Page 22 of Claimed By Night

“I wasn’t aware that you were allowed to travel freely from the Gorge.”

“I’m not.”

“Then is this an astral version of you with whom I’m speaking?”

Dragan’s eyes narrow as Cambion’s smug smile widens, an’ I immediately decide I like him. Mainly ‘cause I can tell he ain’t gonna let Dragan pull no shit over on him. Even though Cambion ain’t as big as the Gargoyle King, he act like he is.

“Let’s cut the bullshit,” Dragan growl.

“Consider it cut,” Cambion answer in a bored voice an’ then he narrow his eyes as he cross his hands ‘gainst his chest. That’s when I notice his clothin’—considerin’ the guy live in the middle o’ the forest, he ain’t dressed like it. He wearin’ a real nice, tailored violet overcoat in shimmery fabric that look real expensive. An’ he got velvet pants on in a matchin’ color. He look kinda ridiculous.

“Why are you here?” Cambion ask.

“I need your help. Why else would I have come?”

Cambion shrug an’ then pretend ta be way too interested in his clean nails. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you were passing through the fae plane? And you decided to pop in to delight me with tales of the land of deep despair, of wherever it is you’vebeen banished to. Or, were supposed to have been banished to.” He look ‘round hisself an’ shrug before lookin’ back at Dragan. “As you can see, I’ve done a far better job of sticking tomybanishment.”

“I need you to heal someone,” Dragan say, like he in a big hurry an’ ain’t got time for all o’ Cambion’s talk. “She’s high onAtacomite.”

“She?” Cambion repeat, his eyebrows furrowin’ as he look at Thoradin an’ frown deeper. “Last I had the pleasure of seeing you sans clothing, Thoradin, you possessed a cock and balls, like the rest of us? Has your dick fallen off? To be replaced with a…”

I can’t help my laugh ‘cause that be some funny shit.

“You’ve never seen me naked, faerie,” Thoradin spit back an’ Cambion jist smirk, makin’ me wonder if maybe he be more into the sausage than the bun?

“We don’t have time for your games, Cambion,” Dragan interrupt in a voice that sound more like a bark. Then he turn ‘round so Cambion can get a look at the girl.

“Ah, you’ve brought me a wife—how good of you, Dragan,” Cambion say, that jokin’ smile back on his face. “And she’s passed out, just how I like them.” He take a step forward an’ brush the girl’s hair away from her face, an’ then he don’t say nothin’ for a moment or two. He got the same expression Dragan had the first time he saw her.

“She’s quite the looker,” he say in a deeper voice. So maybe Cambion ain’t so much into the sausage as I thought?

“She’s an angel,” Dragan explains like Cambion be a big dumb-dumb.

“An angel?” Cambion repeat an’ then frowns real deep-like. “Aren’t you aware of the edict…”

“Yes! I’m fucking aware of the fucking edict!” Dragan thunder back, an’ all the pixies hide in the flowers which close up‘round them an’ bow down like they tryin’ to hide, too. Not that I blame ‘em; Dragan’s one scary prick.

“Then you would know,” Cambion start but Dragan interrupt him.

“And I don’t give a fuck about Variant or his fucking edict!”

“Well, if we’re playing the game of who can sayfuckthe most, you’ve certainly won, old chap,” Cambion say, but he don’t sound too amused. Then he take a real deep breath. “Since I have a feeling you won’t leave until I help you with whatever trouble this girl’s gotten herself into, Iwillhelp—on one condition.”

“Which is what?” Dragan demand.

“That you leave and return to your dark cave as soon as I do. The last thing I need is Variant finding out I’m in any way aiding and abetting a criminal.”

“As soon as Variant realizes I’ve escaped the Gorge with an angel, he’ll be coming here, looking for you next. If you’re smart, which I’ve never accused you of in the past, you’ll listen to what I’ve got to say and you’ll help me.”

“Our time, liege,” Thoradin say in a quiet voice from behind Dragan.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Dragan respond.

“Your time?” Cambion ask an’ his smile look like a serpent’s.

“We have thirty minutes remaining before we must return to the land of shadow,” Dragan explain.

“Or what happens?”

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