by Hickory Mack
“I know they would. The members of your organization want to believe that all the evils in this world can be attributed to the demons. That doesn’t mean it would be the truth. You’d have to carry that guilt with you for the rest of your life,” she answered easily. Marley laughed, the sound chilling.
“Is that what you went through back then? Do you feel guilty for killing Saint? Even though he was nothing more than a demon slave? What makes you think I’d feel any guilt? You may be a reaper, but you’re a demon-loving sympathizer who doesn’t look after the humans in her care. Even if they found out, nobody would blame me. I’m surprised you’re even allowed to keep the reaper title,” Marley scoffed.
“You obviously know nothing of my mother. All people are her children, even the demons. She accepts and cares for them. There isn’t a reaper alive who would kill demons just for the sake of killing them. And yes, Marley, I do still think I’m better than you. I’ve learned a few new tricks since leaving the compound.” Elsie slid into an offensive position. She never would have expected she’d be forced to fight her old friend, but she wouldn’t hold back.
“Oh, honey, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” Marley crouched, an eager grin on her face. Elsie’s cuff lit up in blue, and the chain reappeared. She noticed it, but Marley didn’t. Interesting. Maybe she couldn’t see it?
Marley didn’t catch Elsie’s attention shift, which was a big mistake. The healer streaked forward only to get lifted off her feet and thrown across the room, slamming into the wall. She slumped down and groaned, looking dazed.
“Oh, shit! Dude, that was way too rough,” Elsie scolded. Visible once more, the beast looked at her, his black eyes aglow. He rolled them at her. “Marley, are you okay?”
Marley jumped to her feet, the dagger held in front of her defensively. She looked from Elsie to the wolf, leaving her eyes on the demon. “Why is it protecting you like Saint did? Did you fucking train that thing?” she demanded.
“Of course not,” Elsie snorted. As if she could even if she wanted to. The shadow king was nothing like Saint, her beautiful, vulnerable, and overprotective mate. “He’s his own person. We made a deal, so I won’t be accepting your offer. Like I said, I don’t want you to kill him.”
The king of shadows showed his teeth and growled. Marley inched toward the door, staying near the wall and keeping her eyes on the beast. Elsie noted that the blade was shaking in her hand.
“You’re going to regret this, Elsie. I swear you will,” she threatened.
“Just so we’re on the same page, you came into my home and tried to attack me, then the creature you’d thought would kill me turned on you. I’m thinking you’re the one who should be feeling a little regret right now. All I’ve done is defend myself, and the same goes for the wolf. If I die, he dies, right?” Elsie guessed, realizing it for the first time. The hunters wouldn’t risk letting him run loose once she died.
“Fuck,” Marley muttered, confirming her suspicions. Elsie grinned and looked at the wolf.
“I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t eat me after all, huh?” she teased, and he huffed out a sigh. She saw the flash of a skull and laughed. “Threaten all you want. You heard the lady. If I die, you die. It’s not like you haven’t been dealt the same conditions with my mother.”
“He doesn’t get injured if you do, though,” Marley spat out, irritated that Elsie’s attention was wandering. “He can still hurt you without hurting himself.”
“Thank you for clarifying,” Elsie said stiffly, glancing toward the giant wolf. “I’d still appreciate it if there was no maiming between us.”
“Most of us didn’t think it was possible for you to align yourself with your mother’s slave. On the off chance that you did though, we took extra precautions.” Marley straightened up with a leer.
“Always have a back-up plan. What sort of precautions?” Elsie asked. She didn’t like the look on Marley’s face one bit.
“We need your cooperation, so nothing was off limits in getting it. Remember Angus Cornick?” Marley asked, and Elsie let out her breath in a low hiss.
Of course she remembered him. He was the man who’d authorized the hunt to kidnap Saint and kill his family. The man who’d handed the demon over to the beast master to be beaten and tortured in what he called ‘training.’ Cornick had been dead set on adding her to his collection. He’d try to recruit her even harder now that her seal was released, giving her access to her ethereal magic.
