When the Devil sent his minions to Purgatory to do his bidding, he liked to make sure they were taken care of once they got there. They may not have always woken up in high-class hotels, but neither had Kyle ever woken up in any place that didn’t have at least halfway decent room service. Which is why he was rather shocked to come to in what appeared to be a storage closet.

Kyle looked around, blinking in surprise. Instead of a King-sized bed, there were folding chairs, stacked haphazardly and collecting dust. He could see fine in the small, dark space, but without a window, he had no idea where he was or what time it might be. He shifted a little, bumping into a metal shelf filled with filing boxes. By the way they rattled, he knew they weren’t filled with papers, though. It sounded, and smelled, more like bones.

“Great. A cult,” he grumbled, turning to commiserate with Ryka. And finding himself alone. Ryka had been right behind him, he’d been sure of it, when they were going through the portal. But now he was nowhere to be seen. Anxious, Kyle realized Ryka might not even have made it to the mortal realm. He stretched his senses, using what remained of the bond they’d shared as host and parasite, but there was no sign of his other half. Wherever Ryka was, he was well out of reach.

Kyle knew he had nothing left to be scared of on Earth. Even though he was by no means strong when compared to other immortals, there was nothing a mortal could do to hurt him. He wasn’t adept at altering free will, but he could most certainly defend himself. He wondered if he was here - alone - for some test of Lord Satan’s.

Lucifer had summoned them for a job, then quickly sent them on their way. Usually, they were at least told what they’d been doing on Earth. Of course, if Lord Satan had an ulterior motive for this expedition, he wouldn’t have divulged it. Not to Kyle, anyhow. Maybe Ryka knew, wherever he was, for all that it would help.

But something else began to nag at Kyle when he realized someone wasn’t. “Jinx!” he exclaimed, even though there was no one around to hear it. Jinx had been with them in the throne room. But he wasn’t with Kyle now. And that was a worrisome thought. Kyle would be fine on his own; the imp would not.

As if in answer to his worries, the heady smell of fear began seeping into the room. Fear, surprise, and conceit. A strange combination, Kyle thought.

He stood and the door slowly opened. Wings folded tight to his back, he squeezed out of the storage room and followed the scent. In perfect silence, he padded down a short hallway. The closet had been at one end. At the other, the narrow space opened into a large room. A room that was set up almost like the inside of the church, with rows of chairs all facing a lectern. Two tables of knock-off relics stood behind the podium, but those weren’t of any concern to Kyle.

He was focused on the space in front of the podium, where a huge pentagram had been painted on the floor. Black candles, the only light in the room, burned around the edges. And they were reflected in Jinx’s huge, wondering eyes.

It took an incredible amount of effort for Kyle not to thoughtlessly mow down the group of fifteen people standing around Jinx and the circle, but he calmed a little when he realized they didn’t seem inclined to do much more than stare in fascination at the imp.

Not yet ready to reveal himself, Kyle stuck to the shadows, pacing the perimeter of the room. Jinx caught sight of Kyle, but pretended not to have seen him when Kyle shook his head and put a finger to his lips. Now that he was a little more experienced, Jinx too had come to appreciate the fine art of properly preparing a meal.

Kyle inhaled - already high on all the emotion - and opened his wings. But before he could even think of turning himself into a walking electrical storm, one of the group took a few brave steps into the circle. Like the rest, he was wearing black robes. These wannabe Satanists, Kyle thought, didn’t have much imagination. What he lacked in style, though, he made up for in balls. “What’s your name, demon?”

“Jinx.”

Somehow, this didn’t seem to impress the man. “And do you know why we summoned you here?”

Kyle fought back a chuckle. No human was capable of purposely summoning a demon. If it amused Lucifer, he might send one to those who called, just to teach them a lesson. A lesson that typically ended with lots of damned souls being freed from their bodies.

“To kill shit?”

“Not quite,” the man told Jinx.

“I’m hungry and I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Finally, Kyle spoke. “Me, either.” His voice reverberated in the cavernous room, and the group clustered together at one end of the circle, nearer the man who had spoken to Jinx. They didn’t make it much farther, because the candles blew out, leaving the room in complete darkness.

Time for Kyle to put on his show. It was still new to him, having any kind of power to show off. But now, there was a decent source of fear to feed on, and red lightning flickered back and forth between his wingtips, the occasional bolt glancing off the ends of his horns. Tesla’s wet dream, Ryka often teased.

Faced now with a much bigger demon, the group was paralyzed. In the flashes of light, Kyle could watch their complexions pale to corpse-white. And that’s when Jinx decided to get in on the act. Fire completely engulfed his tiny body, and he bared his teeth at the Satanists’ leader, the man who had seemed to be mocking him.

The smell was intoxicating. In Hell, it was everywhere. But on Earth, where it was so sparse, the aroma of panic was absolutely delightful. “What should I do with you all?” Kyle casually wondered aloud, letting his gaze settle on each of the mortals in turn. None dared meet his eyes.

Killing them all first thing seemed a little extreme. Most of his human sensibilities had died with his original body, but he still had some self-control. They were surely deserving, though. He could see their sins, and there were a lot. Lucifer hadn’t provided any instructions, but divesting them of their souls immediately didn’t feel like the right thing to do.

“Do we hurt them?” Jinx asked, looking hopeful.

“No.” Kyle stepped forward to collect Jinx, and the group scattered. All except their leader, the priest. He made the mistake of keeping himself between Kyle and Jinx. “Move,” Kyle ordered. The man seemed about ready to disobey, but thought better of it. Glaring at the human as he passed, Kyle crossed into the circle.

