The journey back to the inn was painful but not otherwise interrupted. And in Gia’s distraught state, she didn’t seem to question it when Vaeri showed up after a few minutes’ waiting. The priestess was draped in a dark cloak that concealed her ears and most of her body, which I’d thought might draw its own attention but hadn’t seemed to, yet. We’d sprayed the cloak to mask her scent, too, so no one should suspect an elf was under there. After all, what mortal would risk walking into a demon city?

She kept her voice quiet enough that the incantations weren’t blatant as she healed Gia and I. Me first, to my surprise, but mine might be more critical. Once I could breathe freely and my chest’s sharp pains were replaced with soreness, Vaeri moved on to Gia, murmuring “there, now, it’s all right.” Words and tenderness she hadn’t used with me.

That was the first time her defense had failed so obviously. Thinking back, I couldn’t see an obvious reason why; Gia hadn’t known she was doing anything, but if she was defending herself subconsciously, the circumstances should have been frightening enough for her to do so. She’d been hurt just now by falling on the ground, and then the shrapnel of a missed blow. So perhaps it had something to do with being attacked directly? But she just had been by the taotie‘s suction, so I couldn’t see how that would make sense…

Healing Gia was quick and seemingly easy, regardless, and Vaeri left once she was at least physically better. Gia had a dull, vacant look in her eyes, barely seeming to be processing things around us. She stirred slightly when the inn door shut, looking around before settling on me with a beseeching gaze.

I wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for, but I did know I didn’t have the right to comfort her more than I had. So I got her up to her room and put her to bed, like I was tucking in a child or younger sister. I murmured for her to take care, posted Lycoris by her door as a friendly face to guard it, and went to make some more preparations before returning to camp.

When I did stroll back into camp, it was with Macodes and several Ebon Company heavy hitters. I’d made the satyrs and oreads guard the place to fill in for Salix and Perpetua. But those two wouldn’t be back to relieve them of duty, now.

It didn’t take long to find what we were looking for, a small campfire off away from our own, but no elf immediately in sight.

“Planning to kill me after all, then?” Vaeri’s voice rung out. She was glaring out at us from behind a tree, and I could see a glowing circle suspended in front of her now, a staff made of light summoned into her hand. “Well, you should have brought more demons than just this, if that is your aim. I won’t go down easily.”

“You weren’t kidding about the mouth on this one,” Macodes told me, still smiling.

I pushed down my senses screaming that a painful death could happen any second. I wouldn’t grovel or beg, but I did bow my head, low enough that it might be considered mocking. “Lady Vaeri. I’m here to apologize for failing to fulfill your wishes.”

She blinked. That seemed to startle her enough that the conjured staff winked out. “Pardon?”

“You insisted that we be ready to leave a day from when we last spoke, or you would leave on your own. It’s now been a day’s time, and the professional mercenaries I’ve contracted,” I nodded meaningfully to Macodes, “Will need a few more hours to fully ship out.”

“Ah– well, yes, that is acceptable,” Vaeri said, regaining some of her poise, though her brow was still furrowed. “I accept your apology, that will be just fine…”

“I insist, Lady Vaeri! I failed to live up to our agreement, you shouldn’t have to be held back by our delays now.” I was trying to keep a straight face, but I could hear Macodes starting to snicker, as Vaeri’s gaze darkened with growing suspicion. “Go on. Be free. You have no more need to be tied to us. Aconite will be somewhere off that way,” I waved a hand in a vaguely northern direction, “And I wish you the luck you will no doubt need for taking her on all alone.”

Vaeri’s long ears twitched, and her eyes narrowed to slits. “Oh, you vile woman.”

I chuckled. “Guilty as charged.” I should have called her bluff last night, quite frankly, but I hadn’t thought to at the time. Besides, people didn’t act rationally when they were angry. She might well have stormed off if I had told her to, or done worse than injure my shoulder.

