Wendigo

by Crystal Dawn

  “I’m not sure.” Win answered, but he really was. Lu would force her to sing.

  Thankfully, Lu came into the cafeteria followed by Stef. The baby wasn’t with them. They didn’t get any food, but they sat at the table as if they were waiting for the others to finish.

  “Once everyone is done, we’ll go to the music room.” Lu suggested.

  Everyone ate faster except Win and Risa because they had already finished. “I’ll just escort Risa there.” Win said because he’d seen Cirrus enter the cafeteria.

  “We’ll go with you and the others can join us when they’re done.” Lu agreed.

  The four of them walked together to the music room where drinks and snacks were already set up. Win noticed the camera crew and some of the others that worked with them were there too. Once they were in the room, Gloria was there to get them decked out. This would be one of those taped practice sessions.

  He noticed that the second Abe arrived he made straight for the area Gloria was setup in. Win decided to keep an eye on that. Gloria was a good female, if she was the right one for Abe, he wanted him to go for it and not let anything get between them. They would make a nice looking couple.

  Win got his makeup done next and the others followed. Lu insisted that Risa get in character too. She looked amazing once Gloria was finished. He thought she looked like a demon queen dressed in red and black. Her makeup was dramatic making her eyes pop and the red lipstick made her lips stand out. The red and black dress showed off her body and the plunging neckline highlighted her breasts.

  Now that everyone was ready, it was time to play. Lu gave Risa a sheet with the words she would sing. “I’ll go first then we all sing the chorus. You’re part will come after that.”

  “You know I really don’t want to do this, right?” Risa asked.

  “Sure, but you’ll do it anyway.” Lu insisted with a smile.

  Win actually felt bad about what Lu was doing to Risa. When he’d though her their enemy and high on the bad list, it had been alright to manipulate her. Now that he knew she’d been coerced and was still being coerced, it didn’t seem fair to pressure and force her to do things she didn’t like.

  Being their doctor was a good thing for her. It protected her from Origin and he knew Lu was trying to find her little sister. Forcing her to sing wasn’t cool. It was obvious she didn’t want to and maybe she was a terrible singer. She might be embarrassed about singing. Win knew it was going to happen, especially once Lu had started the song.

  The song was a sweet love song about two star crossed lovers. It was a Romeo and Juliet type of love. The families were Jewish and Muslim, but the young couple didn’t care. In the end, the young Muslim girl was sent away and the Jewish boy didn’t know where she was sent. His parents told him he was better off without her.

  Win felt his eyes water, but demons didn’t cry so his eyes must have gotten dust in them. When Risa started to sing, his breath caught in his chest. Her voice was pure and beautiful. He’d never heard anything like it. Everyone in the room was staring at her with their mouths open.

  Her voice was high and carried well. It sounded like she’d had some training. That must be what Lu had discovered. Once her verse was done, she continued to sing the chorus with them. Win knew Lu wouldn’t let her off the hook now. She would be with the band, singing certain songs and traveling with them anytime they had concerts.

  When they were finished, the band gathered around her. “That was beautiful.” Xap admitted.

  “Wonderful!” Zepar praised.

  “Amazing.” Abe added.

  “You’ve sung before.” Win accused.

  “It’s been a long time.” Risa admitted.

  “She was in a choir all the way through high school. Even in college she sang with their choir and in a band to make money for school. Our girl is multitalented.” Lu explained.

  Win didn’t like Lu claiming her for all of them. He’d fought himself enough and finally decided she was his and his alone. He felt like beating his chest with all the testosterone running through his system. Damn! Risa wouldn’t appreciate the show of masculine pride. He needed to take it down a notch. It wasn’t like he was ready to mate just yet.

  How Lu managed was something Win couldn’t figure out. The threat to his mate and child was ever present. Right now the worry about Risa just about froze him where he stood. If they mated and had a child, he couldn’t live with the fear.

  He moved away from her and went to grab a bottle of cold water from the snack table. Distancing himself from the others, his mind ran through what he knew. Cirrus was higher up the ladder than they had originally realized. Risa was locked down by Origin, her sister in their hands was like a collar around her throat. Most of the leaders, the ones that truly ran the company, not only were still at large, but they had large amounts of money and access to gods and demons.

  Win had a dream, it involved shutting down Origin and while the company wasn’t actively running in public, it had changed its ways and now ran quietly in the shadows. It was unacceptable and needed to be stopped. His need to see that done was the only reason he’d agreed to bring Cirrus here.

  That was a decision he was regretting when he saw the way it was affecting Risa. He also feared that Cirrus would get around them and manage to get things done for Origin without their knowledge.

  “Why are you off by yourself?” Lu asked.

  “You knew who Cirrus was.”

  “I suspected. We needed to be sure.”

  “He’s too dangerous. The man needs to be put down like a rabid dog. There’s no safe way to handle him.”

  “Is that because you see an immediate threat or are you reacting to Risa’s fear?”

  “Risa is a strong woman. If she fears him, there’s something to fear.”

