Demon Ash

by M. J. Haag

  “That’s my laundry. Thank you for letting me know it’s dry.”

  The fey nodded and retreated to the kitchen. Drav frowned after the man.

  “I’m going to go upstairs and put my stuff away. I’ll be back down in a bit. Keep an eye on things for me and make sure there’s no fighting,” I said to Drav, but the entire room answered with a “yes, Mya.”

  I grabbed my laundry from the dryer down the hall then went upstairs. With the departure of the scouts and the movie playing, I found our bedroom blissfully empty. Exhaling slowly, I closed the door and pulled the blankets off the windows.

  Sunlight streamed into the room and warmed my skin. I stood there, looking out without really seeing the barren trees beyond the backyard’s fence. The impossibility of the task before me weighed heavily on my shoulders. How would the fey and humans ever find common ground?

  If the vision I had was true, the fey had as much right to this world as the humans, if not more. Although the release of the hellhounds had caused the zombie apocalypse, the fey weren’t to blame. At least, not these fey. And, we couldn’t even fully blame their ancestors. Our damn mining broke the barrier and released the creatures the exiled fey had inadvertently created. I saw the injustice in all of it, but would the rest of my race?

  After a moment, I became aware of my idle staring at the woods, and my gaze shifted to the right. My stomach plummeted when I saw something other than a tree. The woman dressed in a torn, dark brown business suit almost blended with the surrounding barren forest. The mangled stump of her right hand pressed against the nearest trunk as she stood there. The utter stillness of the infected sent a shiver of fear racing down my spine. She reminded me of the woman stuck in her seatbelt, waiting for someone to get close enough. This one waited just outside the fence. How long had she been standing there? Had removing the blankets from the window caught her attention?

  “Drav?” I called.

  The sound of my voice seemed to startle the infected because she took off running. I frowned. They’d never done that before. Noise always drew them closer.

  Feet pounded on the stairs.

  “What’s wrong, Mya?” Drav said, stepping into the room.

  “There was an infected outside. Just there,” I said, pointing.

  I’d barely finished speaking before three fey came into view in the backyard. I pushed the window open and directed them to the spot where she’d stood.

  “She was on the other side of the fence. Standing there. Not moving, just staring up at me.”

  One of the fey remained where she’d been while the other two disappeared. I watched a group of fey search the other side of the fence until Drav pulled me away from the window.

  “You are safe, Mya. Let’s go downstairs.”

  “I know I’m safe. It was just really creepy.”

  “You always find them creepy.”

  I did, but this time felt different.

  We waited in the nearly empty living room with the movie paused. Molev said nothing until the majority of the men returned.

  “What did you find?” he asked.

  One of the original three stepped forward.

  “We found an infected and took his head off. He wasn’t alone. There were other tracks. We did not follow those.”

  “There is no need if they are outside the fence,” Molev said.

  Before my thoughts could linger on the whole incident, a commotion broke out in the kitchen. I hurried through the door to find a fey and Butch glaring at each other. Kerr’s restraining hand on the fey’s shoulder had probably saved Butch’s life, by the looks of things.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “This demon-fuck tried to attack me,” Butch said.

  “No, Mya,” the fey said with an earnest glance in my direction.

  “Butch, you obviously did something that challenged him in some manner,” I said.

  “No, I didn’t,” he snapped a little too quickly.

  “He insulted you, Mya,” the fey said.

  Behind me, Drav growled. I raised my brow at that but didn’t scold him or the other fey. Their protectiveness warmed me.

  “He is fucking lying,” Butch said.

  “Watch your language,” I said too late as the fey lunged forward again.

  “Stop!”

  The men all froze and looked at me. Drav stepped forward and wrapped a protective arm around my waist. No doubt, if the fighting continued, I’d find myself upstairs in the bedroom before I could blink.

  “We really need to find a more peaceful way to resolve issues that arise. Molev, I get that your way involves death-match challenges, but you understand why that won’t work on the surface, right?”

  “Yes,” he agreed, giving the fey a hard look.

  The man stopped trying to go after Butch, but his open hostility remained. I sighed, wracking my brain for another option.

  “Arm wrestling,” I said suddenly with a wide smile. “It’ll be perfect.”

  “Are you serious?” Butch said. “What the hell is that going to prove?”

  “It’s physical and pits the strength of the two opponents against each other. Their current way of handling disputes is to see who can rip the other person’s head off first. You want to try that?”

  He glared at me. Ignoring him, I focused on his companions.

  “Um…Jerry? Tucker? Do you mind showing them what arm-wrestling is while I explain?”

  The two men stepped over to the table and sat down. They rested their elbows on the surface and clasped hands. All the fey paid close attention as both men strained for a moment before Tucker’s arm gave way and slammed against the table.

  “The object of the challenge is to overpower your opponent using only the strength in your arm. If you rip off your opponent’s arm, you lose. If you make your opponent bleed or break any bones, you lose.”

  Butch snorted, obviously not believing either of those scenarios a possibility. For a brief moment, I wished I hadn’t said anything and let him find out for himself. However, that wouldn’t help the whole demon-human relations thing I was trying to fix.

