The winter air bites my face as I tug my hoodie strings tighter, the January chill seeping through the thin fabric like it's on a personal mission to freeze my bones. Worth it though. After last night's marathon with Ellie, I'd walk through a blizzard for a sugar rush and caffeine fix.
"I still don't understand why we couldn't just order delivery," Ellie grumbles beside me, her breath forming little clouds that disappear into the crisp morning. Despite her complaints, she walks close enough that our shoulders brush with every step.
"Because," I explain for the second time since we left the apartment, "delivery apps charge like five extra dollars, and the donuts get all soggy." I bounce on my toes as we wait for the crosswalk signal, partly from excitement, partly to keep my blood flowing. "Plus, fresh Dunkin Donuts just hits different."
Ellie rolls her eyes, but I catch the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Unlike me, she's barely dressed for the weather, just jeans and a light jacket that she doesn't even bother to zip up.
"I'm naturally hot-blooded," she says with that smirk I've come to know means the symbiote is helping regulate her temperature.
"Show-off," I mutter, envying her warmth as we finally cross the street.
I'm halfway through planning my donut order when I notice them, four women in dark hooded robes standing still amid the flow of hurried pedestrians. They're staring directly at me, unblinking, with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. The morning crowd parts around them like water around stones.
"Uh, Ellie," I whisper, nudging her arm.
The tallest one steps forward, her face partially hidden beneath her hood. "Sisters," she announces, her voice carrying over the street noise with unnatural clarity. "We have found him."
Before I can process what's happening, all four women drop to their knees in perfect synchronization, bowing their heads toward me. Pedestrians slow their pace, some stopping completely to gape at the bizarre scene unfolding on the sidewalk.
"Oh Great One, touched by Lileth," the leader intones, her voice reverent. "We are humbly at your service."
I feel my face heat up despite the cold as more people stop to stare. A business woman with a briefcase nearly walks into a streetlight, her attention fixed on our little spectacle.
"What the fuck is this shit?" I hiss, looking desperately at Ellie, whose eyebrows have shot up to her hairline.
The leader raises her head, eyes gleaming with fanatical devotion. "We are servants. The Daughters of Lileth. We have pledged our lives to our demonic father in hopes to open a portal to hell and have him walk among us as he bathes the planet in fire."
My stomach growls loudly in the awkward silence that follows. I'm not sure what's worse, the cult of demon worshippers who've somehow found me, or the fact that they're standing between me and my breakfast.
"Look," I say, lowering my voice and stepping closer to the kneeling women. "I appreciate the, uh, devotion, but I'm really just trying to get some donuts with my girlfriend here."
"The Chosen One's words are humble, sisters," the leader whispers loudly to her companions. "Truly he is worthy."
Ellie clears her throat, the sound carrying a distinct note of warning. "You should probably leave us alone," she says, her voice dropping to that dangerous register that usually precedes the symbiote making an appearance.
The robed women ignore her completely, their attention fixed solely on me.
The leader reaches toward my face, her pale fingers trembling with reverence. Before she can make contact, Ellie's hand shoots out, catching the woman's wrist in a grip that turns her knuckles white.
"Touch him," Ellie says, voice deadly calm, "and you die."
The leader's eyes widen, not with fear but with indignation. "But the prophecy demands we serve him, care for him…"
"Hold up," I interject, stepping between them. "Quick question. Do any of you actually talk to Lileth directly? Like, have conversations with him?"
The four women exchange glances, their expressions faltering slightly.
"No, Great One," the leader admits, still struggling against Ellie's grip. "But the ancient texts revealed how to detect you by your aura, and they speak of how you commune with our lord personally."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "Yeah, I do talk to him. That fuck ass devil interrupts my dreams constantly lately to tell me stuff. But here's the thing, I'm not pro-demon. I'm definitely not pro-Lileth."
Their faces fall in unison, like I've just told children Santa isn't real. They exchange worried glances, murmuring among themselves.
"But... he touched you," one whispers reverently.
"Okay, can you stop saying it like that?" I groan. "He gave me a gift, sure. But there were no stipulations."
The leader's eyes narrow with confusion. "But the prophecy clearly dictates you need women."
"What?"
Another cultist, shorter with intense eyes, steps forward. "When your power wanes, if you do not partake in the hedonistic acts your power yearns for, you will surely perish."
Before I can process this bizarre statement, there's a sickening crack. The cultist screams, her wrist bent at an impossible angle in Ellie's grip. The symbiote hasn't emerged, but Ellie's eyes burn with fury that doesn't need alien enhancement.
