by David Aries
“Not that. You toyed with me. Treated me like some fucking weakling.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did! Made me look a fucking fool.” She glared, teeth bared. “Am I too weak to take seriously? Gotta hold back to make it fun?”
“I wasn’t… that wasn’t it. Look.” I pointed at the bruises staining my arms. “Your blows were brutal. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. If I wasn’t a half-breed, I’d be fucked.” Even without tapping into my demon side, its existence strengthened me. I was a lot tougher than the guy who’d been rescued from a fast food joint. The Jake from then couldn’t have coped with Titania’s onslaught.
Titania didn’t look satisfied with my response.
I sighed and rubbed my neck. “I didn’t mean to mess with you. Yes, I held back, but that’s because I’m an idiot. You deserve better.” I offered my hand. “If you want, we can go for another round. Or two. Or three. However many you want. This time, I’ll treat you proper.”
Titania stared at my hand like it was a foul beast trespassing on her land. “Think that makes everything okay?”
“Hate me if you want. I want to help. Simple as that.”
“Why? I don’t want it. Don’t you understand?”
“You asked me to spar,” I reminded her.
“That’s different. I don’t have a choice. It’s… why are you so damn pushy? Why’d you keep trying?”
“Because I know how hard it is to fight alone,” I said.
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“No, but I know what it was like for me.”
“You don’t know shit.”
“For once, I do.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “When I lost my closest loved ones, I ended up in a dark place. I rejected anyone who tried to get close. As far as I was concerned, I didn’t need them. I was better off alone. I turned into a total troublemaker who fought everyone and anyone. In my mind, it made me strong. In reality, I was a weakling running from the truth.
“Eventually, I hit rock bottom. Just a kid and already behind bars.” I shook my head. It wasn’t a pleasant memory. “That’s when I lost the strength to fight. And thank god I did. The next time help came, I was too weak to turn it down. They helped me overcome what I couldn’t alone.” I looked at Titania. “I know you’re not me. Our situations are completely different. But I don’t want history to repeat itself. I don’t want you to push others away only to regret it later.”
I awaited Titania’s typical response. A snappy retort about being able to do it herself; the answer my preaching deserved. I was a bit embarrassed to have said so much. It’d flowed out before I’d noticed.
“When I first left Grabadon, I was all alone,” Titania mumbled, head drooping. “I’d never fought a demon before. I didn’t know they’d be so tough. Even rattledogs were too much. It’s a miracle I survived as long as I did. I ran, hid, and got lucky. None more so than when I met Esther. She appeared outta nowhere and saved my life. Since then, she’s been teaching me to fight demons.”
“Looks like she saved the both of us,” I laughed.
Titania nodded. “Without her help, I wouldn’t be here. I was at rock bottom and she saved me.” She glanced up at me. Her gaze was weaker than ever. “It’s not like I want to push others away. I have my reasons.”
“You were betrayed.”
She nodded, lips pursed. “It’s why I like that house. I used to live there, back when things were different. Before I knew how rotten people were. Things were so simple. I never worried about food or clothes. My days were spent playing hero, protecting Blair from bullies. Each night, I’d run home and tell mom all about it.” Titania growled under her breath, flashing her teeth. “If only I’d known. She fooled me good. I was totally hooked. Once stayed up all night making her a lucky bracelet. It was this dumb red thing that was supposed to keep her safe. Stupid kid crap. I wonder what happened to it?” The childlike glint vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “Oh, yeah. It’s her. Probably burned it. Bitch.”
“What happened to your home?” I asked.
“We moved. She got a promotion and that was the end of that. Took me from my friends and tried to make me a noble.”
“Oh,” I responded. Moments later, the penny dropped. “Wait, noble?”
“Yeah. We moved to the Noble District.”
I gawked at Titania. She, of all people, was a noble?!
