Fox Among the Demons

by Trudie Collins

  “Stay out of it Komi. It’s her life and if she decides she wants to keep seeing him, you will just have to live with it.” Komi’s communicator sounded, letting him know that someone was trying to contact him. He ignored it. “That’s probably her,” Fox pointed out.

  “I’m not ready to speak to her yet.”

  Fox sighed. Preparing the lesson would have to wait. He had a grown up child to deal with first.

  He spent the next half an hour trying to calm Komi down. He told him he was acting like an idiot, which Komi had the intelligence not to deny. It took a while, but eventually Fox managed to persuade him to contact Natasha and explain to her why he was so upset.

  When Komi took his communicator out of his pocket, Fox left the library, giving him the privacy he needed.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Natasha turned up to her next lesson early and Fox was busy in his workshop. A rush order had come through for some weapons to kill incubi and succubi and he was just finishing it off.

  A demon arrived to collect it just after Natasha arrived and she was rushed into the house. Though she was a demon, and therefore Fox did not need permission to teach her, nobody living at the hotel had mentioned her to any other demon so Komi thought it best if she stayed out of sight.

  “While Fox is busy dealing with the demon who has come to collect his order, I’ll show you his workshop,” Komi said. Fox never allowed anyone to enter his workshop while he was not there, but Komi was hoping he would be gone long enough to show Natasha around without him knowing.

  “Won’t Fox mind?” Natasha asked.

  “Not if he doesn’t find out. It’s his private domain and he doesn’t like it being invaded, so please don’t tell him I am taking you there.”

  Natasha looked unsure, so Komi grabbed her hand and dragged her out the back door. It was a short walk to a large metal shed. The door was open and inside Natasha could see a long workbench and various tools hanging on the wall.

  “Are you sure about this?” she asked as Komi pulled her closer to the threshold.

  “Yes,” he said. “He won’t be back for a while. He always spends time with a purchaser, making sure they are happy with what he is supplying.”

  Somewhat reluctantly, she stepped inside and was surprised by how light it was. There were numerous overhead lights and lamps lined the back of the workbench. It was also very hot. A furnace stood in one corner and was still glowing red.

  “It’s very neat and tidy, isn’t it,” she said. She had been expecting tools and materials to be littered everywhere, especially as Fox had only just finished working, but other than a piece of dark wood on one side, the benchtops were clear.

  “He always puts everything back in its proper place before leaving the workshop, no matter how tired or busy he is. Some of the things he works with can be dangerous if not handled with extreme care and he doesn’t like to take risks.”

  “What’s this used for?” Natasha asked, picking up the piece of wood. She had never seen wood that colour before and it had a strange texture. It was rough and she got a splinter in her finger as she ran it along its length. It drew blood and she put her finger in her mouth to clean it.

  Komi had been inspecting some of the tools and turned around to see what she was talking about. When he saw what was in her hand he went pale. “Put that down,” he said. “Now.”

  The abruptness of his tone made her drop the wood on the floor, narrowly missing her foot. “What’s wrong?” she asked. She had never seen Komi act like this. He looked scared. Why would her holding a piece of wood frighten him?

  He rushed over to her, took hold of her hands and inspected them. “May the Creator have mercy,” he said in a soft voice when he noticed the splinter in her finger.

  “It’s just a splinter,” she said. “I’ll take it out later. I just need a needle and a pair of tweezers.”

  “We have to go.” He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her roughly out of the workshop.

  “You’re hurting me,” she said when he jerked on her arm in an attempt to get her to move faster.

  “Move then,” he shouted at her. She momentarily considered being stubborn and fighting against him, but he was obviously very worried about something and was beginning to frighten her.

  “Lukine,” Komi called out loudly as soon as he had Natasha back inside the house. “I need you. Urgently.”

  Bolene came rushing into the corridor. “What has happened?” she asked when she saw the look on Komi’s face.

