Demons 3 Draft 1 CH 09 (Patreon)

I lose track of how long I’ve been in the dark by the time light pours in from the opening hatch. I even managed to sleep, lying on the cool ground, once everyone settled. My eyes adjust quickly as two shadows hurry out.

Moores looks in. “It’s safe to come out.”

I look up and consider my situation; and finally admit defeat. “I’m going to need help.” I nod to the three demons draped over my body.

Demons are heavy. It isn’t normally a problem, since I am much stronger than a human. I’ve carried older demons on my shoulders after defeating them, but lying on my back, with my arms also under them, I have no leverage.

Protect steps into the light and smirks at me before jumping out. Moores looks back, and even in the distance, I can see the smile.

“I was expecting things to be more tense,” he says.

“It seems that up close I’m not as scary as the story they heard,” I reply. I pull on an arm and only result in making one of them growl and shift so more of their weight is on it, then they settle again, still sleeping. Moores chuckles. “Can’t you order them off me? You seem able to control demons.”

“Have you ever tried to control teenagers?” he replies

“Why would I… That was a joke, wasn’t it?”

“You’ve clearly not spent a lot of time around teenagers if you think that.”

A roar sounds, speaking of security, of an ending, of returns.

Three heads raise from on top of me, seconds later they are running up the wall and out, leaving me alone and finally able to breathe easily.

“Looks like Protect saved you,” Moores says, “another unexpected thing.”

“I think that letting the older demons try to smother me showed him I’m not a threat.”

“We call them the Teens. They’ll probably take a name in the next year or so, but since we can’t tell them apart by scent, we don’t try.”

I climb the ladder. “They don’t mind?”

“Names are more of our benefit as far as I’ve figured.”

Moores reaches down, and I let him help pull me out. “How heavy are you?” Maliya said your body is denser, but that felt like trying to pull a ton.”

“I don’t know the number, I just know not to jump into lakes or river.” Around us, excited sounds increase. People gather and point up. Protect lands and soon after forms appear from the alleys, speeding into the light and among the people.

I tense at how many there are. Easily twenty demons of varying ages. They can eat everyone here in no time; but even as the thought occurs, the actions contradict them. The demons move among the humans, looking them over, sniffing them. The various rumbles from them carry an undertone of concern for the people.

A young woman shows a demon a scratch with an air of pride, I catch the word sniffer and soldier. The demon ripples in anger and looks around for a target until the woman calms it.

Moores takes my arm. “Come on, how about I feed you while they make sure everyone’s okay? Once they catch your scent, they’re going to have a lot of questions for you.”

I have spent enough time among humans, the kind who are openly dishonest, to sense there’s more to Moores’ offer, but I go with him. Unless he plans to offer me to demons, I can handle whatever he had in mind.

The building he leads me to is larger than the houses around it; inside, a dozen tables are spaced, with the largest occupied by five women and three men, with two unoccupied seats. They are all older, the oldest looking like he might break trying to stand.

They look at me the way Amanda did the last time I saw her; before I rescued her. As if I did something disappointing. As if every attempt to kill me was because of something I’d done, and not her decisions.

I consider leaving, but the large platter of food at one of the free space makes my stomach growl.

“They just look threatening,” Moores says. “You take on demons, I’m sure you aren’t afraid of a few old people.”

I can strike a demon when they threaten me.

My hunger overpowers my concern. If it gets too bad, I can run after I ate. None of them can match my speed. As I sit, servers deliver meals to the others.

“How did you know I’d be hungry?” I ask Moores, looking over what is on the platter. Everything is fresh, the meat raw, arranged in something that has an order to it, hinting at the paintings Jason kept insisting should create an emotional reaction.

“Maliya told me how your metabolism runs much faster than an adult demon. You’re closer to Cub than even the Teens, and since you can’t change your body the way they can, you can’t store as much food.”

Introductions are made as I eat, but my hunger is where my attention is, and don’t recall the names. A quarter of the platter is gone before my hunger is sufficiently sated I can pause. “Is this going to be an interrogation?”

“No, we’re just—”

“Stop cuddling him,” an older woman snaps. “He shows up and a week later the army is at our doorstep. I think we’re entitled to answers.”

