They were being followed.
Esau couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but there was a pretty good chance that was the case. That was why he asked Cyarea to stay close. She had, but without explaining to her why, she wasn’t great at obeying that order, and she was drifting away again. He could tell her why, but he didn’t want to scare her if he was wrong.
He didn’t think he was. He knew he was right and that someone was following them, and he kept expecting them to attack. So far, they hadn’t, which made him think they were waiting for him and the others to stop for the night. They would have to soon, and Esau had to find a way to keep Cyarea and Lazarus safe when they did. He wouldn’t tell Cyarea, but he should probably tell Lazarus.
Esau had been surprised when Lazarus had apologized after lunch. He’d been even more surprised when Lazarus had taken those dolls out of his backpack.
He knew Lazarus was usually very different from how he was being with him. When Lazarus was with Sal, he was a nice person. But he and Sal were friends, while he and Esau weren’t. Lazarus was stuck with Esau, willing or not, and he’d made a point of telling Esau he wasn’t willing. Esau wasn’t quite sure what to make of his apology, but he was glad Lazarus was softening. Continuing to walk with him while he was angry and glaring daggers at his back wouldn’t have been comfortable. As it was, now that Lazarus had relaxed, the last few hours they’d been traveling had been much more enjoyable. They hadn’t talked much, but things felt different, and it was good.
Esau wanted to look back, but he knew better. Since he had to talk to Lazarus, he moved closer. He wanted to find a way to be able to talk to Lazarus without the people following them noticing anything strange, so he slung his arm around Lazarus’s shoulders and reached up to kiss his cheek. Lazarus went rigid against him, but Esau didn’t let go, squeezing him closer.
“We’re being followed,” he murmured, kissing Lazarus’s cheek again and trying to shield them from view with his wings.
Lazarus relaxed. “I thought you’d gone nuts for a moment,” he murmured back.
“I just wanted to talk to you without anyone thinking it was strange.”
“And you decided to kiss me?”
“It was just a kiss on the cheek. I’m not offering you my body.” Although he wouldn’t mind doing it, he was pretty sure Lazarus wasn’t interested in him that way, or in any way, really.
Lazarus watched him for a moment. Then he wrapped his arm around Esau’s waist. Esau was stunned, but he told himself it was only because they needed to talk, and it would be easier to do if they looked like they were a couple cuddling.
He kept an eye on Cyarea as he explained, “I’ve had the sensation that someone was following us for the past few hours, and while I might be wrong, I don’t think I am.”
“Is it just a sensation?”
“The few times I’ve managed to look back, I’ve seen people moving. They could be travelers, like us, but I don’t think so.”
“What do you think is happening, then?”
“They’re waiting for us to stop for the night. They’ll attack then, probably take Cyarea and go.”
“Do you think they’re the demons after her and not normal bandits?”
It wouldn’t be unheard of for travelers to be attacked and killed. Bands of demons roamed the roads, taking advantage of the travelers using them. If the travelers had enough money, they usually hired bodyguards. Esau and Lazarus hadn’t, which meant they’d have to fight off these demons on their own. At the same time, they had to keep Cyarea safe, and Esau wasn’t quite sure how to do both those things. One of them had to stay with the child, while the other had to face those demons. The problem was that he had no way to know how many there were.
He twisted, letting go of Lazarus and placing himself in front of him. He walked backward, keeping a smile on his face and behaving as if he and Lazarus were in love and not noticing anything apart from each other. He leaned closer and kissed Lazarus again, closer to the mouth this time.
He allowed his gaze to roam behind Lazarus. He thought he saw something move again, but he couldn’t be a hundred percent sure. Whoever was after them, he didn’t think it was a big group. Maybe two or three demons, hopefully no more.
Lazarus reached for him, pulling him back against him. “Did you see anything?” he asked in a whisper, his mouth so close to Esau’s temple that Esau could feel his lips brush against his skin with every word he said.
He leaned even closer. It made it hard to walk, but they had to have this conversation. “Something moving. I don’t think there are many of them, which means one of us should be able to deal with them on his own.”