  “Nat has a splinter of kadar wood in her.”

  Natasha had no idea why that was such a big deal, but the fact that Bolene went as pale as her brother told her she was in a lot of trouble.

  “Take her to one of the bedrooms,” Bolene said. “I will find my husband.”

  Komi moved toward the stairs, pulling Natasha behind him, but she only managed to take one step before her legs gave way. One second she was feeling fine, the next she was sprawled on the floor, unable to move. The room was spinning and she was having trouble breathing. Her eyes closed and she could not force them open again.

  She felt strong arms pick her up and she knew Komi was carrying her down the hallway. She was still conscious when he reached the stairs and started to ascend, but she could feel darkness taking her and could no longer fight against it. She let it swallow her up and everything went blank.

  Kadar Wood

  “What in the Creator’s name were you doing in my workshop?” Fox shouted at Komi as he paced up and down outside the door of the bedroom Natasha had been taken to.

  “Keep your voice down,” Bolene hissed at him. “My husband is in there trying to save her life. He doesn’t need you disturbing him.”

  Fox ignored her. “My workshop is out of bounds when I am not there for a reason. What were you trying to do? Impress her? Do you really think showing her where I make our weapons would get her into bed? She doesn’t seem the sort to be turned on by that kind of thing.”

  Komi remained silent. Nothing Fox could say to him could make him feel any worse. He had been stupid and Natasha was paying the price.

  “That’s enough,” Bolene said, coming to her brother’s defence. He was having a hard enough time dealing with the situation as it was; he didn’t need Fox making it worse.

  Fox, however, had no intention of letting Komi off that easily. “If she dies, it will be your fault.”

  “She’s not going to die,” Trey said, then looked at Bolene. “Is she?” Bolene shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea.

  “That depends on how quickly Lukine can get the splinter out of her. Even if she survives, her organs might be affected. She might have brain damage, her kidneys might stop functioning, or her liver. She may have a heart attack while Lukine is trying to cleanse her blood.”

  “I can’t listen to this,” Komi said and headed down the stairs. Nobody tried to stop him. The front door opened then closed and the next thing they heard was the sound of Komi’s motorbike heading down the driveway.

  “I hope he doesn’t do something stupid,” Bolene said.

  “Something else stupid you mean,” Fox replied.

  “Should we try and contact Lucy?” Trey asked, but Fox shook his head.

  “Not yet. Not until we know what is happening. There is no point in worrying her needlessly.”

  Fox began to pace once more, until Bolene snapped at him to stop. He glared at her, but ceased his constant moving. She was worried. She and Natasha were becoming closer and closer each time Natasha visited and Bolene was beginning to see her as a friend, not just one of Komi’s acquaintances. If anything happened to her, Komi wouldn’t be the only one devastated.

  Over an hour later, the bedroom door finally opened and an exhausted Lukine walked out. “I’ve done all I can,” he said. “It took a while to get the splinter out of her. It had shifted into her forearm. I had to cut her so deeply that I fear it will leave a scar, despite th
e amount of healing potion I have poured down her throat. She lost a lot of blood. The bedding should really be changed, but I don’t want her moved yet.”

  “How is she?” Fox asked.

  “Still unconscious. I have managed to completely cleanse her blood, but whether I did it in time or not, only time will tell. I have no idea when, or even if, she will wake up or what condition she will be in when she does.”

  Fox opened his mouth to ask another question, but Bolene stopped him. “Not now. Lukine needs to rest. You can ask your questions later.”

  Fox nodded his agreement. Just one look at Lukine told him how much the healing had taken out of him. Bolene took her husband’s hand and led him down the stairs and into their suite.

  Fox turned to Trey. “You had better give Lucy a call. I would be surprised if Natasha makes it home tonight, no matter what condition she’s in when she wakes.” He purposely said ‘when’ not ‘if’.

  Trey tensed. “What makes you think I know her number?”

