Made in Hell Chapter 10

“Mmm…” Ashe moaned. “Now, that’s what I’ve been waiting for. The surface world rarely smells so devious.”

“Incredible,” I laughed quietly. “Whoever it is we’re smelling should’ve ended up in the Hellscape by now.”

“Do you think it’s the human who makes the payments for the elves?” Ashe asked with an eager grin.

“If it’s the one he’s paying, we may be in luck,” I whispered. “Anyone who smells that evil couldn’t give a shit about demons stepping into the business.”

Ashe bit her lip and let her pink eyes roll up into her head at the thought, and I could tell she was beyond excited to get to work on this world. The beautiful fiend’s breaths came quicker while she hunkered down close to me in the alley, and she sent me a greedy smile as the scent of the being in the next alleyway drew closer.

There was a half wall opposite where we hid. A stone building was on the opposite side of the half wall, but there were no windows on this side, which gave us the safety we needed in order to stake out this area. We quickly scaled the wall before the person in the alley could see us, and we peered over it slightly in order to get our first glimpse of whoever was coming

Then a human man emerged and crossed down the alley we’d just climbed out of, and the potency of his stench seemed to contradict his clean appearance.

His clothes betrayed his obvious wealth, with a pair of smart black pants, a crisp black shirt, and a deep green jacket made of a material I’d never even seen before. He wore a large, slim leather satchel across his chest that had intricate gold stitching around the edges, and his hair was short, brown, and neatly combed back without a single strand out of place. His eyes were as brown as the mud in the streets, but while they were completely ordinary at first glance, there was a gleam in his eyes that looked as evil as the scent radiating off of him.

This guy wasn’t just trouble, he had years of scheming experience under his belt, and was completely comfortable in whatever his dealings were. He also walked like a man with no fear of either the Dark King or the Holy King in him.

Then he stopped in front of the entrance of the tavern, and he walked up the walkway that led to the main door. He stood casually, like blending in had never been an issue for him, and then he greeted a second man who arrived like they were good friends meeting for a drink.

The man who had come from the alley was much taller and healthier than the other. The second, shorter man had a round stomach that protruded around him, and while he wore clothes that were somewhat similar to the brown-haired man, his jacket was dark blue and a bit threadbear. His shirt was white instead of black, and his black pants looked like he’d been wearing them for several days now. His hair was gray and curly while it clung to the sweat on his temples, and while he certainly didn’t smell like a saint, he seemed incredibly nervous to be here.

But it was his eyes that really caught my attention. This gray-haired human had irises that were two separate colors, one green and one blue. I wasn’t sure if this was a normal thing for a human to have, but it certainly stuck out as interesting to me.

The two men conversed briefly about the weather at the front of the tavern, and every time the gray-haired man nervously shifted his weight, I heard the jingle of pieces coming from him. Then the brown-haired man opened up the main door, and they walked inside as the noise of glasses clinking and raucous conversation drifted out to us.

“Keep tabs on those two,” I muttered to Ashe before I quickly scaled the half wall again.

“The man with the gray hair has to be making the payment,” the demon woman whispered. “He reeks of subordination, and he looks completely unassuming. The elves were smart to employ him for this.”

“He fears the rich man,” I added. “A lot. To me, the guy with brown hair looks like a regular human, so if he doesn’t have magical powers, he’s got power of another kind in Rengfri. We have to figure out who this guy is if we’re going to be paying him off, too.”

“A noble of the king?” Ashe offered as we hurried along the outer edge of the tavern.

“Possibly,” I muttered. “There’s an open window over there, just at the corner.”

Ashe and I quietly made our way closer toward the mottled, glowing window of the tavern so we could hear better, and through the mix of other sounds coming from inside, I could barely make out the voices of the men who had been discussing the weather.

They were ordering drinks now, and I tried to block out all other distractions while I strained to follow their voices across the tavern. It was easy to discern which one spoke because the brown-haired man oozed confidence with every word, and the shorter man seemed to have trouble keeping his voice steady whenever he replied. Then the men drew closer to the window, and I heard chairs scraping across the floorboards.

“He would like to thank you for your work,” the gray-haired man began shakily. “He appreciates everything you have done for them as of late, sir. The new location is exquisite, and v-very convenient.”

