Demon Read online

  Demon

  by Riley Spark

  Copyright 2019 by Riley Spark. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Epilogue

  Note from the Author

  Chapter One

  T akeshi’s head snapped up when he felt a well of chaotic energy nearby. He scanned the interior of the unusually crowded host club, eyes flicking back and forth across Japanese and foreign patrons alike as he searched for the person it was attached to.

  To a demon that some might call an incubus, it was like someone had just lifted the lid off a tray of his favourite food. Whoever it was had an extreme excess of sexual energy.

  Takeshi abandoned the glasses he’d been cleaning behind the bar as his senses led him to the club’s entrance. Two people had just walked through the door, which helped him narrow down his search.

  The first was a young woman still dressed in her suit from work. Takeshi moved forward and greeted her with her main host, giving himself an excuse to briefly make contact with her shoulder. He was a weak demon, which meant he could sense things either precisely or at a distance, not both. But as flattered as she looked by the extra attention, it soon became clear that she wasn’t the one who had set his senses off.

  He turned to look at the other person who had entered. Just Takeshi’s luck, the man had made a beeline for the bar he’d abandoned a moment ago. He was thin under his baggy denim jacket, with a head of tousled brown curls, and thick-framed glasses sitting on his nose. He looked embarrassed to be in the club, and Takeshi hoped that meant this was his first visit. If no one else had a claim on him, then Takeshi would be free to try to take him on as a regular client.

  Takeshi straightened his tie and ran a hand through his carefully styled hair as he approached. He focused on the man’s innate preferences as best he could from a distance, and started making subtle changes to his human-looking shell in order to match them more closely. But it seemed he wouldn’t need to change dramatically from the form of a young Japanese host he’d been embodying to unobtrusively siphon sexual energy from humans for the last several years.

  Junji raised a brow at him as he returned to the bar, but didn’t say anything about being abandoned to deal with the workload on his own. Takeshi was sure he’d hear about it later, once the customers were gone. The only reason either of them had been stationed there for the night was the special event that was making them unusually busy.

  Junji had already brought the newcomer a bourbon mixed with soft drink. Junji gave him a slight nod, indicating he could have a chance with the customer first, and moved further down the bar. It wasn’t like most of the young men who worked in these places were really interested in other guys, but turning down a customer wouldn’t make the boss very happy.

  Takeshi made his approach. “Hello there, I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” he said in English with a broad smile, hoping he’d picked the language correctly. “Is this the first time you’ve been to a host club?”

  “Oh, hello,” the man replied in kind, barely audible over the music and background noise. He looked away in embarrassment. “Yeah, it is. I just thought I’d come in and have a look.”

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you!” Takeshi replied enthusiastically, briefly resting a hand on his shoulder as he took a seat on the bar stool next to him.

  It was an effort to stop himself from biting his lip when the zing of energy shot up his arm. This was definitely what he’d been sensing. He took his hand away to prevent himself from siphoning off too much too quickly. The human seemed to be a sensitive kind of person, and would probably feel something was off even if he couldn’t identify what it was.

  “I’m Takeshi. What’s your name?”

  “Kieran,” he replied softly before taking another sip of his drink. He glanced at Takeshi again, but quickly looked away. The blush dusting his cheeks and the spike in his seemingly endless energy clued him in that the guy was interested.

  Also seeming to pick up on Takeshi’s successful approach, Junji set a midi glass of light beer in front of him. Takeshi wasn’t any good at holding liquids. Maybe if he were a more powerful demon, or wasn’t so hungry all the time, it wouldn’t bother him. But as it was, he had to be careful not to let it leak from the illusory façade that was his human form. Of course he just told his human co-workers that he was too much of a lightweight to use the usual tactic of trying to get the client to buy the drinks, but unfortunately that excuse just encouraged them to give him ones with less alcohol content.

  “Actually, I wasn’t even sure if they’d let me in,” Kieran added quietly.

  “You chose the right place,” Takeshi assured him. “I think I’m the only host in the neighbourhood who’s actually interested in men.”

  Really, he was interested in any human with a modicum of sexual energy to spare. And the only thing stopping him from going after anyone who didn’t have anything in reserve was the fear of being hunted.

  “Oh, really?” Kieran asked, though he didn’t sound convinced by Takeshi’s claim. If he’d been to a host club before, he’d probably heard that line a few times.

  “I’m being serious!” Takeshi exclaimed. “If we move somewhere a little quieter, I can tell you more,” he added in a slightly teasing tone.

  Takeshi gazed over Kieran’s shoulder at the empty booth in the corner of the club until he turned to look at it as well. He stood up just as Kieran turned back, and the man naturally followed him over. Takeshi let Kieran sit with his back to the wall, and settled down opposite him on the other comfortable leather seat. The lighting here was dimmer, making it feel cosy. Kieran seemed to relax now they were mostly out of sight of the other rowdy patrons.

  “Have you been in Japan for a while, or are you just visiting?” Takeshi asked.

