insisted he be there for it, and while I'd tried to convince him he didn't have to, something in him wanted to watch it happen, wanted to know the bastard was truly gone, and I couldn't begrudge him that.
So here we sat in an abandoned building at the edge of town, watching the bastard wallow on the floor.
I'd made it so we could see him but not hear him, because I didn't want him saying shit to Codie.
I was afraid I'd kill him with one blow if he hurt Codie in any way, and his words were the only weapons he could use now, so I'd make sure Codie didn't hear them.
"You okay?" I asked as Codie leaned into me, and he nodded, speaking without looking at me.
"I feel like I should feel bad for him, or at the very least guilty about what we're doing, but I don't. Does that make me as bad as him?"
I squeezed him to me, pressing a kiss into his curls.
"No, it doesn't. You aren't doing this for some sick pleasure, Codie.
This is punishment for his own actions. If humans didn't enjoy punishing evil, there would be no death sentences in this world.
This is nothing like what they did to you.
This is justice," I promised him, and he nodded.
"I suppose."
"Oh, that reminds me, Xin wanted me to tell you that you don't have to worry about the people he hurt." I nodded toward the bastard, and Codie gave me a confused look.
"Huh?"
"I sent the pictures of the other victims to Xin, and they tracked them down. Then they hacked into his accounts and emptied it, splitting the money equally between them all. Money won't heal what he did to them, but it'll hopefully give them the means to get the things that will help."
Codie looked stunned, and he shook his head. "That's... wow. Tell them I said thank you."
"I will."
"Won't the cops get suspicious? His body will show he'd been starved, wouldn't it? How will we frame this as suicide?"
"I can use my magic to make it look like he killed himself," I assured him, and he nodded.
When the bastard finally took his last breath, neither of us actually noticed.
It was a few minutes later that Codie noticed his still chest, and it only took me a few minutes to 'set the scene,' and text Maximus before we left.
I'd made sure the body was in a place where it would be spotted within a few days.
"I..." Codie mumbled as he looked around the room, as if he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Hella hurried up to greet him, and he smiled as he gave her a few pets.
"You wanna sit down?" I asked, and he nodded before slumping on the couch. I joined him, and he instantly curled into me, straining to be as close as physically possible.
"I'm glad it's finally over," he said after a few minutes, and I squeezed him tighter.
"Me too."
I'd moved in with Codie the day after he asked me, and instead of selling my place, I'd gifted it to Vanessa since she'd been wanting to move to a safer neighborhood.
Of course, my intentions hadn't been entirely selfless because Codie loved having his best friend across the street, and I'd do anything to make my mate happy.
Case in point, rapid knocks sounded from the front door, and I sighed as Codie chuckled, loosening his hold on me so I could go open the door.
Alia raced inside, bypassing me completely as she ran to the living room and leaped onto the couch.
Vanessa waved at me from across the street, then said, "Thank you for babysitting! I'll take her back in a few hours. Mama needs a break."
The last of her stuff had been moved in today, and I assumed she wanted to unpack in peace.
Unsure when either of us agreed to babysit, I closed the door and returned to the living room to find my place hijacked by the little terror.
"Excuse me, miss, I believe that's my seat," I said, and she giggled.
"Nope. It's mine now."
Sighing, I walked over to them, then glanced between the two.
Codie raised a brow at me in challenge, and he really shouldn't have done that.
Smirking, I leaned down, picked him up, sat down on the couch, and placed him in my lap as he flailed about before finally sinking into my hold.
Alia snickered at our antics, then decided she'd rather sit on the floor with Hella. I waited for Codie to slide off my lap, then grinned when he didn't.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and since Hella held all of Alia's focus, I transferred it to my hand with magic so I wouldn't have to dislodge Codie.
Maximus: I transferred his soul to the Chasm.
Me: Thank you.
Exhaling softly, I locked my phone and dropped it on the couch as Codie made a curious sound.
"Maximus took his soul to the Chasm," I said, keeping my voice low to keep Alia from hearing.
"Good."
I gave Codie a full-body squeeze, and he smiled up at me before turning to Alia.
"So, kiddo, any requests for lunch?"
Codie
To thank us for babysitting Alia, and to celebrate her new house, Nessa invited us over for dinner.
I couldn't believe Pythor had just given her his house, but I supposed a demon didn't have much need for money when he could just magic up whatever he needed, including more money.
After dinner, Pythor and I decided to walk around for a while, mostly because I felt like my stomach would burst if I didn't.
Hella appeared at our side, barking loudly as if demanding how we dared go on a stroll without her. I chuckled, scratching behind her floppy ear before she took off, racing up and down the street ahead of us.
