Now Anna had a passport, and a paper-trail to match, the topic of employment had come up more than once.

Eric had asked both June and April for help, specifically wanting to know if there was any leftover work at the shop. June pointed out she couldn’t afford to hire another person, and April reluctantly agreed.

The conversation had naturally drifted onto suggestions for possible employment, with very little success.

“Delivery driver.” April suggested.

“She’d eat the food.” Eric shot it down.

“Warehouse worker.” Jane suggested.

“She’d eat the boss.” Eric shook his head.

“Bar staff?” April tried again.

“Maybe more a bouncer. She did snap that guy’s arm, you remember?”

“Well, you said she could do swordplay, so why not fencing?” June had one more suggestion.

“The world is simply not ready for Anna with a sword. Unarmed is bad enough.”

June was quite enjoying coming up with suggestions.

“Ooooh. I know. She is quite the looker, couldn’t she do one of those streams!”

Eric and April stared at June.

“What, just because I’m old, doesn’t mean I’m ignorant.”

Eric scratched his head.

“I… I guess? I know Anna doesn’t really care about turning heads, but, well…”

“I meant video games, you pervert.” June smiled. Eric had walked right into her trap,

Unbeknownst to him, Jessica was making the exact same suggestion. She hadn’t expected Anna to dismiss it immediately.

“BUT YOU’RE SO GOOD!”

“It’s only a game. Nothing comes from playing games. Real battles are fought for territory, for influence, for power.”

“Look, my college is running a tournament, I said I’d go, but we’d have a much better time if you joined us.”

“Not interested.”

Jessica pulled out the flyer. “Just read the flyer. Look. The prizes.”

“So… so…” Anna looked, “A year’s supply?”

“A Year’s Supply. Well, more like a month’s supply for you, but… Anna!”

“I’m in. When do we start.”

“An hour. I already sent out the invites.”

Jessica knew full well that the prize would be enough to sway Anna’s decision, and had already sent word to the other team members.

Eric arrived home to find that his gamer-girl problems had increased by two. Jessica and Anna he recognised, but the other two he hadn’t seen before.

“MINON!” Anna waved from the sofa. “QUEEN NEEDS DRINK.”

She hadn’t looked back, but he was carrying a crate in his hands. He happily walked in front of the screen to place the cans atop the table, enjoying the hissing sounds his new occupants made.

“Do you want to explain to me what’s up, Jessica?”

He knew exactly who was to blame, here.

“You’re blocking the screen! Move it!…. Please?”

“We’re practicing for the tournament.”

Eric giggled but did move out of the way. They were playing some sort of deathmatch game, and from the looks of it, Anna was winning.

“Online play? Team Play?”

“3 vs 1.” Anna explained. “They need the practice. Ugh.”

She wouldn’t have agreed if she’d known what level the new players were on. It was quite frustrating to know she’d have to rely on them to win her beloved drink, but it was also quite satisfying to see the looks of crushed hopes. Something she never got to enjoy with online play.

“Practice for what?”

Anna changed positions with Jessica, so she could sit at the edge of the sofa.

“There’s a tournament. Jessica signed me up. 4 player team deathmatch. Grand prize, a year’s worth of energy drinks.”

“So, about two weeks worth.” Eric laughed.

“Three. I did the calculation.” Anna smiled back.

“Well, don’t let me distract you from the game.” Eric noticed she wasn’t even watching the screen any more.

“Oh, you’re not. Don’t worry.” She had one earphone in. “The sound is enough to play this lot.”

“Your sister… Is a Monster.” “… is she a robot or something?”

The two guests were a little upset at how easily Anna was taking things.

“You’re going easy on them, right?” Eric laughed.

“Yes?” Anna replied as if it were obvious.

“Anna. Seriously. How did you get this good?” Jessica lamented, “I swear we were about even two weeks ago.”

“To know war is to know battle. To know battle is to know the sword. To know the sword is to know your enemy. To know your enemy is to know yourself. To know yourself is to know war.” Anna chirped through one of the classic battle treatise from her home.

Every so often, Anna would casually talk about war, and every so often, Eric remembered that Anna was a general before she’d arrived. He’d never asked about it, and she didn’t want to talk about it. It was a little weird, living with someone who could kill you in about a thousand different ways, but he was beginning to get used to it.

“If you finish up quickly, I’ll make you your favourite meal.” Eric made an offer.

“Done.” Anna wanted an excuse to show off.

For the next two minutes, Anna slaughtered her opponents without mercy. Hopping around the map at speed, casually shooting near perfect headshots, they barely had time to react or even come to terms with how quickly they were dying.

“I give up.” “Ugh.” “Anna!”

It really didn’t help that Eric was giggling in the background.

“Wait, Vegetable Soup is your favourite?” Jessica was a little surprised.

From what she knew, Anna had come from a rather opulent lifestyle.

“With a lot of salt, pickled veg, and bread.” Eric replied.

“Hearty food for common soldiers. Reminds me of simpler times.” Anna had already begun devouring the food set in front of her. “We didn’t have much salt, though.”

