by G. Bailey
“Now you know a part of my secret,” he tells me. “Stay close.”
Caspian holds my hand tightly as he pulls me through the market that I can’t stop gazing at. We pass stalls that sell strange herbs, one that sells jars of glowing stuff, and a man who has a sign claiming he can conjure any food. We pass one stall that sells just butterflies, dozens of them that are all that clipped to paper. None of those butterflies look like anything like I’ve seen before. The stalls all mix into one, soon becoming overwhelming the farther we head into the market. We pass a stall that has jewellery on it, and an older woman stood behind that Caspian sees and stops.
The woman has large spiky ears, wavy grey hair, and two marks on her cheeks. The marks seem like Caspian’, but they aren’t the same. Hers are more like arrow shapes.
We head towards her, and Caspian pretends to glance at the jewellery, picking up a small ring. “I’m searching for someone. Can you help?”
“Yes, but my help comes at a price,” she answers, her eyes widening.
“What’s your price?”
“Perhaps just doing me a simple favour can be our deal. I trust you are as loyal to your word as your father is.”
My ears perk up. So this woman knows who Caspian’ father is and clearly trusts him somewhat. “Indeed, it is. You will be owed a tiny favour.”
“Then ask me what you need,” she replies with a smile. She glances at me, and I look away, not wanting to draw attention to myself.
I look down at the table while they talk about the marketers around. I pick up a necklace with a small crescent moon on it that reminds me of one my mum used to have but never wore. The moon is all red with tiny white crystals inside. It seems to glow from its own light. When I touch it, it slowly turns blue under my hand. It makes me miss my mum. That sharp pang of grief comes back, and I struggle to push it away. I put the necklace back down.
“Thanks for the information, Tanza,” he states. “You have been very useful.”
“We will see each around soon,” she replies, bowing her head.
Caspian walks away a bit while I follow him but he lightly touches my arm. “Stay here a second and don’t move.”
I sigh. He heads back over to Tanza and talks to her quietly for a second. I look around while I wait, trying to ground myself in this busy place. I hear so many different pack wolves, so many scents of different demons, and all of it is extremely overwhelming but still amazing.
Caspian is back at my side in seconds, and we head down the streets. He seems to know exactly where he’s going, and I trust him. We come around two alleyways before he stops at a house where the door has been kicked open.
“It seems like the marketer has left already or someone else got the bounty before us. We’ll be lucky if there’s anything left,” he mutters. “Fuck.”
“That’s not good.” I sigh.
“Yeah, you’re telling me. We will need to catch one hell of a demon to build up points after today’s loss.”
“I’m sorry. I’m going to make you fail.”
“No, at this point it only matters you’re not dead,” he answers. “I can always enter the trials again.”
“Don’t tell me you’re finally liking me, Caspian,” I tease.
“Don’t get cocky, songbird,” he replies with a strange look in his eyes.
If I didn’t know better, I think he realised he likes me more than he thought he did.
“Gun out,” he warns, and I instantly unclip it, taking the safety off.
“You’re going to have to teach me how to use this one day,” I warn him.
“True. Try using your wolf’s senses to aim,” he suggests as he quietly moves through the door. He pulls out two guns, holding them both in his hands in one swift, and fucking sexy, movement.
“Your wolf has amazing eyesight and can see better than you. If you could learn to just shift your eyes and then shoot, you’d never miss.”
“I’ve never thought of that,” I whisper back. It’s actually a brilliant idea, but telling him that out loud seems dangerous. He already thinks he is the best thing ever created in Hell.
We slip into the house, and suddenly my senses are overwhelmed before I get a real look at the room. Death. The room stinks of death.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, almost stumbling back. I can smell all the pain and death this room has witnessed. It all reeks of death, and my wolf howls in my head. Dozens of wolves have died in this room, not just demons. Their blood is coating the walls and floors.
The pain seems to shoot straight into my heart.
