Devil's Food

It was an unreasonably hot summer day. Much too hot to make a cake and yet here she was, baking a triple chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting and pomegranate drizzle. Why Glaudia was pouring sweat in her tiny, cramped kitchen covered in various sticky, sweet substances, was relatively simple. She was going to summon a demon. A demon to do her dirty work. Mostly that included doing her laundry and feeding her cat while she was at work. Just a simple lesser demon that would be satisfied with a handmade cake in return for a week worth of easy chores. Gods, could you imagine if she was trying to bribe a major demon with some cake? They’d take her cake, make her do her own chores while reprimanding her, and demand her soul do their chores for at least a decade just for the inconvenience of having to submit a report of a failed contract.

Those were along the thoughts she had while gently setting the mouthwatering offering on the coffee table in her slightly bigger ‘living room’. It was just a catch-all room, with it being a studio. She manages to yank the blanket with the ancient symbols screen printed in a light purple, lilac color from the top shelf in her closet and smooths it on her floor. She kneels in the center, setting her lavender and mint candles alight in a circle on each of the five symbols.

“Right. So, I can’t quite remember the spell but you guys know me at this point. It’s going to be a rough week at work and I was hoping to get the same guy that was here last time. Tell him I put the pomegranate sauce that he ransacked my fridge-” Before she could finish, the candles all blew out and a strong smell of brimstone filled the air. There was a sudden crack sound and the wind was knocked out of her as she was slammed into the wall behind her and held there. “Shit!”

“Oh! So sorry, Glaudia, I guess they didn’t tell you to move, huh,” a deep, familiar voice mused, clearly entertained. She could see that her demon was delivered right in the middle of the tiny space she had dedicated to the ritual. His back was currently crushing her face, pushing her glasses in such a way she feared they would break if his big, dumb self didn’t move soon. “Kaiv, I will make you actually work this week if you don’t get off me,” she says or at least she says as best as she can.

Huffing in a good-natured way, the demon leans away, letting her get her footing and much needed oxygen. He takes up a lot of room in her house. He stood at maybe six foot, two inches but she was bad at estimating height and was broad enough to make it so she had bought a bigger bed in between last time he was there. His horns curved up and around his pointed orange ears, coming to a rest in line with his mouth which was almost always smirking or had a goofy smile tugging at it.

Reaching out, he grabs her up and bends his head down into her neck and chest to snuggle like a cat, reminding her of when she first summoned him and he had taken the form of an orange tabby. Back then, she hadn’t had a lot to offer, being a young teenager and had just wanting a friend. When she brought a piece of old birthday cake and a glass of milk, she almost didn’t think it’d work but here they were. Him nuzzling his white hair into her hand as she smiled in her exasperated way he had come to know as affection. “You wouldn’t make me would you,” he asks, making the biggest of puppy eyes up at her. “Yes.” No, of course not.

After some back and forth of him whining and her teasing him, they decide catch-up is over and they need to get down to business. They only had a few minutes to discuss the contract and move it into action. Kaiv eyes the cake that has probably been calling him. “I can stay until I finish off the cake,” he says, throwing a thumb in the direction. Glaudia quirks an eyebrow. That wasn’t really a long time. It might last through the week. Maybe not Friday considering it was Sunday now, which was the only time you could summon a demon, ironically. “It’ll go bad before the week is out. I need you... ya know, for the...whole week?” His shoulders shrug, unconcerned. “Take it or leave it. I have a bunch of work to get done too so I can’t afford to hang out long this time, Di.”

If she was honest, it hurt her feelings, how callous he was being. He seemed to want to be gone as quickly as he could. Having a demon for your oldest and closest friend was probably expected to have its lows but generally, they were on good terms. And to use her nickname while doing what felt like avoiding her, sucked. Maybe she was just too sensitive. Resigned, she stuck out her hand. His expression was pure mischief when he took it. A small claw pricked her finger and a small piece of paper was placed in it to absorb it. After doing the same to himself, he sent the paper away in a puff of smoke. “Well, sugar, where do you want me?”