  “That doesn’t change the fact that we need to know more.”

  Win growled. “This is a huge risk to take. More so than you explained to us.”

  “I told you the facts as I knew them.”

  “That’s a cop out. You tell us your feelings when it suits you.”

  “True.”

  “What? You don’t even bother to deny manipulating us?”

  “Why should I? I try to convince you when I feel something is important. Origin still has as many as a thousand demons and gods. Who speaks for them?”

  “We all do, but not by risking those who are free.”

  “You know how tight our surveillance is on him. He didn’t suspect that medical was covered with tiny cameras. They are barely larger than the period at the end of a sentence. We have his every move watched and every word recorded. As we speak he is sending a message to Origin that our technicians are intercepting.”

  That’s when Win noticed the ear piece Lu was wearing. Lu winked at him. It looked like he was on top of things. “What if he tells them Risa is cooperating with us? He has to suspect that she told us about him.”

  “The call is being received by our techs and blocked from getting out of our facility. If our answer isn’t what he expects, the operation will be over. You have to know I wouldn’t take chances with someone’s safety. Especially not your mate.”

  “She’s not my mate.”

  Lu laughed until tears formed in his eyes and slapped Win on the back. “Break’s over.” He said as he walked back to pick up his guitar and position himself in front of his mic.

  Win picked up a trumpet. This song didn’t fit with the light tones of the flute. He could play many instruments just like Lu. If someone was missing, he could fill in for any of them. Even Lu wasn’t essential, everyone in the band had beautiful voices. It didn’t make them feel unneeded, it gave them a sense of security. When someone couldn’t make it, they could be covered and someone else slid into their spot seamlessly.

  No one benefitted from their band more than anyone else. The money went into the bank account of Lucifer and the Demon Band and everyone got an allowance. They were a family with each member contributing as they co
uld and benefitting as they should.

  Helping to raise money for his brothers was nothing, since he would give his life to save any of them. It was a test given only recently when they had saved a demon from the clutches of a madman. Now they had a fund to do whatever they could to try to save more. They would save any god they could regardless of what they had to do.

  Living in captivity was unacceptable, but the biggest problem so far had been finding them. If they knew where they were, they would just go get them. Maybe it was oversimplifying things, but that’s what they’d do. The urge to do just that rushed through him, but they would have to wait. If they found one of the gods through this plan, it was worth the risk to everyone except Risa.

  They started practicing again and their usual camera crew was filming. Devon was the one in charge and the man was talented. Since Lucifer and his Demon Band was doing so well, it paid Devon to keep his crew here almost all the time. Once in a while they took a gig for a week or so but they always returned here. It was hard to keep the secret of the demons from them, but it was necessary.

  Devon and Gordon would never be told the secrets unless they found out on their own. The two girls on the crew might eventually mate a demon and be told. There were more people hanging around these days and the demons went outside now and had some freedom, but there were still limitations. The demons were happy for now. That’s all any of them could ask for.

  They finished a song and now it was Win’s turn to sing. Stef had suggested each band member and even the extras have one or two songs they could sing if needed. Win didn’t mind, he just felt no need to be the center of attention. Lu liked it more than any of the others did.

  Win’s eyes were drawn to Risa who sat at a nearby table with Stef. The song was about denying love even though it overwhelmed him. Had Lu written the damn thing for him on purpose? It seemed to reflect his life right now. In the end, he sang of being a fool and hoping he could win his love now that he realized they had to be together.

  Stef sat there staring at Lu and nodding. Maybe Lu had written it about his relationship with his mate after all. Win knew he was sensitive about his relationship with Risa. He needed her, but he had to turn away from her. Her life could depend on it. Maybe things would change soon. He finished his song and everyone clapped. Now it was Xap’s turn.

  His song was about being a party animal. It was a fun and easy going song. Stef had suggested they make a party album. She said some people would buy all their songs, but some people only bought happy ones. Pre-release sales were through the roof and the album wasn’t even recorded yet.

  Sweet success had hit them in the months since the release of the first video showing Dori putting a tail and wings on Homer. They had made millions and Lu had sent some money to the gods to support the operation to free gods. He would have done that even if some of the gods weren’t demons, but they were.

  In fact if they figured percentages, over half the missing gods that might still be alive were demons. The last gods freed had both been demons. Both of them were still at Olympus, but eventually they would come home.

  The band took another break, the practices were more to give something for the camera crew to film than anything else. Stef had set up several websites and she downloaded clips every few days. She had two of the demons from down below working with her answering questions and commenting on fans remarks. Both of those demons enjoyed the interaction and had even made friends with some of the fans.

  It had made a huge difference in their outlook. Some of the other demons from downstairs had even ask if they could help out somewhere. Stef had declared she had enough stuff to do to keep a team busy. The last Win had heard, she was putting them to work one at a time.

  A few of the demons with damage from Origin had also been talking to Risa. It was encouraging. His brothers could all be happy someday. Lu’s band idea had really worked out. To think Win had been against it because he thought it painted a target on their backs. So far it had been worth the risk. Six of the tougher demons were at Olympus training for security work. They would be the band’s guards. All his brothers were finding their place and it pleased him immensely.

