Page 14 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

“Saying hello to the sun. She gives me resolve and allows me to continue my journey,” Bale shared shyly. This was one of his most beloved parts of the day.

“I didn’t know you did that. Do you do the same with the moon?” When Darius was intellectually curious, he was always a joy to speak with. It was a side of himself he rarely showed, preferring to be sarcastic with others.

“The moon holds my hopes and dreams. They are safe from the machinations of demons and gods. They have always offered me solace, but in this realm, the moon constantly shifts and hides.” Bale worried that the moon wouldn’t protect him as they always had.

“The moon here is based on where the planet is according to the sun. It orbits us as we orbit the sun. It’s cyclical,” Darius explained. His head cocked sharply, and a small smile appeared. “Be right back. Coffee’s ready. Did you want some?”

Bale blinked and nodded. He remained where he was for fear of scaring away the very nice Darius. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

The door opened and closed silently, allowing Bale to return to his meditative state. He spread his wings gingerly and lifted his face to the sun. Her power and grace washed over him. They smoothed over some rough edges he locked away. He had hope now. The night before, while fraught with nightmares, had been a step in the right direction in healing the relationship between him and Darius. He had no doubts in his mind that Darius would fight him tooth and nail. Bale accepted it and looked forward to it. Being contrary was part of Darius’s nature.

When he opened his eyes again, the backyard became sparkly as the sun hit the snow crystals. Ice hovered in the air, shining and beautiful. Bale shivered at the sudden chill.

He stomped and slipped inside. A mug of coffee waited for him on the chest freezer, as well as a woolen blanket. Warmth filled him as he took the offered gifts. Darius did care.

Darius sat in the recliner looking out at the backyard with the cats surrounding him. A book lay in his lap as he gazed outside. The rough rumblings of heavy breathing in the other room made him snort.

“Shh, it’s nice and quiet now. No one needs to be up yet,” Darius ordered softly. “We can give them another half hour or so.”

Even more hope bloomed as Darius spoke. He wanted alone time with Bale. Never before had that been a choice. Bale hovered anxiously in the kitchen, unsure of what to do. Darius rolled his eyes before resting his head on the chair. Bale tiptoed into the front room and peered in. Caspian gave him a foxy grin. Bale groaned as Caspian waggled his eyebrows.

“Cas is up.”

“Damned fox,” Darius grumbled. He didn’t move though. “Ask him if he wants a drink.”

Once Cas was awake, it wasn’t long before Isaac woke up as well. Isaac stumbled into the kitchen, half asleep with his hair pushed to one side. Trey and Adam soon followed with Trey looking like death warmed over. He sat at the table with his head in his hands, and Adam rubbed his back gently.

“Pancakes okay?” Darius asked the room. A vitality shone through his skin, and he radiated joy. It was a rare occurrence. Darius lifted his cats gently, placing them on Bale and Isaac’s laps, sharing his loves with his close friends.

“Why is he being Martha Stewart like?” Isaac asked as he petted Bossy. Bale shrugged because even though he didn’t know who Martha was, he understood the sentiment.

“I’m not sure, but it’s nice, isn’t it?” Bale watched wistfully as Darius fussed in the kitchen. His skinny body shimmied as he danced to the music in his head.

“Well, yeah, but—”

“Isaac, leave it alone for now, please? It’s your winter solstice, and everyone is here. Let’s celebrate a perfect winter breakfast,” Bale pleaded, and Isaac subsided.

Isaac set Bossy on the ground and began helping Darius in the kitchen. Determination was stamped on his face as he prepared the sausages for cooking in the oven. As Isaac relaxed, he began moving to the same beat as Darius.

Breakfast went well. Everyone laughed at silly anecdotes as Isaac and Darius served the pancakes. Anger and bitterness had no place at the table, and Bale was included as a member of the family. Bale longed to hold tight to these moments of kindness and camaraderie before the bubble of peace burst.

Throughout the day, visitors—good ones—dropped by to wish Darius and his friends a happy new year. They moved the gathering to the cold outside as Darius’s cottage couldn’t fit all the guests.

It was a celebration and a greeting at the same time. People were almost swearing fealty to Darius as they bobbed their heads.

Lord Typhon stood beside Bale with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. His human mate, Rael, was laughing with Isaac and Trey, and it gave Bale and Typhon a moment of privacy.

“His Majesty isn’t going to be pleased about this,” Typhon warned softly.

“I get that, I really do, but for today, I’m glad to see so many people here in support of these guys. They’ve done so much for the humans as well as the cryptids. Hastur didn’t really think it through when they chose these men to tangle with.” Bale felt a sort of glee as he imagined Hastur losing the fight for this realm to the stubborn beings. He had severely underestimated the lot of them.

“You know if you say his name it’s to call him, right?” Typhon chastised gently.

“He has been sending emissaries for weeks now, trying to get a word in with Dare, and he’s failed every time. Darius refuses to deal with him. Though no one has any idea what His Majesty is doing, especially since the mayor has been a no-show since summer.” Bale did worry about what Hastur planned. He hadn’t seen Hastur since the last blowup. So, it was likely Hastur was biding his time for the precise moment. However, his human body was a member of local politics, and the humans were getting antsy not seeing their precious mayor.

“You’re sitting on a powder keg and a hornet’s nest all in one, aren’t you?” Typhon pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out gently. “Why aren’t you explaining to the humans what’s going on? Why are you letting this revelry continue?”

“He’s letting them have a moment of happiness and peace before the hard work happens.” Hakko, the green dragon, joined them and formed a small circle. Bale was slightly jealous of Hakko’s obsidian black horns as they curled on his forehead. He was a combination of human and dragon with green scales accentuating his bone structure. Even though he wore tweed and cardigans, he cut a striking figure.

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