by Hickory Mack
“Are you sure? From what I saw in the convoy, time manipulation wasn’t your most accomplished skill.”
“I’m sure. I can take you back to relive the last year of your life if you want,” she offered, then made a face. “For some stupid reason, I’m not allowed to go back and stop the hunters from showing up at my doorstep or change anything that’s happened since then, though. Such bullshit.”
“I wouldn’t have found you if you changed anything,” Cross told her, and she sighed.
“We wouldn’t have found each other, I wouldn't have reunited with Saint, and I never would have met Wren. In the end, the bullshit will be worth it.” She cut out her patterns and chose the fabrics she wanted to use, checking to make sure she had elastic for the short’s waist. Comfort was the goal with this outfit.
“I did some sleuthing while you were sleeping. Not many people are willing to talk with me as they don’t really consider me to be a part of their Clan. I’m your security, not the compound’s. Even though I work under Security Chief Rand, I don’t work for him. I did manage to make a couple of friends who seem to be the gossiping sort, though,” Cross said.
“Have they given you any info?” Elsie asked, pinning the fabric to the pattern so she could cut it with a shiny new pair of fabric scissors. She hadn’t bothered taping herself. She made her own clothes all the time, so she knew her measurements.
“There used to be a group of mages who used this place like a hotel whenever they were nearby. They were doing some kind of hunting of their own, and sometimes there were captive demons with them. They were close to Cornick and would spend a lot of time in his labs.”
Elsie paused what she was doing. It didn’t make any sense to her that mages were cozying up to Angus Cornick, or any of the hunters for that matter, but she was beginning to see a pattern. She wondered what it was the hunters had that the mages wanted. The Clans were starting to show themselves to be a valuable resource in this world, and other species were taking notice.
“I couldn’t get a lot of personal info on them, other than there were seven or eight of them, and three of the group were women,” Cross told her.
“It’s a start. It might not be the group we’re looking for, but it sounds like it could be. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He did eventually fall asleep on the sofa as Elsie pieced together her clothes, having to pin the shorts twice because Frida decided a loose string was an invitation for mischief. Turning on the sewing machine, she thread the bobbin and got to work.
The shorts were simple, just a touch longer than booty shorts and a bit loose to keep her comfortable. It may be getting close to winter where she was from, but down here it felt like summer was still in full swing. She modified the tank top, adding bits of lace and embroidering flowers along the top line. The dainty pink and orange complemented the cream-colored fabric and softened the boldness of her deep blue hair. In contrast to the innocent design, the neckline plunged nicely, showing off her full cleavage.
When Elsie was satisfied, she put the outfit on, a bit dissatisfied that the hips on the shorts were even looser than she’d intended, then threw her hair up in a high ponytail to keep it out of her face. Tying her raven mask on a loop around her hip, she stood in front of Cross, almost sad at the idea of waking him. He looked so gentle when he was asleep, and that carefully orchestrated look of stoicism disappeared, softening the lines around his eyes.
“What do you think, Precious? Should we let him sleep?” she whispered. The wolf looked at her balefully and showed her an image of him running off to abandon her as soon as they were back on Earth. “Pfft. That’s fine. I don’t need your help to go shopping.”
Frida gazed at her with orange eyes, and Elsie shook her head. “You stay here where it’s safe, Miss Kahlo. You look too much like a delectable little snack, so I don’t want to tempt anyone.”
The cat’s tail twitched irritably, and Elsie scratched behind her ears. “You’ll be fine.”
She picked up her staff and looked at Cross once more. If she left him here, she could get some alone time with Wren. Leaving time at a standstill, she swiped her scythe through the air and opened a door to Earth. Her bond with Saint immediately felt stronger, and she smiled in relief. Having her link to him so dramatically diminished had been making her cranky.
Glancing back at Cross one more time, she stepped through and closed the door behind her. True to his word, Frost immediately bound off into the woods. Elsie rolled her eyes. Woe to whatever poor creature he came across first. Closing her eyes, she expanded her senses, figuring out where she needed to go to find the demon town. She felt a cluster of souls about five miles to the south and started walking.
Less than a mile in, Wren appeared, jumping on her back and demanding a ride. “Where are the puppy and Frida?”
Once Elsie explained where everybody was and her objective for the day, Wren was instantly on board. “That’s fine, but I get to pick out your clothes!”
“Why would I let you do that?”
“Because you’re wearing them for me, aren’t you? I’m the one who has to look at you.”
Elsie burst into laughter and dumped her onto the ground. “I’ll let you pick out a few things, but I happen to have my own sense of style.”
“I can see that,” Wren said, looking at the outfit she’d made for herself.
“What, you don’t like it?”
“It’s just so… cute.”
“Why is that a problem? I can be cute!”
“You are cute, but you look better in something sexy with a hint of badassery.”
Elsie snorted. “I don’t think that’s a word.”
“I don’t think it matters if it is or isn’t.”
“Ugh.”
Wren pulled her around and stole a kiss, holding onto Elsie’s waist and bringing her in close. “Why won’t you settle down and let me buy you what I want?”