“It is my pleasure to assist,” the other smoothly replied.

“You’ll find it’s all here,” the second responded, and the sound of jingling pieces came again.

“Under the table!” the brown-haired man suddenly hissed. “Don’t be a fool.”

I heard the shorter man fumbling with this payment, and based on the heavy sound, I guessed there were over three hundred pieces changing hands right now, but there was another sound I didn’t recognize. It was like glass rolling around in a sack, and I wished we could have watched the exchange so I could figure out what exactly the price was. I couldn’t risk my glowing violet eyes being seen outside the window, though, especially if this brown-haired man was already wary of being caught during this deal.

But one thing was certain: we had a lot more research to do.

Whoever this brown-haired man was, he smelled like the sort who could either make or break our setup in Rengfri, and if he had something to do with the dark elves relocating in the Grimmway, then he was more involved in this business than I anticipated. If we could stay in his good graces, though, I had a feeling we’d be in the perfect position.

After the exchange, several minutes ticked by while the two men began discussing menial things like the local tax on cotton that was recently increased. I assumed this was to help them conceal what they were really up to, but the short, gray-haired man only offered clipped responses to everything the other said. He sounded eager to get out of there, and after nearly half an hour of uncomfortable discussion, the two finally prepared to leave.

Ashe and I were back on the other side of the half wall by the time they emerged from the tavern, and the brown-haired man still wore his gold-stitched satchel strapped across his chest. The leather bulged heavily now, but the material seemed to hide the sound of jingling pieces pretty well.

The two men shook hands while the taller one sneered down at his shorter counterpart, and I could see the sweat on the gray-haired man’s brow from here. The moment the richer man turned away to casually stroll up the street, the short man let out an almost frantic breath. He looked all around the street as he hurried toward the alleyway near us, and he shoved his hand into the pocket of his blue jacket along the way.

“Get ready to snatch him when he passes this spot,” I ordered Ashe. “I’ve got questions for this guy.”

“Already waiting,” the demon woman replied as her fingertips started to grow silver claws.

“No venom,” I warned. “We have no reason to torture him yet.”

“Fine,” Ashe sighed, but then the gray-haired man stopped just at the corner of the alley.

He held an object in the palm of his shaking hand, and I narrowed my eyes at the sight of it.

It was a small blue stone that glowed and casted a azure light across his sweaty face, and my skin prickled as I stared at it. The stone gave off a strange energy I hadn’t experienced before, but then the gray-haired man closed his fingers around it, sent a fearful glance over his shoulder, and vanished into thin air.

“Shit!” Ashe hissed. “What the hell was that stone?”

“The tabaxi mentioned the dark elves had an illegal mining operation,” I reminded her. “I think they’re mining magical orbs. I heard glass rolling around during that pay off.”

“And there’s no way a human could have vanished like that without some serious magical assistance,” Ashe agreed with a nod of her head.

“This is good news,” I decided, and a devious grin spread across my face while I considered all the possibilities. “If we go after this group of elves, imagine the power we’d gain.”

Ashe’s lips curled into a sinful smile while she admired the look on my face.

“If some of these orbs contain darker magic…” the demon woman purred.

“I know,” I chuckled. “We’d be more than set to take down any demons who come hunting us, and the Blessed wouldn’t even be an issue. With the power of magical orbs at our disposal, we could tear the Blessed limb from limb without needing our hell powers at all.”

“We’d also have a nice, secluded place to stay, a solid income, and cover from the Church,” Ashe added, and her pink eyes glinted at the prospect. “Do you think that manor house has a big bed inside of it?”

“I’ll make sure it does,” I chuckled and stroked her silver cheek. “I’ll need a nice soft place to fuck you, after all.”

“We could have the imps continue to mine the orbs, as well,” Ashe purred as she leaned into my fingers. “Based on the location of the dark elves’ house, they have to be mining them from the forest surrounding Rengfri.”

“They’re getting through that large stone wall somehow,” I agreed.

“And with the imps doing the work,” Ashe continued, “we can avoid endangering ourselves while keeping up the business. It’s perfect for us, Atticus.”

“What we need to do next is find the dark elf who runs it all,” I replied. “And the human who just vanished, but overall, I think we may have our work cut out for us on this one.”

