Fox Among the Demons

by Trudie Collins

  “Sorry,” she said as she hunted for the offending machine in her bag. She retrieved it then switched it off without looking to see who was calling. “So what do I need to know about sirens?” she asked as she dropped her phone back into her bag and gave Fox her full attention.

  The lesson went quickly. Natasha found sirens fascinating. Some of the myths and legends about them were true, but not many. They lured people with their voices, but did not prey on sailors specifically. They had no connection to water at all. They looked and acted like normal women who just happened to be talented vocally. They often made a living by singing, only occasionally using their voices to lure people, both male and female, into going home with them. Once alone with their victims, they would use their song to put them into a trance before syphoning off so much of their energy that they died.

  They would not always kill their victims immediately. If they found a male appealing, they would procreate with him first, keeping him ensnared until they no longer had use for him. If the offspring was female, it was a siren and was reared by her mother. If it was male, it was a perfectly normal baby and was always abandoned at the nearest medical facility. There was no way of telling that his mother was a siren.

  What Natasha found most intriguing was how they were killed. Alcohol was poisonous to them, even the smallest drop. As a result, their victims were always sober. Sirens had an enhanced sense of smell and could detect alcohol in someone, even if they had drunk it hours earlier. Whenever they smelled alcohol in an intended prey, they left that person alone and chose someone else.

  The enchanted necklaces worn by Komi and his siblings made them immune to a siren’s song. It also made sirens unable to smell the alcohol they had been consuming. When on a ‘kill’, the demons always carried flasks filled with their favourite alcoholic beverage. One of them would pretend to be ensnared by a siren and go back with her to wherever she was living. The others would follow, just in case their help was needed.

  Sirens were always slim and weak. Trey and Bolene preferred to overpower them and pour the contents of their flasks down the siren’s throat, where it would quickly kill them. Komi liked to have a bit more fun. Sirens who chose him usually wanted to mate with him first, so he would go along with the seduction. At the first opportunity, or so he claimed, he would drink from his flask, keeping the liquid in his mouth. When he next kissed the siren the alcohol would flow from his mouth into hers. He liked to say that he kissed them to death.

  Fox wasn’t the only one who wondered how far Komi actually went with a siren before killing her.

  “Why are there no male sirens?” Natasha asked as the lesson was drawing to a close.

  “We are not completely sure. We think that they were created by a scorned witch and that the first victim was her ex-lover, but we may be wrong.”

  There was a knock on the door and Komi entered. “Lesson over?”

  Fox glanced at the clock on the wall. “Near enough. Eager for your turn?”

  Komi grinned. He had told Fox what he had planned for Natasha and Fox couldn’t help returning the smile. She was not going to like it.

  Komi turned his attention to Natasha. “Did you bring a change of clothes as instructed?” Natasha nodded and tapped her bag, which was hanging over her chair. “Then go and get changed.”

  “She’s not going to be happy with you,” Fox said to Komi as soon as Natasha had left the room.

  “I know. But it’s for her own good.”

  “I’m not sure she will agree with you.”

  The two men talked about Komi’s plans for Natasha’s first training session for a while, then Fox said, “Can I ask you a question?” Komi nodded. “Why have you never taught her how to greet a demon properly?”

  “To be honest, I didn’t think she would believe me. She seems adverse to me touching her, for some reason.”

  “Maybe because you are always flirting with her. Try treating her as a friend instead of a potential mate. It’s amazing how much more she will like you and open up to you.”

  A knock at the door alerted the two men to Natasha’s return, saving Komi from responding. She was dressed in a tight fitting top, shorts so small they were only just descent and a pair of old and worn trainers.

  “I hope there is a reason for you making me dress like this.” Her tone of voice told Komi that if there wasn’t, he was going to regret it.

  “There is. Before you start to learn how to use any of our weapons, you need to build your body up a bit. I’m going to start with your legs, your thighs to be precise.”

  “And how, may I ask, do you intend to do that?”

  “By making you go on top every time we have sex.”

  Natasha turned to Fox. “Doesn’t he ever give up?”

  “He never has as far as I know, but then again, he has never had to chase a woman for so long. Maybe you should give in. It might be the only way to get him to leave you alone.”

  “And maybe you should both keep dreaming.” She turned her attention back to Komi, who was still smiling at her. “Now are you going to be serious or am I going to drive myself home?”

  She expected him to stop grinning, but he didn’t. “Come with me,” he said. “Your first lesson will be outside.”

  He led her to the front door, grabbed a set of car keys from the hooks on the wall, then took her around the back of the hotel to the large shed where the cars were kept. He unlocked Fox’s and told her to get in.

  “Where are we going?” she asked as he drove down the driveway.

  “You’ll see. It’s not far.” Natasha didn’t like the way he was still smiling at her. It made her think she was going to regret her decision to let him train her.

  Komi drove toward the mountains, taking a dirt track which was not sign posted when he reached the foothills. It was long and winding and ended up at a deserted car park.

  He parked the car, got out and signalled that Natasha should follow him. He walked down a path and ended up at a riverbank. The river was wide and water was flowing fast enough to make Natasha doubt she would be able to cross it.