“Well, if it’s good enough for her, I’ll try some.” Jessica sat down at the table.

“You’ll have to hurry if you want any.” Eric laughed. “I only made six portions, and Anna here will be on her second bowl before you’re on your second sip.”

Jessica laughed before realising Eric was deadly serious. He’d taken his bowl into his hands, and was racing to finish.

As predicted, Anna had finished her portion, her seconds, thirds, and fourths, well before Jessica had made any headway.

“Don’t! Go steal Eric’s!” She hadn’t expected Anna to just start eating from her bowl.

“I warned you.” Eric was just out of arm’s reach, “She’ll be after mine next if I don’t hurry.”

Anna held up another spoon. “I can dual wield.”

Jessica gave up and pushed her bowl towards Anna. “I will sacrifice my portion for the greater good.”

“Good. You’ll make a great second in command. Knowing when to retreat is the essence of battle.” Anna had no shame, and happily finished Jessica’s meal.

“I’m gonna get takeout later. How do you cope?” Jessica asked.

“I eat at work, too.” Eric pretended to whisper. “That’s my secret.”

Anna shot him a look. Eric feigned innocence, but gave in eventually. He pushed his almost empty bowl towards Anna for her to finish off.

“So, the tournament, come up with a team name yet?”

“Jessica and the doomslayers.” Jessica laughed. “But I don’t think i’ll be the one leading us.”

“How about ‘The merciless sisters’” Eric joined in. “Or Annabasis”

Jessica gave a ‘What?’ look.

“Anabasis.” Eric explained. “Look it up on your phone.”

“I’m thinking of ‘The Demon Queens’” Anna announced. “Or the Four Demons.”

“There’s only one demon on the team though.” Jessica replied. “Literally and figuratively.”

“Not by the time i’m finished with you. You’re free all week, right? Tell your friends to arrive at 9am tomorrow.” Anna announced.

Eric shot her a look. She shot him one back.

“Fine, Fine, but I’m not cleaning up afterwards.”

“Well. I’m gonna hit the hay.” Jessica stretched. “Got an Early start.”

Jessica made her excuses to leave, and made promises to return early for training. She had the feeling that Anna wouldn’t be going easy on her for the next four days.

At home, in bed, Jessica tried her best to sleep but she couldn’t help but overthink the events of the day.

She’d had hoped to have a relaxing time, hanging out with her pseudo sister and pseudo brother, but it just hadn’t worked out that way. Unfortunately, sitting with Eric and Anna giggling at each other’s jokes had made her feel like a bit of a third wheel.

Both of them denied that there was anything going on between them, but it felt quite obvious that the two of them had become remarkably close.

She’d never really thought about Eric in that way, but watching him fall for someone else was just a little bit tougher than expected. She’d also begun to miss the times they spent together, getting drunk, playing video games. Those still happened, but Anna was always there too.

It wasn’t just that.

Anna was a little bit taller. She was a lot more mysterious. She was terrifyingly good at video games, too. The cute pair of horns and the adorable tail just made it all the more obvious: Jessica couldn’t compare.

It was foolish to think that Anna would replace her, but she couldn’t help worry that Eric would move on without her. In the end, she tricked herself into letting go of those thoughts, convincing herself it was all too early to jump to conclusions.

Eric wasn’t going anywhere soon, and once Anna found her feet in the outside world, Jessica would get to hang out with her best friend, just like old times.

Eric was also finding it difficult to sleep. Anna had spent the rest of the evening talking about video games, tactics, and even now, in bed, hadn’t stopped. It was good to see her being enthusiastic, but he couldn’t keep up.

He was human, after all, and his thoughts were elsewhere.

Jessica had done something incredible, and he still didn’t know how to thank her. Although she downplayed it, letting Anna borrow her sister’s identity wasn’t a small thing. He’d hoped that it would bring all three of them closer together, but seeing Jessica leave with an awkward smile, he worried that the opposite was happening.

He’d noticed that Jessica was a little surprised by how quickly Anna had surpassed her, and it did seem to sting, just a little. Video gaming nights weren’t as fun when one person completely destroyed all the opposition. That, and Jessica did pride herself on her gaming know-how. It was if she’d lost her place in the group.

He put those thoughts to one side, and tried once again to bargain with Anna to let him sleep. In the end, Jessica had been his friend for longer than he remembered, and she wasn’t going anywhere soon.

Yes, he hadn’t really spent any time with her over the last month, like they used to, but sooner or later, Anna would get bored and seek out the adventurous life she once had, and he would go back to getting crushed by Jessica at video games on a Friday night.

As much as he’d gotten used to a demon sleeping in his bed, he just couldn’t accept it would last.

He was only human, after all.

Anna was a little upset. Jessica had ducked out early, and Eric just didn’t understand the nature of battle. She was fired up, ready to lead a battalion, and he just wanted to curl up in bed. It was her first real taste of adventure, and she didn’t have anyone to share it with.

Not right this moment, anyway. She had found something like a family. Jessica wasn’t her sister, Eric wasn’t her brother, but they’d both welcomed her into their little clique.

