The Return | Cricky [C]

Chapter LIX: Space and Time

The older demon lords, these titans among gods, I find it difficult to track their scent. Even one such as Ville, who has given me his trust, I could only track if he wanted me to. Right now, he doesn't want me to. He and the others had seemingly disappeared, vanished into thin air. Out in the stables, the servants had draped blankets over the coaches, purposely hiding Zombie and Manson's sigils from us. If it weren't for Ezra's restlessness, we'd have no idea the three had gathered here for a meeting. I don't want to think of Ville as the conniving type, but I know he purposely waited until his guests were near to allow me to visit Ricky. He wanted me distracted.

I slipped into shadow form to dart through the castle in pursuit. Some of the guards didn't notice me at all, others looked the other way. Finally, I found the three entering the courtyard at the center of the palace. Many rare animals and plant life thrived here, including the three foxes we'd taken in. Ville's nurturing and compassion knows no bounds, and perhaps that's why I'm having trouble accepting that he'd betray us in any capacity. He walked and talked with them as if neither had nearly killed Ricky and I. It didn't make sense to me.

Of course, I should've known I couldn't have dreamed of sneaking up on them. I couldn't even catch Ricky off guard. Zombie and Manson turned on a dime, both having detected me simultaneously, and shot forth kinetic attacks. Zombie's bolts—psychedelic starbursts—I could dodge, but Manson's black tendrils caught me. Thick ropes of pure blackness, writhing and oozing with negative energy, wrapped around my throat like the arm of an octopus and ripped me out of the shadow dimension. No one has ever forced me out of my own domain before. It wasn't pleasant. I slammed into the ground, most my weight falling on my already injured arm. My body was dragged across the cobblestone, all the while, the air being choked out of my lungs.

Ville reached over Manson's chest, grabbing his arm and insisting he let me go. Surprisingly, he complied, though he didn't leave me in fantastic shape. I rolled onto my back as I gasped. The sun cut through the gray sky of winter just to blind me and add insult to injury. My nocturnal eyes burned, pulsating my vision with dark blotches. Ville knelt down and helped me to my knees. His hands remained on my chest and back as I struggled to regain stability. Through my blurred vision, I saw Zombie and Manson standing behind him, menacing statues of death and hatred that eclipsed Ville's warmth.

"Sneaking up on demon lords," He scoffed, using the same tone he'd scold one of his children in, "What were you thinking?"

I ignored him, sputtering through my coughing, "What the Hell is he doing here?"

Ville sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to know. I knew it'd upset you, among other things... How do I put this?"

"Look, we know he's a dick," Zombie interjected, "But even he thinks what Devin did was fucked up." Well, it may not have been as elegant of an explanation as Ville would've preferred, but either way, it got the job done.

Ville helped me to my feet. He was visibly upset as this hadn't gone the way he'd hoped. There was a little regret lingering somewhere in him, too. Perhaps he had changed his mind on trying to hide this all from me. "We... Don't have rules among ourselves. Nothing set in stone." He slowly spoke, "But we all understand there is a line you don't cross, and Devin crossed it."

I looked past him to that monster, scorning, "This wouldn't have happened in the first place if it weren't for you! You were the one that told everyone about Ricky's power! You made the deal with Devin, you attacked the castle! You're the one who can't fuckin' let it go that he's not beneath you anymore! That he's not yours!" All the while, Ville restrained me in his arms, though we all knew if he were to let me go, I couldn't even scratch Manson.

Manson laughed in ridicule, "You think this is all because I'm mad he's not one of my whores anymore? I couldn't give a fuck about that. I've got hundreds. They mean nothing to me." He snit, gesturing out broadly, "You know how many people in this place used to belong to me? But this bastard and his bleeding heart can't let some of them just die."