  He himself wasn’t a Japanese demon specifically, he’d just taken the name Takeshi to blend in. He’d snuck out of hell and had done his best to hide somewhere he could maintain a low profile, but still get enough sustenance. This job had sounded promising, at least for his needs, when he’d happened to see a documentary about it on the internet.

  Either way, if he ran out of energy, he’d be back in the pits shovelling crap. He’d managed to stay on the surface for three calendar years straight, and didn’t want to break that streak anytime soon. Maybe he’d be able to convince Kieran to be his meal ticket, eventually.

  “I’m here on a student exchange,” Kieran replied. “I’m studying Japanese at Kobe University.”

  Takeshi knew enough to look impressed at the institution’s name. “Kobe U? So I’ve found a bona fide genius, huh?”

  Kieran looked embarrassed, but Takeshi couldn’t help but notice he seemed to enjoy the compliment anyway. Maybe he valued his intelligence.

  “Everyone always says stuff like that, but it’s really not that hard to get in as an exchange student. My uni at home just has a good relationship with the school,” he confided. “But your English is so good. Have you done a lot of travelling?”

  “Not really, but you need the gift of the gab to do a job like this one, don’t you?” Takeshi replied, being blunter about the fact he was here to work than he normally would. He wanted to make Kieran feel like he was talking to him because he was special. Like he was an insider.

  In reality, he had no idea how he’d learnt any human
language. But he supposed his nature made him fit in and appeal to humans in as many ways as possible. He knew the way he was speaking English was a little unusual. It was probably reflecting what Kieran expected to hear when talking to someone his own age from his home region.

  “I suppose you do,” Kieran teased in return, proving he could be more than just shy and embarrassed. Takeshi was pleased he wasn’t as much of a shrinking violet as he’d first appeared. “You all look pretty busy tonight,” he added.

  “We are,” Takeshi acknowledged as he leaned a little closer over the table. “One of our biggest regulars decided to have her birthday party here and treat her friends. The event she booked was much smaller than the one you see around you. If we’d known, we might have closed down for it.”

  Takeshi used the weak excuse of reaching for a pair of coasters from the end of the table to brush his fingers against Kieran’s hand. The energy zinged through him again. Takeshi could probably siphon enough off Kieran to keep him going for a week without the human feeling it.

  He couldn’t help but wonder what that meant about Kieran’s more private habits.

  Takeshi slid the coasters next to their respective drinks as he watched Kieran rub the spot on his hand he’d touched. His expression seemed to indicate he’d noticed something other than the physical contact this time. Takeshi needed to be more careful with how much he took.

  Takeshi sipped from his glass before placing it on the coaster. “I probably should have thought of that before getting the table all wet with our glasses.”

  “I thought as a host you were supposed to be an expert at that sort of thing,” Kieran teased, looking up from under his curls.

  Takeshi shrugged helplessly. “I’m frazzled.”

  Kieran laughed, if the word could be applied to the soft and restrained sound that left his lips.

  “So, where are you exchanging from? Australia?” Takeshi guessed based on his accent and his choice to use the word ‘uni’.

  “Yeah,” he replied with a small smile. “It’s been kind of difficult to adjust even though I was expecting most of the cultural differences. But after two months I finally feel like I’m starting to settle in.”

  Takeshi hummed with sympathy. “I suppose being so far from your family and friends didn’t make that any easier.” He slowly slid his leg closer to where he guessed Kieran’s shin was.

  Kieran jumped slightly when his calf brushed against him, but he didn’t move away. The layers of material between them seemed to make it easier for Takeshi to control himself and only siphon off a very small bit at a time. Or maybe the fact he was only hungry instead of ravenous now was helping him to show some restraint.

  Kieran leaned his elbow on the table and propped his face up in his hand. “Yeah, it’s been kind of tough,” he replied, tilting his face to hide more of it in his hand. “But I’m learning so much. Just living here and being taught Japanese in Japanese really makes a difference.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Takeshi replied sincerely. “I’m glad you’re getting something out of your experience.”

  Takeshi’s focus drifted for a moment. Already he’d taken more energy from Kieran than he’d normally get off of several people in one night, and Kieran definitely wasn’t flagging. It would make his life much easier if he could see Kieran regularly. He didn’t even need to come here to the club and spend money since all Takeshi really needed to live was a steady supply of the right kind of energy.

  Takeshi tried to continue the conversation when it seemed Kieran didn’t have anything else to say. “How was your day today?”

  “It was all right. I had class, but don’t have any tomorrow, so I thought I should go out for a bit.”

  “Been feeling restless?”

  Kieran’s cheeks became a little pinker as he looked away. “I guess you could say that.”

  Takeshi decided not to press him further, for now. That was more than enough confirmation of what he already knew.

  “Your drink is empty. I’m being a slowpoke, aren’t I? Would you like to get another one?”

  “Oh, sure,” he replied, but didn’t really seem to be keen on it.

