Page 44 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

The fiery expression Darius sent him got Bale moving fast. He guided Isaac aim his magic at the worst of the spills, and it slowly reduced them down to nothing. Eventually, in the house, the ice shards vanished as Isaac removed the stains.

Darius had moved himself to lean back on a wall as Isaac and Bale worked on the things. His colour returned marginally, and his breathing was better.

“I didn’t think to look out the front,” Isaac admitted shamefully. He stood in the doorway, twisting his hands together. “I am so sorry, Dare.”

“Would you have known what to do anyway? I am right there next door. I will always be here for you,” Darius reassured his best friend. “Help me up.”

“What was that?” Bale asked.

“Poisoned land. It’s where the noodle people died, right? We never cleaned up your yard. Fuck.” Darius swore viciously. He swayed on his feet, and Bale was there to catch him. “Dammit. I thought he had no more tricks. I hoped Hakko had saved the day.”

“What do you mean?” Isaac held Caspian in his arms, rubbing his face against Caspian’s orange head.

“Hakko said there was an incident at the museum last night and that they sent Whatshisface back to where he belonged. Or maybe I assumed that.” Darius gazed at the ground as he spoke. “Something happened, and it hurt the mayor.”

“Huh, I noticed there was a change in the air. It had a zing to it.” Isaac kissed Caspian’s head. “Can we find out more?”

“I’m supposed to visit Hakko and his friend tonight.” Darius froze as he met Bale’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave them.”

Bale took a deep breath and swallowed. As much as he wanted to go with Darius, Isaac and Caspian were the most vulnerable now. “I’ll stay here with these two. Isaac will need some help with clean up.”

“Oh no, Bale. You don’t have to do that. You can go with Dare. We’ll be fine.” Isaac raised his hands to block Bale, and Bale chuckled as though that would work.

Darius met Bale’s eyes with a question, which Bale answered swiftly with a head tilt. No one would ever hurt Darius’s family, not on his watch.

ChapterNineteen

Darius hovered around the back door of the museum apartment. He hadn’t been sure if he’d actually arrive. His desire to be with Isaac and Bale almost superseded his quest to meet Hakko’s person. But he had to trust Bale to know what he was doing.

He assumed that the black ooze had been from the noodle people, and it had reacted with Isaac practicing magic. It reminded him so much of Hastur’s dungeon that he had almost passed out. The triggering moment had kept him from helping Isaac, and he couldn’t have that. He needed to be stronger now, better than Hastur. He wasn’t a prisoner anymore.

He blew out some pent-up air and tried to get rid of the jitters. From what little Ethan had told him about Hakko’s vampire, he knew Poe was a bit gun-shy. Darius did not want to scare Poe and make Hakko angry with him.

“Darius, welcome. Are you ready to come in?” The door opened, and Hakko smiled kindly at him. Darius had a vague memory of Adam complaining at how aloof Hakko was and how it had caused trouble for Adam when he was learning about his birthright as a godling.

“This is dumb. I’m not fit for company. I just had a thing, and I should be there, not here. Thank you for the invitation, but…” Darius turned away and walked down the two steps. The cold air penetrated his wool coat.

“Darius, let me help,” Hakko demanded. He kept the door open while he stood on the stoop. “You need it. I can offer suggestions. Tell me what happened, and maybe it’ll sort itself out?”

“You have that fresh lover look on your face. And since I am quite familiar with it, I don’t need to ruin your evening as well,” Darius snapped. Was he jealous? Of course not. Just because the dinner he and Bale were having was interrupted and therefore the after-dinner activities had been set aside, didn’t mean he was envious.

“Hakko?” A soft, rough voice with the same inflection and tone as Darius had him pausing. He lifted his eyes to the door but only saw a shadow of a person peering through it. He was backlit, so Darius couldn’t make out his features.

“It’s okay, Poe. Darius just needs a bit of encouragement. You don’t have to stay in the cold.” Hakko sent his friend back inside. “Come on, let me put the kettle on, and I’ll make you a tea or hot chocolate. Nothing else needs to be talked about.”

“This is dumb, so fucking dumb,” Darius murmured as he accepted Hakko’s invitation. He entered the apartment and was blown away by the warmth and comfort. Hakko was standing near the stove while Poe sat at the kitchen island. “Hi.”

“Darius, this is Poe. Poe, Darius. He’s a guardian of sorts for the town. He has some questions.”

“About me?” Fear tainted the easy expression on Poe’s face.

“No, darling. Well, not so much. Darius?” Hakko wrinkled his nose as he studied Darius.

Darius shrugged. His mind was elsewhere and not on what Hakko wanted to talk about, but he was here, and he had to make the effort. “I was looking at the letters, and they felt familiar. I mentioned something to Hakko, and he said to pop by. So, here I am.”

“He said the letters contained magic,” Hakko explained. Poe whipped his head around and studied Darius with sharp-eyed focus.

Poe was so familiar to Darius. The narrowness of his features, the delicate bone structure. It reminded him of looking in a mirror. “Shit.”

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