But I’d brought enough muscle with me now to be confident she wouldn’t try it. Now I had the upper hand. “You did say you’d rather travel on your own, no? Well, I’m pleased to say your services are no longer required. Now you have the chance again.”

Vaeri’s angry look was fading, becoming more agitated. As far as she knew, I was serious about this. “Surely you must know this is a mistake. You need my battle magic, and magical healing…”

“Oh, the Ebon Company has an army doctor who can see to our wounds,” I said, glancing to Macodes for confirmation.

Macodes nodded along, right on cue. “Sawbones won’t make you look all pretty, but he’s great at getting you back on your feet.”

“So thoughtful for you to care about injuries like the one you gave me, though,” I told Vaeri pleasantly.

Vaeri growled at me, eyes flashing. “I should have let you keep those shattered ribs.”

“Surprisingly, also not an injury I’d have, if you had actually interceded to help at any point.” I smiled at her coldly. “You really haven’t made this parting difficult for me, Vaeri.”

“You told me yourself to hang back and wait…” I could see a flash of fear in her eyes, and felt a dark twinge of satisfaction. “Anthurium, I realize our relations haven’t been the most… cordial, but surely you won’t truly abandon me to my death–”

“You came here all on your own to begin with. And you seemed perfectly willing to leave us no matter the danger we’d be in without you.” I smiled at her more. “And now we’ll be just fine without you, Vaeri. You should have known not to try strong-arming a demon.”

She bared her teeth, anger once again filling her eyes. “You realize I could kill you now where you stand.”

“Absolutely. And if you didn’t kill every other demon here, you’d bring your chances of rescuing your friend from small down to zero,” I said agreeably. “Not to mention how Lady Hydrangea would feel if you did kill me,” I added in a casual tone, but I didn’t miss how her expression shifted at that.

“She can’t approve of you doing this to me, either…” Vaeri swallowed hard. “Anthurium, just let me talk to her. You owe me that much, at least–”

“I think there might be an elf skulking around our camp,” I told Macodes, cutting Vaeri off. “If I were her, I’d leave before the sentries notice. You did tell me how they can get jumpy on watch.”

Vaeri stilled, looking at me, before her jaw set. “I’m glad demons have nothing once they die. Hell would be too good for you,” she hissed at me. Then she turned on her heel and left.

I waited until I was sure she was out of earshot before turning to Macodes. “You’re sure that she won’t notice being tailed?” Vaeri could handle lone demons just fine, but she’d need rescuing if she ran into Aconite’s pack.

“My guys were watching that whole time. You didn’t notice them, did you?” My surprise must have shown on my face, given how she chuckled. “Yeah, she didn’t either, I’m sure. They’ll stay close by, but I still think it’s a waste not to eat her ourselves. Haven’t had elf in ages, and she seemed like a strong one, too.”

“No. Believe me, she’ll be useful to us.” I looked in the direction Vaeri had gone. “This is just to remind her that she needs us, too.” And make it clear that she had no right to call the shots with me. If she tried pushing me around, I was going to push back.

- - -

Morning came, and the suns rose over Hymetos, but the city hadn’t forgotten all that happened yesterday. It wasn’t long after sunup before shouting started in the streets, voices decrying the dead governor and his thugs and torturers.

More angry demons joined in quickly, and even though the ones taking most of the blame were dead, the people’s rage still burned, just asking for an outlet. Before long, crashes and screams threaded through the shouts, the stomp of angry feet and claws a rumbling in the background. An angry gathering had turned into a full-on riot.

Our breakfast had been interrupted by the noise, so I was in the inn’s lobby with Gia and Crassula, looking out on the streets. “I thought things quieted down after yesterday. But so many people are still angry,” Gia murmured, gaze still distant even today.

I was going to tell her it would blow over soon, but Crassula cut in before I could. “No one in charge around to give orders. No one left in charge to be mad at, either.”