  Takeshi took him through the usual rigmarole of paying for both of them, feeling kind of bad about it when that wasn’t what he really wanted either. Still, he had to keep up appearances in front of his co-workers.

  They returned to the booth, but this time Takeshi sat next to him. Kieran didn’t move when their knees touched.

  “So, what made you decide to try a host club?”

  Kieran avoided looking at him and took another sip of his drink. “I don’t know. Just talking to someone who at least pretends to be interested is nice.”

  “You think I’m pretending?” Takeshi asked lowly, trailing his fingers along Kieran’s denim clad forearm. “As you can see, it’s mostly girls that come to these places. It’s certainly refreshing to have a man come in.”

  Kieran looked away, hunching over his drink slightly. Takeshi wanted to make his intentions clear, but he didn’t want to scare him off either.

  “Anyway,” Takeshi said, patting his arm before drawing back out of his personal space. “What time did you need to be home? It’d be nice to have some company in this madhouse.”

  Kieran seemed to consider it for a moment. “I didn’t come out to get drunk, just to talk to someone.” He clammed up again, as if embarrassed he’d admitted that.

  Takeshi smiled. “That’s perfectly all right.” But he didn’t get to finish what he wanted to say. He was distracted by Junji coming over to talk to them.

  “Takeshi, I really need an extra hand behind the bar. The guests are getting a little rowdy,” he said. That was putting it politely, judging from the noise in the rest of the room.

  Takeshi weighed the pros and cons of doing what Junji was asking. If it got back to the boss that he wasn’t helping them take full advantage of this ludicrously profitable event, he might come to regret it. While Kieran was an attractive prospect, going after him at the expense of his current arrangement was a risky move.

  “I’m sorry about this Kieran. Enjoy your drink for as long as you like. Please come and say goodbye before you leave.”

  “O-ok,” Kieran replied as he looked down at his drink that was already less than half full again, clearly despondent. Takeshi patted his shoulder one last time before getting up and joining Junji behind the bar.

  Takeshi regretted leaving him at such a low point in the conversation, but to his relief, Kieran actually did come up to the bar just a few minutes later. Takeshi quickly led him over to the register, where it was less crowded.

  “Thanks for coming to see me,” Takeshi said. “I really enjoyed talking with you. If you’d like to go out for real sometime, just let me know,” he added as he wrote his texting address on the back of the receipt. The one for his real phone, not the one he used to text customers to try and entice them back into the club.

  “Um, thanks,” Kieran said, though he looked unenthusiastic as he took the piece of paper. Maybe he knew about the phone number and dating ploys already.

  “I mean it,” Takeshi said earnestly. “I’m free during the afternoon on most days since I generally work at night. I’ll take you out somewhere more normal.”

  “Ok,” Kieran replied as he looked toward the door.

  Takeshi hurried out from behind the counter so he could take his chance to siphon off a little more energy. He might not see him again, after all, and might be back to starving and scraping as early as next week. He placed a hand on the small of Kieran’s back and led him to the door.

  Kieran looked down toward his hand, then back up at him. Takeshi worried for a moment that placing his hand too close to his centre had made him take more energy than he’d intended. But Kieran seemed to mentally brush it off.

  “Ok, I’ll text you when I know I’m free,” Kieran agreed before walking out into the night.

  Takeshi held his location for a few moments before losing track of
his energy in the crowd. It wasn’t that late, so there were still plenty of people out and about.

  Takeshi could only hope Kieran would really do as he’d said. This was his chance to live an easier life, and maybe he’d be able to give Kieran something worthwhile in return, too.

  Chapter Two

  W hen Kieran woke up in the morning, he did so with a long stretch and a small smile. He felt unusually good. Calm and centred, like he’d actually be able to focus on his studies today.

  Kieran had been in an awful cycle of getting distracted by his libido for some time now. He’d relieve himself and then feel awful about it, usually multiple times a day. After finally getting the guts to stop being embarrassed about it long enough to go to his doctor, he’d just been told that was what being a teenaged boy was like. But he was twenty-one now, and things hadn’t gotten much better.

  If anything, they might have become worse. For starters, his refractory period seemed to be disappearing.

  He had tried asking other doctors about it since then, but it was so difficult to accurately describe such an embarrassing phenomenon. They hadn’t been able to help him much beyond recommending healthy lifestyle choices like exercising and making time for social activities.

  Kieran’s mind drifted to Takeshi as he got out of bed, and he couldn’t help but wonder if they’d been onto something. Takeshi was so handsome, and he had a way of making him feel at ease even when he was in Kieran’s usually closely guarded personal space. He did want to see Takeshi again, even if part of him was sceptical about the legitimacy of his offer to go on a date. Especially after how their interaction had fizzled last night. And surely Takeshi did his job to make money, not to get a boyfriend.

  Kieran decided to take advantage of his peaceful mind state and started working on his study for the week. He was terrible at learning kanji, probably because it required the focus he was usually so short on. But in less than two hours he’d managed to finish the test preparation he’d been dreading, and was looking for something else to do.