"Was it..." Harper's voice came out faint, her lips trembling. "Was it someone here? In our community?"
Kayja turned to the hellhound, words in her demonic language rolling off her tongue again. The puppy responded with a series of low whuffs and rumbling sounds, pressing closer to the demoness's side.
"No." Kayja's eyes swirled between green and blue as she translated. "It was quite some distance from here. This little one has been wandering for several days, trying to find his way back to the underworld." Her pointed teeth gleamed in a gentler smile. "He sensed the jackalopes, which drew him here."
Harper stared at the demoness, puzzled. "Jill and Sage?"
Kayja's expression softened as she stroked the hellhound's thick black fur. "He sensed they were Other creatures - magical beings like himself." Her eyes swirled between green and blue as she gazed at Nathan and Harper. "But more than that, he felt the love and care you give them. The affection radiating fromyour home drew him here, and the knowledge he would find safe harbor."
Beth's throat tightened with emotion as she met Harper's moist eyes. Both women sniffled, overcome by the thought of this lost puppy - supernatural or not - being drawn to the warmth and love they offered to magical creatures.
"That's..." Beth wiped at her eyes, her voice thick with emotion. "That's actually really sweet."
The hellhound's tail thumped harder against the floor as he gazed up at them with complete adoration. Despite his huge size and supernatural nature, in that moment he was simply a lost baby who had found his way to safety through the power of love.
Nathan stood and approached Kayja and the pup, his hair falling into his eyes as he crouched beside them.
"Kayja, could you tell him he's safe with us?" Though his voice shook slightly, his words carried firm conviction. "We'll protect him and take care of him until his mother is found."
The demoness's eyes swirled between green and blue as she regarded Nathan thoughtfully. Then more of those unintelligible words rolled from her tongue, and the hellhound's head tilted as he listened, intelligence in his coal-black eyes.
More otherworldly sounds filled the room as Kayja and the puppy engaged in what seemed like an actual conversation. Whatever the demoness was saying, was met with soft whuffs and rumbling sounds from the hellhound.
Harper squeezed Beth's arm, whispering excitedly. "Look! They're fading!"
She was right. As Kayja continued speaking in that ancient language, the red embers flickering through the hellhound's coat grew fewer and farther between. His tail still wagged, but the motion no longer sent flickers of sparks through the air.
Finally, the last tiny red spark faded from his black fur. The hellhound pressed closer to Kayja's side, his enormous pinktongue darting out to give her cheek a gentle lick. When he turned to gaze at Nathan and Harper, his eyes held complete trust.
"He understands," Kayja said, her voice firm with approval. "And he accepts your protection until I can locate his mother."
Beth felt a sudden tingle of magic dance across her skin, making the fine hairs on her arms stand up. A soft pop echoed through the living room as a young man materialized beside Kayja. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with spiky black hair and milk-white skin that seemed to glow in the soft lamplight.
"Remi!" Kayja's delighted squeal held none of her earlier menace as she threw her arms around the newcomer. Her black-veined wings fluttered with excitement.
"Hey there, trouble." Tyr grinned and stepped forward, exchanging a high-five with the young man.
"Remi!" Harper bounced on her toes, her bright eyes sparkling. "Perfect timing! Wait until you see who showed up tonight!"
"Dude! I heard there was a hellhound!" Remi's lean features lit up with pure joy. He crouched down beside the enormous puppy, completely unfazed by its supernatural nature. "Oh man, look at you! Freakin' fantabulous!"
The hellhound's tail immediately started wagging, sending tiny wisps of crimson smoke through the air - much less dramatic than the earlier sparks. His enormous pink tongue darted out, attempting to give Remi's face a thorough washing.
"Whoa there, big guy!" Remi laughed, somehow managing to dodge the enthusiastic tongue while still scratching behind those massive ears. "Easy with the kisses!"
Beth stared at Remi with fascination. Though they'd only met briefly at the security meeting at the West Side Inn, his mannerisms echoed Jacinth's so strongly she would have peggedhim as a Djinn anyway. The same otherworldly grace flowed through his movements, and his eyes held that distinctive spark of ancient mischief she'd come to associate with Djinn.
His tousled dark hair fell in loose waves as he moved, his deep brown eyes alight with enthusiasm as he crouched beside the hellhound pup. The contrast between his obvious magical nature - he had literally appeared out of thin air moments ago - and his genuine excitement as he interacted with the enormous puppy made Beth's lips curve into a smile.
"Where did you come from?" Remi's voice took on that special tone people used when talking to adorable animals. "Who's a good boy? Are you a good boy?"
The hellhound's tail thumped harder against the floor as he attempted to climb into Remi's lap, apparently forgetting he was nearly twice the size of the young Djinn.
"This is so cool." Remi's grin was infectious as he stood up, moving toward the sofa and draping himself across the cushions in a lazy sprawl.
Abandoned by Remi, the hellhound bounded across Nathan and Harper's living room, his heavy tail knocking over a potted plant.
"No! No!" Harper lunged to catch the falling plant, barely managing to save it before dirt spilled everywhere.