“Oh, how difficult can it be to kill a measly dark elf?” Ashe snorted. “I’m sure you’ve killed a few in your time.”

“I haven’t,” I admitted. “You know how the Dark King is about elves. Their bodies don’t take to the rebirth as well as others, and they cause a fantastic amount of trouble up here on the surface world. They’re more valuable as mortals, but either way, we’re not just talking about any dark elf. This one has magical orbs at his disposal. Then there’s the issue of this man with the brown hair.”

“What issue?” the demon woman whispered. “He smells like the Dark King himself.”

“Not quite,” I snickered, “but if the man with the brown hair helped set the dark elves up in that grove of oaks, keeping him in the dark about a change in power might be more difficult than we expected. I doubt a man of his wealth would ever set foot in the Shadow Quarters, let alone the Grimmway, but we can’t risk word getting back to him about this. Not until we’re sure he’ll support our arrangement.”

“What are you planning, then?” Ashe asked as she narrowed her pink eyes.

“I’m thinking we take out every dark elf in this operation,” I decided, and Ashe actually purred at the idea. “The tabaxi said there was only a group of them involved, and if we can kill off anyone who could get word to this man with the brown hair, that gives us time to get settled and keep up appearances.”

“And we’ll never have to worry about getting sold out,” the demon woman added.

“Exactly,” I agreed.

“I love the sound of killing dark elves with you,” she suddenly moaned with a hungry look in her eyes. “I can already imagine their terror when they see you bearing down on them with me by your side.”

“I’m looking forward to it, as well,” I growled as I pulled her close. “The two of us have made a good team so far.”

“These have been the happiest moments in my existence, Atticus,” Ashe sighed as she stroked my chest. “Every second with you brings me joy.”

“I feel the same,” I said as I kissed the top of her silver hair. “We make quite a pair, eh? Two demons on the run…”

“I will make you very proud and do anything it takes to see you victorious.” She moved her lips up to kiss my neck and then my chin.

“I know you will,” I murmured.

The two of us melted against each other as I bit at the demon’s plump lips, and I could sense her eagerness to please me. Lust, greed, and obedience wafted from the silver-haired woman while she whimpered around my tongue, and it was an intoxicating mixture.

I’d never had anyone so devout to my existence before. I was used to being the one in service to the Dark King and his higher-ranking demons, but the shackle was off now. No one demanded anything of me except for myself, and I had full control over what my next move would be. I also had a gorgeous little fiend clawing at me for my attention, and everything about her moans and kisses proved she was completely dedicated to enacting my will.

And right now, my will was to steal these dark elves’ operation right out from under them, gain the power of their magic orbs for myself, and deceive whoever this brown-haired man was into covering our asses until we escaped Port of Rengfri altogether.

Ashe and I left our spot in the alleyway after I kept her pinned against the wall for a few delicious moments, and then we headed back through the side streets of Rengfri. My eagerness to get to work had started to fester in the pit of my stomach, but there was mortal hunger there too, and I could tell Ashe felt the same way. She kept growling under her breath at the people we passed on our way back to the Shadow Quarters, and I decided I’d better keep the beautiful fiend well-fed, with both food and sex, while we were trying to maintain a low profile.

She was too prone to following her whims already, and on an empty stomach, she seemed twice as murder-minded.

A seller had a cart of food set up on our way to the Shadow Quarters, and he sold the same legs of meat we’d already had, but I also noticed some cuts of bread like I’d had with the stew on my first day here. Thankfully, my pockets were still loaded with stolen pieces, and I could afford to get Ashe anything she wanted.

A human woman stood in front of us by the food stall, and her ginger hair curled down the back of her tunic while a thin piece of material wrapped around her head. She asked the seller for some of the bread, paid him the three pieces he asked for, and then walked away without noticing we were behind her.

“What would you like?” I asked Ashe when it was our turn.

“Some of that delicious meat,” she replied.

“Two legs of meat and some bread,” I told the seller.

The man barely looked up from his stall. “Slices or a loaf?”

I had no idea what either of those options were, and he must have realized this when I didn’t respond.

“Do you want the whole thing, or just some of it?” he asked again and waved his hand over the bread.

“The whole thing,” I responded as my stomach growled

“Four pieces,” the man grunted.