I gave Crassula a look, but grudgingly agreed. That was pretty astute for a goblin thug, even couched in a basic vocabulary. Power vacuums were dangerous instabilities, as looking at the whole damn country could easily tell you. A lack of obvious successor here was a consequence I’d expected.

Normally, even in Hesperia’s ‘civilized’ parts, violent disputes for leadership led to either the victor taking over or the demon whose behalf they’d fought on. But the Ebon Company would be thoroughly unwelcome here after yesterday’s news, so even if she wanted to Macodes couldn’t easily stay and rule.

“The governor?” Gia stirred a little at that, looking between us. “Is he what they’re mad about? But I thought you said he was really bad and hurting people.”

“He was. Believe me, they’ll be better off without him.” I did believe that. I had to believe it, because we’d be leaving them like this.

“Then why are they still…” Gia gestured weakly outside.

“Rioting?” I shrugged. “Doesn’t take a wrath demon to get angry about things. A lot of demons lost people, either at his manor yesterday or before. And the governor being dead means they can’t have revenge on him. Ebon Company helped capture demons for him, so I’d guess most anger’s directed at them.”

I’d foreseen it and told Macodes she should get the mercenaries off the streets. Armor, weapons and training wouldn’t keep you from being mobbed to death. And escalating into a conflict with the citizens was the last thing we needed right now.

Macodes had made the point that the citizens wouldn’t be so angry if not for the kidnappings our ‘new recruits’ had done last night. But it had gotten her free of the governor, and I’d still helped put her in charge, so she couldn’t be that mad.

“The ones we’re taking with us,” Gia said, mouth in a tight line. “I don’t love the idea of that.”

“Mercs will follow orders,” Crassula told her. “Lady won’t order to kidnap people, so should all be fine.” She grinned toothily at Gia, who gave her a weak smile in response. Crassula’s gaze flicked my way, but if she had more to say she didn’t voice it yet.

“And it was just a few who he was paying off on the side. Corruption’s just as plentiful in demons as in mortals.” I chuckled mirthlessly. “Moreso, if you believe what the priests say about us all having corrupted souls.”

“Our souls?” Gia swallowed, looking down and poking a finger against her chest as if hoping to gauge her soul’s sturdiness. “What, like even kids? That sounds more like religious people being judgy.” She frowned, but her heart didn’t seem in it.

Crassula blinked and looked sharply at Gia as she mentioned kids, but didn’t speak up, so I answered instead. “Well, the priesthoods are that. But their words about sins match up with all I’ve seen of demons.” Plenty didn’t map onto an obvious sin, admittedly. But I couldn’t know everything after just ten years. “And demons don’t have children. We just appear in adult bodies, like you did. It’s called Emergence.”

Gia’s eyes widened. “Don’t have kids, or can’t?”

“Neither. We’re beings of sin, so they say. We form naturally when mortals die. No need to reproduce.” No families to leave behind. No legacies but what we build for ourselves.

Gia looked down at herself and sighed. “Well, I guess I’d have needed to adopt anyway, but… aah.” She looked morose. “Crassula, didn’t you mention having a tribe? I think Uvaia did too. You don’t have families in those, either?”

“Tribes are generally comprised of one race of demon, but just ones that found each other and stuck together for protection,” I answered. I could have sworn Crassula stiffened up when Gia asked, but looking at her now she did look at ease. “There are orc tribes too, Sedum’s probably from one. but, you know, he doesn’t really talk about his past.”

Whether tribes, clans, warbands or cities, safety in numbers was one of the first rules of Hesperia. Demons Emerging near allies were likely to survive. Demons who appeared on their own were frequent, easy prey.

“Yes. That how tribe works.” Crassula looked blank, but with a shifty cast to her eyes. It was a bit odd how there were so many goblins – were they just the natural formation of some kind of soul? – but that wasn’t something I cared about enough to delve into.

Gia just nodded, looking distant. “I guess it’s better if kids and families won’t get caught up in all that, out there.”

