Page 58 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

Darius bolted upright in bed. A cold sweat beaded his skin. Bossy Cat was on the window ledge glaring at him, his tails puffed up angrily.

“I don’t wanna die,” Darius whispered into the cold air. It crystalized and exploded into a small puff of ice magic before dissipating.

“Dare? Can I come in? I heard… Dare?” Bale’s frantic voice in the hall had Darius scrambling to open the door. He stumbled into Bale’s waiting arms and sighed in relief. “Goddammit, Dare.”

“It was a dream.”

“And a fucking vicious one too.” Bale peered into his room, and Darius winced as he caught sight of his bed. The blankets were tossed every which way. “Come on.”

“Well, yeah, but Bale, I don’t need to change rooms.” Darius trailed after Bale, unhappy that he’d have to trade beds.

“Doesn’t matter. I like this room. I’ll straighten everything up. Anyway, the windows give me a view of the stars. Sometimes, I can see the morning star if I time it right. She offers hope, you know. When she rises in the sky at dawn, she shows me I can do it all. And I want to. I can be your hero.”

Darius grinned at the sweet side of Bale peeking out. His style of coaxing Darius into a better mood always worked. Bale was so earnest, and Bale’s protection did offer Darius a chance to rest. He could defeat the monsters with Bale at his side. However, the dregs of the nightmare still chafed, and Darius didn’t want to lose that fight. “But my bed…”

“Pretend you’re on holiday. Tomorrow you’ll have waffles for breakfast with maple syrup.”

“How? I don’t have a waffle maker.” Darius slid under the cold sheets, wincing at the sting. Bale settled a cat against his stomach as he curled up behind him. He remained on top of the covers as he continued to whisper in Darius’s ear.

“There will be waffles. Maybe some sausages and loads of that decadent rich coffee you only splurge on. The sun will shine brightly on the snow, sending sparkles everywhere. You’ll stare at it, in awe of its beauty.”

Darius listened to Bale, drawn into the story and the images Bale created. His eyes fluttered shut as Bale continued to weave his tale. Bossy Cat purred loudly, forcing Darius to breathe in the same cadence.

For the rest of the night, the only dreams he had were of snow crystals and maple syrup. It was soft and sweet, making him feel rested. Occasionally, the nightmare tried to rear its head, but nothing could withstand the power of Bale’s bedtime story.

In the morning, Darius woke up with Bale on top of the blankets with a wing flung over him. Two cats surrounded them as they napped without care. The teal blue colour of the dawn sky made him smile as he remembered the reverence Bale had toward Venus. He sighed and contentedly went back to sleep. There was no rush. Not now. Not when his family was all in the room with him.

The smell of sausages and coffee with the sizzling sound of frying woke Darius up the second time. He was alone with Master Cat. His black boy slept on his back, exposing his fuzzy belly. The sun was high up in the sky, and as Darius peered out into the yard, he saw the snow sparkles Bale had spoken fondly of.

Grabbing a fleece hoodie and toeing into his slippers, Darius went downstairs to the kitchen where Bale was shimmying as he made his waffles. Darius leaned on the door frame and watched.

Bale twisted around and smiled broadly at Darius. “I found a waffle thing.”

Darius shook his head and wandered into Bale’s waiting arms. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“I wanted to make sure your dreams came true. So, the nightmares wouldn’t.” Bale kissed his forehead before handing Darius a mug of coffee.

Darius stopped and blinked at Bale, stunned by the beauty of his words. “Bale…”

“Hmm?” Bale twinkled at him, happiness radiating from every pore. His hips still moved as he cooked breakfast.

“Nothing.” Darius nudged Bale out of the way of the stove before checking the sausages. They worked together in golden silence, sharing breakfast tasks. It was a good morning. Something Darius wanted to have more of.

Once the food was eaten and bellies were full, Darius stretched his shoulders back before leaning toward Bale. If this was Darius’s secret hope, then he had to share the worst of it as well. He had to tell Bale about the nightmares and how real they felt. They weren’t portents or flashes of a possible future, Darius was sure. But they needed to be discussed.

“I keep dreaming of Whatshisface laughing maniacally as we try to rescue everyone from the hordes of demons entering from the demonic dimensions. They’ve taken over the town, and it looks like no one survives. Neither cryptid nor human,” Darius said quietly. Bale listened as he sipped his coffee. It gave Darius the strength to carry on explaining.

“I think he wants the properties as a feeding source for his power. The places he talked about were rich in magic. A lot of non-mobile cryptids gather there. The trees and the river, for example.”

Bale cocked his head and paused before speaking. “How do you know this? It seems so unreal or out of place.”

“The land has mystical energy. We know this because Adam told us. The river has to have it because the river horses run in it all the time. And then the River Walk is where everyone gathers. It has its own powers because it became a focal point for everyone. Though in Whatshisface’s case, it’s like a fuck-you place. He’d want to prove how much better he is at shit than I am.” Darius slumped in his chair and drew a long breath.

“How did you rescue everyone?” Bale brought the conversation back to Darius’s nightmare.

“I didn’t. And then I woke up.” Darius tried not to think of the streets lined with corpses.

“Not a portent then.” Bale reached out his hand and offered it to Darius. He took it, grateful for the connection. “Well, that’s good in a way. We don’t want you dreaming about the end times.”

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