I glance around the room, expecting at least someone to share my level of concern, but nope, everyone looks completely relaxed. Even Roxy, who’s usually the first to pick up on anything weird, is sprawled on the floor, tail wagging lazily like this is just another Thursday night. Only Lukas looks as confused as I feel, his brow furrowed as he watches the trapdoor.
“That’s just Jane.” Rina says brightly, as if that explains everything.
“She lives in the basement here. Say hi, Jane!” She says cheerfully. On cue, the shadowy arm pops up from behind the bar again and gives me a little wave. Like it’s just a normal thing for a disembodied monster limb to be casually greeting people. Then it snatches another glass bottle from the bar and vanishes back into the darkness below. The crunching sound starts up again, like someone chewing on gravel.
“Uh… Does Jane… Eat glass?” I ask, my voice tilting up at the end because seriously, how is everyone acting like this is normal? Rina nods, totally unfazed, but it’s Richard who starts laughing.
“That’s understating it.” He chuckles.
“Jane eats pretty much anything. She’s even eaten entire people when they tried to attack Rina one time.” He confides with a grin. I just stare at him, my jaw practically hitting the floor. He keeps going, sounding disturbingly cheerful about the whole people eating thing.
“Not that anyone holds that against her.” He adds quickly, like that makes it better. “
She was protecting her friend because she’s so brave and… Loyal. I respect her greatly.” He continues talking, complimenting and flattering the creature. I narrow my eyes. Something about the way he’s laying it on so thick makes me suspicious. He’s practically gushing about how wonderful Jane is. Then, before I can puzzle it out, the shadowy arm shoots up again and snatches his drink right off the bar. It was mostly full, he definitely wasn’t done with it. The limb disappears back into the dark, and a second later, we hear a faint slosh. Richard sighs, leaning back in his chair with a resigned expression.
“I guess I’m not forgiven yet, huh?” He says, sounding more amused than concerned. Rina props her hands on her hips, giving the trapdoor an exasperated look.
“Jane, I know you don’t like Richard very much. But he paid for that drink.” She scolds, like she’s reprimanding a mischievous kid.
“Also, you know you aren’t supposed to eat the glasses unless they’re damaged.” She adds as if it’s an afterthought. There’s a brief pause, then the soft splash of liquid hitting glass. A moment later, Jane places the drink back on the bar. Except now the glass is totally full, and the liquid inside is a slightly off color, kind of murky, like swamp water mixed with… I don’t even know what. Richard eyes the glass warily.
“Uh, yeah… I think I’ll pass on that.” He mutters, sliding it far away from himself.
“That might be wise.” Torin comments dryly, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. I stare at the suspiciously full glass and then at the trapdoor. Did the random basement monster just try to poison him? What the hell did he do to piss her off and how can I make sure not to repeat his mistake?
“Are you sure Jane is… Safe?” I ask, glancing between Rina and Torin. Rina just laughs, waving off my concern like it’s the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard.
“Jane’s a total sweetheart. She wouldn’t really hurt Richard. She’s just playing.” Rina assures me, like the distinction between playful glass poisoning and actual harm is super clear. Lukas, who’s been quietly observing the whole exchange with wide eyed fascination, finally speaks up.
“You do realise that’s a giant monster, right? Not some puppy.” He points out, his tone somewhere between baffled and amused. Rina frowns, offended.
“Don’t be rude. Jane is way smarter than any puppy.” She insists. Lukas immediately looks defensive, glancing down at Roxy like he’s been personally insulted. Roxy huffs, her tail giving a single annoyed thump against the floor, like she objects to the comparison too. I reach over to scratch her behind the ear, trying not to laugh. Lukas catches my eye and smiles, then glances back toward the hole in the floor that apparently leads to Jane’s lair. But his smile fades, replaced by a thoughtful, almost curious expression. His brow furrows slightly, like he’s trying to work out a problem in his head.
“Is something wrong?” I ask quietly, nudging his knee with mine. He shakes his head, but his eyes don’t leave the trapdoor.
“No, I’m just wondering if I can read Jane’s mind or not.” He murmurs, almost to himself.
