Strong adult themes and distressing content || Court Of Amaeris || Book One ||
Solar Flare - Demon hunting guild and the new permanent residence for Astola's Tri-bloods.
Four years is a long time to be hunting demons on military orders, but...
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Aria was as pale as a ghost as she stood there, panic taking over as her frame shivered, walking away from me as she stated she and Aries knew this man in particular. Aries too was visibly on edge.
Whoever this guy was made them anxious...
Very anxious. I looked from Aria to the paper in her hands, watching her hand shake as she fought for her breathing to settle. Just like she did in the car, the night we spent by the waterfall, all those moments she zoned out with that faraway look. Haunted. What did he do? What did he do to her?
'Damon Varhees. Approx. twenty-six to twenty-seven years old.
Half-shade. Shadow mage. Ex-Astolan Military.
Falsifying military enlistment.'
It clicked.
Whoever this Damon guy was, he was wanted, most likely for what he did within the military - and after Aries' and Aria's reaction, I now had a personal desire to look into this guy. I pushed away the familiar feeling I got from him, anger and spite coiling around every nerve and fibre in my being at the mere glimpse of his name. Aria probably met this guy during her deployment...
Did he? I thought, to Aria and Aries? I know that look, that avoidance. Who knows, maybe he was the guy in JR's report?'
What am I thinking? It didn't matter whoever it was in JR's report, we needed to find JR first and confirm that his report wasn't some gimmick or a joke before we could go confirming who his study was based on.
"Aria... what did that guy do to you two?" Seth spat, taking the question straight from Lillian and I's broken expressions, taking in Aria's and Aries' severely shaken state. Whatever it was this Damon did to them, neither of them clearly wanted to talk about it. I pulled my thoughts away from the page, tuning in to the two standing between us as Seth asked the question we were all wondering.
Had been wondering since she came home weeks ago.
He's definitely done something, given this reaction. Aria simply shook her head, not wanting to get into the details - not willing to speak of it - biting her lip as she avoided our sights.
"Not just me," she whispered, looking at Aries, who was looking at the floor. I'm certain I'm the only one who heard that bit. Heck I doubt Seth and Lillian even noticed her trembling.
"Anyway," Aria breathed, hiding her fear as she turned to us, "we need to find this JR guy, we should forget about the Sins for now and about... h-him," she spat, not even wanting to say his name.
"As much as I want to dig," Lillian said, coming up to Aria to pat her shoulder and hold her hand, "she's right, JR is our biggest lead. This guy is just another wanted man who somehow has ties to our Ari. Nothing in his file suggests any link to our investigation." You won't dig Lillian, but you can bet I'll be asking.