I slapped the coins onto the counter that separated us, and once he checked I had given him the right amount, the man unhooked two legs of glistening meat and then wrapped half of the bread in some thin paper. Ashe and I grabbed the food and walked away without saying another word, and the demon woman was already tearing into her meat before we reached the nearest corner.

We ate as we walked along toward the Shadow Quarters, and the meat was extremely salty and oily, but the bread was so soft and fresh that it paired with the meat perfectly.

“Oh, wow.” Ashe’s eye grew wide as she took her first bite of the bread. “This is sooo soft and moist on the inside.”

“I told you it was good.” I grinned.

We were so absorbed in our meal, we didn’t have the ability to speak much as we devoured the meat and bread, but I thought over my plans as we walked along. I didn’t want to return to the manor house in the grove until we knew what we were walking into, so we needed to find out more about the elves who ran the mining operation. I doubted the tabaxi from yesterday would be able to tell us any more than he already had, since he seemed sincere about knowing very little yesterday. The dwarf woman and the kobold had been generous enough to speak with us, but they seemed out of the loop here as well, and it was clear we’d need a more informed accomplice if we wanted to gain information quickly around here.

The human with the brown hair was a complete mystery to me, and I couldn’t work out who, or what, he was by the clothes we wore. Sometimes it was easy to tell what sort of work a being did on the surface world, but this man had looked a lot like every other rich man we’d seen wandering around the Port of Rengfri. He had a distinct air about him, though, so I hoped it wouldn’t be too difficult to figure out what his deal was.

The vanished subordinate posed a large problem, too. If he was the middleman in all this, it would be crucial that I kept him alive and happily employed under me. Unfortunately, tracking vanishing mortals wasn’t an easy feat.

“What shall we do now?” Ashe asked as we crossed beneath the entryway of the Shadow Quarters, and she tossed her gnawed on bone into the grass.

“What we really need is to hunt down that tinsel fairy again,” I mused. “She gave us good advice about the Grimmway before, and I’d be willing to bet her kind are well-informed on what goes on in this area.”

We continued through the streets that led along the outer edges of the Shadow Quarters, I glanced down every alley we passed while I looked for a pair of white wings. Ashe kept her nose trained on the hunt, and I was about to think we’d have to give up for the day when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“There,” Ashe murmured in a low tone, and she pointed up the road. “There’s a deliriously happy fairy around here…”

We carefully proceeded down the street, and a few seconds later, I heard a familiar giggle echoing from up ahead.

“Yeah, I think that’s who we’re after,” I whispered to Ashe.

“I’ve never been more happy to hear the sound of a damn tinsel fairy,” she chuckled.

Ashe may not have been a fan of the fairy when we first met her, but she definitely wanted to see me succeed now, and the tinsel fairy was our best option moving forward.

The delicate giggle of the fairy led us toward the proper alley, and when we turned into the shadows, we were met with a tiny, brown-haired tinsel fairy. She had blue eyes that were too large for her face, and the intricate white wings that billowed from her back fluttered happily at the sight of us.

“We meet again, demons,” the tinsel fairy said with a coy smile.

“You must have known we were looking for you,” I guessed from her smile.

“I pay attention around here.” She shrugged her tiny shoulders.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Sparkles,” the tinsel fairy replied, and I tried not to cringe at the deliriously bright smile she sent me.

“You can’t be serious,” Ashe snickered. “There’s no way your name is fucking Sparkles.”

The tinsel fairy’s smile hardened, and her blue eyes glinted until she looked a little deranged with her wings buzzing rapidly behind her.

“Are you making fun of my name, bitch?” Sparkles squeaked.

“No,” I quickly answered. “No, it’s just so… unusual. You won’t find any demons named Sparkles, so… I’m Atticus, by the way. This is Ashe.”

“Ooo, what a nice and flaky name,” Sparkles sneered at the demon woman, and Ashe rolled her eyes. “So, what is it you need this time?”

“Some insight,” I answered. “Your word proved helpful to us earlier, and we were hoping you might be willing to teach us a thing or two.”

“I suppose I could,” Sparkles giggled. “Only because I looove your pretty eyes, though… Atticus… and the shape of your arms and chest.”

I raised my eyebrows as she stared straight into my eyes, and I could sense the sheer delight she felt in response to my evil nature. Still, she didn’t smell particularly evil herself, and I smirked at the strange ways of the tinsel fairies.

