The Ex-Factor

Stacy was in the middle of a Warrior Two pose when Jax kicked the door open.

"Namaste, Stacy!" Jax announced.

Stacy screamed and fell over. She was a petite woman with terrifyingly intense eyes. "Who are you? I’m calling the police!"

"Call the Ghostbusters instead," Jax said. He pointed a thumb at Zarkon, who was striking a pose in the doorway—arms crossed, aviators crooked, trying to look menacing in beige.

"Kevin?" Stacy gasped.

"Kneel before Zarkon!" the demon bellowed. Then he paused. "Kevin says hi."

"You... you actually did it?" Stacy scrambled back, grabbing a yoga block as a weapon. "I gave you that fidget spinner as a joke! It was supposed to be a gag gift from that creepy antique shop!"

"It was a Cursed Soul-Binder, Class 3," Jax said, stepping into the room. "You glued a Greater Demon to your ex-boyfriend. That’s a party foul, Stace."

"I didn't know!" Stacy cried. "I just wanted him to be more assertive! To stand up for himself!"

"I AM STANDING UP!" Zarkon yelled. "AND I AM LACTOSE INTOLERANT!"

"Okay, look," Jax interrupted. "Where’s the counter-curse? The spinner came with instructions, right? A receipt? A 'break in case of possession' hammer?"

Stacy looked guilty. She bit her lip. "I... I traded the rest of the box."

"Traded it?" Jax rubbed his temples. "To who?"

"To a guy at the old mini-golf course," Stacy whispered. "He said he collects rare cursed objects. He gave me a lifetime supply of essential oils."

Jax closed his eyes. "Please tell me it wasn't the guy with the teeth."

"He had a lot of teeth," Stacy confirmed. "And a really nice suit."

"Sharky," Jax groaned. "The Loan Shark."

"Is that... bad?" Zarkon asked, sensing Jax’s fear.

"He’s a greed demon who manifests as a Great White in an Armani suit," Jax said. "He deals in souls, artifacts, and predatory lending. If he has the counter-curse, he’s not gonna give it up for free."

"I can fight him!" Zarkon declared. "I have the fury of a thousand suns!"

"You have the upper body strength of an accountant who skips gym day," Jax reminded him. "Let’s go. We have a shark to catch."