Two Parts Demon (2 page)

“Yay!” Freddy bounced to her feet and clapped her hands.

They made their way through the crowd listening to a mage with quite a good voice. It was time to hunt down a food truck.

“So, what do you feel like? Pizza? Tacos? That weird noodle thing?” Benny drove through the streets on the lookout for something edible.

“Well, you know I am always up for that weird noodle thing, but I think that tacos are our best bet tonight.”

“Tacos it is. Pooky, you know the way.”

The car did a quick U-turn, and Benny sat back while they were driven to the taco truck.

When they arrived and got out of the car, Benny snickered. “Well, it seems I have created addicts.”

Freddy leaned against her arm. “Do tell.”

Benny linked arms with her friend and hauled her toward the picnic table occupied by Smith, Argyle and Tremble.

Two of the three men were covered in taco grease and not at their best. Benny made the introductions anyway.

“Gentlemen, you remember my best friend, Freddy. Freddy, you remember that these are the agents that turned my life upside down, Smith, Argyle and Tremble.”

Freddy shook their hands and licked her palm clean afterward. Benny didn’t explain, she just headed to the truck and ordered for herself and Freddy with a bright smile and a wink for Dem-rah behind the counter.

With her hands laden with tacos and juggling sodas, she headed for the table where Freddy was flirting madly with the three XIA agents.

Benny settled, and Smith pressed his thigh against hers. “It is good to see you, Benny.”

She nodded as she doused one of her victims with hot sauce. “You too, Smith. ‘scuse me.”

She tilted her head and found four pairs of eyes watching her. She shrugged and dived in. The spice hit her before the flavour did, and she closed her eyes and kept eating. Sweat prickled on her upper lip, but she kept going.

She opened one eye a crack when she heard Freddy starting on her own meal. Having a best friend that was part hellhound was definitely interesting. Her table manners were always lacking, but her enthusiasm could not be denied.

Benny finished her tacos and wiped her face. Her lips throbbed with a steady beat. She daintily sipped at her soda, and the sugar sent her senses reeling.

She sat up and looked at the agents. “So, you have been declared demon free?”

Smith grinned. “Relatively. We are fit for duty.”

Argyle folded his hands on the table. “How did you do in your training, Benny?”

She smirked. “I passed, though it was less training and more stress testing. They were trying to make me freak out on them.”

Tremble blinked. “That is unusual. What was the purpose?”

“They seem to think that my bloodline makes me unstable. The trainers used every method they could to make me manifest my demon side. It wasn’t comfortable, but I didn’t flip out.”

Smith chuckled. “At least it was only stress testing. They didn’t hurt you.”

She paused, and it was long enough for him to sprout claws and mark the table. Tremble looked shocked, but Argyle patted his friend on the shoulder and nodded. “I thought as much.”

Benny chuckled. “I am glad one of us knew I would have the crap kicked out of me. They used pain, exhaustion and verbal abuse to try and make me lash out. I am happy to say that it didn’t work.”

Argyle nodded. “When do you report for duty?”

Benny grinned. “I have no idea. They are going to assign me as a fourth to a team. I am cleared to work, but I don’t know when I start. When do you guys get to go back?”

Tremble smiled. “We are still on leave, though we have been cleared of all demon influence.”

Argyle smirked. “Feel free to influence us anytime.”

Benny snorted. “I am dealing with my change in circumstance. Kyria has been banned from my home, and my parents are waiting for the investigation to get to them.”

Smith frowned. “Does that bother you?”

“Having to lock out one of my oldest ancestors? Yes. She was part of me, part of my family. She was the origin of the demon blood in my bloodline. It hurts to have her separate from us, but she was acting as a demon. She was focused on her wants and desires and pursuing them.” Benny couldn’t believe that she was having this conversation in a vacant lot next to a taco truck, but there it was.

Smith cocked his head. “Is that what the fuss was about? Is that demon influence?”

