De'Vas Chronicles Book 4: Chapter 22

Hitomi pushed her fire Magic into the ceramic cup as she picked it up, reheating her tea. She preferred it almost scalding hot.

She waited for her guests in the large dining room of her restaurant in District 1, her small domain in what had become her prison. All because she took a stand on an issue that ended violently.

She sipped the warm liquid when a knock came at the door before it slid open, letting in a regal-looking man with horns, bat-like wings, and a tail.

As usual, Victor had been the first to arrive. The stone dragon bowed deeply to her before taking a seat opposite her at the low table. Hitomi offered a cup of tea, which Victor took, despite his distaste for the beverage. He was always careful not to offend her, probably because he had witnessed what she did to two of the founders of De’Vas.

Kaito arrived next, still wearing the clothing he had worn during his mission on Vas. The oni bowed and took his place at the table. Before Hitomi could offer him tea, though, he placed a large energy drink on the table, popping the tab, then taking out his phone. Victor sneered at the act, but Hitomi ignored it. She hadn’t selected this group for their etiquette; she had chosen them for their strength, resources, and skills.

The sound of arguing down the hallway alerted her to the last two individuals they were waiting for. Her ear twitched in agitation, something that Victor and Kaito didn’t miss - the latter even putting away his phone.

The voices went silent down the hallway. A moment later, the door slid open, and a pixie quickly flew through, doing a circle of the room before she landed on the table in a squatting position.

“Sorry we’re late, boss,” Scarlet said, casting a glare at the doorway. “Someone was dragging her feet on the way here.”

Hitomi sipped her tea as a downtrodden drider closed the door and took a seat at the table. Her gaze left Piper for a moment to watch the dark circle that broke away from Piper’s shadow before vanishing in an ill-lit corner. It seemed a surprise guest would be joining them at this meeting.

Her gaze returned to the drider. Piper was looking worse and worse every day now. Haggard, weary, and defeated. If she had reeked this much of weakness when Hitomi first met her, she would have chosen to offer Blackthorn a spot in her little organization. In hindsight, she probably should have.

“I take it bad news?” Hitomi asked.

Piper shrank more in her seat, refusing to meet her eyes. It was Scarlet who spoke.

“It was a shit show,” Scarlet answered. “We met with her District Boss who said they spotted Bella. Went to investigate where she had been seen, only to find jack shit and return to the District Boss, just to find him hacked to pieces with a message from the damn elf we were looking for!”

Hitomi hummed as she poured another cup of tea.

“This is the fourth vassal of yours to be killed. I must wonder why your former pawn Bella, whom you considered expendable, is so effective at killing them?” Hitomi asked as she slid the cup toward Piper.

A shaky hand took the cup, lifting it to take a small sip.

“I’m not sure. Her magic makes her an effective assassin, but I wouldn’t have thought she could do this,” Piper said, shaking her head. “Bella has always been a drunkard.”

The hand holding the cup trembled again, and Piper’s eyes remained on the table. Every day, she was becoming less useful and more of a liability. Hitomi might need to deal with her if she didn’t correct her course soon.

“Well, you will either find her or run out of vassals, whichever comes first,” Hitomi said.

She watched the drider flinch at her words before turning and looking at the oni, whose hand was about to lift his phone from the table. His hand retreated as his gaze met hers.

“Kaito, how is everything on Vas?” Hitomi asked.

“I’ve been raiding the old tombs for reagents and artifacts. Most are worthless, but a few may be useful to us. I’ve also been working on strengthening ties to the Queen of Everwood, or at least what remains of that Kingdom after Blackthorn took the head of the old Queen,” Kaito shrugged. “I haven’t told her about Earth yet, but when we are ready to make our move, she could be a useful ally.”

Kaito then frowned, casting a side glance at Victor.

“The human has claimed an old ruin and is flying Blackthorn’s banner. Victor told me to leave him be and I haven’t interfered, though I’ve heard the exiled brothers plan to attack him this week. Do I need to stop them?” Kaito asked.

Hitomi smiled as her tails lashed; she even felt her elemental stir at the news. He was surviving. Kaito and the others noticed her excitement, a few giving her questioning looks.

“The brothers shouldn’t be a threat to him. If they are, then I misjudged him,” Hitomi answered as her tails calmed and her gaze moved to Victor.

Her tails went still as she saw the face of the stone dragon.

“What happened?” she asked, her tone deadly.

Victor drew a deep breath before he exhaled.

“Councilman Firebeard has discovered the changelings within his warehouse. He slaughtered them personally,” Victor answered.

A stream of curses left Scarlet.

“Seriously! It’s going to be hard to keep convincing the Council these are rogue changelings when most of the clans are my vassals!” the pixie growled, before flopping onto the table and kicking her feet. “That damn dwarf is going to be on my ass about this!”

