Page 127 of Demon Touched

He rolls his eyes and shares a look with Filippa.

“When is it not with you?” He grins at my cousin, easy and joyful, and she returns the smile, if a little more cautiously.

“Hey, no ganging up on me,” I protest.

“All right then,” Filippa says, that open, hopeful expression wiped from her face. “Why don’t you tell Hodges about who you’re staying with in Pax?”

I narrow my eyes at her, but if she can accept the truth, Hodges probably can too.

“Okay,” I sigh. I’m just scrounging up the energy to run through the whole story again when I hear a familiar pealing sound. It’s the bells at the wall, announcing to the city that a battle has broken out and they’re closing the gates.

Filippa looks to Hodges, her gaze drawn to him like a magnet. He’s already crossing to his bedroom and grabbing his satchel with his scavenging gear in it.

“About time,” he mutters, glancing at me. “There’s not been anything for a few weeks. Pip says she reckons it’s because of the attack on the…the seraphim, was it?”

She nods, turning to me to explain. “They’ll have wanted to focus on shoring up domestic security after the coup,” she says. “Though I don’t know why Infernum’s been quiet.”

I know. It’s because the lords have been dealing with one of their number going rogue. I haven’t explained to Filippa about them coming after Syrus yet.

Filippa sighs. “Hodges, if you’d just trade the rest of my armor like I told you to⁠—”

“We’re not going over that again, Pip,” he says firmly, before his expression turns apologetic. “But I’m sorry I’ve got to go.”

“Yes, I know you are,” she replies quietly. They’ve clearly had several conversations like this before. I’m pretty sure they’re communicating whole speeches to each other in looks I don’t know how to read.

“I’ll come with you,” I say, and Filippa’s head jerks up.

Hodges just shrugs. “Why? I wouldn’t think you needed the strats anymore.”

“I don’t,” I say. “But I can help you get a good haul. You can hit the plains just as the rifts are closing, and I’ll make sure you stay safe.”

He hesitates, unsure.

“Let me do this,” I say. “I’ve got all this power and strength now,” I gesture to my wings. “What’s the point of it if I can’t use it to help my friends?”

I’ll stop short of scavenging myself. I don’t think I can ever go back to my former detached approach to the people who die on the plains, but I can at least make sure Hodges doesn’t get caught in the crossfire. I owe him much more than that for looking after Filippa all this time. Even if I’m starting to think he rather enjoyed it.

“All right,” he says, and Filippa stands up abruptly.

“If she can go, then so can I,” she says, bristling.

“Pip, you’ve only just healed,” Hodges says, uncharacteristically stern again. “Don’t you think⁠—”

He cuts himself off when Filippa gives him a withering stare. “Okay,” he says, holding his hands up. Then he glares at me.

“This is your fault,” he mutters to me as Filippa pulls on her harness and cloak.

I gape at him, trying not to be offended that Hodges is clearly far more worried about Filippa’s safety than mine. But then, he’s seen me scavenging. Facing danger together is all we’ve known. By contrast, the last time Filippa was near the battlefield, she was delivered to him limp and wounded.

“Shut up, Hodges,” I say and vanish my wings. When he startles at the sudden change, I feel a little spark of petty satisfaction run through me.

“One of my party tricks,” I say, winking at him as we leave his house and make for the edge of the city.

The city walls are unchanged, still dotted with crumbling stone and strings of ropes left by scavengers. I stay below my cousin, who despite her ephilium strength isn’t an experienced climber, making sure she doesn’t slip. Hodges climbs slowly above her, offering his hand to steady her as needed.

“Where was all this chivalry when we were working together?” I murmur to him when we’ve all safely reached the top.

He lifts his eyebrows. “I can think of exactly the four-letter words you’d use if I’d offered to help you back then.”