We didn’t get a chance to blunder around looking for an entrance. The lookout must have heard us speak and shouted for backup. In moments, top of the palisade was manned with protruding tubes.

“Whoah,” I raised my hands – more in a placating gesture than surrender. Before I was done, I was yanked behind impenetrable shoulders. That didn’t stop my mouth from working, “We’re just… travellers. Our car broke down some ways away. We mean you no harm.”

The men and a woman chittered amongst themselves and try hard as I might I caught not a crumb of their dialogue. Then they shouted louder at us and I was completely sure.

“Shit. I don’t even know what language that is.” I’ve heard some weird ones from people who came in with armed convoys, but vocabulary I picked up there would hardly fit this tense standoff, even if the bits were mutually familiar.

“I do and this gives me an idea where we are at last,” monster hummed and went on to chitter back at the locals. Sharply. The tone would have made me slam the door in our faces. I elbowed him.

“The fuck you’re saying, threats won’t get us out of this atrocious weather,” I whisper-shouted. It was also dark already and I hated the absolute blackness of the nature. I put up, aided by determination and anger, but never really got over the snaps of a twig in the night. I wanted to be indoors.

“It would, but I repeated what you’ve said. Then they asked for details.”

I did notice a couple of guns lower. “Alright… but can you not sound so damn angry? Two severely underdressed dudes strolling out of the blue at nightfall and asking for shelter is extremely damn suspicious. They’ll think we’re a scouting party,” all the while I was curled in into my spectacular bathrobe and pretended to be freezing. Most of it was unease, but that emotion was also very fitting for the situation.

I was also sure our getup did not inspire a lot of confidence – a leather-clad rock star and flamboyant boytoy land on your doorstep. What do you do?

“Nothing we do will prevent them from assuming so,” monster casually commented while lifting hair off his face. With hands.

“What are you doing now?”

“They want to check for brands.”

“That’s practised even in the ass crack end of the universe?” Truly, our legal system made leaps and bounds since locking people up in a cages for years. Unwanted miscreants were now simply labelled and kicked out. I wasn’t sure which fate was worse. Eviction almost always spelled death. And the few vagabonds crafty enough to evade monsters? Only obvious nobody wanted to deal with that.

Flashlight skimmed across the backyard and demon’s eyes reflected light. There and gone, but definitely enough for a neurotic mind to get ideas. Great, now they’ll think we’re a couple of sneaky demons.

“Soo, how often does your kind take up imitation and try to slither into places?”

“Depends on the kind,” he shrugged the question off. “You would know better.”

Would I? I’ve grown up on stories about devil walking among us, but I disregarded those completely. That used to have nothing to do with me. Hell was way out there beyond the city walls and I had no time to worry about it whilst struggling in the purgatory on the daily basis. There must have been humanoid intruders for the military men had no hesitation confining me.

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“As though I’m asking for myself, dumbass. Darken your eyes, they’re way too bright a shade to be human.”

The people were deliberating on the fortification. I was sure I could have gotten us in yesterday had I known how to speak this tongue. Worst case scenario that would have involved a little work with my hands with the tall dark and handsome over there, who I presumed to be the leader. Damn, might still need to do some work for a cosy corner to sleep in and some clothes. An elder lady was arguing vehemently, dare I say, in our favour?

“What’s she saying?”

“You remind her of a lost son.”

Ah, universal language of grief. I can work with that.

“How do I say please, we’re very cold?”

He coached and I repeated out loud in most pitiful tone I remembered well from the beggar days. The discussion seemed to still, then I swear someone cursed.

“Come, they’re letting us in.”

We stepped through the gate, but demon didn’t stop there and strolled off right through the crowd towards some unseen destination.

“Err, wait! Stop.” I shouted from a place amidst the people. Two initially dazed armed men were making their way to block the path. “Where are you off to?”

Mercifully, he stopped, but didn’t turn. “To an empty house at the back.”

