He Made It Weird

Whether she’d been eavesdropping or just following instinct didn’t matter—she was here now.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could feel that she was dying,” Daisy said weirdly. “And I… came to offer my help.”

I could see it… the hesitation trembling in her hands. She’s worried she won’t be able to contain that damnable goddess.

Still… I knew that she was our best chance at bringing someone from the brink.

“Let her do it, Martha,” I said. “I can control her.”

“Cotter… do I need to explain just how bad of an idea this is?”

“Absolutely not.”

She held my gaze for a second longer… then moved aside. “Do it.”

Daisy’s hands began to glow.

The light spread across Christie’s body. Things were going well until Christie started to convulse.

Daisy’s back arched. Her veins darkened.

“Stop!” Martha shouted. “You’re killing her!”

“I’m not,” Daisy said flatly. Her eyes flickered, a pulsing red beneath her lashes. “Just let me… Let me…”

Then her eyes turned fully.

Red. Bright. And very imposing.

“LET ME IN…”

Her body shuddered, twisted, grew… until the gangly limbs of a teen gave way to something far more adult. And a very, very ticked off one at that.

Then I heard her voice ring out in my head.

“OH, ENDO, ENDO… YOU’VE BEEN PLAYING VERY HARD TO GET, Y’KNOW…?”

She was speaking to me. Telepathically?!

“WE SEEM TO FIND OURSELVES IN A BIT OF A PREDICAMENT. SEE, I FIND MYSELF IN A POSITION WHERE I COULD END THIS GIRL’S MISERABLE LITTLE LIFE RIGHT HERE AND NOW. WE WOULDN’T WANT THAT, WOULD WE?”

‘Malmitres...?’

“TCH. DON’T ACT SO SURPRISED. I TOLD YOU I AM STILL HERE. AND RIGHT NOW, I AM IN CONTROL. NOW; UNLESS YOU’D PREFER THIS CHILD LEFT… UNHEALED… OR PERHAPS IN A REMARKABLY WORSE CONDITION THAN BEFORE…”

My mind scrambled.

I gulped. ‘What would that take?’

“Since you’re so deeply interested in me and what I do with my life… Promise me this: that you’ll make yourself... available. That is all I request.”

‘Wait, what does that mean?!’

“It is simply a promise that you’ll allow me to run some tests on you!”

‘Surely we can come to another arrangement—’

“YOU DARE NEGOTIATE OVER ANOTHER’S LIFE?!”

The words tumbled from my mouth before I could even think. “I—I—YES! YES, OKAY! OKAY, FINE!”

And then, before my eyes, the beastkin child’s skin grew warmer, her breathing steadied; color returned to her cheeks.

Daisy swayed slightly once she was done.

“One more second,” she whispered, slumping back against the wall. A thin line of blood ran from her nose. “Just one more second… and I would’ve contro…”

She collapsed mid-sentence.

I moved to catch Daisy just in time before she fell onto the wooden planks.

I looked up to see if the demon honored her promise. Thankfully, judging by how healthy the kid looked now, I’d say whatever bargain I struck was worth it.

All around me, I saw kids staring in wonder.

They must have only seen the outcome, and not what it took to get there.

Martha let out a laugh as I set Daisy down.

“I don’t know what you just did, Cotter. But you turned her from murderous to High Healer in the span of five seconds.”

Yeah, and I may or may not have promised my soul to a damn demon!

I sucked in a breath. I let it out slow.

My feelings… didn’t matter right now.

Thankfully, the kids in here seemed to be built with tougher skin than most—considering it was only Christie in critical condition.

“Alright, Martha. Let’s finish this check-up.”

\\

“Mother Martha?”

She turned, halfway through closing the door. Martha was carrying Daisy’s frail body with one hand. Her fingers were adjusting her linen mask, now slightly askew from all the movement.

Overall, we had no major issues; and while still mildly malnourished, the kids looked remarkably more optimistic than before. It felt euphoric.

“What is it, Cotter?” she asked.

Without thinking, I bowed. Hands by my sides, head dipped.

“Thank you,” I said. “For taking care of me.”

Martha blinked, caught off guard. Then, after a beat, the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

“How… courteous,” she said.

\\

We retired for the evening shortly after.

When I got back from rinsing off in the freezing cold water—an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy—I half-expected a mutiny waiting for me.

Which reminded me: I had nowhere to sleep.

Sleeping with the other kids was tantamount to a death sentence.

I couldn’t exactly crash in Martha’s room either, not now that… er, my cover was blown.

Doesn’t matter. I’d dealt with worse.

I eventually made my way back to the courtyard. It was quiet now that it was dusk.

Stars stretched overhead, beautiful and serene.

And beneath them… was her.

Piper, bundled in way too many layers of patchy linen. She was trying so hard not to shiver.

“About time you showed up,” she gritted through chattered teeth.

“You could’ve waited inside…”

“This place is huge. You would’ve gotten lost like always.”

“I have basic navigation skills, I’ll have you know.”

She stared at me like I’d grown an extra head. Her slit-pupiled eyes were wider than I’d ever seen.

Was… was it something I said?

“Hmph.”

Her tail flicked. And then, like a whip, coiled around my arm.

Before I could react, she yanked me forward.

“OW—hey! What’s the rush?!”

She didn’t dignify me with an answer. She was already marching ahead, tail still dragging me.

“Come on,” she said, louder now. “Let’s get back to our room.”

“…Our what?”

She glanced over her shoulder, expression blank. “You’re still bunking with me, right? Unless you’d rather sleep in the freezing courtyard.”

“Wait—waitwaitwait—this is temporary, right? Right?!”

I didn’t sleep well around other people! Especially girls! My sister used to elbow me in her sleep. I still flinch when I hear snoring from women.

Also, girls tend to get cold and steal all the blankets. Science probably backs this up.

For some reason, Piper’s face turned bright red at my perfectly reasonable question.

“…Oh, not like that, you weirdo! You’re Posteria House’s most wanted. If you picked any room willy-nilly to sleep in, you’d be dead by morning. Don’t make it weird.”

She flicked her tail and turned away.

I let out a slow, grateful breath.