Chapter 14
Beth watched the taillights of Nathan and Harper's car disappear around the corner before them, the hellhound's massive silhouette visible through their back window. Red embers occasionally flickered through their windows, creating an otherworldly light show against the dark night.
"I can't believe we're actually going to meet a demoness." Beth bounced in her seat, unable to contain her excitement. "I mean, I've met a couple of Djinn and now vampires, and whatever Angus and Renee are, but never even imagined I'd meet a demon."
Tyr's lips quirked into that half-smile that made her heart flutter as he navigated the quiet suburban streets. "Kayja is... unique."
"Is she scary?" Beth twisted in her seat to face him better. "I mean, she's Lord Damien's sister, right? And he's pretty intimidating from what I've heard."
A low chuckle escaped Tyr as he turned onto Nathan and Harper's street. "Oh, you have no idea."
Excitement buzzed through Beth as they pulled into the driveway behind her friends. The hellhound puppy bounded out of the car the moment Harper opened the door, dragging Nathan behind him on the makeshift climbing rope leash.
Red sparks showered from the pup's shaggy fur as he attempted to investigate every snow-covered bush along the front walk at once. His enthusiasm nearly knocked Harper off her feet before she managed to steady herself against Nathan.
"Easy there, big guy!" Nathan laughed, somehow maintaining his grip on the rope despite the puppy's size and strength.
As they reached the front steps, movement in the shadows of the porch caught Beth's eye. A small figure stepped forward into the porch light, and Beth's breath caught.
The woman - if she could be called that - had mottled red skin with darker patterns blending into black.
Small glossy black horns curled up from either side of her head, partially hidden by long, arrow-straight hair that mixed true red and black.
Black-veined red wings stretched behind her, and Beth glimpsed dainty black cloven hooves where feet should be.
But it was her eyes that held Beth transfixed - they seemed to swirl between green and blue, filled with ancient knowledge and barely contained mischief.
"Well," Kayja's smoky voice carried clear amusement as she took in their unusual group. "What have we here?"
Beth's throat went dry as she stared at Kayja's wings. The black-veined membrane seemed to pass right through the demoness's flowing dress without disturbing the fabric. She blinked hard, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her.
An excited bark snapped Beth from her daze. The puppy lunged forward with enough force to drag Nathan stumbling across the snow-covered yard.
"No! No!" Nathan's voice cracked as he desperately tried to maintain his grip on the climbing rope. His feet slid on the icy ground while the puppy bounded toward Kayja, showering bits of crimson flame in his wake. "Down!"
The commands had absolutely no effect. The hellhound's tail wagged frantically as he attempted to climb into Kayja's arms, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was nearly twice her size. His enormous pink tongue darted out, trying to give her face a thorough washing.
Beth watched in amazement as Kayja threw back her head and laughed, the sound like silver bells chiming. The demoness's eyes sparkled with mischief as she gazed down at the enthusiastic puppy.
Harsh, guttural syllables rolled off Kayja's tongue, the sound making Beth's ears throb unpleasantly, as if the demonic words operated on frequencies not meant for mortal hearing.
She noticed Nathan and Harper both flinch at the alien sounds, Nathan's jaw tightening while Harper's shoulders hunched defensively.
The language seemed to vibrate in the air, carrying otherworldly power that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
The change in the hellhound puppy, however, was instant and dramatic.
The puppy dropped into a perfect sit, his oversized paws planted firmly in the snow.
Though his entire body quivered with barely contained excitement, he remained perfectly still, staring up at Kayja with complete focus.
His tail still wagged, sending more of the red embers dancing through the night air, but even that seemed more controlled now.
Beth's jaw dropped. She glanced at Nathan and Harper, finding their expressions mirroring her own shock. The climbing rope hung slack in Nathan's hands as he stared at their now perfectly behaved charge.
"How did you do that?" Harper blurted out, her amber eyes wide with disbelief.
"Oh, he's old enough to have been trained," the demoness explained, her eyes swirling oddly between green and blue. Beth found it hard not to stare. "But of course he would not understand any human language."
Another rough word rolled off her tongue. The hellhound immediately flopped onto his belly in the snow, though his tail continued wagging enthusiastically.