  Fox placed his hand on Trey’s shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. Fox had been treated as part of the family for as long as he could remember and had always looked upon Trey as a younger brother. “Trey my friend, you are not as subtle as you think. You may have the others fooled, but I know full well you have been seeing Lucy without anyone knowing. Are you going to tell me it’s just a coincidence that you go out to see ‘friends’ whenever Nat is here?”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Fox could tell he was lying. Trey dropped the pretence. “I’ll give her a call.” He took his phone out of his pocket and hit a button. Fox watched as he put it to his ear to listen to it ring, while walking toward his bedroom. He started to speak as he closed the door. Fox had no idea what he was going to tell Lucy about her aunt, but that was Trey’s problem, not his. He had more important things to worry about, like how he was going to keep people out of his workshop.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  It was late in the evening by the time Natasha regained consciousness. Lukine was still asleep. The spell he used to locate the splinter, followed by the enchantment he had to keep renewing until Natasha’s blood had been cleansed of all the poison, had taken a lot out of him. It had been the first time he had had to treat someone who had kadar wood in them and he hoped it would be the last.

  After getting off the phone to Lucy, having told her that her aunt had suffered a slight accident and would be staying the night at the hotel, Trey had contacted Komi on his communicator. He had not been expecting Komi to answer, but when he did he let Komi know that Lukine had finished his healing. It was a number of hours before Komi headed home; he couldn’t face seeing anyone.

  Fox refused to speak to him and walked out of the lounge as soon as Komi walked in. He headed straight to the room Natasha had been relocated to a few hours previously and moved the chair from behind the writing table to the side of the bed so he could comfortably watch as her chest gently rose and fell. She appeared to be merely sleeping, but Fox knew that was not the case.

  It didn’t take long for Komi to join him. He perched on the edge of the bed and looked at Fox, who refused to take his attention away from Natasha.

  “I know this is my fault. I was stupid. There’s no point in denying it. I promise never to go into your workshop again.”

  Fox grunted. “Too right you won’t. As soon as he wakes up, I’m going to have Lukine put a warding spell around it so nobody can enter except me. It looks like I can’t trust you anymore.”

  “You can. Come on Fox. You know me. You know I never repeat a mistake.”

  “Yes,” Fox said, finally taking his eyes off Natasha and focusing on Komi. “I do know you. That’s why I don’t understand what happened. You know how dangerous some of the things in my workshop are so what in the name of the Creator made you take Nat in there?”

  “I don’t know. I was showing off I guess. I don’t know if she has completely forgiven me for spying on her, as she and Bolene put it, or for how I reacted when she said her boyfriend was visiting, and I thought she might enjoy seeing your private domain. I guess I stopped thinking straight for a moment.”

  Fox shook his head. “What’s going on Komi? You have never let a girl affect you like this. Are you actually serious about this one?”

  Komi didn’t answer the question and Fox wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t want to or because he didn’t know how. “Look Fox,” Komi said, “I know I messed up and I have paid the price for it. Can we please move on?”

  “But you didn’t pay the price.” Fox pointed at the prone figure in the bed. “She did.”

  Natasha chose that moment to move. Fox looked at her suspiciously. Was she only just waking up or had she been listening in on their conversation? He shook his head to clear the thought away. She had been unconscious, not asleep.

  Komi saw Natasha stirring and moved closer so he could place his hand on her forehead. There was no sign of the fever which often took hold of those suffering from kadar poisoning. He then moved his hand down to her arm and gently lifted it, inspecting it for any trace of the wound that Lukine had been forced to inflict.

  Natasha’s eyes fluttered open. “What are you doing?’ she asked in a quiet voice and tried to pull her arm away, but she had no strength.

  “You’re awake,” Komi said needlessly. “How do you feel?”

  “Tired.” She looked around her. “Why am I in bed?”

  “You had an accident.” He was going to say more, but Fox interrupted him.

