Chapter 4 The Best Squadron #2
“It’s so close to the city,” she muttered, side-stepping his swishing tail to peer at the structures and crossing paths between them.
Smoke wafted from some chimneys, vines wrapping around parapets and creeping from open windows.
Soft chatter floated up to them, some friendly, some comfortable camaraderie.
It looked so… normal.
“What, do you think we’re such feral warriors that we don’t partake in our community? We don’t take weekend strolls through the market, buy pastries to feed the drayks, play in the park with our families?”
“You have a family?”
She could have sworn his lip curled in disgust before he said, “I visit my parents still, but I meant those in the guard with mates and children. Is that so hard to believe?”
Yes. No. She didn’t really have a good answer for that.
“The barracks are on the border of what is considered the city,” he continued when she remained silent.
“Just beyond, surrounding Heck, is called the Veilwood. It’s habitable, but there are risks when you leave the barriers of our runes.
Creatures from the Dreadmoor can get too close and cause problems. Our duty is to patrol the city, Veilwood, and make regular expeditions through the Dreadmoor. That’s how we found you.”
Kalypso ignored the way his smug tone grated on her, partially listening while keeping her eyes on her surroundings. He pointed out the training yard, the office buildings, and the indoor training facility, warning her that she would find no weapons accessible to her without supervision.
He brought her to the final building, opening the door and not bothering to wait before it started to close. Kalypso shoved through to a cacophony of voices that suddenly died out. At least two dozen pairs of black eyes locked on her, and her heart rate spiked on instinct.
These weren’t just demons; they were warriors. Trained to kill with the steel strapped to their belts, but also with the tails and weapons that were part of their bodies. Horns, spikes, clubs, she saw them all, in all manner of colors, and every fiber of her being wanted to cower in fear.
And yet, there was something so… strange about the scene. Despite the terrifying demons staring at her, something about the fact that they were mostly sprawled on couches made her fight or flight instincts waver. They looked so…
Normal.
“Community atrium,” Ozirax said over his shoulder, breaking the silence, then gestured to another doorway. “Mess hall that way, open whenever. We take shifts cooking, depending on who is on duty, but the supplies are available to everyone.”
Kalypso felt the eyes following her, and it was only because she’d been caught before that she knew not to voice her questions with so many well-trained ears listening in.
Besides, it would show a weakness if she was asking for clarification on something so trivial as having access to food whenever she wished.
“Squads are four guards and one squad leader. There are ten squads, rotating on a schedule, but depending on what we encounter, many are still prepped for assistance. Each has access to the community area, but we also have a squad living space connecting our quarters. That area is sacred to a squad, so we don’t take kindly to anyone who isn’t our own coming in. ”
Kalypso swallowed at the implication. “We live together?”
“Separate quarters, but you should know we’re the best squadron for a reason. You won’t get past us if you try to leave.”
For a moment, she’d actually forgotten about escaping. “And you’re the squad leader?”
He didn’t answer immediately, but she still caught the way his spikes started to flare. “I am now.”
Kalypso had heard about the demon who was injured in their rescue. She would have assumed, from everything she’d learned of Ozirax, that he’d be thrilled for the position. She had overheard he was a candidate for another promotion. But the way he muttered his answer had sounded… reluctant.
“Communal bathing chamber that way. And this is ours,” he said, pushing through the next doorway.
Once again, voices died out, but at least there weren’t as many eyes on her as before. These, however, felt much more threatening since they held her fate.
“Squad,” Ozirax greeted, then gestured to each member. “Rand, and you’ve met Garion and Tonomoch.”
The yellow demon—Rand—dipped his chin in the barest of nods, but Garion remained stoic.
Tonomoch rested his spike-tipped tail over the back of the couch he lounged on, gaze narrowed. “Nice to see you a little less feral.”
“Not sure how this is supposedly the best squadron when I took you out so easily while drugged,” Kalypso responded swiftly.
There was a snort, and all eyes flashed to Rand. He kept his grin as he shrugged. “What? Where’s the lie?”
“You don’t have to laugh about it,” Ozirax grumbled.
“He’s right, though,” Garion added with a hard stare at their newly appointed squad leader. “We lost Severath and gained a human. We’re a joke.”
“Finally done deluding yourselves?”
Kalypso spun away from the voice behind her, finding another purple demon standing in the open doorway.
He was maybe a few inches shorter than Ozirax, horns spiraling from a head of the fullest black, wavy hair.
