by Holly Evans
“I managed to bottle some shade for you, Kadrix,” I said in the calmest tone I could muster.
His attention moved to me. His expression was bright and his eyes eager; he reached over to take the vials from me. I raised an eyebrow and pulled them closer to me. I hoped he hadn’t caught the slight tremble in my hands when I did so. Anxious or not, I wasn’t going to allow him to screw me out of my money.
He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth, before he said, “Let me look at what you have, then we'll negotiate a price."
I narrowed my eyes at him. Elves were slippery business partners. I felt the pressure at the front of my mind where he was trying to use his magic to bring me around to his way of thinking. I took a step back. I’d had more than enough magic for one day. My muscles tensed even further, I clenched my teeth while glaring at him.
He grinned at me, his entire body relaxing before he said, “You can't blame me for trying."
I could blame him, actually, but he was a good contact, not worth losing over a silly bit of negotiation. Quin sighed softly and crossed his arms across his chest. I glared at him before I handed the elf the vials. Quin had never really doubted Kadrix, but he was an elf, and I wasn't going to trust him any further than I could throw him.
Kadrix pulled down his copper goggles and played with a knob on the side of one of the lenses. He pursed his lips, and I tried to stop myself from fidgeting; there was much to be done.
After what felt like an eternity, he said, "It was a weak shade, but still a valuable item. I'll give you ten thousand crowns for both."
I held out my hand to take the vials back.
He grinned at me. “Fine, fifteen."
"Good boy."
I couldn't resist; I needed something to take the edge off, and taunting him was the best thing I had right then. His face darkened and Quin gave me a dark look. I ignored them both.
Quin said, "Dimitri and the others said we need to talk, there's a problem with shades and something about hellhounds."
I felt the blood drain from my face at the mention of hellhounds. Kadrix watched me with incredible interest. I went to pull my blades back out again but thought better of it. It would only draw more attention and the damn elf was already watching me much too closely. I wanted to leave the situation. I couldn’t face that line of discussion.
I just said, “Let's get going then."
Quin said to Kadrix, “We'll pick up the money tomorrow."
I'd forgotten about the money. My mind had been consumed by the hellhound situation. I was in a situation. I calmed myself; it was all some bizarre misunderstanding. We'd fix it. We always did.
Dimitri had chosen a pub to meet in; personally, I felt that something a little quieter and less public was more appropriate. Dimitri and co., however, wanted beer with their discussion. They were locally born and raised, and beer was a large part of the Czech culture. It wasn’t something I’d ever developed a taste for, but we had to at least try and accommodate them. We headed off Wenceslas Square into the quietly opulent area just out of sight of the big tourist attraction. The large stone slabs gave a very different feel to the more usual black and white mosaic style they used for the paths. The buildings were classic in their elegance, with almost plain walls and strong clear beams on view. They were proud old structures that were secure in their place in the city.
The pub they'd chosen had a few tables outside, but they had gone inside, up the well-worn stairs to an equally well-worn table in the far corner near a small window looking out onto the walkway below. Everything about the place spoke of comfort and familiarity; it was the local pub that everyone was welcome in. Everything about it was designed to put people at ease. The sturdy wooden chairs had been worn down from so much use. Local art hung on the walls, simple pieces showing the history and landscape of the city. TVs were strategically placed in the corners, for those who wanted to watch sports. It was the sort of place that you met up with friends and laughed the night away in. It was exactly the type of place that I never usually set foot.
The hunters already had beers in front of them, locally brewed of course. The pub had a few microbrews on tap, another nice touch to bring people in. They were dressed in practical attire, hoodies and jeans with sturdy boots and casual coats thrown over the back of their chairs. There was very little room for style or fashion within the hunter community. What was the use in a pretty pair of pants that restricted your movements when fighting? They were all slightly hunched over their beers, each of them wearing frowns and the beginning of exhaustion. Lines criss-crossed their faces and muscles remained tense as they kept glancing both out the window and around the room. Hunting was a hard life.
I braced myself for the potential confrontation; they no doubt had more questions about the hellhound. I'd given Quin a quick rundown of my run-in with the hellhound, but I left out the blood bond part. I didn't have time to fully explain it or deal with the outburst that would no doubt come after it. I couldn’t very well run away or shut them down this time. We were there to discuss the situation, and they had seen me having a run in with the damn hound.
The room was quite dark with only a little natural light, as is typical of buildings of its age. The hunters had seen us. Their eyes had all settled on us when we entered the room. They’d chosen to return to talking to each other in harsh whispers rather than greet us. Quin grinned at them and greeted them all by name, each one extending his hand, which Quin used as an excuse to pull them into a man-hug. I smiled and nodded at them each in greeting. I knew Matyas and Dimitri, but the older blond was new to me. Matyas introduced him as Viktor.
Matyas led things. “We have something of a problem. There are two hellhounds loose in the city, and a horde of shades. We're only three, we cannot remove them alone."
I remembered what Elise had said, and said firmly, “We will deal with the hounds, you deal with the shades."
