Chapter 5
Just like in the movies
“No. Not happening,” Zach stated firmly. “I’ll help strengthen your glamour. I’ll do what I can to cover your tracks. Hell, I’ll even ‘find’ the dagger and get it into the hands of one of Lucifer’s enforcers. But we’re not taking you with us. End of discussion.”
Drew watched in fascination as Andras pouted at Zach.
“Come on, darling heart,” he whined. “After everything we were to one another, surely you could do this one little thing for me?” Andras cut eyes to Drew and a sly expression crossed his face before he batted his lashes at Zach.
“I’ll make it worth your while,” he purred.
“What part of ‘no’ do you not understand?” Zach snarled, slipping an arm around Drew’s waist and pulling him close.
“He never used to say no to me,” Andras told Drew. “In fact, he used to say yes over and over until he filled me to overflowing.”
Drew could see what Andras was trying to do.
He was unfairly attractive, and he clearly knew what Zach liked.
Once upon a time, it might have worked, but Drew was confident in their relationship.
They might only have been together for a year, but he trusted Zach and believed him when he told Drew how much he loved him.
Jealousy wasn’t going to take hold of him.
He wanted to tell the demon that he didn’t have to play this game.
Even if Zach was angry, he wasn’t going to let any harm come to Andras.
He was much too noble to allow that to happen.
If Zach wavered a little before making the decision, Drew would gently encourage him to do the right thing.
Andras might have been hoping to stir the pot, to cause a scene, and to make things awkward for his ex, but there was really no need.
Maybe Drew could use the history between them to form a connection with Andras. Perhaps it would help the demon trust them. It was worth a shot, at least.
“Did he say it with that little growl in his voice?” Drew asked Andras. “It’s so hot when he does that, isn’t it? It makes me break out in goosebumps every time.”
Andras gave Drew a blank look, as if unable to comprehend what was happening. “Wait, what?”
“You know, when he’s getting close and his voice gets all deep and rough,” Drew expanded.
“And he holds you really close as he pounds into you, and you can’t hear much over the slapping of hot skin, but because his lips are so close to your ear, you hear it clear as day.
Just that rasp in his voice is enough to make me hurtle over the edge. ”
“Um . . .”
“Maybe it’s been too long since you’ve been with him to remember the specifics,” Drew suggested. “Trust me, it’s so sexy.”
Zach snorted and kissed Drew’s temple. “I know you’re probably not trying to be an ass, but you might be breaking him a little, sweetness,” he said gently.
To Andras, he said, “You mess with Drew, you suffer the consequences. As for me helping you, I’ve given you your options.
Choose one, choose none, I don’t care, but that’s the only help you’re getting from me. ”
Defeated, Andras slumped forward. “Fine. I’ll take your help to strengthen my glamour and cover my tracks.”
Drew looked at him expectantly. “And?” he prompted.
“And what?” Andras asked.
“And what do we say when someone offers to help you?” Drew chided.
“Thank you,” Andras mumbled under his breath, not looking at either of them as he said it.
They were interrupted by a waitdemon coming over and dropping two bowls onto the bench. “Two gathra stews,” they intoned in a bored voice, before turning and shuffling back to the kitchen.
The smell of the food was rich and savoury, causing Drew’s stomach to rumble loudly. “This smells amazing,” he said, leaning down to sniff at his bowl. He scooped some onto his spoon but paused before bringing it to his mouth. He looked over at Andras. “Oh, um, would you like some?” he offered.
Andras gave him a quizzical look, but then shook his head. “It’s quite alright. I’ll go and order myself a bowl. Can we leave once we’ve eaten?”
“We leave in the morning,” Zach said. “I’m not taking Drew out onto the plains in the dead of night. We stay here and leave at first light.”
Andras went to protest but stopped at the glare Zach gave him. “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll go order some food.” He swung his lean legs over the table and then headed for the counter.
Finally shovelling a spoonful of stew into his mouth, Drew moaned at the taste.
It wasn’t quite like anything he’d had before, but it was good.
He didn’t know if it was the seasoning they used or if it was his hunger playing tricks on his mind, but he was too tired and hungry to care.
He swallowed quickly, then scooped up another mouthful.
Once he’d finished that bite and taken a little of the edge off, he fished out what looked to be a cube of some sort of root vegetable and offered it to Leila.
