Fox Among the Demons

by Trudie Collins

  ‘Bless the Creator,’ Fox thought to himself. ‘Why couldn’t I have kept my mouth shut?’ He really did not want to be the one to tell her that Komi was still spying on her. But he also didn’t want to lie to her.

  “He was out,” he said, silently praying that she would not ask where.

  “You surprise me. I would have expected him to stay here as much as possible, eagerly awaiting the okay to go on another ‘kill’.” She paused before adding, “When he isn’t at my place annoying me, that is.”

  Fox did his best to keep a straight face.

  “You don’t seem to like him much,” he said when he had managed to get himself under control.

  “Oh I like him,” Natasha said. “He just annoys me sometimes. He’s too bloodthirsty and I wish he would stop flirting with me. He doesn’t seem to understand that I already have a boyfriend and, even if I didn’t, I would not be interested in anything other than friendship.”

  “He’s never had a girl turn him down before, at least not for this long.” Fox wondered how Natasha would react if she knew that Komi was watching her line dancing classes and was still following her to and from work, just to make sure she got there then home alright. Suddenly he wanted to find out and he knew just how to do it.

  He removed his necklace from around his neck and handed it to her. It was one of his enchanted ones that allowed him to see demons when they had activated their invisibility bracelets. He had plenty of spares.

  “You know what this is?” Natasha nodded. “It’s about time you had one, seeing as you are, after all, a demon.”

  “I’m still sceptical about that,” Natasha said, but she took the necklace and put it on. He wondered if she would tell Komi that she had it, but something made him think she wouldn’t.

  “Now, back to dryads,” Fox said.

  “How come humans never see them?” Natasha asked.

  “They do, they just don’t realise what they are. They look a lot like humans.”

  “And demons,” Natasha said.

  “And demons,” Fox agreed. “They don’t leave the woods and forests they live in very often and they spend a lot of their time sleeping in the trees.”

  “They build tree houses? I’m sure they would be spotted.”

  Fox grinned at her once more. She had misunderstood his comment. “No, they literally live inside the trees. They can pass through the bark and their bodies can merge with the wood inside. They get a lot of their sustenance from the sap.”

  Natasha thought about what he had just said and shivered. The thought of seeing someone who looked human blending with a tree made her feel ill.

  “That’s an image I won’t get out of my head for a long time,” she said. “Thanks a lot.”

  “My pleasure,” he replied, ignoring her sarcasm.

  The rest of the lesson was spent teaching her about the blue liquid that wizards had developed in order to kill dryads. Fox explained how it had been designed, how it was made and why it didn’t affect anything other than dryads. The flames were magical, with no real heat to them, and it was a chemical reaction that caused the dryads to look like they were burning. Natasha wasn’t sure she understood half of what he was saying but, as she had no interest in that particular subject matter, she didn’t let him know. She just hoped there wouldn’t be an exam at any time.

  When the lesson was over, she drove home. Komi had wanted to pick her up every time she had to visit the hotel, but she had politely refused his offer. She wanted to have her own means of transport, should she ever wish to get away, alone.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  The days came and went and it was soon time for Natasha’s next line dancing class.

  “Going to spy on Nat again?” Fox asked Komi innocently. He had not mentioned Natasha having a necklace, so he was sure that Komi was not aware of it.

  “None of your business,” Komi replied.

  “What was that about?” Trey asked once Komi had left. He had detected an odd tone in Fox’s voice.

  Fox couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “I gave Nat a necklace. She’s going to be able to see him.”

  “Oh this could be entertaining. She’s going to be so mad at him. I really hope she comes here to confront him. I wouldn’t want to miss that little scene.”

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  The lesson had already started when Komi arrived at the club where Natasha went on a weekly basis. He slipped in through the door after a couple, both of whom had to show their membership cards, then headed down the stairs to the room where the lesson was held.

  As usual the dancefloor was crowded, but there were plenty of empty chairs along the walls. Komi sat down then scanned the crowd, his eyes quickly falling on Natasha. She was near the front on the right, which seemed to be her favourite spot. He watched her for a while, enjoying seeing the way she moved her body. Despite the fact he found line dancing boring, she seemed to make it almost artistic. She was good, very good, but never flaunted the fact. She was more than happy to help out newcomers, going slow and talking them through each step until they got the hang of it.

  They were doing a dance that he knew she enjoyed, based on the way her face lit up. When they did a quarter turn so she was facing him, their eyes met and her face dropped. She was so shocked to see him that she missed the next step.

  But not as shocked as he was. How could she see him? He had activated his bracelets before entering the club.

  She quickly picked up the dance again and waited until everyone had turned around to face him once more. This time she glared at him. She was angry, very angry. She moved the necklace from under her shirt and the colour drained from Komi’s face. He waited until she was no longer facing him, then fled.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  “Where in the Creator’s name did she get an enchanted necklace?” Komi shouted as he walked into the lounge. Everyone was there and he didn’t like the way they were smiling at him.

