IncuBUST

Devourer of Innocents

I leaped up from the chair I was sitting in and stooped to grab the spoon Octavia had dropped. I took her by the arm and pulled her into the kitchen before anyone could offend anyone else.

"What is he doing here? Who's that other guy?" she frantically signed once we were out of their line of sight. I set the spoon on the counter and looked at her.

"He came back for his clothes and that's his roommate slash sometimes boyfriend...thing, Quetz," I replied glancing over at the casserole dish resting on top of the stove. Whatever Octavia had made it smelled good. She gave me a look and then scoffed signing, "He brought his boyfriend to see the guy he hooked up with last night?"

I nodded slowly and murmured, "Yeah...seems a little weird when you say it." She looked at me and motioned, "Seems a lot weird. Plates?" I pointed at a cabinet and she retrieved a few plates. She set the plates on the counter and hesitated for a moment.

"So like are they staying for dinner or something?" she asked. The temperature suddenly dropped and a swirl of ice and snow materialized behind her.

"Of course we're staying, girlie," Barapha said and she nearly jumped out of her own skin. She whipped around and gestured, "Don't sneak up on people! It's rude!" He chuckled and looked up as Quetz stepped tentatively into the kitchen.

"So what did the little human make that could possibly satisfy the likes of us?" he asked drifting over to the stove and sniffing at the food. He frowned and glanced at Quetz asked, "What do you think?"

Quetz glanced at Barapha, then at the food and then at Octavia and he mumbled something too quiet for human ears. Barapha laughed.

"What did he say?" Octavia asked and I shook my head glaring at Quetz. I thought he was okay, but now I wasn't so sure. I mean he lived with Barapha, what did I expect? Barapha's arm snaked around Quetz's waist and he whispered something in Quetz's ear that made the Amphithere blush.

"Don't worry, Chase. He's already met his allowance for the month," Barapha said before looking at Octavia and murmuring, "Which is just as well because when he feeds there's usually not anything left and I reckon Chase would want something to bury."

"That's it, get out! Both of you!" I snapped my eyes flaring bright blue. Barapha laughed and held his hands up in surrender.

"Relax, Chase, it was just a joke," he said and Quetz nodded saying, "Yes, I would never touch another Mythic's human. Besides she's a bit--" he suddenly hesitated.

"A bit what?!" she signed angrily. "And I'm not his human, I'm his friend!"

"A bit old. Quetz prefers the taste of younger flesh and oh you're his friend, please. Mythics and humans can't be friends," Barapha retorted with a sneer. Quetz looked a little confused. Guess he didn't understand sign language.

"That's illegal," I said glaring at him. I should've known. I should have known it was too much to hope that Barapha could just show up and things would be fine.

"Oh, Chase, nothing's illegal if you don't get caught and like I said before Amphithere's aren't in the habit of leaving evidence behind," Barapha said and I could tell he was loving it, the expression of shock and disgust on Octavia's face, the blue fire burning in my eyes.

"Killing children is heinous and wrong never mind illegal!" a furious voice said and I turned to see Sissy walking into the kitchen. She glanced at me and asked, "You didn't think to tell me we had company?"

"They were--"

"Oh come off it, Sis. What makes the lives of children so much more valuable than the lives of adults. Or pigs for that matter?" he replied sending a scathing gaze in Octavia's direction.

Sissy and Barapha continued to argue about the hierarchy of sentience or something with Octavia occasionally flapping her hands through the air volunteering opinions that Sissy didn't understand and Barapha ignored and out of the corner of my eye I noticed Quetz slip out of the kitchen. I glanced at Sissy, Barapha, and Octavia, decided none of them were an immediate danger and followed Quetz.