The hen regarded the morsel for a long moment, then leaned down and delicately pecked at the food.
Her black beak got speckled with gravy, and she seemed to work the food around in her mouth for a few seconds as she considered if it was worthy of being eaten.
Finally, she swallowed, ignored the rest of the vegetable on the spoon, and turned and plucked out a juicy piece of meat from Zach’s bowl.
“Hey!” Zach protested as Leila dropped it onto the table and then began to tear shreds off it. “Stick to your own bowl!”
“You didn’t get her a bowl,” Drew pointed out. “She has to share with us.”
“She’s not my familiar,” Zach grumbled. “She can eat from your dish.”
Drew looked at Zach with big eyes. “You’d let her go hungry?”
Zach rolled his eyes. “She wouldn’t go hungry because you’d feed her. Stop being a little shit.”
Drew chuckled and spooned up some more stew, but didn’t comment when Zach dropped another hunk of meat next to Leila’s first piece. His boyfriend and his familiar weren’t on the best of terms yet, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before they would be.
Andras returned to the table, and not long afterward, his meal arrived.
As they ate, Drew watched the occupants of the inn with curiosity.
There was such a wide array of demons, all with different characteristics and attributes.
Zach had explained they were all lower demons, meaning they weren’t as connected to their magic as higher demons, and so they’d evolved differently.
Drew found that fascinating, but figured now wasn’t the time to ask the million and one questions swirling around in his brain.
There would be time for that when they were safely back home.
Once their bowls were empty, Zach nodded towards the stairs. “Let’s hit the sack. I want to be on the road at first light.”
“I’ll need to arrange a room,” Andras said.
“Nope, you’re with us,” Zach disagreed. “I don’t want you doing anything stupid during the night.”
“Why would I do that when you’ve finally agreed to help me?” the demon demanded, sounding offended that Zach would even suggest such a thing.
“Because I know you,” Zach drawled.
In the blink of an eye, Andras’s demeanour changed, and he leered at Drew. “Well, since we’ll all be sharing a bed, maybe I can get to know you a little more intimately, precious.”
“You’ll be on the floor,” Zach told him, not rising to the bait. He took Drew’s hand and pulled him up from the bench. “Drew is off limits.”
“When did you become such a stick in the mud?” Andras asked, narrowing his eyes.
Zach rubbed at his eyes in exasperation. “Would you just quit it for one moment?” he pleaded.
“And make your life easy?” Andras grinned. “Never.”
“Ugh. Come on. Let’s go.”
Andras winked at Drew, who laughed before following behind Zach. They got up to their room, and Zach waved at the far corner. “You can sleep over there,” he told his ex.
Andras surveyed the hard-looking floorboards, then the bed. “There really does seem to be more than enough room on the bed for all of us,” he said.
“Not happening,” Zach reiterated.
“But the floor is so cold and hard!” Andras protested.
“Think of it as your just desserts for threatening the love of my life.”
“I never threatened myself!”
“Andras,” Zach growled. “Enough.”
“Why do you hate me so much?” Andras asked in a sad tone as he trudged across the room and sank down into the corner. He pulled his jacket around him and sniffed pathetically. “I won’t wish you goodnight, as it most assuredly won’t be one for me,” he lamented.
Drew knew Andras was acting this way to deliberately evoke his empathy, but he also knew that Zach wasn’t being entirely fair.
The floor was hard and cold, and Zach was the one who had forbidden Andras from getting a room of his own for the night.
Drew certainly didn’t want the demon sharing the bed with them, but it was a bit mean to make him suffer through the night on the ground.
He pulled a pillow and a thick blanket off the bed and held them out to Andras. “Here,” he said.
“Thank you, precious,” Andras cooed at him as he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders before giving Zach a pointed look. “At least someone is being a gracious host.”
Zach didn’t reply, but Drew noticed how his jaw clenched as he held back his retort. Drew rubbed his back in a conciliatory manner and urged Zach to get ready for bed.
Turning his back and pretending to check on Leila, Drew slipped a hand into the front right pocket of his jeans. His fingers skimmed over the metal of the ring he’d tucked inside, warmed by his body heat. Tonight really couldn’t have gone further off track if he’d planned it.