“Don’t look at me like that!” Titania growled. “I didn’t ask to go there. I didn’t ask to live in that world. You think those rich snobs wanted anything to do with some poor girl? I was an outcast from the start. They treated me like trash; like I was vermin. And my mom didn’t give a shit. She abandoned me like the rest. Tossed me aside so she could play big shot.
“It took me years to get out of that fucking hellhole. I was so happy to escape those bastards. And then I got home and nothing changed. I was still trash. People I’d grown up with viewed me as backstabbing scum. Everyone called me a traitor, even though I didn’t do a thing.” Titania flashed a wry smile. “Blair, Gall, they’re the only ones who didn’t treat me that way. To everyone else, I was an enemy. Still am. I’m a treacherous bitch who ditched them for the good life.
“How can I trust others after that? They turned on me so easily. It wasn’t even my choice and they threw me aside.”
I squeezed my hands shut to suppress my trembles. “What the hell is that story? You didn’t do anything.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m a noble-loving class traitor. Who cares that nobody hates that goblin bastard more than me?”
Another long preach didn’t materialize. I’d begged for a chance to help but proved worthless when the moment arose. I was an embarrassment.
Titania kicked my ribs.
“You fucker,” I snapped.
“What?” Titania said, hopping on the spot. “You offered.”
“A little warning would be nice.”
“Do demons give warnings?” She swung another kick. “And no holding back. After all that mopey shit, you owe me.”
“Fine. If that’s the way you want it.”
We went for another round. As promised, I gave as good as I got. Guilt struck on the initials blows, but Titania’s gleeful expression dampened any worries. This was what she craved. A sparring partner rather than some weak-willed punching bag.
Time flew by as we exchanged hits. I was dripping with sweat when we finally called it quits. Our private box had turned humid. It was surprisingly pleasant.
“That was my win,” Titania said, slumped with her back against the bed’s rim. Perspiration glistened her green skin.
“In what world?” I scoffed.
“All of them.”
“You should get your head checked out.”
“Fuck you,” she said, flopping her head back. “It’s been ages since I sparred. I forgot how fun it was.”
“I’m up for it anytime,” I said.
“Maybe. Maybe I can trust you after all,” Titania mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” she snapped, sliding into bed. “I’m tired. Gonna rest. Don’t disturb me.”
I collapsed onto the floor with a grin. She’d told me such a sad tale yet I was wearing a smile. Was it because she’d told me, or was it the jubilant expression she wore thereafter? It didn’t matter. Titania was the cause. That much I knew.
Chapter 12
The next three days were devoid of drama. Titania and I were on our best behavior. We did chores during the daytime and returned to our bunker at night, where we trained and slept. There was no sneaking out to speak of. In return, everything went quiet on the pursuers’ front. We received no fresh news about The Oath or the Grabadon guards. It appeared the trail had gone cold. I began getting my hopes up.
How naive I was.
I awoke feeling fresh for the fourth time in a row. A good round of energetic sparring was the perfect remedy for insomnia. The solid ground stifled me no lon
ger. I went from tossing and turning to sleeping like a log. All that remained was for somebody to let us out.
Nobody came.
“Hello?” I said, banging on the door. While I couldn’t be certain of the time, I knew something wasn’t right. They never took that long releasing us.
Still no answer.
“Hey, assholes!” Titania yelled, hammering away. “Let us outta here!”
Another dose of nothing. We didn’t accept that. Titania committed to beating the snot out of the door. I shouted until my voice turned hoarse.
Finally, after all that fuss, an answer. Bunny heaved the barrel open. “Like, hi?”
“What took so long?!” Titania snapped.
“Sorry! Like, it’s been a busy morning. You know, after the attack.”
“Attack?!” I croaked.
Bunny gasped. “Oops! I, like, wasn’t supposed to say nothing about that. Like, forget I said any&emdash;”
We barged past the hopeless scatterbrain and rushed upstairs. Shattered glass intermingled with wooden splinters, matting the room’s red fitted carpet. Dark drapes had been ripped from the walls, bringing the metal fittings along for the ride. Furniture had been cast throughout, half in no condition to be reused.
