"This color! What was I thinking?" She crammed the dress into a small trash can but I rescued it. Definitely could sell it in the shop.
"I did the same thing, Flo. Gold. Not my color." I settled on a zebra-print velvet bench in the middle of the room. "Take a breath and try something on." I had to admit, seeing my tiny friend running around in a bra and bikini panties was depressing. She was so totally unaware of her body. And why not? From where I sat, it was perfect.
"You are right. Calm, must stay calm." She patted her cheeks and sat at the built-in vanity. "Makeup. I should never wear a coral blush again. Rose or pink, I think." She turned from the mirror to me. "This is a wonderful thing. This reflection."
My stomach sank. "No, Flo, it's an evil thing. From the Devil. Demons gave it to you and they can take it away." My throat started to close. "Uh, try on a dress." This came out as a croak.
"Yes. One I bought last week. Those clerks." Flo made a hand gesture as she jumped up and dug into her dress section one more time. "They will say anything to make a sale."
"Well, thanks a lot. I'm a clerk too, you know. I've been known to tell the truth and lose a sale." My voice was back. I guess as long as I didn't dis the demons, I was good to go. Flo stopped with the dress in her hand and gazed at herself in her underwear.
"Aye de mi. What is this?" She looked down and grabbed the skin at her waist. "I am fat!"
"Don't cry to me." I laughed. "Honey, if that little bit is fat, then I'm an elephant." I shook my head. "Just put on the dress. I'm sure Richard doesn't complain about your waistline."
"No, of course not. He's not stupid. But what does he know?" She stepped into the dress and backed up to me so I could zip her up. She turned and faced the mirror. "I knew it. I hate it. The print makes my butt look huge."
I'd glanced at the price tag still hanging from it. I didn't know what currency they'd been using, but it obviously wasn't cheap.
"First, your butt isn't huge and couldn't look that way if you tried. And, second, that blue is really your color. Third? No one is going to be focusing on your butt with the front dipping that low between your boobs."
"True. I do have good breasts." Flo turned this way and that. "I still can't believe I can see myself. This is amazing." She turned to me. "How about you, Glory? Don't you love it?"
"Not so much. Because I know with demons, there's always payback." I jumped when Caryon and Spyte suddenly appeared in front of me.
"So glad you brought that up, Glory." Cary waved his hand and Flo's reflection vanished. "Playtime is over, pay time is here."
"What? No!" Flo ran up to the mirror and patted it, finally pressing her nose against the glass. "What have you done?" She whirled and glared at the demons. "Get out of here. If my husband smells demons in this house, he will get out his holy water."
"She's right." I frowned at Spyte, who was picking through Flo's blouse collection and had settled on a bright yellow one with green trim. "And Richard's is the real deal. It really hurt Alesa. What would Lucifer say if you were sent back in a steaming pile and landed right in his lap?"
"Don't think you want Richard interfering, do you, Florence?" Cary strolled up to her and plucked at her dress with a black claw. "You'd never see your reflection again."
"What do you want?" Flo glanced at Spyte. "Get away from my clothes."
"You have exquisite taste. Lucifer would love you." Spyte giggled as he threw her blouse up in the air, then ripped it apart with his claws. "I do so hope you do the right thing."
"I told you to leave my friends alone!" I started to jump up but, wouldn't you know, Cary waved his hand in my direction and I was stuck on the bench, solid as a rock. When I tried to scream, my mouth was sealed shut. Oh, man, did I hate this. Now I was going to have to just sit and pray that Flo had the will to resist what these demons had to offer.
"Ignore Glory, Florence." Cary pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "Now, here's all you have to do to keep that reflection you're so fond of." He pulled out a piece of expensive paper and the envelope disappeared while a red pen appeared in his other hand.
"What is it?" Flo glanced back behind her, to make sure her reflection was still gone. Her hands were trembling and not just because Spyte had moved on to her dresses and was humming "Come on, Baby, Light my Fire" as he pulled out a red number. He held it up, then shook his head. In seconds it was full of blackened holes and lying on the floor with wisps of smoke curling up from it.