“Did you tell them that? How normal people would even know it’s there?” There were few words exchanged so I hoped for the best. After all, I doubted he’d include owners of the property into execution of those plans. I flashed a nervous smile to the audience and made my way to stand next to the big oaf. “First off, thank yous, then introductions and only then politely we ask to rest where they let us. Teach me. Fast.”

Instructed demon to face towards the crowd as he muttered the words reluctantly. I bowed slightly and apologised to our hosts. Stumbled through the following speech, held hands with the sweet granny who worried about the chill in my limbs. She motioned us further into the small town for I assumed cup of tea – and maybe even overnight arrangements? Gestures were luckily a big part of communication even in edge-of-the-worldsville.

Quietly observing devil inserted some of his own speech at that time. I frowned, fearing he’d topple over all the rickety good faith I’ve built up, but his tone was milder. Most of the locals must have deemed us genuine doofuses lost in snow and dispersed back into their posts. It was hard act to pull off, all my annoyance was after all genuine.

“Whuchu talking about?” I muttered with half the mouth, still keeping the polite expression.

“I’ve convinced them to let us use the abandoned house.”

“How?”

“By reasoning they wouldn’t need to stay vigilant in their own homes. Suggested a vacant lodging next to a wall, where they already keep watch.”

I let go of my forced smile and glared tiredly. “We’re gonna be lucky if they don’t kick us out at such blatant mix of threats and manipulation.”

“They don’t have a choice. I am humouring you,” dashing monster dismissed my fears and instilled different ones.

Whilst the group was exchanging encoded arguments, I quipped humourlessly, “Yeah, you could totally use another cult out here in the different boonies.”

“The other one doesn’t complain,” monster pointed out and when I didn’t comment on it tried again, “It’s not so bad to be under my protection.”

Blatant manipulation, targeted at me this time. I was impressed only by the audacity. This guy was trying to shit on too many street corners. “Yeh, worked out great for me,” I stabbed back remorselessly.

Two remaining men finished talking to the devil. One lead the concerned lady away and we waved goodbyes. The other whom I assumed to be their charismatic leader, waved us after him. The shack we got wasn’t awe-inspiring. I would have taken it, but demon raised an issue and I let him do whatever he wanted – it worked out for gigantic intelligence thus far. And by the looks of it, he did end up convincing the bulkier man to lead us somewhere else.

I thanked in their bird language and planted myself face down into a very comfortable couch. After all, I would have been happy with dry corner on the floor. Caught the pained expression on the host’s face right before he left. That prompted me to look around. The dwelling was prim. Dusty, but lovingly arranged and cosy. It wasn’t guest house or spare lodging or an abandoned place. This used to be someone’s home.

It was also cold and dark. I scrambled to pile the logs off a holder into fireplace, then looked for matches. Startled when flames leapt up and shadows danced all over the carefully decorated walls. Colour of the fire alternated until warm yellows took over the burning process. Demon must have done something, even though he was sitting right over there. Hm.

“I thought you don’t like resting your behind on cushy things?”

“It’s fine.”

“Please, halt all that enthusiasm, it’s unbearable,” I scoffed sarcastically. “Wait. Are you that hurt?” I then remembered I wanted it so. It was partly my doing. Toned down my automatic reaction of worry into neutrality.

Couldn’t muster glee no matter how much he deserved it.

“I’m fine.”

“What is it then?” I made my tired brain churn. “Is this got something to do with you wearing a face? Because I’d rather you stopped pretending to be human when it’s just us two. I know what you are and this is just creepy.”

“Am I doing something wrong?”

Most of the time it was just fixed clinical look, but moderation must have been key. “No, expressions are great deal better, just…” I didn’t like it. It disturbed me.

“Then there’s no problem. You’re more responsive. The emotional cues are part of innate human communication, as much as smell is to us. It was a mistake to dismiss it before.”

“As I said – I know what you really are. This is so unnecessary.” Damn creature was right - I would forget his monstrousness when I didn’t actively think about it. My eyes had something to affix themselves onto and find clues which weren’t there. I hated to have my strings pulled - even if I did that to others copiously.