  I continued as if I hadn’t heard him.

  “If your hand touches the surface first, you lose. If your elbow leaves the table, you lose. And you can’t pull your opponent’s elbow from the table, either. That’s cheating, and you’d lose. The only way to win is what they just demonstrated. Any questions?”

  No one spoke up.

  “Okay, this will replace your death challenges while you are up here. And, not just against humans,” I said with a glance at Molev, “but against each other.”

  Molev nodded his agreement.

  The fey, who’d heard Butch talking about me, took the seat Tucker had abandoned and motioned to Butch. Butch glared but took a seat as well. I could see the determined glint in his eye. He wanted to best the fey. I felt bad knowing I’d set him up with an impossible task. The pair clasped hands like Jerry and Tucker had demonstrated.

  Drav’s fingers brushed against my skin just under the side of my shirt. I leaned back against him, hoping the fey would use caution with the humans.

  Butch glared at his opponent, and it wasn’t until I saw the vein in Butch’s forehead pop out that I realized they had already started. The fey looked bored and glanced over at me, as if wondering if he should begin. I nodded. He smiled, his fangs flashing, and slammed Butch’s hand down on the table. Butch looked dazed, then his face turned red.

  “Rematch. I demand a rematch.”

  The growing heat from all the bodies jammed in the kitchen had me shaking my head.

  “Not in here. There’s more room out in the barn. I’m sure there’s something you can use out there for a table.”

  Fey and human alike quickly left the house. Even Molev went to watch, leaving Drav and me alone for the first time since waking here.

  Drav seemed to have the same thought because he leaned down and brushed his lips against the exposed skin of my neck. I shivered at the
sensation and threaded my fingers through his hair, encouraging him. It didn’t stop my mind from circling around what had just happened.

  “I have to ask…they went from challenging me for eating first to acting all overprotective of me. Why?”

  “Because they understand you are the key to finding more women like you. Without you, the humans will not give us a chance.” He turned me in his arms. “Does that bother you?”

  “Nope. Not even a little. I’ve gotten to know you, all of you, and see you act with more honor than most humans. Any girl would be lucky to have one of you interested in her.”

  “Does that mean you’re lucky to have me?”

  “Very lucky.” I stood on my toes and pulled him down for the kiss I'd been wanting since we woke.

  He hungrily pressed against me, his tongue sweeping over my bottom lip before dipping inside. He gripped my hips and pulled me flush to his length. I groaned and lifted my hand to his hair, my fingers brushing over the tips of his ears.

  He growled and swept me up in his arms, breaking the kiss to bolt upstairs and close us into our room. A shiver of anticipation rippled through me as he set me on my feet and snagged the hem of my shirt, pushing the material up over my ribs. The slow drag of his fingers created a blazing trail of need. Panting, I helped pull my shirt off and backed him toward the bed.

  “Ready to learn something new?” I asked, heart hammering.

  “Yes.”

  He sat on the bed and didn’t resist when I robbed him of his shirt and pushed him onto his back. His heated gaze remained locked on mine as I placed a knee on the mattress to the right of his hip and crawled forward until I straddled his waist. I let my fingertips graze the dusting of hair just below his navel as I settled my hips to his. He grunted at the contact and experimentally arched into me as his fingers dug into my hips. A zing of pleasure arced between my legs. Part of me wanted to ditch the pants and go straight to the good stuff, but there was so much he didn’t know. So much I wanted to show him.

  “It gets better,” I whispered, bending down to place a kiss on his throat then chest.

  His fingers stroked over my skin, skimming down my spine then coming around to try to cup my breast as I slowly made my way down to his belly button. His breathing grew harsher with each press of my lips. Sliding my fingers under the waist of his pants, I guided the material down until he sprang free.

  He growled but held still as I brought my mouth to the tip of him.

  “Do you want me to stop,” I whispered.

  He growled louder. I grinned and opened my mouth, barely touching the hot, smooth skin with the tip of my tongue. The feral sound Drav emitted made my heart race. I wanted him as much as he wanted me.

  The sudden pounding on our door acted like a cold bucket of water dumped over my head and sent me scurrying for my shirt. Drav roared so loudly, the windows shook.

  “What are you doing in there?” Molev called. “Drav said we should not open doors when you close them, but he sounds angry.”

  Shaking from the adrenaline spike from almost being caught, I stifled my laugh by pulling my shirt over my head. When I emerged, Drav stood before me, his pants still loose. Passion raged in his eyes.

  I reached out and tied his waistband again.

  “We’ll pick this up again when we’re alone,” I said softly

  “No.”

  “This isn’t something most humans do with other people around, Drav. It’s meant to be private. Like at the lake. Now isn’t the best time.” I planted a quick kiss on his chin before stepping back and picking up his shirt to offer him.

  His disgruntled expression didn’t change as I moved to open the door.

  “We were just spending some alone time together,” I said to Molev and the few other men standing in the hallway. “Did you want me to start the movie again?”

  Molev nodded, his gaze going to Drav, then dipping lower. I flushed and quickly escaped, knowing that Drav’s leather pants did very little to hide the evidence of his continued erection.

