Page 69 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

Darius made a phone call in the afternoon and nodded at Bale. Hakko had agreed to dinner with them. Isaac would drop by afterward. Darius paced the house, straightening things up and tidying other places. His nerves jangled with Bale’s, and Bale had to get out before they started fighting once more.

“Practice with electricity today if you can,” Bale suggested before leaving. Darius rolled his eyes as he kissed Bale’s cheek. “See if you can blend your two strongest elements together and tell me the results.”

Darius cocked his head as he thought about it. He blew out air slowly as he nodded. “You stay safe. Try not to get caught.”

“Of course.”

Darius’s end game involved the portals. He wanted to close them permanently. Each time they mucked around with the portals, it was with only one sort of power base. But if Darius could combine a multitude of elements, it might give them an edge. It also meant a higher chance at getting trapped in the portal world where nothing existed but the gatekeeper. They existed to maintain balance between the two worlds. They opened the gates and allowed passage if one fit certain criteria, which was a mystery to everyone. Bale didn’t think Darius would be able to handle the abject loneliness of living in a gate. They had to make sure this was fixed as they sent Hastur back to his home.

The risk of being lost on the wrong side of the door was better than living with Hastur’s version of the future. They couldn’t take that chance.

Maybe that was what Bale’s vision of the future meant when he and Darius were together with the others but still so separate.

No wonder Darius had been so fractious. If he’d been carrying this plan around with the idea he’d be gone, then his mind would create whirlwinds of doubts all the frigging time.

Leaping into the air and using his wings, he flew contentedly to the highest point of Granite. The salve Typhon gave him and the magic patches the brownies recreated had done wonders. He felt right and almost himself again.

Perched on the high steeple of the old church, Bale could see everything from the black stain of the chained portal by the River Walk to the far dark green of the cedar woods. All of Granite was visible under his powerful gaze.

The scent of rotting flesh and dirty blood caught his attention. He leapt off the roof and soared in the direction it came from. He closed his eyes as he flew, knowing immediately where he was going.

The industrial section of Granite was considered a dead zone. His ability to stay in the air disappeared, and he was forced to land on the precarious rooftop of an abandoned factory. The wood splintered, and he fell unceremoniously through to the ground in front of a patient Hastur and his buddy, Sawyer.

His legs throbbed with the harsh landing, but Bale managed to keep himself upright in front of Hastur.

Hastur was in the process of possessing Jenkins. There was same sort of skin slippage that Hastur had with the end of his partnership with Elijah, but it was more grotesque. Jenkins moved disjointedly as though he had never walked before. The rotund man looked ill at ease in the yellow cape and suspenders. It didn’t seem to be working out for the two of them.

“Bale, my honourable demon. You’ve come back to me. How delightful.” Hastur’s voice was discordant. The power he exerted over Jenkins seemed to make him unable to speak. “But I’m not sure you’re worth it. I have better people who’ll do whatever it takes to stay on the winning team.”

Bale snorted as he shook his head. “Like I want to be part of anything that’s yours. You’re falling apart.”

“Small setback. Charles and I are still working out the contract I’ve established. It’s just taking some getting used to. Elijah was much more agreeable. It’s too bad that creature ruined everything. This is why humans are untrustworthy, Balor. You remember the small one? He had a modicum of power and ran with it.”

“I saw a man who didn’t want to be trapped. I imagine that’s why Elijah gave up. Not because he was weak, but because he saw the writing on the wall. You know you can’t win. No matter what form you take, you’re going to lose.”

“If you’re not here to bask in my glory or seek forgiveness, why did you come?” Hastur stretched out a putrid tentacle, which tried to wrap itself around Bale. The scent turned Bale’s stomach. Hastur was the source of the awful smell..

“There was a sonic resonance of magic dissipating, and I wanted to find where it originated.” Bale kicked the tentacle as it touched his foot. The stinging cold ricocheted through his system.

“It did not dissipate. Nothing’s changed. Your precious companion is still going to fail. He’s already lost the support of his friends. What else can he do? Learn more magic? Please. He could practice every bit of magic left in this rotten world and still he would not be able to defeat me. Everyone in this fucking town believes in me now. They trust me because I’ve got their back.” Hastur’s voice shifted to a parody of Elijah’s cool and collected tone. “Trey too. He’s so confused. Everything is just falling apart around him. He didn’t have anyone to talk to, just some old guy at the tea shoppe. We had some very interesting conversations. And we agreed on one important point. Darius is no good for this town. He’s too selfish, too foolhardy, too unwilling to listen to reason.”

Bale bit back everything he wanted to say. If he tried to defend Darius, Hastur would run with it, therefore fucking up every plan Darius had. Nothing good would come of it if he tried to attack Hastur. Bale was in pain and alone. “Like Trey would speak with you. You nearly killed his mate.”

“Okay, fine, you caught me. It wasn’t me specifically, however…” The smile of Hastur’s black emptiness made Bale’s skin crawl. “Balor, you’ve lost. Tell your precious Darius to give up. Cede control to me, and I promise I will make sure everything remains as it is. No one has to get hurt.”

Bale pursed his lips and nodded agreeably with Hastur. “I’ll talk to him and get back to you soon.”

“Tick tock, Balor. Tick tock. My offer has a time limit.” Hastur tapped his wrist just as the tentacle curled around Bale’s leg.

With a powerful leap, Bale kicked the tentacle away as he pushed against the vacuum for magic. He fought the current until the air was clean and bright.

His legs ached, and his strength waned as he flew as hard as possible back to the safety and comfort of his home. Darius needed to have this information now. Bale could ignore the dull ache until he was with Darius.

Bale crashed into the snow surrounding the deck. His legs were unable to bear his weight, and his lungs burned from exertion.

“Bale? What the fuck? What the hell happened? Hakko, help!”

“Well, have I got a story for you,” Bale said as he slumped into Darius’s arms. The warmth of Darius was a relief. He curled himself around his beloved and breathed in the clean scent of love. A blanket was dropped on his shoulders while someone slid their arm around his waist, lifting him easily.

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