“But, I-”
“Sweetie, no.”
Diablos humphs. “Fine, let's talk about what, specifically, I need you seven to do.”
Kit has appeared and is sitting at his feet. He lets out a meow.
Diablos jumps away from him and lets out a startled and undignified squeak.
“Okay, eight of you.”
Kit’s tentacles wave around happily.
“Yeah, you are a creepy little dude, but I like you.” Diablos turns to us, blowing smoke out his nostrils. “Earth is a very beautiful and dangerous place. Let me tell you all about it.”
Chapter 8
Mei
Diablos paces in front of the fire, his words coming out in a powerful, confident stream. Yet, somehow, the demon manages to have this cute and jovial attitude that doesn’t at all mesh with what he is. He’s waffled and shared a brief version of human history and spent a long time trying to impress upon us what the world is like now.
My mind keeps flashing to all the time I spent alone, struggling to survive. Diablos paints a picture of generosity and kindness.
I would never admit it, but most of what he’s said has gone over my head.
“When we opened the worlds, we had people babysitting those gates until we realised that some creatures don’t need gates; they can cross over at will because they are that powerful. So, it became a game of hunting them down and stopping the secret of how to come here from spreading. Please note only the most powerful can cross; everyone else needs a gate.”
Huh. Well, that makes a hell of a lot of sense. Those gates Becky opened are like giant doors between the worlds, but that’snot how I got here. So, some people have learned to jump between worlds, bypassing the doors altogether. The Grim can do that. I wonder if I can.
“However, there are a lot of creatures in the worlds that prey upon those who are weaker, and unfortunately for us, this world is full of weaker individuals. Now, don’t get me wrong, where humans lack in skills, they more than make up for with technology, and their weapons are fierce.”
I drop silently from the tree and stay in a crouch, listening.
“Are the humans concerned?” Ronit asks in that deep, commanding voice that always has me sitting up a bit straighter, listening harder.
“Of course they are; they are trying to find ways to stop us, weaken us. That is why we are trying to protect everyone and stop things from escalating. Which, dun dun dun, is where you lot come in. You are going to hunt the worst of the worst and stop an interspecies war.”
Lirin snorts. It’s so lazy and elegant. “Sounds so easy.”
“Oh, it’s not, but you are sitting here in this world without a purpose, and she has been flitting around causing all sorts of trouble, so the lot of you together should, in theory, be able to balance each other out.”
“Your optimism is somewhat sickening,” Ronit says deadpan.
“It will be brilliant.”
“It will be a disaster,” Reed snarls.
I shift in the dark, but no one hears me, so I keep moving until I’m sitting beside Hartley.
“Have faith. I don’t make mistakes,” Diablos says confidently. “Well…not many.”
Hartley coughs.
I let out a maniacal giggle.
Hartley screams.
Diablos snatches his mate away. I cock my head to the side and listen to the human hyperventilating.
