by G. Bailey
Whoever designed this place needs to find the other colours of the rainbow.
I head to the next door, the one nearest the door, and I open it to the other bedroom. My new home far away from my actual home. There’s nothing but a single bed lodged in the corner and an old chest of drawers that seems like it’s seen better days. One of the drawers doesn’t have handles by the looks of it. This room has a window, though, and I walk over, looking out of the pure glass that’s got a green board rim around the edge of it. I try to pull the window up for some fresh air, but it’s locked tight, and no matter what I try, it doesn’t budge. Dammit.
Giving up on the window, I sit on the bed, and it lets out a long squeak that sounds like a dying cat. Even with the squeaky bed, broken window, and chest of drawers without handles, I smile. It’s better than being out there, better than being dead, and I’m lucky to have this. To have Caspian trying to keep me alive at all. We both know if the alpha finds us, we are both dead.
I go out to the hallway to try the last door which I find to be an airing cupboard with several shelves. I find a few pieces of green bedding, (because what other colour would it be?), and some pillows. At the bottom is a duvet which I grab to make my bed up before lying back down on it, staring at the ceiling. Almost tempted to close my eyes, there’s a sudden bang at the door. I sit up to see Caspian and he walks past my room and puts a finger against his lips. I spot his other hand has a dagger closely held at his side as he opens the door. Unexpectedly, a girl throws herself into his arms, and he stumbles back, holding her with his arm around her waist so she doesn’t fall.
I stand and walk over, the red-haired girl wraps her arms around his neck tightly and then peppers kisses all across his face but he tries to push her off.
“Hey, Dove,” he says, with a clear affection in his tone that I’ve never heard from him.
He eventually manages to pull the half-naked girl off him, and she bounces on the spot in excitement. She’s not actually half-naked now I get a better glance at her, but the small mini skirt and the short crop top she has on doesn’t hide much of her toned and slim body.
Of course, Caspian has a hot girlfriend.
I’m not jealous. Not even a tiny bit but I wonder if I could take this girl down.
He runs a hand through his hair and nods to me. This Dove girl finally turns my way. “This is my new partner; Autumn French but I call her Lilith.”
I hold out my hand out to her. For Caspian to tell her my real name, he must trust she can keep quiet. “Hi.”
She shakes my hand very enthusiastically. “Hello! I’m so happy to see another girl in the trials. There are only three of us this year, and we need to show these boys we are stronger than we seem.”
“Agreed. Dove, is it?” I ask.
“Yes, it is. I’m an old friend of the moody and gorgeous Caspian over here,” she tells me, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. Can she tell I was jealous? Her random explanation seems thought-out.
“By the way, I’m totally jealous of your hair being such a dark red. Mine is always borderline ginger,” she says, reaching out and picking up a strand for a second before letting it drop.
“I love your hair,” I say with a smile. She walks in and Caspian closes the door. “How long have you two been friends then?” I ask her, following her into the living room.
She jumps onto the couch across from the weapon couch. Caspian shakes his head and goes back to his bedroom with a load of bedding in his hands.
“Oh, a couple of years here and there,” she tells me. “I was so upset when Caspian entered the trials last year and I thought he’d beat me to becoming a demon hunter. But here we are.”
“Yes, we are,” I say.
“Where are you from? I haven’t seen you around Stormfire before,” she asks, and immediately I feel nervous. We haven’t come up with a big back story, and I have to hope my lying skills have improved because usually they are shit.
“It’s a big city. I’m sure you’ve not seen everyone here. There are millions,” I counter.
“That’s true, but usually I make a point to see the redheaded girls like me. There’s not much of us around, you know?”
“Surprising, really, with so many red wolves,” I respond.
“True. So that means we’re going to have to be good friends, you and I,” she tells me, leaning closer. “Us redheaded girls need to stick together. Make sure the boys don’t one-up on us.”
“That would be nice,” I answer, well aware I can’t let it get too close to her. Getting close to her would mean she could find out who I am. That’s not something I can risk for a friendship, even if she is nice.
I smile at Dove, and she seems to look curious about something but we are distracted as Caspian comes back out of his bedroom. He sits on the sofa next to her, and she rests her head on his shoulder.
“So who is your lucky partner?”
“The other girl in the trials. She hasn’t said much. She seems like the silent but completely deadly type,” she explains with a sigh. “I gave up trying to make conversation with her but I can hope she is an expert hunter.”
“At least you don’t have newbie over here,” Caspian counters, pointing at me.
“Hey, I’m not that bad at fighting and figuring out demons,” I shortly reply. Truthfully, I’m clueless but I’m a quick learner.
He laughs, and Dove shakes her head. “I can help you train, you know, if you want. I’ve been training since I was young.”
“I can hold my own,” I state. “But thank you.”
“I hope so. The first test is tomorrow,” she replies. “It won’t be easy.”
“Don’t worry. I’m happy to carry all the weight in our partnership, songbird,” Caspian cockily states, stretching his arms across the back of the couch.
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m sure I can be of some use.”
He smirks. “I highly doubt it.”