Freddy chimed in. “You don’t get it. If a demoness wants to get some sleep and her baby is crying, she will kill it. If a demon male sees a woman he wants and she is with her husband or family, he will kill them to clear the path. The emotions of their victims never even enter their reckoning. They simply don’t see anything but themselves.”

Argyle cleared his throat. “I have wondered how it works with your parents, Benny.”

Benny made a face. “Well, Dad manifested as an incubus, and he is in love with my mother. She provides him with everything he needs, and he is satisfied. His blood binds them, so he would never stray, but he does get sexually frustrated very easily, which did mean that I couldn’t have sleepovers. They created a schedule that worked for all of us, and I learned to reheat things in the microwave. Eventually, I learned to cook.”

Tremble leaned in, “What do you mean
manifested as an incubus
?”

“No demon is a copy of their parents. It is a random assignment of genetics and magic. Kyria is a succubus, her child was a book demon and his child was an incubus. Kyria’s father is a demon king, and she definitely is not one of the ruling demon classes.”

Tremble was genuinely curious. “How do you know?”

Benny smirked. “The horns. The kings have large racks like deer do. They are born with those as their crown.”

Smith chimed in, “So they are automatically in charge?”

“No. They have to take down another king. It just gives them the right to pick the fight.” Freddy mumbled around her taco.

Argyle glanced at Freddy. “How do you know about it?”

Freddy snorted. “One, I am Benny’s best friend and have been since we were six. Two, my family has had some occupational exposure to demons in the past.”

Tremble cocked his head. “Why?”

Benny took the glance that Freddy threw her. “Okay, I can see that they are more annoying than decorative. How do I get out of this?”

“Tell them if you want to and tell them it is none of their business if you don’t.” It was fun to see someone else on the interrogation end after the week she had had.

Freddy sighed. “My dad is a hellhound.”

The guys just blinked in surprise. Benny sipped at her soda, revelling in the sugar and carbonation. She had really missed it.

Smith dived in. “So, are you a hellhound?”

Benny started snickering, and Freddy kicked her under the table. “Shut up, Benny.”

Benny finally decided to pity her friend. “Can I describe it?”

Freddy slumped in relief and nodded.

“She has a canine form with access to the energies of the demon zone. Most of the time, she just reports on sports for the same company I used to write for.”

Freddy looked relieved. It was the truth without being the whole truth. It made her other form sound exceptionally impressive, which is why Benny had phrased it that way. Freddy needed more respect than she got.

Benny scooted toward Smith, pressing more firmly against him. “What are the odds of me starting next week?”

He shrugged. “They will probably take a week to work out the paperwork. The mage council has to sign off on your participation as you are a registered mage, not an extranatural.”

Tremble chuckled. “Smith is the only one of us who thrives on paperwork. If he says it is so, it is so.”

Benny sighed. “It has been a while since I took a week off.”

She got up and headed for another round of food. A crowd was starting to gather, and she wanted to fill up before she headed home.

She nodded and held up four fingers when it was her turn at the window. She got a wink and a nod in return as he called the order back in a harsh and guttural tone.

She paid, went to wait with the others and grabbed a handful of sauce packets before she returned to the table, her arms laden with food.

When Benny returned to the table, she had to ask, “So, do you guys normally hang out together, or is this like a time-off thing?”

The agents looked at each other and shrugged.

Tremble said, “We just all wanted tacos tonight, so I called Smith and he got Argyle to drive.”

Freddy leaned forward and pointed to Smith, “So, you don’t live with your pride.” She moved her finger to Argyle, “You don’t live with your master, and you, Tremble, don’t live with your clan.”

The men all nodded, and Benny wondered where she was going with this.

“So, none of you really have a place in the world, according to your own people.” Freddy seemed intent on nailing that down.

Benny whispered, “What are you getting at?”

Her friend snorted. “They have been staring at you like they were hoping that you would put as much enthusiasm into wrapping your mouth around them as you have the tacos. I think I need to know if they can put their focus on you or if they will have split loyalties.”

Benny blinked. “Their first loyalty is to the XIA, same as mine will be.”

