Page 10 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

The creature clacked their fierce mandible once more before skittering into the darkness. Their entourage melted away, leaving behind silence. Bale remained on guard, worried they might come back to cause more trouble.

“I don’t like them,” Darius mumbled. He brushed Bale’s fingers with his own briefly as he moved. “Come on. Turkey’s getting cold, and I don’t trust Trey with the food. He’ll eat it all.”

ChapterFive

Darius hadn’t realized the extent of damage and rot done to Bale’s wings until Bale had used them to intimidate the pink cryptid. So many gaping holes in the thick membrane, along with ragged edges. Wings were a sign of wealth and prosperity to the mercenary demons. To see Bale’s wings like that explained why Bale was so hesitant and protective of Darius and their group. Darius hated the sight of the holes, and he held back voicing his opinion once more. Bale was a grown man. He could have awful looking wings if he so chose.

Bale had given up a lot for them. He deserved a second chance, despite almost doing irreparable damage to their trust. Darius would see to it that Bale did find a space for himself.

“Who was that?” Isaac asked with Caspian pressed to his side. Caspian’s nose twitched as he scented the area. Isaac and Caspian were hovering close to the open back door.

“That was trouble. His Majesty is attempting to entice us to treat with him. But he won’t say that it’s him of course.” Bale flexed his wings once more before settling them on his back. Sweat dotted his brow, and he seemed to diminish once the pink creature disappeared. Darius worried for his state of mind.

“You two don’t seem surprised by their visit. In fact, it seems you recognized them. What the hell?” Trey asked fiercely as he glared at both Darius and Bale. Adam laced their fingers tightly together, and they stood as a united front.

“Well, if you had actually come over and talked with us when this first fucking happened, this wouldn’t be new information, now would it?” Darius snapped. If Trey kept pressing his point in a tactless manner, Darius was going to snap. However, people would be upset, and right now Darius was happy. Sort of. So, Darius buttoned his lips on his thoughts and subsided. Now was not the time.

“Shit happened. If you had mentioned that Hastu—”

“Trey!” A chorus of voices interrupted him from uttering Hastur.

“He was just here. I don’t see why we can’t say his name whenever we want,” Trey complained. Adam rolled his eyes before dropping an arm around Trey’s shoulder in comfort.

“Because it’s not fucking done.”Obviouslywas there but unspoken. Darius took a deep breath and released it. “Tonight, I wanted to have dinner and celebrate the season with my friends. Is that a problem?”

“No, Dare.” A subdued response echoed through the room.

Everyone quieted down as they returned to their spots at the dinner table.

“Hakko has done some amazing things at the museum. He’s really come into his own there. And he’s been such a good mentor to Ethan,” Isaac piped up, breaking the odd silence. The random comment was enough to start a friendly conversation about the people Adam and Isaac helped. Darius soaked it all in. He loved listening to his friends share their highs. Ever since he came back from the sleeping, people in town avoided him. They gave him wary looks or crossed the street.

“I heard there’s going to be an interactive exhibit there. Hakko has put a call out for love letters from the ages. If we have any from our relatives, he’d appreciate it,” Isaac said quietly.

“Oh, that’d be something neat to see.” Adam commented.

“You wanna talk about interesting folks. Have you met the new computer guru? Isadore, I think his name is? He really knows his shit. I’ve never seen a cryptid so involved in technology before.” Trey laced fingers behind his head and leaned back. He occasionally shot a calculating look Darius’s way but didn’t speak.

“I’ve met him. He came into the Centre in the spring. Very friendly sort of guy.” Adam smiled as he patted Trey’s leg. Darius glanced around the room and hummed. This was what he wanted the most.

Dinner ended up being lively, and it was followed by a raucous video game tournament where there was much trash talk and chitchat. Darius hadn’t realized how much his bond with his friends had weakened when he was in the sleep state. He’d thought that Isaac and Adam talking to him had kept the relationships strong, but there was a chance that they had frayed.

Caspian and Isaac were the first to drop off to sleep. Caspian with his orange body was a big lump against Isaac’s side. Bale threw a blanket over them before giving Caspian a gentle pet.

“Isaac’s been worried about you, you know,” Adam murmured under Trey’s loud catcalls. “We all have, but it’s more noticeable with him.”

“We’ve been trying to get the right groove again. Coffee before he heads off to the Centre,” Darius explained. He and Isaac had been attempting to recover their connection, but it was a challenge when things happened that they didn’t know how to broach, like when Darius returned from his long sleep.

“He likes that. It reminds him of the before times.” Adam gave Darius a thorough glance. “You’re not doing well either.”

“Dammit, Adam. I am fine. Look at me! I have put weight on. I am here in the flesh, having turkey dinner.” Darius puffed out his chest and flexed his arm. Bale snorted in the background, and Darius resisted the urge to flip him the bird.

“But you keep hiding things though. You think you’re protecting us, but you’re scaring us instead. Trey’s been hanging around town, chatting with folks, and they aren’t happy. They’re starting to believe that Elijah’s right,” Adam pointed out. Darius clenched his fists and held back his growl. “You have to come out of hiding and show people you’re not going to let him win. Visit the Centre. It’s on the main streets with lots of windows for people to peep in.”

“Wait until after the New Year revelries are completed and then we will all sit down with the cards on the table. We want to let you know what the plan is,” Bale murmured gently. His hand on Darius’s shoulder was a show of comfort and support. Darius rolled his shoulder, jostling Bale’s hand. He didn’t need Bale to protect him from this conversation.

“You should have done that from the beginning,” Trey said, surprising everyone with how well he was paying attention. He set the game controller on the coffee table before standing and stretching. “Hiding shit never works. Isn’t that how Bale managed to put one by us? By not sharing the whole picture?”

“Trey…”

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