But he stopped after only a few steps, looking behind himself. Sticky red footprints traced a path back toward the edge of the circle. “I take it none of you bled out for this. So whose is this?”

The blood was nearly dry, and old, but it was unmistakably human. Jinx smelled it, too, and was already drooling as he all but leapt into Kyle’s arms.

Of course, none of them came forward. Sinners never wanted to admit they had done wrong. And many didn’t realize they had. “I know who did it.” Wearing a proud smile, Kyle looked down at Jinx. The mortals didn’t seem to think this was such a great thing. Of course, Kyle could also easily pick out the culprits, but it was more fun to watch them suffer through a confession.

They had only been back on Earth a few minutes, and Kyle was already getting drunk on fear. He could smell them all sweating under their robes. If this kept up, he wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer. Too bad he was on his own for that. Better to ignore those urges for the time being; he had Jinx to worry about besides.

“This is your temple, right?”

“Yes, my lord,” one of the women in the group answered, her voice shaking.

It was uncomfortable being given that title, but Kyle didn’t correct her. He needed these people to be willing to serve. He had no idea where he was or how to procure himself and Jinx lodging without help.

“We need a place to stay.”

Recognizing this as a chance to redeem himself a little, the priest made an offer. “I live upstairs. What’s mine is yours, my lord.”

“That will do.” Slowly, the light flickered on. Kyle could manage that much. It was draining, though, even after a decent meal. And the fear was rapidly dissipating. “Show us the way.”

With a small bow, the priest motioned for Kyle to follow him.

“How many in your coven altogether?’ Kyle inquired as they left the pentagram. The room fell quiet when he spoke, and Kyle was actually startled by the sudden silence. Though it still wasn’t as shocking as the humans’ obedience. The last time he’d gotten such a response had been after he’d loosed Ryka on a classroom full of highschoolers. It was nice to see he could earn this kind of respect all on his own.

“This is half of us. There’s thirty altogether.”

This seemed to please Jinx, who, mouth watering, looked up at Kyle and chirped, “So many snacks!”

***

The priest - Claude - had given them a brief tour of the building. From the inside, it looked like a converted office. The large main room had probably once been filled with cubicles, but now hosted Satanic rites. Upstairs were Claude’s living quarters - laid out like any small apartment, if most residences included a room strictly for orgies, complete with a mattress-lined floor and S&M paraphernalia on full display. It made Kyle think longingly of his absent partner.

The first thing on the agenda - once they’d taken over the priest’s room and enjoyed a nice nap - was checking out the church. With Jinx in tow, Kyle headed for the basement. Part of it was finished, and that’s where they had been told Jinx could hang out when he wasn’t with his guardian. It made Kyle uneasy that they seemed eager to separate Jinx from him. Luckily, the likelihood of that happening was near zero - Jinx was glued to Kyle’s side. In fact, he had to hobble down the stairs with the imp wrapped around his right leg.

Like the rest of the church, the basement seemed mundane enough. There was a kitchenette, a bathroom and a living area with plenty of entertainment. This looked like any other Satanic Temple Kyle had visited. And he had been in enough to know. Lucifer had recently gotten in the habit of lodging them with his more level-headed followers to help make sure their needs were met while they were on Earth.

Most Satanists were fairly normal people who just thought more like demons – that you were free to live as you pleased, and that no bad deed should go unpunished. And they fully supported those who ensured that happened. They were law-abiding citizens, using the Devil’s name to make a social or political statement. The closest most got to sinning was palling around with a couple demons and their imp.

This bunch, though, was hiding something. Aside from the literal skeletons in their closet. Not that they seemed at all ashamed about those. Just like there’d been no concern about the human blood used in their summoning ritual. Kyle was sure he and Jinx were expected to bring on the apocalypse or something equally cliched.

“It smells,” Jinx remarked, finally letting go of Kyle’s leg and exploring on his own. Kyle trailed after him, and they stopped in front of a door. There was a similar one on the opposite side of the room marked “Electrical.” This one had no sign, but Kyle suspected they didn’t want to label it what it was in case the authorities came snooping. Because even if he hadn’t seen their sins, the smell would have given it away.

“Let’s check it out,” Kyle suggested. Jinx nodded and shoved the door open. A wall of stench greeted them. A thick layer of insulation on the back of the door had kept most of the odor from escaping into the livable part of the basement. But it wasn’t the smell of blood that bothered them – it was the reek of rotting flesh. “Go on.” Without hesitation, Jinx stepped in, Kyle close on his heels. The door closed behind them, and it only took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the dark.

It was a dungeon, and not the fun kind that he had frequented with Ryka when it was just the two of them. There was quite an assortment of torture devices in a central area, and two barred cells each to the left and right of where they stood. Shackles were bolted to the concrete on the wall opposite them.

“It’s stronger here.” Kyle turned to face Jinx, who was standing in front of a fridge that was next to the door they had just entered through. It was so covered in blood and grime that he hadn’t immediately noticed it. Without waiting to be told, Jinx flung the door open.

There were bags of blood, packages of carefully wrapped - and conspicuously unlabelled - meat, an assortment of bones, and a few gleaming white skulls. A serial killer’s collection. “Let’s keep all this cold, hmm?” Kyle said, nudging Jinx aside and closing the fridge door. There were a lot of sights and smells he had grown accustomed to since becoming an immortal. Mostly-spoiled human flesh was not on that list.

“Why don’t they eat it?”