“So it seems like they weren’t just trafficking demons,” Caspian growls out. “Fuckers.”
“No alpha anywhere around the world would let wolves be trafficked. They need to know about this,” I say.
“Agreed, but it can’t come from us. We can’t have alphas looking our way, songbird,” he warns me. Shit, he is right. “I sense something alive in the back room, but otherwise it’s empty.”
We go to the back together, and Caspian opens the flimsy door. It’s a long room, and the back wall is filled with cages. The cages are all broken and dirty, and it stinks. The doors are all open except for a few at the bottom. I try not to look at the piles of bones and red dust in the open cages as I head to the closed ones.
“Careful,” Caspian warns me.
“Got it,” I reply.
I get to the closed cages and I have to kneel to look inside them. In the first one there, there’s nothing but dust. I move to the second cage, and something moves under a dirty grey blanket. I hook my finger in it through the cage and give it a quick pull. Underneath is a small creature, all bundled up.
“I’m going to cover the door,” Caspian tells me. I pull the blanket out of the cage through the gaps. When covering is gone, I see bits of eggshells all around the cage floor, and on top is a little creature curled into a ball. It must have just hatched, and it’s a literal golden demon dragon. It’s tiny, only the size of my hand, with a little mouth and bright-gold eyes that look at me with fear. Its gold tail flickers out as it gazes up at me and slowly stretches its silver wings out at its sides. I tug the lock off the door and reach it, picking the dragon up who curls into my hand.
So cute.
“I’m sorry this happened to you,” I whisper to the dragon who has closed its tiny eyes and is napping in my hand. The cage next to the dragon bangs, and I jump out of my skin, nearly falling over. I glance over to see something that reminds me of a gnome, but it’s clearly demonic. The gnome is a tiny thing, and he has a tiny hat on its orange head. Despite having orange skin, it is covered in little dots of green blood from various cuts that look painful. Something that I think is a napkin is tied around its waist, but for some reason, the gnome seems strong.
The gnome is no bigger than my middle finger, and it glares up at me. It puts its hands on its tiny waist. “Don’t you touch that demon, you red-haired witch!”
“Witches don’t exist, dude,” I tell him. “And no need to be rude to the people helping.”
“Helping?” He huffs. “I’m still in a cage, woman.”
Caspian glances back and arches an eyebrow with a small smile.
I shake my head and try not to smile. “I’m just trying to help. I’m not here to steal you, sell you, or do anything you don’t want.”
“I don’t trust red-haired witches,” the gnome growls.
“Neither do I, mate,” Caspian agrees.
Jackass.
“I could take you back to Hell and release you wherever you want,” I suggest. “Or somewhere on Earth?”
“I am Knight and I do not need a commoner’s help,” he tells me, holding his head high for a second, then it drops with his expression. He seems sad. “I may not have any family left, or royals to serve, but I am still a knight who is destined to fight for justice.”
“You’re still just a gnome demon with a bad attitude. Let’s get going, songbird,” Caspian calls over his shoulder.
“I think Knight shou
ld come with us,” I argue. “He needs a family, and I am lacking a lot of those. Wanna be my family, Knight? I’m looking for justice, too.”
“I don’t like that one.” Knight points at Caspian. “But I will come with you back to Stormfire city and serve you, red-haired witch, as my new family. You need a better servant than the boy.”
“Bloody gnomes,” Caspian mutters. I gently place the dragon into my pocket.
I make quick work breaking the lock on Knight’s cage, and he moves at incredible speed into my pocket before I can blink. “Wow, you can move fast.”
“Yep,” he tells me. “You smell weird.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. “You gnomes really know how to make friends, don’t you?”
“We are great at communication with demons,” he states. Oh-okay.
“You’re not keeping them in our room, by the way,” Caspian tells me as we walk out.
“Well, until I find them a home in Hell, yes I am,” I reply.
“I don’t want demon creatures running round in our apartment,” he groans. “Don’t look at me like that, dragon.”