  He saw more snacks being brought in for everyone. Risa had stayed and avoided Cirrus for the rest of the day. That wouldn’t always be possible. Something would have to be worked out so he would leave her alone. If Lu thought Win being her boyfriend would be enough, he was sadly mistaken. The look on Cirrus’ face when Win had come for her had been anger. The male had been furious. For some reason he considered her his.

  Win went to the table and pulled out a chair for Risa. He was going to regret getting this close to her. She was easy to enjoy spending time with and it would be hard to let her go when the time came. Risa sat down and he slid her seat in and then sat down next to her. Snacks were placed down the middle of the table and everyone got what they wanted. Everyone chatted and the atmosphere was friendly.

  “Stef, where is that lovely baby?” Gloria asked.

  “One of the guys is babysitting. She has him wrapped around her little finger.”

  “There’s something sexy about a great big hunk babysitting a baby.” Gloria said with a sigh.

  “I love it when Daddy takes care of her. It’s so sweet to watch.”

  The chit chat continued as everyone ate. It gave Win a feeling of satisfaction. This was such a normal scene and the demons were part of it. It gave him hope they could all have a normal life. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the new entertainment facility was complete and guests would be welcomed to the island. There was hope that things could go right and no disasters would occur.

  The snack was finally finished and the table cleared. People were starting to slip away, especially those with a work schedule the next day. Risa hadn’t left, yet, but they had fallen into an amicable silence. “How is everything going with the position?” He asked.

  “Most things are pretty standard. Some of the more intense cases require pulling in favors. I have three demons on the list to get state of the art equipment.”

  “You mean cyborg quality?”

  “That’s one way to look at it.”

  “What three are doing that?”

  “Hob, Troll, and Urisk.”

  “Those all have some severe damage.”

  “That’s true. The field of robotics for prosthesis has moved ahead at an amazing rate. They attach to the body and can be connected in a way that allows automatic movement. It’s still experimental, but it’s at the testing phase. The needed prosthesis will be coming in soon. Troll is particularly excited about it. He’ll get them first.”

  “That’s amazing. He’s been very depressed. I’m amazed you were able to convince him to try.”

  “Getting him to listen was the hard part. Once he saw what was available, he was willing.”

  “I’m glad. We’ve all been worried about him.”

  “Yes, well his attitude is improved. It’s getting late. Almost everyone else has deserted us. Troll will be coming in to see me in the morning. I’d best try to get some sleep. We’re doing some physical therapy to prepare him.”

  “Of course. Let me walk you to your room. It’s on my way anyway.”

  “Alright. If you want to.” Win held out his hand which she took and he helped her up.

  They walked along the hallway toward medical. Win hoped Cirrus was in his room where he was supposed to be. With all the surveillance around him, he ought to be. “Here’s your room. I enjoyed hearing you sing. You sounded angelic.”

  Risa blushed. “Thank you. I guess it’s time to say good night.”

  “Good night.” Win said and that was where he should have left things. Instead he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Risa gasped and he took advantage pressing his lips against hers hard and inserting his tongue to fully explore the inside of her mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken advantage like that.”

  “That’s something you should never do.”

&nbs
p; “What’s that?”

  “Apologize for kissing a woman if she doesn’t protest.” With that said, she opened her door and disappeared closing the door in his face.

  Win felt bemused. What had she meant? Did she like the kiss he’d given her? He’d never know because it wouldn’t happen again.

  Chapter 5

  Patient Care

  Risa had wanted to be a doctor working in a progressive field. She loved research, but she had always planned to work with patients too. It was ironic that being arrested for working with Origin had finally brought her to the kind of work she had always wanted to do.

  She’d slept alright last night even though she’d had some hot dreams and it was Win’s fault. It was a wonder her sheets weren’t set on fire. Once she woke up, she was in desperate need of a cool shower to reset her temperature. Once she was done, dried off, and dressed, she had to hurry to get breakfast so she wouldn’t be late. It annoyed her to no end to see Cirrus in the dining area.

  Grabbing her tray and filling it up, she got a big mug of coffee and went to her office to eat and wake up with her coffee. Seeing Cirrus when eating food would just ruin her appetite. Once she was done eating, she began to look over everything needed to get Troll set up.

  Lu had already been told Troll would need to use the gym while she helped him and it would be best if no one was in there the first few visits. They would be working out his body and preparing it for what was coming. Before she got out of her office, a delivery came. She signed for it and looked at the label. Troll’s eye was here. If he was ready, they could put it in today.

  Excitement rolled over her. They were about to start turning his life around. She locked the box up in her desk and left to meet Troll in the gym. Thinking he’d be by himself, she was surprised to find Hob and Urisk there with him.

  “Hello, Guys. This is a big day.”

  “Hi.” They all chorused.

  “I’m ready, but these two meatheads want to start working out too.” Troll explained.