“You can buy whatever you want, but it doesn’t mean I’ll actually be able to wear it. I need to wear these clothes around the compound, and I need to be taken seriously by those people. If I’m in some kind of crazy outfit, they’re not going to give me the respect I demand from them.”
“They’d respect you even if you walked in there naked,” Wren scoffed. “Just wear them for me, then. I don’t care about the hunters or what they think of you. You’re mine, not theirs.”
“And Saint’s, and Cross’,” she reminded the spirit. Wren made a face. Their teasing banter continued until they were already in the middle of a town that was bigger than Elsie had expected. The buildings were each their own style, not one of them matching its neighbor, but it gave the place a comfortable vibe that said everyone was welcome.
Elsie slipped the raven mask over her face to keep her anonymity. There were so many demons in the street, she didn’t want anyone to recognize her and rat her out as someone working with the hunters. Wren took her hand and brought her straight to a clothier that she’d already scoped out ahead of time.
There were mannequins in the window, showing off a few cute outfits, including a purple hoodie with slots in the hood for those with different-shaped ears. Elsie eyed Wren’s antlers, wondering if she could fit them through the slots, but whined in disappointment when she realized they were too big.
The shopkeeper came bustling over when they walked in, a harassed look in her eyes. “More strangers,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, ladies, but because I’ve never seen you before, you’ll have to put a deposit down if you’re going to be in here. Too many vagrants these past days with not a coin to their names.”
Elsie shared a look with Wren. Cross had said they’d be releasing the demons into this town, and it looked like the rumors were right. She opened her pocket dimension and handed the woman a gold coin. Once it was tested, the keeper smiled and apologized again. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”
Wren dragged Elsie further inside and started picking clot
hes off the racks, barely even looking at them before shoving them into Elsie’s arms. “Excuse me,” she called. “Where can she try these on?”
“All of those?” the woman asked, a pleased look coming over her face. “Right this way.”
She took them to the back of the shop, where a small room with a mirror and a long curtain serving as a door were located. “Anything we have can be resized as required.”
“Perfect, thanks,” Wren said, giving the woman a look until she left to accost another pair coming through the door. “Start putting clothes on. I want to see everything!”
“Remember, I get to make decisions too,” Elsie muttered, and Wren laughed.
“You can decide which days of the week you’re going to wear which outfit,” she allowed. “After this, we’ll get the boots you want!”
“Great.”
Shopping took three hours. Wren insisted that she try on almost everything in the store, and in the end, she bought almost everything. Elsie shook her head as she shoved things into her pocket dimension so they wouldn’t have to carry it all around.
“This is too much,” she complained, though she had to begrudgingly admit she’d rocked everything Wren had chosen. The spirit had a sense of style.
“It’s not enough! Reaper, there is nothing in this world you cannot have. I’ve never had anyone to take care of and spoil before. Please humor me.”
“You want me to be your doll.”
“Oh, no. Dolls are just toys. You are deliciously real, and so are all the things I’m going to do to you when we leave this town. First though, let’s have lunch!”
A shiver ran down Elsie’s spine in anticipation as lust settled itself in her stomach. “Hey, Wren? Let’s skip lunch...”
Chapter 33
After lunch and a playtime session with Wren, Elsie showed off her new skills, eliciting loads of praise from the spirit. But then she’d had to explain how she’d learned it so quickly, and that knowledge had pissed Wren off so badly she’d needed to stop time once again so she could appease her lover. She couldn’t have the earth spirit starting a grudge match with the Goddess of Death over her.
They parted ways with a promise that Wren would behave herself and Elsie would return soon with updates. When she re-entered the woods, she whistled, annoyed that Frost didn’t come to her. She yanked on the chain as she’d seen Wren do once before, but the wolf was nowhere to be found.
“Gods damn it,” she muttered, following the chain in order to find him. She was unsurprised when Wren appeared at her side once more, tilting her head when she saw what Elsie was doing.
“He won’t come?” Wren asked.
“Nope.”
“I’d suggest leaving him. Give him the chance to either realize his mistake or enjoy a sense of freedom.”
“What if he can’t return to the cuff?” Elsie asked.
“It isn’t like he needs to be capable of it to survive. He’ll have to take care of himself until you return, and then he can decide once again whether to follow you or not. I know you’ve gotten used to having him around, but he won’t be here forever,” Wren reminded her.
“I know. It’s just... I feel responsible for him. How am I supposed to feed him and take care of his needs if he’s not with me?”
“He’s not your pet.” Wren kissed her and gave her a stern look. “Don’t you have things to be doing? Like figuring out who those mages are and practicing with your staff?”
“I guess so,” Elsie sighed, taking one more kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”
Back in her suite, Frida deliberately looked away from her, twitching her tail to show she was still angry about being left behind. Elsie ignored her, knowing the alebrije would get over it as soon as there was food to be had. The kitty wasn’t one for holding a grudge for very long.
Cross was still asleep, and she sat on the sofa next to him. The poor guy must have needed the rest. She allowed time to start flowing again, and to those outside the door, he had only been in there with her for a moment or two.
