by Maribel Fox
“Maal,” I mutter, looking around. He’s not wrong. Lili and Raj are arguing, Dima and Ocho have gone, Iseul and Ku are deep in discussion about his transformation — I am the odd one out.
“Don’t worry, dude. Thing’s will settle down. Name’s Kush,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “That’s Seamus, and this friendly guy here is Micah,” he adds, hooking his thumb over his shoulder to the bald, dark-skinned Angel looming behind him.
I nod to each of them, and Seamus gives me a friendly grin, patting me on the other shoulder.
“Come on, then. Let’s go have ourselves a pint,” he says. “Comin’ Ava?”
She makes a face, looks at Raj and Lili, then at her brother and the puppy. “You guys go ahead. I think I’ve got some work to do here.”
“Let’s go then,” Kush says, waving for me to follow.
I don’t see any reason to argue, and getting to know the locals isn’t a bad thing. I shrug and start walking with them.
“Sure, why not?”
They lead me through a familiar forest — the one I’ve been in in Lili’s ‘dream world’ — which breaks into a field of rolling hills on one side leading down to a little village, and on the other side, it ends at the cliff’s edge where I can hear the water rushing below. There’s a house up on the hill, a cute, quaint little house — not so little, but after being at the estate of the Seven Flames… — and I’m having trouble not craning my neck up at every instance to stare at the cloudy blue-gray sky.
It’s just not the same as the pictures. Being able to actually look up, and not just look up, but to feel so… content while doing it… It’s bizarre. And I like it.
This is definitely not Hell anymore.
Holy shit.
I’m not in Hell anymore.
My whole life, I’ve thought about leaving, wanted to leave, but there was never any reason for me to think it was feasible. It was a silly dream. A thought that was never supposed to be reality. And now here I am.
Earth.
With everything I’ve ever known, everyone in my family — all of it — back in Hell, no clue that I’m gone forever.
I swallow, my throat suddenly tight, mind whirling.
What have I done?
I don’t know anything about living outside of Hell. I don’t know how to get by here. I don’t know how to get a house or a job or… Where am I even going to stay? I wanted this adventure, but now the adventure’s over and everyone’s going their separate ways and I’m… what?
Going to try to make a new life for myself in Lupine Bay? Is that what I’m thinking?
I can’t go back to Hell now. Not after the way we went out of there.
I’ve just been going along with everything since the moment Dmitry caught me at the prison, and now I’m finally without a current pushing me and I don’t know what I’m going to do.
The guys lead me into a door at the back of the house, which is actually a bar, lit by flickering candles, draped with greenery and garlands.
“How’d it go?” the girl behind the bar asks, eyebrow arched as she leans forward. “Looks like they made it through,” she adds, eyes on me.
“Aye,” Seamus says. “They did.”
“And?” she asks.
“And what?” Kush asks back.
“Did they say what happened?”
The three guys all look at me at once.
“Perhaps we could hear it from the source?” Micah suggests. “A drink for our friend Maal, Rue, if you will.”
“Got a preference, Maal?” Rue asks, her lips curving into a smile I don’t fully understand.
“Something strong?” I hazard, the weight of reality sinking down on my shoulders.
“Already acting like a local,” she teases, going to work behind the bar, pouring drinks for everyone.
“So, what happened to Raj’s sister? We’ve all been taking guesses. Did she really go AWOL?” Rue asks.
“Try ta keep a bit o’ treasure fer herself?”
“Disobey direct orders?” Kush adds.
I shake my head, lifting my glass with the others in a silent toast.
“She didn’t do anything. She was fucked,” I say with a growl, thinking about that smarmy bastard I worked for. I don’t blame Lili for wanting to kill him, but going back to Hell to do it seems like the worst idea ever.
I fill them in on the things that happened, the things I know, at least, and they’ve got a surprising number of questions about how things work in Hell. I would’ve figured Bali Raj explained it all to them, but their knowledge of the portal systems — especially the rotations — is woefully lacking.
It’s something, I guess. I might not be useful here for much else, but I can be a resource on information about Hell, I guess. Maybe make them a map if they need it? Though I can’t imagine why they would.
I take another drink. I don’t know how many I had while I explained everything, but I’m properly drunk now, the world swimming in double.
Did they get me drunk to get information out of me?
These guys seem too nice for that. I think I’ve just got loose lips.
Not that I care about keeping Hell’s secrets. Fuck them.
“What’d they ever do for me anyway?” I mutter, realizing too late that I said that part out loud.
Kush snorts. “I know the feeling, man. Heaven wanted to send me and my partner to our deaths—”
“They wanted ye to kill me,” Seamus says.
“Like I said…” Kush mutters. “Don’t buy his act. This bastard’s a cockroach. Can’t kill him. But I didn’t want to anyway. We’re pals, y’know? Being loyal to the cause isn’t very noble when the cause is bullshit.”
“You can say that again,” I grumble, taking a drink, only there’s none left.
“Here you go sunshine,” Rue says, passing me a glass of water. “You’ll thank me when you’re trying to get upstairs later,” she adds with a wink.
