I never expected to make tea for two heartbroken demon parents in my living room, but this is turning out to be an interesting week.
We haven’t spoken much since Baskara and Kinaaz appeared in my circle. I asked them to follow me, to get comfy, whether they like their tea with milk and sugar or prefer coffee. I feel woefully out of my depth as I place their cups down in front of them. Not because there are two demons in my living room but because I wasn’t expecting to face Mister Smiley Demon’s parents so soon. Have they been listening for his voice this whole time? Have they been waiting for him to come home?
Tears burn my eyes. I don’t know if I can forgive my parents for this. Their fear has caused so much pain. Part of me thinks I might be able to understand for our relationship’s sake, but the larger rest of me can’t get myself to believe that it was worth this.
I quickly explain what happened over the last two days, how much I adored their son when I was five, and then the inevitable moment arrives.
“As it turns out, my parents…” I don’t know how to say this except with pure honesty. “My parents saw me with a demon and panicked. They imprisoned him in a plane of their creation. I need help getting him out.”
I expected to see hatred for me or my family on their faces, but instead, both males look relieved.
“Then Ash is alright?’ Baskara asks.
I halt. Ash .
“I didn’t know that’s his name. I called him—” I clear my throat. “Yes, he’s fine, just very bored, I think.”
Baskara wipes at his eyes. “You don’t know how much— We’re so— Thank you . Anything we can do to help, we’ll do it.”
Kinaaz nods. “Of course. Do you know the name of the realm?”
“No,” I admit. “I don’t think it really has one, but now I know his name, I might be able to get back in. Apart from that…” I awkwardly wring my hands. “Do demons use any magic that might help? If you could share some of your magic with me…”
They exchange an amused glance. “All demons are different. Baskara and I each have different…talents, too. I’m a pride demon, which means I can make people make stupid decisions or stand up for themselves.” He gives me a meaningful look. “Honestly, the former doesn’t take much effort these days.”
“And I’m an incubus,” Baskara says.
I blush fiercely. I’m not a prude by any means, but there’s sex, and then there’s a literal sex demon in my living room. My parents would pass out if they knew.
Kinaaz laughs. “Confused about what attracted us to each other? We get that a lot.”
“We can tell you our romantic story once we have our son back if you’re interested. We owe you one for finding him.”
I quickly wave him off. “Oh no, you don’t owe me anything. It’s my parents who trapped him, and it’s me who needs your help. If anything, I owe you.”
As lovely as they seem, I still don’t know if that’s a stupid thing to say to a demon, let alone two.
“Please, Lori,” Baskara says. “You’re helping us find our son. This means everything to us.”
Kinaaz smiles at me. “He loved spending time with you. He wasn’t really an imaginary friend. He was born a demon, but his parents— It’s a long story. But ever since he was little, he loved spending time with other children, making their days brighter. There aren’t many demon children since our pregnancy rates are much lower. He didn’t have many friends back home because of that. We always worried he might be lonely. But then he felt your loneliness, he found you, and that was that.”
I blink. I have so many questions, but I decide to start with, “Then why did I think he was an imaginary friend?”
“When we found out that he’d made a human friend, we were worried what you’d think or what your parents might make of it,” Kinaaz says. “We didn’t know you were Veiled at the time, but we advised him to hide what he was. Humanity doesn’t take kindly to the Veiled, as you know, and they’ve always held a special mistrust for demons.”
There’s so much more I want to ask, but I don’t want to waste any more time. We’re getting Mist— Ash home today, if possible.
My doorbell rings. My cat jumps onto the windowsill and paws at the glass. I glance out the window and freeze. My parents are here.
Fuck .
The doorbell rings again when I don’t move.
“Unwelcome visitor?” Kinaaz asks.
I start to shake my head, but it becomes an awkward nod-shake. “Erm…” There’s no easy way to say this, either. “My parents are here. Please, I didn’t invite them. I don’t know what they want. Honestly, I don’t particularly want to see them right now.”
The two demons on my sofa look less unsure than they did when I first summoned them.
“You should let them in, Lori,” Baskara says after a moment’s hesitation.
“But we’re not leaving,” Kinaaz adds.
I nod. Alright. This won’t be awkward at all.
I open the door but block the entrance so Mom can’t instantly wander in.
“Oh, Lorren, we’re deeply sorry,” Mom says. “We’ve been messaging you all morning but didn’t hear, so we thought…”
Dad hands me a cake. “We wanted to apologise one more time. If you need longer to think, we’ll leave.”
Well, this seems like the perfect opening. I take the cake and step away from the door.
“It’s not me you should apologise to.” Or grovel to, rather. They did imprison someone’s child out of unwarranted prejudice, so grovelling at Ash’s dads’ feet seems more accurate.
As I expected, Mom is the first into the house.
“I know, my sweet girl, and that’s why we’re here, to help with—” She freezes when she enters the living room, and her eyes fall on my two guests. Dad walks into her since she stopped so suddenly and pales when he realises why.
“Mom, Dad, these are Baskara and Kinaaz, Ash’s parents.”
“Hi,” Baskara says.
Kinaaz waves.
“Kinaaz is a pride demon, and Baskara is an incubus.”
Everything I’ve learned in the last 24 hours has somewhat put me on the warpath against my parents. I mostly hate it, but also, it’s worth it to see their stunned faces.
“They’re here to help me get their son back.”
My parents straighten, then slump again. Neither knows what to say. I can’t imagine what must be going through their heads.
“We can discuss who did what later,” Kinaaz says. “We have more important business right now than holding grudges.”
I’m not sure if I imagine the twinkle in his eyes at the last words.
“Yes, very well,” my dad says. “We, erm, we’ve come to help. We can strengthen your magic with our own, Lorren, and there’s, erm, a release in the pr—” His eyes dart to Ash’s parents. “In the realm we created. You will need to find it to free Mister Smiley Demon.”
Baskara chokes on his tea, but both demons look amused more than anything. So, I guess that’s a better start than I dared hope for. I don’t expect them to be friends, but if we can work together just this once, I’ll be happy. Once is all I need.
“I’m afraid we don’t know where it is,” Mom says. “It won’t be where we left it. We placed a spell on it that hid the key once we sealed the realm, and when you managed to enter it, the release would have become more obscure. It may not even look like a key anymore.”
Frankly, I’ve no idea why they made it look like a key in the first place. It’s not like there’s a door we need to walk through and suddenly, bam , we’re good.
“What exactly should I be looking for then?”
“I’m sorry, Lorren,” Mom says. “We don’t know.”
Fine. That’s okay. At least they can help me get in. Once I’m there, I’m sure Ash and I can figure it out. Besides, he knows the place rather well after twenty-eight years of being stuck there. I’m sure he has some ideas on where to look.
“Then let’s start,” I say. “Let’s bring him home.”