Page 16 of Huntress

Field teams like Elsie’s were often dispatched to nests to help out when needed, but keeping supply lines open kept them busy. They assisted wherever they were sent, sometimes even supporting the research teams.

Elsie grimaced, playing back her conversation with Cornick and Mordane. If they had their way, she would become part of their research. She couldn’t let that happen.

Voices carried from one of the buildings, and the hound growled, shrinking closer to the ground. Did those idiots expect this creature to be even remotely useful after they’d traumatized him into ingratiating himself?

“What they said about my sisters is partially true,” Elsie said, drawing his attention away from the voices. “Reapers spend their lives alone, searching for damned souls in other dimensions. Centuries ago, one of my sisters befriended an injured hellhound. She stayed with him for weeks, and they bonded. According to my mother, he still goes everywhere with her. His ethereal magic allows them to travel together, so she’s no longer alone.”

“Over time, hellhounds started seeking my sisters out. The pairings came together naturally; the bond was never forced. Those hounds are not my sisters’ property; they’re friends. Family. What Cornick is attempting to force between us is a bastardization of tradition,” she said. The hound’s ear cocked in her direction, listening.

“I don’t know where you came from, or how they captured you, but what they’ve done is wrong,” she affirmed.

They’d finished their loop, and Elsie glanced up at the sky with a frustrated sigh. She still wanted her shower, and breakfast would end in less than an hour. If she didn’t return soon, she wouldn’t get anything to eat until lunch, which was a sandwich or a protein bar.

“I have to take you back to your stall now,” she said, walking toward the barn. Mentioning the stall was a mistake. The hound stopped in his tracks. Elsie looked back and chewed the inside of her lip. “I get it, but it won’t be horrible anymore. Clairemont isn’t allowed to touch you, and you have my permission to eat him if he tries.”

Her assurances weren’t enough. The demon stood his ground, sitting on his haunches. He didn’t growl or put up a fuss; he simply refused to comply.

“It’s that bad, huh?” she frowned. “What if we make a deal? I’ll come back for you after I eat and clean up. Does that sound fair?”

Nothing.

“Look, guy, I have important things to do, and showering and sleep are high on my priority list,” she said, starting to lose her patience. He turned his head, pointedly looking away. Elsie let out a sigh, then lunged forward, clicking the leash into place. He jumped to his feet and barked at her, but Elsie gave it a tug.

“Calm down, fluffy.” His wiry hair was anything but fluffy. “I’m not bragging when I say I’ll kick your ass. Do as you’re told while I’m still asking you nicely. Go back to the barn and rest.”

The demon dragged his feet, determined to make her work for it. Elsie struggled and pulled, but never did she feel the need to shock or harm him. She’d reserve violence for any attempts he might make to attack her. The demon was behaving himself now, but she fully expected he’d lash out at some point. It’s what she would do if she were imprisoned against her will and given to the enemy as a gift.

“Stupid mutt!” she panted and wheezed. Sweat rolled down her temples, and she rushed at his hindquarters, pushing him to swing them around sideways to avoid her, gaining her several feet. “You’re being a big baby!”

He snarled, barked, and growled, but eventually Elsie got him back into the barn. Walking over the threshold was like night and day. His refusal to comply disappeared. He sank low, belly touching the ground, every muscle trembling with fear.

Elsie’s stomach twisted as she realized he wasn’t being stubborn about returning to the barn. He was terrified. Whatever horrors had happened to him here had left scars.

“Hey,” her voice dropped an octave as she struggled to catch her breath. “It’s only for a couple of hours. You’re going to be okay.”

There was no resistance. Elsie looked at each stall as they walked through the aisle, unease growing with every step. There were no names, just species and identification numbers. Each stall was a different size, modified to hold whatever was inside. She rose onto her toes to peek at a gremlin but stopped herself, realizing she didn’t want to see what was inside these stalls.

If she knew, she might have to care.

They came to the hound’s stall, and Elsie’s lips pressed into a thin line. Too narrow to turn around or lie down, each wall was covered in electrical wire. The sloped floor was stark cement with a drainage hole in the middle. Hanging from a hook outside the stall was the prod Clairemont had beaten the demon with earlier.

The only place this creature had to relax was this stall, and it was outfitted as a torture chamber. Anger burned in her throat, and it pissed her off that the only reason she cared was because this demon belonged to her. He was her responsibility, and that changed everything.

“Come on,” she said softly. “You’re not staying here.”

Chapter four

Chapter 4

She tugged, pleaded, and cajoled in order to get the demon moving again. Not even the ‘heel’ command worked. Once he was unstuck from his cowering position on the floor, he begrudgingly followed, creeping along and staying two paces behind her. Forcing him into the barn erased any imagined gain in trust.

She laid her hand on his shoulder. He flinched and growled, his muscles set to trembling all over again.

“I’m sorry,” Elsie muttered. “I won’t make you come back here again.”

Reaching out to comfort the traumatized demon was disturbingly instinctual, but she assumed the impulse stemmed from the appeal of his demon form. She’d liked dogs the few occasions she’d spent time around them, and his scruffy appearance felt approachable. Elsie curled her hand into a fist and stuffed it into a pocket. She didn’t touch anyone, let alone a man. Worse, a demon.

He watched the ground, avoiding her space to keep from bumping into her. He was vulnerable and incapable of defending himself. That, she realized, was exactly what Clairemont intended. The beastmaster had beaten this helpless reaction into him.