“It turns out he’s into all sorts of twisted experiments. Of course, that’s classified, but you’ll see him again soon enough, so it doesn’t matter. He suggested we use a poison that would slowly shut down your internal organs, and he has the only cure. The problem was injecting you with it, and the fact that you heal faster than the rest of us.” Marley reflected.
“What does Cornick want with me now?” Elsie asked.
“Nothing. He doesn’t care about you at all,” Marley laughed, the sound quickly cut off when the shadow wolf growled. “He wants back in his facility, and he’s looking forward to all the demons you’ll bring him.”
“Right, I’m sure he got his obsession with ethereal magic out of his system while my sister Muriel was in his clutches. I’m guessing you’re only telling me this because they found a way around the problems with your plan?” Elsie frowned.
“We did. Perrie took part in it, actually,” Marley added with a cruel little smile. “She replicated the poison by cursing you.”
“You said she left the Clans.”
“No, I said she left the field. She’s got a cushy job working in research now, and she was eager to volunteer,” Marley laughed.
“Well, unfortunately for you, I feel fine,” Elsie scoffed. “Guess it didn’t work.”
“Oh, it’s working. It takes time to build up. You’ll feel some of the effects over the next few days, but we expect you’ll be in agony by next week,” Marley said. Elsie bit her lip uncertainly. She’d never heard of anything like that before and it didn’t sound fun.
“You will learn the joys of your major organs dying, and then there will be a reprieve until the process will start all over again. You have two months before you’re dead. You see, we really have no interest in waiting for your decision, Elsie,” Marley said almost gleefully, though she kept a continual watch on the wolf.
“What’s in this for you?” Elsie asked. “Why are you so happy at the idea of my suffering?”
“You mean aside from payback for my scars? The simple pleasure of watching you bow down. Something your pride has never let you do.” She dug into her pockets and tossed a vial at Elsie. “That is the only thing that will temporarily stop the curse. Wait until you’re really suffering, so you know I’m telling you the truth. Working for the hunters is the only way to save your own life.”
Marley scooted around Elsie’s pile of trash bags, bringing her closer to the demon. She scurried past as quickly as she could then reached the door, fumbling with the handle in her haste to get out. The shadow demon growled, encouraging her fear.
“Hey, Marley? The next time one of you walks through that door without an invitation, they’re dead. I’m sick of not knowing when one of you is going to show up, and I’m sure you’ve heard that reapers do not make idle threats. I can take all five of you down without breaking a sweat. I’m the best the hunters ever had the displeasure of losing,” Elsie claimed.
“Looking your own mortality in the face and still as cocky as ever,” Marley growled.
Elsie shrugged in reply. “I just know my strengths.” Marley slammed the door behind her, and Elsie locked it, though that clearly wasn’t a deterrent for Marley. It was too bad she was garbage at erecting barriers. She looked at the wolf again. “Thank you for your help.”
Her stomach growled, and hunger pains hit her hard even though she’d just eaten, immediately distracting her from the fact that her six-month deadline had just been greatly readjusted. Elsie groaned. “Yeah, okay! Jeesh. I
made food and tried to call you out of there, but you didn’t respond. Can you be any smaller? You’re almost taking up the entire living room,” she pointed out.
The demon gave her a contemptuous look, but he shrank so effortlessly it was mildly annoying to realize he could have done that at any time. His black eyes were now level with hers, and while he was still huge, it felt more manageable. Elsie nodded. She could deal with this level of scary.
Her fingernails pressed into her palms as she remembered a similar conversation with Saint, when they’d first met. He hadn’t been on board with the idea of becoming her companion any more than she’d wanted him. At least, in the beginning.
“Come into the kitchen. You can eat in there. The tile is easier to clean than what’s left of the carpet.” She led him into the kitchen, and he sniffed at the cold rice and veggies suspiciously. “It’s just food. I can warm it up for you if you prefer. Do you have a human form?”