Lazarus scowled. “You mean you.”
“I think it would be for the best.”
“I can defend myself.”
“I know you can. I saw you defend yourself and me when you killed that deimur back at the caves. But there are at least two demons, if not more, and I have more experience with fighting.”
Lazarus sighed and let Esau go. Esau stayed close so they could continue talking and tried to understand what was going on in Lazarus’s mind. It was impossible to guess.
“What’s the plan?” Lazarus asked.
At least he wasn’t refusing without hearing what Esau had to say. “We’ll continue walking for a bit as if everything was normal. Then we’ll stop for the night. They won’t attack until it’s dark and we’re sleeping, so we’ll have to act as if we don’t know they’re there. You’ll stay with Cyarea while I’ll sneak away and try to take them from behind.”
“What if they realize that’s happening?”
“It’ll be a problem,” Esau admitted. “But this is the smartest way to do this. They won’t expect me to come from behind. It’ll give us an advantage.” Or at least, he hoped so.
“You could get yourself killed.”
“It’s a possibility.”
“I won’t allow that to happen,” Lazarus said.
He sounded fierce, as if he truly cared, which surprised Esau. Maybe it shouldn’t have. Lazarus had apologized, and while Esau still wasn’t completely sure why Lazarus had been so pissed, things had been better. Besides, it would have been easier for Lazarus to leave Esau and Cyarea on their own, but he hadn’t. It meant he cared, more than he was showing. Esau might not understand why, but he didn’t think it mattered.
“I won’t allow you and Cyarea to be hurt, either,” Esau promised.
“I know. But I want to do more than just playing babysitter. If I see that you’re hurt, I’ll step in.” His gaze moved on Esau’s arms and chest. “You’re still wounded.”
“I can do this.” Esau hesitated. “Trust me.”
“I do.”
Esau blinked. He’d thought he’d have to beg for Lazarus to allow this, and even more, he’d never thought he’d hear those words come from Lazarus’s mouth. “You trust me?”
Lazarus nodded curtly. “I do.”
Esau didn’t know what to say to that.
* * * *
Lazarus didn’t like what Esau was planning, but he didn’t have an alternative to offer. He couldn’t deny Esau was right when he said he was better at fighting than Lazarus had ever been. He’d taken on two demons on his own in his cave, then, the next day, he’d fought off an alu. He was strong and capable, and while Lazarus was more than able to defend himself, he wasn’t alone anymore, and he had to remember that. The most important part of all of this was to keep Cyarea safe through everything, which meant one of them had to stay with her. It would be better if Esau could do it, but he had to fight, which meant Lazarus would be stuck with the child.
It didn’t feel like doom anymore, not the way it had before, but he still wasn’t happy about it.
Lazarus wasn’t as close to Cyarea as Esau was, and he didn’t think he ever could be. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t keep her safe, and even though Esau hadn’t asked him to promise, he did so to himself. He’d stay with Cyarea and make sure nothing happened to her, but he’d also keep an eye on Esau if he could.
He looked at Esau, who had stepped away and was now walking ahead with Cyarea. Watching him, he could see Esau was more tense than he’d been yesterday. He kept peeking back as he walked, trying not to show he was. He was quite good at it, and Lazarus had to resist the urge to turn around, too.
He’d been shocked when Esau had thrown his arm around him and even more so when he’d kissed him. He’d been about to ask what was going on when Esau had explained why he was doing it, and Lazarus had been disappointed when Esau had.
He’d wanted it to be real.
Lazarus shook his head. He had to focus on what was going on, not on Esau. The attraction he felt toward the demon made things awkward, and he’d been doing his best not to show Esau how he felt. He thought he’d succeeded, but he wouldn’t for much longer if he wasn’t careful.
As they continued walking, Esau stayed closer to Cyarea while Lazarus brought up the back. Nothing happened, but the tension was wearing on Lazarus by the time they stopped. It was getting dark, and Esau and Lazarus looked at each other before Esau nodded.
“It’s time to stop,” he announced.
