Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
We return to Anthropa the following day, though the entire time we spent walking to the portal, I worried the army would come after me. A general murdered in his own military base is not a small thing, and soon the news will break all over Aperion. I just hope I’ll be able to destroy the greed demon before someone catches up to me to interrogate me.
Though we’ve only been in Aperion a couple days, the different time flow means it’s been weeks already in Anthropa, far more than I’d expected.
Back at the military base, Mine leaves me at our quarters so he can go speak with his supervisors and explain the reason for his absence so they don’t take it as desertion. It’s when he comes back that he has bad news for me.
Although his CO had seen his new scars and had understood it had been a health issue, he’d called over the doctor to give him a checkup.
He was deemed healthy.
“I have to fly out tomorrow,” he states. “Will you be fine by yourself?”
“Of course,” I answer immediately, almost annoyed he’d imply otherwise.
“Try not to get yourself in trouble, all right? Don’t go too close to the demon until I come back.”
“I’ll study that book more,” I tell him with a smile, although I also plan to put into action what I’m studying. “You should take care of yourself. Those missions are dangerous.”
He shrugs. “I’ll be fine. I told you, it’s not yet my time to die.”
As if he can know when his time to die will be. But I refrain from adding that. He brought me some donuts, including a chocolate-covered one, and I aim to enjoy them in peace.
As we get back to our routine, it makes me better appreciate this type of life, away from the prying eyes of the Aperite aristocracy and its burning rules. Perhaps it’s not such a bad idea to leave it all behind. I’ll at least have Mine and…
I sneak a look at him as he buttons up his nightshirt. Freshly showered, his wet locks hung over his forehead and a few drops of moisture drip from his lashes and onto his cheeks.
I lick my lips instinctively.
“You promise me you won’t try anything while I’m away?” he asks again.
“Uhm, I told you I would.”
He tilts his head to the side and stares at me.
“Is that so…” he trails off.
“You should sleep. You need to be rested for tomorrow so you can kill as many of those horrible Nazis as possible,” I suddenly say, getting up from my bed and going to his side. I tuck him in and lay a kiss on his forehead. “And remember. You come back to me.”
“Yes, yes, Minnie.” He chuckles.
As I head to my own bed, I continue to steal glances at his form even as he goes to sleep. I’m worried about his missions. No matter how skilled he is, the danger is always there. For a moment, while we’d embarked on our adventure, I let myself forget this aspect of his life—of our lives, since mine isn’t any less dangerous.
The next day, the anxiety doesn’t dwindle. If anything, as I wave him off on the runway, my heart aches in my chest when he becomes a smaller and smaller dot on the horizon.
He said he loves me.
“Don’t you dare leave me until I can tell you I love you, too,” I whisper to the wind.
Since my primary patient is gone, the other nurses ask me to help them with some chores around the base. I happily agree as it gives me more freedom of movement to observe how the greed demon has evolved in the time we’ve been away.
The first thing I notice when I head to the infirmary is that all the beds are full.
“There you are, Miss An’yan,” the doctor greets me when he sees me. “Thank you for joining us. We’re completely in over our heads. We have no more beds and the staff cannot cope with it anymore.” He takes a deep breath. “Any extra help is appreciated.”
“What happened? All these men have been injured in battle?”
He shakes his head bitterly. “If only. More than half the injuries have been sustained on the base.”
“What happened?” I ask as I follow him inside the full infirmary. All the other nurses are inside, rushing from one bed to another to take care of the patients.
“Beats me,” the doctor replies with a weary sigh. “It started shortly after Major Vitry went on his medical leave. Soldiers would fight over the smallest thing like food or drink. At first it wasn’t very alarming, but then they started targeting the women on the base.”
“What?”
He nods grimly. “Most of the soldiers currently in the infirmary got their injuries by fighting over the women and who would claim them. It got so bad, the women barricaded themselves in the cantina and stayed there for days until the fighting died down.”
I glance at the injured soldiers and note most of them are sporting bruises on their faces from punches. The worst of the injuries are gunshot and stab wounds.