That said, she did worry about getting in the way.

It was fairly obvious that Jessica liked Eric a whole lot. She’d spent most of the day talking about him. Sharing a bunch of the memories they’d made together. Little anecdotes about whatever map, how Eric had blown himself up repeatedly. That sort of thing.

Eric cared about Jessica, too. She’d seen him pour her on to the sofa, after one drink too many. He’d tucked her in to a blanket, and even left out a glass of water on the side. He always seemed more relaxed whenever Jessica was around, and those two would happily joke about anything, unprompted. June was right when she called her ‘His little sister’.

Anna wanted to have those sorts of memories with Eric too. It just didn’t seem that easy. Both of them had a head start, both of them had grown up in the same universe. At the end of the day, she was a demon.

Eventually, she’d find her way home, and she very much doubted either of them would want to join in. Yes, magic was quite fun, but she had to admit that the internet had its charms, too.

Anna put those thoughts to one side, and got out of bed. She’d play games until she got tired, and let Eric get some well earned rest.

“Uh. Wha?”

Someone was making quite a loud racket. It took Anna a moment to realise that someone was at the door. She’d fallen asleep on the sofa, but she didn’t remember taking a blanket to sleep with. Seeing two cans of energy drink left out on the side, she made an educated guess what had happened.

The knocking hadn’t abated one bit. Anna quickly got into disguise, and answered the door.

“Hey! Anna!”

Jessica had arrived a few minutes early. She’d also brought her team mates. They were a little shocked to see Anna a little woozy and sleep deprived, and quickly rushed into practice, hoping that they might have the smallest chance of a victory, or more realistically, the possibility of a not-so-crushing defeat.

They were wrong. Even half-awake, Anna ran circles around the three of them. Truthfully, Anna wasn’t even trying. She had lightning fast reaction times, excellent hearing, and humans just couldn’t compare.

“Minion Two. Minion Three. Minion Four.”

Jessica was Minion Two. Rachel and Emma got numbered Three and Four, respectively. The numbering was based on how well they fared in the game, and Anna had considered numbering them ‘Minions Ten, Thirty Four, and Eighty One’ just to make a point.

“Minion Two. You’re sloppy. You take too many risks and none of them pay off against a more experienced player.”

Jessica pouted. She knew full well that Anna had only been playing the game for a few weeks.

“Minion Three.” Rachel waited for the bad news. “You keep picking the strongest, not the most effective weapon. I think you should switch characters, find one that suits your style.”

Rachel nodded back.

Anna’s comments were accurate, and a lot more helpful than Jessica’s usual chorus of ‘You suck’. She wasn’t enjoying the training that much, but it was worth it to watch Jessica getting clobbered.

“Minion Four?” Anna sighed. Emma hadn’t got a single kill in. “You’re not very good at aiming while moving, you’re not very good at timing, either, you struggle to dodge, but… but… I think you might find your strength as a support character. That, or a tank.”

Emma was the newest to the game and had picked her character choice purely on aesthetics. She was not too happy about Anna’s suggestions.

“Right”, Anna continued. “Minions Two and Three: You swap characters, and play 1v1. Loser buys lunch.” She turned to Emma. “Minion Four: Let’s see how you play a Tank.”

“… but… the tanks are so ugly.”

Emma was a little terrified of Anna. She just had the feeling that Anna was as good at headshots in the real world, if not better.

“Well, it doesn’t have to be a tank, but the angelic elf really doesn’t suit your play style.” Anna sighed. “I just want you to try something else, ok?”

Anna had to hold herself back. These were Jessica’s friends, not soldiers. They weren’t used to taking orders. She had to stop herself from taking things a little bit too seriously. That said, it was a welcome distraction from sitting on the sofa, having nothing to do, and wondering how long she’d be stuck in this world.

Eric was a little worried. Everything was quiet. Neither Anna or Jessica had sent a text for help. June had bought everyone breakfast. Even April was in a good mood. He spent the morning expecting everything to go wrong, but so far there wasn’t any smoke, flames, or news reports about an unstoppable demon going on a rampage.

It just didn’t feel right.

“You keep checking your phone, Eric. Is everything alright?”

April was working in the back room, slowly undoing her mother’s creative accounting. She’d found some amusement in watching Eric nervously twitch, but now curiosity had got the better of her.

“It’s… It’s nothing.”

‘There’s an otherworldly demon with a penchant for violence.’ That was what Eric was thinking, along with ‘My best friend is a really sore loser and loves to pick fights’.

“Nothing?” April rolled her eyes at him.

Eric’s phone beeped and he rushed from the other side of the room to check it, just in case. A message from Jessica: The group would be training all evening and to bring home extra food. She’d even addressed it to ‘Minion One.’

“The bad news you’ve been waiting for, I assume?” April wanted to know.

“Not really. Nothing’s going wrong.” Eric began to elaborate. “Jessica’s friends are staying over and Anna’s training them to play video games. I’m just worried things might get out of hand.”

“She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.”

April couldn’t help but tease.

