“I’m very pleased to be able to support your endeavours.” I made to turn to the door, then stopped, and as if I’d forgotten something, turned back to him.

“You know, I do want something else from you.”

“What?” he asked, all too eager. My stomach clenched. It was time for the part that I knew, in theory, how to do but had never done in practice.

“There will come a time when I will need a favour from you.” My throat was so dry, but I pushed past it. “Given I am doing you quite a significant favour here.” I nodded at the stack of cash he could barely fit one of his small hands around.

His fingers twitched on it. “Yeah, I think that’s fair. Uh, what do you want from me?”

“Nothing in the immediate future. But I’ll be sure to let you know when it comes time to … reciprocate.”

I proffered a hand to him, hoping it wasn’t coated in sweat the way the rest of me suddenly was. My chest thrummed painfully, but I ignored it as he transferred his money to his other hand, reaching out and grasping mine in a limp handshake.

A jolt of scorching power flared in our joined palms, and he flinched, but I held tight, squeezing until the heat faded. When I released him, he staggered back, his skin bone white and clammy.

“What the fuck just⁠—”

“I’ll take my leave,” I interrupted, spinning and stalking out before I gave myself away. Stumbling towards the main entrance, I managed a quick flick of my fingers, summoning to Hell the artwork that Ratty-Man had just sold me … along with his soul.

I had reaped a soul. He had absolutely deserved it, but … I had tricked him with nothing more than some conjured cash and a false promise.

Father would indeed be proud.

I only just made it back to the alley before I bent at the waist and vomited into one of the metal bins there.

“Aww, Boss. The first one always feels the worst.”

I straightened, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand, chest pounding. The sympathy in Bub’s eyes made my stomach tighten.

“Yeah, it’ll get easier the more you practise,” Beezle added.

I promptly vomited again.

“Let’s just get out of here,” I gasped when I was done, opening a portal and falling into it.

* * *

“Boss?”

I groaned and rolled over, pulling my covers over my head. “Go away!”

A wet nose snuffled into my blanket burrow, nudging me on the cheek. “Time to wakey wakey, you sleepy devil!”

I shoved Beezle from the bed. “I said, fuck off!”

“Technically you said, ‘go away’ …” Bub added. There was a scuffle down near my feet, and then another wet nose began sliding its way up my calf. “If you don’t wake up, Hellen will be in here yelling at you again …”