Quin looked at me questioningly, but I held Matyas' gaze and dared him to push back against me. His mouth tightened and his eyes flicked to Viktor but he finally nodded and took a big drink of his beer. I couldn’t risk them dealing with the hellhounds. Elise had been adamant that I had to keep the one that had dared form a bond with me safe. That would be far more difficult if the hunters were doing what they did best: hunting.
Dimitri leaned a little closer to me and said, “What happened to that hound earlier, Evelyn?"
I knew the line of inquiry was coming. I’d run the possibilities through my head on the journey over. I didn't like the way my name sounded coming from him, he toyed with the syllables, somehow adding a slime to the word. A desire… or a threat, perhaps. I allowed my mouth to form a small smirk as I took a long deep breath and relaxed my muscles into a practised look of mild boredom.
I shrugged and said, “You tell me, you're the ones who ran after him."
He narrowed his eyes at me, small creases formed at the corners.
Matyas said, “You looked as if you spoke to it."
I gave Matyas a dark look; I was not going to be pushed around. I couldn’t afford to allow him to start down that line of questioning or insinuation.
“He ran into me then took off down the road. There was no talking," I said sharply.
Viktor made a quiet rumbling sound of dissent, but no one acknowledged him.
Quin said, “We have been hunters our whole lives, are you questioning our position here?"
Matyas leaned back and put his hands up appeasingly. "No, no, of course not. We couldn't find the hound, was all."
I raised an eyebrow.
“And you thought, what, I spoke some magic words and stuffed in my pocket?” I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Well, it doesn't matter now, they're our problem," I said.
There was a rivalry between the hunters. We were united in our hate of the creatures, and our desire to protect the innocents, but there was a lot of money to be made, too. Quin and I had worked very hard to carve out a good reputation, and we weren't going to back dow
n and risk losing that.
Quin pushed his chair back and said, “If we get anything on the shades, we'll let you know."
I fought to hold down a victorious smirk; it was good to have my twin on my side. We’d done what we needed to do without allowing them to ask too many awkward questions.
Matyas said, “Of course, of course. We will do the same with the hounds."
I said in the sweetest tone I could muster, "Thank you all; a pleasure, as always."
I could feel Quin's tension as he walked out of the pub in front of me. The hunters barely waited for us to leave the room before they began whispering again. There were too many questions. My hands were trembling again. I was walking a fine line.
Quin hissed, “Want to tell me what happened, sis?"
I growled back, “When we're home, away from eavesdroppers."
The ride back home was tense. I didn't like hiding something from Quin. I didn’t know how I was supposed to break it to him. I knew he was my brother, he would stand by me, but it was bigger than anything we’d faced before. We didn't have secrets, we couldn't afford them. They would be too easy to manipulate, and we needed each other. I reminded myself that we were a team.
The trees were beginning to show signs of spring proper, bright green buds spreading along the branches of the trees lining the road. Someone had planted crocuses and daffodils in the flower beds along the edges of the park. The city was always so grey through winter, it wore it like a mourning veil. There was something thoughtful and contemplative about it, but I was glad to have colour once more.
The moment the front door was closed, Quin said, “What didn't you tell me, Evie?"
I pulled off my boots and explained about the blood bond and what Elise had said. His anger dissipated and was replaced by concern.
He pulled me into a hug, and the anxiety melted away. I wasn’t in it alone; he would stand by me.
He said, “Oh, Evie, what have you got yourself into this time? I know I said you needed to get laid, but this was a bit much."
I had to laugh. The entire situation was past absurd. He made some coffee and I curled up on the sofa. I knew he was going to say something. I didn't like when he refused to look at me.
He perched on the edge of the coffee table and said quietly, “We should speak to Kadrix about this. He'll have some information."
I glared at him. “You really think we can trust that damn elf with something as important, as dangerous, as this?"
His expression darkened and he stood. “Kadrix isn't just an elf. He's helped us many times over the years."
I ground my teeth together and watched as he paced a small circle in front of his seat.
“You wouldn't have found me if it weren't for his help,” he said firmly.
“He fucked me around!"
“You were too closed-minded to ask the right questions!"
It felt like a slap in the face. He'd taken the cursed elf's side over mine.
Once again we were standing in Kadrix's lab… workshop… thing. Quin had apologised an hour or so later, but it still stung. I'd retired to my room after dinner and watched some trashy movie while I tried to figure out what I was supposed to do. Strange emotions started lingering in the back of my mind, unexplained sensations. I was growing more concerned, and I felt as though I had no one to turn to. Elise had the serene calm from her lady and the absolute faith that everything would be ok. She seemed more concerned about my keeping the damn hound safe than whatever I was going through. Quin had taken the elf’s side.
Quin explained what had happened to Kadrix whose eyes lit up at the prospect of my being bound to a damn hellhound. I leant back against one of the workbenches and crossed my arms over my chest to fight the urge to spin my blades; the risk of the elf pissing me off was too high. Quin was apparently attached to him, and he wouldn’t approve of my slitting the alchemist’s throat. Kadrix walked around Quin, his hand brushing Quin's arm. I ground my teeth; I was beginning to see just how far Quin’s trust ran.
