Page 11 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

“Seriously. How else did he get the drop?” Trey waved away Adam’s insistent interruptions. “And why are you so lovey-dovey?”

“Because right now it’s none of your business,” Darius retorted. “Why are you hanging around the township offices?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Trey asked, bewildered. There was something shifty in his eyes though. “I thought I could get the skinny on things. Like first day of spring. Elijah and his team are super keen on that date.”

Darius glowered at Trey. It was a good idea. He wished he had thought of it. “His Majesty does like his seasonal changes. But dammit, Trey, that was dangerous.”

Trey shrugged. “I had the opportunity, so I did. You would have backed my play.”

“Come to bed, Trey. It’s late. We can do this in the morning.” Adam hustled Trey out of the living room. “Spare bedroom, Dare?”

“Yeah, of course,” Darius said absently as he tidied up. The fire was banked, with the sprites napping on the embers.

Bale stood at the foot of the stairs, gazing silently at Darius. Questions filled his eyes as he waited for Darius.

“You can head up to my room.”

“You sure?” Bale confirmed. “I don’t need a bed. I can stand guard outside, Darius.”

Darius bit his lip as he rolled his shoulders. Could he have Bale in his space? This was a big step for him and it terrified Darius with all its implications. He didn’t say anything as he covered Isaac and Caspian with another blanket. The cats followed him as he confirmed everything was secured.

Bale was solemn as they ascended the stairs. Darius questioned everything he understood about himself. Was it possible to trust a man like Bale so intrinsically and still be angry about his past actions? Darius guessed he was going to find out. He brushed his teeth and stripped before putting on thin sleep pants. Darius pretended Bale wasn’t in the room and sitting in the reading chair by the window. Master Cat had made himself at home on Bale’s lap, kneading his paws on Bale’s strong leg.

Darius lay in bed with Bossy nestled against his stomach. The darkness of the room exposed Darius to the hidden truths. Darius missed having Bale near him. Having him in the same space was right. In his heart of hearts, Darius wished Bale was lying beside him and that he could touch his warmth whenever the dark thoughts crowded Darius’s mind.

“Darius, why haven’t you told anyone about meeting me for the first time?” Bale asked softly. Darius scowled at the ceiling. Not the conversation he wanted to have before bed.

“Because, Balor, it wasn’t relevant.” Darius rolled to his side and punched his pillow almost viciously.

“When will it become relevant? When His Majesty shares it with everyone because it’s your weakness? He knows now, Dare. He will use it.” Bale was like a dog with a bone, and Darius resisted the urge to attack.

“Some things, Bale, don’t need to be shared in an open forum. We can gloss over the nasty bits. But they don’t have to hear the nitty-gritty details. I’ll give them a concise story, and they’ll be happy, okay?”

“But you—”

“Goddammit, Bale. Drop it,” Darius hissed. He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe slowly.

“It was one of the worst and best days of my life,” Bale whispered, and the words cracked the hard shell around Darius’s heart. It had been the same for him as well.

“Good night, Bale,” Darius said fiercely.

The dream started out soft enough, weird as well. When weren’t Darius’s dreams strange? He was in a meadow at the height of summer. A warm breeze wafted over him, bringing the scent of the heat and bitterness. It was okay. Darius could still lie back on the grass and stare into the bright, bright sun. His hair was loose and tangled as the wind caught it.

A rough sound in the distance disturbed his idyll. Darius sat up, unwilling but curious. He shrieked as a monster in yellow stood over him. Tentacles rippled out from under his cloak, gripping Darius’s ankle hard. Rows upon rows of sharp teeth could be seen on a face that held no features.

“You’re the monster, Darius. You’re the freak. You called me. I answered, and now you must pay.” The tentacle slid farther up Darius’s leg as it coiled itself tightly.

“I did not call you,” Darius repeated over and over again. This was not what happened. And it was. The bright sun disappeared, and black as night clouds covered the blue sky. Acidic rain dripped down and poisoned the grass. Darius tried to free himself with everything he had as the water stung him. “You’re not real!”

“I am very real, Darius. I am your worst nightmare come to life, and you begged for it. I heard you, Darius. I heard what you said, and they opened the door for me. You did this. You started this. And I am going to delight in ruining you.”

Darius fought viciously, kicking out at the slimy sticky thing curling around him. This wasn’t happening. He could win. He would win. “I did not do this. This wasn’t me.”

“Leave him alone, Hastur. You can’t capture a human like this. It’s against the rules,” Balor demanded, the heat from his body protecting Darius as he stood at Darius’s head.

“He spoke the words, sacrificed his…” Hastur poked at Darius’s face with another tentacle, making eye contact. “You gave me something. That’s how this works.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Darius whined. He thrashed hard against his shackles, desperately trying to free himself. Where had the sun gone?

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