Demons don't unravel your soul all at once, they tempt you through the process in carefully curated steps, each one more seductive, more dangerous, and more impossible to untangle than the last. When a perceptive stranger begins showing up at her favorite café, Nadia isn't easily charmed. But, Azrael watches too closely, and seems to understand her so well that Nadia questions whether her thoughts are even her own. Nadia is resistant, though. She doesn't follow the script. She pushes back in ways Azrael has never seen. And now, Azrael is starting to wonder: Is it his system that's failing... or is it him? This story is my entry in the 2025 Open Novella Contest! Follow @OpenNovellaContest to be notified about the next one! The prompt I chose: #2 To be in love with a demon was the last thing on your wishlist.
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