“Thus,” I concluded, shuffling the papers on the podium, “though The Portico’s Repository condemns the wonders of the Fountain of Youth to folly, I suggest that its study is not for preposterous excursions, but rather, for the deeper understanding of how the felicitous idea of eternal mind and body transgresses all time and space. Thank you.”

The ovation echoed throughout the lecture hall, music to my ears as I smiled at the crowd. My lecture circuit across America began on a great note in Philadelphia; next stop, New York, one of the most bustling cities in the country. I will admit, I was somewhat skeptical of the Americans enjoying my lecture, what with their stiff nature towards the fantastic realm, but I found myself pleasantly surprised with the turnout of the presentation. The irony of my presentation lay in the fact that my mere appearance was “magic” in and of itself, for I was both one of the first European professors to speak at these colleges and a member of the fantastic realm myself: yes, an elf, and an elf using a lecture tour as a disguise for my quest. 

As I eyed the group, I spotted an aloof man idling behind the last row of seats. Though we had never met, I immediately identified his unmistakable features and inherently gulped. Between his slicked back, neon orange hair, yellow irises akin to a cat, and blood red dress shirt, I immediately recognized Jaxx’s attempt to blend in.

Why is he here, my mind raced, how does he know?

Patrons began shuffling out and I scrambled to collect my things. Jaxx strolled towards me and I, panicking, hastily shoved my belongings in my briefcase. I turned my back to the group, ready to flee, but the moment I felt an icy hand on my shoulder, I knew I could not break free from his grasp. 

“Dr. Theoden Evergreen,” he cooed, “I must say, you are one hell of a man to present a lecture with such...audacity.”

I shivered and quickly spun around to find the room completely empty and Jaxx’s eyes fixated on mine, swirling with a foreboding aura.

“T-thank you very much, sir, you flatter me,” I stammered, pretending I did not recognize him. I extended my hand forward to shake his, praying he would see through my gentlemanly facade. 

He grinned sinisterly, flashing his jagged teeth. Firmly clamping my hand, he refused to let go or break his intense eye contact. “You flatter me, Doctor. I know that you know who I am, and I am very familiar with your current endeavor: you’re the elf refusing deals with every demon exhaustible in Europe. I know what you want and I’m prepared to make you an offer you cannot refuse.”

I yanked my hand away, writhing at the idea of making a deal with Jaxx. “I’m not interested.”

“But you are,” he murmured, “I have access to all of the spells you seek. Immortality, Illusion, Persuasion: these are powerful spells that most beings merely dream of possessing, and you can attain them through me.”

I cleared my throat, ready to assert dominance in my trembling voice. “I know that my acceptance must come with a deal, and I do not make unfair deals.”

“You’re a man of great esteem, thus, the proposition you will be presented is guaranteed to be fair.”

Eyeing him suspiciously, I knew I must listen to his offer carefully. Truthfully, I felt wary about accepting anything from any demon, let alone the notorious “King of the Underworld”, but my quest proved too important to turn my nose up even to the most frightening of entities. Though the life of an elf spans hundreds of years, I still yearned to find the answer to immortality. Magic reigned as a major educational endeavor in my life thus far, and spells like Immortality, Illusion, and Persuasion were unattainable without the higher power of a demon. Striking a deal with one proved essential to my cause, though I dreaded the idea of “selling my soul”, as it were. For my own safety, I proceeded carefully.

“What are you proposing?” I demanded.

Jaxx waved his hand and materialized a glass of whiskey. “I will give you access to the three spells I spoke of earlier and a plethora of historical recounts of my life--as a history professor, I imagine you will have many questions for someone who has been around since the 11th century.” 

He confidently swirled the glass. “You will be provided with a home to occupy and an unlimited stream of wealth, meaning that you can devote your time to any endeavors you wish without worrying about financial security. For your end of the deal, you are expected to do two things: live with me and maintain the illusion of an average human life.”

I choked on my own saliva at the last statement, pounding my chest with my fist to ease the attack. Jaxx laughed and sipped his alcohol.

“L-live with you?” I sputtered, “you want me to live with you?”

“Not particularly, but it would be beneficial to have someone there that has a lifestyle akin to a human--coming and going at routine hours, someone who isn’t a crime boss, you know how it is.”

My brow furrowed as I began to consider my options. The deal seemed to be too good to be true, like he intentionally left elaboration out--but what?

“So my requirements are to live with you and be your human cover-up?”

He nodded and waved his free hand, replenishing his whiskey. 

“Does that entail changing my appearance to look more human?” I clarified.

He chuckled. “If you would like to nitpick my words, Doctor, I said that you must ‘maintain the illusion of an average human life’. There are no stipulations on your physical appearance, that phrasing only entails leaving the house enough to show the neighbors that you’re an average person.”

“Do I need to be employed, or just appear to be?”

“I would advise employment”, Jaxx nodded, “considering you will have an eternity to occupy your time.”

I eyed him keenly. The proposition still felt too weighted in my favor. “And if, hypothetically, I were to break our deal,” I continued, “what would happen?”

Jaxx disposed of the glass and closely inspected his fingernails, articulating his hands at different angles to accurately detect any imperfections. “If our deal is broken, any of the three spells you have cast will no longer work and you will lose the ability to perform them. You will also have to leave the house immediately.” 

He looked up from his nails and grinned. “Despite your barrage of questions and clear distrust of me, I know you will accept this negotiation. Not doing so would be foolish.”

“You are thrusting this upon me with urgency,” I observed.

With a smirk, Jaxx stepped terribly closed and leaned in close. Though I stood a few inches taller, he still reigned intimidatingly. One of his hands rested behind my ear, the other extended to shake mine. Face flushed, flustered at the close proximity, I froze in place. 

“Do we have a deal, Theoden?”

I gulped and analyzed what little options I had left. The prospect of living with a demon was, admittedly, a strong deviation from my original plan, but definitely sounded more fair than the offers I received all across Europe--if any deal were to be taken, this one ultimately proved best. 

I cleared my throat and shook his hand. “We have a deal.”

Jaxx once again materialized whiskey, this time, two servings. He pushed one into my hand and shot his back in one sip. “When you have finished your lecture tour,” he cooed, “we will have you settled. Welcome to an eternity of camaraderie, Doctor.”