Chapter 185 Chapter 185
He sighed deeply, sitting up so he could pull her in for a hug. Resting his chin on her head, he held her tightly. “I’m sorry, Valerie. I didn’t mean to yell at you,” he muttered. “It’s just that I don’t trust hunters at all, and I don’t want you to be close to one of them… even if you consider him a friend, I can’t bring myself to do the same.”
She leaned into his chest and took a deep breath, blinking away her tears. “Please,” she whispered. “Just this once.”
Silence followed her words. He didn’t move a muscle and kept holding on to her, not speaking, not saying anything. She didn’t have much hope for him to give in since she had seen his rage last time he had encountered Travis. It hadn’t been pretty at all. Normally, she wouldn’t have insisted on another encounter between them, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Just this once,” Maxwell said after a while. He was still angry, but he had calmed himself down enough to keep his voice even. It didn’t shake with anger anymore.
A weight fell off Valerie’s chest. “Thank you,” she whispered.
—
Valerie called Travis that same afternoon, and since he was free, he came over immediately when she told him she needed to speak to him about an important matter. The doorbell rang not even half an hour after their call, and Valerie let him in.
“Hi, Travis, thanks for coming so soon,” she smiled at him. He returned her smile, running his hand through his dark red hair.
“No problem, Valerie,” he said as he closed the door behind him. Maxwell joined them in the hallway, standing behind Valerie and wrapping an arm around her stomach as he stared Travis down.
“If it isn’t the lightstick,” Travis growled.
“What did you just call me?” Maxwell snapped.
“Your hearing sucks ass,” Travis countered. “I said lightstick.”
“Don’t argue, please,” Valerie chimed in. She had never heard such a fitting yet offending nickname for the demon. The corners of her mouth twitched. Travis was creative.
“Valerie, I still don’t understand why you want to be around this idiot,” Travis grumbled as his eyes darted to the demon crest on her wrist. “Look, he is glowing again.”
“He tends to do that when he’s angry,” Valerie said and shrugged. It was nothing new to her.
“Don’t talk as if I couldn’t hear you,” Maxwell complained. “Let’s get this over with before I kick this worthless human out.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? Where did you lose your fucking brain?” Travis exploded. The air around the fire demon grew hotter. “I’m a half-demon. Don’t call me human all the time.”
“Don’t insult me.”
Her flat was flooded with sizzling fire magic that met Maxwell’s hot light magic. She knew that one wrong move could lead to dire damage to the building, and she wasn’t ready to pay for that. So she had to intervene before they did something stupid.
“Guys.” Valerie yelled. “Stop it. We need to work together to solve this problem.” She stepped between them and threw them both a strict glare. Her normally warm brown eyes were filled with annoyance and irritation—a rare sight.
“Can you not kill each other, please?” she added. “Let’s sit down and talk calmly. We’re going to the living room.”
She took Maxwell’s hand and pulled him after her. Travis followed them, all the while shooting glares at Maxwell’s head. In the living room, they sat down on the couches opposite each other.
“Can I offer you something to drink?” Valerie asked before she addressed the most important topic.
“No, I’m good,” Travis replied. “Where’s the cat?”
“You mean Mochi?” Valerie said, looking around but not finding the smaller demon. “Sometimes it leaves the flat… I bet you scared the poor kitty when you let your magic flare just now.”
“Oh… well, that makes sense,” Travis said awkwardly, clearing his throat. “Why did you want me to come over?”
“I was hoping you could help us,” Valerie began to explain. “We’re looking for a demon who keeps targeting bonded humans and demons. His name is Mason. Have you heard of him before?”
Travis’s face morphed, showing his shock before it changed to apprehension. His eyes widened a fraction. “I have,” he breathed. “My parents warned me of him. Apparently, he’s not very fond of half-demons like me.”
Maxwell’s irritation with Travis faded. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his thighs, staring at him. Valerie was hopeful upon hearing his words.
“Your parents are bonded too, right?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “And they brought that name up recently. They’re not exactly happy about my risky job, and they told me to avoid Mason at all costs.”
“Can you tell us more about him? Maybe his whereabouts?” Valerie prodded, relieved that they had gotten their first lead.
To her chagrin, Travis shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry, I don’t know much about him. My parents don’t either. He is said to be a powerful fire demon, but that’s all I can tell you.”
“Hm, I see,” Valerie mumbled. “A fire demon, you say…” Fire was a destructive type of magic, one of the most dangerous elements to deal with, so she wasn’t particularly happy about this. Along with thunder, darkness, and light, it was the element that could cause the worst damage. As if she hadn’t been uneasy enough already… this new knowledge didn’t make it any better. Valerie stared at her hands, knitting her forehead. The bruises on her knuckles had already faded, but she remembered all too well how badly she had gotten hurt not even a week ago. Since this fire demon was more dangerous than the blood mage, she would have to be very cautious.
“Great,” Maxwell hissed. “That doesn’t get us anywhere. Is that really all you know?” His steely red eyes burned holes in Travis’s head, the half-demon becoming fidgety and uneasy. He shifted on the couch, forcing himself to hold Maxwell’s glare.
“I can’t tell you where to find him,” Travis repeated. “And he isn’t someone you want to go after. I’m serious. He’s dangerous.”
“I won’t let him continue with his crap,” Maxwell countered. “If he doesn’t stop rallying people against bonded humans, Valerie will always be in danger. It’s a risk that can be avoided if we get rid of him.”