There was the shattering sound of glass breaking from outside. Gia flinched, but the inn still hadn’t been touched, so we were fine. I’d guess the taverns where the mercs used to drink might not be so lucky. “It’ll all blow over soon,” I told her. It couldn’t be that long before someone new took power. I steadfastly ignored the empty throne’s evidence to the contrary.

Gia winced. “Is there… I don’t know. Nothing we could do to help?” Her voice was tired, though. This wasn’t the determined Gia who’d made me spare Crassula, or ran off to befriend Vaeri to find me a healer. She was asking me, not insisting. I wasn’t sure, seeing her drawn face, if this was better after all.

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“We wouldn’t have many options other than suppressing the riot or imposing calm by force.” If I really had been from here like I said, I might have known a replacement leader we could put in power now. But I hadn’t, so we couldn’t. “A new leader could step in, but you’re not known here, and you haven’t proved yourself to them like when you killed Taraxacum.”

“You’d want me to be in charge?” Gia’s eyes had gone wide and scared. “No, no. Leading people around’s one thing, but I can’t run a whole city.”

“It was just an example,” I told her, holding in a sigh of disappointment. “We need to go after Aconite, anyway. You can’t just take over, tell people to stop fighting, and then leave.” Though if she’d been willing to take over, coming back afterwards would have been my next suggested stop.

“That’s… true.” Gia sighed. “I guess it’s not really our business.” She looked glum all the same.

“Hey.” I touched her shoulder, and Gia stirred. “Come with me. I’ve got something that might cheer you up,” I murmured to her, and beckoned Crassula along as well.

Gia came along, with a slow pace and a doubtful look. It gave Crassula time to tag up by my side, lowering her voice to a raspy whisper. “Ann is paying mercs enough, yes?” she asked, and I bristled. “Fought with ones like them before. Might leave or kill you if not paid. Or better offer.”

“I know that. I don’t need you to tell me,” I snapped. I’d been managing armies my whole life as a demon, I didn’t want some sub-literate goblin telling me my business. Mercenaries’ loyalty was negotiable, but nearly anyone’s loyalty was negotiable. And getting trained, experienced fighters numerous enough to fight a warlord was more than worth the price. “And you call me Anthurium.”

The goblin shrugged her shoulders. “Crassula glad we swearing to Lady instead of Ann.”

“Huh? Swearing?” Gia started, looking at us in confusion.

So much for the surprise. “Yeah. Come inside,” I told her, and opened the door to my room.

Uvaia and Sedum were already inside, standing, each of them fitted with gleaming steel armor. Sedum showed Gia a friendly grin, raising a hand. I’d gotten Vaeri to heal his burn, so the breastplate shouldn’t aggravate it. Uvaia smiled more nervously, wearing a light chainmail shirt with large holes for her wings. The smith hadn’t been pleased with that change to her work, but stealing from the governor had

Crassula came over and shrugged off her old breastplate, starting to don new, riveted brigandine. Three blank white tabards lay on my bed; getting custom embossments for armor couldn’t happen overnight, but a symbol could be sewn or painted onto cloth more easily.

“Oh,” Gia said, staring at them all. Her mouth had fallen open, but a faint smile was tugging at her lips as she looked my way. “Ann, what is this?”

“This is my solution to bringing them along, hopefully with less danger.” I saw realization flicker in her eyes as she recalled our talk the other night. “This kind of thing isn’t all that precedented in Hesperia, so I figured a small, private ceremony would do. Though I doubt what I’ll be asking will be much more than what you’ve done already,” I told the others, chuckling.

“Plenty worse ceremonies to join, I’d say. And we get some good armor to boot.” Sedum said, smiling back.

I nodded. “Stand across from Gia, you three. I’ll officiate.” They took positions – the room wasn’t quite meant for this many people, but it would do. “Loyal servants of Lady Hydrangea. Representatives of our clan…” I paused, looking at Gia. “We really should choose a name for our clan. Obsidian and Moonrise are the ones I’ve told you.”

