1936, Venice

Ashley stared into the glass of still red wine as he rubbed his newly freed wrists. Sitting across from him is a man that seemed almost as out of place as he was: golden curly hair, sun-kissed skin, royal blue eyes, and a wrinkly thin shirt. The only thing that marked him as belonging to this wretched place was a gaudy golden pin with the emblem of the Dragon.

The blonde drank casually from his wine glass as if he hadn't just granted Ashley his freedom, leaving him speechless.

"So, do you accept my offer?" He asked between sips.

"To escape the pit," Ashley shuddered, thinking of the dingy, dim cell where he was trapped. "Gladly."

The blonde smiled, lips stretching into a grin that, even back then, Ashley was wise enough to recognize as predatory.

...

Ashley walked into Elysium like he owned the place, which was partially true. Elysium was a home away from home, a place of respite, of sounds and lights and inebriation that kept his conscious thoughts far away from the past and its complications.

He didn't notice Ethan at first. Instead, his focus was on the blonde in front of him. Delilah was what made Elysium such a haven for so many people. She was perched at the podium, greeting people with a seemingly ever-present smile as she basked in the positive emotions that surrounded her.

Ashley seemed to be the only person who noticed that the smile was slightly strained and didn't quite reach her eyes.

"What's got you looking less cheery than usual?" Ashley asked as he approached once the last of the guests had left the hostess stand.

As soon as she noticed him, her smile dropped and, her face morphed into a resting scowl. If Ashley didn't know any better, he'd think he caused that, but he did know better and, he knew that was just her face.

"Well, Aside from the fact that you're late," Delilah started, stepping away from the podium as she signaled to a hostess ready to take her place. "There's a demon approaching my sanctum."

"Is that a euphemism for something or?" A swat on the arm and an eye roll was Ashley's only response as they started slowly walking towards the back of the restaurant.

"Anyway, he's in the back about to leave after dropping something at the lost and found. I didn't want to cause a scene and kick him out; He didn't seem to want to stay long either."

"I can say from personal experience, kicking someone out based on race wouldn't be a great look." Ashley joked darkly, which got a grimace from Delilah.

"I'm not going to touch that minefield, but I will say he seemed a little odd like he didn't know enough to understand why he found me so irritating."

"Probably new," Ashley said as they took their usual seats in the back of the restaurant but near the bar.

"Someone else fortunate enough to join the club for having the worst parents in the world." Delilah quipped after flagging a waiter down. She ordered their usual, two Jack's.

Ashley couldn't help but laugh. Delilah had a point, extra-planar entities, for all their power and (self)importance, we're usually dead-beat parents, whether they were demons, angels, or Fae.

All this talk of demons was setting off alarm bells in Ashley's head. What were the chances he ran into the same half-demon in the same week?

Delilah continued. "Can't say I don't feel sorry for him. Not easy being as one-of-a-kind as us."

"Yes, we're exceptionally unique and humble too."

"That's not what I meant and, you know it." She said as they got their drinks and two plates. "I meant that Fairies, Wizards, and the like, they have a community from the day they're born, we don't. How many half-angels and Fae do you see running around?"

"You have a point, but what are you trying to say?"

"Well, this place has always been there for us, and for other people who need it, but other halfies-"

"Halfies?"

"Shush, it's not like there's a collective name for us that doesn't sound too clinical. 'Halfies' will have to do." She tossed a balled-up tissue at Ashley then continued her story. "Other halfies - shut up -don't know about us. Wouldn't a community be nice?"

"It would, but..."

"You don't want any attention, I get that, so I'll be the face and do all the public stuff. No one's coming after me for my powers. I only need your support."

"You do realize this will probably mean quite a bit more demons near your sanctum?"

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

Ashley paused, taking a moment to consider the ramifications. Having a community of people who'd understand, who'd sympathize would be amazing. He loved Delilah, but she was just one person.

"Then I'm in."

"Great. I'll have someone in Gramercy spread the word." She smiled, this time genuinely, before looking back. "Maybe we should start with our current guest. He's with Alex, returning some jewelry. He's a gangly giant, can't miss it; I can barely see him through the haze of demonic smoke surrounding him." She pointed at the waiter's stand in the back of the store, which served as the defacto lost and found for the store.

Ashley could barely hear Delilah's last barb as he locked eyes with Ethan across the room. The gangly giant, as Delilah put it, was trying to avoid Ashley's sight as much as Ashley was trying to avoid him.

He looked much the same as the night they met: His forest green eyes were brighter, his dark waves were messier, there was far more colour in his face than last time.

Upon being noticed, he gave Ashley a small, panicked wave then began speed walking towards the door.

"What's going on? Do you recognize him?" Delilah asked as Ashley started running after him, which was rather hard. Ethan's natural gait kept him always far ahead of Ashley.