Page 55 of My Demon Neighbor
Twenty
Codie
It'd been four dayssince I went to the community center with Pythor, and while I hadn't attempted to dothatagain, I had made some other progress I was extremely proud of.
The last two days, after Pythor left for the center, Hella and I had gone to the park for a while. I didn't think I was brave enough to leave the gates without Pythor by my side, but at least I'd left the house.
I never would've attempted it without Pythor's support, but doing it on my own still made me feel a little more confident. Like I really could get my life back.
Nessa had been so surprised and delighted to see me out when she'd driven up with Alia yesterday, and I'd loved seeing the look of pride on her face. She'd known who was to thank for my newfound bravery, and when I'd told her we were dating... well, all my neighbors had probably heard the delightedshriek she let out. She'd insisted the four of us needed to have another meal together again, and while I'd agreed, Pythor and I had different plans today.
Pythor had asked me if there was any place I wanted to go to try again, and the store had been the first thing to pop into my head. Before that night, I'd sometimes spend hours in that store, just soaking in the smell of fresh paint and empty canvases, wood and clay, and everything else.
The art store was like a second home to me, and I'd missed it. Spending time there had been a part of my process, a way for me to fill my creative energy bank. Even the tools and things I didn't need sometimes sparked ideas that resulted in some of my best work.
When I'd mentioned the place to Pythor, he'd been intrigued and eager to check it out, so that was where we were headed today.
Hella, a little disappointed we weren't taking her, disappeared just as Pythor asked me if I was ready to go.
"Where did she..."
"She'll be fine. She probably went to visit one of the others since we won't need her for a while," Pythor explained, and I nodded. Of course, that made sense. I'd been hogging all her time over the last few weeks. She must miss the other demons.
"Come on. She'll be back when we are," he assured me, and I nodded as I took his hand, stepping closer to him so he could teleport us.
Pythor's magic moved around us in a now-familiar flicker, and a few moments later, I could feel the warmth of the sun shining down on me, though my coat kept me from feeling the heat.
I stepped back, though I didn't let go of Pythor's hand, holding it close as I looked around. We were in an alley, andwhile I'd never been in this exact place before, I could see the art store across the street from the alley exit.
"There it is," I said, then gave Pythor a curious glance as we started walking. "So, how exactly does the teleportation thing work? Do you have a magical map in there? GPS?" I asked, pointing toward his head, and he gave me an amused smile.
"I don't know if you'd call it GPS. It's easiest to teleport toward someone, especially if you know the person well. For places, I need to have a general idea of where it is. I looked up the store on the map app after you told me about it. My magic does automatically find the nearest hidden place to go to, though."
I nodded thoughtfully, then focused on crossing the street before asking another question. "Have you ever gone somewhere you couldn't find a place like that?"
"Yep, a few times. I just turn incorporeal then, so no one can touch or see me. And then once I'm somewhere alone, I become corporeal again."
"What if you were with someone? Like me?"
"I could turn you incorporeal too, but only for a few minutes."
"That's cool," I murmured, which made him shoot me a grin as we reached the store. He held the door open for me, and I grinned as I slid inside without letting go of his hand, and he followed me in, his eyes roaming all over as he took in the place.
"Welcome to my paradise," I said with a grin, and he shot me a soft smile.
"Where to first?"
"This way," I said, leading him toward the far end of the store where clay and other ceramic art supplies were displayed. They weren't my medium, but that was why I preferred to start there. All the stuff I usually needed was closer to the door, butI still liked walking through the whole store, and I went there last so I wouldn't have to tote around all my purchases the whole time.
Pythor had a curious look on his face as I led him toward the shelves stacked with all kinds of clays. There were some in plastic bags of various weights, others in powder forms. There were also blocks of different types of stone and marble for sculpting. The air here was a teensy bit dusty like always, and it was all part of the charm.
When I first moved to this city, I'd looked this place up, and then felt so fucking glad I'd moved here because I'd never seen such a big art store with such a large variety of offerings. They catered to everyone from hobbyists to beginners to professionals, and treated them equally. I adored the owner—who always sat at the counter—and the people who worked here because they mostly let you shop in peace unless you looked confused or like you needed help.
"I've never been to a place like this before," Pythor murmured, and I glanced up at him.
"And? What do you think?"
He thought about it for a moment, then gave me a smile. "It feels like a very happy place."