It might only have been for Cyarea’s benefit, but Lazarus wondered.
“You know the drill,” Esau said to Cyarea.
She nodded, and, when Esau pointed at a rock, she ran up to it and sat down. She knew to stay still while Esau and Lazarus took out what they’d need from their bags and set up the area for them to spend the night.
Lazarus moved closer to Esau. “Where?” he asked. There had to be a reason Esau had wanted them to stop here.
Esau tilted his chin toward a cluster of rocks. “There. You see how they’re in a circle?”
They were. Most of the rocks were tall, and Lazarus wondered if someone had made this. He doubted the rocks had sprouted from the earth that way. As it was, they made up a circle with only one entrance. The rocks were tall enough that only a very tall demon or a winged one would be able to attack from the other side, which meant that whoever spent the night in there would only have to keep an eye on the opening. It would also mean they’d be stuck if they were attacked, but that was better than being in the open. There was nowhere to run, and Esau couldn’t carry both Lazarus and Cyarea as he flew, which meant they’d have to stand their ground.
“You think someone made that?” Lazarus asked.
“Probably. A lot of travelers walk these roads, and all of them need a safe space to spend the night. We’re just lucky we happened to pass by this one.”
Lazarus had never noticed it, maybe because he tended to hurry down the road when he was on his own. He never spent the night outside, instead moving from small town to village, taking a room in a tavern every night. They didn’t have the luxury of doing that with Cyarea. They couldn’t carry her all the way, which meant she had to walk. She couldn’t do that for long or very fast, which was why they were stuck in the middle of a road that was empty but for them and a group of demons after them.
Lazarus sighed. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
He and Esau went to work. They took out the blankets they’d bought at the market and set up the beds. Esau and Cyarea always shared, and Lazarus made sure to put their bed as far back from the opening as he could. Esau noticed it and arched a brow, but thankfully, he didn’t ask.
In the middle of the circle, Lazarus built a fire. It wasn’t the first one to burn there, which made things easier. Esau fetched Cyarea and pointed at their bed. She sat, already drooping. She was tired, but she was a trooper, and she rarely complained about it.
Esau took out food and offered it to her. Lazarus wasn’t surprised when Esau came to sit next to him rather than Cyarea. He leaned against Lazarus’s shoulder, and Lazarus found himself wrapping his arm around him. It was because they needed to talk, and it would be better if the demons hunting them thought they were a couple.
That was what Lazarus was trying to convince himself of anyway.
“The plan is still the same?” he asked.
Esau nodded. “Stay with her.”
“How will you sneak out? There’s only one opening, and the demons watching us will notice if you fly out.”
“I’ll climb the other way.”
Lazarus looked at the rocks. “There’s no way you can do that.”
Esau looked amused. “Doubting me already?”
“I said I trusted you, and I do.” Whatever Esau had decided, he wouldn’t do it if he wasn’t convinced he could.
They stayed pressed together until Cyarea was done eating and had fallen asleep. Lazarus tried to listen, but the only sounds he could hear came from their little home away from home. Cyarea’s breathing was smooth and easy, and hopefully, she’d sleep through whatever was about to happen.
Esau stepped away to check in on her, and Lazarus wanted him back pressed against him. He didn’t say it and looked away. By the time he looked back a few seconds later, Esau was gone.
Lazarus gaped. He hadn’t heard or noticed Esau sneaking out, and he had no idea how Esau had done it. It didn’t matter, but Lazarus was angry at himself. He’d promised he’d keep an eye on Esau, just in case he needed help, but now there was no way for him to know where Esau had gone.
Lazarus moved, placing himself closer to the opening and keeping a hand on his sword. He peeked into the night, but he couldn’t see or hear anything, and as he waited, he realized he was terrified.
He didn’t want anything to happen to Esau. It wasn’t just because he had no idea what he’d do if he had to take care of Cyarea on her own. It was because he cared about Esau more than he thought he could, and while he didn’t know how to deal with those feelings or what to do with them, he couldn’t deny them.