These girls were maniacs.

“We were recently made aware of a dark elf who is the head of an… independant operation here,” I explained. “He’s based out in the grove beyond the Grimmway. Have you heard of him?”

“Hmm…” Sparkles tapped her tiny chin with a finger. “Does he illegally mine magical orbs?”

“That’s what we think, yes,” I replied.

“And he enslaves innocent imps to help him with the quest?” The tinsel fairy gave me a pointed look.

“Yes…” I nodded slowly. “That sounds familiar.”

“I know of him!” the fairy giggled. “He’s a real piece of shit.”

“We could have guessed as much,” Ashe sighed in frustration. “I don’t suppose you have anything more useful to tell us?”

“Hey, Ashe,” I muttered and glanced over. “Let’s be patient. Sparkles is being helpful.”

“Yes, and you asked if I’d heard of him,” the fairy said with a sarcastic grin. “I answered the fucking question, Flaky.”

“My name is Ashe,” my demon lover growled. “And I’d watch that glittery tongue of yours if you don’t want my claws tearing it--”

I carefully stepped between the demon and the fairy, and I offered Sparkles a charming grin while I blocked Ashe’s path.

“Is there anything you could tell us about this dark elf’s setup?” I asked. “Anything about the group that works for him, for example? We’re interested in learning as much as possible without drawing too much attention to ourselves.”

“Ooo this sounds like all kinds of trouble,” Sparkles giggled with bright eyes.

“Correct,” I snickered back. “I’d wager you like causing trouble.”

“So much!” the fairy squeaked, and the same manic smile sprang to her face.

“Well, just so long as we remain discreet and informed, I think we can deliver on that front,” I assured her. “Do you think you could help us, Sparkles?”

“Oh, yes, I could,” the tinsel fairy giggled. “I can tell you that this dark elf you’re after has a group of eight other dark elves working for him. They’re all pieces of shit, and the leader gets a human man to conduct many of his transactions for him. So, apart from the innocent imps who are forced to mine the orbs, their whole group stays hidden and basking in their wealth as much as they can.”

“Fantastic.” I grinned. “That’s all very helpful.”

“I hope it is!” Sparkles squeaked. “Are you going to slaughter all of them?”

“That’s none of your business,” Ashe growled.

“I was asking your master, not you,” the fairy snapped, and she flushed with anger while Ashe gaped at her.

“How did you know he’s my master?” Ashe demanded.

“Because you look sooo pretty and tamed when he touches you,” Sparkles answered. “It’s sweet. I like it.”

“Oh.” My demon lover smirked a little, and then she shrugged. “Well, I like it, too.”

“I’m sure you do,” the fairy giggled. “I’ve always wondered what demons are like together in bed, but after seeing you two side by side, I’m imagining it’s fucking wild--”

“Is there anything else you can tell us,” I cut in.

“No, I’m bored and want to go start a fire somewhere,” Sparkles sighed. “Oh! That reminds me. I should probably warn you to stay off the streets tomorrow.”

“Why?” I frowned.

“Because the Church banquet is tomorrow,” the tinsel fairy squeaked, and she rolled her eyes. “Those holy fuckers will be everywhere, and even more of them travel into the port from all over this time of year to attend.”

“Gross,” Ashe groaned.

“Mmm… yeah,” Sparkles giggled. “Normally, it’s funny to see everyone around here panic over it all, but last year, things got a little dicey. A lot of raids sprang up around the time of the banquet, so I’d be careful with those pretty eyes of yours.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod. “We’ll keep that in mind, but are you sure you should be starting fires if this banquet is coming up?”

“Of course, I should!” Sparkles grinned like a lunatic. “Have a nice day!”

Before I could ask her any more questions, the tinsel fairy pivoted on her wings, dashed up into the air, and out of the alley.

“Great,” Ashe snorted. “We have a pyromaniac as an informant.”

“I kinda like her,” I chuckled. “She’s crazy.”

“I hate her giggles,” Ashe growled. “Her name makes me want to puke, too, but there is something charming about her energy. Like she’d burn the city down and sing a merry tune while she did it. I like that…”

“I got the same impression,” I snickered. “But I think we can trust her. Tinsel fairies may be mad, but it sounds like she’s got a grudge against the same beings we want to conquer. If she knows we’ll cause the trouble she wants, she’ll help us do it.”

