Fox Among the Demons

by Trudie Collins

  “Correct,” Fox said. “Now I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine.” Komi was sitting at the back of the classroom. Taking this as his cue, he stood up and walked to the front, waving at the students as he did so. “This is Komi and he hunts fairies.”

  There was a collective gasp. Fox had just told the entire class that the newcomer was a law-breaker. Fox smiled. “Would anyone care to tell me why Komi is allowed to do this?”

  The children all looked at each other, but nobody spoke. Finally a short, thin boy tentatively raised his hand. Fox liked this boy. He was shy, but intelligent. He thought things through before speaking. Because he was smaller than the others, he tended to be picked on, which was one of the reasons for his shyness. Due to his personal experience, Fox suspected there were other reasons and made a mental note to discuss him with Beaden. If he was right, and the boy’s father was abusing him, either physically or mentally, they might be able to do something about it.

  “Go ahead, Olen,” Fox said. “I’m interested to hear your thoughts.”

  Before speaking, the boy looked around him. Seeing all of the other children looking at him made him nervous. As a result, he stammered when he started to speak. The girl sitting next to him laughed, causing Olen to go red with embarrassment.

  Fox didn’t raise his voice when he addressed her; he didn’t need to. “Anjul, in my class we respect each other. Everyone has the right to speak and be listened to. If you are not able to show Olen that courtesy, you are free to leave and join another class.”

  Anjul’s mouth dropped open. Everyone wanted to be taught by Fox and she would feel humiliated if she was told to leave. “You can’t make me do that.” She sounded petulant and Komi hoped that Fox was going to physically throw her out of the room, though he knew that he wouldn’t.

  “Yes, I can.” Komi couldn’t understand how Fox could remain so calm. “So, are you going to apologise to Olen or are you going to leave?”

  “I’m sorry for being rude, Olen,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “I didn’t quite hear that,” Fox said. It took all of Komi’s will power not to smile.

  “I’m sorry, Olen,” Anjul said loud enough for the whole class to hear. “I should not have laughed. We all want to hear what you have to say.” The expected sarcasm was not in her voice. This girl knew she was skating on thin ice as far as Fox was concerned and she didn’t want to disappoint him any further.

  Olen looked at Fox, who nodded. “Instructor Fox usually lives on Earth.” Officially the children should have referred to Fox by his last name, but it had been inherited from his father, so Fox never told anyone what it was. He preferred everyone to call him just Fox. He wanted no reminder of who his father was. He had petitioned to change it, but his request had been denied.

  Olen looked at Fox, waiting for him to speak, but Fox merely indicated that the boy should continue. “It is therefore likely that Komi also lives on Earth. Fairies escaped to Earth when the bad witches and wizards built their ‘doors’ and released their creations. There are no human magic users, therefore there is nothing to stop the fairies using their magic to cause trouble.”

  Olen had managed to get through his entire speech without stuttering. He looked very pleased with himself. Then he cast a nervous glance toward Fox, wondering what he was going to say.

  “Very well put,” Fox said, “and completely correct.” A few looks of admiration were cast in Olen’s direction, making him go red again. This time, however, he was smiling.

  “Fairies are still classed as a menace on Earth,” Fox continued, “and demon’s like Komi are permitted to hunt them.”

  A hand shot into the air and Fox indicated that the girl could speak. “Why do they kill them? That seems a little cruel. It’s not their fault that humans can’t do magic.”

  It was Komi who answered. “We don’t. We catch them and transport them back to Yong through a ‘door’. We put them in enchanted cages and have them taken to their island for release.”

  “How do you catch them?” the girl asked. Komi was sure he saw her flutter her eyelids at him. Fox coughed to cover his laugh, indicating he had seen it as well.

  Komi had brought a bag with him, full of weapons, and he placed it on Fox’s desk. He opened it up and took two out. “With this,” he said, holding up what appeared to be a fishing net. “And this.” He held up a spray can.

  The students were not impressed. They had been expecting to see something much more gruesome. Fox knew what else Komi had in his bag. The students would not be disappointed if he brought out any of those.

  “You catch fairies in a net?” one of the boys asked, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and distain.

  “It’s not as simple as it sounds. Has anyone been to their island?” Nobody had. “You should go. It’s very educational. Fairies are fast and don’t forget they have magic. It’s not a case of wave the net through the air and it will be full within minutes. This net is enchanted. Not only does the enchantment neutralise fairy magic, it also traps them. Without nets like these, they would be impossible to catch.”

  “So what is the spray for?” the girl who had fluttered her eyelids at him asked, repeating the gesture.

  “As I said, fairies are fast. We often have to spray an area where we know fairies are living. The chemical inside will not harm them, but will make them drowsy, making it easier to find them and catch them.”

  “Why not just take a magic user with you to cast a spell on them?”

  Komi grimaced. “It would make things easier, but a long time ago, those in control laid down a law stating that witches and wizards are not allowed on a ‘kill’. There were very good reasons for it, which I am sure you will learn about, but it does make my job much harder.”

