What if they weren’t seeds at all, but eggs?
There was a heavy thud, as though something had leapt down from a height onto the floor. Aurelie frantically scanned herself, looking for anything she could use. Her iron blade was on her desk, of absolutely no use to her. And she was almost certain she was going to need it. Whatever had come from Mephisto’s seed was very likely causing this clatter, and from the sound of things, it was far bigger than its creator.
Chapter 24
Des
By the time they returned to the Iron Fortress, Des was exhausted. They’d killed two otherveritain the three days they’d been gone, both the result of inventions gone awry, when typically they saw only a handful in a month. The third inventor was a woman in her fifties. Unlike the other two, her creation was no accident. She had set fire to her laboratory before they arrived in an attempt to hide the evidence, but what remained was damning. She had been arrested and brought back with them and was now awaiting trial.
Every night when he tried to sleep, Des’s thoughts turned to Aurelie. Had she been arrested, like this woman? Or was she still working alone in her laboratory, producing demons? Or was she innocent, as Daisy believed she was? The questions gnawed at him like rats as he tossed and turned in unfamiliar beds.
Now, just a few days before his promotion, Des had been told to take some time off. It was customary for the guards to get an extra day to themselves during Yule week, but Des typically gave his day to Daisy so she could spend more time with her family. This year, she insisted he keep it. As the two caught up, Des tried to casually bring up Aurelie. Daisy, as per usual, wasn’t fooled.
“Go check on her,” she said as she packed her bag. Her aunt was coming to pick her up soon, and night was already falling.
“Commander Yew told me to stay away from the university,” he said as he cleaned his boots, muddy from riding in the country. “Anyway, I thought I might do some research tomorrow.”
“All day?”
He grunted in response.
“All right, then after you do this vital research, you could perhaps get yourself a hot chocolate. And if you happen to pass by the university on your way home...”
He set his boots down and gave Daisy a kiss on her cheek.
“What was that for?” she asked, touching the spot where he’d kissed her. “In case I haven’t been clear, I’m not interested in you that way.”
He huffed in indignation. “Don’t flatter yourself, Shaw. I was just saying goodbye. I’m looking forward to having you off my back for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Don’t get too excited. I’ll be back for your promotion.”
“You’d better be.”
He went back to cleaning his boots, then bent over to tuck them into his trunk. As he did so, the iron key slipped out of his collar, dangling before his eyes in what felt like a pointed manner. The key had become something of a talisman the past few days. He found himself squeezing it before bed each night, praying to something he didn’t believe in that Aurelie was safe.
The next evening, after exercising, studying, and making a trip to the library, he found himself with hours left before Daisy returned and nothing to fill them. Cursing his friend for putting the idea into his head, he headed for the café with the disgusting hot chocolate.
The entire walk, he told himself he had no plans to visit anyone. He was merely killing time, since he had nothing better to do. Buthe was struck by how quiet the city was. It had snowed over a foot, and in the still night, the only sounds were the occasional crack of a branch collapsing under the weight of its snowy shroud, or a bark of laughter from one of the nearby pubs.
The café was busy, though not quite as busy as the last time he’d come. He perused the menu, ignoring the stares of the other patrons. A wave of melancholy washed over him, and he ordered Daisy’s ridiculous concoction, then proceeded to hardly touch it. It was so sweet it was practically inedible. He left ten minutes later, pretending, as Daisy had suggested, that he just happened to pass by the university, but he couldn’t lie to himself. He needed to know what had become of Aurelie. Otherwise, he’d wonder for the rest of his life.
He approached the guardhouse in what he hoped was a casual manner. Perhaps the grandfatherly guard was on duty and would remember him. He could find out where she was without ever alerting her to his presence.
A scream cut through the night, raising all the hairs on Des’s body.
It was coming from campus.
Without thinking, Des yanked the leather thong off his neck and unlocked the gate, letting himself inside. He listened intently but could hear no other sounds of distress. He checked the guard tower only to find it cold and empty, before setting off through the campus.
Des froze when the cottage came into view. There wasn’t a single light on there, or anywhere else on campus that he could see. Without the aid of the moonlight, he would be in total darkness. Perhaps no one was here this week. Aurelie could have gone somewhere with her uncle for the holiday. They might have given the guards the week off.
Another scream, this one garbled and guttural, coming from near the hall where Aurelie had her laboratory.
Des broke into a run, noting the small sets of footprints leading toward the building. Someone had been here within the past few hours, at least. Someone with tiny feet. And only one person he knew had feet that absurdly small.
He froze when he saw something lying on the steps leading up to the stone building. There was a creature hunched over it, moving in a way that made Des’s stomach roil. He’d rarely seen a demon feed, and only once on a human. For a split second, he was sure it was Aurelie lying on the steps, but the body was too large, and he felt a brief wash of relief. The demon raised its head, a dark silhouette in the moonlight, and sniffed the air.
Des ducked behind a statue, slowly pulling his sword from its scabbard. Where the hell had this thing come from? If Aurelie had been foolish enough to summon another demon, he was going to kill her himself. He peeked out again and swore when he realized the demon was gone.