"He fucks me every night," she snarls, releasing the sobbing woman who cradles her broken wrist. Ellie's gaze sweeps over all four cultists like a predator sizing up prey. "If you four think I'm going to let you anywhere near my boyfriend, I'll kill every last one of you."
The sidewalk around us has cleared completely now, pedestrians giving our little drama a wide berth. The cultist with the broken wrist whimpers, backing away while her sisters gather protectively around her.
"Where are you all from?"
The leader straightens her shoulders despite still kneeling. "Salem, Massachusetts, Great One."
"Oh my God, that's wild!" I exclaim, momentarily forgetting my annoyance. "I'm from Lynnfield, Mass. We're practically neighbors!"
Ellie shoots me a look of defeated annoyance.
I ignore her and press on. "Did you all go to Salem State?"
The four women exchange uncomfortable glances, their cult-like synchronization faltering.
"Oh Great One," the leader says, her voice dropping with what sounds like shame, "we did not attend any college."
"See, there's your problem right there," I say, crossing my arms. "How were your grades in high school?"
Silence falls over the group. They stare at the sidewalk, avoiding my gaze.
Finally, one woman in the back mumbles, "Well... not great."
I sigh deeply, pinching the bridge of my nose. These women are delusional, but they're also just... sad. "You four want to serve me?"
The leader's head snaps up, eyes burning with renewed fervor. "More than anything, Oh Great One! For you are the gate keeper that will…"
"I'm gonna stop you right there," I interrupt, holding up my hand. "Here's what I need you to do..."
I pause, a thought suddenly occurring to me. "Wait, are there more of you not here?"
"Yes," she confirms, nodding eagerly. "We have a whole sisterhood in Salem."
"Alright, here's what I need all of you to do," I say, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. "Go and finish high school, and then finish college. All of you."
The leader blinks, her reverent expression melting into confusion. "What?"
"You heard me. Education first, demon worship second." I'm getting into this now, warming to my role as reluctant cult leader. "If you really want to serve me, get your GEDs, then bachelor's degrees. I don't care what you study, but I want to see diplomas."
The cultists stare at me in stunned silence, like I've just asked them to sprout wings and fly to the moon.
"But... the prophecy speaks of sex rituals and…" one begins.
"Nope!" I cut her off. "New prophecy. Get educated. You can't properly serve a demon lord if you can't even pass Algebra II."
Ellie's eyes flash with barely contained fury as she steps forward, her hands balling into fists. I can see the darkness shifting beneath her skin, not quite emerging but definitely ready.
"And if any of you try to fuck my boyfriend," she snarls, her voice dropping to a terrifying growl, "I swear to god I will dig your eyes out with my bare hands and find a priest with a strap-on to skull-fuck your empty sockets."
I cough, trying desperately to hide the laugh that threatens to escape.
"Yeah," I add, clearing my throat to mask my amusement, "that too."
The four women exchange wide-eyed glances, their earlier devotion now tempered with genuine fear. They scramble to their feet, bowing repeatedly as they back away.
"We understand, Oh Great One," the leader says, her voice trembling slightly. "Education first. We will not fail you."
They turn to leave, their dark robes fluttering in the winter breeze as they hurry down the sidewalk. As they retreat, I catch a snippet of conversation from the shortest one.
"What the fuck is the point of doing this bullshit if I have to go to college?" she hisses to her companions.
The whole encounter leaves me feeling oddly unsettled, like I've just been handed a responsibility I never asked for.
Ellie lets out a long breath beside me, her shoulders relaxing as the last cultist disappears around the corner. The darkness beneath her skin settles back into dormancy as she turns to face me.
"I wanted to kill them," she admits, her voice casual as if she's telling me she considered ordering a different coffee. "But Venom kept telling me you'd get mad."
"I wouldn't have gotten mad," I tell her honestly. "I'd just hate to have SHIELD on our ass so soon. Fury just visited yesterday."
Her blue eyes study my face, then soften. "I get it."
We continue our walk toward Dunkin Donuts, the morning chill seeping deeper into my bones. I lean into Ellie, seeking her warmth, and she wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me close against her side.
"Do you think they were right?" she asks after a moment, her voice unusually thoughtful. "About you needing to fuck to survive?"
The question catches me off guard. I consider it for a moment.
"I don't know," I answer honestly. "Next time I see Lileth, I'll ask."
Ellie nods, her eyes fixed on the Dunkin' sign glowing ahead of us. "Alright," she says simply.