Chapter 5
Refreshed and reluctant to leave the sanctity of soap suds and steam, Elsie turned off the water with a groan.
All that awaited her outside was more stress.
She toweled off, got dressed, and made her way out, passing the only full-length mirror in the bathroom without a glance.
She didn’t need a mirror to tell her that there were puffy bags under her eyes from a lack of sleep, or that her clothes were worn out and threadbare.
A raised, irritatingly familiar male voice outside had her frowning. She shoved the heavy door open with so much force that it hit the wall on the opposite side.
The demon was pinned against the wall between the men’s and women’s showers with a hand around his throat when Elsie emerged.
He didn’t fight back, but that fire was in his eyes.
If he was pushed much further, he’d cut loose.
The fact that he’d allowed this to happen astounded her.
He couldn’t use his magic, but he was physically strong enough to destroy the idiot.
“What are you doing here, Callum?” she hissed, her lip curled in distaste.
The red-headed man gave her a look of surprise. He was two years her senior, and at least seven inches taller, but he’d yet to join a squad for more than a mission or two. Each captain who’d tried him out had decided he wasn’t a good fit.
He’d loathed her since they’d graduated together seven years ago. He’d been proud to be graduating with only four years of training under a mentor, and he’d raged when she’d finished in two. Callum held a grudge.
“I found a fucking demon skulking around the halls and detained it. You should be thanking me. It won’t answer my questions, but we need to figure out how it got past the barrier.
I’m well within my rights to take him into custody,” he retorted.
Elsie raised an eyebrow at him, and he glowered, cheeks flushing. “Captain.”
It must suck to be the only guy excluded from the other soldiers’ rampant and thriving rumor mill. Callum must be the only soldier in the compound to have missed her demonstration earlier and knew nothing about the new demon roaming their halls.
“It couldn’t have been difficult to detain him, or did you fail to notice that he isn’t fighting back? Release him immediately,” she ordered.
“Are you kidding me? What’s gotten into you?” Callum asked boldly.
She didn’t have the patience for pompous jackasses today. Seeing Callum’s knuckles whiten as they tightened around the demon’s throat pissed her the fuck off. She’d made the guy a promise, and she wasn’t going to break it that easily.
Elsie glanced at her hands, double-checking that her gloves were in place.
Once satisfied, she grabbed Callum’s hand and yanked it free before twisting it behind his back, using far more force than was necessary.
Shoving her knee into the back of his, she brought him to the ground, grinding her heel into the meat of his calf to keep him there.
She leaned over him and hissed in his ear.
“This ‘fucking demon’ was here following orders. He belongs to me and enjoys all the privileges of such a designation.” She grabbed his hair, pulling his head back and forcing him to look at the demon.
“Remember his face. If you ever touch him again, I will personally make sure you’re never promoted to a squad, do you hear me? ”
“Yes, Captain, I hear you,” he said, his voice low with anger and humiliation.
“You don’t belong in these corridors anyway. What the hell are you doing skulking around back here?” Elsie demanded. “Don’t you dare tell me you got lost.”
“I…was getting some exercise, Captain.”
It was such an obvious lie that it made Elsie’s skin twitch. A little side effect of being half fae.
“Mistress,” the demon said so softly she’d almost missed it. She looked over at him curiously. His voice almost passed for gentle, if she didn’t know the meaning he placed behind that word.
“So it can speak! I thought it might be mute,” Callum said, staring at the demon with disdain. The hound ignored him completely, his eyes on Elsie’s.
“I can take care of this. An underling who lies to his betters should be taken out with the trash,” he said, letting his voice turn hard.
Elsie choked back a surprised laugh as Callum’s face turned bright red. “Leave, Callum, or I might decide to let him do as he pleases. If I catch you here again, we’ll take a trip to the administrative hall together.”
“Yes, Captain,” he muttered, hurrying away without looking back.
The demon let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the wall with a foot propped up and his eyes closed. His demeanor was completely different from the creature who’d hesitated to leave her side for fear of running into another hunter.
But his fear and anxiety buzzed between them. Clairemont had fucked the guy’s brain so thoroughly he’d even feared someone like Callum.
