Chapter Three: Noisy Prey
2370 Words
Barbatos..
“Such loud prey seldom lives long.” Barbatos tsked. The girl in his arms looked at him wide-eyed, and then the most improbable thing happened.
She smiled.
“Well then. That works out well for us, doesn’t it? Since they’re making it so easy for them to be found. What do you think about..” She tilted her head towards the slavers and slid a thumb across her neck. “Ya know.. Ridding us of the problem of them?”
Barbatos blinked.
What had happened to this girl’s thundering fear of him?
Further, the timid mouse of moments before had revealed itself to be a sharp-toothed predator in disguise.
Something in Barbatos roared in approval, even as his logical mind cautioned him about this prey’s deceitful nature. However, even as these two thoughts resounded through his head, movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. The slavers were trying to make a run for it. Barbatos glanced from them to the girl, then back again.
“Go for it. I’ll wait right here.” She grinned again, as if at some inner joke, but he didn’t have time for that. With a snarl, he thrust her aside and leapt forward, flying over the ground towards the men who’d just made the last miserable mistake they’d ever make in their lifetimes.
Bethany..
Bethany watched as the powerful, lithe form of the Demon, Barbatos, pounced forward on all fours.
He had a tail.
A freaking tail.
It lashed behind him like a lion’s, all smooth downy swede-like fur until it reached a cute little plume of floof on the end, that he’d probably kill her for saying was cute at all.
But what could she say? She loved animals.
Claws graced all fingers and toes, she noticed. Curved, sharp, deadly, and tinted a darker color, like his hair. And speaking of that hair, it had grown out into a magnificent bit of a mane. He really did have this dark lion thing going on, in her opinion. Bethany watched as Barbatos’ claws sank into flesh, ripping and tearing with horrible ease. Ease that was only matched by the strength of his leaps and jumps, his speed and power.
Bethany nearly collapsed to the ground as Barbatos’ jaw unhinged and he literally bit one of the slavers’ heads off. Maybe not so much like a lion after all then, she thought queasily.
For a moment she wondered if she’d made a mistake, aligning herself with this Demon, but then it was all over, and he was straightening, turning to face her. His glowing eyes pegged her in place as his body melted back into the rather unremarkable human appearance. His eyes were last to go, losing the glow and bright color to turn almost solid black. But Bethany realized, as Barbatos prowled towards her, that they were really just very deep brown.
She found herself holding her breath as he approached. Was she next?
Then his gaze roamed past her, and he followed. Something in her felt relief, but she couldn’t deny the sudden surge of.. Disappointment.
Turning to look after him, she noted Barbatos was covered in blood, and didn’t even spare her a glance as he bent to retrieve his bow and then stalked onward into the forest. Gaping, Bethany could only find herself staring after him.
Barbatos..
“Wait! Wait a minute! Could you slow down, please?” The girl yelled, and the wolf bounded into his path, spinning to a halt, front legs lowered and teeth bared. Ah, he’d wondered where the beast had gotten off to.
The wolf offered him its threat, amplified by the tensing of its hind muscles as it prepared to leap.
“I have not harmed your packmate.” Barbatos growled at the wolf, who snapped back at him, teeth flashing. The angry retort was a clear message that though the beast didn’t understand it, his packmate wanted to include Barbatos, and the wolf didn’t trust him. But he did trust his packmate, so that was that.
Barbatos flashed his own fangs in return, but the wolf refused to budge, instead releasing a sharp sound that was not truly a bark, but definitely a warning that he was not afraid to fight the Demon if it came to it.
“Damn you stubborn creatures!” Barbatos hissed, and spun to face the human girl, who was picking her way through a tangle of thorns.
“God-damn-it, why did you have to pick the.. Prickliest path to-?!” She squeaked as Barbatos abruptly appeared in front of her, breaking the branches that held her with his bow, then looking at it regretfully as he turned around.
He really shouldn't be abusing such a fine piece of equipment just because the girl and her dog got on his nerves..
“Would you please..wait?!” A hand descended on Barbatos’ arm, making him stop, spinning in place to snap sharp teeth at the girl. He could feel his eyes glowing red even as she lifted her hands into the air in surrender.
“My bad. You don’t like to be touched.” She chewed her bottom lip, and Barbatos turned to pace away once more.
“Hey wait! What about me?!” The girl caught up with him, crashing through the underbrush loudly, trying to keep pace with him as he increased his speed to escape her. “Wait, please!” She tripped, and grabbed his arm for support. He snarled at her again instinctively. Instead of backing off or becoming afraid, as he had expected, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
“Well I asked you to slow down. Several times, actually. All you had to do was listen.” The girl retorted.
Barbatos.. didn’t know how to react.
Where was this outcome in the possible future paths laid out before him? When he’d made that impulsive decision, why hadn’t he seen.. This?
“Listen to what? Your incessant babbling?” Barbatos shot back. The girl’s scowl deepened.
“I’ve been asking you a question.” She glared.
She had? Had Barbatos somehow missed it in his angry internal tirade as he tried to escape his most recent.. Acquisition?
“And what is that?” He ground out. Her mouth dropped open, and she looked from him to the wolf, as if asking the animal if he believed what was happening.
“Really!?" Popped out of her mouth before her expression firmed again, and she repeated "What. about. me? What happens to me now?” She fingered the Mark on her shoulder, and Barbatos turned away.
“Do what you want, I could care less.” He shrugged.
Bethany..
What. The. Actual. f**k.
She watched the Demon stalk away from her, his shoulders stiff. She rubbed the bloody transfer she’d gotten from touching his arm on her pants and stared after him for a moment, stunned. Then Ginger’s wet nose snuffled along her palm, pulling her from her thoughts.
