Valac smiled patiently. “No. That was an entertaining piece of fiction, though.”
“Never read it,” Julian said. “Learned about it, was urged to read it, but I never got around to it. I was too focused on my physical training. I wanted to be a paladinso bad.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I had no idea what I was in for.” His tone was laced with bitterness.
Valac snagged Julian’s exploring hand and raised it to his lips.
“I’m sorry it wasn’t everything you hoped it would be.”
Julian smiled weakly. “Thanks. To be honest, it was for a while. I loved feeling like I had a purpose, like I was doing something good for the world. That’s what makes all of this hurt so bad, I think. My squad was my family for so long. We fought shoulder to shoulder for years, and I felt like I mattered. When I walked away, I thought I still had friends there, even if we wouldn’t see each other every day. But I haven’t heard from anyone since I left. I don’t know if they’ve been ordered to stay away from me, or if they’re worried about trying to reach out. Or maybe they just don’t actually care as much as I thought they did. Maybe our friendship was always conditional on us being in the guild together. I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel great, being so alone.” He huffed sourly. “Which is what I thought I wanted when I left. I thought I wanted the guild to stay away from me. I just didn’t know that included them.”
Valac’s lips brushed Julian’s knuckles when he spoke again. “I’ve almost reached Astaroth. Then I will return as quickly as possible.”
And then Julian would never be alone again.
Their eyes met, and Julian leaned in, his eyes moving rapidly back and forth between Valac’s. He lifted his free hand,grazing Valac’s cheek. His fingers were warm, and Valac’s eyelids fluttered.
“Why do your eyes glow? The other demons’ eyes don’t.”
“It is a manifestation of my power.”
“The shadows you can summon?” Julian’s fingers trailed up the swell of his cheekbone to the black lines swirling around his ear. “Like these?”
“Yes. Only behemoths have these abilities, because we guard the paths to and from Hell.”
“Do you see many attacks on those paths?”
Valac smiled. “Not anymore. It’s been a long time since anyone tried to breach one of the gates, but since we aren’t needed elsewhere, we continue to patrol. That’s why Astaroth sent me to investigate Lilith’s death. He could spare my absence.”
“Sounds lonely.”
Valac hummed, tilting his head to invite Julian to continue his gentle exploration. “I’m not lonely right now.”
Julian’s eyes crinkled with shy happiness. “Neither am I.”
Valac’s heart swelled. It felt like sunlight might leak from his pores. He’d never felt anything like this before, lightweight and carefree. This human made him feel things he didn’t think were possible. He had never known companionship like this, and he would do anything to keep it.
Chapter 13
Julian
In the days that followed,Julian dared to relax. There were no more burning crosses outside his house or threatening messages left splashed on his home. He started to think maybe they were just blowing off some steam by targeting his house, and maybe that one night was the worst of it. Or maybe the presence of the Sentinels patrolling the area was keeping them at bay.
He should have known better.
The dinner rush at the restaurant was always a busy time, but it usually meant good tips if he played his cards right. He flitted from table to table with the other servers, taking orders and refilling drinks, smiling and chatting and studying his customers with every interaction to determine what kind of server he should be. Should he be friendly and charismatic? Should he take their orders quickly and give them their privacy? Learning what they wanted was the key to getting paid well.
He was in the kitchen refilling a soda when one of the waiters, a pretty girl just a couple of years older than him named Tina, swanned in behind him, her thick curls pulled back and wrapped in a silk scarf.
“Woo, you lucky dog,” she said.
“What?” he asked.
“A big table just sat down in your area. Eight guys.”
A bolt of unease hit him like lightning. “What? Eight? You’re sure?” There were eight guys in a squad. But no, it could be a coincidence.
“Mm-hm. Young guys, too.” She sighed. “I could definitely have flirted some good tips out of them.”
He laughed weakly, but his insides were shriveling. Please, don’t let it be paladins. Please, anyone else in the entire world. He’d rather serve demons. Maybe it was the Sentinels coming to check up on him.
