Page 118 of Demons Dig Donuts

“Okay, and the other guy? The one with a face beat for the gods?”

“King Zolrya.”

“King of what exactly?”

“The Fae.”

“Oh… Oh! Oh fuck.”

“Yes. Fuck.”

They stopped at a McDonald’s so Indy could use the bathroom and finally get something to eat. It took two crispy chicken sandwiches, a Big Mac, and a large fry to make Indy feel better about having a brush with such a powerful and dangerous creature, and he definitely had some follow-up questions.

“So.” Indy waited until they were back in the limo and headed to the flower shop to dig in. “Sariel used to work for you? I had always heard you had an angel in your little gang but didn’t know if it was true.”

Mr. Heiss scowled. “Not anymore.”

“And Seymour and… Day, right? Little kitty cat doesn’t seem that scary.”

“She bites.”

“I can see her because I own the Memento Mori. Which is why I could see Lou’s guys, right?”

“Yes. There are exceptions, obviously.”

“Like Dill. ’Cause everyone can see him.”

“Yes.” Mr. Heiss made another sour face. “The clerk at the flower shop is named Othniel Ricci. He is Lou’s mate and also owns a Reliquary spirit, so there will be another one you’ll see.”

“Wait, how? Does he have the Reliquary or does Lou?”

“Lou holds all but one. A spirit chose Neil and—”

“Oh! Hold up! Yes! We are so talking about monster dicks when we get there.”

Mr. Heiss squawked. “What?”

“He’s dating a werewolf. We can trade knot stories!”

Mr. Heiss held his face in his hands. “Please do not do that.”

“Why? Is that gonna make you jealous, baby?”

“No, but I may become ill listening to you discuss my brother’s dick.”

“Okay, fair.”

Uranian Flora was a three-story brick building with colorful flowering bushes flanking its hot pink front door beneath an equally bright pink awning. The painfully brilliant color scheme continued inside, with the counter and framework being the same extreme shade of pink, a lime green menu, and neon blue wooden floors. It looked as if a rainbow had thrown up everywhere, and honestly, Indy loved it.

The man at the counter was young and had an olive complexion, dark hair, and several days’ worth of scruff. He was thick, his smile friendly, and he waved cheerfully. “Hi there! Welcome to Uranian Flora! I’m Neil. Let me know if—” His smile vanished the second he saw Mr. Heiss. “Oh, it’s you. What the fuck do you want?”

“You really don’t have any friends, do you?” Indy muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes. He flashed a dazzling smile as he approached the counter, cooing, “Hi! I’m Indy Summers. Heard so much about you. Such a pleasure. So, you’re into werewolf dick and—”

There was an odd meow, the sound echoing and strange, and something rubbed up against Indy’s leg—a cat-shaped blob that appeared to be made of swirling galaxies and the very fabric of space itself. The material was reminiscent of the magic going on inside of a lava lamp because small bits kept moving and breaking away and rejoining the cat’s main blob body.

“Whoa. Space kitty.” Indy laughed, kneeling to give the strange cat a little scratch. “Hi, baby. Oh, you are beautiful!”

“I am two seconds away from calling Lou,” the young man warned. “What the hell is going on? How can you see Buffy?”