Duke noticed Adi calling him and quickly clicked the ignore button. He had infiltrated a suite that Kenelm had rented out. Apparently, all those doors in the dive bar part lead to a fairly extensive network of tunnels, were it was only one of the entrances. These acted as living quarters for demons and for mithryn who didn’t want to register with either DH or SIA.

He was in one room with Janice, who was eating her breakfast, and his employer was still in bed with some of the other members of his entourage. Duke wasn’t ordered about to do anything yet. Perhaps Kenelm was simply fond of having oddities in his group, but he didn’t make Duke stick around and watch while he played with some of them, and that was enough to keep the vampire around.

The women of the group included a werewolf, another fairy, and an elf. There were two men as well. An elderly boggart who took care of Kenelm’s finances, and a small furry kobold who did the cooking and cleaning. Duke had sent their pictures and names along to Pastor already. Now all he had to do was hang around until Kenelm bored of this place and left. DH could screw off for all he cared, Duke wanted his elixirs.

Janice rested her cheek upon the palm of her hand. “Apparently we’re going to New York first. Kenelm says that he’s disappointed with the lack of quality that the fight’s here provided. I was hoping to lay low in the demon court for a while but I haven’t been to New York before. I’ll probably end up ditching the group then.”

Duke glanced over at the television, where they were showing off pictures of tonight’s fighters. “It is a shame my circumstances do not allow me to follow, as I haven’t had much luck in finding employment. The libraries in New York are exquisite.”

Janice smiled, and her perfect teeth glistened in the artificial light. “You’re plenty of lucky. The videheart operation costs a fortune. No wonder you’re aching for cash.” She began to spin her spoon around in her mug of tea. “How do you even find a person to perform it?”

“I would not know about it much about it, as I had a benefactor,” said Duke as he placed a hand to his chest.

Occasionally he could feel the plant within him stirring. It almost felt like a heartbeat at times. Videheart was a parasitic plant that was used as a torture device, as it would infect their victims and slowly drain away their lifeforce. Vampires had it implanted in order to better preserve their bodies and increase the amount of energy they received from their feedings.

Mauvori had blessed Duke with a plant, and part of the reason he had stayed with the alchemist for so long was to make sure his body accepted it. It had already replaced all of his blood with sap, but it also prevented rigor mortis. He had already accepted that he and the plant were one at this point. Unfortunately, the elixir was hard to come by.

“Even so, you’re lucky,” said Janice as she pointed her spoon at him. “There has to be something about your previous life that’s left you wanting to stick around, right? Something scandalous? Wife? Child? Mistress? That benefactor must have needed something for you in order to put in that sort of investment.”

Duke chuckled softly. “I have a doctorate in Asian languages and literature. Books are my only friends. Time took love away from me, but I will always have my books.” He clutched the scarf fondly. “I would be much more interested in your life, Miss Perlin. You appear to be a strong and independent individual in need of no man, what makes you hide under Kenelm’s wing?”

Janice let out a long groan, burying her face within her arms for a moment. She began to mutter out her story. “I was with the most wonderful man, but I got a little jealous because he was ignoring me. It also didn’t help that I had been sleeping with someone that I had met at this Christmas party he took me to. Nice guy. Didn’t have a lot going on in his head, but he was fun in the bedroom, and I was lonely.

But I had to be an idiot and do the right thing.” She looked up and scowled, which hardly did a thing to mar her beauty. “I came clean and decided to break it off with the good man. When I told the new guy I wanted to try being with him, he completely freaked out on me. I had to run away because he scared me so badly.”

“He reacted that poorly?” Duke folded his hands together. “Did he threaten you or hit you?”

Janice had tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She shifted between nodding and shaking her head in a confused manner. “Yes, well no. Maybe. I just… I just want to go back to my ex and tell him I’ve made the biggest mistake. I just want him to help me. It’s been… I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s been a terrifying week for me..”

“Your problem is that you are greedy.” His look became all the sterner as she sniffled. “You needed attention, and took it from another without the permission of your chosen mate. When you realized that you could not latch onto your new lover, you desired to go back to what was comfortable. Your ex is merely a pawn for your own games, and you care little for his opinion or happiness.”

Janice swung her mug at him, splashing the hot tea into Duke’s face. “Adi loves me! If I could just talk to him again, he’d take me back! You don’t know anything about us!” Duke hardly heard a word she said, flinging into a panic as he sought anything to pat his face dry. Liquid bad. Can’t have that linger on his dead flesh.

“What a bitch,” announced Kenelm as Janice rushed out of the room. He was rubbing a towel against his hair, a towel that was better suited for covering his exposed lower half. “Succubus only think about themselves. Their very nature drives them to take, take, take.” He thrust his hips crudely to emphasize his statement.

The flopping about of Kenelm’s substantial kibbles and bits made Duke look away as he finished patting his face dry with a napkin. “Humans have an old saying that wisely fits this situation. ‘Don’t stick your dick in crazy.’”

