Page 67 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

Trey pursed his lips and glanced away. Maybe it was Darius’s volatility. Maybe he wasn’t good enough anymore.

“No more arguing about irrelevant things,” Isaac demanded, meeting everyone’s eyes. He served Caspian and himself before passing the tongs to Adam. “Have you met Poe? He’s a sweet guy.”

Darius cleared his throat before speaking. “Yeah, Hakko’s lucky.”

Bale patted his thigh, drawing Darius’s attention back. His affection shone in his bright eyes, settling some of the irritation deep in Darius. Bale was the only one who mattered. Bale had rescued him from so many things. Darius could be nice for one evening. It was the least he could do.

“Have some dinner.”

“I know.” Darius dug into his food and savoured every bite. He formed words and conversations in his head to share with the guys about his meditations with the fire. He was bursting to tell someone other than Bale about the progress he’d made. Bale’s suggestion, so simple, had been a godsend. He had never thought about using the fire as a talisman. And it worked better than the stones.

“The stones look like they’ve been used. Are you practicing?” Adam asked as he bit into a forkful of food.

It was a good opportunity to explain what he’d discovered. “The stones work well with one element, but since I’m not really a rock person, I couldn’t jive with them. However, I’ve been meditating with the fire sprites, and it’s helped a lot with my focus.”

“Why hadn’t you done that before? It seems so obvious. I mean, you play video games.” Trey rolled his eyes. Darius recoiled from the smart remark, shamed from not realizing the connection.

“Trey. Really?” Bale jumped in. Darius reached over and squeezed Bale’s arm. He appreciated the defense, but maybe Trey had a point.

“Are you hungry? I thought you had enough… you know.” Adam blushed as he gestured at his neck.

Darius peered at Trey, trying to see where any of this was coming from. As much as Trey annoyed him, this did seem a little excessive. “Have you done anything different? Seen anyone out of place?”

“What? No. I help Cas at the township office some days. A lot of cryptids need governmental help. And I go visit Hawk.” Bale and Darius’s eyes met, and Trey’s casual words crushed Darius. Trey had been sucked into the same sort of manipulation Hawk had been. The planting of seeds of doubt. And talking with Hawk had changed some of Trey’s beliefs and loyalties.

Darius didn’t say anything. The joy of finding a new measure to control his magic didn’t seem as important now. There was a chance Trey wouldn’t be able to help himself and would share what was discussed at the dinner table with Hawk. And then it would trickle down to Hastur and Jenkins.

Bale nudged him gently with his knee before returning to the conversation. “Have you seen the letters exhibit? I think Hakko and Ethan did a fantastic job with it. As I was looking, I caught some familiar names.”

“I submitted some letters written by my grandparents. My mother saved them.” Adam smiled, perking up. He kept stealing glances at Darius, but Darius was still struck by Trey’s shift in attitude. He had to fix it, but how?

The party ended once dinner was cleaned up. Darius didn’t offer the video game system or dessert. His equilibrium shot, he was done with the day. Isaac gave him a hug before following Trey and Adam out the door.

Bale tugged him into the living room and lay down on the couch. Stretching out beside Bale took away some of his tension and worries. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

“I thought… we were good,” Darius started. He drummed his fingers on Bale’s chest as he tried to work out why he was so unsettled.

“Not everyone can agree. Trey has always been his own man.”

“But Bale, you heard him!”

“I know, I know. It was a poleax to the chest. But for now, we keep an eye on him. Make sure he’s not vulnerable to anyone else. Sawyer still has to be floating around.”

“But he blamed me.”

“No, he didn’t. That’s not what he said. You’re projecting.” Bale kissed his forehead roughly. “Darius, we continue as we have been. We won’t talk. Like you said, we have to keep Yellow Dick on his toes. He has to remain in the dark as much as possible.”

“I thought Trey rooted for us. It seemed like he did. But now it feels like he’s blaming me, or he’s pissed off that we reconnected.” Darius sounded like a broken record, but he couldn’t get himself off the track where Trey admitted he agreed with Hawk about their activities.

“I’m sorry, Dare. I wish I could fix this for you.” Bale nuzzled him and groaned as one of the cats leapt onto his side. “Master Cat thinks we need to change subjects.”

“Right. So, the fire bond worked,” Darius said as Master Cat found a comfy spot at the small of his back.

“Really?” Bale grinned. His joy was exuberant as it shone down on Darius.

“Yeah, it was so neat. I made sparks in the air, and it did something. I feel more like me, you know?” Darius closed his eyes as he remembered the sensations of creating fire art. Bale’s idea had seemed out to lunch, but once Darius embraced the idea, everything fell into place. His bond with the land strengthened, and he was bursting with possibilities. And he'd caught a glimpse of a good one. He and Bale were so happy here in the cottage with a small collection of cats. All of them had two tails minimum. Some were being trained so they could go live with other people in need of their talents. “I don’t want to lose you or this.”

“You won’t. I am here for you.” Bale tipped his chin up and kissed Darius’s waiting mouth. It was a promise that Darius returned with one of his own. Bale would never have to worry about who’d buy his coin or if Darius would throw him away. Darius was going to do whatever it took to keep the coin and Bale with him. He just had to defeat Hastur.

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