Page 25

Damon

Twelve Years Ago

Go to bed, the Lord of Nightmares screamed at me within my head. This is no place for a kid. What will my employees think?

Employees, that’s what he liked to call them.

Fifteen years, two tails, and nearing adulthood had done nothing for his respect for me, even as his protege. I stomped up the stairs of the club to the penthouse apartment. The club my father owned wasn’t the best place to raise a child, but he’d managed it somehow, with the strippers as surrogate mothers.

It was a nice place, especially given it was in the city of Lethe, the slum of the kitsune world. A large bar took up most of the entertaining room, and we even had a stripper pole. Sometimes I even got to see the show, depending on how drunk the Lord of Nightmares was.

Every teenage boys’ dream.

I crashed onto my bed, feeling the soothing thump of the music down below. Over the years it became my lullaby. Something to keep my mind off the shit cards I’d been dealt.

My life? Asshole father, expensive tutor, penthouse suite, and power. And the neon lights dancing on the ceiling.

When the floors didn’t vibrate, I wondered who my mother was. What kind of scary bitch would willingly have a child with the Lord of Nightmares? Especially if she knew what it entailed: a lifetime contract to any male heir. My platinum blond hair held a clue, but my gray eyes? Those were all him.

I already slept during the day, just like always. Night was when I felt most comfortable, it was the only time I could play around in the world of dreams. Oh, and did people have some fucked up dreams.

“Go and fucking get it, boy!”

came a screaming male voice from the streets through my cracked window. I exhaled. Just another night in Lethe. The fucked up shit was always worse in real life than in dreams.

“And don’t get ripped off this time!”

a woman screamed.

“If he does, I’ll fucking kill him myself. That’s all the money I have,”

came the male voice again.

I exhaled again, rising from the bed like a zombie and peering down at the streets below.

The boy had bruises all up his arms. I suspected more that were hidden under his clothes. He was two or three years younger than me, auburn hair. He was scrawny, like he hadn’t had a good meal...ever.

What kind of parents sent their kid out at midnight?

I checked their minds, just a probe of curiosity.

Drugs.

The boy wandered off down the street, walking with too much comfort for his age in this fucking hellhole city. He walked like he’d been shouldered with the weight of adulthood. I almost envied his freedom. Something I never had.

I opened the window and crawled out onto the fire escape to watch the city below.

Lethe came alive at night.

Somehow the colors stood out more against the black. The rainbow of neon lights, the pink feather boas, the mini skirts made of blue shiny plastic. The blacklights outside of the club made everything glow like a cat’s eyes.

The boy returned to the shitty apartments across the street and he lingered outside, dodging the requests made by the filth of the city.

“Where the fuck have you been?”

the man asked, grabbing hold of his arm. “It’s been over an hour.”

The woman came outside too, leaning against the wall, a cigarette perched between her lips. Her black eye makeup looked like it had been continuously reapplied for weeks and never scrubbed completely clean. Her lipstick looked fifty layers deep and clung to the butt of the cigarette. Her hand curled out like a skeleton, her painted nails chipping.

My night vision was better since I’d gotten my newest tail.

The boy handed over the clear plastic baggie. Her eyes trailed over it with disappointment before wrath crossed her face. “You fucked up again, ungrateful little shit.”

The man snagged the bag from her, holding up to the dim street lights before glaring down at the boy, raising his hand.

I sat up in shock as he hit the boy in front of everyone, for all eyes to see. But it was Lethe, so nobody gave a shit. The man raised his hand again, “This is the last time, Enko.”

I jumped up from my nook in the window, preparing to go down the emergency ladder. The boy scampered backwards and fell to the ground, and this time the man’s foot raised, knee bent, launching forward to kick the boy—

The street below lit up as bright as day, red flames bursting from the boy like a bomb going off. I was confused until the realization struck me.

He was a kitsune.

I jumped down the last couple floors, landing on my feet. My ankles took most of the blow, but they would heal quickly enough.

“What’s wrong with him?”

the woman was screaming.

“Enko!”

the man yelled, reaching into the flames, but he snapped his hand back as he touched the fire.

The humans all looked on in confusion, disoriented by the magic.

As the flames cleared, a tiny reddish brown fox cowered where the boy had been. “You think you can challenge me?”

the man yelled.

I wasn’t going to make it in time.

I found the man’s Mind and the woman’s too. Tugging at their worst nightmares, bringing them to their knees as they screamed, clawing at their hair like they could tear the memories from their heads.

I stood between them and the small kitsune. The little fox cowered beneath me. “I won’t hurt you, Enko.”

I told him. Their pain dragged out as I reached down, picking up the kitsune kit. “You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

I let their pain go, but their eyes remained wide, fearing that same suffering to return.

“You can’t take my son,”

the man growled. He was kitsune too, but even in his older age, he wasn’t as strong as me.