A growl was the only answer.
“Didn’t like that question? Sorry, it’s hard to figure out what’s a sensitive subject and what’s not. For example, will you get mad if I ask you your name?” she asked. He just stared at her, and she got that same feeling as earlier. A distinct confusion that felt like a question. Did that mean he didn’t understand? Or worse, did he not remember his own name? She realized with horror that the second was probably the truth.
“Holy crap, my mother really did a number on you. We’ll figure out something to call you, don’t worry. Do you want that warmed up?” Elsie questioned. He bent his head and sniffed it again, then took a big bite, swallowing it down fast like an actual wolf would. He grabbed a second bite before making a choking sound.
“What did you expect? You’ve got to chew your food!” Elsie chuckled. She took a bowl down and filled it with water as he took another bite. He choked again, looking distressed. “Good Gods, are you okay?”
Her entire body flushed with a profusion of heat, and for three full seconds, fire flashed before her eyes. Everywhere she looked was fire; she was surrounded by it. Elsie grabbed hold of the counter when it stopped and just breathed. She set the bowl down and groaned, stumbling back. It had seemed so real.
“Please stop doing that to me,” she moaned. Slurping sounds hit her ears, and she lowered her arms, looking at the beast with amusement. He hadn’t been choking, and she understood why he’d shown her a fire. “Wait, the chili peppers were too spicy for you? Well, aren’t you a precious ball of fluff?”
“How long did the hunters have you that you’ve forgotten what good food tastes like?” He gave her a disgusted look and walked back into the living room, but not before stopping to kick at the plate with his back feet as though he were burying a poo. “Wait, Precious, where are you going? It wasn’t even that spicy!” Elsie laughed.
She followed him into the other room and watched him slump onto the sofa, panting. He really looked uncomfortable. Elsie pursed her lips. “Alright, next time I can make two separate dishes. I won’t put as much heat in yours. I’m just surprised that you’re so sensitive to spices after living with my mother for so long.”
An image of her mother flashed through her mind as that pain of hunger hit her again. Then her pulse raced, limbs aching with exhaustion. A wild deer ran through the forest in front of her. Her claws and teeth took it down, and the hunger was sated by the fresh, hot blood that flooded her mouth.
“Wait, wait! Stop,” Elsie pleaded, and he pulled out of her head. She almost fell over with the phantom soreness in her muscles. It felt like she’d really been the one running so hard. “It’s incredibly overwhelming when you do that. Are you saying you never got used to the spices because my mother never fed you? She made you hunt for yourself?”
The creature sneezed at her in amusement, and he offered a single nod. The goddess was such a contradiction of all-encompassing love and compassion and brutality. Sometimes, thinking of all Santisima’s different sides gave Elsie emotional whiplash. How could she be so terrible to a creature subservient to her? Hadn’t she taught Elsie to be fair with the creatures of the world?
“That won’t happen to you with me,” she promised. “I’ll make you something else to eat without the heat. We’re not going to spend as much time planning as I’d thought. I don’t want to give the hunters time to retaliate for how badly you scared Marley, so once this place is clean, we’re getting out of here.”
The demon gave a rumbling sound of approval. She’d finally found something he wasn’t angry about. If she could win him over, he’d be more inclined to let her live at the end of all this. Elsie looked him over one more time, a tiny spark of hope igniting again. It was starting to feel like this was really something she could pull off. But she had a new problem to worry about. She hadn’t asked anything more about the curse, and she couldn’t work out how to break it if she knew nothing about it. Every curse had a counter curse; it was some wonky old cosmic law. Unfortunately, the one who cast the curse had the power to make that counter as easy or difficult as they wanted. It might not be something Elsie was willing to do.
Studying the cuff tying her to the wolf, she went back into the kitchen and surveyed what she’d bought. He’d want something simple and filling. Good thing she bought so many canned foods. She’d feed the wolf what he was more comfortable with, then she had some more questions for the demon.
