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“Well, this has been quite the evening,” Ambrosius grinned. “So, what’s next, my lovely warlock?”
“I…” Gwen withdrew and glanced around the room. “I think I need to figure out what to do with him.”
The beast had sat itself down, Sierra’s head between its massive paws as it chewed on her ear.
“Oh, that’s simple enough,” Ambrosius said as he guided her over the fallen bodies of Tom and Sierra. “You just have to call for him. Watch.Piki,come!”
Gwen frowned. Had Ambrosius called that thing—
The beast immediately dropped Sierra’s head, sprinting toward the pair. Gwen watched in shock as the horrid features evaporated, melting away and revealing a tiny form. Covered in familiar fur, the beast was now a small Pomeranian that eagerly jumped into Gwen’s outstretched arms.
“Piki!” Gwen cried as her former dog eagerly licked her face. “Oh, Piki, my sweet monster baby. I’ve missed you so much!”
“I told you some of my gifts might be to your liking,” Ambrosius remarked.
“You should have led with that,” Gwen smiled. “If you told me you’d bring my dog back from the dead, I would have agreed to work for you sooner.”
“Cute,” Ambrosius huffed. “Now, shall we leave this wretched place?”
“After.”
“After?”
Gwen grinned. “After … we free some humans.”
43
Love
Ambrosius
“Gwen—”
“Please?”
Ambrosius sighed, leaning against his cane. They were standing outside an office room, where Gwen had indicated three humans were being kept captive. Ambrosius could sense their souls—frightened, traumatized, but unsoiled by his influence.
“They’re humans—”
“Yes, and they’re innocent in this case. Please, Ambrosius. I killed for you—multiple times. I was stabbed, punched, and even lost an arm tonight. Look, I’m asking you to spare human life. Forme,” Gwen pleaded, curling Piki closer to her chest.
The demon hated that she had a point, but Ambrosius hated that he was already giving into her demands even more.
“Fine,” he hissed.
Gwen’s expression turned to joy. She pressed close, sweetly pressing a kiss to his cheek. The sensation pleased him, a fact he was reluctant to acknowledge.
“Thank you,” she said.
Ushering the humans through the store was taxing on Ambrosius. If it was up to him, they’d leave them in the small lot behind the building. However, Gwen was quick to fight him on that. Instead, they tied them together in a line with the spare rope found in the office. Gwen led them through the storage space toward the backdoor. Ambrosius was regulated to clearing a path of bodies, to not upset the already frightened humans.
Once the door opened, Gwen led her troop of humans outside. They were all still frightened, but there was some relief in a few of them as they felt the chill in the air.
“Now what?” Ambrosius asked against her ear.
Gwen glanced behind her, carefully pulling the humans around the corner of the store and toward the front. Her small pet followed behind her obediently.
“I don’t know, but we can’t leave them like this,” she whispered.