  “How mad is she?” Bolene asked, ignoring his question.

  “I didn’t stick around to find out.”

  Trey laughed. “Like a puppy caught doing something he shouldn’t, you tucked your tail between your legs and ran away.”

  Komi growled at him. Knowing he wasn’t going to get any answers, he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

  He was still sulking in his bedroom when the front doorbell rang. He debated refusing to answer it, but, knowing who it would be, he suspected nobody else was going to and he didn’t want to leave Natasha standing on the doorstep, especially given the mood she was probably in.

  He was half way down the main staircase when he saw the front door open and Natasha walked in. She had a key? Who had given her a key?

  Natasha spotted him and glared. “Schoolroom. Now.” She didn’t raise her voice. Komi would have felt better if she had. At least she would have been releasing her anger instead of holding it in.

  His legs were shaking as he walked down the last few steps, though he had no idea why. What could she do to him? She could yell a bit, but that was about all. He was a trained fighter, she wasn’t, so why was he so apprehensive?

  He slowly entered the schoolroom and she closed the door behind him. She turned around and leaned against it, her arms behind her back.

  She spoke slowly, enunciating each word as though it was a complete sentence. “You will never follow me again. Do you understand?”

  Komi decided to play with her, in the hope of calming her down. He could feel the cold rage flowing from her. He grinned. “And how are you planning on stopping me?”

  It was a mistake. She walked up to him, grabbed hold of the front of his t-shirt with her fist and pulled his face close to hers. “If I ever catch you spying on me again, I will have nothing more to do with you. I will still come here for lessons, but our friendship will be o
ver.”

  It was the last thing he had been expecting her to say and he didn’t know how to react.

  “You’re bluffing.”

  “Try me.”

  He knew that she would be angry with him if she ever found out he was spying on her still, but he never thought she would be this mad. Either she was a very good liar or she meant every word she said. He considered saying he would not let her catch him next time, but decided it would not be a good idea.

  “I’m sorry,” he stammered.

  “Not good enough.”

  He had no idea how she was keeping her rage under control. He could see it in her eyes, but it never reached her voice, which she kept low and menacing. For the first time in his life he was at a loss as to what to do or say. The thought of never seeing her again actually bothered him. This came as a surprise to him as he was usually more concerned about having to see a girl again instead of not being able to.

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “You can start with promising never to spy on me again.” That he could do. If she could see him when he followed her, it wouldn’t be classed as spying. “Then you can agree to stop flirting with me, treat me as a friend instead of a potential bed mate.” That one was harder. His natural instincts were to flirt with everyone of the female persuasion, whether he was interested in her or not.

  “I promise,” he said, doing his best to sound sincere. Natasha did not look convinced. “I swear on my life,” he continued.

  Natasha just stared at him, her eyes penetrating him as though she was looking down into his soul. Eventually she released her hold on his t-shirt and stepped back.

  “I’m not kidding Komi. Go back on your word and we are through.”

  He watched her as she turned her back on him and opened the door. Three people, who had been listening in, jumped back out of her way. Nobody spoke as she walked down the corridor. They heard her open the front door then slam it behind her.

  “Well that went well,” Komi said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  “You need to start being more careful,” Fox said. “If she walks out, I’m going to make you regret it.”

  “Why should it bother you?” Komi asked. “You’re not interested in her are you?”

  “Of course not,” Fox snapped back. “I’ll admit that I am enjoying teaching someone who knows absolutely nothing, but I am more interested in the mystery of her. How is she a demon? That is one question I want answered before you scare her away.”

  Komi snarled at him. “I suppose it was you who gave her the necklace.” Fox nodded. “Figures. But why give her a key?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “That was me,” Bolene said. “I wanted her to feel at home, to let her know that she can come and go as she pleases.”

  “Well you could both have told me first,” Komi said, then walked out of the schoolroom.

  River Walking

  Natasha’s lessons continued and she learned all about werewolves and other creatures and how to kill them, as well as more about Fox’s homeland.

  One day, just as her lesson was coming to a close, Komi turned up at the door. He looked her up and down critically, then announced that she had to start taking lessons with him.

  “Why?” she asked.

  He managed to keep his face serious as he said, “Fox is teaching you the theory, you need to learn the practical.”

  She glanced at Fox, hoping he would disagree with Komi. Instead he nodded his head, indicating he thought it was a good idea.

  “You don’t need to become proficient,” he said, “but it would be good for you to at least get to know how the weapons feel in your hands and the basics on how to use them. It could save your life.”

  After all she had been taught so far, she could hardly disagree with him. “Alright,” she said, though she did not sound happy about it.

  Komi smiled at her. “Your first lesson will be next week. You can decide whether to work with me before or after your session with Fox.”

  Natasha groaned. She didn’t have to agree to do this, but if Fox thought it was a good idea, she was willing to give it a try. “After,” she said. “If I stick with this, will you stop coming to my dance classes?”