I glance down to see Dragon’s tiny head is peeping out of my pocket and he is totally doing the puppy-dog eye thing on Caspian. It’s so, so cute.
“Just for a few nights. What’s the worst that could happen?” I ask.
“It’s literally a dragon.”
“Dragon baby,” I correct.
“They only stay small for a short time, maybe a year, but then suddenly they change. He’ll be able to shift into the size of a house,” he warns me. “Dragons belong in the bottom realm of Hell.”
“Gold dragons are extremely rare,” Knight speaks up and we get outside. “If you put him back, he would just be caught by marketers once again as his parents are dead. I’m with Redhead over here. You should keep him in your apartment, and I can look after him in the day when you’re busy doing whatever demon hunters do.”
“See, it’s all worked out,” I say, patting Caspian’ arm when he realises he has been outsmarted by a demon gnome.
“Fuck my life,” Caspian groans, and I smile to myself as we head out of the market.
He’s really a good guy deep down.
Chapter 17
Lilith Thornblood
“All right, Thornblood, you’re coming with me.”
I stare at Alaric swallowing up the entrance to my room, his shadow towering over me. “Huh?”
A crooked smile stretches over his lips. “I said you’re coming with me. Pack a bag for the night.”
If he’d just told me I’d grown a second head, I doubt I could be any more surprised than I am right now. I glance over my shoulder to where Caspian lounges on the sofa, his nose buried in an advanced demonology book. He’s staring intently at the pages, but his eyes aren’t moving, as if he isn’t really reading the words. He doesn’t look up at me. Could he have known about this impromptu visit?
“What are you talking about?” I turn back to Alaric, frowning at him.
He’s still smiling at me as he folds his arms over his chest, his muscles straining his black tee-shirt.
“You haven’t left that cesspit in weeks. It’s a bombsite. I’m taking you out for the day. Even Mr Happy over there has agreed.”
So Caspian did know about this. I wonder why he kept it from me? It’s not like I’ve been getting in his way or anything. In fact, I’ve stayed in my room for the most part, trying desperately not to think about what I saw at the market.
“Do I have a say in the matter?” I ask, lifting my chin.
Alaric’s smile broadens. “Not really. This was in the fine print of our deal, love. Now off you go. You’ve got ten minutes to pack. Bring swimwear.”
Urgh, this male is infuriating. But he does have a point. I haven’t left the apartment since my last mission at the demon market. I’ve been deluding myself into thinking it’s because of my new responsibilities. However, Knight is pretty much self-sufficient, if not slightly annoying with his criticisms of my eating habits. Dragon has needed me, though. The night I brought him home, I learned he needs warmth if he’s to survive the first few weeks of his life. He’s been nuzzled in my arms, on my chest, or against my neck since we came back. His reliance on me has kept me from thinking about all those poor shifters and demons who were caged and killed as if they were nothing. Just scraps of meat to be trafficked and discarded when they no longer served use. This has weighed heavily on me with each passing day.
“I can’t come with you,” I say, looking down at Dragon snoring lightly in my arms. “He needs me.”
And I need him to help me stay distracted.
Alaric raises a thick brow. “I need you.”
“What the hell for?” I ask incredulously.
“To be kept warm like your little demon friend.”
“I don’t need her to be kept warm,” Caspian grumbles.
Alaric ignores him and looks hard at me. “Come on, kid. I promise you’ll enjoy where I’m taking you. Caspian has agreed to clean up the place while we’re gone.”
“More like forced,” my partner growls, flicking the next page. “Have fun, songbird.”
There’s no bitterness or resentment in his tone. Maybe he really does want to get out of the apartment for a while. I can’t imagine watching me mope around has been any fun for him, and we’re getting close to falling behind on the leader board.
I find myself unexpectedly touched by his and Alaric’s concern for me. I step back, hugging Dragon closer.
