Page 12 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

“Darius, what did you sacrifice?” It was the last thing Darius heard as the tentacles squeezed and squeezed.

Darius woke himself up, his throat hoarse from yelling. He met the golden eyes of Master Cat and Bossy Cat. They surrounded him as they waited for him to remember where he was. “Babies.”

“Darius?” Bale was here, kneeling beside the bed, holding on to Darius’s hand tightly. It was only a dream.

He covered his eyes with an arm and swore. He hadn’t had a nightmare that bad since Hastur first sent him away.

“Darius?”

“Can you get me some water?” Darius asked, still trying to catch his breath. His heart was racing, and God, his throat was dry. Bale released Darius’s hand as he stood.

There was some rustling and water running as Bale filled a glass. He brought it to the bed and sat gingerly on the edge, making it dip slightly. Darius lifted himself and took a few sips from the offered glass.

“Was it a dream or a portent?” Bale asked quietly, his hand resting on Darius’s side. The heat of his touch was a comfort, reminding Darius once more that Bale was real.

“Not sure. It was rough.”

“What happened?”

“Bad things.” Darius shuddered. The feel of Hastur’s tentacle bothered him still, and he fought the urge to kick.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“Bale. You have no control over this shit. It happens. Yes, you probably could have chosen a better time to havethatdiscussion than before bed. But you don’t do human ones. You don’t understand how they work.” Darius waved away Bale’s guilt. As much as he wanted to rail at Bale for putting the thoughts into his head, Darius was as much at fault as Bale.

Sometimes imagination couldn’t be controlled. Nightmares occurred no matter how much a person fought against them. And Darius had always been particularly sensitive to the nuances of them. It was one of the ways he discovered other worlds and dimensions.

Images of demons appeared in a daydream one day. He’d been napping in a meadow, bored with life and tired of the bullies from high school when an image from a book popped up on the edge of his consciousness. He'd pulled on the thread, curiosity winning out over caution when a galaxy filled his thoughts. It was so big and so detailed Darius knew he could never have imagined it. And he went down a rabbit hole until the mosquitoes came out.

Lifting his phone for the time, Darius groaned. It was still too early, especially with guests piled up everywhere.

“What do you want?” Bale asked as he caressed Darius’s blanket-covered thigh.

“Tea or coffee, something. I don’t think I can go back to sleep after that. Way too rough.” Darius sighed as he propped himself up against the headboard. He regarded the attentive Bale with his stubby horns and worry etched into his posture. In the quiet morning with no one else around, Darius found peace. Bale gave him that, and maybe it was time to accept that people made mistakes. Bale didn’t need to be punished for the past. Darius could move past that.

“At your service.” He was silent as he exited the room. Bossy Cat pawed at Darius’s shoulder while Master Cat curled up immediately on his lap. Their presence soothed the jagged edges of his thoughts. He didn’t want to remember the sensation of fear as it rippled through him.

How was he going to get through the nights if Hastur kept appearing in his dreams? He wasn’t sure if he could constantly relive the assault on a regular basis. Like everyone kept telling Bale about finding someone to talk to, it seemed like Darius would have to do the same.

Bale came up a few minutes later with two mugs in his hands. He was determined and fierce as he carefully passed the hot mug to Darius. “Isaac and Caspian are still lost in their dreams. I stoked the fire, which cheered the sprites up. Everyone should be okay.”

Darius nodded as he sipped the herbal tea. It was one of the Tea Shoppe’s night blends. “Why this one?”

Bale shrugged and settled down on the empty space beside Darius. “It smelled nice.”

“It has sedative qualities in it. I don’t want to sleep,” Darius complained as he continued to sip. The tea was still delicious.

“You need more rest. I promise to watch over you as you do. I’ll keep the terrors away,” Bale declared. His voice wavered a bit.

“Bale.”

“Darius, allow me to do this. Let me earn your trust once more. I will not allow him to get you.” Bale leaned forward and gazed earnestly at Darius. It went against all of Darius’s desires, but he nodded. Bale was right. They had to get past this. He had to forgive Bale or move on. It was best for them both. They could be friends again. Nothing more, nothing less. Friends only. Bale had destroyed him. And he had the power to do it again. Darius wasn’t sure if he or they were worth that amount of agony. So, he could be friends. It didn’t matter if his heart cracked a tiny bit at the mere possibility.

Darius debated telling Bale the extent of the dream. The end was blurry and filled with the fog of terror. “He asked me for something. Said I gave him it. But I don’t remember, Bale. I never gave him anything, and I’d never ask him to solve a problem. You were there, which was weird. I felt you protecting me.”

Bale pressed a thumb to his lips, and his brow furrowed as he thought. He slowly shook his head as he spoke. “I don’t think that was a memory, Dare. It’s not something I’d forget.”

Even his memories and dreams were tangling together. Of course, Bale wouldn’t be there. It was a fucking dream. Groaning, he dropped his head back and gazed at Bale. “Let’s hope it’s not a portent. Just my fears coming out in scary ways. He’ll tell us. He does like the sound of his own voice.”

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