"I hope you like your popcorn a little burnt." Lex giggled, entering Lillian's room. She was carrying the large bowl Lex had gotten from the kitchen downstairs. Lillian's face throbbed; the mushrooms that would dull her pain had yet to kick in, and she was feeling everything that she didn't want to feel. She had digested them five minutes ago, and so she had to suffer through this hell for another ten minutes, but at least the rest of the night, she would thankfully feel nothing, and she needed that because everything hurt!
She smiled through the pain and responded. "Not really, but if it's from you, I'd eat it even if it were completely blackened without butter." She said, her voice still a little hoarse from all the screaming, from her time being tortured.
She had tried explaining the ordeal to the two of them the best she could, but after a certain point, she wasn't able to control the violent shaking that racked her body or the tears that stung her cheeks or the even more violent stutters that accompanied the memories. Lex had had to step in and stop Kaeron from continuing to push for answers. He was really not happy with not getting what he wanted, and she really was trying; it wasn't like she'd ever be able to forget any of it, when every time she closed her eyes she was dragged back to that moment.
She just couldn't drag herself back to that place right now without completely breaking down.
After she woke up, Lex had stated more than suggested that they'd need to sleep in hotels instead of Kaeron's car until Lillian was feeling much better, and that they should travel less so that she could rest, and Kaeron had begrudgingly agreed, and so they were now staying at a hotel in a city called Sagio.
Kaeron had been in a bad mood, so he went out only saying, "I'm going hunting" before promptly leaving. Lex hadn't said much about it, but clearly, something had gone down between the two, and whatever it was, Lillian assumed it had been something big and bad because the two of them had hardly even said two words to each other in the few days Lillian had been awake, so Lillian had decided that she wasn't touching that conversation with an eight foot pole using Kaeron's lengthy arms.
"Only the best for you." Lex smiled, shuffling over to the bed joining Lillian, who was wrapped up in blankets lying down on the unnervingly soft oversized bed.
The smell of the buttery popcorn danced around in her nose, and her mouth watered, but again, her face ached in pain. She had lost multiple teeth that her doctors had had to replace using a serum that grew new ones, but it made chewing feel like she was being tortured all over again.
Lex cuddled up beside her, making sure to be gentle so as to not and aggravate Lillian's injuries (it didn't work, but she appreciated the consideration). Lex lifted the bowl up to Lillian, and Lillian shook her head, refusing to upset her mouth any more than necessary.
"You're no fun when you're injured." Lex joked
Lillian scoffed. "I'll try harder in the future to entertain you."
"Good. Now. What are we watching? She asked, pulling up the movie selections on the flat screen mounted on the wall in front of them.
"Dealers choice."
******
The moon was out.
Kaeron had been looking forward to this ever since arriving in this cesspool where the people of the fae were sophisticated and elegant, and their shit didn't stink. Unless. You count all of the drug abusing, racist, lawless people of its underworld.
He needed to re-up on Phoenix ash, and while he was out, he also needed a fight. Badly.
He entered "Bar S oky" and immediately thought. "Sounds about right." The place smelled like an ashtray and smoked up like a chimney. Some of the patrons acknowledged his existence but didn't look long. They must have valued their lives.
He searched the booths, looking for the man he knew would have the stuff he needed. He recognized him right away, thanks to the helpful tip he had gotten from an enthusiastic little vixen who after fucking her first dragon shifter, was all too happy to tell him about her dealer.
"I need some Phoenix ash." Kaeron said, sitting in front of Po the poacher, Kaerons one shot at making this night any fun.
"How much you buying?"
"How much you got?"
That got his attention. "4 pounds, call it... 115?"
"100."
"You think this some kind of negotiation!?" Po growled out.
Something in Kaeron ticked. "Yeah, you're right. This isn't a negotiation. So now. You're gonna sell me it for 50 or I'll cut off your fucking feet, and then you're still going to give me it for 50, but you'll also have no fucking feet! Get me?"
Po tried to reach for the dagger he had hidden away, but Kaeron was faster. He grabbed Po's retreating hand, pinned it to the wooden table, and slammed the butt of his own dagger into the back of it as hard as he could. The sound of bone cracking and wood splitting echoed across the bar, and nobody even blinked an eye.
"Ahh! What the fuck! You're a fucking psycho!"
"The offer still stands Po. Either sell me it for 30 and keep your feet, or 30, and lose them."
"It was... 50." He barked.
"That was before I had to lift a finger. Do I need to lift a finger again?"
"No!"
"Good."
Po signaled to a guy, and Kaeron rolled his shoulders. He'd need a good fight to loosen them. The man brought over a black money bag and looked toward Po for further instructions. Po gave a quick nod, and the man tossed the bag to Kaeron's side. In celebration of getting so much Phoenix ash so cheep, he decided not to beat the man to death for the disrespect, and instead just take it out of the pay. Another ten grand should do.