Gia quieted briefly. “How about the Evening Star clan?”

I blinked at her. “That sounds alright to me. But do you have a reason for suggesting it?”

“Ah, it’s kind of silly,” Gia said, blushing. “But there’s this… basically a demon, from where I’m from, known as the Morning Star. He was really powerful, but he caused a lot of problems, and I– I’d just want to be a different kind of demon than that, I guess.”

“…I don’t think that’s silly.” In the end, much of what I meant to do was fixing problems, myself. “Representatives of the Evening Star clan. Uvaia. Sedum. Crassula. Do you swear to serve and support Lady Hydrangea, however she needs both in battle and without? She will not ask things of you you are unwilling to give. She will treat you kindly, watch over you and keep you safe. And you will do your best to return this treatment to her in kind.”

“Aye, I swear it,” Sedum said, inclining his head to Gia.

“I swear, too.” Uvaia had been smiling at first like she wasn’t sure how seriously to take this all, but she looked focused now.

“I swear.” Crassula herself looked dead serious. She even got the pronoun right this time.

I clapped my hands once. “Then I welcome each one of you to Lady Hydrangea’s personal guard.” And like that, it was like a rush of tension had left the room.

“This is really sweet,” Gia murmured, smiling around at them. “It’s like you’re all my knights.”

That got looks of confusion from Sedum and Uvaia. “Knights?” Uvaia asked, blinking. “You mean like humans have?”

Gia stared at them, then swallowed, visibly steeling herself. “Yeah. Like humans have. I… remember my life before I became a demon. I’m used to being a human. I still kind of think of myself as one. If you’re going to be looking out for me, I just,” She inhaled, hesitating. “Thought you all should know.”

I was frozen. Not wanting to look at them, staring with disbelief at Gia. How could she admit it so easily like this? Didn’t she know how vulnerable it would make her? Didn’t she realize she’d be helpless once they knew she wasn’t a real demon?…

“I thought it would be something like that,” Uvaia murmured, touching her chin with a wingtip.

“Aye, that does explain quite a few things,” Sedum agreed, sharing a look with Uvaia. She nodded.

Crassula was grinning ear-to-ear. “Crassula thought so from the start,” she said proudly, and that was what made Gia let out a startled, relieved laugh.

“Okay. Okay, that’s… good, I’m glad.” Gia let out a bone-deep sigh, smiling like a heavy weight had left her shoulders. “Thank you guys, for being, um. Cool with it. Being here really hasn’t been easy. But I think with friends like you to support me,” And she smiled at me too, oblivious to the guilt twisting in my stomach. “I might eventually be okay.”

- - -

We set out not long after that. I’d thought getting the Ebon Company out of their barracks might be a bigger problem, but to my surprise, riot or no riot, Macodes and her force met us outside the walls right on time. She herself had a bulging stomach and I could see blood around the mouths of several others, but I didn’t bring it up. You work with the tools at your disposal.

We now numbered nearly four hundred, even with a few of our own not coming along. Boquila and Byzantina had chosen to stay, and I’d told Gia the technical truth that those who’d died were staying in the city too. It was easier on her this way.

We’d spent most of the day marching, through which I was glad not to be one of those wearing heavy armor, before I . Off in the distance, against the dimming sky, I thought I spotted a few flashes of light.

“Commander,” an Ebon Company soldier came up to me, a red-skinned woman bigger than me but not matching Macodes. “One of our scouts reported in, hostiles up ahead. They’re engaging the elf.”

“Huh?” Gia startled, looking at me. “Does she mean Vaeri? What’s she doing out there?”

“I’ll take care of it,” I told Gia shortly, looking at the soldier. “Moonrise Clan?” Aconite’s clan was the safest assumption, but I let the woman confirm with a nod. “What’s the enemy composition?”

