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Chapter Eighteen
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PRIDE HAD ZARI MAINTAINING a stony silence as trappers treated Alexandru, now safely behind the spell-fortified bars of a dungeon, like he was no different from a circus animal to be stared at and made fun of. To their credit, they didn't actually went as far as booing or throwing rotten eggs at him. But then when one looked into their eyes and saw the vile pleasure they derived from seeing a renowned hunter as her Master, now confined in an ancient solitary cell that had him sitting on the ground—-
She dug her nails hard into her palms. Part of the plan, Zari reminded herself. It was all part of the plan, and that included how Alexandru's imprisonment had the other trappers, young and old alike, were smirking and strutting out of the cave like they were the ones personally responsible for his detainment.
In the corner of her eye, she saw one of the trappers bragging to his friends that he was going to spit on Alexandru, but then the younger man met the hunter's gaze...
"Never mind," she heard the trapper mutter. "Even my saliva's wasted on it."
Zari saw red. It? That idiot dared call her Master...it? Oh, what she would do—-
Tick tock, pet.
Alexandru's mocking murmur in her mind hauled Zari back to her senses.
I would also rather spend my time elsewhere, but that won't happen anytime soon if you simply waste your time standing there.
She couldn't help grimacing even as she had to force herself to swing her back on her Master.
Sorry.
She followed the others out.
I'm going now.
This time, Alexandru didn't even answer, and in her mind she could easily picture him looking at her with a bored expression on his broodingly gorgeous face.
Fine, fine, lesson learned, Zari thought gloomily. Whenever he had his taskmaster mode switched on, Alexandru would instantly turn into a tough SOB that wouldn't even blink if his teaching methods had her crying in exhaustion and pain. He would still ask her to do it again and again, relentlessly using his knowledge as her Master and lover to push all the right buttons...just like what he was doing now.
No wasting time, she told herself. Gotta get her ass moving, that's what's being strong is all about.
Micah saw Zari the moment she was out of the cave and motioned for her to join him. Sundown Wild Forest was usually without crowds once the sun started to set, but with the Board scheduled to convene in midnight, the half angel had the entire workforce putting up a virtual miracle: a fully-functional camp right in the middle of the woods, and one that even came with luxury yurts, fancy shower stalls, and self-incinerating toilets.
There was even what she heard a trapper describe as the "feast tent", which had everything from caviar and lamb chops to cakes and champagne.
"I was thinking you'd go more for a Fort Knox theme," Zari remarked as she reached her boss, "but this looks more like a party setup for Fourth of July."
"The Board believes having Alexandru in custody distinguishes AGNEX from all the other trapping agencies."
"So we are celebrating then?"
Micah wisely ignored this, saying gruffly instead, "You've done a great job."
"I still love him, Micah," Zara said tightly. "But I would never let my feelings get in the way of work." She lifted her chin. "Hopefully, this is enough proof that no one will ever question my loyalty to AGNEX again."
The half angel inclined his head. "Touché, trapper."
"I need to head back to write a follow-up progress report," she said shortly. "Do you mind if I leave now or you still need me to hold your hand or something?"
Blue eyes glinted at her. "Don't push it."
"Then try catching your next target without my help." She turned away right after and, conscious of how everyone in the vicinity was gaping at them, worked hard to keep her militant expression intact. Although both of them had simply been putting on a show, it still hadn't felt right to cross words with her boss in full view of other trappers. Sure, they argued all the time, but—-
If you are deliberately making me jealous, mooning over your poor Legolas-wannabe boss, then you best be aware such an attempt will not be without consequences.
Hearing Alexandru's rather caustic voice suddenly pop up in her mind almost had her tripping. Shit. But at the same time, she couldn't help thinking how it was really like the good old days now—-
Good being a relative word, considering their "old" days had also mostly revolved around demon hunts, just with a different backdrop.
Fun times, indeed.
Alexandru's deadpanned tone had Zari quickly lowering her head to keep any prying eyes around her from seeing her smile. She could still sense a few trappers in the area, and while they didn't seem to be stalking her, it never hurt to play things safe.
