Devil's Gambit by Nicholas Woode-Smith

Author:Nicholas Woode-Smith [Woode-Smith, Nicholas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B07YV7HTYL
Publisher: Warpmancer Press
Published: 2019-11-22T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12.

Dating

I had a gut feeling that this wasn’t over, and if I had learned anything in this line of work, it was to trust my gut.

“The demon is gone, Kat! Let’s get paid,” Conrad pleaded.

“Not gone. He didn’t fulfil the wager. Just disappeared.”

“No murders for a week. Citadel is ready to pay us out.”

“He’s biding his time,” I said, distracted by a stir fry I was cooking, my one hand on the wok-handle and my other on my cell phone. I was eating well of late. A lot of money to burn. I didn’t even feel bad about spending it.

“You’re overthinking,” Conrad whined. What was he spending his money on anyway? His living expenses seemed pretty cheap.

“Give it another week. If the Citadel still wants to pay us then, then go right ahead.”

“I didn’t think I’d need to argue with someone about them getting paid,” Conrad sighed. “Fine. A week.”

He hung up.

It was mid-semester holidays and I was cooking myself a stir fry for lunch. Had a head of cabbage, bell pepper, onion, some cut up chicken and a lot of chilli. Would top it off with rice.

“Never thought you’d be one to turn down money,” Treth said.

“If money was my prime motivator, I wouldn’t be a hunter. I’d become a plumber or deep-sea welder.”

“And have to contend with ratmen and merfolk? Those jobs are more dangerous than hunting!”

“But get paid a lot more on average. So, no. I don’t just do this for the money, as hard as that may be for you to believe. That demon is still out there. He said so himself. I didn’t finish my job. Can’t in good conscience get paid.”

“Very virtuous, miss knight. But while you’re chasing a poofed demon, there are undead crawling out of their holes.”

I frowned while tossing my stir fry. Treth was right. My primary enemy was still out there, while I hunted otherworldly immortals.

“Something’s just not right. That demon isn’t like anything we’ve hunted before,” I pondered aloud.

“And that’s why I’d rather take the money and get back to what we’re used to fighting. Undead are safer.”

“Heh. We’re an odd bunch, aren’t we?”

“I don’t know about me,” Duer interjected, flying down to investigate the stir fry. “But I know you’re pretty odd. You putting honey on that?”

“You think I should?” I raised my eyebrow. I seldom cooked stir fry. When I did, I rarely experimented.

“I’d do it.” Duer shrugged.

Well, couldn’t hurt. It’s just lunch. Duer brought me the honey squeeze bottle and I lathered the top layer of stir fry with honey, stirring it in and continuing to toss the pile. A savoury and sweet aroma rose from the conglomeration of meats and veggies, making my mouth water. I used my seax to skewer a piece of chicken and checked it for pinkness.

“I think it’s done!”

I dished up into my single, overused food bowl and mixed it with my already cooked rice. Duer stared longingly enough at a piece of honey lathered red bell pepper that I poked it with my fork and put it on his saucer.

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