The men looked from one of them to the other. Tremble finally spoke. “Our loyalty is to the XIA, of course.”

Argyle leaned in and cleared his throat. “Though, from what your parents have told us, you might be amenable to having all three of us in a relationship.”

Freddy gasped, but Benny cocked her head. “I have considered it, but while it is culturally fine for me and my family wouldn’t have an issue with it, I think yours might.”

Benny worked on finishing her second order while everyone at the table was in shock. Freddy grabbed one of them, and before Benny could warn her, she bit into it.

Freddy’s eyes flared blood red as she fought the heat in her mouth. She gasped and reached for the soda, but Benny shook her head.

“Damn it, what was in there?” Freddy grabbed one of the sodas from the agents and slugged it down.

“Uh, four spicy hot?” Benny felt apologetic.

“And your soda?”

“The same. I needed a bit of a kick today.”

The flame in Freddy’s eyes faded, and she sat down, eyeing the remaining taco warily. Benny was reaching for it when her phone went off.

She paused. Everyone that would have called her was here at the table. Who the hell could be calling her?

“Benny, this is the manor. Please come home.” The flat voice of the house she lived in came through the call. The phone was on speaker, and she disconnected the call as it finished speaking.

Benny wadded up her remaining food. “Sorry, folks, I have to go.”

Argyle got to his feet, his pale features serious. “We can drive you.”

“Pooky will drive me. Freddy, I can drop you on the way home.”

“Fuck that, I am coming with you. Get in the car.”

The men got up and cleared the table at the same time.

Benny tossed her garbage into the troll-occupied trashcan and headed for the car. The last time she had been called home by the house, one of her school friends had seen her father without his glamour. An investigation had been pending, but her mother passed it off as a demon glamour that she had cast on her husband. It had been a heart-pounding moment.

Pooky opened his door, and she slid into the driver seat. To her shock, Tremble sat in the passenger side. “Freddy is coming with the others.”

“Home, Pooky. Quick as you can within legal limits.”

The seatbelts snapped into place on both of them, and the car reversed into the lot before taking off on the way home.

“Um, Benny?”

“Yes, Tremble?”

“Who is driving?” He was very polite about it, but she could tell he was nervous.

“Pooky. He’s my car or any other type of conveyance I need. I got him when I was fourteen.” She smiled and stroked the dashboard as the car danced with traffic.

“It is enchanted?”

She snickered. “Not specifically. It is a living being that has specific shapeshifting categories. It tends to end up as a vehicle, so Mom and Dad asked if he would be my ride, and he agreed.”

“I see. It is an excellent driver.”

Benny smiled softly, “He really is. He is also a great designated driver.”

“Did I misunderstand earlier, or did you say that you would have a relationship with all three of us?”

Benny blinked at the sudden change of topic. “Um, well, yeah. It wouldn’t be right to pick one and leave the other two out of it. So, since you three are partners, I would have to take all three of you on, naturally.”

“Some would say there is nothing natural about it. Our species do not blend in nature.”

“You work fine in the field. I have seen you three in action. It is a solid balance of teamwork, and I wouldn’t put my oar in to knock any of you out. I respect the team, so if I date one, I date the team.”

His eyes were wide and his ears were quivering with shock. “That is...that is a very interesting way of thinking of it.”

“You have met my parents. I understand that what is required for one relationship is not for another. When you care for someone, you adapt to what they need as long as it doesn’t change who you are. You have to know yourself to be able to give that to someone else.”

He threaded a hand in her hair and leaned forward. She gave in and kissed him, but when his tongue touched her lips, he jerked back. “What the hell is that?”

She blushed. “Spectre peppers. They were in my soda and my taco. Sorry.”

Pooky turned and pulled up to the house, two mage guild cars were parked in the drive. Benny got out of the car the moment that the seatbelt released.

She ran in and yelled at the mages who were firing spells at the library. “Hey!”

The spellcasters paused.

A woman with dark hair asked, “Do you live here?”

“Yes. What is the issue?” Benny asked.

“There is a demon on the premises, and we have to take him into custody.”