“Well, that’s true,” the demon allowed. “She also loves our eyes… I have a feeling that sparkly bitch is dying to see what kind of havoc we’re capable of up here.”

I grinned at her wicked smile, and then the two of us headed out of the alleyway.

Whether the fairy was planning on burning part of the town down or not, I figured we could take her at her word, and I made a mental note to stay off the outer streets tomorrow on account of this banquet. We’d probably be busy looking into the dark elves in the Grimmway anyways, and with nine of them to murder, we’d have our hands full with planning.

Nine dark elves shouldn’t have been too big of an issue, but it was the magical orbs they possessed that concerned me. Without knowing what powers they had at their disposal, it was difficult to plan accordingly, but the mystery of their powers only made me more eager to slaughter them all.

I wanted those fucking orbs, and the sooner we murdered the dark elves, the sooner I’d possess the power they were capable of. Then Ashe and I would be free to conduct our affairs any way we wanted to around here.

The sun was beginning to set again, and we meandered through the streets of the Shadow Quarters with the plan of heading back to the Grimmway, but something caught my attention before we had managed to reach the grassy bank.

A few streets away from where we were, there were loud shouts and screams rising up, and whoever made those noises was clearly angry.

“Let’s see what’s going on,” I said as I nudged Ashe down a sidestreet.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Ashe smirked. “It sounds like mayhem and turmoil over there.”

We snuck through the alleyways in the direction of the noise, and it wasn’t long before I realized where it was all coming from. The screams were loudest in the poorer part of the quarter, right where we’d collected information yesterday.

The two of us ducked behind a rickety shack as we neared the rundown courtyard, and beyond the well I’d seen the dwarf at, the door to one of the houses had been smashed in. It was the house that sat in between the dwarf and the kobold’s houses, but I couldn’t see who had gone inside of it. Whoever it was smelled vile, and the same shouts and cries were heard coming from inside the house.

Carriages and carts were parked outside the house, and the carriages were decked out in gold like the one I’d watch carry dark elves to the Church.

“This looks like a raid on the Church’s behalf,” I whispered to Ashe. “I’m not sure what the fuck they’re doing in this part of the quarter, though. This is the tamest spot we’ve found yet.”

“Atticus, over there,” Ashe suddenly hissed, and she pointed to our right.

I followed the direction she was pointing and spotted a group of beings scuttling through one of the back alleyways. They were all running in the opposite direction of the smashed-in house, and a few knights in bright armor were searching a nearby alleyway. The armored guards snickered to themselves while they hunted the fleeing group down, and this pissed me off enough, but then I recognized a scaly, red creature among the runners.

“That’s the kobold from yesterday,” I muttered to Ashe. “They’re after him, too.”

“But he’s an innocent,” Ashe growled, and her demon voice grated with smoke.

“We’ll help them.” I assured her. “Go!”

Ashe instantly ducked and sprinted down the street to our right, and the two of us wove between rickety shacks and trees while I kept my ear trained on the rattling of armor a few streets away. I could tell which direction the knights were heading now, but I could also register the familiar scent of the kobold. I redirected my path to bring us closer to the fleeing group, and between a few huts, I spotted the fiery hair of the dwarf woman running not far behind the kobold.

Two other dwarfs stuck close to the woman’s side, and one was male while the other other looked a lot younger and shorter. The dwarf had mentioned she had a family and that they kept to themselves out here, and I assumed this was the family here. They were being hunted by the knights as well, and rage boiled in my veins as I ran onward.

Ashe and I were faster than the group of allies, so it didn’t take much to catch them before they turned another corner. The fear was clear to see in all of their eyes and expressions, and the beings in the group who we hadn’t met before shrieked at the sight of us.

“Quiet, or you’ll give us all away,” I growled, and smoke seeped from my lips. Then I turned to the kobold. “Why are you being targeted?”

“Fuck if I know,” the kobold panted with wild, beady eyes. “Those incubi probably sold us off to keep the Church busy with this damn banquet coming up.”

“They did it to the half-elves up the road last year,” the dwarf woman confirmed. “Fifty half-elves raided in only two days. Haven’t heard from them since.”