“I’ll answer your questions,” I reply before Moores can protest. “Are you willing to answer some of mine in return?”

They look at one another, and the old woman nods. I motion for her to start, which takes her by surprise.

“Are you on the run?”

I have to think back to Robert and discussion of criminals escaping the law, being on the run, to work out what she’s asking. “I haven’t broken any human laws, but as you know, I’m a creation of the military. I escaped them, so yes, I am on the run.”

“I told you they were here for him,” a man says.

“When they arrived, the man who contacted Moores said ‘they are back’ which implies they were here before I was. Why would the army come here without me to draw them?”

“Officially, they’re making sure we’re okay,” Moores says, which causes others to snort.

“They’re want to know why we aren’t dead yet,” the oldest says. “ever since everyone in the district started dropping, they’ve been curious that we aren’t doing the same.”

“The sickness.” I eat while waiting for the next question. It takes them a few bites to understand. I get the sense they aren’t used to someone they question being this cooperative. The town’s inhabitants must not have gone through debriefing on an almost daily basis.

“How badly does the army want you back?” a man asks. Unlike the others, he’s dressed in clothing I associate with the city. A brown suit, a cane hanging off the back of his chair.

“I don’t know,” I answer after going over my last year. “They pursued me hard initially, but I didn’t catch sight or scent of them for months. I did some into the Anounga District hoping they wouldn’t follow me here, because of the sickness.”

“You aren’t afraid of it?” the old woman asks suspiciously.

“My creator ran every test she could think of, many of them tested my resistance to human sickness. As far as they know, I’m immune to anything that affects humans. I counted on that to include the sickness.” I eat a little more. “How many demons are here?”

“It varies,” Moores answers, ignoring the glares. “Protect is the only one who stays. This is his territory, and he considered the town the center of it. He’d leave for a few days when he needs to eat, but he always returns and even if he’s not in the town itself, he’s close by. Mated pairs who are related to him, like Watches and Kills, will come back when they are ready for a child, and they’ll stay at least until they’ve picked a name. After that they’re considered adults, and the bond between them loosens enough they’ll go their separate ways as they want. Right now, including those without names, there’s nineteen.”

“Any not one of them hunts you?”

“There’s the occasional miscalculation when they’re young,” a woman who looks to be the youngest says, “when they’re Cub’s age they hunger can come quickly, but at least one of the parents will be close by. The worst there’s been in all my life was a few scratches. So long as the hunger is kept in check, demons aren’t bad.”

“Why has the army redoubled their effort to find you?” the old woman demands.

“I don’t know. I heard mention of sniffer dogs. I was told that my scent is enough like demons that it remains for a long time. It’s possible one of them caught it. I’ve never seen them use creatures when hunting me, but the last time I encountered a group was more than six months ago, closer to a city than I’d like. It was also before I entered the Anounga District. It’s possible the dogs are something they only use here.”

“No, the sniffers have been bread for centuries,” a plump woman says. “They’re one of the first ways people found to warn of a demon’s approach. I know the military has more high-tech methods now, but even they still have sniffers.”

“Then I don’t know why they would be trying harder now. They have my creator, so she can make more like me for them.”

“The military is pretty possessive,” a man says. “Could be they just can’t stand to have one of their things on the loose.”

I nod. “My belonging to them was a point of contention between me and the leader of the group I worked with last. He had no choice to let me leave, but he made it clear I’d be back in their possession, eventually.”

I eat some more in the stretching silence.

“Derrick,” Moores says, “I know you want to leave, but if the military is after you that badly, I think it’s best if you stay with us a while longer. Terrence confirmed they all left, but if they think you’re around here, they could be back. With the sniffer dogs, they can pick up your trail again.” His offer doesn’t please everyone here.

I nod, but those are not what I think about as I consider his offer. I remember Cub rubbing against my hand. The Teenagers piling on me. The way the humans in the town greeted the demons, how they were concerned for the human’s conditions. The sense of belonging I haven’t felt since Amanda and Jason’s betrayal.

“I’ll stay,” I say, knowing I should leave. That being among people will only bring trouble; to them, to me. But after being locked in a small cave with demons, I realize I am tired of being alone.