I looked down at our joined hands and smiled. For some reason, all I needed was for Dagon to hold me.
My mind may have been raging with what-ifs and horrifying scenarios flashing before my eyes, but I knew I wouldn’t be swept into their hurricane. Not when I had Dagon anchoring me.
Whatever came our way, we would face it together.
I just needed to stay vigilant and pray my gut feelings about the upcoming danger, and my brain’s chants of constant, impending doom, wouldn’t intertwine with our reality.
It sounded simple, right? Stay in the present, anchor yourself, and don’t let the thoughts get to you. Simple… yet it wasn’t.
I couldn’t wait for this day to be over. The only positive side to all of this was Dagon standing by my side, on this crazy journey together.
Chapter seventeen
Dagon
We reached the village at noon. The sun was still shining, which made me relax a little. I didn’t know what to expect from this so-called friend of King's. I wanted to be prepared for anything and not be ambushed in the dark.
I enjoyed the ride with Diablos, and I hoped I reassured him that there was nothing to worry about. Holding his hand felt right. If anything, I was annoyed when we arrived, and I had to let go.
The village was tiny, only around twenty houses. All of them were identical, and it was disturbing. What took me by surprise was the presence of demons. I hit the brakes the second I sensed them.
“What’s wrong?” Di asked, panic creeping into his voice.
I had a split second to decide.Did I move forward, or did I go back?I sensed lower-level demons, probably Soulborn. I bet demons occupied every house here. We had no clues about where else to go or what else to do, so I continued. I wasn’t afraid of some low-level bastards.
We reached the last house, the one King had given us as the address. The house was painted dark green. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary two-story home.
I could sense how Di tensed, so I reached for his hand again.
“Don’t worry. It will be fine. Nothing will happen.” He squeezed my hand, and my chest warmed.I was getting addicted to touching him.“Let’s get this over with.”
Before we left the car, I added, “Don’t reveal anything, and I meananything, personal about yourself. If he asks a personal question, lie immediately. Leave most of the talking to me.”
Di looked confused, but he breathed deeply and said, “Okay. But be careful.”
I tried to reassure him with a nod and a smile. I wasn’t worried about this demon. He was the one who should be worried about me. If I sensed a threat, no matter how small, I was going to rip this motherfucker’s head off and set it on fire along with this stupid-looking house.
“Let’s go.”
As I opened my door, I was immediately greeted by the fresh air and a light breeze. However, underneath it all, I sensed the unpleasant notes of Soulborn demons. Yes, there were demons here. Not one, not two… I didn’t know exactly how many, but there were a lot. The good thing was, they were all Soulborns.
I jogged to the other side of the car, where Di was waiting. He was playing with his ring again. I wanted to say something more, but we were outside now, and I knew that even though Soulborns didn’t have exceptional hearing abilities, there was still a chance of being overheard. The village felt haunted. Therewere no people outside despite the daylight, no children playing. I decided it was for the best to hurry and get this over with.
Stepping onto the threshold, I banged on the door. No need for a bell. Like hell, was I going to be polite with a Soulborn. After a few seconds, a man looking in his fifties opened the door. His hair was gray, and he looked like an ordinary human, but I knew what he was.
“You two must be Dagon and Diablos,” the man said, clearly disturbed by us, probably because of my size. “Come on in.”
Di looked a little pale. I touched his back in silent support. Abruptly, his features relaxed. His face shifted from shocked to composed, his posture became carefree, and his eyes turned warm and sweet. It was like watching someone change from one person to another. I was shocked at how quickly he adjusted. It was like we were on a podium, and he was getting into his role in a flash because there was no time left for his part.
I wondered if he did it often. Did he hide his emotions at home as well?
I had never seen him do this before. I was still reeling from seeing him like this when he nudged me in the ribs.
We followed the demon to his living room. One wall was lined with books and little figures. It would creep most people out. There was one narrow couch, a chair, and a table. That was it.
He gestured to the couch for us to sit, so we did.
“Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Joshua.”