He wanted Esau to come back in one piece and for the three of them to continue traveling together. He wanted them to be friends, or whatever they were, even after they went back to the caves, once Cyarea was back with her parents. None of that would happen if Esau was killed in the darkness while Lazarus couldn’t help him because he didn’t know where he was or what was happening.
Lazarus wanted to go after Esau, but he’d promised he’d stay with Cyarea, and he would keep that promise. It was the least he could do since Esau had thrown himself into danger without a second thought.
So Lazarus waited, staring at the darkness and hoping Esau would be back soon.
* * * *
Esau had snuck away while Lazarus wasn’t looking for a reason. Lazarus was nervous about what Esau was about to do. And to be honest, he was, too. There was no way for him to know how many demons he was about to face, and that was never a good thing. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be more than two or three. He didn’t think there were, because having more people following Cyarea would be too obvious. Still, he couldn’t be sure, and he hoped he’d be back with Lazarus and Cyarea soon.
He crept away from the rocks behind which Cyarea and Lazarus were safe and looked around. So far he couldn’t see anything, but he knew the demons had to be here. Since they’d have to attack from the front, Esau slowly walked around the rocks.
That was when he noticed something in the distance. It couldn’t be the fire Lazarus had built earlier, which meant someone else was there. It could be other travelers who had nothing to do with what was going on, but Esau hadn’t seen anyone today.
Would the demons after Cyarea be so stupid as to light a fire? They didn’t know Esau had noticed them, but still. They weren’t good at what they did, and that included keeping a kidnapped child who was only five or getting their hands on her after she’d managed to escape.
Esau made his way toward the fire. He wasn’t surprised to see three demons sitting around it, talking quietly. They were no doubt waiting for him and Lazarus to be asleep, and just like Esau had thought, they hadn’t realized he knew they were here. They were eating, seemingly without one care in the world.
That was going to change, and it would change soon.
He took his time. One of the demons was some kind of dijn, one was a mix of oni and agramon from the look of it, while the last looked human. He couldn’t be, since humans couldn’t survive in Hell except through spells, and Esau doubted that was the case here.
The agramon would be the worst. Thankfully, it wasn’t a full-blooded one, which meant Esau would have more of a chance to get rid of him.
With a sigh, Esau realized he’d have to use his powers. Thankfully, he’d come prepared and had a few potions in his pockets. Lazarus had bought several of them when they’d been at the markets, and he’d been right to do so.
Esau took out an explosive potion. He uncorked the bottle, took a deep breath, and threw it at the fire the demons were gathered around. Just before it hit, he muttered a spell.
It wasn’t the first time he used the spell. It made the explosion more potent, especially with the added bonus of the fire. Since he’d made sure to throw it on the side of the fire where the agramon and the dijn were sitting, they took the brunt of the explosion. The half agramon never even tried to get up from where he was sprawled on the ground. Esau was pretty sure the demon was missing both hands, but he didn’t stop to check. Instead, he focused on the demon who looked human, since he was the only one standing.
The demon had burns and cuts on his face and arms, and he was looking around, frantically trying to find Esau. When his gaze focused on Esau, he roared and ran at him, a third eye opening on his forehead. That was when Esau realize what kind of demon he was.
He looked human until he opened his mouth. When he did, Esau saw three rows of teeth—two at the bottom, one at the top—and two wicked fangs right in the middle of the top row. Pincers unfolded, and while Esau had never been bitten by this kind of demon, he could imagine how much damage the demon could do if he managed to get his teeth on him.
Esau wouldn’t allow that to happen.
After one last glance at the other two demons, Esau was satisfied they wouldn’t get up. The risenon reached him just then, and Esau dropped into a defensive position. The easy way out of this would be to kill the demon, but Esau wanted answers, which meant that if he could, he had to keep him alive.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
Since the mouth was the only offensive weapon this kind of demon had, he threw himself at Esau’s face, trying to bite him. Esau ducked to the side and punched the demon in the stomach. The demon folded, and Esau took advantage of it, grabbing his face with both hands and raising his knee at the same time. He heard the crunch of the demon’s nose breaking, and the demon howled.
