The insectile limbs of construction cranes broke the horizon as the rebuilding of Casino City continued into the night. Buford (part mechanic, part demon) watched with disgust. He’d torn the cursed city down after it took his dad, and now it dared to rise again.

“What was that adage? All that glitters is not gold.” Buford told his roommate PJ (part demon, part satyr). “And, What goes up must come down.”

“Like May?” PJ referred to their third roommate (part Fae, part something left unspoken).

“May’s fine. I built her wings.”

“Then the demons ripped them off.” Buford winced. The satyr shrugged and pulled a cigarette from behind his freshly repaired antler.

“I fixed them. And I’m talking about taking Casino City down. We have to be smart about it. Only fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”

“What do you know about angels?” Buford didn’t know if PJ questioned his religion or if the satyr knew something about angels, he didn’t.

“It’s just a saying.”

“Like, This too shall pass?” PJ asked.

“No.”

“You only live once?”

“More like, You want something done, you have to do it yourself.”

“Here’s one for you. You tear down your momma’s casino again and she’ll send her demon hobos after you.”

Buford glared at the cursed city. May landed beside him. Her mechanical wings closed as she crossed her arms and offered, “There’s no peace for the wicked.”

To that, Buford gave a savage grin. “Not if I can help it.”

Photo by Franko