Chapter 36 Chapter 36
She applied makeup, using lipstick and mascara, as well as subtle silver eye shadow. As she looked in the mirror, Maxwell sneaked up on her from behind. He wore a black dress shirt and pants, which didn’t surprise her—the demon preferred dark shades and hardly ever wore other colors.
“I can see you, demon,” she commented with a grin, meeting his eyes in the mirror. He curled his lips and muttered something under his breath.
“What are you doing? I want to leave.” he complained, pulling a face. “You look fine; you don’t need any makeup.”
Valerie froze and watched him through the mirror. “Did you… Did you just…? Was that a compliment?!” She blushed at his devilish smirk, prompting him to stand right behind her. He reached around her to steal her makeup brush from her hand.
“That’s enough,” he teasingly murmured in her ear, causing her heart to stutter. “We’re leaving now.”
He took her hand and tugged her after him. She was too astonished to fight him and gazed at his broad shoulders. The pink hue on her cheeks was still very easy to see. Valerie hastily put on a pair of high heels before Maxwell managed to pull her out the door barefoot. He was ridiculously impatient yet didn’t admit he looked forward to dinner.
They descended the stairs and left the building together, walking side by side. The sky above them darkened gradually until the stars became visible.
“Hey, demon?”
“What is it, human?”
“Are you friends with Vaughn, or is he just an acquaintance?” she asked curiously.
He sighed. “I guess you could call him a friend. I’ve known him for a few centuries.”
“What? How old are you?” She stared at him in disbelief.
“Let’s just say I’m rather experienced at certain activities,” he said, sending her a flirtatious wink that easily got her flustered.
“I wasn’t asking about that, you pervert.”
“Why am I the pervert now? You’re the one with the dirty mind here,” he smirked.
Valerie pouted. “I’m innocent.”
“Are you?” he drawled, leaning in. “I wonder for how long.”
“Damn it, Maxwell. Stop.” she sputtered and quickened her steps to leave him behind. She heard him chuckle, and he caught up effortlessly.
Her heels clicked on the asphalt as she descended the steps into the subway station, her eyes grazing a low-class demon that sat half-hidden in a corner. It had four eyes focused on her and Maxwell, and looked creepy.
She subconsciously inched closer to him. Consequently, his lips twitched in amusement, but he didn’t comment on her sudden clinginess.
They arrived at the China restaurant about twenty minutes later. Vaughn and Esther were waiting outside for them. The couple wore elegant clothing, and Esther even put a little flower in her violet hair.
“Hi. It’s great to see you.” Esther smiled.
“Same to you,” Valerie answered happily, hugging the young witch. Vaughn smiled at their exchange while Maxwell merely raised his eyebrow, muttering something under his breath.
They entered the restaurant, and one of the waiters led them to a table outside on the balcony, which provided them with a beautiful view of New York. Many tables were occupied already, so it was fortunate they had decided to make a reservation.
Valerie walked to the handrail encasing the balcony, taking in the tiny sparkling lights everywhere. It was a gorgeous sight, and she marveled at it.
Thus, she remained there for a while until she finally tore her eyes away to sit down with the others. They were already awaiting her, Vaughn laughing amusedly.
“It’s amazing here, isn’t it?” he said. “Just wait until you try the food.”
“I take it you come here often?”
“Yeah, we do, and it’s one hundred percent Vaughn’s fault,” Esther giggled and nudged him playfully.
“Hey, don’t act like you didn’t beg to come here again.”
“Vaughn, you’re making me look like a glutton in front of them.”
“But… you are a glutton.”
“That’s literally the last thing you should ever say to your girlfriend,” she complained, but the tiny smirk on her lips revealed that she wasn’t mad at all. They probably teased each other often, judging by their carefree behavior.
The four of them ordered their food, Maxwell having trouble deciding what he wanted until he ultimately chose something random.
“So, got any news?” Esther asked when the waiter had left.
Valerie shook her head. She had already told her about the vampire, and other than that, nothing noteworthy had happened. “Not really… as you can see, we’re still stuck together. No clue how to break the bond,” Valerie said with a careful glance in Maxwell’s direction.
“It’s only been a few weeks. That doesn’t mean it’s irreversible,” Maxwell countered. “We’re going to find a way out of this.”
“I haven’t learned anything either, even though I’ve asked around… it ended with people suspecting I want to break up with Vaughn, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” Esther grimaced. “As a witch, I can only tell you one thing. This kind of spell is complicated, so it hypothetically would take a lot of effort to break it. I’m assuming it cannot be done without a sacrifice.”
Valerie gulped, seeing her dark expression. “What kind of… sacrifice?” she asked with great reluctance.
“A blood sacrifice,” Esther said seriously. “But I’m not sure since this includes the kind of dark magic I would never use.”
“I see no problem with killing someone,” Maxwell proclaimed without hesitation. Thankfully, none of the other guests in the restaurant overheard his words—otherwise, the demon might have been in trouble.
“But I do. Don’t even consider it,” Valerie retorted.
“Yeah, don’t. You would need to find a witch who uses blood magic first, and they’re cunning, making shady deals that end in disaster,” Esther warned.
“You could always accept your situation,” Vaughn chimed in, draping an arm around Esther’s shoulders. “It isn’t so bad to be with Valerie, or is it, Maxwell?”
The light demon sighed and propped his chin up on his hand. “So far, I’ve nearly lost my mind a few times,” Maxwell began to rant. “She’s so fucking clumsy. One time, she fell over the coffee table; another time, she stubbed her toe against the door, and yet another time, she burned her hands on scalding hot tea. I wonder how she managed to survive for 24 years.”
He got worked up over it, prompting Vaughn to grin. Valerie, on the other hand, shot him a dark look.