“Eat it?” Jinx nodded, and they stared at each with heads cocked, obviously each thinking the other was asking a ridiculous question. “They think they need it for their rites,” Kyle explained. “But who exactly are they torturing and murdering down here? I’m betting it’s not members who forgot to pay their dues.” When he looked at the Satanists, he could see that most of them had been involved in obtaining these items, to varying degrees. They were all damned. He just wasn’t sure what he and Jinx were supposed to do about it.

***

A week was a long time to be stuck in one place in the mortal world. At most, they hung around the three days Heaven demanded for a proper transfer of souls. Usually, Lucifer sent them close to where they needed to be, so they didn’t have to spend lots of time locating or waiting for their target. They may have had all of time before them, but they also had a lot of work to do. And Lucifer wasn’t patient.

Neither was Kyle. So far, the Satanists hadn’t brought in any more victims, so there was no telling exactly what they were up to, and they never discussed it. And Kyle knew that asking wouldn’t get them the answer they needed. Certainly, the Satanists would say their victims were deserving of whatever happened to them down in the basement, but without seeing them, there was no way Kyle could know. And studying the Satanists’ sins wasn’t enough. He could see the kidnapping, murder and torture, but that told him nothing about the victims. And the more information the demons gathered on Earth, the more fitting their punishment would be in Hell.

Being stuck in the Satanist church was starting to get to him. Most of the time, the humans were smart enough to leave he and Jinx to their own devices, but they couldn’t help but be interested. One woman in particular liked to check in on them often. And she had a knack for catching Kyle when he was alone.

Occasionally desiring a few moments without the imp stuck to him, he had allowed the Satanists to babysit Jinx. Most were honored to be given the important task. But Kyle, still suspicious of their motives, didn’t leave Jinx alone with them for more than an hour at a time. And the hour was almost up.

He wandered down to the church, wondering where they were hiding Jinx this time. At least he could stretch down here; the apartment was too cramped. He was idly pumping his wings, trying to scout out Jinx’s location, when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eyes. After an enormous and obviously annoyed sigh, he called out, “I can see you.”

Not looking at all ashamed, the woman, Julia he now remembered, strode toward him. So cocky, these wannabe Satanists, he thought. Somehow thinking that by sacrificing to the Devil they’d be spared damnation, when in fact they dirtied their souls at an astonishing rate. If they really wanted to help, they’d be doing beer runs and dealing with dry cleaning, like the Satanists they usually worked with.

“Sorry to bother you, my lord,” she greeted, sounding like she meant it. Before he could even think of a response, she was right next to him, chatting like they were old friends. Inch-long claws and a mouth like a bear trap, and he still couldn’t fend off a woman. “I was just wondering about a few things. Is it okay to ask?”

“Doesn’t your priest know?” Kyle spat, hoping to scare her away. The priest had introduced himself as Claude shortly after their arrival, but Kyle was taking a page from Ryka and flat-out refusing to use his name. To Kyle and Jinx, he was “Priest,” “Hey, you,” or “room service.”

But Julia was undeterred. “You’d certainly know better than Claude would.”

Resigned, Kyle said, “Shoot.”

And that’s exactly what he wished could do to himself when, an hour later, he was still answering her questions about Hell. He wanted to let her know she’d have all of eternity to find out for herself, but couldn’t actually bring himself to say it. So, he continued to tell her about the different kinds of demons and how souls were punished for their misdeeds.

“You have different coloring than Jinx,” she stated. The question was implied, and Kyle dreaded answering it.

“Black and red are the usual colors. Incubi and succubi usually have white, to trick mortals into thinking they’re angels. I’ve seen orange a lot more lately.”

“And gray?” she asked, eyeing his wings.

“There’s only two of us.”

“Just two?”

“Me and Judas.”

For a few moments, there was silence, and Kyle rejoiced in it. But of course he hadn’t shut her up for long. “Judas? Iscariot?” Kyle nodded “Really? But why just the two of you?”

Kyle was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to be talking about this, but also quite positive that she’d be dead soon enough anyhow, unable to spread around Hell’s secrets. “It’s what happens when damned mortal souls are given immortal bodies.”

That sank in much more quickly than he expected. “You were saved from-?” she began excitedly. It seemed that he and Judas had just achieved superstar status.

“Yeah.”

“How? Were you one of us?”

“Uh, actually, I was a History teacher. And a non-practicing Christian. This is my reward for being a host.”

“A host?”

“I had a parasite - a demon who shared my body when I was a mortal.” A demon he very much wished was with him now to help him deal with this bullshit.

“How did you do that? Summon a parasite?”

“I didn’t. He was just sent to me on a whim.”

“And how -?” But Kyle waved her question off. They’d never stop pestering him if they found out hosting Ryka had allowed him a century of life as a healthy twenty-something. He’d be lucky if they left him alone after divulging all he just had. There was no way Julia wasn’t going to blab to the rest of the coven. At least she didn’t chase after him as he descended into the basement.

He arrived just in time to hear one of Jinx’s babysitters - they worked in pairs for safety - scream in pain. “Jinx!” Maybe he wasn’t as intimidating as Ryka when he was mad, but Jinx still looked cowed when Kyle appeared, seething, at the bottom of the stairs. “Stop biting!”

One of the women who had been minding Jinx had her hand clutched tight to her chest, where a red stain was spreading across the front of her blouse. If that hadn’t been enough evidence, Jinx wiping blood from his mouth left no room for interpretation. He bowed his head and shuffled over to Kyle. “I’m bored,” he whined. “And hungry.”

Jinx had a history of biting, but this was getting ridiculous, Kyle thought. Not that he felt badly for the hive of murderers currently housing them, but Jinx had taste-tested most of the Satanists in the past week. This included their illustrious high priest, Claude, who had nearly lost a finger when he’d made the mistake of handing Jinx a candy bar.