Some of Gall’s girls milled around, faces drained of color. Cuts and grazes littered their previously unblemished skin. Poor Candy had one nasty shiner. Bunny had gotten lucky.
“What happened here?!” Titania squawked.
Gall and Esther jumped, wide-eyed. Neither looked ecstatic about our sudden arrival.
“Nothing. Little bar fight,” a tired Gall said, sweeping up glass.
“Bullshit,” I said. “This place is wrecked.”
“You know how it is. One pint too many; someone starts mouthing off. Things got a bit out of hand.”
“A bit? This is a damn onslaught. Esther, what really happened?”
“Exactly what Auntie Gall said,” Esther bluntly responded. “We knew you’d overreact. That’s why we tried to hide it.”
“How? It’d take all day to clean this mess.”
“Were you gonna keep us in there?” Titania asked.
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Esther said. “You must be starving. Jake, why don’t you cook up breakfast?”
“Can do. Come on,” I said, guiding Titania into the back. As soon as we got some privacy, I turned to her. “What’d you think?”
“They’re full of shit,” Titania huffed, folding her arms. “That wasn’t some bar fight.”
“Agreed. They’re hiding something.”
“But what? Why won’t they trust us?”
That was the question. I hunted for the answer, but it was hard to come by. Gall and Esther followed the script no matter how often we enquired. The workers weren’t much better. Most hesitated to speak at all, still shaken by the experience. I didn’t have the heart to push them. Those brave enough to respond toed the company line. Our one wildcard was Dessa. She knew and she didn’t hide that fact. However, she refused to play ball. Even when I tried utilizing my masculine charms, Dessa kept the secret to herself. She enjoyed playing with us too much to surrender the goods.
I ended the day as informed as I’d begun it. Everyone took the night off but Titania and I were still coaxed into our hiding spot. Because things weren’t suspicious enough.
Sleep decided it was done handing me easy nights. We’d skipped training and my mind was occupied with the commotion in the bar. What had happened and why would nobody tell us?
A metallic squeal broke me out of thought. The bed was empty.
“I can’t believe it,” I growled, rushing down the hatch. Titania was nearby, rushing off. “Hey!”
She froze and glanced at me. Her eyes darted away. “You…”
“Where are you going?” I quizzed. “You found something, didn’t you?”
Titania bit her lip. “I squoze it outta Bunny. It was the damn Oath. They attacked because of me. Big guy and all. I can’t let that slide.”
“You’re off for revenge?”
“Summat like that.”
“Alone? Unarmed?”
She turned her back to me. “It’s none of your business.”
“Idiot,” I snapped. “What happened to trust? I wanna take them down just as bad as you do. How dare you keep me outta this.”
Titania perked up. “You’re not gonna drag me back?”
“Hell no. They crossed the line. They gotta pay. Let’s take them down.”
Her face lit up. “I know where they are. Come on.”
We stuck to the underground, making full use of Titania’s exceptional navigational abilities. She took us across the city, where we finally ascended. Huge, near-identical warehouses towered over us. We were in the middle of a silent concrete maze.
Titania picked our target from amongst the twins. There were no Oath minions in sight but I trusted her call.
“How we gonna do this?” I asked as we perched outside a rundown metal shutter.
“Let’s bust in and kick some ass,” Titania responded.
“That was your plan? Alone? Unarmed?”
“Well… yeah.”
I sighed. And supposedly I was a knucklehead.
“Shut up,” she snapped. “Not like you can come up with better.”
She had me there. I had nothing. Tactics weren’t my forte. That was Esther’s wheelhouse. If she was with us, she’d have something smart to say.
“What are you doing here?” the woman herself gasped.
I jumped out of my skin. That wasn’t what I had in mind.