  “Why are we here?” she asked.

  “Walking is good for building up your muscles. Walking in water is even better, hence the short shorts and the old shoes you don’t mind getting ruined. About a mile upstream, the other side of the river, is another car park. Fox is meeting us there.”

  Natasha looked dubiously at the water. “You can’t make me do this.”

  “Don’t worry,” Komi said. “It’s perfectly safe. The river isn’t fast enough or deep enough for it to be dangerous. And it’s only a mile, roughly. Now wait here while I go and get changed. I left my things in the car.”

  Natasha never suspected he was lying to her until she heard the car starting up. She raced back to the carpark in time to see Komi pulling away. The window was down and he slowed enough that she could hear him shout at her. “I lied. Fox is meeting just you. I’m going home. You can either walk the mile in the river or you can walk back to the hotel. It should only take you three or four hours.”

  He closed the window when she started yelling at him. He might be wrong, but he thought that what she was suggesting she would do to him when she got hold of him was physically impossible. At least he hoped it was.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Natasha waited and waited, but there was no sign of Komi returning. He had deserted her. She now had the choice of walking back to the hotel, which she really did not want to do, or going into the river.

  She returned to the water’s edge, in the hope that there was a way along the river bank, but much to her dismay, it was overgrown as far as she could see. Looking across, the opposite bank was just the same.

  Muttering to herself, she stepped into the water, then began to swear. It was freezing cold, but it didn’t take long for her to acclimatise. She slowly started to walk upstream, against the flow of the river. It was hard work and her muscles wer
e soon screaming at her, but she kept going, silently praying that Komi hadn’t lied to her about there being a way to climb out of the river a mile away.

  Eventually she spotted a gap in the trees and headed toward it. Her legs were hurting so much by the time she reached it that it took her three attempts before she managed to clamber out of the water. She wanted to lie down and rest, but knew she would not be able to get up again if she did.

  Taking small steps, she forced herself to walk along the path until she reached the car park. As Komi had promised, Fox was waiting for her. As soon as he saw her approaching, he got out of the car and walked over to her. “You may want this,” he said and handed her a towel.

  Natasha dried her wet legs, then took off her shoes and socks to dry her feet. Once she was done, Fox gave her a flask. She removed the lid and sniffed the contents. It was coffee, still steaming hot. She poured some into the cup and took a sip, burning her mouth as she did so.

  “I have a blanket in the car and some slippers that should fit you,” Fox said. She followed him to the car, which she recognised as Bolene’s, and climbed into the passenger seat. The slippers were warm against her frozen feet and the blanket she tucked over her bare legs gave her much needed comfort.

  “Did you know what Komi was planning?” she asked as Fox pulled out of the parking space.

  “Yes. I argued against it, but, as usual, Komi got what he wanted.”

  “Why did he make me do this? Is he really that pissed off at me for turning down his advances?”

  “No. It actually is a good way of building up your leg muscles. We all do it regularly.”

  Despite the rough track they were on, Fox was driving steadily, allowing Natasha to continue drinking without spilling the hot liquid on herself. “Why are you in Bo’s car?”

  Fox kept his eyes on the road as he replied. “A couple of reasons. Firstly, Komi wasn’t back by the time I left the hotel. I drove up and down the route he took you, just in case you decided to walk back instead of braving the river. I didn’t like the thought of you walking all the way back.”

  “Thank you,” Natasha said. “And secondly?”

  Fox glanced at her and grinned as he said, “You are wet and dirty. I didn’t want you in my car.”

  He expected her to make some unseemly comment at him, but instead she started to laugh. It lightened her mood and her anger at Komi evaporated as Fox drove her back to the hotel.

  There was no sign of Fox’s car or Komi when they arrived. Both surmised that he was too scared to face her. She took a long warm bath and agreed to stay for the evening meal, which Komi didn’t show up to.

  The following morning her legs were so stiff she could hardly get out of bed. She tried to contact Komi on her communicator, but he didn’t answer. Lucy alternated between giving her sympathy and laughing every time she complained about her legs and by the time Komi found the courage to visit her later in the evening, she no longer had the energy to be mad at him.

  He assured her that he honestly had done it for her own good and she should start to do it regularly. She finally agreed, but on the condition that he join her.

  Lucy announced that they were both mad before saying she was going to get an early night. Natasha and Komi stayed up for a while longer, talking about things Komi had done before Natasha met him and by the time he left, she had almost forgiven him. Almost, but not quite.

  Splinter

  The weeks passed and Natasha slowly got stronger and fitter. While Fox improved her mind, Komi improved her body. She was still only going to the hotel once a week, but they both made the lessons intense. Most weeks Komi and Natasha walked the river. Sometimes one or two of the others would join them, but usually they were alone. Natasha soon got used to the cold and her increased muscle strength meant that the time spent in the water decreased each week as her speed increased.

  Komi began to teach her how to use weapons; not for attack but for defence. She had made it perfectly clear she had no intention of ever joining him on a ‘kill’ and he was content to stick to the basics. She was a slow learner, but he didn’t push her. He enjoyed teaching her and wanted it to last as long as possible.