  Komi went on to talk about some of his adventures trying to catch fairies, making sure he highlighted the dangers. He mentioned when things went wrong, like the time Trey got caught by one of their spells and it was three days before Lukine could counteract it so he could move his right arm again.

  “That’s enough for now,” Fox said. “Take a fifteen minute break. When you get back here, you are all going to write an essay on fairies, putting forward arguments for and against imprisoning them on their island.”

  Groans filled the room. The children much preferred listening to writing.

  “How old is that young minx who was trying to flirt with me?” Komi asked as soon as they were alone.

  “Thirteen.”

  “Thirteen! Isn’t that a little young to be interested in the opposite sex?”

  Fox stared at him incredulously. “And how old were you when you became interested in girls?”

  “That’s not the point. At that age I was interested in girls, not women. I’m almost old enough to be her father,” Komi said indignantly.

  Fox burst out laughing. “You’re only ten years older than her. Stop talking like you’re an old man.”

  “Being in a room full of teenagers makes me feel old.” He looked over at Fox, who was grinning at him. “You’re going to tell Bo about this, aren’t you?”

  “Oh I think that is more or less guaranteed.”

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  The end of the week arrived and Komi collected the essays he had set for Beaden’s class. He read through them while Beaden was teaching. Some of them were quite good, but they all followed the same theme: though demons relied on magic users and life would become difficult without them, witches and wizards were basically the servants of non-magic users and should be treated as such. They should not be given the same rights or respect.

  As the end of the lesson approached, Komi was asked to give feedback on the student’s work. He gave some general comments, then spoke of his concerns.

  “Everyone in this room believes that magic users are inferior, yet we rely on them. If we need them so much, why are they inferior?”

  A girl raised her hand. “The
law states this.”

  “Wrong. The law states what a magic user is permitted to do, it does not state how they should be treated or that they are inferior. How you treat a demon who possesses magic is up to you. Do you know why most of society use their abilities, but still shun the people themselves?”

  The girl shook her head. “Fear. With their magic, witches and wizards could easily take over all of Yong, but they don’t. Don’t you think it’s about time we all started to appreciate them for what they do for us? Or, more importantly, what they restrain themselves against doing?”

  Nobody spoke, so Komi continued. “Who here knows Fox?” All hands shot into the air. “What do you know about him?”

  Komi selected a boy at the front of the class. “He’s the best teacher. Everyone wants to be in his class. I have heard that some demons go to Earth just so their children can be taught by him.”

  “So you admire him?”

  “Yes. My mother was overjoyed to hear he was teaching here while he visited Yong. I know a number of parents are hoping to persuade him to stay and not return to Earth.”

  “Did you know he is a wizard?” It wasn’t a secret. Many people knew of Fox’s parentage so Komi was not revealing anything he shouldn’t.

  There was a stunned silence, broken by a feminine voice from somewhere at the back of the class. “How can he be a wizard? He’s a teacher.”

  “His father is a wizard, which means he inherited his magic. He was given the option of becoming a wizard or a teacher. Though he has never trained as a wizard, he is still classed as one. Now that you know that, do you respect him any less?”

  “Of course not,” someone said and most of the students voiced their agreement.

  “Why not?”

  “Being the son of a wizard doesn’t change who he is.”

  Komi smiled. “So why does it for someone who, through no fault of their own, inherits magic and decides to use it to the benefit of all demons?”

  The silence was deafening. Komi was making these children think in a way they hadn’t before.

  “That’s enough for today,” Beaden said. When the children had departed, he turned to Komi. “I think you may have actually gotten through to some of them.”

  “We’ll see,” Komi said.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Komi and Fox continued to teach at the school most days, hiding the fact from Trey. They had no idea what Bolene and Lukine were up to, but they kept themselves busy.

  The weeks passed quickly for Natasha. She was a fast learner and was amazed at the things she was learning to do. She missed Fox and longed to tell him the truth, but she knew she couldn’t.

  One afternoon she received a phone call from the hospital, requesting that she visit Lucy’s doctor. Hoping it was good news, but fearing the worst, she asked her father and aunt to accompany her.

  The doctor was grim as he ushered his three visitors into his office and closed the door behind them.

  “I wish I had better news,” he said. “Your niece’s condition is deteriorating. While all of her vital signs remain constant, she does not appear to be absorbing the nutrients we are giving her properly. We have tried changing them, but it has not helped.”

  Natasha felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. The pain felt real and she was struggling to breathe.

  “What’s the best case scenario?” Zem asked.

  The doctor grimaced. “There is no best or worse case scenarios, there are only facts. Unless we can find out what the problem is, and fix it, Lucy will continue to deteriorate. By the end of the month, she will be dead.”