  After getting the fey situated with a new movie, a pouty Drav accompanied me to the barn to search the storage for something to make for lunch.

  Most of the fey stood within the open door, trying to avoid the sunlight. Those without the sunglasses Bud had produced before leaving, blinked against the tears in their eyes as they focused on the current arm wrestling match. The three human men were standing back watching, shouting encouragement as the two competing fey struggled.

  More of the fey men were lined up to try. I called out a warning, reminding them they couldn’t rip each other’s arms off, and heard a chorus of “yes, Mya,” throughout the barn.

  Grinning, I walked down the aisle, looking for something the fey might enjoy eating. I kept remembering how Drav had spit the pizza out.

  “How about this?” Drav pulled out a box of instant potatoes.

  “That might work. Let’s see if we can find some meat and gravy to go with it.”

  Drav and I gathered a bunch of boxes into the laundry baskets, and I added cans of anything that looked like it would make a good stew. When I looked up and caught Drav watching me hungrily, I knew we needed to head back to the house.

  In the kitchen, we set the baskets on the tables.

  “How can I help?” he asked.

  He brushed my hair back from my face, his hand lingering on my cheek. I brought my hand up to cover his and pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand.

  “You already are.”

  Five

  The sun had already started to set by the time we heard shouts from the front gate. My heart kicked up a notch from where I was snuggled against Drav on the couch.

  “The scouting group is back,” he said.

  “Come on.” I stood, anxious to learn what the group had found.

  Outside, the gate was just grating open for the line of fey on the road. As the men jogged into the crowded yard, I noted the clean paths on their dusty cheeks, evidence that their eyes had watered throughout the day, despite the sunglasses.

  I frowned at the sight of Bud flung over the last fey’s shoulder.

  “What happened?” I asked over the sound of the gate closing behind them.

  “What happened,” Bud answered, “is that these assholes wouldn’t let me set the pace.”

  The fey carrying Bud dropped him like an unwanted sack of potatoes. Behind me, I heard a few soft “arm wrestle” comments and almost grinned.

  Bud grunted and climbed to his feet with an angry glare.

  “You didn’t tell me how fast they would want to run. As soon as I couldn’t keep up, one of them tossed me over his shoulder without giving me a choice. I couldn’t see shit that way.”

  “No sign of Will or Tubby?” Jerry asked.

  “None,” he said bitterly. Bud started off toward the barn and the rest of his men quickly followed. I looked at the nearest fey.

  “Would you be willing to follow them? Keep your distance, but watch what they do and listen to what they say, if you can.”

  He nodded. Three of his friends went with him. Once they left, the group’s mood turned from tension to open reunion as those who’d been out scouting welcomed the fey who’d joined us since they left. There had to be close to two hundred of the fey on the surface now.

  “Ghua, what news?” Molev asked over the greetings.

  “We passed several cities. Some whole. Some destroyed.”

  “Any signs of humans?”

  “No. We did find a new safe place, though, north of here. It’s just outside a city Bud knew. He called it Ardmore. The large building has a lot of land with a high fence around all of it. Safe enough to stay for a night or two as we scout further.”

  I hated the idea of more sitting and waiting just because Bud and his friends wouldn’t talk. I glanced at the barn where they’d disappeared inside.

  “Did you tell Bud we were looking for a new place to stay?” I asked.

  “No. He thought we were looking for humans
.”

  “What are you thinking, Mya?” Drav asked when I continued to stare at the barn.

  I sighed. “I’m thinking that it would be dangerous to let those guys know we’re leaving or where we’re going. I wish they would just tell us if they knew something, but I understand their fear. I’m going to try talking to them again and see if Bud’s attitude can be persuaded to change.” I put my hand on Ghua’s arm. “Thank you for scouting and putting up with Bud. I’m betting it wasn’t easy.”

  Ghua grinned slightly. “His mouth tempted me to leave him to the infected when they trapped us inside the warehouse.”

  “They what?” I said, dropping my hand.

  The image of the infected woman outside my window popped into my head, and a tingle of apprehension shivered over my skin.

  “Let’s go inside,” Molev said. “The scouting party can sit and eat while Ghua tells his story.”

  Once inside the house, Drav and I scooped out four portions of stew and brought the bowls to the table. We sat to listen to Ghua as the rest of the men began serving themselves.

  “How did you get trapped in a warehouse?” I asked.

  “The first time we came up here, the stupid ones moved around as if they were lost until they heard something. Then, they ran. The second time I came up to tell everyone to leave the surface, they seemed less lost. This time, they don’t seem as stupid.”

  “When we reached the first town, a line of cars stretched across the road and far into the trees on both sides. Bud moved toward the cars, not seeing the lone person standing in the road further away. Farco reached out to stop him. Before he did, the infected made a noise. It wasn’t a word, but a long, loud groan. More infected swarmed from the woods. Only twice our number. We removed their heads while Bud cried and yelled. The infected down the road had disappeared by the time we’d finished.”

  “That’s disturbing,” I said. “More than disturbing, really, but I don’t know that I would really describe that as being trapped, though.”

  “We were trapped in the warehouse, Mya, not the street.”