“My demands are reasonable.” She sobbed. “I just want to go to the beach and see half-naked men running around. The way nature intended.”
“Hmm…not the answer I’m looking for.” He lifted her up and walked toward the road.
“Where are you taking me?” Alexis asked.
“You’re looking a little dull. So I’m finding something to polish you with.”
“For real? That’d actually be really nice. It’s been a while since-” She paused as Fallon stopped near something on the ground. “THAT IS DEER SHIT!”
The demon’s face twisted in what I can only describe as an evil grin and lowered the tip of her blade toward the pile of poop.
“You better do what he says.” Felix warned her. “He gets a little crazy without his beauty sleep. He’ll do it.”
“It won’t stop here either.” Fallon said, with a sinister gleam in his eye. “Brie has an entire farm full of goats and sheep. Maybe we’ll use you to scrap out her stalls. How does that sound?”
It sounds like it will ruin my floors. But it’s for the cause, I guess.
Just before steel met poop, Alexis caved. “OK, I’ll talk! Just please don’t put me in deer shit!”
“Well?” Fallon asked, lifting her away from the shit.
An aggravated yowl came off from the sword. “Doncaster! Those creepy cultists paid my bandit to bring women to an old fort on the outskirts of Doncaster. We didn’t go in, but that’s where the men told him to drop off any women he captured. Though he got eaten before he could grab anyone.”
“Good riddance to him.” Cin huffed.
“Doncaster.” Fallon repeated. “How far away is that?”
“It’s about a three-day journey on horseback.” Cin said, “If you rest tonight, then you should be able to fly there in a few hours. Though if we’re still aiming to sneak up on them, then we should probably land in the surrounding forests at night.”
“That will have to do.” Fallon sighed. “With any luck, we’ll get there before the stolen women arrive and intercept them. For now, let’s inform Usha and her men of the situation. Between Dante and I, we should be able to carry the full crew. With how advanced this magic is, I’m not taking any chances.”
Cin crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m going.”
Her husband regarded her with a look of pure exasperation. “What happened to the terrified human that was too scared to leave her farm?”
“She fucked a dragon and helped kill a god.” Cinnamon shrugged. “It changes a gal.”
Fallon paused. As did the rest of us. It was hard to argue with that kind of logic. Whatever happened in the year that Cin was gone had changed her. She stood taller, spoke more confidently, and from the looks of it, was no longer terrified of the bayou. She looked like she did before we lost Cherry. Her new husband and friends were unnerving to say the least, but if they’re the ones that were able to heal Cin’s heart, then they were good in my book.
“I like her.” Alexis whispered.
“Me too.” Fallon replied.
Felix came to my side and put a hand on my shoulder. “Lamb, I’m going to the ship to help them prepare for tomorrow. I’ll be back well before nightfall. Think you can stay with Cin and Fallon until then?”
“Are there daytime ghouls?” I asked.
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Then yeah, sure, I’ll see you at home.”
He kissed my forehead. My heart did a stupid little skip, and then Felix shifted and ran off. I turned to see Cin grinning ridiculously. “Shut up.” I muttered.
She let out a giggle and covered her mouth. “I take it your little date went well?”
“It was fine.” I said, thanking the gods for having dark enough skin to hide a blush.
“She’s being coy!” Alexis shouted. “He had her bent six ways till Sunday in a meadow.”
