Shaking, she reached into her pocket again. Checked again the dwindling contents of liquid by swishing it around inside. There was barely enough for another day. Maybe two.

Demons would find her, and find her quickly, if they can smell her.

A sudden wave of dizziness and nausea sent convulsions through her body and she heaved. Nothing came from her empty stomach.

Hallucinations of demons stalked out of the bushes at her.

Transformed completely into huge, grotesque versions of natural animals. Wolves bigger than a bear with twisted spines and fangs. Snakes with wings and claws. Boars with human heads and glowing eyes.

All coming for her and reaching to rake claws through her body.

Doom settled down on her and she looked at the dork.

She tried to lift it, to ward off the monsters crawling at her with the slowness of a phantom. It was too heavy now. Such a useless thing in her hands!

If she’d been a strong fighter maybe she could have survived. Could have killed the creatures coming after her.

It’s strange.

Her anger vanished and she lost all sense of place. Of danger. The monsters crawled onto her and she curled up in the grass. Something sharp poked her in the back while the dork fell from her hand.

She allowed a few, terrified sobs.

I’m going to die.

Abruptly her tears ended. The hallucinations, made from fever and frenzy, vanished. She was alone in the growing storm.

I’ve been so stupid.

She looked at the dork, so close to her hand, and made a decision.

It took some time but she returned to the boars’ meadow. Being mauled by a boar would be so much better than being executed by a demon. But she had a job to do first.

She sobbed through clenched teeth as she stumbled to the entrance of her would-be hideout.

It hurt.

It hurt so bad. Her head hurt. Everything hurt.

Dizzily she pulled it from her bag and dropped the dagger, shawl and all, inside the entrance. Then, ready to cry, she realized she couldn’t leave it like that.

No one finding it would know what it was if she didn’t have a chance to tell them.

Evening was coming. It was so cold. It was so hard to think.

In the end she opened her shawl and fumbled for her knife. It would have been easier to just use the dork instead of looking for her knife. But she didn’t know if it would kill a human, too.

Knife found, she cut her hand. Wincing at the painful sensation.

The message in blood on the dirty, damp shawl, was simple.

Kills Demons.

Dizzy, hungry, thirsty, she left the thing there.

She stumbled, slow and clumsy. Thirst burned her throat and swelled her lips. She tilted her head back to catch the rain but it wasn’t enough. And she fell over each time she tried.

There was a stream somewhere nearby.

That way, I think. I don’t know.

Her thoughts raced in short circles. Dream-like. Monsters were following her again and she heard the old screams that mingled with her sobs for her mother. And once, barely aware of her real surroundings, she held very still as Kelly fell down dead at her feet.

It was a shock when she found the stream. Stepping into it with a freezing splash and then falling on her backside.

Cold. So, so cold.

The shocking chill of the mountain water brought back much of her senses for a moment and she looked around. She knew this place. She’d piled those stones herself to make a pool.

First, drink. Second, crawl onto the bank. Maybe that garlic patch was still there. No, sleep, sleep sounded better. Shelter was better than that but… she couldn’t think straight…

Toes cold. Hands cold. Still thirsty. Hungry.

She curled up on the bank, shivering. Unaware of the noises she was making as thunder competed with her sobs. Blink. Curling around herself she couldn’t bring herself to care about anything anymore.

Not until she heard the splash.

The rain was beginning to peter off, otherwise she wouldn’t have heard it. She barely noticed, trying to crank open eyes that were dimmed with fever.

“Voids!”

The word was muttered with a growl of disgust but it was enough to make her sit up. Gasping and clawing to get to her feet. She fell with a crash, hitting something hard on her hip as she rolled right into the water.

It made little difference. She was already muddy and soaked.

She came up, splashing and gasping, disoriented to the point she wasn’t sure where she was or which way was up.

Then she felt someone grab her, lift her. Terror sent her moving and kicking, trying to get away from the danger.

“Lita! Lita! Lita, stop. It’s me. It’s me.”

Finally, she saw him. Lightning flashed and lit up his face. She saw enough of his face in that heartbeat to know him. Her whole body collapsed into a sobbing mess as she clutched at his shirt and pressed her face into his chest.

“Shh, Lita.” He murmured to her as he held her. “Shh. You’ll be ok now.”

She was babbling at him. Not sure exactly what she was saying. She was just so happy to see someone who wasn’t trying to kill her. Someone who’d once made her feel safe.

When nothing in the world could ever make her safe again.

She clung to that memory. She needed it.

“Shh, Lita. You’re making too much noise.”

“I know, I know. I’m cold. I’m… I’m…” She couldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop sobbing with big chest heaves. And didn’t register when he shifted her around and pressed a thumb into the base of her skull.

The girl went limp, not fighting his spell at all.

For a moment he just stood there, ankle deep in cold stream water that numbed his feet. Soaked from the rain.

She still shivered violently, her breathing wheezy with something wrong with her lungs.

Taiken closed his eyes tightly, shifting her to hold her more firmly against his chest. Thank the Void!

Then he turned around to look for a way out of the stream that didn’t involve falling.

***

“You want me to do what?”

