Page 19 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

“What happens between Darius and me is none of your business. My life has always been aligned with Darius. That’s what you need to know. And since you’ve opened this up, I have been here with him every day, making sure he’s okay. Isaac has been hereevery day, visiting. Where have you been?”

Trey gaped at him as Bale arched an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. Trey closed his mouth and fumed before speaking. “We weren’t welcome. He never asked—”

“Oh, fuck off. I was there. He did so. And he won’t come to town unless he absolutely has to. But he’s tried. Think on your friendships before casting stones on others,” Bale threw out.

Adam had a look of shame on his face, and Bale felt bad for him briefly. He understood that time got away from people sometimes. Life happened, but the way Trey was puffing his chest out was enough to rile Bale’s protective instincts.

“We’ll do better,” Adam offered but there was a look in his eye that concerned Bale.

“It’s all I ask.”

ChapterNine

Darius wasn’t any closer to finding a solution to their Elder Demon problem as time passed. The dark depressing January morphed to a slightly better February. Bale had been flitting around, his presence and desires blatantly shown to Darius. It was obvious what he hoped for. Their chemistry was never the problem. Before Hastur got his hands on Darius, they had the best relationship. Everything was perfect under the gaze of the dark purple moon of Bale’s home dimension.

And then Hastur changed things. He forced Darius to open his eyes and see the truth. Darius was a means to an end, a play toy, a prize that Bale had retrieved from Hastur. It didn’t matter that Hastur had already tossed him aside. Hastur hated the idea that Bale had something he didn’t.

God, Darius hated remembering back then. Hastur had fucked him over and used him as a catalyst for the damned dimensional portal. The dark memories of being trapped as a doorway terrified Darius and made the dreams seem tame in comparison.

“Dare? You okay? You kinda zoned out there.” Isaac set his mug in the sink close to where Darius stood. It was the return of the ritual of morning coffee before Isaac jetted off to the Centre. Isaac benefited from the quiet moments with Darius, and it showed on both.

“I think I want to come and see how your Centre is doing,” Darius decided out of the blue. It even surprised him. He wasn’t fond of going to Granite much, not since the New Year’s party. The number of people who approached him and wanted to talk had grown infinitely. It was disturbing.

“Are you sure?” Isaac asked, midway through putting his boots on. Even he was sceptical. Darius was ready to face the town once more. It was time.

“Yeah, it’s winter and still fucking cold. People won’t want to stay outside to chat,” Darius explained. He hoped his words would prove prophetic.

Granite was exactly as it always had been. Frenetic and noisy. Cars moved quickly down the streets, and parking was nowhere to be seen. Isaac usually used the lot by the cedars and did a meandering walk with Caspian by his side. Darius joined them, and instantly peace fell over him. He lifted his face to the trees and sighed as they returned the blessing.

When he opened his eyes, Isaac and Caspian were giving him questioning looks. He dipped his head in acknowledgement but never spoke. It wasn’t their business.

The nearby river was dark and icy. Caspian explained that the river horses were hibernating or had gone to warmer climes, likely where the shifters lived if they didn’t have a den or house in Granite.

The boundary between the shifter dimension and the demon one baffled Darius even as it made sense to everyone else. Caspian’s home had superimposed itself onto Granite when the Red Storm happened, which was what the demons wanted for their own but had failed to accomplish.

“Dare? You with us?” Isaac interrupted his contemplations as he stepped out of the trees and into a small parkette.

“Give me a second. I was just thinking.” Darius raced to catch up and shivered as the wind tore through his wool coat. “Why did I say this was a good idea?”

“Because you’re weird. Go inside, and I’ll get some drinks from the café.” Isaac unlocked the door and ushered Darius in.

The scent of spring wafted through the air as the receptionist’s area was filled with vibrant green plants and intricate icicle décor. It seemed impossible, but through Adam and Isaac’s strength as magicians, they managed to create a homey vibe with their mismatched powers. A place shouldn’t be jungle-like with frost fractals hanging over the thick waxy leaves.

Isaac returned with coffee soon after Darius explored every plant. “Are you staying here all day?”

“No, I was going to drink my coffee and explore town for a bit. See what’s happening.” Darius rubbed his chin as he darted looks outside to where people dashed. Isaac’s nose wrinkled at Darius’s vague plans. “What?”

“Stay away from the park. It’s dangerous, and it smells. We’ve tried helping it, but it’s… it’s not good.”

“Well, I’ve neglected it long enough. Maybe I can do something. I am your mentor guardian boss thing.” Darius rambled on even though he realized that he had left everything to Isaac when he was caught in dreamland. The expression on Isaac’s face annoyed him even if he did nod. “You don’t think I can?”

“Well, it’s not that, Dare. It’s the whole atmosphere. Even you can’t fix the negative energy by yourself. I don’t want you to go. You were gone so long before, and what if that happens again? I can’t go through that. So no, I don’t think it’s possible,” Isaac said softly.

“Like you can stop me,” Darius snapped. He pinched his nose and took a deep breath. “Listen, Isaac. This is something I gotta do. I have to. It’s like a compulsion.”

“But I’m scared, Dare. You were sleeping or whatever for six months. I had to be you and be a leader person. And when you finally were around, you were an angry zombie, refusing to listen or step up. Now, you’re all in, ready to sacrifice yourself, and I can’t bear that.” Isaac played with the sleeve of his coffee while refusing to meet Darius’s eyes.

“I’m not going to do anything stupid, Eye. Just going to have a peek, see to some friends. I just want a lay of the land and to get a feel about what we’re up against.” Darius hadn’t thought of the ramifications of Isaac’s emotions. Isaac had gone through hell. He bore the strain of being positive in a time when his life had been upended. Darius hated that he suffered, but he had to go to the park and see for himself what it looked like. Hurting Isaac was the last thing on his mind, but this task was imperative as well. “Please believe me.”

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