4

When I woke up, the sun was peeking in through the curtains. I wanted to turn round to see how high it was in the sky — but I couldn't. And I had no idea of the time. My body was so stiff — it felt as if I'd nearly been clubbed to death. So! You shouldn't really envy a demon's victim if it made you feel like you'd been steamrolled. I could think of better ways to spend my time.

The thought brought back memories... and the memories made every bit of my body sing, enveloping it in a pleasant warm feeling. I'd spoken too soon, apparently: these kinds of kisses were worth convalescing for the next two weeks if necessary. Because I didn't think I'd be able to get out of bed before that. I was wasted. As in, totally. Lounging under the warm quilt — it must have been Cesar who'd covered me — I thought of myself as a pile of discarded clothes. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it to the bathroom.

Cesar! What would he think about me? Suddenly all the embarrassment of the situation came back to me. An amateur demon hunter who'd failed her very first assignment brilliantly, allowing the incubus to have his way with her and escape. Now I was lying in bed in the customer's house, unable to move, let alone get out of there. So what's gonna happen next? They must have already fired me at my bar gig. They wouldn’t expel me from college though, why would they? Unless this stinking rich sugar daddy decided to get square with me by... what did rich people do in such cases, send a hired killer to take you out? Not good.

Bullshit. This wasn't the Wild West, after all. But the thought forced me to take action. Broken and hurting, I realized the full extent of my defenselessness in this strange big city. Where was Cesar? Where was everyone? How many people were there in this place? I couldn't hear a sound. The place seemed dead, apart from a monotonous knocking sound behind the window. Where they making a coffin for me?

This incubus encounter had definitely affected my mental state. I forced my head from the pillow and struggled to sit up. I was so weak my hands shook. Still, I clambered out of bed and toward the en suite, grasping at the walls. Discovering a toothbrush still in its wrapper on the washbasin, I splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth. The cool water helped my train of thought somewhat. No need to freak out. Nobody could do anything to me here. Me, however, there was a whole lot I could do. I could walk out of this room and find Cesar — or this Robert friend of his, even though he was the last person I wanted to see. No, wrong: the last person I wished to see was Arthur. I had no idea how to behave with him anymore. Should I pretend that nothing had happened? Or were we supposed to be best friends and all that?

I had a splitting headache. My legs refused to carry me. I collapsed onto the bed and sat there for a while, getting used to gravity which somehow seemed to have increased since yesterday. I heaved a sigh, forced myself to my feet and repeated my wall-grasping exercise to get out of the room.

The hallway was empty. Something died inside of me. Somehow I'd thought Cesar would be there, sleeping on the floor in the doorway guarding me. Or that he'd at least be sitting in a soft chair in the small hall opposite. Could it be that my failure had disappointed him? He probably valued professional relationships higher than personal ones. Then in order to earn his respect I'd have to prove myself as an expert.

I dragged my feet toward the chair and collapsed into it, catching my breath. Then I carried on. Every new step seemed a little easier. I was still advancing with all the pace of a fly in a honeypot, but at least the church bells in my head had stopped tolling.

Finally I came to the staircase. With a sigh, I braved myself to take the steps. Here you couldn't see the sun as the windows faced the other way, but judging by the light, it had to be at least midday. Possibly, afternoon. Of which day? a thought struck me. Was it still tomorrow — I mean, had I slept through the night or the next day as well? That wouldn't surprise me.

I reached the second-floor landing and leaned against the wall, catching my breath. I thought I heard voices down the long hallway, probably coming from the office. Oh-kay. I stumbled through the archway and headed toward the sound. I just had to sort the whole thing out. I didn't want to stay in the house forever like some amateur ghost, hiding in the broom closet at daytime and only coming out at night to rummage through the fridge.

The office door was of a dark wood — apparently, very expensive (or maybe not, it's a good job I know nothing about these things). I could hear what sounded like a heated argument. I knew the voices. I psyched myself up, pushed the door open and stepped in.

You'd think those two had indeed seen a ghost by the way they stared at me. Could it be that the incubus had indeed soaked up all of my energy and I'd died? Maybe I was the only one who didn't realize I was already dead? I didn't like the thought at all.

Silence followed me on my way to that golf-course of a desk. I glanced at the papers the two were studying. Some weird drawings littered the desk: weird shapes and swirls, circles and straight lines. One of the drawings looked familiar. I'd definitely seen it somewhere before, but where?

