Page 10 of Dante
“Come along,” Master Edison said. “We will figure out places for everyone.”
The demons and two new hellhounds followed closely behind Master Edison, with Alpha Sergei and Chief Daegal following up behind them. How had things changed so drastically in a matter of minutes?
“We will need to have a meeting with the rest of you tomorrow morning,” Alpha Vitomir said. “We need to figure out why it is that for you, the timeline was only minutes, but in reality, it has been weeks.”
“We left on the twenty-second,” Augustus said, then looked at Atticus. “I guess that’s why your mate was yelling in your ear.”
“Ledger isn’t exactly happy either.”
“Cecil and the twins have been staying with us,” Alpha Vitomir said.
“I will be by shortly to collect my mate and children,” Warwick said. Alpha Vitomir nodded before he left. The five of us stood there in what was most likely disbelief.
“Something is going on. I just don’t know what,” Atticus said.
“I’m all for figuring it out, but I really need to get back to Ledger. It’s understandable that he’s upset because he’s had no contact with me for close to a month.”
That was unbelievable. How? Why? We all left, I’m sure wondering much the same things. Like Augustus, I didn’t have anyone waiting for me, technically, but I did wonder if there was a possibility that Banner had thought about me while we’d been gone. I quickly squashed those thoughts. He wasn’t for me.
Chapter 4
Banner
“What do you like most about being here?” I asked Felix. It might be an unexpected friendship, but since I’d first encountered the fae enforcers a few weeks ago, I’d gone back more than once, and Felix had finally figured out who I was and came looking for me in the bakery.
As far as I could tell, his interest was completely platonic. I’d learned a whole lot about fae simply by asking Lewis and Beau. Why not? They were fae, and I worked with them every single day. What I’d learned about fae: they got bored easily, they didn’t date until they met their mate, and they usually met their mates before they hit twenty-five. That meant Felix was safe.
“You ask such difficult questions,” Felix answered. “What do you like? You’re not from here either.”
I snorted. “True. But I’m not from a completely different realm. You lived somewhere that we can’t even go to,” I said as I reached for another piece of fried chicken. We were having what was probably going to be the last picnic for the year. It wascooling off considerably, and although I wasn’t cold, Felix was wearing a jacket, and the breeze had a bit of bite to it.
“I don’t know,” Felix said. “I guess maybe your television shows? We don’t have them where I’m from.”
I shook my head because I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that there were no televisions in the fae realm.
“Have you seen the new members of the council yet?” Felix asked suddenly. “I can’t believe I forgot to mention it. Err…them.”
“Uh, no. I don’t think so. Who are they?”
Felix didn’t get to answer because there was what sounded like a stampede approaching. “What’s that noise?”
“It sounds like a large group running,” I told him. We watched as a large group did indeed run past us. “When did they get back?” I said quietly to myself.
Felix looked directly at me. “That’s what I was going to say. When the hellhounds returned, it was a bit weird. They were gone for weeks, but according to them, they were only gone minutes. Nobody knows how it all worked, but it’s weird. But what’s even more strange is not only did they find the rest of their pack, I guess, but they brought back some demons to ask about the noise. Now, there are demons in the council.”
“What?” I asked Felix.
“Yeah. There are three demons working for the council now. They don’t really seem to know how to do too much, which is kind of sad. They’re working in the cafeteria for now, learning how to cook and do dishes.”
The hellhounds ran by, and one stopped for a moment and looked our way before he continued on. I knew that beast. I’d seen it several times in the jungle in Colombia.
“They all look different, have you noticed?” Felix asked.
“Yeah, well, I guess their creator couldn’t decide on any one particular look for his hellhounds.” I had no idea why theylooked so different. Most actually looked like massive black wolves—only meaner—but Dante’s beast’s hair was short, as was his tail.
“I have never seen them running as a pack,” Felix said. “Actually, I think I’ve only managed to see one of them running in that form since we’ve been here.”
I watched them leave, all sorts of thoughts running through my mind. How long had they been back? Why hadn’t I seen Dante since? Did he truly dislike me so much he would avoid me at all costs?