I hadn't grabbed my coat when going to Nessa's, and I still didn't feel the need for it. Pythor was warm beside me, and knowing he was there made me feel safer than the coat ever could.
I wrapped my arms around his, and he glanced over at me, his dark eyes twinkling from the overhead streetlights.
"So, what's next?"
It didn't take me long to figure out what he meant, and I thought about it for a long moment before deciding. "I want to go to the mall."
It would be crowded, but as long as Pythor was there, I didn't think I'd panic. It was always bright inside the mall, and that would make me feel more comfortable as well.
"How about this weekend?"
"I want to drive," I decided, and he gave me a curious look.
"So that is your car in your garage?"
"Yeah. I haven't driven it in months."
I wished I'd driven that night. Maybe I could've avoided it all if I had. Then again, those bastards had punctured the cab's tire to get to me, so I was sure they would've done the same to my car.
"Codie?"
"Hmm?" I asked, jerking myself away from the what-ifs.
"You okay?"
"I'm better than I've ever been," I assured him with a smile, and he gave me a warm look in return.
Hella raced back to us, depositing a tiny little stick in my hand when I went to pet her. I snorted.
"Aww, look at this stick she found! Want me to throw it, Hella?"
Her tail wagged, her eyes latched onto the small stick as I wiggled it around.
Raising my arm, I threw, and Hella raced off as it sailed before disappearing in some grass. Hella hunted around for a bit as we continued walking, then returned to me with a completely different but just as small stick.
I chuckled, and Pythor snorted when he saw the stick in my hand. He took it from me and threw it so hard I couldn't follow where it went.
Hella clearly could because she raced off as we came to a stop in front of our place, and Pythor tugged me closer, his eyes peering into mine as he smiled at me. "While she's distracted, may I steal a kiss?"
"You don't have to steal what's already yours," I murmured as I leaned up, and his smile widened as he closed the distance between us and covered my lips with his.
The kiss was soft, warm, and good. It made tingles race up my spine and my stomach all fluttery. It felt like the first stroke of color on a blank canvas, like the satisfaction that came with looking at a painting and realizing it was done.
When we pulled apart, I was breathless, and Pythor's eyes were darker than before. He pressed another kiss against my forehead, and I had to admit I was a touch addicted to those forehead kisses of his.
Hella raced up to us, sticking her head between our bodies as she grinned at me, the small stick Pythor had thrown clamped between her teeth. How had she managed to find that one?
Shaking my head, I took the stick from her, then handed it back to her. "It's bedtime, missy. We can play again tomorrow."
She huffed, but carried her stick up to the front door, then glanced back at me, like telling me to hurry up and open it. Of course, she could just walk through, but she was smart enough to know not to.
Unlocking the door, I let her walk in first, then stepped inside as Pythor followed me in, then locked the door with his magic. I doubted anyone would be able to break in with him here, and wondered if maybe I could remove a few of the extra locks.
The instant twist of fear in my gut told me I might be rushing things, and I decided to leave the door as it was for now.
"Do you wanna watch TV for a while or head straight to bed?" Pythor asked, and I contemplated for a moment before deciding our—our! I still wasn't used to that—bed sounded much more inviting.
"Bed."
Pythor smiled, then took my hand as he led me to our bedroom, the lights in the hallway and living room turning off with a flick of his magic.
The dark didn't scare me as badly anymore, not as long as I could feel Pythor's warmth beside me.
Maybe it was wrong to be so dependent on him, and I hoped I wouldn't always be, but for now, having him by my side made me feel like I could actually do this, and I needed that.
Our bedroom hadn't changed much since Pythor moved in, but now the wall above the headboard was decorated with the paw painting Hella and I had made for him, and I loved it.
Once we'd changed into sleep clothes, we climbed into bed, and I immediately snuggled into Pythor's side, resting my head on his bare chest. Before he moved in, he'd always defaulted to his human form when with me, but I'd assured him I loved his true form just as much, if not a little more.
I loved feeling the warmth of his leathery skin against my cheek and palm, loved having his wings wrapped around me, and while the lack of a heartbeat in his true form had felt strange at first, I was used to it now.
This was Pythor in his truest sense, and I loved him more than I'd ever loved anyone.
Pythor sighed happily as he squeezed me to him, and I nuzzled his chest, breathing in the scent of smoke, leather, and Pythor.
"I love you, Codie. Sweet dreams."
"Love you too," I mumbled as sleep started tugging at me, knowing that even if my dreams started off dark and terrifying, he would save me.
Because Pythor might have started off as my neighbor, but he was so much more than that now. He was my friend, my partner, my protector, my comfort, my love, and my demon.