Even so, she couldn't help reaching out to her Master through their blood bond. Don't you think it's funny, Master? Well, funny and weird, that is. When you were gone, there wasn't a second I didn't think about the fact that I could reach out to you, that you could hear me. So I never stopped trying. I talked to you all the time, begged, cajoled. I'm sure you remember how desperate I was. But now that you're back...and you've just been back for days...
It's called resilience, pet. Unlike her, Alexandru's bland tone told Zari that he found nothing out of the ordinary with how quickly both of them had slipped back to their old routine. It's what separates survivors from those who don't.
I really thought, once I had you back, I'd be clinging to you for days—-
As much as I wish that could be true, and I would have greatly enjoyed having you cling to me and begging to worship my cock-—
Overkill, she growled in her mind.
But even I knew, in my most hopeless days, that such a thing would not be possible. You must understand, pet: all those nights you kept crying for me to come back, that was you subsconsciously fighting for me and urging me to keep fighting for us. But now that I AM back...your mind knows the fight is over, and so it automatically switches to the next most imminent threat.
Zari didn't answer for a while. The more she mulled his words over, the more she realized...
You suck at being romantic, Master.
A sexy laugh drifted down their blood bond and all the way through until it had her shuddering as the sound skittered down her spine like a teasing caress.
Romantic is overrated.
Of course you'd say that.
Then are you saying you could do without me fucking my love into your pussy?
Zari's mouth opened and closed.
Thought so, Alexandru purred. Now go do your work, soul seer.
You sound so much like your older brother with that line.
But Alexandru, who she knew privately disliked being compared to his more "responsible" brother Mihail, simply ignored this. Tick tock, pet. Tick tock.
And then he was gone, her Master even making a point of slamming an invisible door shut on their blood bond. The sound reverberated all the way down, like someone pounding a hammer right next to her ears.
Stupid, evil Master.
But since he also did happen to be right, and the clock was ticking, Zari picked up her pace and was out of the woods (literally, not figuratively) in no time.
Her first stop: her apartment, where she had secretly stashed a sample of the devil's apples retrieved from the grave site at the park.
Her second stop: Station 4, and because it was now a crime scene that she technically didn't have any legal right to access, she decided to sit this one back. There was a cafe right across the pawn shop, and after ordering herself an Americano, she took one of the smaller tables next to the windows and asked Martin for a little favor.
The boy came back to her side fifteen minutes later, and Zari automatically closed her fingers over the piece of mandrake root he had dropped on her palm.
Devil's apples produce traceable magic that linger for a period of seven days to a fortnight, depending on the magnitude of the ritual or spell performed.
When she had first read those lines and expressed confusion over it, her Master had likened mandrake magic to 'holding a lively ball of fur in your arms'.
No matter how much care you exercise, you cannot keep your pet from shedding off animal hair, and that will of course get to your skin, your clothes, your possessions. Consequently, wherever you go, you will be shedding it as well.
AKA traceable magic, Zari thought. Alexandru had also told her that mandrake magic wasn't something a demon - or any living being for that matter - could simply rinse off. It would go away on its own sweet time, and since the Devil's Door had only been opened a few days ago...
"Did I do good, Zari?"
Martin's hopeful voice pulled Zari out of her thoughts, and since they weren't alone in the coffee shop, she could only praise him with a whisper under her breath. "You didn't do just good. You did great!"
The little boy beamed up at her, and just as she had become used to Elsa's uncommon facial features, Zari was privately happy to realize she was now also used to the sight of Martin's empty eye sockets. Since there wasn't any book on Social Etiquette with Ghosts, she had to play it by ear all these years, and one thing she had actively avoided was keeping her fears to herself. Silly or not, she didn't want to accidentally make the ghosts feel hurt or offended.
After gulping the last of her Americano, Zari took the train back to Alexandru's apartment. She was likely to be safer here while...
Zari glanced down at the two tiny slices of roots she had in her hand.
Two devil's apples from two different crime scenes.
Surely, that was enough to summon a vision...right?
It has to be, Zari told herself. This was the only way for her to find the traitor, clear Alexandru's name and...and have her Master fuck his love into her. So get yourself motivated with that, Zari Baltimore!
Elsa materialized into view just as she was about to lie back in Alexandru's couch, and Zari barely managed to keep herself from yelping.
"Alexandru told me I must watch over you," Elsa answered in her usual singsong voice, "when you dream."