Kaeron lifted the bag up by the straps and tossed it over his shoulder. "Next time, don't piss me off." Kaeron took out the twenty grand, and with a flick of the wrist, gave the man his money.
"This. Is only. Twenty." Po seethed.
"You're welcome." Kaeron walked away without letting Po get another word in, walking over to the bounty board. Every bar had one, requests for killing demons that the rich fucks in the "upper" needed dead seemed to be what this board was stacked with. He had seen ones for toxic swamp creatures in some of the western tribes to pirates in the towns south of the northern most capital. The most fun ones, however, were the demon bounties. The living might know who he is and freak out and give up or realize how fruitless their efforts are and give up, but the dead fought like animals, and they never know when to stop so he'd get to beat the demons skull in so bad that it becomes unrecognizable.
Kaeron had never faced anything above a low A tier demon, but Draefin used to brag all the time about how he slayed a demon lord and drank its blood. Apparently, that was how he was introduced into the seven.
Kaeron wanted to face off with one. How hard could it be?
He snarled as he couldn't find an A ranked bounty or higher. The highest he found was a high B tier demon. The poster read: "Demon emerging from shadows and consuming anybody in the surrounding area offering 220,000 imperial coins. Wanted dead."
He took the bounty from off the wall and walked out the bar into the pouring rain. The moon was now blocked behind massive dark clouds.
Boom! Thunder cracked like a whip above head.
He ran his hand through his wet hair and smiled to himself.
"The hunt begins."
******
Kaeron dived out of the way of the minivan that was whipped at his face.
Legion. Classified as a low B to a low A tier demon, the little bastards were these tiny black corupt faeries that act like a collective of bees with the ability to make whatever they stick onto, their host.
This would be the 4th time he had fought these rodents, and each time, they had been a massive pain in the ass.
He fired shots at the collective, knowing it was pointless even if demons were affective to Kirion, he didn't have nearly enough bullets, but Kaeron needed to anger the swarm to get as many of the bugs gathered in one spot as possible.
The heavy rain distorted the screams of passersbys. He felt a smile on his face. For the first time in a very long time, he didn't have to worry about anybody else but himself, and he could let loose, which was good because he should probably handle this before the vermin destroys half of the city.
He'd have to breathe fire. It made him nauseous just thinking about it. He hated his powers, but if he'd ever... he shook his head. He needed to stay focused. He fired a few more rounds at it and ran ducking into an alley. He immediately got into position, calling upon the blazing torret that roared inside him.
He would melt them like he did everything else. The rain began turning into vapor around him. He wished that he could savor the kill, but he knew playing with his food wasn't an option tonight. It turned the corner just to come face to face with the ball of flame that would be their inevitable doom, incinerating any last trace of them in a blink of an eye.
His fight ended quicker than he would have liked, but the Phoenix ash working in his bloodstream, making everything feel good, made him think that maybe it wasn't so bad.
******
Lex wasn't in her room. Must be in the princesses room. Kaeron groaned. He wanted to talk this thing out with his sister, but every time he turned around, she was with miss, sick, and dying. Oh wait, that's right! She wasn't dying, but does he get credit for risking his own life to save the little baby? Nope! Just the silent treatment from his only sister like a child.
He was still wet and dirty from tonight's fun. He took a quick sniff. He smelled ripe. He'd take a shower after he tried talking to Lex, but of course, he now had to drag her away from the fragile baby bird so that they could try and work this out... Again.
He stumbled into the hall. The Phoenix ash was still in his blood, and it was affecting his supernatural gift to see perfect in the dark of the hallway. He saw TV lights underneath Lambs door and could only hear the movie they were watching faintly again thanks to the Phoenix ash. He could, however, smell the remnants of slightly burnt popcorn like it was right in front of him. Not even Phoenix ash could dull his sense of smell.
He strode over to the door and, without knocking, let himself in but stopped at the threshold. Lamb and Lex were cuddled up with each other and out cold.
He stared down at Lex's sleeping face. As a baby, she used to make the funniest faces when she was sleeping. Now she just looked mature and beautiful. She had grown up so fast.
He turned his attention onto the girl she was tied up with.
What had she told her kidnappers? Did it endanger him or Lex? And how could they trust her? She was just some shady girl he had saved from a group of wolves and who was clearly hiding something big from them.
Things were getting even more dangerous, and they hadn't even made it to the real shit show yet.
He let out the breath he had been holding in and turned away. He'd talk to Lex some other time. He turned off the TV and glanced back at Lex's sleeping face before closing the door behind him.
He whipped the bag full of Phoenix ash on the kitchen counter. Spooned some out in a line and sniffed. The head rush was immediate, and the body high came quickly after that.
He hopped in the shower, and the rest of the night went by in a flash, and it was uneventful.