Promises of a Deadly Bind {Sequel to Games of a Different Kind}

Chapter 4

"Where exactly is Yacaz?" I asked Tyros as we gathered up our things. The trail to Raxis was not going to be a short one- I knew that at least. "These cities aren't exactly side by side." 

"More dust and more plains," Liam commented, his voice falling. "Remember, Slintas taught us that. Yacaz is past Stavros." 

"You mean we travelled all this way here, just to go back the way we came and then further?" I groaned, thinking of how long we had walked. "Now that's just perfect." 

"We came for answers," Tyros joined the conversation, pacing up and down, his mind intent. "They are worth the journey, far worth it." 

"Ashida doesn't seem to like you," Liam commented snarkily, throwing in a couple of daggers into the bag. "Though that isn't really a surprise. No one seems to like-" 

In a second, Tyros had Liam pinned up against the wall, his eyes flashing red and his hand crushing Liam's throat.  I tensed and spun a dagger into my fingers, waiting for an opening. 

"Let him go," I growled, blades flashing silver in my hands. 

"Don't ever talk to me like that about her," Tyros snarled, ignoring me and increasing the pressure on Liam's windpipe. "You know nothing, mortal. Nothing." He pulled back and Liam fell, collapsing onto the ground. I rushed to his side, already seeing a bracelet of bruises around his throat. 

Tyros didn't spare another glance towards us, simply walking out of the room and slamming the door. I sighed, turning my attention back to Liam who was a little banged up but not too badly injured. 

"You alright?" I asked him quietly, helping him to his feet. 

"Fine," he answered, brushing me away. "Though, he's definitely not." 

"We did know that when we signed on," I commented, my eyes darting back in the direction that Tyros had gone. The demon was strangely unhinged at this moment and I couldn't help but feel that Ashida had caused every kink in his discomposure. 

"It's that girl," Liam continued fiercely, his fingers touching the bruises around his neck. "It's almost like... he's still in love with her." 

"You heard Ashida," I pointed out, turning away to finish packing. "A demon cannot have love. They lack it completely, it's not a choice- but a biological impossibility. Both of them are bound- they can't feel love." 

"I wonder why he did it then," Liam said curiously, his eyebrows knit together in thought. "If they loved each other, then why would he throw it all away to become a demon." 

"Power," I answered simply, throwing the last grenade in the bag and zipping it shut. "Tyros is just like Raxis in the aspect that they both want power, no matter the cost." 

"Somehow..." Liam continued, his eyes straying from the door to me. "I don't think he's like Raxis. I don't think he's like him at all." 

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"It's like a recurring nightmare," I muttered as we trudged back the way we came. The only different element to this journey was that Tyros was with us now. And though that may be good, as he could defend us against renegades, it also could be bad if he decided he had enough of us and slit our throats in our sleep. 

Oh, but I forgot. He didn't like the dagger. Tyros preferred the scavross. Let me correct. If he decided he had enough of us, he would stab us and twist our intestines around a sharpened blade while we screamed in agony. 

The day hid from us and night revelled in the sky, making any more travelling pointless. Tyros may have excellent vision but Liam and I still had fairly basic eyes. Even with Slintas's help, the darkness was impenetrable.