“Follow us,” I said at once. “The guards are four streets back, but they’re moving this direction.”

“Okay,” the kobold immediately agreed.

Then I turned away to lead the group through a winding path, and none of them protested to following me. Even the ones who looked terrified of me and Ashe scuttled along as fast as they could to keep up, and while I wasn’t often one for helping others, I couldn’t let the Church snatch this group.

They weren’t even evil, and I knew they lived their lives as quietly as they could out here. They harmed no one and asked for nothing while they slummed it just to get by, but they were all the wrong species with their own unique powers, so their innocence didn’t matter.

Not to the Church, and not to the incubi who wanted to keep their places here.

I ground my jaw as we ran further from the poorer village, and I could smell Ashe’s fury beside me. My demon lover was snarling under her breath, but the farther we got from the raid, the quieter she became.

A few more half-orcs, goblins, and even a couple elves stood in the darkness of the smaller streets as we all sprinted past, and most of them sneered when they saw the group peasants we led behind us. Still, they took one look at Ashe and I before they quickly shuffled out of our way, and I was glad they knew better than to cause shit with the kobold and his group.

Once we made it to the second inn I’d stayed at up here, I finally came to a stop. I had enough pieces in my pocket to get a couple rooms for a few nights from this half-orc, and hopefully, that would be long enough. I knew this guy was greedy, too, so he wouldn’t turn his nose up at some money, even if this group were some of the lowest peasants in the quarter.

“Here,” I said to the kobold as I grabbed the money from my pocket. “If you all go in there, the half-orc can give you a place to stay for a little while.”

The kobold looked stunned, and he stared at my chin as he spoke. “Are you sure you can spare the pieces? You’ve already given me much.”

“So did you,” I chuckled. “I’ve still got those weapons you gave me. Now, get inside the inn and stay there. You’ll be safe here for now.”

“Thank you for your kindness,” the kobold said sincerely, and he offered Ashe a bow of his scaly head before he led the group of runaways into the inn.

The dwarf woman sent me a small smile as she followed her family into the building, and I returned the gesture. Then I turned around to see Ashe studying me with a strange expression, and she stepped closer to hook her fingers in my jacket pockets.

“You did a great thing, Atticus,” Ashe murmured.

“They were innocents.” I shrugged.

“Yes, and the Dark King would have preyed upon them still,” the demon woman said. “So would the Church. They could have died if we hadn’t gotten them away from there, and you didn’t hesitate to help them.”

“Don’t make a big deal of this,” I chuckled. “You wanted to help them, too. They will be useful later, since they have already been useful.”

Ashe smirked as she gazed up, and her pink eyes glowed in the gathering dusk. I could sense the pride building in her the longer she looked at me, and I rolled my eyes to end the subject. Before I could turn away, the demon woman stood on her tip-toes and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek.

Then I sighed and led her back down the road.

“Those incubi are starting to piss me off,” I muttered under my breath.

“Me, too,” Ashe agreed. “Normally, I wouldn’t even want to get their nasty blood on my hands, but it sounds like they’re getting to be an issue around here.”

“The kind of issue we’d usually be sent to deal with,” I pointed out.

The two of us exchanged sidelong glances, but then Ashe cleared her throat.

“We don’t work in that business anymore,” the demon woman reasoned. “Let the Dark King worry about the incubi. We worry about ourselves now.”

“Agreed.” I nodded. “The dark elves will die in our grips, their manor will become our new home, and we’ll gain in power here until we can flee to an even better life.”

“Some other demons will be sent to handle the incubi, eventually,” Ashe agreed and shrugged. “That problem will sort itself out.”

The walk back toward the Grimmway was peaceful, and the streets were practically deserted which made me feel better. If enough beings stayed off the streets, the raids might be easier for them to escape in time, and hopefully after this banquet was finished, things would settle down around here.

We turned toward the glow of the magical lights strung up in the trees, and we were steps away from descending the hillside when a familiar scent suddenly wafted over. Both of us halted on the spot beneath the little orbs of soft yellow light, and we didn’t move another inch.

I already knew what was coming next.

“Fuck,” I growled.

“They’re already here,” Ashe murmured under her breath.

The scent had come first, but a few seconds later, the glowing golden eyes of the Blessed appeared between the trees on either side of us.

They’d been waiting for us.