I should have known not to trust the drink that was ordered for me, especially today of all days. It only took one sip. I quickly realized after the sip that it was poisoned.

Poisoned? I sniffed the murky liquid in my cup. The smell wasn't off from the norm, but that off taste had been a telltale sign.

I had been poisoned.

I calmly set my cup down on the table in front of me. Across the table, a man with black eyes tilted his head.

"Of all the ways a demon could kill someone, this seems rather boring." I sigh.

The black eyed man across from me smiled warmly. "What can I say? I've grown fond of you, old friend."

I laugh. "Hardly old, we've only been acquainted ten years to the day." I reach back for my cup, lifting it towards him with a nod. "Though I must thank you for the life I have lived since our first meeting." With that, I took another sip. The taste was more distinct now.

The black eyed man across from me waved a waitress over. He asked for something with a charming smile before turning back to me. The waitress blushed as she sauntered away.

"Your eyes never seem to get in the way." I commented, watching the waitress disappear into the kitchen of the small café we sat in. Besides our table, no other customers occupied the space. People bustled along the sidewalk outside, but no one so much as cast a glance toward the café. I couldn't help but feel the black eyed man had some influence in that.

"My eyes are nothing out of the ordinary to those who've never made a deal." He replied simply. He then tapped the corner of his left eye with his fingertip. "For deal makers, they just serve as a reminder."

As if I could ever forget he was coming for me. I've thought about the man with the black eyes every day since that night he appeared in the crossroads ten years ago. The way he appeared normal enough, at first, but his eyes filled with darkness as soon as we shook hands.

I had been afraid. His eyes instilled fear in my very soul when they were first revealed to me, but now they held a strange sense of comfort.

"That does remind me, wasn't the weather supposed to be dreary?" I asked as the waitress returned to our table. She placed a tray of fries down in the middle of the table, asking if she could do anything else for us. The man with the black eyes declined and she disappeared back into the kitchen.

"I can't control the weather, my friend." He shrugged, "Though it's not often, I can be wrong."

He gestured to the fries in offering. I graciously accepted. It wasn't the last meal I expected, but I would savor every bite.

"Did you enjoy your extra time with her?" The man with black eyes asked. He didn't reach for any fries.

I smiled. The reason for the deal in the first place, saving her life. Doctors didn't think she would live past twenty-four hours. Her heart was so weak. I felt so small, unable to do anything to help.

Natural methods weren't working so, during the night, I snuck out and sought supernatural methods.

"Every second of it." I finally replied. Ten years I would have otherwise missed. "I wouldn't take back what I did."

"Not that you could." The man with black eyes grinned mischievously.

I ate some more fries. They were nice and crispy with just the perfect amount of salt. I'd miss meals like this.

"So, why poison?" I asked, casting my gaze to my cup.

The man with black eyes adjusted in his seat. "It's more humane than the usual method." He said, "I'd rather not watch you be ripped to shreds by the hounds, or hear you scream. As I said before, I've grown fond of you."

I nodded. Strange to hear a demon speak of the humane method of murdering someone, yet there I was. I should have been grateful for the compassion, rather than question why it was being shown to me. I was lucky. "Thank you."

If the man with black eyes was surprised by my words, he didn't show it. He simply looked at me. "You're in good spirits for someone on their deathbed."

"What do I have to be sad about?" I asked as I reached for more fries. "I've lived my life. I married someone I love. We were able to watch our children grow and have children of their own. My love was taken from me too soon and my children moved away. I had one thing left to really keep me going, and I wasn't ready to let her go so soon after everything else." I popped the fries into my mouth. It was hard to chew. My muscles didn't want to fully cooperate.

The man with black eyes tilted his head. "Was it really all for her?" He asked.

"She was the last gift I got from my family." I replied slowly. It was getting hard to speak as well. "Before my children left and my love was taken from me. She was the last thing that brought us all together."

"I'll keep her for you." The man with black eyes said, "She'll make an excellent hound when her time comes."

I laughed, despite the pain it brought. "She's more of a cuddler than a biter."

The man with black eyes shrugged. "You never know."

I inhaled a deep breath. My chest hurt. My exhale was labored.

The man with black eyes rose from his chair. "I'll be the one to show you around down there." He said as he adjusted his shirt, "I'll take you by the kennels first. Sound good?"

I smiled as much as I could manage before a surge of pain and everything went dark.