a good thing you don’t have to do a demon’s dirty work too.”
“He knows exactly what he’s going to have me do. He’s stalling.” I gave a fleeting glance to Isaac, now brooding on the couch. “I’d like to get whatever it is over with before they end up fighting again.”
One wonderfully uneventful week later, the school gym had been transformed into a winter wonderland for the dance. Bright blue spotlights helped set the mood. White and indigo balloon pillars had been erected next to the deejay’s table, glistening snowflakes hung from the ceiling, and fake snow dusted the floor and bleachers. The dance committee had really outdone themselves, and the packed room proved the students appreciated their efforts.
“You really do look amazing,” Isaac said for the sixth time. His gaze traveled from the tiny floral bobby pins in my hair, over my crimson silk dress, and down to my black heels. “The red lipstick is a nice touch.”
“Thanks.” I adjusted his black tie and kissed him. He wore a dark tailored suit and a deep red shirt. “You’re quite dashing yourself.”
“Why, thank you.”
An upbeat song ended, and a soft guitar solo drifted out of tall speakers. Several guys on the dance floor wrapped their arms around their dates’ waists, holding them close as they turned in slow circles. Small groups of students who’d gone stag made their way to the bleachers and refreshments.
Isaac tilted his head to the side. “Shall we dance?”
“I thought you didn’t know how.” When he flashed a smirk, I asked, “Did you do a little hocus-pocus”—I wiggled my fingers—“on your shoes?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” He held out his arm.
We joined Josh and Kaylee, Mark and Sarah, and several of our classmates on the dance floor. I had been right about the black dress Kaylee wore: Josh couldn’t keep his hands off her. Right now they were on her hips.
Isaac held me close, his breath warm against my cheek. His thumb gently rubbed the silk ribbon on the back of my dress as we swayed to a slow song. When it reached the last notes, he slid his hand to the small of my back, spun us once in a circle, and then lowered me gracefully into a dip.
“I’ll have you know, those moves were without the aid of witchcraft.” He pulled me up, the grin on his face telling me he was pleased with his dancing abilities. “My parents taught me the basics,” he confessed. “I can slow dance, do a simple box step, and am now awesome at the Chicken Dance.”
“Really?” I giggled, but I was honored that he’d spent the time to learn a few steps just to take me to a school dance. “I want to see you flap your arms and wiggle your butt.”
“You laugh, but if the deejay plays the song, I’m ready.”
“Oh! It’s so on!” I took a step toward the deejay. “I’m going to place a request.”
Isaac grabbed my arm, tugging me close to him and nuzzling my ear with his nose. “Or we could enjoy the slow songs he’s playing.”
“If you insist,” I said with an exaggerated sigh, but the truth was, I hated the Chicken Dance.
We kissed as we moved with the other people dancing. His lips lingered on mine just long enough to steal my breath away and raise my pulse.
“This is nice,” I commented, resting my head on his shoulder.
Sarah and Mark were to my right, and Josh and Kaylee weren’t far behind Isaac. I had just made a mental note to get a picture taken of the six of us when I felt a light tap on my arm. Caden stood to my left wearing a burgundy dress shirt and black pants under his coat. Isaac and I immediately stopped dancing.
“I need to borrow you for a little while,” Caden said over the music.
“Now? Are you serious?” I asked.
Isaac’s fingers laced through mine, sending a reassuring trickle of power through me that let me know he’d be happy to tell Caden to get lost.
“Contracts are tricky things,” Caden replied. “I can’t collect early, and if I collect too late, other demons will think I’ve gone weak. They’ll try to take over my territory.”
I held Isaac’s hand as if he were an anchor. “Caden, I didn’t spend an afternoon doing my hair and makeup to go on demon-duty.”
“I don’t think twelve more hours is going to hurt your reputation as an evil dick,” Isaac said to him.
“Says the do-gooder witch,” Caden shot back. He looked at me. “You’ll barely be gone thirty minutes.” When I didn’t move, he added, “The deal was no questions asked.”
“Well, I didn’t think you’d pick the most inconvenient time to collect,” I grumbled and turned to face Isaac. “I have to go.” Rising to my tiptoes, I kissed him, letting my lips remain on his longer than I normally did when I knew we were being watched. “I promise I’ll hurry.”
I followed Caden, checking over my shoulder before exiting the gym. Josh and Kaylee had joined Isaac at the edge of the dance floor.
Caden led me to the parking lot. I wrapped my arms around my body in an attempt to block the frigid breeze, but it was no use.
“We’re driving?” I asked. I had expected him to snap his fingers or blink and we’d be transported to wherever it was we were going.
“It’s not far from here.” He shrugged out of his coat and held it up for me to put on. Too cold to argue, I slipped my arms through the sleeves. It smelled like a bonfire, but this time I didn’t ask why. Now that I knew what he was, I suspected he’d tell me he’d just come from hell.
He opened the passenger door for me.
“This trip better not ruin my dress,” I said as I slid into the seat.
It took me a couple minutes to work up the nerve to ask him what he expected me to do.
“Nothing that will taint your soul.” He turned right onto the main road.
We wove through a posh neighborhood and pulled into the driveway of a sprawling, dark brick two-story house. We got out, and I followed Caden through the back gates onto a large stone patio. We peered through a bay window into a gourmet kitchen. A woman in her early thirties sat at the table with two young children. From the looks of it, she was helping the girl with homework while the toddler alternated between coloring on a large sheet of paper and pushing his toy truck around the table. I glanced around. Past the patio furniture were an in- ground pool and a stainless steel outdoor kitchen.
“What? Did the husband sell his soul to be able to afford this place?”
“No. The father and daughter were in a bad car accident. The back passenger door took the brunt of the impact.” He looked at me. “The girl was in critical condition. The mother made the deal.”
My heart lodged in my throat. “Oh no!” I held a hand up. “I am not helping you take that woman away from her family.” I turned on my heels. “You’re on your own.”
“If you walk away, you’ll void your contract.”
I kept my eyes locked on the gate. It wasn’t fair that he asked this of me.
“Your brother will die, and the woman in that house will still pay her debt.” He stood behind me now and continued in a low voice. “She came to me, Madison. She knew the price.”
Turning to meet his gaze, I said, “You want me to help you take the soul of a woman who made the same deal I tried to make?”
“And had you been able to make it, I would have come for your soul when your years were up.”
I glanced back at the house. “How many did she get?”
“Five.”
“How old is her little girl?”
“Nine.” He moved a ringlet of hair from in front of my eyes. “You can think me a monster, but I don’t seek out souls. They come to me, and because of the deal she made, her daughter will grow up to be an adult.”
I stared at the family, biting my bottom lip. The little girl set her pencil down, a proud grin stamped across her face. The mom smiled back and pointed to the paper. I guessed she was telling her to do the next problem.