“Upstairs. Now. Don’t stop and don’t talk to anyone. If you’re not in bed when I get up there, I’ll let Ryka deal with you later.” His other half may have been absent, but was still an effective threat. Without another word, Jinx scampered up the stairs. He heard Julia try to talk to the imp, but Jinx followed Kyle’s orders and fled to their temporary quarters.

To the mortals - one now trying to perform first aid on her friend’s mutilated hand - Kyle asked, “Where’s your priest?”

“He was meeting up with the head of another coven. But we can call him back if you’d like, my lord.” For having just been bitten, the woman answering sounded surprisingly calm.

“Do it.” It was far past time to talk.

***

Although Kyle felt very much like a free-loader, Claude still hurried back at his summons. The priest had at times looked annoyed that Kyle and Jinx were simply loitering around the church, but as they’d been given no directions by Lord Satan, “wait and see” seemed like the most logical thing to do. But Kyle was tired of waiting, and Jinx was becoming unmanageable. It was time to end this.

“Sorry for the delay,” Claude said by way of greeting, ushering Kyle into his office. No honorifics this time, Kyle noted.

“Why did you want us?” Kyle responded, cutting right to the chase. “I’m assuming there’s more to it than just being able to say you’ve got two demons holed up in your temple.” They didn’t advertise publicly, that much he knew, but he heard the whispers. They bragged to other churches and seemed to be trying to pull in more followers.

“We-”

“Just a reminder: I’ll know if you try to lie.” It was like watching a sin play out live. He could see the shadow of the soul, hovering just outside the mortal’s body, in the act of fibbing. It was quite a useful skill.

“I wouldn’t dare.” This was close enough to the truth that Kyle didn’t stop him. Instead, he perched himself on the edge of Claude’s desk and motioned for him to continue. “Truly, we attempted the summoning with no goal in mind other than to see if it actually worked. And it did.” Kyle hadn’t bothered to dissuade them of this misconception.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Maybe it was time to try some of the things he was supposed to be able to do. Bending free will had been explained to him, of course, but he’d always left that up to Ryka. Kyle knew there was no way he’d be able to make any of these people his puppets, but he could probably compel them to tell the truth with more than just threats. “Speaking of that, do tell me where you got all that blood. And whose parts those are down in your fridge.”

“My lord, I-”

“Now.”

Here Claude hesitated, and Kyle took a chance. It really was like pulling strings on a puppet, just as Ryka had described. He wasn’t as skilled a puppeteer as his other half, but he found that thread of free will and tugged. And was pleased to see Claude’s eyes glaze over just slightly.

“Homeless,” Claude answered, tone flat. “We offer them food and shelter.” A cruel trick. Meaning in Hell, they’d be offered a reprieve, only to have it snatched away. Again and again.

“Why torture them, too? Do you just get off on it?” He could see the vile things Claude had done to their prisoners. But when he hesitated to answer, Kyle pulled again. “Speak, Priest.”

“Enrich their blood.” Without a will of his own, saying that meant he fully believed it. What nonsense. “I do enjoy it.”

“Of course you do. And now that you have us, what’s your goal?”

This answer came easier. “Influence.”

Kyle could have guessed that on his own. Of course they were power-hungry. How cliche. “Political?” Claude nodded. He wasn’t putting up much of a fight, so none of this was anything he’d been too desperate to keep hidden. Kyle kept prodding. “Use me and Jinx to attract those with political sway to your coven?”

Now he was trying to wrest back control over his reactions. But Kyle fought him. And won. “Tell me how you plan to use us then, Claude.” As a sideshow, Kyle imagined. They wouldn’t like the result if they tried.

But Claude and his followers apparently had something else in mind. Sweat beading on his brow, Claude answered, “As bait.”

***

A defeated Claude had divulged the rest of their plan, no manipulation of free will required. The coven wanted more demons. More powerful demons, he had explained, making it known that he didn’t think Kyle or Jinx were without power, just that they needed more. If they were ever going to achieve the notoriety they sought, they needed Hell’s best. Or worst.

Kyle had managed to keep any and all emotion from his face. But as Claude was speaking, he was hatching a plan of his own. They sure as shit were going to summon another demon, and he was absolutely going to be powerful.

His plan laid, Claude looked to Kyle for feedback. “No more human sacrifice,” Kyle told him.

“But-”

“Use your own blood. And I’ll use mine.”

***

The room looked much like it had when Kyle had arrived at the church. Chairs stacked in the corners to create space for the bloody pentagram drawn in blood on the floor. Black candles flickered at its points, and almost the entire coven stood just outside its circumference, all donning black robes.

It looked like a cheesy horror movie, but Kyle had let them do as they pleased. Especially when it came to bleeding each other nearly to the point of fainting to have enough blood to paint the circle. Poor Jinx had been drooling, crying to Kyle that he was starving. Kyle couldn’t understand how; the coven were all scared of being bitten, and babysitting the imp had gone from prestigious to punishment.

Two of them were still stuck with him, though. Kyle wasn’t sure how effective his plot would be, and didn’t want Jinx there in case it failed. His own disappointment would be enough. Seeing Jinx’s would crush him. So, he had lied and said he was just leading a mass for the coven, playing along with their silly Satanist fantasy. With no reason to have anything but absolute faith in Kyle, Jinx had agreed to stay with the two least-chewed-up members of the group.