Kayja crouched down beside the pup, her black-veined wings folding gracefully behind her. As she stroked the thick, shaggy fur, her expression shifted to a concerned frown.
"These sparks..." She traced her fingers through another shower of red embers. "They only appear when a hellhound is distressed or agitated." She studied the puppy's face intently.
Harper shifted her weight anxiously, biting her lip. "But he doesn't seem distressed at all. He's been super happy meeting everyone. If anything, he's been trying to wash us all to death with his tongue."
The hellhound's tail thumped harder against the ground at the sound of Harper's voice, sending another shower of fiery wisps through his thick black fur. His enormous pink tongue lolled out in a happy grin as he gazed up at them adoringly.
Nathan ran his fingers through hair, mussed from trying to wrestle the oversized puppy. "If being distressed makes the fire stuff appear in his fur..." He swallowed hard. "I really don't want to see what happens when he gets angry."
"If he were angry, you'd see full-on flames." Kayja's voice was laced with humor, filling the night air as she grinned at Nathan, her pointed teeth gleaming in the porch light. The sight made Beth's breath catch - there was something both beautiful and terrifying about the demoness's smile.
Kayja's expression softened, her gaze fixed on the puppy still sprawled in the snow.
"As for being distressed..." Kayja stroked the pup's head affectionately. "He's not in his own dimension, or plane, if you will. The underworld is a very different type of place." Her voice softened, carrying a note of sympathy. "Plus, he's young enough to still need his mother."
Whisper stirred restlessly in Beth's mind, responding to the distress of a young creature separated from its pack.
The thought made Beth want to wrap her arms around the enormous pup.
Despite his size and supernatural nature, he was still just a baby.
No wonder he'd been drawn to Nathan and Harper's love.
Nathan glanced around the quiet suburban neighborhood, his expression anxious. "Maybe we should go inside." He shifted his weight, the climbing rope still hanging slack in his hands. "Before someone notices the, uh, wings. Or the flames."
The moment Nathan opened the front door, the hellhound bounded inside with enough enthusiasm to make the whole house shake. His long tail with its feathery black fur knocked over an umbrella stand as he attempted to investigate every corner of the entryway at once.
Beth hurried in after him, not wanting to miss any of Kayja's insights about their unusual visitor. The demoness followed, her wings somehow passing through the doorframe without touching it. The sight made Beth's eyes hurt as she tried to understand how that was possible.
"Please, sit." Kayja gestured to the couches with an elegant wave of her hand. "Let me see what our young friend has to tell us."
The demoness crouched down beside the enormous puppy, who immediately stilled, his ears perked at attention, his entire body quivering with barely contained energy.
Grating sounds rolled from Kayja's tongue, making Beth massage the spot just in front of her ears as the vibrations created a dull ache.
To her amazement, the hellhound responded with a series of low whuffs and rumbling sounds, tilting his massive head as if truly engaged in conversation.
"Did you just... talk to him?" Beth leaned forward, unable to contain her curiosity. "And he answered you?"
Kayja's lips curved into that pointed-tooth smile that was both beautiful and unnerving.
"Hellhounds are far more intelligent than Earth's animals.
" She scratched behind the puppy's enormous ears, earning a happy puppy groan.
"While we cannot have detailed conversations, they can certainly communicate rough ideas and concepts. "
The hellhound woofed again, his tail thumping against the floor hard enough to rattle the coffee table.
"See?" Kayja's eyes swirled between green and blue as she regarded the puppy with obvious fondness. "He may be young, but he understands far more than you might expect."
Fascinated, Beth watched as the demoness as she spoke in that alien sounding language again.
The hellhound immediately dropped into a perfect sit, his tail still wagging enthusiastically despite his otherwise perfect stillness.
More of the ruby embers danced through his thick black fur, creating tiny scorch marks on the hardwood floor.
"Sit," Kayja said clearly in English, her voice infused with command, emphasizing the word. She glanced at the puppy, who remained perfectly still except for his wagging tail.
Another string of otherworldly sounds rolled off her tongue, and the hellhound bounded to his feet, nearly knocking over a side table in his excitement.
Kayja turned to Harper and Nathan, her eyes flickering from green to blue, then back again. "Now you try. Tell him to sit."