  Betrayal

  Fox switched off his communicator and glanced across the room at Komi. They were sitting in the room they were sharing and, for once, Fox wished Komi wasn’t there. He had overheard one side of Fox’s conversation with Natasha so he knew that something was wrong and Fox was not looking forward to giving him the details

  Komi said nothing, waiting for Fox to speak. “This can’t leave this room,” Fox finally said. “As you gathered, that was Nat. There has been a development. Lucy is getting worse. She’s dying.”

  “How long does she have?”

  “She will survive to Alignment day, but not much longer after that.”

  “May the Creator have mercy. What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Fox ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He had no idea how to handle the situation. Reading Joonie’s spell book might be the only way to save Lucy, but it could also turn out to be a fruitless exercise, meaning Natasha had been put in harm’s way for no reason. Bringing her to Yong could be the only way to keep Lucy alive, but Yong was where Joonie wanted Natasha to be so it was the last place he wanted her to go.

  “I have to decide between Lucy and Nat,” Fox said.

  “No, you don’t. This doesn’t have to be your decision. We should discuss it as a family.”

  Fox shook his head. “I’m happy to discuss it, but ultimately I will have to decide what to do. I’m the one who is in love with Nat.”

  “You could let her make the decision.”

  “No. We both know what she will do. She will put Lucy above her own safety and I won’t let her do that.”

  “Do you have the right to stop her?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  Komi didn’t argue. He agreed with Fox. Had he been in Fox’s position, he would not let Natasha make the decision. “Bo and Lukine are downstairs. I don’t think Trey is back yet. We should speak to them before he returns.”

  Fox didn’t want to verbalise his dilemma, but he had to. This wasn’t something he could keep from Bolene and her husband. Trey was a different matter. His priority would be Lucy and his opinion would not be objective. ‘Not that mine is,’ Fox thought to himself.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  “You have to tell Nat,” Lukine said as soon as he heard the news. “She has to come here and read the spell book.”

  “And what happens if it doesn’t contain the answers we need? What happens if Joonie gets hold of her?” Fox asked.

  “We can protect her,” Lukine said.

  “Can we?”

  “Fox is right,” Bolene said. “We can’t allow Nat to come here. It’s just too risky. It will be giving Joonie what she wants.”

  “So what do we do?” Lukine asked. “Just let Lucy die?”

  “Nat has to be our priority,” Fox said. Beside him, he saw Komi nodding.

  “Does she?” Lukine said. “I’m sure Trey will disagree.”

  “Which is why we are not going to tell him,” Komi said.

  “I’m not sure I feel comfortable with this,” Bolene said.

  Fox stood up. “Do whatever you feel is right. I don’t want Nat to know about the spell book and I don’t want her to come here, but there is nothing I can do to stop you telling her, or Trey.”

  “Where are you going?” Komi asked as Fox headed for the door.

  “To get drunk.”

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Trey left the house early the next morning. He was trying to trace an old friend of Joonie’s. He had found his address, but neighbours said he was travelling and had no idea when he would be back. He had managed to trace the wizard’s movements until a few weeks ago, then had lost the trail. He was due to meet a witch later in the day who claimed to know a locator spell that worked on magic users. Trey was sceptical, but it was worth a try.

  He opened the front door and almost walked into Fox. He had his arms around a short blonde woman and was kissing her passionately. It took a moment for Trey to realise it was Soolin.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” Soolin said when Fox released her.

  Trey waited until she had returned to her vehicle and departed before speaking. “Care to explain?”

  “No,” Fox said and pushed past him
into the house. Trey shrugged his shoulders. It wasn’t his problem so he put it from his mind. He had more important things to worry about.

  Komi woke as Fox entered their room. “Where have you been? You smell like a brewery.”

  “I said I wanted to get drunk.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  Fox saw no reason to lie. “I bumped into Soolin and ended up spending the night with her.” Komi raised a questioning eyebrow. “I decided you were right. Using her for sex might make me feel better. Let’s face it, I’m already betraying Nat so it could hardly make me feel any worse.”

  “Did it help?”

  “Not really. I forgot my problems for a while, but they soon came rushing back.”

  “Try to get some sleep,” Komi said. “I will wake you later. I’m here if you need to talk.”

  “Thanks, but right now, talking is the last thing I want to do.”

  It was still early, but Komi got up anyway. Fox was making the room smell and he didn’t really want to make his friend take a shower and brush his teeth until he had had a chance to sleep.

  It was not long before Bolene joined him in the kitchen and he told her about Fox and Soolin.

  “He really isn’t handling this well, is he?” Komi shook his head. “What can we do?”

  “Nothing. Let him play this out as he sees fit. All we can do is make sure we are here for him to pick up the pieces when he finally falls apart.”

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  The days passed slowly for Natasha as she watched Lucy get worse and worse. Her body was not getting the nutrients it needed so was eating away at its own fat supply. Lucy had always been a slim young lady so there was not much fat on her to lose. Her bones were beginning to show under her loose hanging skin, which was becoming paler by the day.