Esau let go. The risenon stumbled back, his third eye blinking. Esau was already reaching for him again, still avoiding the mouth. He punched the demon in the throat. The demon made a strangled sound and reached for it. The pincers at his mouth curled onto themselves. The mouth was still dangerous, but Esau took a chance and punched it.
One of the fangs dropped onto the ground. The risenon stared at it as if he couldn’t quite believe it. Esau supposed he couldn’t. He punched him again, and the demon dropped to the ground. Esau was pretty sure the demon wasn’t dead, but he didn’t think he was a danger anymore. He looked around, relieved to see the other two were still sprawled on the ground. The dijn was waking up, so Esau went over to him. He grabbed the dijn’s knife from his belt and buried it into his chest.
Esau didn’t like to kill, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ready to do it if he had to.
He checked on the half agramon, but considering his wounds, if he wasn’t dead already, he would be soon. Satisfied, Esau moved back to the risenon. He grabbed the demon’s shirt and started dragging him toward the rocks behind which Lazarus and Cyarea were still safe. Lazarus was peeking out when he got there, and as soon as he saw him, he rushed out.
“What happened? There was an explosion,” he said. His focus dropped to the demon Esau was dragging, and his eyes widened.
Esau dropped the demon. “There were three of them. I used one of the potions you bought.”
Lazarus blinked. “None of the potions would have exploded the way this one did.”
Esau shrugged. “I used my powers.”
“And you decided to bring one of the demons here?”
Esau prodded at the demon with his foot. The demon’s nose was definitely broken, and with one of the fangs gone from his mouth, his face looked unbalanced. At least the pincers had disappeared from view. The demon was alive, so Esau leaned down and pulled him into a sitting position. He leaned the demon against the rocks, then turned to Lazarus.
“Cyarea?”
Lazarus huffed. “She didn’t even wake up at the explosion.”
Esau was relieved. He didn’t want her to hear anything. She already knew demons were hunting her. She didn’t need to know they’d come so close to getting her back.
Esau crouched in front of the demon and slapped him in the face. The demon jolted, and his eyes shot open. When he saw Esau, he tried to scramble away, but Lazarus was there. He’d taken out his sword, and he aimed it at the demon’s throat.
“I won’t hesitate to kill you,” he said with a growl.
That sound made weird things happen in Esau’s stomach and groin, and his cock stiffened, but now wasn’t the moment to think about that.
“Who sent you?” he asked.
The risenon hesitated, and Lazarus poked him with the sword. A bead of blood rolled down the demon’s throat.
The demon swallowed heavily. “My leader.”
“And who is that?” Esau asked, even though he suspected he wouldn’t recognize the name.
“He leads us.”
Esau had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. “And who is us?”
“We don’t have a name. We kidnap people and hold them for ransom. I don’t make the decisions. I just obey orders.”
Esau didn’t have trouble believing that. This demon didn’t seem to be the smartest one in the bunch. “And why did you kidnap the girl?”
“Because my leader told me to.”
“I’m sure you know something more.”
Esau looked at Lazarus, who nodded and poked at the demon again. The demon squeaked and said in a rush, “I just know that her father is both rich and powerful.”
Esau frowned. He’d already suspected Cyarea’s father was rich, but he still had doubts about the powerful part. Would a powerful demon have allowed their child to be taken? He needed more to find Cyarea’s parents, and so far, the only one who could help was the demon bleeding on the ground.
* * * *
Lazarus didn’t think he’d ever been more relieved than when he’d seen Esau come back on his own two feet. As far as Lazarus could see, he didn’t even have a scratch on him, which was a surprise—and a good one. Esau had said there were three demons, and he’d obviously killed two of them with that explosion.
“How did you take her?” Esau asked.
The risenon Lazarus had been poking at shook his head. “I wasn’t the one who took her. I was just sent here to get her back.”