Chapter 5
Elsie sat against the far wall of her living room, watching the window and the door while her knee bounced with impatience. The second the sun went down and Mrs. Cutler’s shop closed, she would finish hauling the trash out and leave. Unless Callum and the others showed up first. The longer she sat still, the more certain she felt they would.
Her mother’s demon lay grumpily on the couch. She’d fed him, but he was already hungry again, which didn’t surprise her. The damned thing was huge. He must need to eat a lot, which started to make her understand why Santisima had made him hunt for himself. It made her that much more determined to make sure she kept him satisfied.
If eating flesh made a boar go crazy, she could only imagine the effect it had on a demon as powerful as a king. She stared at the beast that was just as much shadow as corporeal. It was strange how he could so clearly be both at once.
“Are you really a king?” she blurted out, then slapped a hand over her face. If he was sensitive about other subjects, that one was bound to piss him off. Surprisingly, he didn’t bother looking her way, but he didn’t growl, either.
The scent of high grasses and the feeling of a light breeze drifting through her hair came to her. It was nice, nicer than anything else he’d shown her, but she didn’t understand it. Before she could say anything, he added another. It felt like the world rested on her shoulders. The responsibility was so heavy she could scarcely breathe, and then the feelings all vanished.
“I’m not sure if that means yes, but it feels like whatever you were before, there was something important you had to do,” she said softly. He gave a great sigh, but no other visions touched her psychically. “How long were you with my mother?”
This time, he growled, stood up, and vanished. The cuff glowed, and Elsie thumped her head against the wall. She just didn’t know when to shut up. Those feelings, though… He may actually have been a king. But why had Santisima made a joke of it? The beast was as big a mystery now as he’d ever been, but Elsie had never tried to figure him out before.
“What do you think, Miss Kahlo?” Elsie asked as the cat stared up at her. “Am I crazy for deciding to run with this guy and set him loose? What if I’m making a mistake?”
She chuckled at herself asking Frida for advice. She may be a spirit guide, but it wasn’t like she responded. The sun was nearly down, so it was time to say goodbye to Mara. Elsie walked into her bedroom, sighed, and picked up the phone before chickening out. She sat on the side of the bed and flopped over backward.
“Frida, I’m a lousy person,” she pouted, then texted Mara instead of calling, feeling like a s
hit the entire time.
“Mara, I have to leave town for a while, and to be totally honest, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. You need to find yourself someone that can give you the attention you deserve. I had a great time while we were together, and I’ll remember you. Thank you for caring about me as much as you do, and I’m sorry I can’t explain more.”
Elsie read the text out loud, agonized over it, and hit send. She didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, she turned the phone off and left it on the bed. She wouldn’t need it outside of Providence. There were no cell phone towers outside of town limits. A few other towns had their own, but she wouldn’t be spending enough time in any to bother getting an access code.
Besides, the phone would go a long way toward paying back Mrs. Cutler. The old woman didn’t have one, and they were worth a ridiculous amount of money. That decided, she looked around the bedroom she’d called her own for the past three years. Not much had accumulated. The bed, end table, and dresser had come with the place. Elsie had added a few pieces of art that she’d created herself using paints created out of local flowers.
She was the only artist for miles around. The drugs in the water did things to people’s brains. They’d lost their creativity, and Elsie hated that for them. It was why she sold her paintings for the price of a single meal. The people around here looked at her work with a hunger in their eyes that physically hurt her to see. Like deep down inside, they knew they were missing something.
She wasn’t even sure they’d remember she’d ever existed after a few months had gone by. Not even Mara.
“It doesn’t matter,” she told herself. “I just haven’t found my home yet.”
It still sucked. She’d come to love some of the people of this little town. Mrs. Cutler and her husband, meditation and self-defense students, and Mara. She wasn’t in love with Mara, but there was love there. It was impossible to avoid that with her. The recent bout of clinginess notwithstanding, the woman was wonderful.