So now it was Kyle and the remaining twenty-eight mortals. He was standing in the center of the pentagram, naked. He’d been wearing borrowed clothes, and had made them buy some for Jinx, but it was uncomfortable now. Besides, he needed every enticement available. The first was his body. The second was his blood.

He was never supposed to suffer. Not even a little. Though the scratch he intended to give himself would hardly count as suffering even to a human.

“Are you ready, my Lord?” Claude asked, trying to hide his impatience behind reverence.

Worried his own claws would leave scars, Kyle had asked for a knife. They had gifted him a nasty-looking dagger with a blade as long as his hand. He had a white-knuckle grip on the handle. This needed to work. “I’m ready.”

Whatever it was the wannabe-Satanists chanted, he couldn’t have cared less. Some bullshit in long-dead Latin. He only had focus for the blade. He knew it wouldn’t hurt, but part of his brain was still convinced it should. Was still determined to make him flinch just a little when he sliced across his left forearm.

A sheet of crimson spilled down to his palm, making a shallow pool before draining out between his fingers. He could hear the droplets sizzling as they hit the ground. “Please,” he breathed, “we miss you.”

Maybe no mortal could summon a demon, but another demon apparently could. As long as the right eyes were watching.

The shaking started low, hardly anything worse than a passing truck might have caused. Noticeable enough, though, that he heard a few gasps from the coven. Those were quickly lost to the sound of rattling windows and glassware shattering in the kitchen, as cups and plates marched one-by-one off their shelves.

The building groaned, small cracks puffing out breaths of plaster dust as they raced along the walls. Only a little overdramatic, Kyle thought. And then he felt his shadow reattach.

It hadn’t accompanied him this time around, and he’d missed its presence. And the knowledge that he’d always have a way out if things got bad. Or too boring. But there he was, stretching out in front of Kyle, across the floor and up the wall. Opening that cavernous maw, that gateway to Hell.

And to Kyle’s immense delight, there was someone waiting on the other side. “I missed you, too, stud.”

Kyle was barely able to restrain himself. What he wanted to do was throw himself at Ryka, potentially bowling them both back to Hell. What he did was take a few calm, measured steps forward. Ryka met him halfway, wrapping arms around his waist. Kyle nearly crushed him in return.

“It worked.”

“Mm. But I wish you hadn’t done this.” “This” of course referring to Kyle’s wound, now mostly healed. Ryka pried Kyle’s arm away, holding it up to lick off the rest of the blood. Kyle didn’t stop him from continuing his ministrations, not until Ryka’s lips were on his neck.

“Not that I mind an audience….” And theirs was rapt, but clearly becoming uncomfortable. Though Kyle couldn’t tell if it was he and Ryka’s behavior, or simply the fact that having summoned another demon, it was now completely ignoring them.

Ryka didn’t look happy about it, but pulled away. “But?”

“Jinx.”

Although it was likely Jinx sensed Ryka’s arrival, Kyle suspected it was boredom that drove the imp to break his promise to stay in the basement until he was called for. They’d been holed up too long, and without an actual assignment to occupy them at least part of the time, they both were going a little stir-crazy.

So Kyle could only sigh when Jinx came barrelling out of the hallway and flung himself at Ryka, who caught him with one arm. Trailing behind Jinx were his two minders, both looking more than a little battered. Each wore several sets of bite marks, mostly on their arms, all of which were still oozing blood. None of them looked deep, so he’d gone easy on them this time.

The rest of the circle grew restless at this. Kyle supposed he couldn’t blame them. Ryka still hadn’t acknowledged them, and Kyle only had eyes for Ryka. But he saw Claude shift ever-so-slightly in their direction. He really didn’t want to deal with the priest right now. And he didn’t have to.

He’d had more time to practice, and it was with little effort that Kyle forced them to obey his next order. “Leave us,” he growled. The group turned as one to face the nearest exit and marched themselves out of sight. Kyle’s sphere of influence wasn’t large, but it was enough to get them the Temple almost to themselves. A few of the Satanists, including Claude, lingered in the building, but most had left the premises. As he gave up control, Kyle caught Ryka’s proud smile. “It’s easier when they’re mostly willing,” he explained. And it had been. For the most part, they wanted to obey him, so he was just making it easier for them to do so.

“Still, stud, that’s impressive progress in a short time.” Kyle shrugged off the compliment, but his tail found Ryka’s. “And what about you, brat?”

Jinx, who had been quietly whining that he was being ignored, perked up. “I’m hungry!”

“I think we can fix that.”

***

Much to Jinx’s dismay, that fix was not immediate, and he fell asleep with a hollow feeling in his belly. Though for all his grumbling on the subject, he slept soundly, unbothered by Kyle and Ryka talking over him while he dreamt.

“So, do we have actual orders, then?” Kyle asked quietly, trying not to disturb the imp curled up against him. Jinx was snuggled up between him and Ryka, mumbling in his sleep as Ryka often did.

A malicious grin turning up the corners of his lips, Ryka nodded. “Reap as many as we can.”

“We should have them invite their friends, then. They’ve been wanting to show us off, anyhow.”

“Sorry you got stuck here.”

“Any idea why?”

“Besides pissing me off?” It must have been extra miserable in Hell in recent days, Kyle mused. With Ryka - furious on his behalf - probably bitching nonstop to Lucifer. It was a wonder he hadn’t caved sooner. “I’m sure he’d give some bullshit reason like ‘giving you a chance to learn.’ But it’s probably because it amused him somehow. Fucker.”

Kyle snorted. “Either way, I guess. They’ve been somewhat entertaining. Though I think they’re getting sick of us.”

