A deep chuckle that would have normally had Snoe running in the other direction echoed around him.
“Now that is funny—a witch who cannot form a contract. You cannot use your words.”
Frustration and annoyance warred inside of Snoe. He was fucking holding on to life by a damn thread. But that wasn’t the demon’s problem. No, it was Snoe’s, and he needed to push past it. But how in the fuck does someone push past death?
“What do we have here?” the deep voice asked.
White-hot pain pulled a scream from deep within Snoe as his hand was turned over. Snoe stupidly tried to pull away, and more pain assaulted him, making bile burn the back of his throat and his eyes water. This was too much.
A cool breeze washed over Snoe, his pain dulled. It wasn’t gone and his body was still broken, but the burning ache was tolerable, and he wasn’t so close to passing the fuck out. Snoe licked his dry, cracked lips and tried to speak once more.
“Now tell me, what does a dead witch need from me?” the demon asked.
Snoe didn’t look for the demon as he lay there helpless but undeterred by his choice. “That didn’t keep you from coming to my summons,” Snoe said. He shocked himself, not expecting his voice to work at all, much less be as steady as it was.
The demon cackled. “That is true. What can I say, I’m a demon of opportunity.”
Snoe wasn’t fooled into thinking the demon would be on his side. He wasn’t so lucky in life.
“Are you going to make a deal with me?” Snoe asked.
The demon hummed. “Make a deal with you? But you’re nothing but meat. You can’t even use magic to get yourself from out of here,” the demon said.
He wasn’t wrong. Snoe didn’t even have a clue where he was; he just knew he wasn’t in the forest outside his cottage anymore. He was more determined than ever though. He made a choice.
“If I’m just meat, then why don’t you eat me,” Snoe offered.
Snoe felt something brush the tip of his fingers, and darkness covered his eyes. His first instinct was to pull away or scream, but he bit down on his sore tongue. More blood coated his mouth as he forced his heart rate to calm down.
“You foolish witch. I will gladly take part.” The demon’s voice was a lot closer than before.
Stay calm. Witches were taught from a young age that summoning demons was reckless and a sure way to an early grave. Even the most powerful witches weren’t guaranteed safety. They granted dark power at a cost most witches paid before they could achieve what they wanted.
“Yeah, go ahead. Not like I’m going to live much longer at this rate,” Snoe said. Snoe took in as much air as he could without causing himself too much pain. “Oh, but if you eat me now, then you won’t hear what I have to offer. But then again, you might be happy with just one soul instead of a constant supply.” Snoe gave a weak laugh.
Something wet dripped on Snoe’s face. He didn’t flinch or show any fear; he had none to give to the demon. He was literally on his deathbed. There was nothing left for Snoe to fear. The darkness covering his eyes disappeared, but Snoe didn’t look for the demon, just lay there waiting on an answer that would decide his fate.
“You give promises that you can’t keep,” the demon said.
Snoe smiled, and he couldn’t help it. He was sure the demon saw it. “Do you really believe that?”
The demon was silent; it was so quiet Snoe could hear his own heartbeat and shallow breaths.
“Make a deal with me,” Snoe said.
No matter how much he told himself to relax, he couldn’t help but feel the pressure of time. It wasn’t as if he’d summoned a demon to have a tea party. Snoe was on his last legs, grasping at straws and hoping one could help him. It was brash, and Snoe knew speaking to demons as if they were lesser would bite him in the ass, but he couldn’t possibly have patience at that moment.
The demon tsked at him. “If you make this deal, you understand you will forever belong to me. Your soul will not be yours.”
“I wouldn’t have summoned you if I thought otherwise,” Snoe retorted.
A white mask with a single red teardrop drawn where the eye should have been appeared above Snoe. It was oddly familiar, but Snoe couldn’t place it. He didn’t have time to dig through his memory. Instead, he focused on the demon above him.
“You offer your soul and others,” the demon said.
Snoe knew what that meant. He would have to sacrifice many to stay alive, but he didn’t care. He planned to claim his rightful place once more, even if it meant sitting on a throne of bones and blood.
“In exchange for your assistance,” Snoe finished.
A line appeared on the mask, slowly opening up to jagged teeth. By all rights Snoe should be scared, but he couldn’t find it in himself. The only thing he could feel in that moment was hatred and the burning urge to get revenge.
“For your life,” the demon said.
Snoe swallowed. “What?”
“You are so close to death, I can offer you life,” the demon said.
It wasn’t magical power or money, but it would give Snoe the chance to get his revenge.
“Then we have a deal?” Snoe asked.
A forked tongue slithered past the sharp-looking teeth and flicked against Snoe’s cheek. It was like rubbing sandpaper against his skin.
“Witches are only humans with a little bit of magic, and yet you act as if you are high-and-mighty,” the demon said, avoiding the answer Snoe wanted.
Snoe didn’t care. He didn’t have the luxury.
“Very well, witch, I shall make a deal with you, on one condition.”
Snoe bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from shouting at the damn demon. The scenery changed around them, the darkness receded, and gone was the cold as a fireplace appeared next to Snoe.
“I have seven demon wolves, and they are troublesome. If you can break them and make them follow your orders, then I will solidify the deal, and as a bonus, I might let you have them. I’m sure you can think of a way to use them. But of course, you have to survive first.”
Snoe finally caved to his curiosity and turned his head to see the demon fully. He wore a pinstripe suit, and black jewelry decorated his hands. He still wore the white mask, mouth now closed. There was no longer any evidence that there was one. Black hair, curled slightly at the ends, fell to his shoulders. Two large black horns curled back over the top of his head.
“If you didn’t notice, I’m near death,” Snoe pointed out on a whisper. He fought against the fog that tried to take over, blinking away the dancing colors in his vision.
The demon chuckled as if Snoe had told the funniest joke. He crouched down and leaned toward Snoe. “Do you agree to the terms?”
Snoe attempted to ball his fist, but pain reminded him he couldn’t quite do that. Pain that he didn’t deserve, pain that he was tired of feeling, the same pain he would unleash on all those who brought this upon him.
“Deal,” Snoe said through clenched teeth.
Chapter Eight
Snoe
“If you lie there, they will tear you apart,” the demon warned.
Snoe turned his head, bracing himself for the pain he knew would come, but when nothing happened, he attempted to move more of his body. He flexed fingers he knew were broken—not a twinge of pain. He glanced around while he lay on the floor. He’d been transported into a room with beige-colored walls and a wood floor. There was nothing there, just four walls and no window to show where he was. Snoe decided not to focus on that part; it would make him more anxious than he already was.