Every night, starting Monday when she returned home, her house was organized, cleaned, and her cat was resting comfortably in Kaiv’s lap while he either played a video game, which she noted was very witty and has a good story, or read a book with titles in demon languages that she could only half make out. Always there was dinner already made and he greeted her warmly in the way that made her starkly remember the end of the week was coming. She knew he was growing stronger and would need more than just a cake to show up. She would have to offer more of a challenge worth his time, too. Playing house wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

Tonight was Thursday and only a quarter of the cake lasted. If he really wanted to, he could eat that whole piece tonight and be done with it. Tomorrow was really the biggest day and she needed to leave super early in order to get the whole event put together. She was also hoping to celebrate with him after. Right now they were lying comfortably together, watching a Korean drama. After more than a decade of spending close quarters together, there wasn’t any awkwardness anymore. Sure, yeah at first, of course. What woman attracted to men wouldn’t internally freak out when her cat-demon friend who can speak to her telepathically, one day turns into an admittedly hot human-ish man-esque entity in her bed? During puberty?

In any case, the only problem now was when he shifted to get up, effectively displacing her from her resting place on his shoulder. She listened as he got a plate and cut the cake and returned. He groaned in satisfaction when he took a huge bite of the sweet. “You really outdid yourself this time, Di. It’s killer. Shame it’s almost gone.” Glaudia huffed and shoved the blanket off her and plopped herself around him to watch the T.V. “Glad you like it. I didn’t even get to try it before you claimed it all,” she said in mock anger, noticing, happily, there was still one piece left for tomorrow. She heard him laugh as he finished it off and went to put the plate in the sink.

“You know, I don’t know if a cake is going to cut it next time. You really put me through it this week,” he called over the rush of the water from the pipe. It struck the very chord she was trying to ignore. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about me anymore after this because I’m sure you’ll be getting much grander sacrifices from every other person that calls you. Ya know because you’re sooo busy.” The bitterness was evident enough that he poked his head back into the dark room, the kitchen light illuminating his horns and hair creating like a caricature of a halo. “You ok,” he asked, shocked. “I was only kidding.”

She couldn’t keep looking at something so heart-wrenchingly beautiful so she didn’t. “Nah, I understand, man. You’re clearly going up in rank and I’m a small contract with nothing to gain. I just have you cook me dinner and clean my clothes.” She attempted to sound casual but the end just sounded terribly sad and drained. Kaiv was a very direct...hellspawn, so when he came around to the foot of the bed, paused the show, and told her to sit up she knew she was in for it. “Look, dude, I don’t know if this project you have going on at work has got you all worked up but you’ve been snapping at me all week,” the demon said, golden eyes glowing with emotion and, well, flames of hell. “I have been trying to joke with you and I’ve been extra nice to you this week because you seemed stressed. I don’t know where you’ve gotten this idea that I'm dumping you but it’s starting to frustrate me hearing you think about it all the time.”

A blush colored her cheeks. Kaiv was never so aggressive and also she forgot he could read her mind. He said he wouldn’t invade her privacy like that after they had decided they were friends of some sort. She attempted to stutter out an apology but he stopped her. “And another thing, I am sick of you ignoring me hitting on you! I have been attempting to flirt with you all week but this little unfounded attitude has been in the way! Did you not see me trying to impress you with reading “The History of Smog Slugs: A Look into the Delicate Ecosystems of the Underworld” for gods’ sake because you think ‘intelligence is sexy’. You’re the smartest dumb person I’ve ever met, you know that,” he rants. Her mouth hangs open in astonishment. There’s a short pause. “You know what? I’m done here,” Kaiv announces before ripping open the container with the cake in it, picking the last sliver, and shoving it in his mouth. No sooner does he swallow, he disappears leaving behind a coldness.

She didn’t sleep much that night but still managed to pull the event together in the end. After locking the door behind her that night, she started to cry, missing her closest friend and hating how she let it end. But, he didn’t even give her the opportunity to do anything about it! Just ran off! “Of course I didn’t! How else was I supposed to get through your thick skull, you stubborn, stupid woman?” She whips around to see her big, sweet demon sitting on her bed with Pepper the cat on his lap.

“How are you here though? I didn’t summon you.” Kaiv picked the cat up and lays her down in the blankets. He gently takes her hands and tugs her towards him. “Di, sugar, I’ve been a Greater Demon for six years and been having them route all your calls to me so I could have excuses.” Of course, he was. These last few months at work must have really worn down her mental health to have her jumping to conclusions like this. Letting out a deep sigh she sinks into the bed next to him. Through the hands that she rubs on her face, she grumbles, “Let’s go on vacation.” He huffs a laugh. “Sure but no more summoning me with cake. Just text me.”