Kenelm laughed at the absurdity of the statement. “Firstborn are bound to magic law, one we are incapable of breaking. We cannot get into violent altercations with each other,” he stated as he poured himself a glass of white wine. The towel was now wrapped neatly tucking his hair away. “Our pacifist fool of a king wouldn’t like to learn about these pit fights. He’d have my ears if he knew I was involved.”

“I believe that cutting off our ears would count as a violent altercation.” Duke picked up the stack of papers and handed them to Kenelm. “These are the dossiers of all the Mithryn employed here, as you asked.”

“Figure of speech,” muttered the fairy as he rubbed the tip of one year nervously. “The King has a sort of executioner. One that is blessed of striping Firstborn of their magic and rendering them human. That is the condition that all demons are born with, as that is our law. However, I believe that it is the duty of every good patriot to hate upon their government, and I do more than my fair share of that.” Kenelm swished about his glass before taking a sip.

Duke nodded but didn’t say anything.

“But,” the elf continued, “let’s forget such sordid politics and discuss our agenda. I wish to provide this establishment with better fighters, and I believe I know who will provide me with them. You will be there to act as my bodyguard. There won’t be a need to fight, as your presence will be enough to ward them away from any ill intent.”

Duke looked at his phone again. This time it was Verlsa’s call that he chose to ignore. “As you wish, sir.”

***

Adi cursed at his phone. He had been trying to contact Duke for the past few hours with little to no success. Verlsa was working on her laptop on the couch. She did accounting consultation and still had a few side jobs. Minimum income, but she needed the extra cash for groceries.

Sable had stretched out on the floor next to the carbuncle. Her and Verlsa got along well, due to Verlsa sneaking her snacks during meals, but Sable would stalk Adi whenever he left the room. He had called his stepfather to see if he had any information on Desmond, but the man had a boringly clean record. It was worse when he tried to look up information about Janice. Janice always prided her privacy, but now Adi was thinking it odd that someone like her didn’t have a single social account.

“Varu- Vasu… Uh, Sula… You know what, whatever. “ He couldn’t be bothered to pronounce it now. “You were once a younger woman, right?” The glare that he received sent a chill down his spine. “No, what I mean is, and you might not get it because you’re an older woman, and I understand if you don’t, but there's no way an attractive younger woman wouldn’t have pictures of herself making stupid faces and poses all over the internet, right? That’s a thing all of them do?”

“I’m twenty-eight.” She went back to working, occasionally inputting numbers on the calculator sitting on the couch cushion next to her.

“Really?” Adi was startled by that revelation. “Because you and Duke seem so much ol- Uh, more mature than someone who wasn’t yet in their thirties.” Verlsa picked up the remote so she could turn up the volume on the television. “I’m asking because I really need your help with this.” Verlsa turned it up louder. “The neighbors already think I’m crazy enough after you two showed up! I don’t need noise complaint charges on top of that!”

“So I’m fucking crazy now?” She turned off the TV and stared at him silently, waiting for his answer.

Adi’s jaw dropped. He never had siblings, and his mother was a rather passive woman. Suddenly he was feeling a hint of what life would have been like if he had let Janice move in, and Janice was legitimately crazy. Verlsa seemed nice, but it seemed like she was easily triggered. To his amazement, a ring of is doorbell gave him the salvation that he needed.

Sable made her way to the door and sat down next to it. She was a good dog, only barking when the situation called for it. Adi followed her, but Versla had already stood up. She pulled a pistol out from the side table drawer, much to Adi’s shock, and held it behind her.

“I’ll handle it,” she muttered. Any possession spirit that showed up wouldn’t be able to take her since she was a demon, and she had been handling any loiterers that had appeared at the door. Though the gun was a little much, and those girl scouts might file a police report later because of it.

Verlsa opened the door and frowned at the woman in red. Her eye makeup was smudged from crying, it looked like she had tried to touch it up to no avail. Janice stared at Verlsa, then at Adi, who was now panicking over the idea that the mere thought of Janice had somehow summoned her presence, then at Verlsa again. Sable was the calmest, merely sniffing at Janice’s shoe before returning to her place by the couch. Despite his pet’s lax nature, Adi’s jaw dropped again, the horror in his eyes was unmistakable.

“Who the hell is this bitch?” Janice shoved Verlsa out of the way and made a few steps towards Adi. “I thought I meant something to you, but you replaced me already?! Was this the reason you moved to Tacoma?!”

Verlsa looked between Janice and Adi. If Sable didn’t worry, she wouldn’t either. She kept the gun hidden behind her as she fetched her laptop, then took a hiding position behind the kitchen counter. Adi had knelt down by Sable, scratching her repeatedly behind the ears. He was telepathically urging the barghest with every ounce of energy, calling upon her to rise up and protect him.

His lack of response didn’t phase Janice. “Baby... Baby, it’s okay.” Janice smiled calmly, even as her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned a powder white. “What I did was wrong, and you needed the comfort of an old hag. I understand. We’re even now, so we can move on and be stronger as a couple. Baby, I know exactly how you feel, and I want to tell you that it’s alright.”

“Janice.” Adi stood up and hesitantly stared at her. Janice. The last bit of comfort he had in his life before insanity had taken over.

