Humans were sofragile.
Nix waited until that firm ass was shut behind elevator doors before he decided to amuse himself with a more thorough search of Ivan’s bedroom. He’d been mostly entertaining himself with human television, but he was beyond bored with that now.
In his second go-around, he hit pay dirt, pressed against the back of Ivan’s bedside table drawer. A photo of an older man—pale-blond hair buzzed short, tattoos peeking out from under his sleeves—with what was undoubtedly a teenaged Ivan, looking painfully young and painfully miserable.
This must be the father, then. Nix studied him, but not much could be revealed by a photo. He was looking straight at the camera, as expressionless as adult Ivan could be. His mouth was pressed in an unforgiving line, and he had a tight hand clenched on young Ivan’s shoulder.
Nix was tempted to tear the photo in half, to separate the two of them before the father’s damage could take. But it was only a photo—what good would that do?
Instead he sneered at it, as haughty as he could manage. “I’m going to fix what you broke,” he whispered, low and mean.
He froze, cross-legged on the floor by Ivan’s bed, stopped short by his own words. Why was he so determined to help Ivan? Nix could easily coast here, allow the contract to keep him in the human realm without going to any extra lengths for his so-called master. He didn’thaveto listen to all Ivan’s orders, as long as Nix’s actions weren’t directly harmful and didn’t actively work against the goals of their contract.
Nix could have gone out any of these past nights and immersed himself in lust, if he’d really wanted. Could have fucked any human he wished.
But hehadn’twanted, not after that kiss. For all that it had been dry and brief, it had still been…real.
Nix was never allowed real. It was all about illusion, about veils upon veils of fantasy and want. Nix used different clothes, different forms, different personalities, even, shifting each to fit what the contract needed. Sometimes it wasn’t even about any form Nix took at all—sometimes he was aiding in building desire between two humans, or aiding a human in finding any spark of desire inside themselves at all.
And Nix had always liked that fine—he didn’t need it to be about him, not when it all still allowed him to feast on a hearty meal.
But it was different here. Nix hadn’t used any illusions with Ivan, and Ivan still wanted Nix. He didn’twantto want him, maybe, but he did. And that was a whole new level of interesting.
And then there was the way Nix could feel Ivan’s soul piece in his chest, somehow heavier and more intoxicating than any soul piece he’d had before. He could feel all the hurt and bitter pockets of regret weighing it down, even as he could taste the sharp tang of Ivan’s essence, delicious as anything Nix had ever tasted before.
There was so much potential there, with Ivan’s inner strength, his self-control, his air of command. He could be great, even, if tended to properly.
And what does one human’s potential matter to you?
The answer should have been nothing. And yet…
What would Ivan’s soul taste like if Nix could heal even a fraction of those hurts?
Nix pictured the stretch of Ivan’s neck in the town car, taut and vulnerable. His bleary blinking and shaky legs, stinking of vodka and regret after Sergei’s visit. The tug of his hand in Nix’s hair and the dry press of his lips.
It was all…enticing. Too enticing for a demon like Nix to even hope to resist.
It would be nice to have someone to discuss it with though.Repression might have been Ivan’s bread and butter, but it wasn’t Nix’s. This was the best gossip about himself he’d had in centuries, and he had only his own hollow head to repeat it in. He didn’t have a way to reach Kai, even if Kai were willing to talk with him about such things. He didn’t have a way to reach Ivan, either, for that matter.
He needed one of those pocket phone things.
In the meantime…
Nix placed the photo back carefully, speaking to the only person who might be paying attention. “Are you watching, Chaos?” he asked, aiming his question at the wall across from him. “I would be, if I were you.” Nix let out a long breath. “I think you’d like it here. I think you’d like it a whole lot.”
He’d been thinking that, as he and Ivan had ridden in the town car that first time. The claustrophobic crush of traffic, the din of angry honking, the swarming mass of humans on the sidewalk. Chaos would have loved it all.
Nix rested his head on his raised knees. “We need to find someone to summon you.”
He’d never tried to coordinate someone else’s summoning before, but Nix wanted his friend back. They’d spent too long in the Void together to never see each other again. And maybe he also wanted to see what would happen. Chaos was sweet but…feral. Unhinged, even for a demon. Contract or no contract, he wouldn’t have followed silly commands like Ivan’s “wait for me while I go to the office” nonsense.
Nix flicked his tail, thumping it against the hardwood. And why shouldhefollow silly commands either? It wasn’t like he was of any use hanging around here.
He stood, changing back into his human form as he did so. He changed his outfit while he was at it, switching out his current sheer shirt for something soft and silky.
Ivan was a tactile man, after all.
Nix took the elevator down to the ground floor, finding the same doorman he usually did in the mornings. He waltzed up to him. “Hello, there,” he said, grinning when the doorman’s eyes widened at his approach. “What’s your name?”