“Oh. I’m more worried about Jessica. She’s rather proud of her skills, but Anna is on another level entirely.” He sighed. “I expect a tantrum.”

“Does that mean you’re in need of a distraction this evening?” April was all smiles.

“I guess so.”

“Want to go to the bar?”

“Sure. Let me check first…”

“Let me know if Anna takes you off the leash.” She laughed. “Or is it Jessica that’s pulling the reins this time?”

“Ha Ha.”

Eric was deadpan. He texted both of them. He got a reply back. Jessica had logged onto his computer and ordered food already, using his account details.

“Looks like I’ll only be getting in the way… the bar sounds nice?”

“Excellent. Let’s go.” April began packing away her work.

“It’s 3pm, April.”

“Yes? We’re going to have a long meeting about finance, you and I, and I need a drink.” She laughed. “You’ll need one too.”

“Ah! Mother! Over here.” April waved across the empty bar, “Mine’s a white wine and the minion will have another rum and coke.”

June shot her daughter a stare, but did as asked.

“For you. For you… and … for me.” June had bought a bottle of wine to the table, and poured herself a very large glass. “What did I miss? Apart from you two slacking off.”

“I’ll have you know,” April rapped on the table, “Minion here has been helping me decode your shop book. We finished a few minutes ago. Now we’re onto more important topics… and I could use your help.”

“Oh?”

“Interrogation.” April was already a little giddy. “Do you know what the deal is between Eric and Jessica, or even Eric and Anna? I just found out Anna’s still staying over at his place.”

June had already finished her wine glass and began to pour another. “Oh? Really? Interesting.”

“I know, but Eric here…”

“That’s not what I meant, Daughter.” June smirked. “The question is, why are you taking such an interest in Eric’s love life… or lack of it?”

“Like you aren’t curious.” April shot back.

“I am.” June laughed. “So, Eric. Anna’s been living with you, still?”

“It’s not like that.” Eric interrupted. “She’s still finding her feet. I do expect her to move out eventually.” He paused. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” June asked.

“She likes my cooking.” He mumbled. “I just don’t know.”

“Well. Here’s some words of advice. You can’t just sit and wait, sometimes you have to ask if you want things to change.” June shot her daughter a look. “Speaking of change, what’s this I hear about remodelling.”

“I haven’t decided yet, but…” April began. “I’m thinking it’s time to change things up, maybe start dealing in other antiques, maps, that sort of thing. People aren’t coming in to buy ordinary books, and I think we could really lean into it.”

Eric made a small sigh of relief. April and June were distracted and it would be a long while before he became the topic of focus. Truthfully, he didn’t want to think about things too much. Yes, he did have a bit of a crush on Anna, but he also had feelings for Jessica, too. It would be nice to talk about the shop for an hour or two.

April pulled out her notebook and began her pitch. She wanted to replace the meandering basement with a more efficient layout. Use it exclusively for online ordering and packaging. Strip down the range of books and pick out a few weird ones to promote.

June had slowly come around to the idea. The wine helped.

“It’s much more like a boutique than a book shop.”

“Exactly!” April cheered.

“Well. Eric. What do you think?” June asked.

“I.. Err… I think moving the till to the front door isn’t a bad idea. I do think the shelves need repairing. I do think converting the basement into a mini warehouse would work, I just…”

“Just what, Eric?” “Just what, Eric?” The two asked in unison.

“The shop is already a bit of a museum. Books filed at random. Some things by publication date, other bits by language, some bits by size. People don’t come because they want to buy a book, people come because they want to wander around a book shop, seeing what takes their fancy, and they spend all their time in the basement, and we’d lose that if we made it into a warehouse.”

“Well, there you have it.” June cackled.

“… but if we move the back room to the basement, too, it could work.” Eric explained. “Front of shop is the boutique part, rear of shop is the towering mess, basement is the warehouse. It’s a lot more work, though.”

June frowned. The second bottle of wine was mysteriously empty.

“I think the other way around is better. People see the big towering piles of dusty books, and in the back, that’s where we keep the good stuff. Give them a sense of exploring, adventuring. I do think selling local art is a good idea though. Hmm. Still too early to decide anything.”

“That’s better than I expected.” April laughed. “Well, I’m tired so It’s time for bed.” She turned to Eric, “Walk me home, Minion?”

April continued talking about her grand ideas for remodelling as the pair walked back to the book store.

Once outside, April decided it was time to change the topic.

“It’s just… Eric… well… if you’re not in a rush, would you like to come upstairs? Get a coffee?”

Eric was oblivious to the true intent.

“I promised I’d bring the sisters food tonight, or I’d take you up on it.”

She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. “You’re a sweetie Eric.”

It was another five minutes before the thought occurred to Eric. April was flirting with him. She was also his boss, and his other boss’ daughter. He quickly put it down to the heavy amounts of wine that had been consumed, and continued on his way home.

While Rachel and Jessica were practicing, Emma took a moment to ask Anna a few questions she’d been holding back all day.