She didn’t offer comfort this time. There was no way he’d appreciate it.
The shower had done him some good. Not only did he smell a whole lot better, but he cleaned up nicely.
His curls were softer and bouncier when his hair was clean.
He’d trimmed his facial hair short and tidy, showing a strong jawline and full lips.
Elsie pulled her eyes away from his mouth and looked over the rest of him. He’d even washed under his fingernails.
Memories of Stolas’ impeccable appearance flashed through her mind, embarrassing her. Even after seeing him unclothed, she’d given the hound demon the expectations of an animal rather than a sentient being.
Shortening his beard made his collar more obvious and showed how tight those prongs were against his throat. It looked painful. There must be a viable solution somewhere in the middle. Something that still gave her control when she needed it without keeping him in constant discomfort.
He opened his eyes and gave her an imperious glare. Apparently the chance to clean up hadn’t put him in a better mood.
“Are you going to stare at me all day, or will you attend to the “important things” you need to do?” he growled.
“Maybe both.” She shrugged. She picked up her clothes, then walked to her room, not waiting to see if he would follow.
“We need to get your things put away, then I need to talk with Rosco, and I’ll introduce you to the members of my squad. It’ll take some time for them to get used to the idea of having you around.” She winced. Marley had been pissed. “At some point, I need a nap.”
They walked into her room, and Elsie immediately started sorting his things, finding places for them to stay. “Why bother? This is temporary,” he said.
“There’s no guarantee of that,” Elsie told him. “Roz might not agree to help, so you may as well get comfortable for now. Hope for the best, but expect the worst.”
He grumbled, then perched on his cot and watched her put his things away, taking note of where each item was placed.
“Why give me all that? I will not be hunting demons with you, half-breed. This bedroll and the canteen are enough to accompany you and witness your murders from a distance.”
Elsie chewed the inside of her lip. She wasn’t sure how to answer that.
“You don’t need to hunt,” she said finally.
“But for your own safety, you do have to come with me. They won’t allow you to stay in this room while I’m not here.
There’s only so much I can control, and ironically, the closer you stay to me, the more freedom I can grant you. ”
“Explain,” he growled.
He was doing an awful lot of growling, but behaving civilly under that much stress wasn’t a simple task. Elsie paused and studied his expression, trying to match the anger on his face to the deep grief in the emotions he was throwing at her. He was hurting, and that made him angry.
“The stall is one example,” she told him.
“If you stay at the compound instead of staying with me, they’ll keep you in there, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them.
It’s a reasonable request from their viewpoint, nobody will want to babysit.
Another example…” She thought for a second.
“Do you like those pretty curls on your head?”
He stared at her, saying and revealing nothing.
“They’d cut them off. Sometimes they’ll shave a man completely bald, just because they can.
No facial hair, no deviations from the norm at all.
That means wearing the complete uniform at all times.
With me, you can keep your hair, and I can make you some comfortable clothes you might actually enjoy wearing. ”
“Such paltry incentives will not make this life tolerable.” His mouth pressed into a thin line. “My hair grows swiftly. Clothing is unimportant.”
“Those were examples,” Elsie said patiently.
“Eventually, when the others get used to having you around, you’ll be able to roam the compound.
Take your meals when you want them, get some fresh air, even go for a swim without me.
But for any of that to happen, Mordane needs to believe you’re loyal to me.
Even if it isn’t true on the inside, it’s what they must see.
It’s a game of perception. We have to convince them that you’re here because you want to be. ”
“Not interested. I have no desire to be here, nor pretend to enjoy your company.”
“Do you think I wanted my life disrupted? That I want to share my tiny space, or spend my time defending you? I’m going to have to explain myself for threatening Callum of all people. If anyone in this compound could use a good scare now and again, it’s him,” she complained.
“My apologies. I was unaware that my kidnapping, torture, and enslavement was so inconvenient to you,” he seethed. Elsie pinched the bridge of her nose and sat heavily on her bed, facing the demon.
“I’m not explaining things well. What I’m trying to say is, I’m on your side, and there’s no point in blaming each other for our circumstances. If I could, I’d return you to wherever you came from, and then we’ll both live our lives the way we want to,” she said.