Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
The documents from Hell lay scattered across Ethan's coffee table, each page bearing Hell's official letterhead with those unnaturally flickering flames. Ethan forced himself to read them while he waited for Mal's return.
He needed to understand exactly what he was facing. What Mal was trying to protect him from.
What he would be protecting himself from if he chose to give his virginity to a stranger.
He picked up one of the pages and skimmed it again, even though the words made his stomach turn.
Day 23: Connected subject to Resonance Engine. Initial results promising - each pulse strips away layers of light while keeping the core intact.
His gaze caught on one of the photographs that had come with the file. The one that showed the cage of obsidian spines. The soul suspended within, its light being systematically stripped away until nothing remained but darkness.
Until it turned into a demon.
The thought sent ice crawling down Ethan's spine. He stared at the image of the corrupted soul, its once-bright form twisted by dark energy.
Had this happened to Mal?
Had someone strapped him into that machine and?—
No. He couldn't think about that right now.
He gathered the papers with shaking hands, trying to arrange them back into some kind of order. The flames on the letterhead danced mockingly, casting shifting shadows across his fingers.
Time stretched like taffy as he waited for Mal to return. He made tea, let it grow cold. Picked up a book, put it down again without reading a word. Every creak of the building's old pipes made him look up, hoping to see Mal materializing from the shadows.
But the shadows remained empty, and the night grew longer, and somewhere in Hell, decisions were being made about both their futures.
Damn it all.
Ethan tried his usual reading spot on the couch, then the kitchen chair, then paced the small apartment. Nothing felt right. The space seemed wrong without Mal in it, too quiet despite the familiar hum of the refrigerator and the distant sounds of traffic through his thin windows.
Three hours. Four.
He picked up his phone, put it down, picked it up again. Who would he even call? Noah? What could he say? Hey, my demon got summoned to Hell and I'm worried sick.
Five hours.
He'd just decided to try making another cup of tea when the shadows in the corner thickened. His heart leaped?—
Mal stepped out of the darkness.
One look at his face and Ethan knew something was terribly wrong. The demon's shoulders slumped, his tail hung limp behind him, and when he met Ethan's eyes, the defeat there made Ethan's chest ache.
"What happened?" Ethan took a step toward him.
"Forty-eight hours." Mal's voice came out rough. "They're giving me forty-eight hours to collect your soul, or they're reassigning the contract."
The words hit like a punch to the gut. Ethan steadied himself against the counter. "Can they do that?"
"Beelzebrock will find a way." Mal's hands clenched at his sides. "I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I've been trying to read up on demonic law to try to fight this, but…" He shook his head. "The pictures have made everything more complicated…" He broke off, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.
"Pictures?"
"Of us. On the couch. Earlier." A muscle twitched in Mal's jaw. "They can prove I'm compromised."
Ethan's mind raced. Someone had been watching them? Taking pictures? His skin crawled at the thought, but he pushed the feeling aside. There were more urgent matters.
"We'll fix this." He closed the distance between them, taking Mal's hands in his. "Like we talked about before. I have a plan."
He couldn't say more, not with the possibility of being watched. But the weight of the decision he had to make sat heavy in his chest.
Mal's eyes searched his face. "Ethan, I?—"
"Don't." Ethan pressed closer, wrapping his arms around the demon. "Whatever you're about to say, don't."
Mal's arms came around him slowly, as if the demon feared Ethan might shatter at his touch. His tail curled around Ethan's waist, and Ethan buried his face against Mal's shoulder, breathing in that hint of smoke that always clung to his skin.
"I'm so sorry," Mal whispered into his hair. "I never meant for any of this to happen."
"I know." Ethan tightened his grip. "But I'm not."
"What?"
"Sorry." Ethan pulled back just enough to look at him. "I'm not sorry any of this happened."
Mal's expression crumpled. He pressed his forehead to Ethan's, breath shaking. "You should be. If I hadn't answered that summoning?—"
"Then I might be dating Kyle right now." Ethan tried to smile. "Talk about a fate worse than Hell."
"Don't joke about Hell," Mal said quietly. "I need to know you understand."
"I do." The images of that soul-stripping machine flashed through Ethan's mind again. He pushed them away, focusing on the solid presence of Mal in his arms instead. "Let's just go to bed for now. We can tackle all of this in the morning."
"I should sleep on the couch," Mal murmured after a moment.
"No." Ethan caught his hand. "Come with me."
"Ethan..."
"Please." He threaded their fingers together, heart pounding at his own boldness. "Whatever happens tomorrow, or the next day... I want you with me tonight."
Mal's tail curled tighter around his waist. "You know we can't?—"
"I know." Ethan squeezed his hand. "I don't mean to do anything. Just... stay close to me?"
Something shifted in Mal's eyes. He nodded once, following Ethan into the bedroom.
They didn't speak as they shed their outer layers of clothing, didn't need to discuss the careful distance they maintained as they slipped under the covers.
But in the darkness, Mal's arm wrapped around Ethan's waist, pulling him back against his chest. Ethan could feel the demon's heartbeat, steady and strong against his spine.
"Try to sleep," Mal whispered, his breath warm against Ethan's neck.
Ethan covered Mal's hand with his own, where it rested against his stomach. He didn't say that sleep felt impossible with the deadline hanging over them. Didn't mention the plan taking shape in his mind, the one that would save his soul but break his heart.
Instead, he focused on memorizing this moment: the newness of Mal's chest pressed against his back, the weight of his arm, the tentative brush of his tail against Ethan's ankle.
Just in case it was the last time. Just in case it was the only time he got to have this.