“So… you and Eric. I didn’t realise you were living together.” Emma began. “Are you.. err… a thing?”

“Eric… he’s like a brother to Jessica and I…” Anna began, then stopped. “It’s complicated.”

She was pretty sure Eric had a little bit of a crush on her. Why else would he have put up with her for a month, eating his food, sleeping in his bed, and truthfully, the same logic applied to her. She did enjoy his company, and she did want to spend time with him.

“Oh.” Emma looked a little disappointed. “I… was… well… after the tournament, I was wondering if you’d like to hang out some time.”

“If we win.” Anna laughed. “Then you can take me on a date.”

“A ..Date? I .. err… um…” Emma was flustered. “Sure. Ok. A date.”

The slam of the front door interrupted their moment, as Anna quickly rushed to greet Eric.

“Where’s my food.”

Eric held up one shopping bag full of takeaway food. “This is yours. The other one is for the rest of us, Ok? No stealing.”

Anna pouted. “Fine.” She snatched the bag and began to inspect the contents. “No Drink?”

“One second. It’s in my backpack.” Eric was handing out food to his other guests. “Anna, give me a second!”

She was behind him, rummaging through his backpack for her cherished energy drinks.

“Aha. Mine.”

Eric shook his head. “I should have guessed this would happen. Right. Everyone, eat up quickly.”

Jessica had already started. Rebecca and Emma looked a little lost until they saw Anna demolishing her food at a breakneck pace. Predictably, Anna began hunting for other people’s food within a few minutes.

Once satiated, she joined the rest of the guests on the sofa, all sprawled out in exhaustion. Jessica realised she’d end up crashing out if she joined in, and so made a quick exit.

“Right. I’m going home.” Jessica announced. “I need to sleep for about three weeks. You two should do the same.”

She gave Eric a hug, Anna too, and dragged Rachel and Emma towards the exit.

“Fun Day?”

“They’re terrible. Well, not Jessica, she’s reasonable, but the other two, even you could beat them.”

“Ouch.”

“It was fun though. Yourself?”

“Hung out with my two bosses, watched them get drunk and argue, walked April home. Nothing much, but fun too.”

Eric was in the process of cleaning up the mess, thankful that things hadn’t gotten out of hand.

“Is it bedtime yet?” Anna yawned. “Carry me, Minion.”

“I have to clean up, first.” Eric moaned. “Then I’ll take you to bed.”

“I might have to reclassify you as minion three, maybe four at this rate.” Anna laughed. “Speaking of minions, It seems Emma has a crush on me. I said I’d be going on a date if we won.”

Anna didn’t think much of it, she’d just blurted it out.

“You really want that energy drink, don’t you?” Eric laughed.

Anna’s smile answered his question. She had wondered how Eric would react. She didn’t expect to be called out.

A few minutes later, the living room was back to a reasonable state. Eric, as promised, helped Anna onto her feet. He did try picking her up, but there was just a little too much alcohol in his system to balance.

Anna ended up carrying him, instead.

“You know…” “What?” Anna replied.

“I think April was hitting on me tonight, too.”

“Oh.” Anna stopped. “You think?”

“She.. err.. well. She asked me to stay over? I think. She was asking about you and me… and Jessica, too.” Eric didn’t mean to add that last part.

Anna didn’t know what to say. Neither did Eric.

“I don’t know what’s between us…” Eric broke the silence first, “.. but I like it. I like having you here, Anna.”

Anna took a moment to think about how to reply.

“Eric, I… Oh.” He’d fallen asleep. “Good night, Eric.”

She pulled him in a little closer. Something she’d done almost every night, mostly out of comfort, but tonight, she was just a little bit possessive. Not so much wanting to feel less alone, and much more not wanting to let go.

Eric awoke the next day with Anna firmly wrapped around him. He thought back to last night’s conversation, what little he remembered of it, and wondered if he’d made a total mess of things. He figured it would be best to leave things be, at least until he could express his thoughts clearly, and without the aid of alcohol.

Not that it mattered: A minute after he’d woken up, the minions arrived for practice and he was shooed away almost immediately. Practice ran even later that day, and Jessica ended up crashing out on the sofa. By the second night, so did Emma and Rachel.

Two days had passed in a blur. It was the weekend, and the first day of the tournament.

“I still like Jessica’s Army.” “What about the apocalyptic four.” “I think…”

Eric was driving Anna and the minions to the tournament, and he noted with some amusement that the team name still hadn’t been decided.

“The Demon Queens.” He waited for the right moment. “Seems about right.”

Jessica shot him a look. He could see her scowling in the rear view mirror.

“Well, for one of you, at least. Not to name any names, Jessica.”

Anna shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time I got called a demon. I don’t mind it.”

Emma and Rachel shrugged. It wasn’t a great name, but it wasn’t the worst name, either.

Jessica was still scowling. “Are you saying I’m a Demon, Eric?”

“A Demon Queen.” He corrected her. “At videogames.”

“Fine. The Demon Queens it is.” She sighed. “We sound like a drag act.”