Diana had been in her study when Lloyd had knocked and informed her that Aridon wanted to see her. She’d grimaced, put down the parchments she was sorting through, and hurriedly left the room.

The last thing she needed was to have Aridon see that room and start a scene. Or for her safe place to be violated by his cynicism.

Now she pinched her forehead and told herself to breathe. Behind her, close to the entrance of the training hall, she was aware that the Captain was watching them.

“Search the unnatural’s camp. I want,” Aridon swept a scornful look toward Lloyd, “the assistance of your enforcers. Preferably demon but I’ll take what you’ll give me.”

“For what cause are we going to Cheryl’s son’s camp?”

“You said he intended to find the spy first.” Aridon smiled nastily, eyes glowing with glee. “I just want to ensure he hasn’t yet succeeded.”

“Aridon.” Her patience was running thin. Too many days without enough sleep and trying to keep track of dozens of threads of investigations. “I’ve had people watching Taiken’s camp since the day the spy escaped. I would know if she’d been brought there.”

“Only if she was seen. Now, are you going to assist me? Or do I need to involve the other Brethren? Believe me, when it comes to this, they will be on my side.”

She sighed. He was right.

“Captain,” she said, without turning around and without lowering her hand, “who do we have to spare for this?”

“Division 3, Mistress.”

“I would rather have demons, Diana.”

“Well, you’re stuck with humans!” She straightened and glared. “All of our demon enforcers are out tracking the girl. And you’re lucky I have any humans to spare. As most of them are also searching the outskirts and following leads to the rebels.”

Aridon snarled, showing fang. Then he abruptly turned on his heel. “Fine. I’ll be going with you to help with the search. Be ready by the time I’m back!”

“I’ll alert the Division, Mistress,” she heard Lloyd murmur.

By the time she collected herself enough to look, he’d already vanished back into the training hall.

As expected, they were not welcome when they arrived at the Circus.

“We’re getting ready to start a show.” Taiken’s steward straightened to his full height, annoyed with their intrusion. And he exuded the scents of old fear and worry. “What do you expect me to do? Stop the show?”

“If necessary.” She glanced back at Aridon, telling him with her eyes to stay out of it. “We’re mostly interested in the complexes. Just inform your people to cooperate with our’s and-”

“And what exactly are you hoping to find here?” Sheldon waved a hand toward the camp.

“A fugitive. Perhaps evidence that your Master is behind the spying.”

Diana whipped her head around to Aridon’s smirking face. Voids him!

“Fu-” The human took a deep breath and rubbed a hand over his face. “You won’t find Lita here. Not until the Master gets back.” He took a step back and again waved at the camp. “Fine. Search whatever you want. I’ll send word around for everyone to cooperate. But, please, don’t take too much time. The show starts soon and we need to prepare.”

“Thank you.” Diana interposed. She waved to Lloyd who immediately signaled his men. “I’d like to ask you a few questions, then.”

“Ask away.”

“Diana, he may lie.” Aridon slyly put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Did you bring that thing I lent to you?”

She shot him a glare.

“I brought it, Master Aridon.”

This time she shot a glare at her Captain. For being too intuitive about his superior’s needs. His impassive face did not change expression as he pulled the item from his hip pouch and held it out to Aridon.

Aridon snarled, snatched the thing from Lloyd’s hand, then leaned close to Diana’s ear. “You let the human carry it?”

It was low enough that only she heard.

“For void’s sake!” She snatched it from him and turned to the steward. “Let me handle this, Aridon. It’s my job.”

“Perhaps you should have the human cancel their show? It’ll take some time to use it on all of them.”

Diana snapped. She spun on him, bracelet still in hand, and she deformed her arm as she pushed hard against his chest. The extra strength in her arm and chest muscles gave her the power she needed to make him stumble back.

“Get out of here. Sniff around, search their things, make them nervous. Do whatever you need to do to feel you’ve done something. But leave the actual questioning to me. Do you understand?”

He smirked and surprised her by abruptly kissing her on the lips.

“I like you like this.”

She had a few names in mind for what she could call the irritating demon.

And around her the smells were spiking with bits of fear as her enforcers went from tent to tent, searching. It shouldn’t take long. There was only so many hiding places you could put an adult human.

“Now, steward.” She held up the band. “Let’s begin.”

She briefly thought it was interesting that there was a small spike in his scent. A spike of recognition. He’d been watching the enforcers and her, so it could’ve been anything.

She dismissed it and snapped the bracelet on his unresisting forearm.

If she’d looked back she would have seen Aridon pause and shoot her a half formed smile. He’d heard just enough to know that she was actually going to do what he’d asked her to.

Which he’d expected.

As long as he danced around certain things, and allowed her her snarls, the demoness was actually very obedient.

It was useful to him.

He breathed in deeply as he walked. Enjoying the pungent smell of fear that curled around the edges. Humans were standing helplessly outside their tents while the enforcers searched inside. They were not being as… destructive wasn’t the right word. Thorough, maybe? As he would’ve liked.

If he’d had demons here they would have gleefully disordered things and left a mess in their wake.

The human enforcers were being too polite.