We glare at each other until Dove clears her throat. “So you two have made a good start to becoming partners.”
“Something like that,” I sarcastically say.
Dove very clearly and quickly changes the subject. “What did you think of the overdramatic welcoming ceremony from the alpha’s son?”
“Why the heck is he running this place and not training to be the next alpha?” I ask.
“Duh, he’s estranged from his father,” Dove replies, and Caspian shoots me a warning glare. Dove laughs. “What part of Stormfire did you grow up in? Because you should know about the alpha’s son, it’s like the most talked about gossip in the city.”
“Her parents kept her under lock and key, so to speak,” Caspian explains, saving my ass. “Songbird over here is the daughter of a friend of my mom’s. Her mum takes the saying ‘helicopter parent’ to a new level.”
Dove gives me a sad smile. “Strict parents can be a total buzzkill.”
Hearing the words kill and parents in the same sentence hurts my heart. “That they can.”
“We’re totally going to take you out to the nightclubs. They are to die for…literally.”
“Yeah, no, she’s not a party type. Little Songbird here is practically a nun,” Caspian quips.
“No, I’m not,” I snap, gritting my teeth, and Dove raises her eyebrows. I gulp down the urge to throw my boot at Caspian’s head. “No nightclubs for me, though. I want to focus on the trials and not be distracted.”
“Oh, that’s a shame, but I totally get it. I should be getting back to rest up for tomorrow,” she says around a welcoming smile. “Oh, I forgot to mention that there is food in the fridge, the welcoming food. The only half-decent things about these apartments.”
Caspian is already moving towards the kitchen before her sentence has ended. “I’m not sharing, songbird.”
I shake my head and walk Dove up to the door, considering Caspian’s not going to do it.
She pauses after opening the door and lowers her voice. “Caspian can be a bit of a dick, but if
he’s on your side, he’ll protect you. He’ll die for you if need be, and I’d trust him with my life. He’s loyal like that.”
“I’m not getting that impression. I’m fully expecting him to throw me under the bus any day now.”
“Just give him a chance. Trust me,” she replies around a kind smile.
“Are you and him more than friends?” I question before she leaves.
She laughs and winks at me. “No, you and I? That could work if you want?”
I shake my head, feeling a bit relieved when I really shouldn’t be. “Sorry, I think I only go for male dickheads. It seems to be my type.”
She laughs. “Whether it’s female, male, or whatever, we usually end up going for the ones who are not good for us. It’s what makes it fun and sexy.”
“Isn’t that true?” I laugh.
“I think we’re going to be good friends, you and I,” she replies. “See you tomorrow, and good luck if I don’t get time to tell you.”
“Good luck to you, too,” I call to her back and I watch her go down the corridor. I push the door shut and rest my head back against it.
Caspian comes out of the kitchen, a plate of steaming food in his hands, and frowns at me. I walk towards him, planning to go get some food and go to bed.
“Don’t go making friends, because trust me, when it comes down to it, every single wolf here would drop you in for the alpha’s favour,” he warns me.
“Then why haven’t you?”
“You should ask your brother that when we see him,” he counters, avoiding the question. “I have to go out. This is for you, you haven’t eaten since last night.”
He drops the plate in my hands.
“Thought you said you don’t share?”
Ignoring me, he opens the door and nods to the couch. “Keep a weapon on you. If anyone but me comes through this door, stab them, run for it, and ask questions later.”
Before I can say anything, he slams the door shut, and I sigh, leaning back against the wall. Caspian Hardling makes no sense to me, but I suspect Dove is right. I can trust him.
I think.
Chapter 8
Caspian
“It’s been a long time since you’ve come in here and graced us with your presence, dickhead,” the hooded stranger claims as he sits next to me on the stool.
I slide his favourite whisky across the bar and he lowers his hood. Zodiac, the only name I know him by, wears a red mask covering his face, and no one has ever seen it off that I’ve heard of. I know he is some kind of demon, but fuck knows what, only that he is powerful. I can sense it, just like everyone in this bar can. Demons like Zodiac aren’t around much anymore, thanks to the alpha of Stormfire and his distrust of them. All I know about Zodiac is that he has black hair, pointy demon ears, soulless blue eyes, and that he can be trusted.
“Demon bars weren’t ever interesting to me. Too many demons, too many desperate humans or wolves looking for long-lost magic,” I respond, wrapping my hand around my tumbler. “I prefer the nightclubs. They are about sex and death. Nothing desperate to be found considering you can get what you want there.”
“You haven’t changed much, it seems, Caspian,” he replies with a click of his tongue. “Still blaming Daddy for all your shit?”
“I didn’t come here for a therapist,” I growl back. He takes a long drink before letting out a hum of appreciation.
He laughs when he sees my glare, and I down my drink, needing about twenty more of these to deal with Zodiac.
“What do you want, Caspian?”
“Maybe I just called you here for a drink,” I reply around a smirk.
“You call me when you’re in trouble because of who your father is and we both know it. We aren’t friends. Demons like us, we don’t make friends and long-lasting connections. It’s pointless when they all die.”
“You’ve told me this many times.”
