Free Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six by Gerry Bartlett Page B

Caryon studied Penny with an interest that made me desperate to snatch her away. If I could only move.
    “Back up to this shoe, Caryon, and I’ll shove it up your backside when you have the guts to unfreeze me.” I gave him my best snarl. “Leave. Penny. Alone.”
    Caryon just smiled as he focused on me again. “I will if you take our deal. Lucifer wants you to gather souls for him. You know so many interesting people. Alesa gave him quite a list of potential donors. And he thinks you’re in a good position to be a harvester for us.”
    “You’re out of your freaking mind.” I watched Penny lying in Spyte’s hand as he stroked her between her ears. She was shivering. “Never.”
    “We can’t make you do it.” Caryon looked up at the night sky. “There are these aggravating rules in place. But we can bribe you, and Alesa suggested a really good one.”
    “I can’t imagine what you could offer me that would tempt me to lure my friends and acquaintances over to the dark side.” I wasn’t really listening. I was trying to keep my mind blank since I knew they could read it, though I desperately wanted to get us out of there.
    “Gloriana St. Clair,” Caryon intoned with the voice of an announcer on a quiz show. “How would you like to be a size six?”

Five

    “ You have got to be kidding me. That’s your bribe?” I stared at Spyte.
    “Yes.” He frowned down at Penny, who was gnawing on his thumb. “Alesa assured me that was one of your heart’s desires. That’s how we get people on the give-up-your-soul train. Dangle something they really, really want in front of them and—bam!—they’re ours. Ouch?” Black blood began to ooze from the wound Penny had made.
    “Penny! Don’t drink a demon’s blood. I’m here to tell you it can have bad consequences.” I was relieved when I saw her back away from the droplets. Spyte tossed her to his other hand with a grimace.
    “That wasn’t nice, Glory. Demon blood is delicious.” He sniffed, then stuck his thumb in his mouth to lick off the blood.
    “Nice? You expect me to be nice to you? I’ve been a size six before, for about five minutes. It was nice. I even loved it. But I won’t sacrifice my friends for it. No thanks.” I put out my hand and realized I could almost reach Rafe’s arm. “Please let us go now.” I looked up at the sky. We had a few hours before dawn, but not so much that it didn’t occur to me that these demons could leave me like this to fry when the sun came up. And Penny. What would happen to her? Fear slammed into me like a stake in the heart.
    Caryon smiled. “Aw, Glory, don’t worry. We aren’t here to terminate you.” He exchanged glances with Spyte. “Yet.”
    “You said you can’t force the issue.” I hated that my voice quavered.
    “A technicality. Unfortunately.” Spyte frowned when Penny began to dig her claws into his palm. “But we can offer incentives. You’ll see. The first one is a surprise. Next time you’re in your shop, or even at home, look around. You might see something unexpected.” Spyte handed Penny to me. “I do like the rat. She’s a tough little thing. I’m keeping an eye on her.”
    “And, Glory, don’t dismiss our proposition out of hand. You don’t have to harvest souls from your friends, you know. Just from the people you meet who you think deserve hell. You’d be doing a public service.” Caryon smiled, giving me another glimpse of jagged fangs that made me shudder. “Simon Destiny ring a bell?”
    “Simon? I figured he was already marked for hell.” He served a goddess who came from down there, so it was a no-brainer.
    “Oh, he is. But he’s playing for the wrong team. Lucifer wants him on ours. We have kind of a competition going on down there. Each god and goddess in the Underworld has its own turf. And collects its own, um, victims.” Big smile from Spyte. “Nobody trusts each other on the accounting thing so we have a scorekeeper. He posts quarterly stats. Right