“Rougarous, at least two, maybe more – they’ve been using their agility to dodge the elf’s holy magic. Bugbears and goblins, one or two barghests. Estimate of two score or a bit over. Minimally armed.”

Easy pickings, for the force we now had at our disposal. “Distance?”

“About half a mile.”

Good, so Vaeri hadn’t gotten too far ahead of us. I’d thought Hesperia being unfamiliar to her would help there. “Have the light infantry corps advance in two detachments, archery corps supporting them. Enemy force is all infantry, so Lieutenant Lithops’ unit will draw the hostiles out, archers hold fire until they’re near to minimize chance of escape. Sergeant Chromolaena’s wait off Lithops’ east flank to engage, and keep any stragglers from escaping. And try to take prisoners, if they can.”

The soldier saluted and went to relay my orders. Gia was looking at me with raised eyebrows before she shook her head, seeming to refocus. “If Vaeri’s in trouble, we need to hurry.” She sped up her pace, and though I doubted we’d reach the scene in time to make a difference ourselves, I quickly followed.

As I expected, Aconite’s forces didn’t stand a chance. We outnumbered this group of them five to one, even without the half the Company that were heavy infantry, and Vaeri had taken out who knew how many before our force backed her up. And, crucially, they weren’t expecting us.

By the time Gia I arrived there, the battle had been very thoroughly won. One lone elf stood there, splattered in blood, amid dozens of demons both alive and dead.

“Vaeri!” Gia called, running towards her as I followed, seeing no rush. “Are you okay?”

Vaeri was wiping her bloodied mouth with an embroidered handkerchief. “I am alive, no thanks to that one,” she snapped, pointing at me. “She abandoned me!“

“You’re the one who suggested setting out alone,” I said quickly. “But of course we followed you to ensure your safety. You’re still valuable to us.”

Gia frowned at me, but didn’t press me on it. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” she told Vaeri earnestly. “But you shouldn’t keep traveling apart from us! It’s dangerous!”

“I am well aware,” Vaeri said, cheeks reddening under Gia’s gaze. “But I doubt it would be safe in your current company, either.” She shot me a look that could kill.

“We can talk to the other demons for you–”

“Lady Hydrangea.” I sighed, shaking my head. “They won’t magically be alright with having an elf here.”

Gia hesitated at that, looking between us. “Well, Ann did have that prisoner idea… But I know you didn’t like it, Vaeri. Is there anything else that could work?”

Vaeri stared at Gia for a second. “I would be willing to pretend I am your prisoner. If,” she added sharply, holding up a finger. “I am quartered with you and none other. …My lady.”

Gia blinked a couple times. “Um, well my tent’s not that big, but we could fit in another sleeping mat… that’d be alright.” She looked at me. “That’s alright, isn’t it, Ann?”

I frowned. I rankled at the thought of letting Vaeri have her way again, but this would be a simpler solution than having anyone else guard a ‘prisoner’. I trusted Sedum and Uvaia not to harm Vaeri, but Gia was the only one the elf couldn’t kill if she had a mind to. Of course, if she did get violent, Gia still might not be ready to shut her down by force.

“Give us a minute,” I told her, and pulled Gia aside, whispering once I thought we were outside even an elf’s keen hearing. “You realize she could be requesting you since she thinks you won’t hurt her.”

Gia stared at me, eyebrows rising. “Um, is that supposed to be a bad thing? Why would she want to stay with someone who might hurt her?”

“No, I meant– ugh.” I grimaced. “I meant she could be banking on that, planning to take advantage of it. It would be safer to get her in your tent and then slap a gag in her mouth, and bind her hands.” Not only would that keep Vaeri from casting, but from telling Gia anything inconvenient.

Gia’s brow furrowed, mouth turning down. “I think part of why she’d want to stay with me,” she said, with a patient air that reminded me annoyingly of one speaking to a child, “Is that I wouldn’t try to make her do that kind of thing. Meaning,” she continued as I opened my mouth, “That I can guess she’d hate it. And I’d rather we be friends.”

