Free Dark Hope (The Devil's Assistant) by H.D. Smith

what she said.
    She beamed when she caught his eyes. I smelled the sickly sweet aromas I’d caught before, but it wasn’t as pleasing now. She slid into his embrace. Willingly. My mouth dropped open.
    “She came in uninvited,” he said. “I was thinking I might have her run the maze.”
    Cinnamon’s eyes went glassy as she leaned into him. Her interest in me vanished. His voice was hypnotizing her—enchanting her!
    “Cinnamon,” I shouted, trying to get her attention. “I must speak with you in private. It’s very urgent family business.”
    Charles’s lip curled as he glanced back at me. Cinnamon was so wrapped in his spell she couldn’t hear me. When my vision sharpened, his true form peeked out again then his human mask returned.
    I started to speak again. He motioned for one of the sentries. I lifted my head to avoid the point as he inched the blade closer. If I remained still the blade wouldn’t cut me.
    In a sleepy voice, Cinnamon asked, “What were we talking about, dear?”
    “Nothing,” he crooned. “You should go lie down as you need your rest.”
    With a vacant nod, she slipped out of his arms and headed toward the main house. She stumbled through the courtyard until a demon woman hurried out to help her.
    The demon woman’s pale blue sundress matched Cinnamon’s in style. The female’s dark hair was gathered into a high ponytail with a wild streak of indigo blue running along the left side of her head. She stopped for a moment when she noticed me. She eyed Charles before bowing her head slightly. His attention remained fixed on me so he didn’t see the demon woman’s gesture. I was sure I’d never seen her before, at least not in her demon form, but she recognized me.
    She tugged Cinnamon toward the house.
    Demons in Purgatory enchanting hellspawn—that wasn’t supposed to happen, right? Cinnamon was in trouble. There was no way she’d let anyone control her. Based on her reactions, she obviously forgets that he spells her once it wears off. Did The Boss know she was in Purgatory? Did he care? I’d always considered her his favorite, which really meant he didn’t have a scowl on his face when she left his office. Would he leave her trapped under Charles’s control if he knew? Was I supposed to help her?
    Omar’s instructions were vague. He’d only said to visit the quads. Could I walk away? The cold blade of the spear pressed against my skin, reminding me the first thing I had to do was figure out how to avoid getting killed in Purgatory.
    “Now, back to you,” Charles said, trying to charm me.
    The magic power of his spell radiated off him in waves, but the enchantment didn’t have the same effect on me as it had on Cinnamon. The smell was still overwhelming, but there was no sense of distraction. I wasn’t being lulled by its charms any longer. “I know what you are, demon. The Boss will not be pleased.”
    Charles put his hands to his mouth in mock surprise, but the wicked glint in his eyes was cold and calculating. “If I were you,” he threatened. “I would worry less about me and more about getting through the maze.”
    The sentries took hold of me and, led by the little man with the clipboard, marched me to the edge of a tall hedge. He said something I didn’t quite catch, then shoved me through the foliage.
    Charles called it the maze. So naturally, I expected to fall face down onto a grassy path between another equally large hedge. Instead, I stumbled into the middle of a road, where I was almost run over by an ice cream truck. I jumped out of the way just in time, as it barreled past, turning left onto a side street, blaring a tune any kid in America would recognize.
    I leaned over resting my hands on my knees. My heart thumped from the adrenaline rush of nearly being hit. I forced myself to take long, slow breaths. Hyperventilating right now wasn’t going to help.
    After a minute I stood, taking in my surroundings. I was on a two-lane highway in the middle of