“I can’t read Roxy’s, but I can read the minds of a lot of other supernaturals. So I don’t know exactly what it is that makes it possible.” He sounds a little frustrated.
“Oh, did you want to try?” I suggest, raising an eyebrow.
“You could ask.” I smirk as I make the suggestion. I already know what his answer will be. Lukas recoils immediately, his whole body stiffening like I just suggested he dive headfirst into the pit of shadows.
“No, definitely not.” He says quickly, his eyes flicking nervously back to the trapdoor. The whole room explodes with laughter. Even Torin cracks a slight smile, which I’m starting to realise is as close to a belly laugh as we’re ever going to get from him. I shake my head, still grinning. Honestly, what even is my life right now?
Somehow, the whole bizarre incident with Jane munching glass and threatening to poison Richard is exactly what we needed to break the tension. One minute, I’m still eyeing the trapdoor like it might spontaneously spit out another shadowy limb, and the next, I’m pouring out our entire life story to a group of near strangers like we’re all best friends at a sleepover. It’s weird. But it feels… Right, in a way. I check in with Lukas mentally as I go, but he doesn’t object. If anything, he seems relieved to finally be sharing the burden with more people. I tell them everything. How I saved Lukas that first night, how we discovered both our families are tangled up in this mess, how Solem is at the center of it all. I even explain how we found out the necromancer causing all this chaos is just a teenage boy, scared and in way over his head. The only thing we leave out is Wren’s name. I’m not sure he’d want his identity shared with strangers, and honestly, his name wouldn’t change anything. When I finally finish, there’s a long pause. Richard leans back in his chair, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully.
“Well.” He says slowly, clearly choosing his words carefully.
“Do you know the exact terms of this kid’s deal?” He asks. I shake my head.
“Not really. He mentioned it in bits and pieces, but he was pretty shaken up.” I sigh, worried about Wren. Lukas moves a little closer to me and grabs my hand.
“It matters.” Richard says, leaning forward again.
“Demons stick to the exact phrasing of the deals they make. Solem makes tons of deals, so you wouldn’t expect him to make mistakes. But I think he might be getting a little cocky… Or careless. Or maybe it’s just that no one is perfect. You make thousands of deals, at least a few of them have to have flaws.” He reasons. Lukas tilts his head, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Explain. Be specific. How did you get out of your deal?” He demands, his voice low and serious. Richard shrugs.
“It was the phrasing. Solem ordered me to TRY to kidnap Rina. When I failed to do so, I was free. Technically, I had fulfilled the terms of the deal. I don’t think he expected me to fail though…” His voice trails off, and he glances at Rina with a soft, almost embarrassed smile.
“Basically, he escaped by following the bargain to the letter.” Rina chimes in, her tone lighter, but there’s an edge of seriousness underneath. Lukas frowns, his mind already racing through possibilities.
“So you’re saying we have to hope that Solem made a mistake with the teenager’s deal?” Lukas says, a little frustrated. The idea sits heavy between us. I can feel Lukas’s tension through the hand still resting lightly on my knee, his mind running through all the worst case scenarios. I don’t like it either. What if there isn’t a loophole? What if Wren’s deal is airtight, no wiggle room, no escape clause? What if this kid is trapped, no matter what we do? Rina must sense my growing anxiety because she reaches out and squeezes my shoulder gently.
“Hey.” She says softly.
“It’s not just about hoping Solem made a mistake. Sometimes, it’s about finding creative solutions. Demons are bound by rules, yeah, but they can be tricked. You just have to be smarter than them.” She says confidently. Lukas snorts quietly.
“Easier said than done.” He mumbles. Torin finally speaks up, his voice calm but firm.
“No demon is invincible. Most of us rely on fear and control. But fear can be turned against them, and control can slip.” He says firmly. I glance between them, feeling the smallest flicker of hope start to spark in my chest. Maybe this isn’t hopeless. Maybe there’s a way to free Wren. We just have to find it. Lukas catches my eye, his expression softening slightly.
*We’ll figure it out.* I say silently, now I just have to find a way to believe it myself.