Ralgath wants nothing more than to work as a crossroads demon. Too bad he botched his first assignment when a very sexy mortal turned the tables on him. Now he has one chance to get his job back: find two demons who vanished in the human realm. Unfortunately, doing so means teaming up with Chess—the mortal who cost Ralgath his job in the first place.
Chess has spent the last three years using their infernally granted powers to do good. But now Ralgath has a new offer for them: help find the missing demons, and he’ll return Chess’s soul.
After their last encounter, Chess is the last person Ralgath should be interested in. But the passion that initially drew them together still burns hotter than the flames of the Underworld. Chess claims they never meant to hurt Ralgath, but can Ralgath afford to trust them? Because while Ralgath may have Chess’s soul, he’s increasingly certain Chess owns his heart.
Note: Infernal Affairs originally appeared in the Devil Take Me anthology. This new edition is the author’s preferred edit.
Infernal Affairs is a short, sweet and not-s0-sweet-at-times tale of selling one's soul to the devil, or demon as it is in this story. An often used plot about devil coming to collect but this is far, far better. Honestly, even though it's often used there is nothing typical or over-used in Infernal Affairs. Ralgath and Chess are an interesting pair in many many ways, ways that I won't spoil😉. I love the whole concept of different departments in the underworld and needing a crossroads as a portal to enter the mortal world and back again.
I love the connection between Ralgath and Chess, and having a non-binary main character is brilliant, the author tackles Chess beautifully and realistically(which is a bit odd of a term in a paranormal setting but nonetheless true). Some might call their connection "insta-love" but it never really crossed my mind, truth is it's hard not to have some level of insta-love in a short story but either way, when done right it's believable and Jordan L Hawk has done it right. My grandparents were a kind of insta-love so I know it happens and I know it lasts.
One last thing: Infernal Affairs was originally in the anthology Devil Take Me, personally if the author wished to continue this into a series I know I would jump at the chance to read it. I just love the world building Hawk has started in this short story and would love to see it expand. Continued or not, Infernal Affairs is a delightful, spooky gem of a read.
RATING:
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Chapter One
Ralgath appeared in a perfectly timed flash of smoke and flame, accompanied by just a hint of brimstone. Not too much—the stink of sulfur would never come out of his hair otherwise. He’d learned that the hard way during his apprenticeship.
He manifested with his back to the mortal who’d called him to the crossroads—purely for dramatic effect, of course. Let the human see him framed by the sinister light of the moon rising over the swamp. It would establish the mood and give Ralgath a chance to take a deep breath or two.
His first day on the job as a crossroads demon. His first solo contract. This was going to be a memory he’d cherish forever.
“You have summoned me, mortal,” he said. He put a bit of infernal power into his voice, so it echoed ominously through the trees. Perfect. “I will give you whatever you seek…in return for your immortal soul.”
Ralgath spun, cape swirling around him, on the last words. He intended to fix the mortal with a dangerous-yet-sexy look that would further establish his dominance. Getting the upper hand to begin with was critical to these sorts of negotiations.
Instead, he found himself gaping.
The human looked as wildly out of place as possible on the dirt roads bisecting the swamp. Their car was all wrong, to start with. Ralgath didn’t know enough about human vehicles to guess any details, only that it certainly looked big and powerful. Convertible.
And screaming, shocking pink.
Not powderpuff. Not even blush. This was a pink that grabbed you by the eyeballs and demanded you pay attention.
The vanity plate read NBINARY, beside a THEY/THEM bumper sticker.
As for the mortal themself…
Ralgath wasn’t certain where to rest his eyes. On the flowing hair twisted into a braid? The light brown skin? The spaghetti-strap top with a glitter rainbow on the front?
Definitely not on the tight, tight pants that didn’t leave much to the imagination.
A slow grin settled over the mortal’s firm lips. “Nice to meet you.” Their southern accent softened the edges of the words into a languid drawl: Nice ta meet ya. “Name’s Chesapeake Richards. But you can call me Chess, sugar.”
Ralgath realized he was staring. He swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat and tried to ignore the fact his neatly pressed slacks were starting to feel rather tight themselves. “Chess,” he repeated. Damn, he’d forgotten to use his ominous voice already. Clearing his throat, he tried for a more impressive: “Tell me what dark desire you have summoned me to fulfill.”
Oh gods below. That sounded…not at all how he’d intended it.
Ralgath’s face heated, and he hoped his dark cheeks didn’t show enough of a blush for anyone without heat vision to notice.
The grin on Chess’s mouth widened, and they ran their gaze up and down Ralgath’s form far too deliberately to miss. Ralgath knew he looked good—style was part of what being a crossroads demon was all about. An old-fashioned suit of cream linen, expertly tailored to his body, its red tie chosen to match the color of both his eyes and of the diminutive horns peeking out of his thick black hair. The cape was lined with the same red, just to make sure his silhouette stood out. He wasn’t the tallest crossroads demon, but his broad shoulders and trim hips had caught the eye of more than one Underworld denizen.
Still, he’d never expected to be so blatantly admired. He wasn’t an incubus, after all.