“By that point, most of the men had been too injured to fight over them. By God, I barely convinced them to treat them. They were terrified, and with good reason.”
“Any casualties?”
He grimaces and nods. “Five men. The higher-ups have been notified and we’re expecting an investigative crew to come here any moment.”
“And what’s going to happen to the men who survived?”
“They will be tried in the military tribunal. Those who survive, that is. We have nine who are in critical condition, and the smallest infection might kill them. It’s why I need all the help I can get.”
He looks gaunt and haggard, his eyes bloodshot and tired.
“Of course I’ll help,” I add. “May I also inquire about Holloway? He’s a good friend of Major Vitry and he’s been asking about him.”
He purses his lips.
“He is…perhaps one of the worst cases. He’s been placed in isolation and I fear something might have broken in his mind. He’s not himself anymore.”
“Isolation? When was that?”
“A short while after the altercation. He was uttering some insane things and telling people they should fight to the death.”
“And that altercation was…?”
“Five days ago,” he answers.
“And has anything more happened after?”
“More?” He raises a brow.
“Any other acts of violence or unusual behaviors.”
“Not that I know of,” he answers, scratching the back of his head.
If Holloway was put in isolation, perhaps that explains the overall air of normalcy around the base—sans the injured men. That also means the greed demon has not devoured enough sinful energy to become corporeal or jump hosts.
A smile pulls at my lips.
This could prove easier than I thought.
“Who has been in charge of Holloway, Doctor?”
“We have nurses on rotation going to him. No one wants to, though, as they all complain about his language and behavior.”
“I can do it.”
“I was thinking you’d help in the infirmary…”
“I can take care of Holloway so other nurses won’t have to. That way they can focus on the infirmary.”
“I suppose that helps as well. But are you sure? He is not a pleasant fellow.”
“Of course. Leave it up to me.”
“All right. Let me give you a short summary of the medicines he’s supposed to take and I’ll show you to his cabin. He’s tied to the bed, so he cannot hurt you. A soldier will be outside should he need to relieve himself, so you will not have to deal with him without his constraints.”
The doctor gives me the list of medicines and tells me they should be administered three times a day, after which he leads me to where Holloway—and his demon—have been sequestered.
“Shout if you need anything, miss,” the soldier on guard tells me.
I nod.
He opens the door for me and I step inside with my tray of medicine.
The entire cabin has been emptied of any belongings. There is only a small lamp close to the door that barely illuminates the room.
The bed is in the middle, and Holloway is strapped to the metal hinges by his hands, feed and midriff.
His eyes are blank, almost as if there is a white film covering them.
I step closer, but he doesn’t seem to take notice of my presence.
The demon, however, now almost as tall as the ceiling, stands next to him, fuming in anger. A part of him is still attached to Holloway, so he cannot move unless his host does.
The moment the demon detects me, he forces Holloway to spout obscenities at me. When that doesn’t scare me or make me react, the demon gets increasingly mad.
“Hello, Mr. demon,” I say as I address him directly.
His eyes widen in shock. “You!” He points his finger at me—the previous mass of mangled energy has now become more anthropomorphic. I doubt he has much longer before he can become corporeal and separate himself from Holloway. And that truly makes me question what I’m about to do next. Alas, trial and error, no?
“You ugly wench.” He throws the insult at me, but I just shrug, keeping the smile on my face.
He’s almost normal-looking, if not for that scowl dripping with malice as he realizes who I am.
“And you’re so very handsome. You’ve been eating well, haven’t you?” I ask as I pat his semi-translucent belly.
If he could, I have no doubt he’d have steam coming out of his nose and ears like those cartoon people do at the movies. Alas, his only weapon for now is to glare at me.
“I brought you a little something,” I say.
He starts cursing me out before abruptly stopping. “You brought something…for me?” he asks in disbelief.
“Two somethings, in fact.”
His eyes slowly widen and I could swear I detect a hint of anticipation in his features—but he masks that quickly.
“What could you, an ugly wench, have to give me?”