The group arrived a few minutes early, and Eric was once again sent away, once the group had their computers set up. Today was the qualifier rounds, short 4v4 matches to establish a ranking. It was a rather low-key affair, there wasn’t really an audience, there wasn’t a big screen or an announcer.

Those would arrive tomorrow, for the knockout matches and the grand finale.

Eric had nothing to do but wait in the hall. Well, almost nothing to do.

“BRING DRINK.”

When he returned from the supermarket, Eric was a little surprised to find out Jessica had disappeared. She wasn’t one to miss out on a free lunch. He hid the sandwich he’d bought for her in his bag, knowing full well what would happen to any unguarded food.

A few minutes later, Jessica arrived back. She was grinning like someone running away from a fire they’d started.

“Eric? I thought I’d told you to Scram!” Jessica smirked. “Also, where’s my lunch?”

“Here you go.” “Thank you.”

“Why are you so happy?” Eric was quite suspicious.

“You’ll see, tomorrow.” Jessica was smirking. “We’re already in the top eight, so, we’re definitely coming back tomorrow. Now shoo!”

Eric returned to the non participant section of the hall, as ordered. A few hours later, he was re-summoned for taxi duties. He thought he’d be driving them home, and getting to spend a few hours to himself, or at least just him and Anna.

He was utterly wrong. It was time for more practice. Anna had made a detailed list of faults, problems, and tactical failures. Once again he was ushered away from the group, and told to keep himself busy.

In the end, Eric collapsed out early.

“Eric. Eric!”

Jessica was standing over his bed.

“Time to go. Hurry up.”

Something felt off, but his brain was still desperately trying to go back to sleep. It wasn’t until he was out of the shower that he noticed something different about Jessica.

She had horns. Emma and Rachel had horns, too.

“Uh?”

“I thought we’d dress up a bit, for the competition!” Jessica was grinning. “I bought matching pairs for all of us.”

Anna was smiling, but looked a little guilty. She knew how uncomfortable Eric was about the idea of her real nature being exposed, but Rachel had insisted.

“We look cool, right?”

“You look cool.” Eric laughed. “Demon Queens. Huh.”

Things looked quite different today. The hall had been done up. There were cameras streaming views of the contestants and the audience, and there was even live commentary.

As expected, Anna and the minions attracted a considerable amount of attention. Not just because they’d come in matching outfits, but because they were utterly crushing the competition.

“So how does this work?” Even June had turned up to watch, along with April.

“They’re playing a first person shooter.” April spent most of the matches translating things for her mother.

“Is Anna’s team playing yet?” “Not yet, no.” “Oh. When do they play next?”

Eric noted that this conversation happened during every match that wasn’t Anna’s. It really wasn’t hard to tell, either. Any time Anna was playing, she was on the big screen. Not that Emma, Rachel, or Jessica didn’t get a bit of screen time, but there was some very obvious favouritism going on.

Surprising no-one, the demon queens paved a bloody path to victory. They easily broke through to the finals without breaking a sweat.

“… and we’ll be right back with more action in just under 30 minutes!”

Towards the end of the break, Eric got an unexpected text from Jessica.

“We’re in the final!” Jessica was overjoyed.

“I know!” Eric couldn’t help smile.

“Come on!” She dragged him by the arm.

“What?”

“We get to watch! Come on!”

Eric didn’t get a chance to ask why, Jessica was in a hurry and had no time to answer questions.

“Contestant. Coming through!”

She pushed her way through the modest crowd, and pulled Eric onto the sofa at the edge of the stage.

“If people ask, you’re our manager!”

“What?”

“Shh! It’s starting.”

Unbeknownst to Eric, the finale wasn’t a team battle. It was a 1v1 match, and Anna had naturally been selected to represent the team.

“and .. In the red corner, the dominating demon queen, Anna Spellman!”

Eric didn’t arrive in time to hear about the competitor. They weren’t a pushover, it seemed. The match was a simple one, three different maps, three five minute games, most kills wins, and win two games to win the tournament.

“Um…” “What?”

“Is Anna… holding back?” Anna had lost the second match by a very small margin.

“Maybe.” Jessica smiled. “I might have told her that a little dramatic tension wouldn’t go amiss.”

Eric laughed. It was working.

“Come on, let’s get up close for the last match. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Jessica grabbed him by the hand, and took Eric over to Anna’s little podium.

“You good?” Jessica knew the answer.

“I just don’t know if I should crush him now, or drag it out, and then overwhelmingly crush him.” Anna was quite happy with how the day had gone.

The energy drink company sponsoring the tournament had provided free drinks. Anna had, in effect, already won her prize.

“Bit of both.” Eric laughed. “Start off slow and then go in fast!”

Anna shot him a look. “That’s not exactly my style.”

Eric was about to respond in kind, but the announcer started yelling.

“Good luck.” Jessica was still holding onto Eric’s hand. She was the most anxious one of the group.

Eric was glued to Anna’s screen. Not out of excitement, but curiosity. He watched as Anna held back for the first few minutes, slowly pulling into the lead, and then he tried not to laugh as Anna got serious.