Appropriate, she thought, since it looked perfectly styled for his obnoxious, smirking face and pointless unfolded collar.
“Get lost, Drolmoth,” Ozirax snarled, and in her periphery, Kalypso saw his spikes already raised.
Threat.
But she couldn’t give herself away—heartbeat, retreat, anything—especially with the intruder’s gaze locked on her.
“So this is Severath’s replacement. A human.” Even with his depthless eyes, she could feel them crawling over every inch of her. “I thought they were supposed to be smaller.” His gaze lingered on her chest. “Most of them.”
“Hey! Sacred space,” one of the squad called from behind her, but she didn’t take her attention off Drolmoth.
“Come on, she’s all anyone can talk about,” the demon purred, stepping inside as his thin tail whipped behind him. Someone growled. It might have been Ozirax. “You speak? Or are you one of those dumb ones?”
Kalypso bristled, but he kept talking.
“What’s wrong with your eyes? I heard there was a defective human Sev brought back. Trade one defective demon for a defective and stupid human.” He snorted. “You lose half your soul or something?”
A terrifying calm settled on her shoulders, and she found herself stepping forward despite the hisses from the squad. “Look closer and you’ll find out.”
Drolmoth did exactly that. He leaned down, and Kalypso kept her eyes perfectly still and emotionless despite the sharp horns, fangs, and claws getting closer.
Then she punched him straight in the throat.
The purple demon choked, hands wrapping around his neck as he stumbled back.
But it sparked Ozirax into motion. As Drolmoth tripped beyond the threshold, Ozirax slammed the door shut and swiped his claw across the wooden surface.
The rune glowed and then disappeared completely, and from behind the door she could hear muffled cursing.
Ozirax pressed his back to the door, eyes watching her with… dare she say curiosity?
A hand came down on her shoulder, and she jerked away, the blue demon holding his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, just…” A small, impressed smile curled his lips. “We might not be a joke after all.”
“Just gotta feed you right,” Rand called from his seat, and the way he looked her up and down was not the same as Drolmoth. “Help you pack on more muscle.”
“Trust me, she’s got plenty,” mumbled Tonomoch, but he gave her a small nod. “You might not be so useless. Ozirax could actually get that promotion after all.”
“Yeah, if they can go five seconds without trying to murder one another,” Garion joked.
Confused and slightly overwhelmed, she was utterly helpless when Ozirax grabbed her sleeve and dragged her away, tugging her down the hallway and into a fire-lit room.
“Don’t kill her! I like her!” Rand shouted, but the end was muffled as Ozirax slammed the door shut.
Kalypso had barely taken in the bedchamber when she was whirled, back pressed against the wall with a purple demon once again encroaching in her space.
When he only stared at her, a strange furrow in his brow, she shoved at his chest. “Back off.”
He did, reluctantly, but only a small step. “Drolmoth is going to do everything in his power to make your life worse than Blazes.”
“And you aren’t?”
He snarled. “No, I—” Ozirax hissed a breath, fingers scrubbing through his hair in frustration. But then his shoulders eased, and he straightened. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
Kaly frowned. “Why? I hate you, you hate me. That’s pretty fucking clear.”
“But we both have something the other wants.”
Her mouth snapped shut on a quip.
Ozirax’s gaze searched her face. “I control whether you get to see your sister—”
She opened it again to fire back—
“—and you control whether I get that promotion or not.”
Realization settled. “You’re proposing we… work together?”
She couldn’t help the grimace, but it seemed neither could he. “It’s… not ideal.” He gestured behind her. “You’re not helpless, but Drolmoth won’t forget you humiliated him.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Kalypso grumbled.
“But you need to not be dead if you want to see your sister. You’ve already shown you’ll play dirty, but he’ll play dirtier. And he has even more of an advantage over you than the other warriors here. You didn’t even hear him or Garion approach behind you after.”
“Just tell me I’m going to get killed on day one, save us both the time.” Kalypso swallowed and turned away, but then a warm hand gripped her chin and pulled it back.
“Don’t tell me you’re giving up already?” Ozirax’s hold tightened. “Yes, your skills need refining, but you’ve got a fire. Work with me. We both win, and you get to beat the shit out of some assholes who deserve it.”
Her hand snapped up, fingers digging into the tendons of his wrist as he continued to hold her chin. He didn’t release her, but she felt satisfaction that he at least had to tense against her blunt claws.
“Including you?” she purred.
A slow grin tipped his lips, one side, then the other, until his fangs were on display. “Maybe there’s some hope for you after all, Spicy.”