The Demon's Bargain (A Deal With a Demon #4)(33)

They produce one from…somewhere. “We both sign.”

That’s not the normal way bargainer contracts work, but nothing about this is the normal way bargainer contracts work. “Okay.” I sign my name in a quick flourish, and they do the same on the second signature line that appeared at the bottom of the contract.

The moment Ramanu lifts the pen, something sizzles in my chest. It’s similar to the binding but different at the same time. I rub my sternum. “It’s done.”

“Yes.” They take a deep breath. “Your amulet.”

I lean forward so Ramanu can drape the chain over my neck. The moment it settles into place, it feels like the world shifts an inch to the right, settling back into place around me. I’d barely noticed the difference, but now I can’t believe I went weeks with this vague sense of wrongness. I exhale slowly. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for trusting me.” They hesitate. “If there’s anything you need to take care of before we leave, now’s the time to do it. You won’t be able to return for the duration.”

The sheer gravity of the situation washes over me, but I chose this, and I don’t regret the choice. “You said I’ll be gone anywhere from a few hours to a month.”

“Yes.” They shrug. “It’s not an exact science, but it shouldn’t be longer than that.”

“Okay.” I take my phone and type out a quick text to Jack letting them know I’m going to be MIA for a bit. They’ll have heard about the fight between Ramanu and Kristoff by now. I almost call my fathers, but it’s out of character and might make them worry. Instead, I shoot a text to our family group chat and tell them I met someone and might be out of contact for a few weeks but that I’m safe and I love them. I shut off my phone and turn to Ramanu. “I’m ready.”

They hold out their hand. “Let me show you my world, little witch.”

I slip my hand into theirs, and everything goes black.





Epilogue





Lenora





Seven years later



“It’s time, little witch.”

“Five more minutes.” I stretch out in the bed I share with Ramanu, intentionally draping myself over their body in a way that makes it impossible for them to get up without displacing me. It’s become a bit of a ritual between us. Sometimes they’re content to let me sleep and cuddle for longer. Sometimes they really do have to go because of some responsibility to Azazel.

And sometimes we greet the morning properly.

With orgasms.

Today isn’t just any other day, though. It’s the seven-year anniversary of the contract we signed. When I woke up in the demon realm, lying on a fainting couch, Ramanu’s fingers laced with mine, seven years felt overwhelming.

In the end, I’ve found a home. Not the same as my realm—not by a long shot—but a kind of home nonetheless.

I love the bargainer demon castle that shifts and changes depending on its mood. I’m still convinced it’s sentient in some way, but Ramanu claims it’s a spell cast by some long-dead ruler of the territory. I’ve made friends among the bargainer demons and in the other territories Ramanu has taken me to—dragon, kraken, gargoyle, and incubus and succubus. The relatively fraught political situation from when I arrived has morphed into what promises to be a lasting peace.

Because, in no small part, of Ramanu’s interference with the various territory leaders.

I’ve helped, too, if I do say so myself. My old midwifery skills are no longer dusty—that much is for sure. I nuzzle Ramanu’s throat. “Hey.”

“Hey.” They pull me closer, wrapping me up tight in their arms. “How are you feeling?”

A simple question without a simple answer. It would be easy to make a joke here, but today is the day we go beyond a test run and into a proper future. I open my eyes and lift my head. “I love you.”

Their smile feels like being bathed in midsummer sunlight. “I love you, too, little witch.”

I press a quick kiss to their lips. “Then I think it’s time for you to meet my fathers.”

“We have a few things to take care of first.” They sit up, taking me with them, and scoot back so we’re propped against the bed frame. Ramanu taps my chest, right over my heart. “The contract is fulfilled. Payment is accepted.”

A little shiver goes through me. Most of the time, I forget about the contract entirely. It’s simply never come into play. I certainly haven’t been harmed…except for that business with Eve and Azazel, but it was hardly their fault that I fell, even if Ramanu acted like the pair stabbed me with a sword. It was a twisted ankle, and I was magically healed within a day, but it gave Ramanu an excuse to play nursemaid, and they seemed to enjoy that immensely.

So much so that we tried it again later in significantly sexier circumstances.

I touch my sternum, but my skin doesn’t look any different. It seems wrong. After seven years and such big changes, there should be some marker. I don’t look any different, though. As promised, the magic in this realm seems to have slowed my aging noticeably. “I think I’d like a mark.”

Ramanu relaxes back and props their head in their hands. “You have a mark. Two, in fact.”