With almost one minute to go, it was very obvious who had won.

“Excuse me? Are you Ms. Spellman’s manager.” A man in a branded hoodie, tshirt, and pants tapped him on the shoulder. “I’m with the sponsor, and we’re looking to start a new team.”

He pushed his business card into Eric’s free hand. “I can see you’re busy, but, do give me a call when you’ve finished celebrating.”

Eric nodded back, and turned back in time to catch the last ten seconds of play.

“I GET A NEW COMPUTER! YES!” Jessica leapt into the air, and then grabbed Eric for a hug. “A NEW COMPUTER” She even gave him a celebratory kiss.

Then she pulled back, realising she’d gotten a little carried away. Anna had seen it, and she was smirking.

“No kiss for me? Hmm?”

Eric froze in place. If he’d had a few more seconds for his brain to catch up, he’d have leaned forwards and kissed her.

Unfortunately, the announcer arrived.

“May I present, the grand tournament winner, Anna! and the Demon Queens!”

The prize ceremony dragged on a little. June and April joined the minions to congratulate them. It took approximately thirty seconds for someone to suggest going to the bar.

“Wait. I have to return things, first!” Eric sighed. He knew that no-one would offer to help. “At least help me load up the car! Please?!”

With the promise of free drinks, the group quickly dissembled and loaded the equipment into the bad of Eric’s car.

“Now, Minon! To the bar!” Jessica was still giggling with excitement.

“I’m going to drive home, first.” Eric replied. “Then we can walk to the bar, ok?”

“Fine.” Jessica pouted. “I need a shower, anyway.”

Eric rolled his eyes. That was her way of saying that she wouldn’t help unload the car.

“Wait? A new computer?”

It was then that Eric’s brain caught up with the moment.

“Yes?” Jessica replied. “Laptops for the winning team. Energy drinks, too.”

Anna, sitting in the back, quickly declared “The drinks are mine!”, and looked to Emma and Rachel for confirmation.

They nodded back. It was a reasonable price to pay for getting a new computer. Both of them knew full well that Anna had carried the team to the final.

Jessica laughed, and then noticed Anna’s death glare.

“Fine. Fine. The drinks are yours.” She laughed. “Anyway, what did that guy want with you, Eric?”

“The guy? Oh.” Eric tried to remember. “He thought I was your manager, Anna.”

“Manager?”

“You know? The person who handles business stuff for you.” Eric began. “I guess I am, huh. Anyway, they’re looking to form a team.”

“Not interested.”

“He worked at the energy drink company, Anna.”

“Interested.”

Jessica laughed again. “If only our opposition knew of your only weakness, we’d have lost! Just think, if they’d turned up with several crates worth, they’d be walking home with the laptops.”

Outside Eric’s flat, he began to unload the car.

“Can I get a little help?”

“I need to shower.” Jessica explained. “I can help a bit” Rachel offered.

“I’m taking Emma to the bar.” Anna replied. “I promised her a date!”

Everyone else shot her a look.

“What?”

Emma was mortified. “I… um…. I asked…”

“She said she wanted me to take her to the bar if we won, right?”

Anna replied with all innocence.

Eric tried not to laugh. “We’ll catch you two up later. Go, Enjoy your victory. April and June said they’d drop by a bit later.”

There was quite a lot to unload. The computers were a little heavy and bulky, and Anna had also managed to secure the leftover energy drinks from the promoters.

April was waiting for Eric outside his flat.

“Ah, thought you might be here. I was just on my way to the bar, care to join me?”

“Sure… I just have to check if Rachel and …” His phone buzzed. “Oh. They’re all waiting for me.” He laughed. “For us! Come on, shall we?”

April grabbed his hand, “Let’s go, Minion!”

Eric rolled his eyes. “Yes Second Boss.”

The moment they got inside, Jessica leapt over to the pair, and quickly pushed a pair of horns onto April’s head.

“What, not for me?”

“You’re too simple to be a demon, Eric. Now. Fetch us the drinks you promised. April, you’re with me!”

Eric knew everyone’s tastes well enough to grab drinks for everyone. White wine for his bosses. Energy drinks for Anna. A large cocktail pitcher for the other minions, and a very large rum and coke for himself.

Jessica dragged him into a conversation immediately.

“Aren’t you proud of me? I did well, didn’t I?” She nodded towards Anna, now the centre of conversation, surrounded by friends, all wearing novelty horns on their head.

“The costume was a nice touch.”

“It’s e-sports. You can wear a fur suit. No-one cares if you’re a demon. I almost pushed Anna to turn up in her purple setting, y’know?”

Eric sighed. “I dunno if the internet could have handled it.”

June came over and sat down between the pair. “What am I missing, I smell gossip?”

“Family stuff.” Jessica pouted. “Just saying how relaxed Anna seems today.”

Rachel was the first to collapse. She made her excuses, and called a taxi. Jessica lasted a little longer, but several sleepless nights on Eric’s sofa had finally caught up with her.

“I think it’s time to take my little sister home.” Eric announced. “Will you be ok here, Anna?”

