They passed several daemons as they moved about—noonatatattoos to be seen—which made sense, given that none of them were eligible to receive them. These daemons seemed different too—their attitudes were humbler, almost like the witches and mortals she knew.
Ena could tell they were making their way towards the center of the level, and eventually, they walked through a large open archway, entering into a spacious cavern filled with the same metal stoves Ena had seen in Lara’s kitchen. There were about a dozen of them lined along the walls, and the air was filled with the conflicting aromas of several different foods cooking. About half a dozen people moved around the space—chopping and stirring and chatting casually with one another.
Lara greeted several of the daemons as they entered, and they greeted her warmly in return, but the same couldn’t be said about the way they greeted Ena. Their eyes darted to herimperaecollar, and they looked at her with a mixture of pity and suspicion. But Ena found that she was, unfortunately, getting used to that reaction, and it didn’t stop her from enjoying the unique atmosphere.
It was friendly, cozy, but for some reason, watching the daemons interact with one another, especially in the kitchen,made Ena’s heart ache for home. Despite choosing to be here, she missed her Coven, and she missed Greya.
“Are you alright?” Lara asked, pulling her aside next to an unused stove. She had clearly noticed the conflicting emotions on Ena’s face, and her brow was furrowed in concern.
“Yeah,” Ena said, trying to wipe the forlorn look off her face. “It’s just…”
She paused, wondering if they had advanced to the part in their friendship where Ena could share some of these things. She didn’t want Lara to think that missing her Coven meant she excused what witches had done in the past, or that her loyalty was to them over Ty and the daemons, but Lara had been nothing but kind to her, so…maybe it would be safe to open up.
“It’s my sister,” Ena explained. “Being here reminds me of her. She loves to cook. She makes the absolute best biscuits this side of the Chasm Mountains,” Ena said, smiling sadly. “I try not to think about it, but I miss her. A lot. She’s like my other half, and we didn’t part on very good terms.”
Lara looked at her sympathetically. “Did those terms maybe have something to do with Ty?” she guessed, raising her brows.
Ena nodded. “I just hope she forgives me for coming here. I hope I get the chance to explain better about everything, and that she’ll believe me.” Ena offered a watery smile, trying to act as if she wasn’t distraught at the thought, but Lara wasn’t falling for it.
“She’ll believe you,” Lara said simply. “If she’s anything like you, she’ll come around.”
Ena laughed slightly at her confidence. “How can you be so sure? You don’t even know her. You barely know me.”
“I know you’re brave as fuck for coming here. And loyal to Ty, for choosing to help him after all these years. If you’re as close as you say, when the time comes, I know she’ll believe you. And I bet she’s already forgiven you.”
Ena felt the knot in her heart loosen slightly, and she stared gratefully at Lara.
Should they hug? Ena felt like maybe they should hug, but she didn’t know if Lara was a hugger. Gaia, new friendships were awkward sometimes.
Luckily, Lara spared her any more fretting. “Come on,” she said simply, nodding towards the back of the kitchens.
Ena followed her friend as they resumed their tour of the kitchens. Lara showed her the food pantries, which were communal for the entire mid-level. She explained how they rationed the food, giving each family an equal portion, but that since they hadn’t yet built kitchens in every home, thanks to Cole and his refusal to sanction the labor required, they often came together to cook and share what they made.
Ena found herself in awe of the cold storage room, which had been Imbued with runes from a daemon’s Power ofalgus, which was similar to the witches’ Gift ofglacio, lowering the temperature of the room, making it cold. In it, Ena saw slabs of meat, from venison they’d hunted in the surrounding area, or the chickens, pigs, and goats they kept on the lower levels.
In the other, smaller room, Ena saw sacks of grain, potatoes, garlic, onions, and sparse bunches of herbs. She could tell instantly by their aroma that many of them were too old to be of much use in cooking. She wondered how often they were able to get new supplies. Without the ability to grow their own food underground, Ena realized how difficult it must be to keep the entire population fed.
“Where does all this food come from?” Ena asked Lara.
Lara led her back out of the dark pantry into the well-lit cooking space. “Some of it we trade for. When upper-levels go out on missions, they’re often tasked with retrieving supplies as well. It serves two purposes—helping aid them in the cover, andallowing us to get what we need to survive. But…” She hesitated, as if she were nervous to admit what she was about to say.
“Some of it is stolen?” Ena asked, eyeing her friend.
“Yeah,” Lara responded matter-of-factly. “I hope you won’t go getting all witch-judgy on me. We only do what we need to, and with my father in charge…well, it’s not always up to us.”
“I’m not judging,” Ena said sincerely. “Just…wishing it were different.”
Lara sighed, watching the families cooking and laughing together. “Me too,” she said sadly.
“So, what level of daemon are you, then?” Ena asked her as they made their way back out into the passageway. “You said your Power isn’t suited for missions and that you manage the kitchens instead, but you live on the upper levels.”
“I’d live on the mid-levels if it wasn’t for my father and my husband. Steig is upper-level because of his Power, so I live there, too, but yes, technically my Power makes me a mid-level daemon.”
“So…what is your Power anyway?” Ena asked. She’d been extremely curious, but had been hesitant to ask. Witches’ Gifts were often a sign of their status in the Coven, especially for matriarchs since their Gifts tended to be rarer, and clearly, daemons’ had even stricter ideas about Powers and status, so she didn’t want to make Lara feel like she was judging her.
“It’sgaudium,” Lara said without shame. “I can bring people joy—cause a euphoria so intense you break into a fit of giggles,” she added, smiling widely at Ena. “It’s extremely useful as a mother, I’ll give it that, even though I try not to use it too often. But…not as suitable for missions,” she said with a shrug. “Making mortals and witches happy is not quite fitting with Iblis’s desire for discord.”
She said that last part ruefully, and Ena was again struck by the utter bullshit of this arrangement—both that daemons wereseparated based on what Iblis wanted, and that they were all forced to serve him at all.