“Show me your hand, Evelyn," Kadrix said.
I didn't like his brusque tone. He stepped closer to me.
“Evelyn, I am trying to give you some answers, now show me your hand."
I looked to Quin for support and found none. I held out my hand that had a faint white line across the palm and nothing more. I’d never healed that quickly before. I was a normal human; I healed at normal human speeds. I wondered if that was part of the bond. If he could affect my healing so quickly, what other things would the bond do to me? Kadrix lifted my hand and inspected the palm, he poked at the line and pursed his lips. He reached across one of the benches and picked up a sparkly blue powder. I pulled my hand back. It was one thing when Quin used healing powders on me. It was another when an alchemist went poking around a blood bond with a hellhound.
The elf had made it quite clear that his priority was knowledge; I had no doubt that he wouldn’t think twice about harming me if it meant he gained more information.
Kadrix rolled his eyes at me and said, “Do you want answers or not?"
I ground my teeth together and held out my palm once more. I had to trust that he wasn’t going to poison me or some such. He was the only potential lead that I had, and I needed to know what I was facing. He sprinkled it in the blue powder that burst into a bright green flame almost immediately. I watched it in fascination. There was no pain. It tickled a little, as though someone were blowing lightly across my palm. The flames died out after some thirty seconds or so. Quin and I looked to Kadrix expectantly.
He shrugged and said, “You're bonded to a hellhound."
"I knew that! You were supposed to tell me something more, like why, or how!"
I shouldn't have lost my temper, but I couldn't help it. He wasn’t taking my situation at all seriously. I could be facing a slow death, and yet he was treating it like it was nothing. He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and walked away from me.
“Your blood was mixed, that's how. I don't have more details than that, my crystal ball broke last week."
I curled my hands into fists, my fingernails bit down into the palms of my hands. I would not smash his face in. We needed him as an alchemist. I glared at him and ground my teeth together.
Quin offered me a small smile. “At least we know what we're dealing with now."
I took a deep breath and said as calmly as I could manage, “Elise already told me I was bound to a hellhound."
A feeling of elation burst into the back of my mind. I couldn't pinpoint where it'd come from, I knew it didn't belong to me though. I tried to calm myself, snapping at Quin and the elf wasn't going to do me any good. I needed to collect my thoughts and break the bond with the hellhound. Surely that wasn’t going to be too difficult?
"Kadrix, what do you know about these bonds?" I tried to be as polite as possible.
He sighed melodramatically, his mouth tightened. I could see the cogs turning in his mind. He was preparing to ask for a sacrifice in return for the information. Elves required a sacrifice for everything. His eyes settled on Quin and his expression changed.
He leaned back against the bench behind him, making a pewter bowl wobble. “They're very unusual on this plane. They can only bond with those with demon blood; now, if you'd like to give me some of your blood, I can confirm if that's the case with you."
“Not a chance in hell,” I said.
Blood was incredibly potent; giving him some of my blood would open me to far too many potential problems. It would give him potential control over me. He could have used it in all sorts of concoctions. No, there was far too much risk there.
He smirked at me. “Don't say I didn't offer. It is a very strong bond, unlike anything on this plane. You will be able to feel and track each other. That is likely how he found you in the first place."
“He was stalking me before he initiated the blood bond."
I swallowed hard and dragged my fingers through my hair. A hellhound had been stalking me so th
at he could form a blood bond. I pulled out my blades and began spinning them.
“He must have had some tie to you to help pull him through into this world to begin with. He can't belong to a demon, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to bond to you."
His condescending tone was grating on my nerves. He was acting as though I’d just met my first nymph rather than had my life thrown into turmoil.
He pushed himself off the bench and said, “I have work to do. Take your money."
I gave him a sharp nod, took the money he handed to me, and left. I'd had enough of his company for a long time anyway. I didn't understand how Quin got on with him so well.
I didn't want to go home. I wanted to pace, to run. I paused for a moment; the desire to run wasn't something I usually felt. The hound was there, in the back of my mind, influencing my thoughts.
Quin put his arm around my shoulders. “It'll be ok, sis. We'll figure it out."
“I'll need lots of caffeine and alcohol between here and there. Does Starbucks have an Irish option?"
Quin laughed. “I don't believe so, I'll treat you to an extra-large something or other, though."
We went in Starbucks maybe twice a year; I wasn't sure what they had on offer. I did know that they all had caffeine and sugar though.
The barista girl gave Quin her best coy smile as she fluttered her eyelashes at him; I tried not to roll my eyes. I really wasn't in the mood to watch another girl throw herself at my brother. He ordered us both something with copious amounts of cream, sugar, and flavourings. We headed downstairs and claimed a quiet corner for ourselves; I needed to be somewhere away from home. Somewhere I could clear my mind.