"Just sign this little contract giving your soul to Lucifer and your reflection will be restored." Caryon smiled, showing all his fangs this time. "No biggie. You're immortal. What difference does it make where you go when you die? If you ever do. Hmmm?"
"I, I can't. My Ricardo. He would never forgive me." Flo cringed when Spyte pulled open a drawer and began ripping his way through silk panties. "Make him stop. Why is he doing that?"
"Spyte, bad boy. You're upsetting our Florence. And she's on the verge-"
"Out of my house!" The roar made the crystal chandelier in the center of the closet rattle. Richard held his Bible in front of him and wore a crucifix around his neck.
"Spoilsport." Cary whirled and let his true and hideous scaly snout show. "I'd refuse but I have other business else-where and this was getting boring. Come, Spyte."
"Aw, I was having fun." Spyte blinked. "Here's a parting gift, Florence, to keep us in your heart." He grinned, then disappeared along with Cary. Suddenly the air was filled with flying insects.
"Moths! Mio Dio! They will devour my silks, my wools! Ricardo, do something!" Flo collapsed in his arms, tears running down her face.
I leaned over, feeling sick, like maybe I could throw up. "Glory, are you okay?" Jerry sat beside me and put his arm around me.
"No, I did this. Got them interested in Flo."
"Yes, you did. You'd better leave." Richard still held Flo but he was staring at me. "Darling, calm down. I'll call an exterminator. Surely they can't do that much damage."
Flo jerked away from him, grabbed a leather bag and started swatting at the hundreds of moths. This just made them dive into her clothes to hide. "This is too cruel. I can't bear to watch." She threw herself on Richard again and buried her face in his shirt, sobbing.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean . . ." I wiped the tears off my cheeks.
"Glory!" Flo pulled away from Richard and held out her hands to me. "I don't blame you. I am weak. I never should have listened for even a minute."
"They're clever, Flo. And Richard is right, I got you noticed." I stood, my legs rubbery, and leaned against Jerry. "We're going. I'm sorry for this . . ." I waved my hand, batting at the moths that had ventured out again. I felt some on my hair and brushed them away.
"Not your fault, amiga." Flo frowned when he tried to stop her and finally stepped away from Richard to hug me. "I will call you tomorrow."
"I won't hold you to that. Just save your clothes. I'm so, so sorry." I noticed Richard didn't say anything. Jerry was quiet too as he led me out of the house and to his SUV. It wasn't until we were driving back down the hills and toward his house that he finally spoke.
"What did we walk in on?"
"The demons were trying to get Flo to sign away her soul." I took a shaky breath. "I swear, if you two hadn't intervened, I was afraid she was going to go for it."
"This demon shit has got to end, Glory." Jerry reached over and took my hand.
"You think I don't want it to?" I sighed.
"This all goes back to Valdez." Jerry squeezed my hand.
"I'm still helping him, Jer. Besides, I don't think they'd let me back out now anyway. They seem to be having too much fun at my expense." I sighed and looked out the window at the dark night. "Take me home. I need to make sure Penny gets in all right."
"Fine." He took his hand back to the steering wheel.
I decided that it was past time for me to make some things clear with Jerry and this was one of them. Yes, I hated the demon thing, but I was going to have to resolve it myself. End of story. I just hoped none of my friends ended up as collateral damage.
Fifteen
"We need to talk." This time I said it and Jerry was the one making the face like "Here it comes."
"Fine. What do you want to talk about?" He brought me a bottle of synthetic and settled me on the couch. "I know you're still upset about what happened with Florence. So am I."
"Yes. The demons are out of control. I'm surprised they haven't approached you." I took a sip of the cold drink but it didn't help. My insides were still Jell-O.
"I think they sense that it would do them no good. They obviously poke about for vulnerabilities. I've learned to hide mine pretty well over the years." He sat beside me, his arm along the back of the couch.
"But you have some." I studied him in the dim light from the kitchen, the only light we'd turned on. Penny wasn't home yet, but I really didn't expect her until right before dawn. She still had two more hours.