“Listen kid. You gotta get that angel under control if you want this shop of yours to thrive.” Growled Grizz’Bluk, the crimson devil nursed a tankard of concentrated artic scorpion tails as he lectured. The wide array of metal and glass shards hanging from his horns clanged and chimed without a hint of melody or reason. It was off putting and distracting. Lin assumed that was the point. Grizz’Bluk seemed to delight in any sort of discomfort that he could create without actively doing wrong. Lin had caught him spiking the communal water jugs with banana flavoring too many times to trust his intentions.

Several hours had passed since Charmeine had finished her proselytizing and wandered off into the city. In another hour, Lin would get to close, clean dishes for an hour, and then walk home to sleep and do it all over again. Until then, she was absent mindedly scribbling a portrait of fire on a napkin.

“She’s not my angel.” Lin said with a sigh. “Besides, this is her shop, not mine. If driving the customers away makes her happy, there’s not much I can do about it. I just wish people wouldn’t shirk on tips because of it.”

Grizz’Bluk snorted in amusement, but then frowned, tugging at the neck line of his sports jersey thoughtfully. Despite his inherent, sadistic nature, Lin had found the former torturer to be incredibly empathetic and caring to those with whom he was close.

“It really isn’t right of her to order you around like she does. It’s cruel.”

Lin cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t that why you became a regular in the first place?”

Raising his hands in defense, Grizz guffawed. “I’m not saying I don’t enjoy her cruelty.” His brow furrowed. “But I am saying that I don’t like it, and I don’t think you deserve it.”

Lin shifted uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t describe Charmeine as ‘cruel’ only… misguided.” She said weakly.

Grizz nodded. “Trust me kid, I’ve known Charmeine since before the first garden. She’s always had a bossy streak, you’re just too empathetic to see it. You wouldn’t describe me as cruel either, even though that’s literally in my job description.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Not anymore.” Lin said, wagging a finger at the fallen angel.

“Ha! You think being a PE coach is all sunshine and rainbows? I use more psychological torture than I ever did in the pit! Just the other day, a kid was crying because he got hit in the face with a dodgeball! So, I had him sit in front of the class and explain why what they did hurt his feelings. Everyone was crying and hugging by the end, how’s that for cruel and unusual?!”

“That doesn’t sound very-”

“We’re not talking about me; this is about how you could do so much better than this.”

“Are you saying you don’t like my potions?”

Grizz rolled his eyes amusedly. “Show me a person who claims such foolishness and I’ll show you a liar and slanderer. You make the best juice for miles, and the shop wouldn’t run half as well as it does if it weren’t for you.”

Lin turned to clean a countertop, hiding a traitorous blush. “You’re exaggerating. This place would get along fine without me.”

“You’re right, it would.”

Lin snapped upright, more offended than she would care to admit. But even as she opened her mouth to retaliate, Grizz continued.

“It would be fine. Not excellent, but it would keep running. They would adapt to survive. You, on the other hand, will be nothing more than ‘fine’ if you keep working here, kid.” Snatching the napkin off the counter, Grizz held it up as if it were evidence in a court case. “You say you’ve got no talent, and yet if I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’m looking at a real-life fire spirit right now. And trust me, I am very well acquainted with those things.” He finished with a shudder.

“That scribble is nothing compared to you, who can make fire sprout at your fingertips, or the fey who can make entire fields grow with a wave of their hands.” Lin said, barely glancing at her drawing. “Throw that away, would you?”

Grizz frowned but nodded. “Fine, but not before you ink it on me.”

Lin froze. “Before I what?”

“Ink it on me. Tattoo?” He clarified, seeing her confusion. “Listen, I need some new skin art, and this shit is flames… And not just literally. It deserves to last forever, so slap it on me!”

Cocking her head, Lin found herself nodding unconsciously. “I don’t hate the idea but… I don’t even have a machine.”

Waving his hand, Grizz slapped a black blob on his neck. “You think I got this puppy done professionally? I’ve got a machine at home, but no talent for operating it. You gotta help me out!”

A strange sensation bubbled in Lin’s belly, one she couldn't name, for she had never experienced it before. But it felt good. Like she was a boulder perched atop a great slope, wobbling back and forth, waiting, wanting, and yearning to take her destined voyage.