Anna nodded back. “One more drink, and I promise not to break anyone’s hands.” She cackled.

“Don’t worry. I’ll look out for her!” June was also pretty far gone.

“That’s what worries me.” Eric laughed. “Come on Jessica.”

“Noooooooooo……” She was wobbling on her feet. “Just one more!”

“I’ll make you pancakes when we get home, ok?” “You promise!” “I do, but only if you come now.” “Fiiiiiinneeeeeeeee.”

Another round of goodbye hugs and a chorus of you’re my best mate, and Jessica was ready to go home. She spent most of the walk home explaining all of the things she was going to do with her new computer, giggling to herself.

Once home, Eric poured Jessica onto the couch. He'd expected her to crash out, but but she just kept talking.

“Eric…. Eric…. Eric… We need to talk. About Anna.”

“Can it wait until I’ve made pancakes.”

She was barely conscious, but he knew that she'd complain tomorrow if pancakes weren't delivered as promised.

“It’s important! Sit down, ok?”

She raised her arms up and waved him towards the sofa. She then pulled him down and he almost fell atop her. A moment later, she was resting her head on his lap.

“Eric… You gotta ask Anna out… You gotta. You love her. I know it.”

“I.. Jessica. You’re drunk.”

“Ssshhh!” Jessica pushed her hand into his face. “Listen.”

“All you did tonight was talk about her. To June. To April. To me. April was complaining to me about it, y’know? She said she asked you out! You said no!.”

“Jessica, well..”

Jessica shot him a look. “Shut up or i’m going to vomit in your lap.”

With Eric’s silence obtained, she continued.

“And Anna? She talked about you! To Emma. To me. To Rachel. She asked about esports too, but was really excited by it. She wants you to be her manager, sure, but I think she wants more than that. You understand? You must understand.”

Eric nodded back.

“Look Eric, I love you. You’re my brother. Yeah, I am a little jealous, you and Anna have been spending a lot of time together, and I miss us, y’know? Platonically, Eric. But that’s no reason to hold back. She’s sleeping in your bed, for gods sake. You gotta ask her out. Promise me?”

“Jessica…”

She frowned at him. There was only one acceptable answer.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” Jessica curled onto her side. “I sleep now.”

Eric laughed, but Rachel thumped him in the chest. “Don’t move I’m feeling sick.”

A few minutes later, Anna arrived. She saw Eric sitting on the sofa, and a pair of legs sticking out the other side. She figured she was interrupting something, and tried her best to sneak off to the bedroom.

“Hey, Anna.”

“Hey, Eric.”

Anna walked over to find a very drunken Jessica now firmly asleep on Eric’s lap.

“I need a hand, can you help me up? Or lift her up so I can escape?”

Jessica woke up a little, saw who had arrived, and pretended to be firmly asleep.

“Do you want pancakes?” He knew the answer. “Sure.”

The pair sat in the kitchen area, Anna didn’t say much, Eric was using the last of his concentration to cook without causing a fire.

“Voila. Ooh. Wait.” Eric stopped. “I forgot. I still owe you something.”

“What?” Anna had already stuffed her mouth.

Eric laughed at his own poor sense of timing. “A kiss? For the winner.”

Anna looked at the pancake, then at Eric. “Sure. Make it quick.”

He leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek. “Congratulations, by the way. You were great today.”

“Thank you.” Anna replied with a mouthful of pancakes. “These are great.”

Eric went to check on Jessica, and went to fetch a blanket for her. As per usual, he left a glass of water and some headache tablets out. By the time he’d tucked her in, Anna was waiting for him in bed.

“Anna…. I… err.”

It wasn’t the best time to talk. He was still a little light headed.

“… how did your date go?”

He quickly changed tack.

“She went home with April.” Anna smiled. “After you left. It was just June and me, and all she wanted was gossip.” She paused. “About us.”

“About us?” Eric laughed. “What did you tell her?”

“Oh, that we sleep in the same bed every night.” Anna replied deadpan. “Something like that.”

“I guess we do that, huh.”

Eric changed his mind. It was the perfect time to ask.

“Anna… um. I like you… I like you a lot.”

“I know.” She kissed him. “It’s just…”

“Oh.”

“It’s just… I don’t want to be here. Earth, I mean. I want to try to get home, eventually. I just…”

Eric pulled her in for a hug.

“How about a holiday romance then? Enjoy things while they last. Spend time with each other without worrying about tomorrow?”

Eric waited for a reply.

“Maybe.” Anna was a little embarrassed. “It’s just… um. Jessica, and…”

“She’s gonna kick my ass if I don’t ask you out. You gotta go on a date with me, or she’ll kill me, Anna.”

“Well, I guess I can do that much.” She gave Eric a kiss. “But no promises, ok?”

“No promises.” Eric squeezed her tight.

The next day, the pair sat in relative silence, both with quiet little grins plastered across their faces.

Jessica took one look at them and let out a single word.

“FINALLY!”

Eric and Anna looked back at her, with some confusion.

“Wait… Did you actually…?”