Page 25 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

“Lord Darius. It rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?” A man wearing a white linen suit approached Darius from nowhere and bowed low in front of him. “Well, I never expected this to happen. You were quite adamant before that nothing would get you to return and yet, here you are. What can I help you with today? Did you get yourself burned by the almighty Hastur again? I told you that playing nice was a necessity when dealing with Elder Demons of Hastur’s calibre.”

“He had nothing to do with this. I want to go home,” Darius stated clearly. Maybe it would work.

“Oh, pishposh, you know exactly who I am. You just don’t want to admit it. I get it. You like to resolve problems on your own. You have this lone wolf thing happening. Well, guess what, buckaroo? That ain’t gonna help you save the world this time. In fact, it’s going to hinder a helluva lot.” The man rested his hands behind his back and walked in a circle around Darius.

“I am working with others. I have friends who—”

“Be real, Darius. You are not ‘working’ with others.’” The man shook out his leonine hair and gazed up at the starry night. “In order to do that, you have toshareinformation. You have to be open and willing to accept new ideas and thoughts. They have a say in how Hastur gets taken out.”

Darius recoiled from the man’s words. Every phrase hit Darius hard, as it was something he’d begun to realize but didn’t know how to fix. He saw how Adam and Trey had begun to disconnect from their group. Was it truly his fault? If it was, Darius had to find a way to solve it. Adam and Trey were so important to him.

“I was going to tell everyone at dinner,” Darius admitted as he raced to remember who this man was and what he needed from Darius. He was sure it was Lord Hypnos, an Elder God, but he didn’t want to give Hypnos the satisfaction of asking for confirmation.

“But you’ve been saying that for a while now, haven’t you?” Hypnos tsked. “Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. I’m sure you’ll share when you’re good and ready. Hopefully before the end times.”

“We spoke with him this afternoon, and it was my plan to get it all out tonight,” Darius insisted.

“It doesn’t sound like you have that confidence. Like I said, water under the bridge. We have more important things to talk about. You and your magic. It’s a bit fickle, isn’t it?” Hypnos tilted his head and gave Darius a considering look. “It’s kinda cracked and raw. Nothing like your mentees. They have stupendous power for people who’ve only had magic for a minute.”

“I haven’t been using it as I should. I get that. Can I go now?” Darius asked. This conversation was making his head spin, and he didn’t like Bale being alone.

“Darius, your magic is warped. This isn’t like some skill that rusts with disuse. It festers and poisons. Especially how it was given to you. Your pure magic combined with this mass of black corruption has changed you in dangerous ways. You’re no longer wholly good.”

“No, I’m no more damaged than you are. I can fix this. I will remove Hastur from my fucking town, and you will have to eat your words,” Darius lashed out, his emotions fluctuating wildly. Anger and fear dominated his words while resignation and acceptance swamped him. His chest hurt as his breaths shortened from panic. Everything Lord Hypnos said crippled Darius, reminding him of how close he was to drowning under Hastur’s thumb once more.

“You do care about me. How sweet, but Darius, let’s be serious here. You need to step up your game and focus on getting rid of the bloat in your town. You felt the gross poison shit, right? That’s Hastur.”

Darius nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Hypnos continued. “He’s telling people that he’s gathering land for the good of the community, but what he’s doing is seeding the ground for his demons. He’s manipulating your citizens into thinking everything is going well if they listen to him. Because you’re being you, they don’t know the darkness he possesses or the true threat he poses. Because of your reticence, winning this battle is going to be that much harder. I need you to understand that.”

Darius filed away the information and tried to see where Hypnos was going. His brain was still processing it all. Everything Hypnos said was in line with his thoughts and his fears. Hastur’s greatest power was manipulating people to think his way. He sowed seeds and watered them with tiny nuggets of misinformation, making people panic. Elijah’s charisma was a perfect cover for him. “Elijah?”

“Elijah? I don’t get the reference.”

“Elijah was—is his connection to this dimension, except Elijah is wasting away. Anyway, is that what you mean?” Darius asked as he imagined his old friend dying under Hastur’s watch. He took some calming breaths as he forced himself to relax under the weight of Hypnos’s information. This wasn’t attack on him. It was a suggestion to get his act together. He was fine. He just had to continue to breathe.

“Makes sense. That is what he is doing. So right now, he is laying the foundation so he can have good and bad things at the same time. You can’t allow that.”

“No shit. But how the fuck do I stop it?” Darius raked his fingers through his hair in agitation. Hypnos’s advice was logical and would be perfect if it wasn’t what was already percolating in his head.

“Declaw him. Don’t let him win the battle of popular opinion. For Gods’ sake, don’t bring the fight to the middle of your town. Are you fucking nuts? It’s no wonder no one likes you,” Hypnos said.

Darius felt the jab right in the heart, and his confidence in winning took a nosedive. Hypnos was right.

“Fine. I suck at human interaction. I get it. People have been telling me that for years. You win. Hastur wins,” Darius said. “I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“Believe in yourself. Believe in your mate and in your family. They have your back.” Hypnos set his big hands on Darius’s shoulders. “But be warned, there are friends who won’t trust you. It’s awful, and I hate that you’ll be hurt but… it’s there. There will be others who will guide you. Do not let Hastur win.”

A wave of understanding and sadness wound through Darius as he listened to Hypnos. Somehow, he knew who and what Hypnos was talking about. Right now, he had to assure Hypnos of his victory. “Of course, I’m not going to let him win. I have never done that. Fuck him.”

“I’m serious, Lord Darius. He absolutely cannot this time. He must be vanquished. The doorways must be sealed forever. This cannot go on,” Hypnos stated, staring hard into Darius’s face. “He’s angry that a human has bested him. He refuses to admit he’s lost twice to the same human. He will be gunning for you and will use every trick in the book to stop you.”

“What’s in it for you?” Darius asked as he tried to sort out Lord Hypnos’s angle.

“I want to fix what got broken. You didn’t deserve anything that happened, and I am unable to salvage it. I can offer suggestions and guidance. I need you to survive this, Darius. Your magic is at the crux of all of this. You must find your balance if you want to defeat Hastur completely.”

“Use the force, Luke,” Darius muttered, uncomfortable with Lord Hypnos’s intensity.

“What?”

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