“How about a donut?” I ask as I burrow my hand in my pocket and remove a paper-wrapped donut.
While studying the book this morning, I noticed a passage that spoke about sweetening a greed demon. It didn’t specify how or if it was a figure of speech. So I decided to try my hand at the literal meaning first. Considering I’m wasting a precious donut on him, this better work.
A whiff of the powdery sugar reaches my nose and I have to force myself not to think of it being devoured by a beast. Not when Mine got it for me right before he left this morning.
With more difficulty than I anticipated, I push the donut in front of him.
“It’s for you. I want you to have this sweet treat and enjoy it.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but no words come out. For moments on end, he stares at my donut and I wonder if perhaps I read the text wrong.
“For me?” he asks again, unsure.
“Specifically for you. It is freely given,” I add as I push it even further into his face.
Moments trickle by. He doesn’t move. He’s just staring at the donut with an odd expression. But just when I think this plan was all in vain, he snatches the donut from me and pops it into his mouth, paper wrap and all.
Loud, disgusting munching noises echo in the room.
By the Source, I didn’t even know non-corporeal demons could eat solid things.
In a few bites, the donut is gone, after which the demon releases the most vile and disgusting burping sound. It’s so strong, it blows my hair into my eyes.
Ew.
I tuck the stray strands behind my ear and as I get a good look at him, I realize something is off.
I scan him from head to toe and then back to the head again. Suddenly, it dawns on me that he’s no longer as tall as the ceiling.
What? Did this trick actually work? Don’t tell me all we had to do until now was to offer him sweet things and we would have defeated him? Although I am slightly smarting from the fact that he would have that in common with me.
Happy with my new discovery, I quickly administer the medicine to Holloway and leave.
My next goal? Find as many sweet things as possible. In fact, double that. After all, I do require my own commission for it.
And since I still have a little bit of energy left in my pin, I use it to infiltrate the kitchens. But after an hour of surreptitiously rummaging through all the cupboards, I realize there’s nothing here.
I frown. Where would Mine have gotten them from then?
My lips tighten in annoyance. If I can’t find them anywhere on base… I suppose I could manifest them, but the energy from the pin is quickly dwindling. I’ll likely only have a few more uses for it if I get the donuts.
After a little mental back and forth, I decide to risk it.
Manifesting a dozen donuts, I head back to the cabin where Holloway is sequestered. I’d placed the donuts on a try and covered it so it doesn’t raise suspicions.
“Back so soon, miss?” the guard asks.
“I forgot to give him one medicine. I’ll be in and out.” I give him a smile and he opens the door for me.
When he sees me, the demon starts shrieking.
“You ugly wench! What did you do to me?”
“Me? Nothing. I just wanted to give you more donuts. You like them, don’t you?”
His eyes flicker.
I step closer and reveal the twelve donuts.
He stares at them, licking his lips.
“They’re yours,” I add.
He grabs the first donut and shoves it into his mouth—again, I have no idea how he can even eat since he’s not corporeal. One after another, he’s eaten about eight as I watch closely for any changes in his shape.
To my shock, nothing happens.
What? But it worked before. He shrank after the first donut. So why is he not changing at all after eight?
I quickly pull back the tray and glare at him.
“Give me!” he shouts.
By the Source, if anything, his body has returned to the previous size.
I stare at him in shock and befuddlement. How could this be?
Clearly, it’s not the donuts that can make him shrink. And to think I used my precious energy to get these…
Angry, I take a step back.
“Enough!” I tell him sternly.
My gaze dips at the remaining four donuts, and my mouth waters. Annoyance continues to bubble within me and out of spite, I grab one of the donuts and shove it into my mouth. Take that, you ugly demon. Now you have to watch me eat these delicious treats.
He continues to shout at me, calling me all sorts of names as he pulls onto the right side of his body that’s still tied to Holloway. Oh, I don’t doubt he’d like nothing better than to get his hands on me.
I grab another donut, but this time it’s less about the spite and more about the fact that the addictive sugar is already laying claim to my decision-making processes.
The third one is soon gone, too.