“I’m not in the habit of friendships with people who could easily kill me.” If I said the wrong thing and pissed a strong demon off, I might well end up as a bloody splatter. Better to keep things professional, and keep them distant. Exactly like I had not done with Gia.

“That explains some things.” Gia smiled weakly as I glared at her, raising her hands. “Didn’t mean it in a bad way. So, is that a yes, she can stay with me?”

I hesitated. “Let me talk to her first to be sure she’ll behave.” I turned away towards Vaeri, before pausing, looking back at Gia. “If she does start casting spells and you need to stop her: mortal magic needs the caster to fully vocalize an incantation. Anything to keep her from speaking would do. Just don’t hesitate.”

Gia blinked at me. After a second her cheeks flushed pink.

“What are you imagining?” I asked her, torn between chuckling and rolling my eyes.

“Nothing!” Gia yelped, too quickly. “Nothing I should be thinking about if I’m going to share a tent with her,” she added under her breath, still blushing as she looked towards Vaeri.

I felt a flash of irritation. Not jealousy, not for the stupid tall elf with her perfect hair and perfect skin who Gia had seen straightaway as like her, a mortal with no secrets in the way of a bond… “That’s right. You shouldn’t,” I told her, maybe more forcefully than I intended. “I’ll be right back.”

Vaeri had her arms crossed as I walked back, glaring at me. “Have you told her yet how you abandoned me to die?”

“You threatened to walk first. All I did was call your bluff. We were following you ready to assist if you got in danger. Like we did just now.” I shook my head. “You were fine.”

“Well, for all I knew I really was kicked out and walking to my death!” Vaeri hissed at me. “I don’t think I slept a wink even when I bedded down.”

“So you had to deal with, let’s say a day of being under extreme stress, wondering how you’d pull it off? Feeling like someone you’d been counting on didn’t care if you lived or died?” I stared at Vaeri. “Wow. I really wonder what that’s like.”

“Sarcasm does not become you,” Vaeri growled at me. “This isn’t over.”

“Oh, I know. We still have your human to rescue.” I smiled at her, knowing I did have her number there. “It won’t benefit either of us to push each other too far. Right?”

“…agreed.” She frowned at me, jaw clenched tight. “A truce for now, until Erik is safe and Aconite is dealt with. So long as you don’t break it first.”

It didn’t escape me that a truce was something called between enemies. Maybe Gia’s perspective had a point. But it was a bit late to try and befriend Vaeri myself. So I’d stay the course myself and hope Gia could handle that.

“Fair enough,” I told her, then lowered my voice further. “Oh, and if you’re thinking of trying to drive a wedge between me and Gia,” I couldn’t imagine she hadn’t considered it, with what we’d both taken part in to make Gia kill. “Keep in mind that she’s of more use to us both if she’s not distracted or torn up inside. And I’d carefully consider just whose word she’d trust more.”

“So concerned with betrayals and people’s use to you. You’d fit right in back home, oh yes,” Vaeri muttered, tone not remotely complimentary. Then she stopped and looked at me, eyes narrowing. “I don’t believe I told you Erik was a human–”

“Commander Anthurium!” A shout from an Ebon Company soldier interrupted us, before I had to come up with an excuse. “We’ve captured some of the hostiles alive, per your orders. One of them, he wants to speak with you.”

I looked over and saw a rougarou kneeling on the ground with a sword and spear spanning his throat, wolf tail thumping as he looked back towards me. Not remotely what I’d expect of a demon in this situation.

“I’ll take care of it,” I told the mercenary, pursing my lips. “Lady Hydrangea, you stay and guard the prisoner for now.” Something in the back of my mind made me think I wouldn’t want Gia hearing what he had to say.