“I struggled with leaving more than Kushiel, I believe,” Micah says, “but even I must say that life has improved with the freedom to follow my own will.”
“You probably got people back in Hell you care about, huh?” Kush asks.
I slump forward. “My family… parents, siblings… We’re not close, but…”
“But committing to never seeing them again is a big deal,” he nods sagely.
“Little late to be worried about it now,” I say with a sigh.
“Aw, don’t worry so much, mate. ‘S’not so bad here, ye’ll see in time.”
I manage a little smile for my new friends, a weird twist in my gut at that thought.
I’ve got friends, maybe?
There’s that, at least. It’s not much, but it’s a start. And if I want to make a place for myself here, a start’s just what I need.
28
Ocho
Though Dima and I leave the forest together, we’re going our separate ways. I don’t know what he’s got on his mind, but I need to get away. I need to think.
I need to hide.
It was easy to forget in Hell, where everything’s dark and bleak and ugly in its own way, what I am. Okay, well, not easy per se, but easier. Easier than it is here, in Lupine Bay where everything’s bright and beautiful and there’s no place for a creature that devours the light.
As soon as we exited the well, it hit me. Faced with all those people, all those powerful beautiful people, I realized what I’m really up against here.
No one here is going to want anything to do with me. Lili’s not going to be able to stomach me.
Sure, when in Hell, when desperate for something convenient — but now? When she’s got Iseul and Ku, Maal and Dima…
Am I terrible for almost wanting to go back to Hell? It suited me more. Sticking to the shadows, being able to forget the way people generally shrink back in fear from the sight of me. Despite not being a Hellion, I felt oddly at peace there. But I would never want to live under their actual rule. That class system they’ve got is absurd and woul
d infuriate me daily, I’m sure.
But Lupine Bay doesn’t seem like the kind of place for a dragon like me. Hopefully the queen can fix our curse, but then what? Where do I go from here? I’m sure Dima will be happy to be rid of me, and Lili’s going to want to go back to Hell as soon as the collars are off.
Hanging around here without a purpose just seems kind of… sad to me.
Then again, when has my life been anything else?
Feeling sorry for myself, I head down to the cliffs, where I find a path that leads down to the beach. It’s a rocky beach, patches of sand here and there, but mostly big boulders and driftwood. Tons of driftwood. I pick my way down along the shoreline, the crashing waves and the gulls above the only sounds down here. Over the bay, gray clouds blend seamlessly into the horizon, and it’s hard to tell where the sky ends and the water begins, thanks to the offshore rains.
It’s gloomy weather, and somehow that makes me feel better about my gloominess.
It’s not long before I come across a little lean-to made from driftwood. It’s set up with a nice view out over the bay, the lighthouse not far. Inside, there are a few logs set out like a seating arrangement, and after looking around for signs of anyone currently using it, I decide to sit for a spell and stare out at the ocean.
I don’t know what I expect it to tell me.
There’s a part of me that feels connected to this place already. I don’t want to leave, but I can’t see any excuses to stay. Not when I’m sure I’ll just be an intrusion.
For a couple hours, I stare out over the water, contemplating everything — my life, our time together, my past, my future — my mind’s heavy, and I can’t get it to stop. Until the sound of someone walking across the beach alerts me. Then I’m focused and straining to hear anything more.
Suddenly, she darkens the doorway of the lean-to.
I say she, but I have no idea who she is. She’s a kid, probably the same age as the queen’s little brother, and she’s staring at me blankly, dark hair in braided pigtails, dressed in all black. She blinks.
“Who are you?” she asks, walking right in and sitting down next to me.
“Uh… I’m Ocho,” I say, not sure what more to say. What’s she expecting from a stranger? Shouldn’t she know not to talk to me?
“I’m Nora,” she says, looking me over. Surprisingly, she looks directly at me. I shrink back, trying to save her from the horror, but she’s not fazed.
“You’re new, huh?”
“How’d you know?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Why are you here?”
I frown and look around. “Seemed like a nice place to look at the water,” I say with a shrug.
Nora gives me a dead-eyed look, bordering on a glare. “In Lupine Bay,” she amends.
“I was helping a friend, but I’m probably leaving soon.”
“Why?”
Man, kids, am I right? Can’t a guy just do things without having a reason for every choice he makes?
“I don’t really belong in a place like this.”
“A place like what?” she asks, eyebrows furrowed.
I sigh. I don’t know how to explain this to a kid.
“This place is nice, you know? I don’t want to contaminate it.”
Nora pulls a skeptical face. “You don’t look like you have the plague.”
“What? No, I don’t… Why would you think I have the plague?”
She shrugs. “So you don’t have black death?”
“No,” I emphasize. “And if I did, you shouldn’t be talking to me so calmly.”
For the first time since I’ve met her, Nora cracks the tiniest of smiles. “I’m not scared of dying.”
…Great.
“So what do you have?” she asks, scooting closer, eyes wide and eager.
I scoot away, shaking my head. “I don’t have anything. I’m just… I’m talking about me, as a person.”
“Oh,” she says, face falling as she retreats to her original position. “That’s disappointing.”