“No Ginger, don’t eat that. It’s probably poisoned. With stupidity.” Bethany scolded half-heartedly, although the insult was said venomously enough. Then, with a determined gait, she strode after the Demon, who showed no sign of slowing or stopping.
“So this is your thing? You Mark people and then, what? Run away?” Bethany quipped. She didn’t really expect a response, and she didn’t get one. But she did see the Demon’s jaw muscles twitch.
“All the maturity of a ten-year old. Thanks for that. Fine. If you’re not going to answer that question, I’ll keep asking them until we find one you will answer!” Bethany shouted, waving her arms. She’d had just about enough stress for one day, and as if Ginger could sense it, he began to run circles around them both, barking.
“Just go.” The Demon suddenly turned on her, spitting the words, full of hate. His hand gripped his bow so tightly, Bethany was certain she heard the wood creak.
“Go where, exactly?” She asked, eyeing his hand as she thought of her empty life. Thought of all the traveling around with Ginger, trying to avoid humans, Demons, and anything in between. She really didn't have anywhere to go.
“I..” Barbatos' words died in his throat as he looked at her, standing with her arms crossed challengingly. She met his gaze levelly, knowing that the anger in her eyes hid the hurt. At some point, Ginger had moved up beside her and was pressed against her leg. He trembled, like he was an extension of her emotions. The ones she never showed anyone.
“You Marked me. Take some responsibility.” Bethany sassed. She was probably pushing her luck. Barbatos released a growl.
“I only did it to make a point to those slavers. Your life is your own. Go live it.” He retorted, spinning on his heel and continuing his purposeful march towards water. Bethany gaped after him. Again. Out of everything he said, Bethany only heard one thing.
Someone was leaving her.
Again.
“Oh no you don’t.” She snarled, and chased after the Demon.
Barbatos..
Barbatos was very nearly ready to walk right out into the middle of the stream and drop himself under. Let the current take him. Rid himself of the constant, rambling prattle of the girl.
What he did instead was splash the cold water over his face and neck, watching as the dyed red droplets fell away from him to rejoin the water.
“Yeouch! How can you stand that? That's cold!” The girl’s voice rang out, ruining the peace of the moment once more.
“By all means, leave whenever the mood strikes you.” Barbatos commented through gritted teeth. The girl glared at him, her eyelids turning to mere slits.
“That almost sounds like you don’t care what happens to me.” She responded. Barbatos’ head shot around.
“For the most part, I don-” He began to retort, but she cut him off.
“Let me remind you that we are contractually bound. We have an agreement.” She stalked towards him in the water. “You get whatever it is that you get from this agreement, and in return, I expect what was promised. Access to your knowledge, your power, your protection.” Her finger was pointed at him, very nearly touching his nose. Barbatos tensed. When had anyone ever paid attention to the terms of the agreement, and what was with this girl, challenging him?
“Fine, but that goes both ways.” He growled. “You want things from me, I get things from you. What do you intend to use as payment? Because I don’t happen to see any offerings on hand.” It was Barbatos’ turn to stalk forward. The girl blanched, but only slightly, and for the briefest of seconds.
“Right. Well, I don’t own anything except for what you see on me. So maybe it’s something I can acquire? What exactly do you trade in?” The girl ran her hands over her thighs almost nervously. Barbatos ogled her. She had to be playing coy. He took another step forward, then began to circle her, looking up and down her form intently. She actually had a decent figure. A bit lean, but most humans were these days. The girl straightened.
“There seems to be plenty on offer here.” Barbatos sneered, and her expression shuttered.
“Right. No. That’s not happening. The least you could do is be nice to me if you think you’re ever getting close to being in my pants. Ginger has a better chance. And he’s a dog.” The girl bit out, and Barbatos took a step back. The girl’s attitude had actually shocked him.
“What did you imagine you were asking for?” Barbatos questioned, baffled. “You said you have nothing, but you make demands of me. A Demon. What do you imagine Demons shackle humans to them for? Pretty pets? No!” Barbatos advanced on her once more, invading her space, his face mere inches from her own. “We keep slaves. We have breeding-stock. We use you up, consume your energy, destroy you, eat. you. alive.” His nose skimmed along her shoulder, hovering over the place where his Mark now resided.
“What did you really think this was?” His fingers traced along the seam of her clothing, and then he effortlessly split it open to reveal the Mark and a good swath of skin. “It’s a brand. Don’t you understand? Humans are nothing more than cattle to us. Possessions. Property.” He turned away from her before he could succumb to his own desire to sample her blood and energy again. He could sense it pounding away, mere inches from his face, her mix of emotions giving it an intoxicating perfume and rhythm. He did not need to start something he had no intentions of finishing. He was startled again by her scent of the sound of her breathing as he withdrew.
He had said and done all of that to scare her off, but despite the initial little thrill of fear, her scent and the hitch in her breathing indicated anything but fear. Barbatos resolutely kept his eyes from hers as he backed off and washed himself of the blood he had accumulated when he lost his temper. He dampened a rag to wipe down his bow, hoping he still had the little tin of wax after losing his form, otherwise he’d be doing his own hated little bit of ‘reaching across dimensions’ to find some.
Barbatos couldn’t keep his mind on his task, however, as he tried to be sure all the dried blood and dirt were removed from his bow. Because despite how hard he tried to distract himself from it, and how much he tried to deny it, the human's scent kept invading his senses.
There was no reason she should, but for some reason, the girl smelled aroused.
- Writer