I narrowed my eyes and the man threw his hands up in defeat. “You’re that boy, aren’t you? The Lord of Nightmares’ bastard?”

He laughed. “Fine, you can have him. Won’t be long before you realize how useless he is anyway and he’ll be running home. And he won’t have a home to run to anymore.”

I turned and headed back toward the club. One of the working girls at the back entrance rushed toward me. “Damon! What are you doing out so late? You know your father doesn’t want you exposed to this.”

She looked down to the shaking fox in my arms and she reached out to stroke his fur. “And who’s this little guy?”

“Enko. The Lord of Nightmares took him in,”

I lied as I passed by her.

Nobody questioned me as I walked through the club. I covered the boy’s eyes as topless women served alcohol to the patrons. Others gave lap dances. He was too young for that shit. But I guess I had turned out all right. And it was better than whatever shithole he had been in.

I climbed the stairs and the Fire fox leaned away from me. Afraid of my grip. Unable to control his tail yet, flickering between dark coal to bright flames.

When we got up to the penthouse, I opened the door and finally set him down, closing the door behind us. “This will be your home now, Enko. For as long as you need it.”

He looked up at me curiously. His fiery tail twitched as he stayed close to me as I crossed the large living room. “So…”

I began awkwardly, gesturing to the room as though I’d ever had a friend to show it to, pointing out the rooms. “This is it. Kitchen, living room...”

Enko spent a moment looking around and fell behind. He quickly caught up, cowering at my feet.

“First time shifting, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, little dude.”

I wished he could talk back.

I showed him my room and as the hours passed, he curled onto the bed, falling asleep. He shifted back into a human boy at some point and I covered him with a blanket, letting him sleep. His fox ears twitched, and I knew a tail was under the blankets. The first time shifting, it was common for a kitsune to keep them when they shifted into a human for a day or so.

He looked so peaceful as he slept, but his bruises leered at me like angry demons. I wanted to murder his parents. Instead, I opted to haunt their dreams, letting them have an entire night of terror instead. It would soon become my favorite hobby.

The door of the penthouse opened, laughter coming in with the Lord of Nightmares. Enko snapped himself awake, fear seizing him at the sound. The laughter of multiple women rang out from the living room. It wouldn’t be an ideal meeting for the young fox, but it also meant the Lord of Nightmares was in a good mood, so it was lucky.

I pointed to a pile next to him. “Here’s some clothes for you. They’re a bit big. Your old ones burned when you shifted. I’ll be right back.”

Enko jumped into the fresh clothes, tugging at the drawstrings of the pants and pulling the t-shirt over his head. His voice was so small, but tough. “Thank you...uh, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Damon,”

I told him, giving him a moment while I held the doorknob until he was dressed.

As we exited, the Lord of Nightmares had four women surrounding him, and another had taken to spinning on the pole. He turned around as he heard the door open. “Thought you’d be asleep.”

I shrugged. I didn’t expect him to keep up with my schedule anymore even though I was always awake at this time. He should know that, as a Mind kitsune himself.

Enko appeared at my side, at least a foot and a half shorter than me, my shirt making his size look even more haunted and skeletal.

“Who’s that?”

the Lord of Nightmares asked, standing and swaggering toward me with his drunken state.

“Enko. He’s going to stay here a while.”

“Aww, he’s so cute!”

one of the women slurred.

The Lord of Nightmares’ eyes flicked to the women at his side. Is this the time, Damon? Can’t you see I’m busy?

Sorry, sir. I just didn’t want you to be surprised to find him here, I told him.

What about his parents?

I sent him a series of images, enough to get the picture of the situation earlier clear to him. Very well, but he’s your responsibility. You have to feed him and take care of him. I’ve already raised one too many.

I almost laughed at the thought. As if he had spent any time raising me. As if Enko were some stray dog I’d taken in. But instead I nodded and tucked the thoughts safely away in the safe deep within my mind. Yes, sir.

I grabbed some leftovers from the fridge and Enko followed me carefully, afraid to make even the smallest sound as I heated the food. When I caught him looking toward the stripper pole, I focused on him sternly, whispering, “Hey, you’re too young for that, little dude.”

It was nothing I hadn’t seen. But that didn’t mean he had to.

He followed me back into the room and I pulled out the desk chair, setting the steaming casserole dish down. One of the bartenders had made it for me, one of the ones who knew I was on my own up here most days. “Here, eat something.”

He hesitated, but then launched himself forward. I had brought two forks, but he scarfed it down quickly and I ignored my own hunger, hiding the second utensil.

That’s when he noticed his own ears and tail and fidgeted as his hands reached up to hide his ears. “It’s normal, little dude. It always happens on your first shift.”

Didn’t your parents tell you? I held back the thought. He didn’t have parents any more than I did. But at least mine didn’t hit me.

He nodded. I wondered how long it would take before he felt comfortable around me.

Because, goddess, I needed a friend. And it was like she had sent one for me.