I look around again, wondering if I’m being pranked or something, but there’s no one else around on the beach, no hidden cameras in this lean-to.
“I’m sorry I’m not dying?” I try, holding back a laugh at the absurdity of it.
“Me too,” she sighs. “Anyway, you shouldn’t leave,” she says resolutely.
“Oh no? Why’s that?” I’m doing my best to humor her, but it’s getting harder and harder to keep a straight face. It’s also hard to stay so gloomy when she’s doing such an over-the-top parody of it.
Am I this ridiculous?
“Henri says so. He doesn’t explain things, so don’t ask,” she says with a shrug.
“Henri? Who’s that?”
“My friend,” Nora says, waving at empty space.
Cool. This girl is crazy.
Where are her parents?
“People here are okay with weirdos like us,” she says, that hint of a smile on her lips again. I almost want to argue with her about being a weirdo, but can I really?
I sigh.
“I’ll think about it,” I say, actually, surprisingly considering it a little more seriously. I’m not sure this girl is representative of Lupine Bay as a whole, but if a young child can be so accepting, it does give me a little bit of hope for the rest of them. My experience tells me otherwise, but maybe it’s worth putting myself out there one last time… For Lili? Iseul? Dima?
…Me?
Nora looks up at me, makes a weird face, and suddenly stands. “Uh… I gotta go, bye!” she says, running off in such a rush I don’t get to say anything. “Wait up!” she calls, running down the beach after nothing.
Weird kid.
Nice though, I guess. Even if she did call me a weirdo.
I stand up, getting out of the little hut and stretching my legs before I head back up the beach to the path I came down on. Up on the top of the cliff, I look out over the water again, salty spray carried up here by the wind misting me.
What do I want to do?
“Thank fuck! Ocho!” Izzy comes running toward me, out of breath, eyes wide and frantic.
“What’s up?” I ask, shying away before he gets too close. This isn’t the dream world, this is reality. I can’t expect him to look at me the same here. Still, he moves closer, looking on the verge of tears.
Instantly, I stop thinking about myself and go into ‘who fucked with Izzy?’ mode.
“What’s wrong?” I ask instead, reaching out for him, stopping myself before I do.
“It’s Ku,” he huffs. “He’s trying to teach me about this dragon transformation stuff and he’s gone book-crazy. I can’t learn like that and he can’t teach any other way, and I think we might be ready to both tear our hair out in frustration,” he says, his voice nearly breaking into a whine.
Without thinking about it, my fingers are threading through the silky hair he says he wants to tear out. His eyes close for a moment, leaning into my hand, and then I pull back, cursing myself for being so weak.
“Iseul! Iseul, if you want to master your dragon powers, you’re going to have to study!” Ku calls, hurrying up the hill waving a book over his head for emphasis.
Is looks up at me, a plea in his amber eyes that I can’t resist.
I step in between him and Ku, and the other dragon stops short, frowning at me.
“What are you—”
“Iseul doesn’t like your teaching method,” I cut him off.
“He’s not tryin—”
“Let’s try something else, hmm?” I say, flipping the script. I don’t care about this blame game, I care about helping Izzy get a handle on his powers.
“What do you propose?” Ku asks, folding his arms over his broad chest.
“He’s a fox. You can’t expect him to sit in a classroom reading a book. He needs to be outside, getting hands-on. Learning practically. I can teach him in ways you might not.” With motivation Ku might never consider, at that.
Ku considers it,
stroking his jaw.
“I suppose you could serve as his practicum instructor, and I could focus on the curriculum.”
“See there? Now we’re finding solutions,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’re gonna make a proper dragon outta Izzy yet,” I add with a grin over my shoulder.
29
Dima
What am I doing here?
I don’t belong here.
I lift the glass to my lips again, ice cold vodka sliding down my throat smooth as water before I set it back down and look to Rue.
She makes a face.
“Still?”
“Da,” I say. I don’t know how long I have been here drinking, or how long I will remain, but I am not ready to leave this spot yet.
I should.
Being here is doing no good.
The night is dark outside, the nearly full moon shrouded in hazy clouds that keep most of the light blocked.
Nights like this I should be out hunting. Running with my pack, enjoying the brisk air and moonlight on our fur.
But I have no pack. I have dragons.
“You seem pretty glum for a guy on vacation,” says the woman at the bar next to me. I don’t recognize her, but she is staying here at the inn. Her hair is a vibrant shade of orange, pulled into a tight ponytail, her eyes deep and blue, freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose. She’s drinking some kind of fruity thing, half a pineapple sticking out of the top of the glass.
“Trust me, I am not on vacation,” I growl, taking another drink.
There are others in the bar — the fae court — gathered together in a round booth at the back, heads close together. It would be suspicious if I cared.
“Me either,” the girl says, drawing her fingertip through the condensation on the glass. “You here for work too, then?”
I shrug.
“Something like that.” I take another drink, and hear more murmuring from the court.
“I’m Callie,” she says, moving down a stool to sit next to me, offering her hand for me to shake.
“Dmitry.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says with a smile. “I might be around a while, so I figured I should get to know the locals, you know?”