He grasped her suddenly in a tight hug, burying his face into the side of her neck to smell that cherry blossom perfume she always wore. She comforted him by hugging him just as tightly, patting him on the back and reassuring him that everything will be okay.

“Yeah, baby. I’m here. I’m here for you.

“Janice,” he hesitantly pulled away. “Is Desmond alright? I heard you disappeared, and a detective came by looking for you. I didn’t know what to think.”

“Let’s just go to your room, alright? I’ll tell you everything.” He nodded and followed her to the bedroom, looking at her with a set of puppy dog eyes. Janice paused when she saw Verlsa’s clothes haphazardly spread out on his floor. She immediately slapped Adi across the cheek as hard as she could.

“Gah! What the hell was that for?!” Adi touched his cheek and looked down at his blood covered fingertips. Janice’s long nails had scratched through his skin. “What the hell is your problem?! We broke up! Who I have sex with now isn’t your business!”

“We’re not having sex or sleeping together!” Verlsa called out from the kitchen. A soft woof was heard as Sable vocalized her own opinion. “You are sleeping with him, but that’s different.”

Janice fell to her knees as she became a blubbering mess. She kept muttering things Adi couldn’t understand. Her forearms and hands rubbed against her face. Tears mixed with makeup, and those became streaks that further stained her skin.

“We can still talk...” Adi reached over to pat her head but stopped himself. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air. “I mean, just talk to me. What happened with Desmond? Why did you run away?”

“I don’t know… I-I just…” She looked up at him. “Desmond’s dead!”

“O-okay..?” Adi stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Let’s go to the living room and sit down there. Vermalasa is going to pour you some wine.” Verlsa looked up from her computer screen like Adi had just said something insane. “She is going to pour you some of the wine that is in the fridge, because you need a nice drink to calm your nerves, and nice people do nice things for those in distress,” Adi growled through his teeth as he peeked out of the hallway. Verlsa rolled her eyes at him.

Janice forced herself to a stand before following Adi to the living room. She sat down on the couch and took a moment to breathe. “It was after we had that argument, where we talked about taking a break. I went over to Desmond’s…” She patted at her eyes with tissue Adi had handed her. “I just wanted to explain everything to him and tell him that I wanted him to consider a relationship with me.

When I told him that we were on a break, he just… He was so mad, Adi. He was just so mad. I got scared, I said I’d call you, but then he just wanted to know where you were so the two of you could talk. He wanted to know that instant, and I told him I didn’t know. He grabbed a chair and threw it across the room. I got scared and then he just… Fell over. Just like that, f-fell right over. His body was cold and frigid when I checked him, there wasn’t a pulls at all. So I just... I just hid the body and ran.”

“Oh, Janice… He probably had an aneurysm, because that totally happens all the time. You weren’t responsible for any of that.” She nodded, and some of the color returned to her cheeks. “So do you know what that means?” Janice looked up at him, and Adi could see the hope in her eyes. “It means Varsumalala is going to hold off on pouring that wine because we are super duper broken up now!”

“W-what?” Janice shook her head. “Adi, baby, what are you saying..?”

“You can’t have someone die on you and then hide the body!” Adi started to pace back and forth. “That’s bad, Janice! That is really, really bad! You should have called the cops or the paramedics! Or maybe not! I don’t know, because a damn cop showed up here looking for you before shooting me!” Adi patted at his chest dramatically while Janice stared, clearly confused. “I got better!”

Verlsa stood at a safe distance away from the others. She had a glass of white wine in her hand that she was now drinking from. “You two are a fucking mess.” Her head bobbled. “Let’s all take a breath. Both of you go over the details of what happened with Desmond and Doyle or Coyle or who-fucking-ever. I don’t give a shit. Sort yourselves out.”

“Yeah, but…” Demons, inugami, vampires… Janice didn’t need all that floating about her head.

“It’s fine,” clarified Verlsa. “I have a hunch.”

The two went over as much as they could remember while Verlsa went through the remaining half a bottle of wine on her own. Janice was already feeling better. “Of course! Human possession! They took out the detective when he didn’t have any leads, and that’s why he shot you when you said you didn’t know where I was!”

Versla swished around her empty glass. “Aside from being a completely selfish bitch, what could you have done to piss off someone that badly?”

“Don’t call her a bitch! No one gets to call her that… Except me… And only while we’re, you know what? Nevermind. Janice? Aside from being your usual self, why do you think someone is after you?”

“I have no idea, but I feel like being here with you is starting to give me some answers.” She curled her legs toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “Adi, you’ll help me out, won’t you?”

Adi pulled out his phone and looked over the contacts list. “We’re still really, really broken up. I want to make that clear.” She nodded at him and he went back to looking at his phone. “I’m going to call Windi and give her an update.”

“Don’t.” Verlsa interrupted. “They’ll get her killed. Remember what happened in that forest? DH doesn’t risk their own. That’s why they had Duck-young fight for them, and the pair of us wander about the woods. I only called them for cleanup because I thought they owed us a favor.”

“I guess I’ll just keep texting the idiot until he decides to pick up.” Adi’s tolerance levels for irritating people was at its limit. “Or until he needs something. That’s the only time he seems to show up.”