Esther had gotten the drop on us yet she looked as confounded as we were. She was dressed in her usual combat garb of black shorts and a matching vest. Her pistols were drawn, prepared to engage.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I responded.
“I’m not an outlaw.”
“But you are planning a solo assault on The Oath.”
Esther hesitated. “Let’s get you back.”
“Don’t change the subject. What are you thinking doing this alone?”
“Yeah! What about us?” Titania added, glossing over how she tried to ditch me.
“I’m doing this to protect you. You need to&emdash;” Esther’s ears twitched. Her head shot around.
It was too late. The Oath had secured our escape routes. Small teams blocked each end of the tight alley. The metal shutter whizzed open, inviting us into the dilapidated warehouse.
We knew it was a trap, but we still moseyed inside.
Oath thugs lined the area, showcasing their love of daggers. There were at least forty, including the bunch blocking our escape.
“You’re finally here,” a deep, gruff voice said. Its owner didn’t hide. He wasn’t a guy built for low profiles. Try the biggest son of a bitch I’d ever seen. He was an easy seven-foot tall with a stature to do it justice. There’s nothing intimidating about some beanstalk. A ripped bodybuilder who stands a few heads above his closest rivals? Now that’s a different story.
No doubt about it, he was the bloke from the rumors. The leader of The Oath.
He stood on a metal balcony, staring down at us with a look that could bring a grown man to his knees. Tattoos coiled around his tanned tree-trunk arms. His blond hair was shaved to within a whisker of vanishing altogether. An undersized tank top made his stellar physique appear even more Herculean; because that was necessary.
“We’ve been waiting. Here to hand yourselves over?” he said. “Or, did you and that beast come for revenge?”
“Like you don’t know, dipshit,” Titania said, showing him the finger.
“Be that way. Dead or alive, it’s all the same to us.” He made a throat-slitting gesture.
His subordinates encroached.
Esther was quick on the trigger, blasting at all comers.
The thugs took evasive maneuvers. Terix guns weren’t as brutal as their Earth counterparts. Didn’t mean anybody fancied getting shot.
Titania and I s
truck at those trapped in mid-escape. We were too seasoned to miss such golden openings.
They had the numbers and the weapons, but we were the superior combatants. Esther cruised around the battlefield like a goddess dancing amongst mortals. The Oath couldn’t touch her or deal with the mayhem she caused.
We were easier targets. A thug saw her chance and burst forward, tossing a throwing knife at Titania’s back.
I stepped in and blocked the blade with my forearm.
“Jake! The fuck?!” Titania snapped.
“Their poison doesn’t work on me,” I said, pulling the knife from my flesh. “For once, let me be the shield. Show these punks who they’re messing with.”
And show she did. Titania didn’t pull her punches. Her strikes were KO quality and delivered as such. Weapons aren’t necessary when your blows hit hard as a hammer.
The battle started advantage Oath. It ended in our one-sided triumph.
“This is the toughest gang in Grabadon?” Titania snorted. “Pathetic.”
“Don’t let your guard down,” Esther warned, reloading. “There’s one left.”
“The worst of the lot,” I said.
He’d finally descended from his position of power to walk amongst us. The giant of a man who seemed to clear half the room with a single stride. His presence was immense. It was no wonder others gangs cowered at his existence.
“Pathetic,” he said. “It took you that long to deal with them?”
“Like you could do any better,” Titania growled.
“I could have squashed those ants in a moment. They can’t compare to me. Neither can you. Give up if you value your lives. If you face me, I’ll kill you.”
I gritted my teeth but didn’t buckle. I’d killed an ogre with my bare hands. An ogre-lite was nothing compared to that.
“We’ll see about that,” I said, charging him down. If I couldn’t beat a human, I’d never be strong enough to end demonkind. It was time to put my practice to the test. I readied my fist and prepared to battle with the strongest human on Terix.
“S-stop!” he squealed, moments before I reached him.
I was so stunned, I did.