Page 37 of Huntress

“What a mess,” she muttered.

It took far too long to fall asleep. She was hyperaware of the demon sleeping next to her. He was a living, breathing threat, no matter how harmless he looked. She tossed and turned, her mind too filled with everything that had gone wrong. When sleep finally came, it was restless. She woke in fits and starts, each time settling back in to drowse for a while longer.

Hours later, she was startled from another bizarre dream by the sound of a deep, threatening growl. Sitting up quickly, she sprang to her feet, placing herself between the hound and Steve, who was holding a soup bowl and wearing a surprised look on his face.

“Mutt, calm down,” she ordered, giving him a hard look. The hair on the demon’s scruff was bristling, and his lips were drawn back in a snarl, showing off his teeth. “What on earth happened?”

“I tried to bring you some dinner, since everyone else was eating. Maybe he’s angry I didn’t bring him a bowl of soup, too? I made one for him, but it’s hot, and I couldn’t bring both bowls at once with the way Trenton drives,” Steve joked, relaxing now that she was awake and regaining control of the situation. Anger boiled in Elsie’s chest, and she scowled at the hound. Whatever this was, it wasn’t about the soup.

“Maybe you should consider putting a leash on that thing, Captain,” Marley suggested, standing in the doorway, her eyes hooded. “We’ll all feel safer once you do.”

“I agree with her,” Trenton added from the front of the car. “He wouldn’t let Steve anywhere near you. It’s like he’s staked a claim and intends to keep you to himself. That thing can’t stop us from approaching you when we need to. What if you were injured and needed treatment? Would he allow Marley to get to you?”

The demon gave a sharp bark. A clear and obvious reprimand.

“Maybe it’s because I don’t treat him like an undesirable. Are you seriously afraid of a half-starved, beaten dog?” Elsie asked. “I fell asleep and didn’t realize he’d woken up. This won’t happen again.”

“You can’t watch over him every minute of every day.” Marley shook her head. “This is ridiculous.”

“You’re telling me? Imagine waking up to find out you’re the proud new owner of a demon you can’t refuse who will only speak to you and hates your kind. Imagine that the demon was given to you as a gift to bribe you into becoming a science experiment. Now imagine that your whole squad is pissed off at you for something beyond your control.”

Both Trenton and Marley had the grace to look uncomfortable, but Steve gave her an easy smile, running a hand through his hair. “It isn’t that bad, Captain,” he said. “I’m not pissed at you over Mutt.”

She gave a humorless laugh. “Thanks, Steve.”

“That’s what I’m here for, a one-man support system,” he joked.

“Steve isn’t your only supporter,” Perrie spoke up, coming in behind Marley. “Morgan and I are worried about your safety, and we’re angry at the situation, but not at you. We know you didn’t want this, they’re just not taking this well.”

Elsie shot the witch a grateful smile. Perrie was always good at breaking the tension when times were uncertain, especially when Marley was feeling surly, since the two women were close.

Steve handed her the soup, and the volume of the hound’s growl went up. Elsie completely ignored his antics and lifted the lid over the bowl. Tomato again. She couldn’t say she was surprised.

“Are you going to eat or will you keep acting like an ungrateful mutt, Mutt?” she asked. “You should thank Steve for bringing you food instead of trying to bite his head off.”

The demon barked again and retreated, jumping on the seat she’d slept in and lying down with his head up, staring the hunters down. Elsie sighed.

“Have it your way then. I’m going to drink your bowl.” This time he barked at her, and she snickered in reply.

“Why are you going lenient on him? If any one of us gave you an attitude like that, there would be punishments involved,” Marley questioned, and Elsie gave her a cool look. The demon’s eyes seemed to pierce her as he awaited her answer. His amusement at the idea of her punishing him grated on her nerves.

“A reaper doesn’t gain the trust of her companion through punishment, soldier,” she said, effectively reminding the older woman of her place. She was the daughter of a goddess, and she wouldn’t be taking orders from Mordane forever.

“Yes, ma’am.” Marley lowered her eyes. Elsie rarely gave this much attitude to her squad. She didn’t need to; they respected her and naturally fell in line, despite the fact that she was the youngest among them. Elsie chewed the inside of her lip as she watched Trenton check his attitude as well.

“Trenton, you can go,” Elsie relieved him of duty. “I’ll finish the rest of the way.”

“It’s only been six hours, Captain, you can’t drive for eighteen hours straight,” he protested, which made Elsie pause.

"Steve, why did you interrupt my sleep after only six hours?" She looked at the man with lively brown eyes and a perpetually friendly expression, wondering what he’d been up to.

"Oh, right! The demon distracted me." He disappeared into the back car and returned with the mission file. "I think you'd better read this. Another squad already took this mission, but they've gone missing."

"Roz didn't say anything about them." Elsie frowned and took the file. She wouldn't be getting anymore sleep. She had homework to do.

Chapter nine

Chapter 9