  “Not a chance.” The evening of her first dance class after their argument, Komi had turned up at her house, in Fox’s car, and announced that he would drive her. He wanted to make sure she arrived safely and he promised to be on time to drive her home once more. He had been such a gentleman about it she hadn’t had the heart to say no.

  When they arrived, he pointed out that it would be pointless for him to go home then come back again, so he might as well stay. Natasha rolled her eyes, knowing it was pointless to argue with him and she could not accuse him of spying when she could see him. He did, however, make himself invisible so nobody else could.

  She still hadn’t managed to find out why he wanted to watch her dance, seeing as he kept complaining about how boring it looked and he couldn’t understand why she did it, but she was growing accustomed to him being there and it no longer bothered her.

  She had started to look forward to her time with Fox. He was keeping the lessons interesting and she found herself wanting to know more and more.

  “Before we start,” he said when she turned up at the hotel a week later, “you need to learn how to greet a demon.”

  “Hello demon?” Natasha suggested.

  Fox shook his head, trying to hide his smile. He liked her sense of humour. “No. Humans shake hands, we touch palms.” He held up his right hand, palm facing toward her. She mirrored the movement and he placed his hand against hers. For some reason Natasha could not explain, it felt more intimate than shaking hands.

  Natasha then remembered that Komi had done something strange when he first met Lucy, before shaking her hand, and she realised he must have been about to place his palm against hers before realising what he was doing.

  “We do this,” Fox said, “to show that we are not holding any weapons. When meeting someone for the first time, or if the person is a potential enemy, we do it with both hands. It demonstrates trust as it leaves both parties vulnerable.”

  He raised his other hand and Natasha put hers against it. “If one demon is interested in another, they show their interest by wrapping their fingers around the other person’s.” He demonstrated, curling his fingers between Natasha’s. “They then either reciprocate or withdraw.” He quickly released Natasha’s hands, in case she got the wrong impression. He was teaching her, not making a move on her.

  “Why has Komi never shown me this I wonder,” Natasha said.

  Fox shrugged his shoulders. “No idea. You will have to ask him that. Now, on to sirens.”

  Natasha had other ideas. She wanted to know more about Komi. “Not yet. Does he do it often, with demons or humans?”

  Seeing that he was not going to get far trying to teach her anything about supernatural creatures until her curiosity had been sated, he indicated that Natasha should take a seat. She sat at her usual desk and he perched on the edge of the table at the front of the schoolroom.

  “Quite often, yes. As you probably realised, he is a bit of a flirt.”

  “A bit?”

  “Alright then, a lot. Which makes it very strange he has never shown you how to introduce yourself to other demons. Now, back to sirens.”

  Natasha shook her head. “What about you?”

  “What about me?” he asked warily. Fox was a relatively private person and did not like talking about himself.

  “You don’t seem like a flirt to me. What’s your story? Waiting for your one true love?”

  Fox stood up, walked around the table then sat on the chair behind it. He put his elbows on the table, put his palms together, steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. He looked at Natasha as he debated what to do. She seemed genuinely interested in what she hoped he would tell her, but he wasn’t sure she was going to like what she heard. He decided to tell her anyway.


  “I thought I had found my one true love. We even committed ourselves to each other, kind of like humans getting engaged. It didn’t work out and once we had split up, I realised I was never really in love with her, nor she with me.” He stopped talking, knowing that Natasha would not let him stop there.

  “What went wrong?” she predictably asked.

  “I caught her in bed with Komi.”

  Fox found the look on Natasha’s face strangely satisfying. “You did what?” she asked, as though she could not believe what she had just heard.

  Fox remained calm as he spoke. The memory had stopped bothering him a long time ago. “Soolin and I lived together. I came home to find them in our bed, having sex. Soolin was on top and turned around in shock when she heard the bedroom door opening. She had not been expecting me home so early. Komi, however, knew I would be. It took me a while to get over her betrayal. It’s one of the reasons we all came to Earth; I needed to get away.”

  Natasha was shaking her head in disbelief. “You caught Komi in bed with the woman you were going to marry yet you moved to another dimension with him and his family. Are you insane? You must really hate him.”

  “Actually, I thanked him. Soolin had been trying to get him into bed for ages. He tried to tell me, but I wasn’t prepared to listen to him. I was happy. I thought we were happy. I believed Komi was just jealous. As soon as I saw them together I knew I had been wrong. He had arranged for me to catch them. He couldn’t let me marry her, knowing the sort of woman she was, and it was the only way he could think of to save me from ruining my life.”

  Natasha did not look convinced. “What makes you so sure it was her who was doing the chasing?”

  “Soolin isn’t his type.”

  “And what is his type?”

  “You.”

  That shut her up. She opened her mouth to ask another question, then closed it again. Fox waited, but she had no more to say. “Shall we talk about sirens now?”

  Before she could reply, her phone rang. He frowned at her. One of the rules of the schoolroom was that all communicators had to be switched off. The same rule applied to mobile phones.