Page 48 of Dark Stars
Alejo grinned. "I can handle that." Hereached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter, a zippo made ofmatte black and shimmering with inlaid arcana. "Can burn anything,anywhere, with very few limits. Present from my father. He laid thevodun spells himself, gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday."
Leaving him to burn the part on and in theground, Bobby scaled the tree that the dangling sections weresecured to and cut them down.
Several minutes later, the whole mess wasnothing but ashes.
"One down, twelve to go," Bobby said. "Themore we destroy, the more attention we'll draw. Those guys thatwere here will probably come rushing back."
"So create a trap of your own. Maybe getthem stuck here? We can't prevent whatever communication ishappening now, but once they step into the trap…"
Bobby kissed him, quick and sharp. "Perfect.Stand over there." Once Alejo was out of the way, he drew up thefaintest tendrils of power, weaving them into a delicate trap thatwould enshroud all who stepped into it, rendering them unable toleave, unable to speak, for twelve hours. Without the ability tospeak, their arcana would be hampered significantly, and theywouldn't be able to warn anyone. The distraction caused by tryingto find them would cause further confusion. "All right, let's go.Three miles to the next one."
Thankfully, the weather was nice and thewoods peaceful, even if he could feel a low thrum of discontent.Fireflies traveled with them for a little while, until the lastdregs of night had faded and the sun took over completely.
They paused at the two-mile mark to eat,because despite all the food he'd already eaten, Bobby was stillhungry.
"How do you keep from starving todeath?"
"Normally I have more options than food forreplenishment when I really need it. Most of the time, the energy Iexpend is minimal and I don't even really need to eat. Jones isalways giving Harold and me shit because no matter how much we eat,it's never enough, and we never gain anything. Harold can eatenough for twenty, and the bastard is still just this side of skinand bones."
"That seems stressful, not to mentionexpensive."
Bobby smiled. "Well, thankfully, between thethree of us, there's never a lack of funds. Harold has wealth ofhis own from the work he does, and when you're older than dirt likeme and Jones, building money is child's play after a point."
Alejo gasped and pressed his hands to hischest. "I get to be a trophy boyfriend?"
Bobby rolled his eyes and threw the emptywrapper of his protein bar at his head. "Let's get back to work,trophy."
Giggling, Alejo cleaned up their snack,slung his bag onto his shoulders, and led the way back to the crudepath they'd been following.
"Trap was just sprung," Bobby said."Surprised it took them this long to get back to it. But I guess wedid give them quite some time to get away. Hmm. Hang on a moment."He went over to a tree right at the edge of the path, pressing ahand to it and asking nicely if the tree would let him know shouldsomeone else pass by, someone who tasted of the Deep Dark, becausehe was trying earnestly to get rid of them.
The tree agreed, feeling relieved, which itprobably was, as all this primordial dark skulking about the placewas never a good thing for nature, not in the quantities beingthreatened.
Every hundred feet or so, he repeated therequest, until he had an entire network of trees, passing word fromone to the other, to tell him where interlopers might be.
"Didn't know you could talk to trees."
"I try to leave most of nature alone," Bobbyreplied. "Normally, they'd prefer it, for all that I have someleeway, given my bond to fireflies. I'm the monster content toleave them alone, but a monster all the same. Still, there areworse monsters in the woods right now, so…" He shrugged.
Alejo took his hand, squeezing it gently asthey resumed walking. "You are definitely the best monster. I stillcan't believe…" he shook his head, laughing softly. "Just what,forty-eight hours ago? Seventy-two? Somewhere in there. I was stillbound to a demon. I was certain I'd die before anyone could saveme. You did it like it was light work." He frowned. "At great cost,though."
"I am older than most demons, and on parwith Leviathan. He's not as clever as he thinks he is, believeme."
"Still can't believe you gave him yourblood. In exchange for me. One of those is infinitely more valuablethan the other."
"Yes, you," Bobby replied quietly, stoppingto draw him in close, cradling Alejo's head between his hands. "Youare worth more than every star in the sky, and certainly worth morethan my blood. Leviathan thinks he got one over on me, but Ipromise you, one day far from now, he will use that blood, and hewill find it biting him instead of his victim. By the terms of thebargain I could not lay traps or anything in it, but it's still myblood, I'll know when he tries to use it, and all he'll get isdisaster." He kissed Alejo softly, then reluctantly let him go."Come on, I think we're close."
The second rune circle was as easilydestroyed as the first one, and also lacking in any sort ofprotections or traps. Cocky, lazy, or inexperienced? He supposedthey'd find out soon. "I thought they'd be more difficult."
"We're going counterclockwise, which makesit easier. The last few will damn near break themselves."
"So why would we ever do it clockwise?"
"Because while the breaking would be moredifficult, it would go unnoticed much longer. We started at the sixo'clock mark and are going backwards, which means they'll noticemuch faster. Goods and bads for both. As long as we can stay aheadof them, leave them confused, we have the advantage. My only fearis that once they realize what's going on, which will be rightabout now, they're going to be waiting for us at the final mark,and I don't know what power they may be drawing from the Lord ofAll."
"Can't wait." Alejo dug out further snacksas they returned to the trail and continued their hike. "So anotherthree miles? My legs are going to fall off."
"We'll stop for a real rest after we get thethird one."