“And yet you still have wolf and demon friends,” he replies, obvious distaste in his tone. “Which I’m presuming is something you want help with? What do you want?”
I stare down at my little remaining whiskey, swirling it around at the bottom of the tumbler, realising I probably shouldn’t have chosen this one. The amber, almost-red, demon-blood whiskey reminds me of a certain person’s hair.
I’ve not once in my entire life fucked up this bad, and all Lilith fucking Thornblood had to do was turn up at my front door to make it happen. I should have slammed that door in her face and walked away but I didn’t, and now look at me.
I’m no hero, and acting like I am going to get us both killed. She already has a target on her back, and now she will take me down with her. I don’t know what she was expecting when she came to me for help. Truth be told, her brother and I have been even for a long time on that life debt. But for some stupid and fucked-up reason, I’m still here and I’m still helping her. I’m risking my life, my freedom, and my last chance at the Demon Trials for her.
“I need you to pass a message on to Leo Valerio for me,” I finally tell him.
Lilith is Leo’s problem, not mine, and the quicker he can come and get his sister, the better.
“Why don’t you tell your friend?” he asks, crossing his enormous arms.
“Because I can’t go anywhere near him, and you can without being seen. I don’t want him to know who sent the message or why, and no one else can know. You’re the best at sneaking around,” I say.
“I’m not a spy for you,” he replies. “Your father will not like this.”
“I don’t give one single flying fuck what my father thinks,” I growl, banging my fist on the counter, pure fury breathing to life within me. My marks glow, and my inner demon bangs against the mental barriers I hide him behind. The bar goes silent for a second, and I see in the corner of my eye that the fifty or so demons, humans, and wolves are looking at us. Fear becomes almost physical as it swamps this room. I wait until they start up their chatter again before speaking. “I’m asking for a favour from you and I will pay as usual.”
“You’ll owe me for this,” he answers. “And you’ll owe me a great deal if you don’t want me to tell your father about this.”
“We have a deal then.”
The greedy asshole smiles. We both know my father would kill him for making deals with me, but this isn’t the first time or the last. Everyone can be bought if you know what makes them tick. Zodiac is easy to buy with a deal for the one thing he always wants more of. My father’s respect, and he can get that by telling him I’m behaving and not being a total fuck-up when it’s his job to watch me. Guide me.
“What do you need me to tell him?”
“This,” I say, sliding a piece of paper across the table.
Zodiac opens the note and instantly making it turn into flames until the embers fall around his hands on the countertop.
“The llama is wicked?”
“It’s a code word. Something he’ll know,” I respond.
We came up with dozens of code words when we worked together as partners in the DHT last year.
“All right. Fine,” he says with a sigh before clicking his fingers for the demon bartender to come over.
The demon, something from the pixie demon line by the looks of the pink shade to her skin and bright glowing eyes that appear like she is underwater, comes over. Zodiac orders us three more drinks, and we both stay silent until she drops them in front of us.
“I hope whoever you’re protecting won’t fuck up your chances with the DHT,” he tells me, pushing a whiskey tumbler towards me.
I drink it in one. “Always good seeing you, Zodiac. Tell my father to fuck off when you see him, won’t you?”
“Caspian—” he calls after me, but I’m already walking out of the bar.
I suck in a deep breath of smoky air when I get outside and glance up. What in the name of the Crescent Goddess am I doing?
I’ve always been a sinking ship and I never should have let Lilith on board with the promise of prote
ction. A sinking ship can’t save anyone from a tidal wave.
I head down the busy streets away from the bar, knocking into dozens of people, as I always do in this city of far too many. Eventually, I get to the ley line and jump through it back to the DHT. I pass a few overachievers practice fighting in the courtyard on my way to the building and roll my eyes at their poor form. Heading inside, I go up the stairs and open the door to our apartment without using my key, pissed to find it isn’t locked.
This woman just wants to be fucking killed.
I storm in to find Lilith sitting on the sofa, sorting through a load of random things from a box on the coffee table.
“Hey, Caspian,” she cheerily states, her smile disappearing when she looks at my face.
I walk around and lean over her, placing my hands either side of her head on the sofa when she rests back on it. I don’t sense fear from her, just a tiny bit of nerves. Sucking in a deep breath of her scent, a feminine mixture of fire and fresh snow. Two things that should never exist together but explains Lilith perfectly. Her bright grey eyes stare up at me as her peachy-pink lips part. My body, my demon, and wolf both react to her like she is the first female we have ever seen.
Lilith Caeli is drop-dead gorgeous, and she doesn’t even try. Her red hair reminds me of silk, falling in locks I want to thread my fingers through as I fuck her until she can only beg me for more. Her body is curvy, smooth, and way too sexy for a wolf.
Fuck.
“I thought I told you not to answer the door to anybody, and why wasn’t it locked?”
Her eyes, like daggers, cut through me. “This box got delivered for us from the demon-hunting trials.”
“It could have been a bomb from other hunters or the alpha coming for you.”
“It wasn’t,” she cockily replies with a breathtaking smile.
Her sassy reply makes me want to kiss her and smack her ass all at the same time.