  “You can tell her about it later. Right now you should go and let the others know she is awake.”

  Fox could tell that Komi wanted to argue, but he didn’t. He gave Natasha’s hand a quick squeeze then left the room. He didn’t see the thoughtful look she gave him, but Fox did.

  “What happened?” she asked as soon as they were alone.

  “What do you remember?”

  “We went into your workshop. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but Komi was so eager I didn’t have the heart to say no. I got a splinter in my finger and Komi began to panic. I remember him dragging me back to the house and calling for Lukine. The next thing I know I am waking up in bed.”

  “That splinter almost killed you,” Fox said. “I will explain in a minute. Right now I have to check you out.”

  Natasha raised a questioning eyebrow. “Is that why you wanted Komi out of the room?”

  “One of the reasons, yes.” He moved closer to the bed and drew back the covers. She was still fully dressed in her trousers and t-shirt as nobody had thought to undress her.

  “Watch my finger,” he instructed as he held it up close to his face. He studied her as her eyes tracked its movement back and forth. “Good. Now I’m going to have to touch you I’m afraid. I will be as gentle as I can, but it will hurt.”

  He felt her all over, pushing down firmly on most of her vital organs. If the poison had done any permanent damage, it would cause Natasha a great deal of pain to be touched in this fashion. She didn’t react, so he helped her to sit up and lean forward before repeating the procedure on her back, paying particular attention to the area around her kidneys.

  Satisfied that they were undamaged, he allowed her to lay back down before looking at her seriously. “I’m sorry, but this is necessary.” He raised her top and placed his head on her chest, with his ear touching her flesh. He could hear her heart beating strongly. Without moving his head he said, “Breath in and out as deeply as you can.”

  Natasha obey and he listened to the air filling her lungs then being expelled. “Sounds good to me,” he said, raising his head then pulling her top back into place.

  “Doctors use stethoscopes,” she said.

  “Demons have superior hearing so we don’t need to. I promise I didn’t do that just for the fun of it. I’m not Komi.”

  “I know,” she said. She waited until he had returned to the chair before asking about the s
plinter. She could not understand how it could have almost caused her death.

  “It wasn’t ordinary wood. It was kadar wood, which is only found in remote regions of Yong. I use it to make weapons used to kill succubi and incubi.”

  “I’ve heard of those. They’re sex demons aren’t they?”

  Fox smiled at her terminology. “Yes, but the bad sort, not the Komi sort.”

  She realised what she had said and blushed. Fox continued. “Kadar wood kills them. Just one touch on their skin is enough. I make wooden blades, among other things, but the succubi and their male brethren don’t have to be actually cut with them for them to be deadly. Unfortunately the wood is also poisonous to my kind of demon.”

  “And to humans it appears.”

  “Yes, and to humans. Not that you are one, remember. We can touch the wood without it harming us, but if it gets into our bloodstream, it immediately starts releasing a poison which can kill quickly. On top of that, the wood is attracted to blood, so if you get a splinter, it will work its way deeper into your flesh, in search of the nearest vein or artery. If it reaches your heart, there is no way to save you.”

  Natasha held up her finger, looking for the entry wound, but could see no sign of it. Fox went on to explain what Lukine had done to save her.

  “After a few hours I came up to check on you. The bed was covered in blood, but somehow your clothes were unsoiled. I moved you to a clean room then stripped the bed. I have no idea if the bedding is ever going to come clean. You lost so much blood you almost died. Then again, if you hadn’t lost a lot of blood, Lukine might not have been able to cleanse what was left.”

  “So Lukine saved my life.” Fox nodded. “Looks like I owe him a lot.” Natasha suddenly shivered. “Did I really nearly die?” Again Fox nodded. “I guess knowing demons is more dangerous than I thought.”

  A slight smile crept across Fox’s face. “Only some of us.”

  “It’s not Komi’s fault,” Natasha said. The smile dropped from Fox’s face.