“You? Or this one?” Ryka asked with a nod down to Jinx. “He’s still biting, huh?” Kyle’s expression said it all. “It works, I guess. They’re scared.”

“It’s still … weird. Isn’t it? He’s been hunting with us. I know he’s little, but he knows other ways to get a fear response.”

“True. But who gives a shit if he chews up this bunch? We’ll consider it a problem if he starts gnawing on someone he’s not supposed to.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“‘You guess?’ Rude.”

“You’re that, too.” Deep, rumbling laughter greeted his insult. This was Ryka’s favorite way to flirt. But just like Jinx, he was going to have to wait for any kind of satisfaction. “In the morning,” Kyle promised.

***

They’d awoken to find themselves completely alone in the temple. The few Satanists who had been milling around, probably scrubbing blood off the floor and repacking their stash of black candles, had left during the night. Which meant they could laze around uninterrupted.

But Jinx was not in the mood for relaxing. Antsy, he’d flopped around on the bed, pleading to be allowed to explore. Confident there was nothing he could get into, Kyle allowed it. The only stipulation had been to stay inside.

“Speaking of staying inside,” Ryka had purred, spreading his legs in invitation. As though Kyle had maybe forgotten what he’d said the night before. A thrum in his own chest, he had rolled himself between Ryka’s legs and kept his promise.

***

He was still keeping it when Claude had the audacity to interrupt. Of course, they heard the priest clomping up the stairs. With a couple of his acolytes in tow, it sounded like. But Kyle hadn’t thought he’d be brazen enough to invite himself in without so much as knocking first.

“The fuck do you want?” Ryka snarled, no less threatening even given his current position: on his back, head hanging off the foot of the bed, legs parted in a wide “V” and Kyle holding both ankles. “It better be good or you’re not making it out of this room alive.”

All three bowed, though Kyle thought it was mostly to hide their faces. The two younger members behind Claude were blushing furiously. Apparently, they were more comfortable with murder. And Claude was trying not to let his outrage show. This was, after all, his room. And he apparently hadn’t wanted it anointed by two demons. At least they hadn’t made it to his sex room yet.

Kyle could hear the effort it took for Claude to keep his tone even. “My lords, we just wanted to inform you that the rest of the coven will be arriving soon. Along with others from our sister temple.”

Ryka lifted his head to grin up at Kyle. One less thing they had to do, then. Meaning they had more time to enjoy each other’s company. And maybe Claude’s sex room. “Perfect,” Ryka told him, letting his head fall back. And Kyle was surprised to see Claude flinch when the demon’s attention returned to him.

Kyle knew his other half was intimidating. He’d known that for the entirety of their time together. But it was still rather impressive that even given his current vulnerable position, Ryka was still a threat. And annoyed as he may have been, Claude understood how serious Ryka was when he told the three Satanists, “Now fuck off before I make you rip each other’s throats out.”

The door slammed closed on them before Kyle could appreciate what he assumed would be the stunned looks on their faces. At least he could still appreciate the look on Ryka’s, though, when he resumed what he’d been doing before they’d been interrupted.

***

Kyle was truly starting to think he was being fucked with when, not fifteen minutes later, a ruckus downstairs stopped him short of flipping Ryka onto his stomach. But Ryka was frozen, too, listening just as Kyle was.

Through walls and floors, some of the words were lost, but it was the first one they’d heard that had caught their attention. It had been Jinx’s name, and whoever had yelled it hadn’t sounded happy.

“Guess we’re done here,” Ryka grumbled, waiting for Kyle to get up before he did the same. Kyle offered him a pair of pants, and Ryka grudgingly accepted them. Kyle was dragging his feet, too, at least until he heard more of the Satanists’ complaints. Then, eyes wide, he pushed Ryka toward the door. “What? They’re pissed the little glutton cleaned out their fridge? I’m surprised he hasn’t raided the cabinets, too.”

“Not that fridge, not that fridge.” Kyle hadn’t been sure if demon’s could feel nausea, but it turned out that he, at least, could. And it only grew as he alternately shoved and dragged Ryka to the basement, where half a dozen Satanists were crowded around an anxious Jinx.

And it was just as Kyle had feared. Jinx was in the secret room, sitting in front of the gore-splattered fridge, its door wide open and shelves now empty. Scattered around Jinx was more-than-ample evidence of his crime: empty jars and jugs, cracked-open containers and torn bags. Nevermind his face and hands were coated in blood and little white flecks of what Kyle assumed was bone. It would make sense, given that he was in the middle of polishing off a skull.

“So, when he said he was hungry ….” Ryka murmured. That he looked as surprised as Kyle made him feel a bit better, until Kyle heard a “crunch” and was reminded that currently, his beloved imp was snacking on a human jawbone like it was a candy bar.

“How?” Was all Kyle could manage in response. He’d never heard of a demon having this much of a taste for humans. Blood, sure. That’s where vampire myths had come from. But even then, it wasn’t in volumes like this. Jinx had drained gallon jugs of the stuff. In addition to what was the equivalent of at least one adult mortal.

If Ryka’d had any intention of hazarding a guess, he held it back as several sets of eyes landed on them. Most of those present had, belatedly, noticed their arrival. Baring his teeth, Ryka opened his wings partway and side-stepped until he filled the doorway. Their only exit.

The fear was instantaneous, and Kyle’s nausea dissipated just as quickly. They had wanted to do away with them all later, when the whole group was present. But a change of plans was needed. They’d have to pick them off piecemeal, as it were.

Though not all of them were aware of Kyle and Ryka’s arrival. Claude was wrapped up in his anger, towering over the imp, fists clenched at his sides and veins bulging on his forehead. Even if it had been enjoyable work, accumulating the organs and fluids used for their rituals hadn’t been easy, and now it was all gone.

