The Price of Exorcism

while I'd done a few small things like the spells on the bags, Ihadn't really stretched my magical muscles since then. It was time.
I'd also almost managed to admit to myself thatwhatever I was doing was magic. I still shied away from that label, but it wasgetting harder to deny that I had magical talents. The ability to perform anexorcism wasn't innately tied to magic, I didn't think, but because I had thatextra something running through my veins, it made me better at it.
When I'd gotten into the occult as a teen, I hadn'treally thought about magic as anything other than something out of a fantasynovel. I wondered what some of my old crowd would think if they knew. Sure, I'dlearned a few spells over the years, and I'd even called it magic, but I hadn'treally thought of it in those terms, if that made any sense.
Mal took one of my hands from his waist and kissed mywrist. "You're thinking awfully hard."
"Sorry, just want my incubus back," Ireplied. "Guess I'm nervous."
He nipped at my wrist gently and I groaned in responseas my body, already hot and bothered from being wrapped around my vampire, tightenedin all sorts of interesting places.
"Hungry?" I managed, voice gone hoarse.
"Mmm, maybe later," Mal replied. "Justteasing you right now."
"It's working."
"I know." The certainty in his voice was sointoxicating.
"I can't just get a quicky, can I?"
"Not if you want dinner to turn out better thanyour last attempt at cooking."
"I hit the wrong button on the toaster. I cancook, Malak."
He chuckled. "I believe you, my dear exorcist. Youdo own a pizza parlor, after all."
"I make a damn fine pizza," I grumbled intohis back, whimpering as he bit me again. This time I felt fang. "Fuck,mate, you're going to have to deliver if you're going to tease me like that."I nearly dropped my free hand down to the front of his pants to tease him back,but I thought I heard the door to the guest room open.
"I intend to," Mal answered, voice low. Hereleased my hand and I slowly unwrapped myself from the vampire. "Dinner,"he whispered softly, "then some demon summoning, then some hopefullycelebratory sex. I'm sure Sabian won't mind."
I laughed and headed for the cabinet where the disheswere so I could set the table. Mayhem trotted along behind me, my constantshadow these days.
Aaron came into the kitchen just as I was putting outplates for both of us.
"Anything I can do to help?" he offered.
"Think I've got everything," I said.
Mal brought over the pan and set something creamy lookingon a hot pad. He put a bowl down for Mayhem, too. Obviously not food for aregular dog but so far our hellhound seemed happy to eat whatever we werehaving for a meal.
"Mal, why do you know how to cook?" Aaronasked once we were all seated.
Mal joined us as usual, a mug of coffee cradled in hishands.
"I enjoy it." He shrugged. "I guess Igot into the habit years back when I was looking after a friend of mine forquite a while. He was human but couldn't cook for himself. Since my sense ofsmell is so good, I can tell when things are done and spiced properly and allof that. It's nice to have people to cook for."
"Well, yay for vampire senses of smell, becausethis is delicious."
"Yes, thank you," Aaron agreed with myassessment. "I haven't eaten this well consistently, since, well, since Imoved out of my parents' house when I was eighteen."
Mal ducked his head as if embarrassed by the praise. "You'rewelcome."
"Speaking of my parents," Aaron continuedhesitantly. "I kind of mentioned I was seeing someone, and they want tomeet you, Chris. Any chance I can talk you into coming down to Albuquerque withme sometime soon? You're welcome, too, Mal. I didn't exactly tell them aboutyou, but I'll have to at some point."
I chuckled. "Going to bring the whole lot of usdown then? Sabian, too, assuming we get him back properly tonight?"
Aaron shrugged. "Sure, why not."
Shaking my head, I took a drink of my tea. "Yourparents must be a lot more accepting than mine ever were."
"It's more that if they don't accept it, thenthey'll just have to deal because it's my life, not theirs." Aaron hunchedhis shoulders for a moment as if he wasn't as comfortable with that declarationas he made it out to be, but he also seemed like he'd stand by it.
"You gonna tell them about the angel thing?"I grinned.
Aaron smiled in reply. "I may hit them with thatrevelation another time."
"Shock them with me first?" I winked. "Angelthing will be easy to deal with after that."
Aaron shook his head. "Don't sell yourself short,Chris."
"Eh, I'm used to it," I deflected.
"So, will you come?"
"Yeah, mate."
Aaron shifted his gaze to Mal, who raised hiseyebrows.
"You want me to come?" Mal leaned back inhis chair, still holding his coffee.
"Yes. If nothing else, from the purely practicalaspect of not wanting my parents to run across the two of you together andgetting the wrong idea. They do come up this way now and again, and it'scompletely obvious you two are into each other whenever you're together.Besides, I like you."
Mal's eyes glinted with amusement. "Then I'llcome. Just try not to make it a dinner get together. That can get awkward."
"Deal. We're also having a work picnic in a fewweeks if you both want to come. Might be boring, bunch of scientists talkingabout work at a picnic, but you're welcome. I know it's a food thing, but it'sa lot easier to get away with not eating at a large picnic."
I laughed. "Yeah, I'll come assuming nothingcrazy is going on. Remind me when it's closer."
Aaron nodded, looking pleased.
Mal gave a noncommittal shrug, but that wasn't a no.
"You sure you don't want kids and a white picketfence?" I blurted out, then cursed myself. This was not the direction Ihad hoped to take the conversation.
Aaron tilted his head, blinking a few times before heraised his eyebrows in understanding. Slowly, he slid the sleeve of his T-shirtup to reveal the white eye that stood out in stark relief to his dark skin onhis bicep. "Never