Page 4 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

“You know your magic, Dare. You know the rules,” Bale said quietly. Magic needed to be used, or dangerous things could happen. Sometimes ice palisades or wild plants in offices. Isaac and Adam were small potatoes compared to Darius. If he did as they had done and ignored the magic, allowing his emotions to grow out of control, the end result would be a lot worse than a few vines and ice in places it shouldn’t be.

“But I play in my garden. I watch the… thing.” Darius jerked his head toward the field where the shattered portal slept. “I wield magic.”

His voice cracked, and Bale immediately grabbed Darius’s hand in support. Isaac never spoke but radiated kindness.

“Jesus fuck. What if I was in town?” Darius asked, his voice stripped of its signature snarkiness. It sounded wrong. Bale had to reassure him that this was fine. He had control. The breaking of lightbulbs was an aberration, nothing concerning.

“You were very upset and in your own space. You felt safe enough.” Bale tried to make his words reassuring, but the look Darius levelled on him told Bale he failed.

“Oh, fuck you, Bale. Like you understand what the hell’s going on. You’re a fucking—”

“Darius.” Isaac’s sharp tone stopped Darius. “He’s helping us. He’s not the bad guy—”

“At the moment. He’s not the bad guy at the moment.” Darius sniffed. He inhaled deeply and released it slowly. “Still hate you.”

Bale grinned. He was happy with Darius’s sentiment. It was familiar. “I’ll take it. Dare—Darius, you must use your magic again. You have to make peace with it. Otherwise—”

“Yellow Dick will have a field day. I know.” Darius cut off Bale. “Why are you here anyway? I thought I blocked you from my house.”

Bale shrugged. The wards around Darius’s house accepted that he was a part of Darius’s home and melted like butter when he stepped through them. Darius’s magic understood the truth in Darius’s heart. It would never impede Bale’s ability to rescue Darius. “You needed me.”

“Like fuck I did,” Darius burst out.

“Darius.”

“What? God, I am allowed to be bitter in my own house, Isaac. My space, my rules. If I want to be rude to this asshole, I am allowed. So, fuck the hell right off,” Darius snapped. Bale snorted at the argument. It was familiar and comforting. “Why the fuck are you laughing? I can kick you out right now.”

“Apologies. Coffee got stuck in my throat. Didn’t mean to make a sound.” Bale bobbed his head dramatically.

“Both of you leave. I am done with you and your bullshit. I have things to do, and you’ve ruined my day.” Darius pushed himself from the table and stomped into the front room. Bale shook his head, delighted at Darius’s behaviour.

In a soft voice that wouldn’t carry, Isaac leaned close to Bale and whispered. “That’s good right? He’s being bitchy and grumpy?”

“I think so. I hope so. It was nice to see it.” Bale sighed. He gazed down the hallway Darius disappeared into and waited. “I won’t lose him, Isaac. I won’t allow it.”

“Me neither.”

“We should probably leave. I don’t want to risk any more of his wrath.” Bale stood and stretched his back, feeling a slight twinge.

“Best plan. I gotta get to the Centre anyway. We have a new client coming in. Apparently, they’re not sure about working with a human. I want to reassure them.” Isaac stuffed his feet into his boots and shoved the toque on his head as they stepped outside into the brisk cold.

The front of Darius’s home was at complete odds to the backyard. It was neat as a pin with very little personality. The front porch had two plastic chairs turned toward each other. Bale wondered if this was the face Darius showed the world while his backyard was his true self.

Stepping on the clear path, he stretched out his wings as far as they would go and winced at the cracks and creaks. He was still unable to do a full spread, and it pained him. The bones hadn’t set right, and Bale was in danger of losing them if they didn’t get corrected soon.

Isaac stopped at the driver’s door of his small vehicle and tutted sympathetically. “Have you seen someone yet?”

“No, not yet. I thought I could fix them myself, but it’s no use.” Bale relaxed his wings and ruffled them back into place, a familiar weight on his back. “I try to spread them every day, but I can’t.”

“And that’s from…you know?” Isaac came over to touch. Bale knelt a bit to allow Isaac his investigation. “Bale, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t realized.”

“I didn’t want you guys to worry, so I didn’t say anything.” Bale stood and stepped away from Isaac’s sympathy. His chest tightened, and his breath hitched at Isaac’s words. “I deserve it.”

“Oh, you dummy. You do not deserve it. We can find someone to help you out. Hakko might have an idea. He has wings,” Isaac suggested before sitting in his car. “You’re our friend, Bale, even if you did stupid things.”

“Thanks, Isaac,” Bale said wryly. He waved goodbye and went to the back of the house. It was more familiar to him, with the wildness he associated with Darius. He studied the stone meditation circle with its intricacy and pondered what Lord Typhon would think if he dropped by.

Lord Typhon’s cavern was dark as Bale walked the winding path from the exit to entrance. He had heard about how dangerous and creepy it was from Rael, Lord Typhon’s human companion. Rael shuddered every time he described his first foray into Typhon’s home.

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