Victor ignored her outburst.

“The few changelings we have left in District 114 report Councilman Firebeard was seen there not long before he attacked those in his warehouse. I suspect it’s the human woman again,” Victor said with a sneer.

Hitomi nodded.

“Vivian Grayson. We certainly have underestimated her,” Hitomi said, her eyes darting to the dark corner where she knew Bella was hiding, before looking back to Victor. “The question is how she knew we had changelings in Firebeard’s warehouse.”

Piper finally spoke.

“You don’t think someone is talking, do you?” the drider asked, her voice laced with fear.

The weakness coming off of her almost made Hitomi want to kill her then and there.

“We have a leak, but where?” Hitomi said, tapping her chin in thought. “I’ll be in touch once I come up with a plan to discover this leak. Stay alert and report anything odd back to me or Victor.”

Everyone quickly stood, bowed, and moved toward the door. Hitomi sipped her tea, watching as the last person left, the shadow following closely behind them. She held out her arm, and a serpent made of Fire Magic slithered down it quickly, cutting off the shadow’s escape. Victor looked back at her elemental and the shadow before meeting her gaze and closing the door behind him.

“I hoped we could talk, Bella,” Hitomi said as she gestured to the table.

A wild-looking elf with white hair emerged from the shadow, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. Hitomi gave a warning glare that any attack would be death.

“I just want that bitch Piper,” Bella growled.

Hitomi nodded.

“Understandable. If I were in your place, I would want the same,” she answered. “But Piper is mine, and I don’t let others have what is mine.”

The elf cautiously moved toward the opposite side of the table and sat down. Hitomi’s elemental slithered back toward her, climbing up her arm until it was draped around her neck like a living necklace of fire.

Bella stared at it, while Hitomi’s gaze was focused on an unusual scar on the elf’s arm. An elemental scar.

So that’s why she’s stronger than Piper expected.

“That’s an interesting scar,” Hitomi said. “What color does it glow?”

Bella’s hand clasped over the scar, and she glared at her. Silence filled the room as they stared at each other.

“Green,” Bella answered. “It formed after I absorbed the life of one of the District bosses. Nearly killed me, I was unconscious for a few days after.”

Hitomi studied the elemental scar.

“Piper said you had a spell that allowed you to absorb the life of another and that you use it to heal yourself. I take it you’ve been using it a lot lately?” Hitomi asked, though she knew the answer.

Bella nodded.

Foolish girl flooded her body with extra Nature Magic with this killing spree. She’s lucky she’s not an elemental right now.

Hitomi’s tails swished as she pondered what to do with Bella. The girl was a potential asset now, given the elemental scar. She doubted the elf could go as far as Ash had with his. No doubt, the elemental within the scar would either eventually kill her or fail to form. Still, she could be of use.

“Piper has been a bit of a disappointment lately, and I find myself at a time where I am in need of others I can depend on. Strong and effective individuals, such as yourself. Perhaps we can work out a deal?” Hitomi offered.

Piper

Piper froze in the hallway as she heard Hitomi’s voice speaking to Bella. She felt herself tremble as Victor moved past her, the stone dragon looking back at her.

“Go home, Piper,” Victor said, his face betraying a hint of pity.

He was halfway down the hallway before she started moving again, her heart pounding in her chest. Each step felt like walking up the gallows to the noose.

If Hitomi was going to kill Bella, she would not have offered to talk.

That meant the fox was going to negotiate with the elf, and Piper’s mouth went dry at that. There would only be one thing Bella would ask for, something Piper would have laughed at a month ago, but now, after all her failures...

“I’m dead,” Piper said to herself.

Before she realized it, she was out of the kitsune restaurant and wandering District 1. She wondered if Hitomi would do the deed herself or let Bella kill her. She felt a sense of self-pity start to settle, then shook it off, pushing anger in its place. She gritted her teeth; she was in this mess because of that human vassal of Blackthorn.

It’s always Blackthorn who ruins my life.

The memory of Blackthorn standing over her as she was forced to swear fealty. A bitter taste formed in her mouth at the thought. Next came the memory of when she learned Blackthorn’s pet human had killed Destry, a knot forming in her gut at the loss of the kelpie she called her friend. The final memory was the humiliation of her failure to kill the human and her fall from grace with Hitomi, seething anger burning from it.

That anger guided her steps as she moved through the District, her hand toying with the dagger gifted to her by Destry.

There’s one thing I’m going to do before I die!

The words rang in her mind as she arrived at the Victorian-style mansion that belonged to Councilwoman Cleo Blackthorn. Piper stared at it as she drew several deep breaths before her hand pulled the dagger free and she moved toward the door.