Nervous as he seemed under the priest’s scrutiny, it didn’t stop Jinx from offering, “Wasn’t it for us anyhow?”

“To summon more,” Claude explained, jaw so tight he could barely get the words out.

“It worked,” Jinx replied, triumphant. “They’re here.” This time, there was nothing blocking Kyle’s view of Claude’s face in the moment he spotted the bigger demons. The way his rage became terror, wafting off him like cologne.

But his fear made him desperate, and he scrambled to grab Jinx, holding the imp in front of him like a shield. When he’d first arrived, Kyle had made the mistake of letting the priest come between him and Jinx. He wouldn’t allow it a second time. Roaring, he made his move.

Claude hardly had time to cover his ears or register the gray blur - flashing angry red - that tore him away from his hostage and threw him to the ground. When the black obscuring his vision cleared, he found himself staring across the floor. He had landed on his stomach, face turned to one side. A bare foot was planted heavily on his head. “Your eternity in Hell is going to seem like a vacation compared to what I’m about to do to you,” Kyle hissed, grounding down until the pain burst like fireworks in front of Claude’s eyes.

Above him, the priest could hear the excited crackle of electricity, and the occasional stray spark leapt to the ground, smoldering briefly before extinguishing itself. Just as he was beginning to wonder if the demon planned to crush his skull, the pressure released. But only for a moment. Something in his neck snapped as he was hauled back to standing by his head, claws sunk deep into his cheeks.

“Are you familiar with the chair?” Kyle growled into his ear. “Death by electrocution?” Claude whimpered as one set of claws was extricated from the soft flesh of his face. That arm encircled his chest, pulling him tight against his captor. The other hand moved to the top of his head, and how he felt sharp points digging into his scalp.

He opened his mouth to scream, but his jaw locked shut. He could hear it again, the hum of electricity. That and a rapid thudding noise, which he distantly realized was his feet flailing against the floor while his muscles spasmed, not a single one left under his control.

But Kyle’s grip never faltered. “I hope you like them cooked, too, brat,” Claude heard Ryka say, even as the reek of burning flesh and hair filled his nostrils.

That smell was nothing to Kyle, not compared to the heady aroma of the fear of imminent death. He was still seeing red. This man had tried to use Jinx to spare himself. He had dared to lay hands on Jinx. And now he was going to pay.

It didn’t take long enough, though Claude probably would have disagreed. The priest’s stuttering heartbeat thumped its last, and Kyle dropped the smoldering corpse, reaching down to take the dirty soul within. The shadow was already waiting, mouth open wide. Its eyes closed in bliss as it swallowed down the soul. Then it turned its gaze to the others.

When they tried to flee to a corner, Kyle froze them in their tracks, making them easy targets. He couldn’t explain it, but it was what it was. If Jinx wanted to - or maybe needed to - eat mortal flesh, Kyle wouldn’t let him go hungry. “Get ‘em, Jinx.”

Wide-eyed, the imp climbed to his feet and approached the five remaining Satanists. He’d gone hunting with his guardians plenty of times now, but had only ever observed. Now it was his turn, and his belly growled, hungry again at the prospect of dispatching his prey on his own. Drooling, he launched himself for the closest one. Their scream turned into a gurgle as he ripped into their throat, the sweet iron tang of blood filling his mouth.

***

They let Jinx eat his fill. Kyle didn’t stay to watch, leaving as soon as the last soul was harvested. Then he went back to the temple’s main room, where the night before they’d had their summoning ritual.

Ryka trailed after him. “That’s a new one,” he remarked. “Definitely explains all the biting, though. He really was taste-testing.” Wings sagging, Kyle slumped into the nearest wall. Ryka was at his side in an instant, ready to support him. “It’s a lot, hmm? He’s growing up.”

Of course he’d known just what Kyle was thinking. No need to share headspace; to Ryka, Kyle was an open book.

“I’m sure he’ll slow down for a bit. A lot of us speed along for a while, then stop.” Not having grown up in Hell, Kyle could only assume the assurance was true. After all, Ryka had promised never to lie to him. But he was still uneasy. “He’s not going anywhere. Just like me, he’s yours forever.”

“Ry ….”

Knowing that even Kyle didn’t like things getting too serious, Ryka changed tack. “Allow me to say it again, stud: you’re gorgeous when you’re losing your temper. We should pick up where we left off. I’ll let you bend me over right here.”

Always a tempting offer. “Later. We need to get ready for the rest of our guests.” Guests he was suspecting would arrive very soon.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll go check on the brat. We should probably clean up so they’re not too suspicious right off the bat.”

Kyle only had a little blood on him, but reeked of burning meat. A quick shower took care of that. Jinx was another matter entirely. When Ryka finally dragged him out of the basement, he was dripping crimson, the whites of his eyes brilliant against all the red. It took them both scrubbing him down for nearly an hour to get all the blood off, and by the end of it Kyle was such a mess he had to shower again. Which hardly left time for Ryka to do the same.

He was just getting back down to the main floor when the rest of the coven arrived, along with ten members from their sister temple. The newcomers were awed by the three demons, prostrating themselves before the immortals.

“No need, no need,” Ryka told them. “But your High Priest wanted us to lead a service. A black mass. Make yourselves comfortable.” While he’d been upstairs, Kyle and Jinx had set the room back up as it normally was, with rows of chairs facing a lectern.

“Is Claude here?” It was Julie, the same woman that had been bothering Kyle all week.