  One evening Komi was visiting her at her house when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and her face lit up in a way he had never seen before. For the first time since they had met, she excused herself and went to her bedroom to speak to the caller.

  She was gone a long time and he had almost fallen asleep on the sofa by the time she returned.

  “Sorry,” she said as she walked back into the room, the sound of her voice jerking him awake. “That was Paul. We don’t get to talk very often so we make the most of it every time we get the chance.”

  For a moment Komi wondered who Paul was, then he remembered he was Natasha’s estranged boyfriend. She didn’t talk about him often and Komi had been hoping that he was drifting out of her life.

  “He’s flying back in a few weeks,” Natasha continued, unable to keep the good news to herself. “Just for a visit, but he is able to stay for almost three weeks.”

  “Does he know about you?” Komi asked. “That you are a demon?”

  The smile fell from Natasha’s face. “No and I intend to keep it that way. He will not be meeting you or finding out anything about you.” She emphasised the ‘not’. It was an instruction not a statement.

  “How are you going to explain where you go at weekends?”

  “That’s easy. I won’t be going to my lessons at the hotel while Paul is here.”

  Emotions ran through Komi. Initially he was shocked that she could even think such a thing, then his shock turned to anger. He was giving up his time for her. How dare she just throw him aside like that. Before he could react, his anger gave way to sadness. He wasn’t going to see her for three entire weeks. Yes, he could make himself invisible and follow her, but something told him she would not tolerate that. And he didn’t want to see her with her boyfriend, even if the boyfriend would not be able to see him.

  “Fox won’t be happy,” he finally said. “He agreed to teach you on his terms. How do you know he will accept you skipping lessons?”

  The look on Natasha’s face told him that it was something she hadn’t thought about. She walked into the hallway, retrieved her bag and took out her communicator. She spoke Fox’s name into it and it connected.

  “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Fox’s voice sounded from within the box as soon as he knew who was calling him.

  Natasha explained the situation then asked his permission to skip lessons while Paul visited which, much to Komi’s disgust, he gave.

  “You may have permission to miss lessons with Fox,” Komi said as soon as Natasha disconnected her call, “but you don’t have my permission to not attend your lessons with me.”

  He didn’t like the way she smiled at him. “But I didn’t ask you to teach me, you insisted, therefore I get to decide when I do or don’t attend, not you.”

  “If that’s your attitude,” Komi said nastily, “I don’t know why I bother with you.” He could see that his harsh words had hurt her, but it was too late to take them back. Without saying another word, he stood up and left.

  He was angry, though whether at himself or Natasha he wasn’t sure. He rode faster than he should have done, breaking the speed limit and taking unnecessary risks on blind corners. By the time he reached the hotel, his anger had found a focus: Fox. Fox should never have agreed to Natasha missing lessons. If he had said she had to still attend, Komi would not be facing the prospect of three weeks without seeing her. It was all his fault.

  He almost didn’t bother putting his motorbike in the shed, but it looked like it was going to rain and he didn’t want it to get wet.

  He found his sister in the lounge, reading a book. “You’re back early,” she said, glancing up at him.

  “Where’s Fox?” he asked. He wasn’t in the mood for talking with Bolene.

  “In the library, I think. Getting ready for
tomorrow’s lessons with the children.”

  Komi didn’t thank her. He walked out of the room, leaving her staring at him, a puzzled frown creasing her face.

  “What was that about?” Lukine asked. He was seated on the chair opposite her, unnoticed by Komi.

  “I have no idea.”

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Fox was busy looking for reference books and didn’t hear Komi enter the library. He jumped when he heard him say, “What in the Creator’s name were you thinking?”

  He carefully replaced the book he was holding on the shelf and turned around to look at Komi. He could see he was upset, but had no idea as to the cause.

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “You said Natasha could skip lessons while her boyfriend was visiting.”

  “And?”

  “And you shouldn’t have done it. She can’t afford to miss that many.”

  “That is my decision to make, not yours. No harm will be done. What’s the real problem?”

  Komi walked up to Fox and put his face close to his. “The problem,” he said in a voice that screamed of potential violence, “is that we won’t see her for three damn weeks.”

  Fox took a step back. He didn’t think Komi would lash out at him, but he wanted to be prepared, just in case. “No,” he said calmly. “The problem is that you won’t see her for three weeks.”

  He walked over to one of the armchairs and sat down. “Grow up Komi. If she wants to take a break from you, let her. If the thought of not seeing her bothers you that much, tell her. Has it ever occurred to you that if you stopped coming on to her and started treating her as a friend instead of a potential bed partner, she might actually introduce you to Paul.”

  Komi sat down opposite Fox. He knew it wasn’t Fox’s fault, but he was still mad at him. The fact that he remembered the name of Natasha’s boyfriend irritated him even more, though he had no idea why.

  He leaned forward, clenching his hands together in front of him. “I don’t want to meet her damn boyfriend. If he was worthy of her, he wouldn’t have left.”