By the time they arrived in Salem, Kyle had almost stopped worrying. Their first stop was the House of Seven Gables, and as Kyle watched his class loiter in the garden while waiting for a tour to start, Adam Brissette, their English teacher, approached him.

“You know, I still can’t believe how much they’ve improved since the beginning of the year.” Coming from anyone else, Kyle would have taken that as some sort of threat. But Adam was one of the few teachers he got along with well, probably because they were two of the youngest on staff and had been hired together.

“Me, either,” Kyle replied. In truth, he was more surprised they’d ever recovered from the shock he’d given them. 

“I had a hell of a time my first couple years teaching. It’s hard when you’re right out of college and teaching high-schoolers. They think you’re supposed to be their friend. And they get really upset when they find out that you’re just the same as any other teacher.”

That was the first time Kyle had heard that theory. It made sense, and he told Adam so. “You’ve got something there.”

The other man smiled. “Still, you have to tell me, what did you say that made them do a complete one-eighty like that? I’ve been meaning to ask.”

With Ryka laughing, it was extremely difficult to make up a good answer. Luckily, he was saved from having to fib by the start of their tour. Melissa and Mackenzie ran over to get their teachers, interrupting their conversation. Close call, stud.

***

The House of Seven Gables was only their first stop in Salem. Of course, the students had all begged to go to the Witch Museum - the cheesy one - but none of the teachers thought that was nearly educational enough. And after what Ryka had told him about the witch trials, Kyle had no desire to have what was apparently incorrect history spewed at him all afternoon. 

Instead, the group was headed to the Peabody Essex Museum. “I heard that the real witch trial papers are there!” one girl from his class exclaimed as they passed through the doors. She then noticed her demon-possessed teacher walking up next to her and turned an amazing shade of scarlet. Kyle pretended not to notice her reaction.

For the rest of their time in the museum, his first-period history students kept shooting him worried glances. Maybe they’re scared someone’s going to burn you at the stake or something. Not that it would hurt. Fire doesn’t really bother me. Well, it might get me all hot and bothered. Hmm… Kyle had to cover his mouth when he realized he was wearing Ryka’s flirty grin. But the demon continued before Kyle could scold him. And yes, that’s why it was obvious all those supposed witches were innocent. They burned. No demon could roast like that. Heh, they’d just get off on it.

“Good to know,” he murmured. It was really too quiet in the museum to have a conversation with Ryka - this conversation especially - but he always felt that he had to reply. And he didn’t want to be rude to the demon in a place where his power was amplified. 

After the museum, it was time for lunch. The fifty children in the group hardly fit in the small deli they had decided on and so, while they ordered, Kyle waited outside. He wandered away from the other teachers, hoping to be able to talk to Ryka a little more.

As he passed a café, a man with long, dirty-blond hair smiled at him. Kyle smiled back to be polite, but kept walking, at least until the man spoke. “Don’t you have anything to say to me, Ryka?”

Kyle froze mid-step. A growl was already rumbling out of his throat, and it was Ryka that turned his body around to face the man. And it was Ryka who replied, acid in his words. “Not actually. I thought I made myself clear the last time we talked.”

“But I came all this way.” The man stood up, and Kyle gasped. Not only was he frighteningly large, he was also obviously a demon. Though he was sure no one else could see them, the faint shadows of an enormous pair of wings, as well as the misty outline of this demon’s horns and tail were glaringly obvious to Kyle.

“Satan’s going to be pissed if you came here without permission just to annoy me.”

“What Lucifer doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Ryka actually winced at the mention of that name, and Kyle started to wonder what had really happened in the demon’s past. “Now, why don’t we go chat somewhere else?”

The other demon started toward the alley on the other side of the café. Kyle had no choice but to follow. Who is he? Kyle asked, only realizing as he did that Ryka was coming forward a little at a time. 

“His name’s Val. He looked a little older than me when we were in Hell, even though we were created at the same time. He really wanted me to age with him.” After his sudden – and bloody -  growth spurt Ryka had explained that the passage of time wasn’t enough to physically age a demon. They had to accumulate enough power and will it to happen. And some demons, he’d said, chose never to grow the small bodies they entered their immortal lives in. “He wanted far more from me than I was willing to give him. He’s a persistent bastard.”

What do you mean, ‘more than you were willing to give?’

“He wanted a commitment. I just wanted to have fun.”

Wait, what was he to you?

“A friend. With benefits, I guess you’d say. A fuck buddy.” Somehow, even in the state they now found themselves, Kyle could feel his stomach turn to lead. And was that Ryka smirking at his reaction?

There wasn’t time to find out. Val was tired of being ignored. “Talking to your host? How quaint.” 

“Kind of like your cute little horns.” With a haughty grin, Ryka pushed the transformation just a little further, letting his horns and tail grow out. 

“What? How?” Val asked, eyes narrowed. A moment before they had been grey, but now they burned red. “You always were his favorite.” His expression softened, and he moved to stand closer to Kyle/Ryka. The boundary between host and parasite was extremely thin. It was like they were stuck halfway through a transformation, Kyle thought, and it was uncomfortable.

“I wouldn’t go that far. Now, what do you want, Val?” 

“You,” Val answered quickly, closing the gap between them. “I like you this way. Why wouldn’t you do this for me?” The other demon reached out a hand and stroked one of Ryka’s horns. 

Unable to stop himself, Ryka shuddered and sighed. Kyle had never felt pleasure like that before, a wave that rolled from his scalp all the way to his toes. But Ryka didn’t seem to appreciate it, and what had started off as a purr quickly became a growl. “Don’t touch,” he warned.

