The three sisters started arguing about what to do with James. All had different ideas, none good or the least bit promising for James. Especially Gilda who, much to his chagrin, had taken a fancy to him, while he of course felt no attraction towards her. A witch she might be, but an utterly crazy one if she thought he could fall in love with her. That would require an insane amount of magic, more than she could possibly possess! But in the meantime, he was stuck as a barking slave and to hear them discuss his fate was nothing short of disgusting and frightening.
Eventually, the witches settled on having dinner for all, while Matilda watched James in the living-room. Gilda was judged a tad too enthusiastic by her two sisters for the task. So she and Hilda set to preparing food in order to have a pleasant meal, at least for three of the four people present. Matilda just made James sit down, still naked of course, and talked to him. She talked and prattled on about her past romantic accomplishments and gushed about her great lovers, even blushing a bit sometimes. James found it just boring and even quite revolting at times. An old hag giving him too much information about her sex life! Disgusting!
In the kitchen, the two other sisters were preparing a good tomato soup with onions and herbs. They were bustling about, and Gilda was chatting on and on about how impatient she was to be alone with James and how she had tons of ideas about how to make him her perfect boy toy. Hilda just hummed and nodded, pretending to agree with her. She had other ideas. Ideas her two sisters would not agree with and would be furious at her for. But to get out of her troubles, Hilda needed James. Unbeknownst to her sisters, she had acquired a lot of magical powers from a demon, in exchange for a young human but had not been able to give one to him. Blast those parents teaching kids to be wary of strangers offering candy and other goodies! James would do, as the demon was getting impatient. Oh, her sisters would be angry with her but she had no choice, had she? James was the only one she had under her hand. Moreover, human were taken by demons to the Underworld to be regressed and adopted, as demons could not reproduce. Humans were incredibly malleable and transformable and the younger they were when transformed the better they got adjusted to their new lives, like all creatures. She just had to slip the transformation potion into James' food and he would be transformed irreversibly. As Gilda passed plates, that was what she did. Naturally, Gilda would be outraged but Hilda would make it up to her eventually, in time. Her own situation was worse. She smiled as she dug in the food with all the others. Yes, by the end of the meal, everything would be solved for her.
James was forced to sit at the table and finish all of his plate of soup, as Hilda said with a wide smile. It was better to focus on his spoon and soup rather than Gilda winking and blowing kisses at him. Yet as soon as he had emptied his plate, he started to feel weird. His tummy started to grumble and he gelt faint. He also had hot flashes. He assumed it was another mean and stupid spell from the sisters but when he looked at them, they looked bewildered. Well, all apart from Hilda, who just looked with intensity at him. Then, his head started to spin. He fell to the floor, while the two confused witches rose to their feet, asking each other what was happening. He heard Hilda say something but he was too preoccupied with his current state. The world not only spun, it was getting bigger! And he felt himself being pressed. Worse, his skin started to feel like it was burning. When he opened his eyes, he saw it was indeed turning red! He could feel pains upon his forehead and lower back too. He groaned and moaned. Then everything turned black.
When James came to, he saw the the witches bent down over him, their faces abnormally large. He tried to ask what happened but only babbles came out of his mouth. Was that another cruel spell? And he felt so weak...
"Really, Hilda, you could have told us!" snapped Matilda.
"Yes," huffed Gilda. "We could have found another human! Now my toy boy is gone!"
"I did not have the choice!" said firmly Hilda, for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Anyway, I've called him and he's on his way. We'll find another human lodger! You can even choose him yourself, Gilda, if it'll make you shut up!"
The three witches wee arguing heatedly, with poor James trying to move his limbs better than in just jerky movements on the ground. As he flailed his arms, he could see his hands. They looked human enough, but bright red and he could not uncurl his fingers from his fist, try as he might. Also, they were puny, and he could just make put his tummy that had become incredibly paunchy. What had those witches done to him? However, a blast of heat, a real one, interrupted everybody. James flinched as he saw a big muscular creature he could not describe other than a demon arrive. It really was massive, with eyes blue like the centre of flames, cloven hooves and enormous horns. He looked at the the witches and then peered down at James, who started to cry in fright, an infantile wail that surprised him.
"He'll do," nodded the demon at James. "Young and cute. Yes, he'll do. The debt is paid."
"I knew he'd make an adorable baby!" stammered Hilda in pleading tones. "That was why it took so long! I wanted to make sure to have the perfect subject! Only the best for you, my lord! I knew he'd make a family very, very happy!"
As the demon wrapped James in a clean and warm piece of cloth and picked him up, James caught his reflection in a mirror nearby. He was a baby! He'd been regressed to a baby, not even six months old, maybe! A baby demon. He had two tiny nubs on his forehead and a forked tail. With bright red skin and a few wispy brown locks of his original hair. And did they mention something about adoption? No! No! He didn't want to be adopted and grow up all over again! He squirmed in outrage but the creature holding him of course barely felt anything. The demon muttered something and symbols appeared out of his hand, turning and swirling until they formed a circle, which became a portal. The demon went through it, leaving the witches to their disputes and finding of a next lodger and James to his new life as an infant of the Underworld.