Once Tex was in his wolf form, he stretched, then shook out his fur.It felt good, and it was tempting to run into the forest and play for a bit, but that wasn’t why he was here.He couldn’t afford to be distracted when he was working.
As he’d been instructed, he moved forward.There wasn’t much to orient himself, but the demon Gregory had talked to had apparently said that there wasn’t a need for it.The town wasn’t big, but it also wasn’t small.There was no way for Tex not to see it once he made it through the magic shield.
The problem was that he had to find that shield first.
Luckily, it didn’t look like anyone would be warned when he did that.He didn’t understand demon magic, and he didn’t have to.He just needed to be sure he wouldn’t be found.
He knew he’d found the right place when his skin started to tingle after he’d walked for around five minutes.It was an odd sensation he didn’t think he’d ever felt before.Something was telling him to turn around and leave, and he might have if he wasn’t here to work.Instead, he squared his shoulders and ignored the uneasy feeling.He continued walking ahead, trying to focus on the way the pouch around his neck kept bumping against his chest instead of how nauseous he was feeling at the thought of moving forward.That was something that Gregory’s demon had mentioned, too.The shield didn’t only hide the town from anyone walking past.It also pushed people to leave before they could cross in.
But Tex couldn’t leave.He moved on, even though he felt he was about to throw up, and he wondered how long this was going to last.He really was going to throw up if it didn’t stop anytime soon.His stomach was rebelling, but he couldn’t listen to it.
As quickly as it had started, the sensation stopped.Tex blinked, looking down at himself, but he didn’t look any different.His paws were firmly on the ground, and his pouch hung from his neck.
He blinked when he looked up and realized that he wasn’t in the forest anymore.
He was in Starhaven.
It made him wonder if the forest was just an illusion.People tended to leave before they could walk through it, but some had to push ahead the way Tex had, right?Did they wander down Main Street without seeing it?What did the demons do then?He didn’t think they hurt humans, but he could be wrong.They were so isolated, even though they sometimes worked with the council.From what Tex had heard, a lot of demons were unhappy about that.They didn’t recognize the council’s authority.
But that wasn’t Tex’s problem.No, his problem was that now that he was in, he needed to find the information he was looking for.It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, unfortunately.
Luckily, he had a plan.He always did.He’d known he couldn’t walk around poking at things and talking to people like he normally would.He needed to stay in his wolf form, which meant that instead of asking questions, he’d need to spy on people.It wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed, but it was something he would do because he didn’t have a choice.
He walked past a group of small houses.He was behind them, and he could see their backyards.They were cute, with a lot of flowers and vegetables, even though it was April.
The town was bigger than he’d expected, and he was impressed by what he was seeing.Everything was clean and neat, and once he reached a more crowded street, he could see many demons walking around, going about their day.There were demons of all colors, from pink to green, passing by blue and yellow.It was fascinating, but unfortunately for him, Tex wasn’t here to ask questions about that.No, he was here to be inconspicuous and to stay in the shadows, and that was what he did.
As much as he wanted to go ahead and explore the town, he went back to the edge of the forest.It was safer, and it would give him a little time to plan his next move.He went the other way, though, just so he could explore a little more and hopefully find something.
He froze when his nose caught a scent.He’d definitely found something, although it wasn’t something he would ever have expected to find here.
Apparently, his mate was a demon.
* * * *
NYMON STEPPED OUTSIDEin his backyard after dinner.The air didn’t smell as sweet as it would in a few months, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy spending time out here.He was never as happy as he was when surrounded by plants.It was one thing he enjoyed about living here.He had his own yard, and he could do whatever he wanted with it.He’d miss that if he ever left, but it wasn’t enough to make him not yearn to explore the world outside of Starhaven.
He sighed and leaned over his porch railing.The sky was clear, and while the air was a bit cool, he wasn’t planning on staying here for long.He was still thinking about what he and Kael had heard earlier, and for some reason, he couldn’t stop.
It was clear that the two demons had been doing something they shouldn’t be doing.Kael wasn’t wrong when he’d said that they had no proof of that, though.Even if Nymon decided to talk to someone, what would he tell them?There was nothing to tell.He didn’t even know who those two had been.He couldn’t describe them because he hadn’t seen them.He’d just heard them, and he doubted that would be enough for anyone to give him their attention and do something about it.He’d probably get brushed off.
He eyed his fence.After what had happened, he was nervous.What if there was someone behind it, watching him?What if the two demons from earlier had noticed that he and Kael were listening and had come back now that he was alone?
A branch cracked, making him jump.He turned his attention to the gate.The fence wasn’t that high, but since he and Kael had been sitting down earlier, it had been high enough to hide them from view.He wasn’t in his greenhouse now, though.He was standing on his porch, which meant anyone out there would see him if they looked his way.
He couldfeelthat someone was out there.He wasn’t sure why, but he was convinced someone was watching him.He could feel their gaze on his skin and their presence between the trees.
He shivered and hugged himself.Should he say something?Should he call out and ask who was there?It could be anyone—one of the two demons he and Kael had heard before, or maybe both of them.It could be someone else entirely.Hell, it might not even be a demon.There were plenty of animals in the forest, and Nymon didn’t live far from it.The trees almost reached his backyard.
He was sure it couldn’t be someone who’d come from outside the town, though.The magical shield protecting it would make sure of that.No one could see the town, and very few people knew it was there.That didn’t mean it couldn’t be someone dangerous, but if it was, they’d be a demon.
Demons weren’t perfect.They hurt and betrayed each other every day.The fact that they were hidden in their towns didn’t change that, and it wouldn’t even if they opened up to humans and other supernatural beings.Nymon wasn’t sure why most demons didn’t understand that, but he’d lost hope that they would.Too many demons were happy being isolated.They liked familiarity and routine and had no interest in anything beyond the shield.
Another branch cracked, making him jump again.He reached out with his magic, curious to find out more.He usually only used his magic to make plants grow and help them heal from wounds or illnesses, but that wasn’t the only thing he could do.He could also use plants to his advantage, blend their will and force them to do things.That wasn’t what he did tonight, though.He didn’t have to, and he didn’t like doing that.
He coaxed the plants in the forest into reaching out for the person lurking behind the house.He could feel their presence, strong and steady.He didn’t feel any fear, though.He didn’t know who was there, but he wasn’t afraid.Something told him he shouldn’t be.
That made him even more curious.