“Well,” Chess said. They leaned back against the trunk of their car, showing off those long legs as they did so. “I can think of several desires I’d like fulfilled, now that you mention it.”
This wasn’t going according to the training scenarios.
Training. Yes. He needed to fall back on his training, that was all. With a flash of fire, Ralgath produced a scroll and a quill. Absurdly out of date, but it would never do to ask a mortal to use their finger to sign a digital screen. After all, where would the blood go?
“I can offer you much,” he said. “Riches. Fame.” There was already a bit too much heat in the air between them, so he left out the usual offer of sex. “Whatever you want. All you have to do is ask.”
A sultry smile played over Chess’s lips. “Oh, I mean to ask,” they murmured. “But you were talking about the contract.” They cocked their head. “I want to hunt monsters. To track them, fight them, and kill them.”
Ralgath blinked. He’d expected Chess to ask to be a supermodel, or maybe a world-famous actor. “You…why?”
He shut his mouth with a snap. Why was one of the questions his trainers had cautioned him against asking. Infernal Affairs conducted its business with a strict nondiscrimination hiring policy. It didn’t matter why some mortal wanted to sign over their soul, only that they did.
Chess gave him a long, searching look. Lords of Hell, they had thick eyelashes. “I want to make a difference,” they said at last, all the flirtatiousness stripped from their voice. “Protect those who can’t protect themselves.”
Oh. Oh dear. Had there been some sort of mix-up? Ralgath looked around quickly, but no, this was definitely right. Two roads, stretching off into the lonely swamp. Midnight. New moon. Graveyard dirt. Black candle. A picture of Chess grinning and flashing the peace sign.
They had definitely meant to summon a crossroads demon.
“What?” Chess straightened. “Is something wrong?”
“Not…exactly.” Ralgath coughed. “Um. It’s just that my department doesn’t usually handle this sort of request.” He shuffled his feet, feeling unaccountably embarrassed. “If you want to be a supermodel, I can do that.”
Chess looked at him for a long moment…then patted the trunk beside them. “Come over here, sugar.”
“I…um…all right.” Even though part of Ralgath wasn’t sure this was a good idea at all, the rest of him didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to get closer to the gorgeous mortal.
He leaned against the trunk beside Chess in what he hoped was a nonchalant pose. So near, the scent of sandalwood and musk teased his senses, rising from Chess’s warm skin.
Chess turned to face him, plump lips curved into a small pout. “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to be turned down. Are you sure you can’t help me out?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Ralgath said quickly. “It’s just that this sort of request is more the thing Celestial Affairs handles. They’re in charge of superheroes, Chosen Ones, that sort of thing.”
Of course, Celestial Affairs didn’t take requests. They did all the picking, and the ones they chose just had to live with it.
Which didn’t sound fair at all, now that Ralgath thought about it. At least Infernal Affairs offered mortals an option to say no.
Chess ran their hand up Ralgath’s arm. Even through the layers of his suit, the touch went right to Ralgath’s cock. A light sweat broke out over his brow. “So it isn’t so much that you can’t…”
“Er, no. I mean, I could.” Ralgath swallowed heavily. “I just…I might get into trouble.”
Chess’s lips drew closer and closer to his own. “Maybe you ought to let trouble get into you.”
*****
Ralgath sprawled over the trunk of the car, his cheek pressed into the metal and his nails peeling strips out of the bright pink paint. His pants lay on the side of the road somewhere, and Chess’s fingers pressed tight into his hips.
“Oh gods,” Ralgath gasped. “Yes, yes, right there!”
“Uh. Yeah, baby,” Chess grunted into his ear. “How about super strength?”
“Y-Yes,” Ralgath gasped. His demonic quill obediently scratched the terms into the scroll on the trunk beside them. “I’m so close.”
“Same.” Chess pressed their lips into the back of his neck. “Fuck. Okay. Accelerated healing.”
“Yes, anything, please!”
The quill added another line. Ralgath writhed beneath Chess. “I can’t…I can’t…”
“I’ve got you, sugar,” Chess murmured. Their hand closed over Ralgath’s cock, barely having the time to stroke it before their touch sent him over the edge. A moment later, Chess tensed and let out a groan of their own.
“Mmm.” Chess sighed happily into Ralgath’s hair. Then they pulled free, flicked out a knife, and cut the tip of their index finger. Humming, they signed their name to the contract.
Ralgath’s mind began to piece itself back together from the mind-blowing orgasm he’d just had. He stood, though his legs weren’t entirely certain about the process. “Um…”
Chess pressed the contract and quill into his hand, then leaned in for a kiss. “Thanks, sweetie!”
A few seconds later, the pink car took off in a spray of dust. Ralgath stood alone in the crossroads, his pants in the bushes someplace, the contract in his hands, and a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“Oh dear,” he said. “Mr. Gizrun is not going to be happy about this.”
Author Bio:
Jordan L. Hawk is a trans author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave him a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When he isn’t writing, he brews his own beer and tries to keep the cats from destroying the house. His best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook.
If you want to contact Jordan, just click the handy-dandy icons up there in the menu bar, or send an email.
EMAIL: jordanlhawk@gmail.com
B&N / KOBO / SMASHWORDS
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