None of them spoke. Very well, then. If neither of you was capable of greeting a lady first, I had to do it.

Cesar didn't give me a chance. He jumped from his seat and led me toward a soft chair, supporting me by the elbow. "Why did you get up? You should take your time and recover."

Arthur's father's eyes were burning a hole in me. It was a miracle I wasn't smoking yet. He was probably thinking of a polite way of saying, "Get the fuck out, you bitch!"

Cesar turned to him. "Allison needs something to eat."

Stonelike, the man knitted his eyebrows. "What she needs is a good lashing," he dropped. "I did tell you, didn't I-"

"You shouldn't have hurried things," Cesar butted in as if resuming their argument — probably not the first one. "Next time we've got to spend more time on preparation."

"There'll be no next time!" the man snapped. "I'm not putting my son's health and probably life at risk using this... this..."

Cesar raised a warning hand. I snorted, thinking of a good retort. All of this had been their idea. They'd dragged me into this, right into his beloved pervert son's arms.

No one had a chance to say anything. Which was probably for the better as I was about to tell them everything I thought about them in as many f-words. The door opened without a knock. Arthur sashayed in, looking so radiant that his beaming smile seemed to spark. Talk of the devil. Bursting with my energy, the bastard. While I hadn't had a bite to eat yet — not that anyone had offered one to me.

"Oh, hi there!"

His father was the first to come round. "Why aren't you at college?"

"Boring," Arthur faked a yawn. Half-dancing toward me, he took my hand, bringing it to his lips. "Hi, Allison. You okay?"

Son of a bitch! I had a lot to tell him, too, but his laughing gaze stopped the words in my mouth. His soft hand sent a wave of warmth through my body. I felt stronger. "I'm okay."

"Is that it?"

He didn't even look at the other two men as if they weren't even there. What a cheeky demon! Where had Arthur managed to contract him, I'd love to know. Or was it the demon who'd contracted him?

"Did you enjoy my attempt at entertaining you while Cesar was out?" he cast Cesar a fleeting glance full of contempt and the sense of his own superiority. Cesar screwed his eyes up.

I couldn't believe it! Apparently, demons didn't give a damn about propriety. No normal guy, even a billionaire's son, would dare to say anything of the kind in the presence of his own father and the girl's boyfriend. Apparently, incubi couldn't care less about human conventions. They just spoke their minds.

"It's all right," I said, faking indifference. "Nothing special."

Arthur's eyebrows sprang up. "Nothing special?"

I could hear disappointment in his voice, disbelief and even a hint of a threat. You hadn't expected that, had you? Excellent. What if I tried to turn you on for a change?

I could see Cesar and Arthur's father exchange glances behind Arthur's back.

"Yeah, it was fine, you know, it's just that something was missing," I said, mocking the demon's loose unembarrassed manner. "Not to worry. When you grow up a little... you might well turn into another Cesar."

He was still holding my hand. When I said that, he squeezed my fingers so hard I struggled not to cry out. His exquisitely handsome face turned pale.

"I'll see you around," he turned away and walked out the door, his gray eyes angry and pensive.

When the door had closed behind him, the other two took me to task.

"Are you raving mad? You should never anger a demon!"

"Enough!" I too had the right to be angry. "I'm fed up with your nonsense! Where's the kitchen? I'll have my breakfast and I'll leave. You can sort out your own mess."

"As you wish," Arthur's father sat at his desk and lifted the receiver of a state-of-the-art telephone styled as an early-1920s vintage model. "I didn't like the idea to begin with. A demon hunter! You're a joke. I'm calling Bettina now, Cesar. She should be back from Australia today. You'll have to bring her here so I want you to be around for a while. And please make sure I never see this girl again. I don't think either of us is particularly happy."

With a warning glance his way, Cesar offered me his hand. "Come along, I'll take you to the kitchen. Robert, we'll talk about it later."

"I'll send a car to the service entrance," he replied.

I staggered. This squabble had drained me of my last strength. I was a joke? Well, I'd seen enough of the billionaires to last me a lifetime. I'd be damned if I stayed there a minute longer.

Seeing my state, Cesar lifted me in his arms and carried me out. "Allison is our only hope," he quipped over his shoulder. "You'll see."

But Arthur's father was already on the phone. He didn't even acknowledge hearing him.

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