Lazarus didn’t think he was lying. He also believed what the demon had said about Cyarea’s parents. Money would be enough for a group of criminals to kidnap her. The fact that her father was apparently powerful didn’t have much to do with it, except that he might pay more and be quicker to get his child back. It wasn’t just because he loved Cyarea, either. If anyone found out he’d been weak enough to have his child kidnapped, other demons might attack him, and no powerful demon wanted that.
Esau got to his feet and looked at Lazarus. “What do you think?”
“That he won’t give us anything else. I doubt he knows anything.”
Esau nodded as if he’d expected that answer. “I was hoping he knew more about her parents.”
“So was I, but it’s a start.”
Lazarus wasn’t sure what Esau would do with this demon, but he wasn’t surprised when Esau leaned down and grabbed him again. The risenon tried to scramble away, no doubt already knowing what was about to happen. Esau didn’t let go, punching the demon on the mouth again. The risenon was already missing a fang, and now the second one fell on the ground.
Lazarus grimaced. He watched as Esau dragged the demon away, relieved that Esau wouldn’t kill the demon in front of him. It was necessary, but Lazarus had never enjoyed watching that kind of thing. He understood it was either kill or be killed, and the demon would eventually come back for them if Esau didn’t take care of him. If the risenon found his way back to his people, he’d have too much information to give them about Esau, Lazarus, and Cyarea. He’d be one more weapon to be used against them, and Esau couldn’t allow that to happen.
Lazarus went back into the circle of rocks to check on Cyarea. She was still sleeping, her hand curled under her cheek, the other one clutching one of the dolls to her chest. Lazarus was pretty sure it was one of the male dolls, and he suspected it was the one she called Esau.
He sat on the other side of the fire, close to the opening, and waited. It didn’t take long for Esau to come back. There wasn’t a drop of blood on him when he did, and while Lazarus was tempted to ask him if he was okay, he didn’t. Still, he was relieved not to be alone anymore.
Esau sat next to Cyarea and took a good look at her. He nodded as if satisfied she was okay, then turned his attention to Lazarus.
“What do you think of what just happened?”
“There’s not much to think. The demon didn’t know anything, so nothing has changed. But I’m worried about how they found us.”
“Maybe they’ve been following us since we left the caves.”
“Maybe.” But then, why hadn’t they attacked sooner? Lazarus, Esau, and Cyarea had been on the road for days. They’d spent the night in the tavern the first night, but since then, they’d slept under the sky more than once. It would have been easy enough for someone to attack them, yet no one had.
“They’ve probably been asking around. It would have been easy enough for one of the travelers we crossed paths with to mention something about us. Unfortunately, we’re kind of obvious.”
Because it wasn’t common for demons to travel in families. It wasn’t common for demons to have a family. Usually, the ones who did moved to the human realm. Life there wasn’t easy, but it was easier than the life they could have in Hell.
“What now?” Lazarus asked.
“We continue. The sooner we get out of Hell, the better it’ll be.”
“I know you hope Sal will help, but he doesn’t have his powers anymore.”
Esau looked away. “Let me worry about that. I know he’ll be able to help, and even if he can’t, Cyarea will be safer there.”
“Does that mean you’ll move to the human realm if you can’t find her parents?”
Esau hesitated. Lazarus expected him to say he wouldn’t, but instead, he nodded curtly. “If I have to. I’m not abandoning her.”
“I never said you were. But if someone is after her, it means they know who her parents are. Maybe next time, we’ll find out more.”
“Maybe,” Esau agreed.
But they both knew it was a stretch. No demon in charge of a band of criminals would come themselves to get a child back. They’d continue sending lesser demons, and while Esau had killed these three easily enough, he might not be so lucky next time.
It was something they’d have to deal with when it happened. Worrying about it was no use, and when Esau lay down to get some sleep, Lazarus let him. After killing three demons, Esau needed his rest. Lazarus would keep guard for the first half of the night. Once he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore, he’d wake up Esau, and they’d switch. They couldn’t afford for both of them to be asleep at the same time anymore, not while they were outside. Hopefully, they’d soon reach the next town, because Lazarus yearned for a comfortable bed, and possibly a bath. For now, this was all they could have, and Lazarus settled in for long hours without sleep.