The demon stares at me in disbelief, and just as I bring the last donut to my mouth, he starts shouting as loud as he can, the sound slowly turning into a shriek.
I’m about to bite into the donut when he utters the one word I never expected him to.
“Please.”
It’s low, barely audible, but it makes me stop before eating the donut.
Hope flickers in his eyes as he sees me stop, and I take a moment to analyze the situation.
Something doesn’t add up here.
The smell of sugar continues to taunt my nostrils, and I’d like nothing better than to bite into the donut and be done with it—at least then I’d have gotten something out of it since I’ve already used the energy.
But there’s something in the way the demon is writhing and salivating at the sight of the donut that makes me pause.
His previous angry words are now replaced with anguished ones.
It’s the greed talking. It wants something and it’s not getting it.
What happens then if he wants it and gets it?
This might backfire if it makes him grow even more, but I reluctantly part with the donut and hand it to him.
He snatches it from my hands, and to my surprise, he seems to almost…cherish it?
He takes a small bite. Then another. But it’s no longer the same frenzied feeding as before. This time, he’s savoring it.
And by the time he’s done, he’s shrunk back again.
I blink. That’s… How? How did this happen?
Before he can realize that he’s once more changed size, I leave the cabin, thank the soldier, and head back to the infirmary to help.
All the while, I keep trying to make sense of what happened. What was the difference between the first donut and the next eight? And then how did the last donut change the situation?
Was it because he craved it so much he dared to beg me for it? Is it because I didn’t want to give it to him? Do things that are not given to him matter more?
Or…is it because I also wanted it?
The first donut, I felt sad parting with. The following eight were just part of the plan. But the last one? I was salivating for it as much as he did. Does that change things? If the item being given is something precious to the giver?
It must.
Otherwise, anyone could be defeating greed demons by simply showering them with gifts.
It has to be meaningful gifts.
Charity… My eyes widen in realization. It’s not about giving someone useless things, it’s about doing a selfless act, going against one’s desires.
My heart beats faster with excitement. It’s not a foolproof theory, but it’s better than what I had before. Now it’s just a matter of trying it out to prove if it’s right.
The sirens go off on the base. Soldiers run from their posts and rush toward the runway. The doctors and a few of the nurses go to the ambulance and board it. I follow after them, excited for Mine’s return.
I might have gone against his warning not to engage with the demon, but I can’t wait to share my findings with him.
We huddle together in the back of the ambulance as the car starts heading toward the runway.
The sounds of planes fill the air. The anxiety is high as everyone tries to see if their friends made it back safely.
For some reason, I am not worried that Mine will not return. Not only did he promise me he would, but I also have full confidence in his abilities. He’s a good fighter, and that is a high praise for a human. But he is my human. Of course he must be a good fighter. Otherwise, I would have never entertained his courtship.
Once we reach the runway, I scan the planes around looking for Mine’s. When I see that he’s landed, a bright smile spreads across my face. The doctors and nurses hurry to get the injured, but my first priority is making sure Mine is all right. After all, I am his personal nurse, no?
I barely get out of the car when I see him jumping out of the plane. He takes less than a second to spot me, after which he’s running at full speed toward me.
I blink, and in the next moment, I find myself in his arms as he twirls me around.
“I missed you,” he whispers against my ear.
“Mine! People will see!”
“So? I don’t care. Let everyone see that you’re mine.”
Heat travels up my cheeks, but I don’t make any effort to push him away, simply melting in his embrace.
“You’re all right? No injuries?”
“None.”
“And your crew?”
“Perfectly fine as well.”
“Good. That is good.”
“It was a good mission. Not too many fallen, and it seems everyone made it back in one piece,” he mentions as he looks around. It dawns on me he’s speaking about the souls of the dead. There aren’t any around.
“Come, I need to speak to you,” he says urgently as he all but drags me away from the commotion on the runway.
We get to the cabin and he locks the door behind him. Hands on my hips, I tilt my head and frown as I wait for him to speak.
“I need you,” he rasps as he wrenches the uniform from his body, shedding his clothing until he remains bare-chested.