I walked over to the rougarou, stopping a couple yards away. In this form he was a brown-furred wolf with patches of white on his face and underbelly. “Shift back,” I told him. Rougarou could speak even in wolf form, but it was also the shape Aconite always had them fight in, as far as I knew. He should feel more vulnerable in furless form, which would help for any interrogation. And it would make it harder for him to leap up and rip out my throat.

His own neck shrunk down neatly between the weapons, and I ended up facing a pink-skinned man with sideburns and dark hair covering his arms and chest. His ragged shorts tied by a rope didn’t fit a wolf the same as this body, but I didn’t look away as he pulled up and tightened them, even with a wince at the flash of full frontal. “Hello!” he told me in a rough, low voice. “You are Anthurium! Right?”

“That’s me. Who are you?” Looking at him like this, you could have thought he was human. But I knew better than that; he might have been at one point before taking the rougarou curse, but even for the few demons turned rather than Emerged, the transformation was a permanent one.

“My name is Comfrey!” He grinned at me, looking for all the world like he’d be wagging a tail if he still had it. “I knew I recognized your scent! Huntmistress told us about you!”

“Uh.” I tensed up hearing that, neither part of it news I liked. “What did Aconite- no, why did you want to speak to me?” The half-asked question might not be one I’d want answered aloud.

“She said you were the one who gave us the good information!” Comfrey said helpfully, and I froze. Shit shit shit. “You helped us a lot to beat the lumpy demon. That’s why she said to bring you back if we found you!”

Fuck. Of all the times to hear this news, it was standing by near-strangers who didn’t answer directly to me. Too many witnesses around to kill them, and I couldn’t myself, I’d need Gia or Vaeri. “Bring me back? She doesn’t want me for a mate, I hope?” I didn’t think her tastes ran my way, but at this point I was desperate for a distraction, trying to think on how to keep rumors from spreading.

“I don’t think so! But Huntmistress keeps a lot of mates. I think she picks me often because I am a generous lover…”

“Yeah, I didn’t ask, okay,” I told him, holding up a hand. Still, that… might have possibilities. In build and facial structure he resembled a hairier, pink-skinned Sedum. But I had more pressing concerns right new. “So she wants me there. What, peacefully? Or by force?”

“I’m not sure!” Comfrey said, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. “But she told our pack not to kill you if we saw or smelled you. And I recognized your smell from when you came to our camp, so I let you go in the forest!” He panted. “I think we should be friends, too. I don’t know why the Huntmistress didn’t want to be friends before.”

My mental screams for him to shut up and stop talking were interrupted by the ice-cold thought that this was the one who let me go. This was the bastard who’d killed Cory. I had to force myself to take a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “So. You want to escort us to her. No ambushes. No hard feelings over this?” I gestured around at the littered corpses.

“Uh huh!” Comfrey beamed at me. “You didn’t know we wanted to be friends yet. And you weren’t the one who killed one of the pack!” His eyes narrowed at that briefly, but he was quickly back to smiling.

This had to be a trap. There was no way Aconite had actually reconsidered– no, I’d think about that later. Even if this was a trap, whether or not this man was lying to my face or oblivious… If I played it right, kept all our forces alert and delayed for my plans to come through with Zamioculas, it could still work in our favor. Aconite wouldn’t know about that yet, and she couldn’t ignore Zamioculas once she was posing a threat. She’d have to split her forces to handle the hamadryad. She might end up with actual reason to depend on me.

“All right, Comfrey.” I gestured to the Ebon mercenaries to let him up, and he stood as they pulled back their weapons. “I hope you understand we’ll need to keep you and the other survivors guarded, but I’ll let you escort us to your Huntmistress. She and I can have a talk.”

He grinned widely at me, and I looked at the others. If I filled in Macodes right away, she shouldn’t have reason to distrust me. She could convince the company this was just a new opportunity for victory and profit. “Report to Commander Macodes. I’ll speak with her soon; tell her there’s going to be some changes to our plan.”