“Why not? You used to like it.” This time, Val leaned in for a kiss, and their lips just brushed before Ryka stepped back. 

“Um, Kyle?”

Both demons glanced toward the mouth of the alley, where Adam Brissette stood, looking more than a little surprised. Sighing, Ryka snatched off Kyle’s glasses, then pulled off his polo shirt and opened his wings. “Do I look like Kyle to you? Get lost before you get hurt.”

Without another word, Adam turned and started back to the restaurant. And Kyle wondered why these sorts of things always seemed to happen to him. This really isn’t good, Ryka. We need to go.

“There’s only one way to do that.”

“Do what?” Val inquired. “I do hope you mean you’re going to come back with me.”

“No fucking way.”

Wings still stretched, Ryka raised his arms. Flame spread across his shoulders and all along the membrane of his wings. His shadow loomed up on the wall behind him, eyes blazing. And when Ryka growled, so did the portal. Val did not look at all happy at this new revelation. “How did you get that?”

“You think Lord Satan sent his supposed favorite to Earth without any kind of protection? Really, Val, use the head on your shoulders for a change.”

“Please, Ryka, if I go back that way, he’ll know I left.” Suddenly, the other demon didn’t seem nearly as intimidating. His own wings were flattened behind him, and his tail curled around his right leg. “I just came to talk. I really like you, Ryka. Please. I want us to be together.”

“I don’t.” There was no mercy, no compassion in his words. “I love my Master. And only my Master.”

A smug smile appeared on Val’s face. It wouldn’t last long. “Master? What -? Never mind. Well, when Lucifer takes him away from you, I’ll be there.”

“No one will ever take him from me,” Ryka snarled. Then, glancing over his shoulder, shouted, “Send this bastard back where he came from!”

The shadow opened his huge mouth, and dust swirled in the alley as a searing hot wind blew in from Hell. Seeing Val’s wounded expression, Kyle was struck by sudden guilt. 

Ryka had no such feeling; he had other concerns. His wings snapped back as the shadow started to inhale - it was taking most of his strength to keep them from following Val back home, something that meant certain death for Kyle. Val didn’t seem too keen on exiting Earth that way either, trying desperately to keep his footing. When it seemed like he might just do so, the shadow swung in his direction and swallowed him whole.

With a malicious laugh, the portal closed his mouth, then retreated back to the ground. Ryka collapsed, too, falling to his knees. “Ow,” he moaned, slowly pumping his wings. They had stretched almost to the point of tearing in the gale.

Are you okay?

“They’re just tired. No biggie.”

That’s not what I meant.

“He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s not really dangerous. I’m stronger than he is now. And once Lord Satan finds out he left without permission ….” Ryka trailed off. Kyle couldn’t even imagine what would happen to Val. 

By the way, how was he out in the open like that without a host? And how did he find you?

“You could still see his wings, right? He was just hiding them. I assume that’s why he was in Salem. He wouldn’t be able to do that so easily anywhere else, not Val anyhow. As for how he knew where I’d be … he must have some high-ranking friends to spy for him and get him here.” Ryka paused, absently studying the ground. “I was pulled from my job – reassigned-” he spat out the word like a curse “- and told I had to do this. My only option was to be a parasite. It felt like a punishment.”

It bothered him to hear Ryka so troubled, and he wished he could provide some sort of explanation. The only thing he could offer was consolation. I’m glad that you picked me.

“Master ….” 

Ryka, I -

“The punishment now would be going back; being separated from you. I love only my Master.”

Once again, Ryka had left him nearly speechless. How could a creature that had just so cruelly rejected another be confessing so sweetly to him? It was hard not to be swept up, but Kyle also thought that an alleyway wasn’t the right place for that discussion. He could only hope Ryka understood that.

I, uh, I guess I can probably forget those words of summoning now, huh? He knew from when Ryka had learned to summon himself at night that once he was able to do it, there was nothing stopping him from making it a habit. 

“Yeah. But I’ll be good and ask before I come out. I promise.”

Where have I heard that before? Ryka didn’t respond, but sat in silence for a few minutes, unsure what to say. It was a first. Even though he would have liked to find a way to comfort Ryka, Kyle was getting anxious about getting back to his group. Hey, where’d my glasses go? Weren’t you holding them?

“Shit.”

What? Where are they?

“They kinda slipped out of my hand. But don’t worry, they’ll be waiting for you when you get to Hell.”

I can’t see without them! And we can’t leave the alley like this!

“Chill out, stud. I’m going to step back a little. I can fix this. But just promise me you won’t scream.”

Kyle wasn’t given a chance to answer. Ryka almost completely reversed the transformation. With his own eyes, Kyle could hardly see past his own outstretched hands. Though it became much easier to see those when they went numb and moved to cover his face. Instinct made him try to duck away, but there was no escaping himself, and an amused snort from Ryka froze him long enough for the demon to be able to succeed in his task.

Close your eyes. And remember, no screaming.

That was a lot to ask. The moment Ryka placed his hands over Kyle’s eyes, it felt like they were on fire, molten orbs burning behind his lids. Searing pain lanced back deep into his skull. Even with his eyes squeezed tightly closed, tears were streaming down his face. He hoped they were tears, anyhow. He wanted to wipe them away, to dig the heels of his hands into his sockets to try and ease the throbbing, but his hands were still out of his control. All he could do was endure. Eventually, the burning subsided to a dull throbbing, and Kyle could safely open his mouth to gasp for air without doing just what Ryka had told him not to.