“Downstairs getting ready with a few of the others.” Part of that was true, at least. Unable to ask in front of Jinx for fear of making him self-conscious, Kyle had instead asked Ryka what the state of their victims had been. And Ryka had reported that there was at least a little bit of all of them remaining. Jinx had sampled parts of each one, but apparently filled up before he could finish any of them completely.

That answer satisfied Julia, and she helped their guests settle in. But in trying to be a good hostess, she sealed all their fates that much more quickly. “Let me grab some refreshments.” The demons all heard her, but let her go. It was worth it to hear her scream.

She was nearly hyperventilating when she returned, ghost-white and covered in a sheen of sweat. “What happened? What-?”

“Why so scared? You’ve seen blood before.” The lights flickered as Ryka advanced on her. “You’ve made bigger messes than that, haven’t you?”

“I-”

“Don’t lie. You killed a lot of people to try and get us here. Did you think you wouldn’t have to pay your dues, sinner?”

“B-but, he …” Here, she motioned feebly at Kyle, who only shrugged.

“He’s a special case. You … are far from it.”

Finally, one of the guests - the other priest - stood from his seat at the front of the room. “What happened?” By the tremble in his voice, he surely already knew.

But Ryka filled him in. “They’re dead. And you’re about to be, too.” Door and windows locked, and the lights exploded. Without windows, the room was pitch black, even though it was still daylight outside.

It was only dark a moment, though. The low flame licking along the spines of Ryka’s wings cast an eerie glow, and the blood-red lightning creeping along Kyle’s skin sent his shadow skittering along the floor. It was such a familiar scene, Kyle thought, watching as it reached out to grab Julia’s foot. She shrieked at the touch, falling onto her backside and scrabbling away.

“We only came here for your souls,” Kyle said flatly, just in case they hadn’t yet reached that conclusion. Jinx had been clinging to him, arms tight around his neck, and looking rather sleepy and bloated after his trip to the buffet. But as he slid out of Kyle’s arms, his mouth was watering again. Kyle wondered if it was the terror that set him off. Whatever the reason, the imp threw himself at the new priest, slashing at his face and neck until he hit a major artery.

“Why did we even bother bathing him?” Ryka wondered, casual tone hardly a fit for the chaos breaking out around them. The entire coven was panicking now, running this way and that. Making it very hard for an imp with short legs to catch them.

“Stop!” Kyle shouted. It was almost easy now, even with so many of them. Or maybe that was the reason. More to feed on meant more power. A delightful feedback loop. One of the Satanists skidded to a halt so fast he face-planted, but without his free will, stayed prone on the floor, blood pooling under his face. That problem solved, Kyle looked to Jinx. “Are you eating any of these ones?”

Kyle watched eyes bulging at the question. After a moment of deep thought, Jinx shook his head. Apparently, the fear would be enough this time. Though Kyle did catch him sneaking bites as he made his way around the room, slitting throats. Kids, he thought, rolling his eyes. To Ryka, who was watching the scene with a malicious grin plastered on his face, he asked, “How do we clean this up?”

“Leave it to me. Just grab the brat.”

Kyle called Jinx over, and Jinx obeyed, even though it meant leaving a few victims still clinging to life. He scooped the imp back up. “Well, Ry?”

“They brought this down on themselves.”

It had been a long time since Kyle had seen Ryka’s whip trick. And the last time he had, Ryka needed something in hand to summon his weapon. Any material would do, but there’d always had to be something. This time, Ryka simply extended a hand and flexed his fingers. Just like that, they were closing around the molten handle. Flame raced down the length of the whip, burning nearly as bright as Ryka’s eyes.

“Thanks for waiting until I got here to do this, stud. You really know how to treat a guy.”

“Any time, dear.”

Cackling, Ryka swung the whip. The damage he’d done to the walls yesterday was nothing compared to what he did now. The entire building groaned as the whip sliced through one of the walls. “I’m going to take Jinx outside,” Kyle shouted. Already, the ceiling was crumbling, and a blaze was spreading out from the line of the whip’s fiery touch. “I’ll meet you out back.”

Ryka just waved, and Kyle made his exit, Jinx safely in his arms. He looked back once to see his other half cleaving another wall in two. Around him, the few cultists left alive wept and pleaded for mercy. He looked shockingly like Lord Satan in that moment, and Kyle shuddered. Why his brain had made such a disturbing comparison he couldn’t fathom. But he didn’t like it.

“What’s wrong?” Jinx asked, turning to watch Ryka’s demolition of the temple as they exited into the small yard behind the building.

“Nothing, Jinx.”

And then the roof caved in.

***

Ryka emerged, dirty but unscathed, only a few moments later. “They’re all dead now,” he assured Kyle. Behind him, the temple was nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble. Kyle could have swooned. His action anti-hero, mussed hair and muscle in the glow of firelight. He couldn’t wait to be home. “That was fun.”

“At the end, sure.”

“If that prick tries to do anything like that to us again ….” The ground quaked under their feet. Kyle had thought the building fully collapsed, but the tremors left it looking truly Hellish - a burning pit full of sinners.

Knowing it wouldn’t cool Ryka’s temper any, Kyle still felt compelled to ask, “Think we’ll get any answers from him?” This with a subtle nod toward Jinx, now drowsing against his shoulder.

“Fucking doubt it. Though it won’t be for lack of trying.” If anyone could wear down the Devil, it was Ryka. Here, where it was safer, Kyle allowed himself a smirk at the thought of all the nagging the great Lord of Hell was about to suffer. The shadow grinned, too, stretching out in front of them and opening its mouth. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“Gladly.”