“I kind of feel like you’re playing a part in my capture,” I mumble to Caspian as I pass Dragon over to him. “At any rate, keep him warm for me or I will kill you, if and when I get back.”
He huffs and sets down his book. “I know how to keep a dragon warm.”
Dragon curls around the back of Caspian’s neck, his long tail hanging over his shoulder.
“Just be sure not to leave him,” I say.
Alaric chuckles behind us. “Aww, it’s like you’re raising cubs together.”
Caspian grabs his book and tosses it at the Rivermare’s head. “Shut it!”
“Now, now. No violence in front of the children,” Alaric warns, just narrowly avoiding the book with a swift duck of his huge body.
I leave them bickering while I pack a bag for the night. He mentioned I should bring swimwear. Where could he possibly take me that I’d need to wear a swimming costume? It suddenly dawns on me that I don’t even have one. It’s not like my mum thought to pack mine before I ran for my life. My underwear will have to do. I grab a fresh bra and matching pants, shove them into my backpack, pull on my boots, and head back into the living room.
The sight of Alaric and Caspian laughing together takes me by surprise. Not long ago, Alaric knocked him out because he was being so adorably protective over me. Now he’s tolerating Alaric’s presence just like he would any other hunter. I mean, at the end of the day, Alaric did save my life. And as much as that doubt frustrates my partner, I think Caspian is secretly glad I’m still alive.
“Ready?” Alaric’s voice jolts me from my reverie.
“Yeah. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
I’d be an idiot if I said the thought of being alone with him doesn’t make me nervous. But it also rouses excitement within me. There’s something about Alaric that I like as much as I dislike. His presence alone excites me.
“No.” He opens the front door with a slam of his hand and a grin. “After you, my lady. Beauty before age.”
“More like brains before beauty,” I tease.
To my delight, the wolf laughs, the sound deep and throaty. “Tonight’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Strangely, I believe him.
“Look after the fur babies,” I call out to Caspian and I make my way to the door.
Knight jumps up from behind the sofa. “I beg your pardon! I am a knight, and knights do not have fur. Nor do dragons. They have scales. In this instance, they have gold scales. Not fur, you
imbecile.”
I shake my head around a smile and follow Alaric out of the room. “Can I still call them fur babies if they don’t have any fur?”
He gives another chuckle. “Honestly? I’ve got no fucking idea what you’re talking about.”
Cherry blossom leaves flutter around me on the other side of the portal. I shield my gaze from the blindness of the setting sun on the horizon, and my breath hitches. Luscious green trees stretch for miles beneath the auburn sky, broken up by rivulets and creeks that run towards the cliff I’m standing on. Behind me, a vermillion temple stands proudly with Japanese Kanji written above the entrance.
“Japan?” I say, turning to Alaric. “Why Japan?”
He nods and hoists my backpack farther up his shoulder. “Figured you could do with some TLC.”
He makes towards the entrance, and I follow suit, only the sounds of birds chirping to punctuate the surprisingly comfortable silence.
“I tend to come here when I have too much on my mind. Helps me forget. There’s something sacred about this onsen that just… washes everything away.”
Of course the Rivermare wolf is taking me somewhere with water.
I stay silent for a moment, studying him through hooded lids. This is a much different side to the Alaric who blackmailed me into becoming his friend.
“If you’d told me that trips to Japan were included in our deal, I wouldn’t have been so reluctant in the beginning.”
Alaric chuckles at that. “Aye, I suppose I didn’t go about our friendship the right way.”
“You went about it the completely wrong way,” I counter, following him into the temple.
“True, true. But I did save your life. That’s gotta count for something.”
My playful reply dies on my lips when I see the interior of the temple. It’s more breathtaking inside than it is outside. Everything’s wooden, and the walls are covered in scrolls containing beautiful scenery. A cherry blossom mural hangs beside the reception desk.
“Kon’nichiwa.” Alaric bows to the male host, another Rivermare shifter, then continues to speak in Japanese.