“Cross?” Elsie said quietly, putting a hand on his arm and shaking it. He came awake slowly, giving her a sleepy smile as he sat up and looked around.
“You did a good job with the clothes,” he praised, and she bit her lip to keep from gloating with appreciation. She was still wearing the outfit she’d made herself.
“Thank you,” she said simply, managing not to crow with glee. “Are you feeling better? You slept for a long while.”
“Did I?”
“I was on Earth for almost five hours,” she told him, and his brows drew together in confusion as he tried to do the math.
“How long is that here?”
“Fifteen hours. Technically, although only a few minutes have passed, your body will still get the full effects of all that sleep. You shouldn’t let yourself get so worn down. Take better care of yourself,” she criticized. He reached lazily over and fixed a twist in her tank top’s strap.
“I was busy looking after you,” he said easily. “It was more important at the time.”
“I’m not more important than you are,” Elsie scolded. The brujo didn’t answer, as though he didn’t see the sense in fighting with her. She jotted that down in her mental notepad. Cross was a peacekeeper, and she shouldn’t take advantage of it. Much. “You should get yourself something to eat. Then, if you’re still agreeable to it, I’d still like that tour.”
“Come with me. We can start the tour after we eat,” he suggested, but Elsie shook her head.
“They’ll know something’s up. I specifically demanded a proper chef so I wouldn’t have to eat galley food.”
“Just have the desert then. It’s actually pretty good. Yesterday, there was chocolate cake,” he said temptingly. Elsie tapped her fingers on her knee, thinking it over. She could definitely use some chocolate right about now. He knew the moment she caved before she even said anything, a smile brightening his eyes. Cross stood and offered her his hand.
Elsie took it, astounded how such an innocent touch could affect her. She looked up into his eyes, seeing the same thoughts reflected there. They both felt it, the sweet ache of their bond growing a little bit stronger. Clearing her throat, she took her hand away and walked to the door, then stood to the side so he could lead the way.
Miller and Hasprey were out in the hall, and the old man gave her a lopsided grin when he saw her. “We were wondering when we’d see your face again. You had us all worried, Commander Chantraine.”
“There was nothing to worry about,” she lied. “I wore myself out with the fox demon is all.”
“Where’s your wolf today?” Hasprey asked, drawing Cross’ attention. He hadn’t noticed Frost’s absence until that moment, which was surprising. The damned wolf was an enormous presence in her everyday life.
Elsie shook her head. “He won’t be joining us. He’s in a bit of a mood.”
“If you don’t mind me saying, ma’am, that creature is always in a bit of a mood. It might help some of the others relax around you a little more, not having him around,” Miller offered. Elsie turned in his direction, her eyes cold.
“I do mind.” She didn’t give a fuck about their comfort. To be honest, his absence was bothering her more and more the longer he was gone.
“My apologies, Commander.”
“Cross tells me there’s dessert to be had.”
“Yes, ma’am, there is,” Hasprey agreed. “Didn’t they send you anything with your meal?”
“I honestly don’t remember,” she answered. “After sleeping for four days, I ate it all too fast to know what it was I was eating.”
“Breakfast is almost over. If you hurry, you might be able to catch the end of it,” the old man told her. “They gave us cinnamon rolls today.”
Elsie blinked in surprise. She definitely hadn’t been given a cinnamon roll. That was something she would have remembered. Sometimes a girl just wanted a gooey, sugary start to her day.
“Thanks for the heads
up,” Cross said. “Miller, you have the afternoon off. I’ll be giving Commander Chantraine a tour of the facility. Hasprey, come with us.”
The two men did as they were told, and Elsie was soon seated between her mate and her security guard, happily picking apart a warm sugary treat. Another female officer walked by in her uniform and gave Elsie a condescending look, but she didn’t give a shit. Looking the woman in the eye, she popped a finger in her mouth, licking the icing clean. Making a disgusted noise, she walked away, her heels clicking noisily against the concrete floor.
“What was that all about?” Hasprey asked with a chuckle. “She looked like you’d spit in her morning coffee.”
Elsie shrugged in reply. She’d dealt with the same her whole life. Well, the years she’d spent among the hunters, anyway. Because of her mother, she’d been allowed to dress however she wanted her entire time with them. And unlike the other women in the field, Elsie hadn’t had to cut her hair in a short buzz cut to prevent demons from grabbing her.
She figured, if a demon managed to get close enough to grab her by the hair, she’d already fucked up too much to be saved. Elsie didn’t make those kinds of mistakes back then. There was no room for error when you were the best.
Cross was careful not to look her way, but she could feel the slight irritation in his emotions. She glanced at Hasprey then returned to her cinnamon roll, wondering if the old guy had been the best choice of people to accompany them. He was observant and a little too perceptive. As friendly and likeable as he was, Elsie couldn’t trust that he wouldn’t say something to someone if he suspected she and Cross were working together.
He’d been a hunter for longer than she’d been alive, so she had to assume his loyalties were with the Clan.
“What made you want to take a tour of this place on your day off?” Hasprey asked.