The Price of Possession by Dakota Brown (phonics story books txt) 📕

I exchanged a quick, worried glancewith Mal while a probably possessed Sabian surveyed the living room.

"This is not exactly how I would expect theliving area of a notorious exorcist to look." Not-Sabian turned hisattention to me. His normal amber eyes were rimmed in red. Definitelypossessed. Damn it.

"You're going to give him back, right? Otherwise,this is going to get ugly fast." I tried not to swell in pride at himcalling me notorious, though. That was pretty badass.

"Yes, Price. I'll give your demon back. For now."

"For good mate, he's mine," I surprisedmyself by saying. Huh, I'd really meant that. How had Sabian worked his wayinto my heart that quickly?

The demon sighed. "Sabian is practically dancingwith glee at the moment. It's giving me a headache." He pinched the bridgeof his nose.

"I take it you're not here to destroy my house orbe an utter shit?"

"No, Price, I want your help to free my demons."

"Did you send that jerk to my restaurant?" Icrossed my arms and glared.

The demon inhabiting Sabian shook his head. "Iapologize for his behavior. He will be informed of the proper way of addressingyou in the future."

I got the impression the demon prince was not used toapologizing. Especially to mortals.

"Naw, don't ever send a minion again. You want totalk to me, you gotta talk to me straight." Shit, really Price, thatwas the dumbest thing you've ever said. You do not want to deal with a demonprince on the regular, or ever. I tried to keep my alarm at what I'd justdone out of my expression.

"Very well, if that's what you require for yourassistance."

"Naw, mate, that's just what I require to bewilling to listen to you."

Sabian smiled coolly, but the expression was soforeign to his normal cheerful attitude that it sent chills through me.

"Very well. What do you require for yourassistance?"

"What are we talking about here? What's going on?"I was seriously bargaining with a demon? I'd really gone and lost my mind.

"Let me say it this way, what would you do toprevent a bound demon prince from being in the possession of your unsavoryhuman friends?"

I raised my eyebrows. "They're going after aprince?"

He nodded.

"We want the same thing, Price. The demons wantto be released back to hell. I want whoever is summoning them to burn in thedeepest pits of my realm for eternity. You want us not on earth. I'm asking youto actively look into this problem. I doubt the priest has what it takes toprevent what's coming."

"What is coming?"

Not-Sabian's brow furrowed. "There is much tothis scheme I don't yet understand. I suspect it is a power bid in hellspilling over into your realm."

"So, you want me to help you. I'm getting thatright? You've come to me, an exorcist, to help you."

Though he looked pained, he nodded. "I needsomeone who can work on this plane. I do not wish to be summoned myself. Mydays of bargaining for souls are long behind me and I wish it to remain thatway."

My chest clenched and icy tendrils of fear laced theirway through my spine. Fuck. Sabian had failed to mention his prince was also acrossroads demon.

"What do you wish in exchange for your service?"

"'Kay, get this straight. I look into this. I'mnot working for you. I'm doing you a favor. You don't get to order me around.You don't get to act like you own me. And you will owe me a favor in thefuture. No strings attached. No trying to find ways around what I'm asking. Iask you for the return favor straight up, you give me straight up help inreturn. For example, I ask you for a puppy, you ask me what kind."

He tilted his head as if considering. "Would youlike a hell hound? I could arrange that. One might even be useful for you inthis coming battle."

"That's not my favor!"

"I understand. Price, you must know this. Ifthings were not dire, I would not make this bargain, but I believe they are. I agreeto your terms."

"Okay," I replied slowly after shooting adesperate look at Malak. He looked about as shell shocked as I felt.

"I do not know enough now to be useful, but I amclose to discovering some information on my end." He hesitated. "Itwould be most useful if I could communicate through this one."

I took that to mean Sabian.

"Up to Sabian."

The demon's expression turned inward for a momentbefore he nodded. "He agrees. I will reward him suitably when this isover."

I figured I'd leave those arrangements to the demons.Sabian would know what would be best for him.

"Good day," the demon said.

Sabian gasped and clutched at his chest.

"Holy crap," I exclaimed.

"Yeah, you can say that again," Sabianmurmured.

Not sure what to say, but not wanting us to delve intoa weird silence we had no way to work out of, I forged on with running my moutha little. "So, what do you think the chances are we're going to have ahellhound show up in the very near future?"

Both Mal and Sabian focused on me, before they crackedsmiles, Sabian's seductive, Mal's a bit more ironic.

"I hope you don't mind hair on the furniture."Mal laughed.

I sighed. "So, that just happened, right? It'snot some post-sex hallucination?"

Sabian reached out and pulled me back over to him. Itucked in under his shoulder and snuggled against him.

"I never thought I'd be working with thesupernatural." I was feeling out of my depth, and I didn't like that. Iwas used to being at the top of my game, but what I knew was exorcism and theoccult. Minor spells and such. Getting involved in demonic power plays was faroutside of anything I was even remotely comfortable with.

Mal chuckled and shot me a suggestive look. Sabiantightened his arm around me.

"Yeah, right, or fucking them." I groaned.

"Regrets?" Sabian sounded worried.

"Mate, did I not just claim you in front of ademon prince?"

"Yes, but I can see you doing that just to becontrary." Sabian really did sound worried now, and clearly he wasfiguring me out quickly.

I sighed. "Well, that's true. No, Sabian, so far,no regrets. Not sure how I ended up with the two of you, but I'll happily keepyou around."

The incubus