25 – Finks doing Finky Shit

Grey waited and waited and waited for something to happen. Nothing did. He fell asleep, stretched out on the hot metal floor of his cell, sweat dripping off his body to form a puddle while he slept.

His dreams of cake were interrupted when the door to his cell slammed open. He jumped awake and tried to pretend he hadn’t been sleeping, but it was no use. He did not know how much time had passed.

Rex was at the door, staring at him. Rex didn’t like him. Rex didn’t trust him. That was cool, Grey didn’t like Rex either. Talk about a bad guy with a hidden agenda. Soren at least was transparent. Soren didn’t want to be here. Soren was marked and Soren would do what he was told, but really, all he could think about were the One True Mates, two of them in particular: the beekeeper and the bitch. Azer said Soren had his own private room with surveillance pictures of the two plastered all over the walls, and when he held his sausage hostage at night, he dreamed of being the meat in an OTM sandwich. Plus he could sense them or something. Grey wanted to fuck with Azer about that, ask him just why that would be, but now wasn’t the time.

Grey blinked his eyes but he couldn’t see a thing. His nose told him Khain was right outside, in his man-form, which Grey often thought looked like an over-muscled, evil Jason Momoa. Sometimes he wondered if Khain was an unimaginative Game of Thrones fan.

“On your feet, pig,” Rex said.

“Yes, Dr. Evil,” Grey said, hopping to his feet, his body going battle-ready. There was no way he was going back in this cage. The way he saw it, this was his chance to prove himself once and for all, to prove whose side he was really on, and if it didn’t work, then he would escape, and if he couldn’t escape, he would fight until they had no choice but to kill him.

Maybe he would wake up in Rhen’s meadow.

Rex grabbed him around the elbow, rudely pushing him out into Khain’s castle. Or did he call it a lair? Grey blinked at the smoke and fire belching indiscriminately, around the massive, ugly, rock-lined room they were in. Definitely a lair.

Khain got right into his line of sight, his right fist closed and held strangely in front of him, as if he were presenting it to Grey. Something was curled inside it, something that made smoke rise from Khain’s fist.

Khain opened his hand and displayed what was in it for Grey to see. The booted wolf and the angel on the other side. Khain had gotten stronger. He could hold the pendant now.

Grey did not move to take it. Khain didn’t want him to. Khain would belt him across the room for taking it before Khain was ready. Grey kept his eye-roll to himself. Working with megalomaniacs was so tiring.

He did inspect it carefully though. It had been… melted a little. Twisted ever so slightly, so that it curved around its very bottom, which had been made into a point. Khain undulated his hand and the pendant rolled slightly, letting Grey get a good look at how sharp that point really was.

“Touch it, wolf,” the demon said.

Grey only stared.

The demon laughed at him.

Grey lifted his chin at Rex. “That was a pretty good evil laugh he’s got, are you taking notes? I notice you don’t have one yet.”

Rex moved in close to clout him in the back of the head. Grey stiffened, taking it like a wolf, barely moving. He shook his head ever so slightly. Bad fucking idea, Rexie. Don’t you know we’re going to be working together soon? Better watch your back.

“Bind it,” Khain said.

Rex moved in quickly, pulling what looked like a very long knife from a pocket. He got in between Grey and Khain, bending over the pendant in Khain’s hand, working in short, tight movements. When he moved out of the way, the pendant had been fastened to the end of what was a very fancy ceremonial knife.

“I should do it,” Rex said from the side, with a sniveling tone that told Grey that Rex would rather be licking Khain’s boots than dealing with this pesky angel-killing business. “What if all of this is a trick?”

Grey shook his head. “No trick.” It was on the tip of his tongue to say the rest of it. But you, demon, should be the one to kill the angel, then you will be as powerful as he is.

He didn’t say it. He stayed quiet. When Khain jabbed the pendant in his direction, Grey took it.

With no warning, not even a, “stand back,” Khain grew himself to massive proportions, the castle swelling with him to allow his new size. Grey’s stomach swayed with what his brain hoped was an optical illusion. Whoa, that could take some getting used to. Grey moved closer to the circular cell where Azer was being held, kept his eyes down, and waited for what came next.

“You, and you,” he said to Rex and Soren, “And all of you,” he said to foxen who were appearing from cracks in the walls and hidden hallways. “Prepare yourselves.”

Grey readied himself to fight if he had to, not knowing what he would do.

I won’t do it, he told Azer.

You must, came the reply.

I don’t want to.

You must.

Khain waved a massive hand between him and the smooth enclosure Azer was being held in. When the hand moved away, a doorway had appeared.

Grey peered inside.

I’m ready, Azer pulsed in light waves. Do it. It’s never too late to take the right path, Grey, even when your past sins are unforgivable. Every day is a new day and a new chance to choose.

Grey rolled his eyes. Don’t you remember? I’m unredeemable.

He bolted forward and sliced the pendant through the light, unable to help himself from whispering, “bye” to his only friend in the world.

Thank you. I love you, was the message that came in response, breaking Grey’s heart just a little, surprising him. The light coalesced into one brilliant point that Grey could not stand to be near. He tried to run, but he fell over onto the ground and curled up instead, protecting his belly and balls.

Power swarmed and swelled. Azer’s power, Azer’s being, expanded exponentially, and Grey felt the ability the demon coveted rush over the top of him.

The demon took in a breath and made a guttural cry, then doubled over, fire covering him. He twisted, then stood abruptly, shaking himself like a dog, sparks flying.

Grey shook his head, unable to believe it. Azer, you big dummy, why did you give it to him anyway? He’d thought for sure the angel would go back on his word. There was no reason for him to give Khain that ability.

Stillness and silence fell onto all of them. Grey tried to catch his breath on the floor where he’d fallen. That had been … something.

Khain smiled. Laughed. Popped out of existence, then popped right back in, a triumphant smile on his face.

There had been no earthquake.

Grey struggled to his feet. The demon was looking at him, pointing at him.

“Rex, Soren, take him and whoever else you need and bring me the wolf in the coma.”