Page 14 of The Monster of Darkspell Comics
“Frightened?” I whisper to her as I soar above the main roadway that leads to the market.
She shakes her head. “Are you kidding me? This is sick!”
“What?” I bark and come close to dropping her.
She squeals a giggle, her arms tightening around me. “Don’t drop me! I said it’s sick... totally wild... as in, awesome! I’m not going to barf, but I will make a point of doing so if you don’t quit jiggling me.”
That surprises a chuckle out of me as I steady my hold on her.
I want to hold her longer and fly further with her through the night, but the town is small, and we’ve already arrived.
Almost regretfully, I close my wings and descend so that we land in front of the entrance to MoonRise Market.
It is nondescript compared to the Shopway on the other side of town, which caters mostly to the human residents.
So much so that I doubt many humans are aware of its presence since it is closed during the day and more or less hidden by magic.
Still, there is always a risk that a human might somehow wander in, so I draw my illusion around me, its mists prickling and confining my true form most unpleasantly.
I’ve almost become accustomed to it, however, so I don’t even pause as I take Fanny’s hand and pull her with me into the shop.
It’s not that I don’t trust the vampires who run the market. I just don’t trust anybody.
A few heads turn as we enter, their eyes passing over me to focus on Fanny, but they quickly look away when I bare my teeth in a silent threat.
Vepar, a dust demon that lives further out in the canyon, looks over at us, a box of cereal in his hand.
As a demon from one of the numerous demonic races that dwell directly on the human plane, he’s perhaps better adjusted to living among humans than either Dzik or myself, but his tells are just as obvious as to his demonic nature if one knows what to look for.
As a class of storm demons, dust demons always have a subtle current around them so that their hair lightly flutters around them.
They are also notoriously attractive, too, even in their true demonic form, as they are masterful seducers of humans.
For that reason, I don’t like the curious way he looks at my human.
It makes me want to draw Fanny beneath my wings so that she can’t be tempted by him.
“Pashar,” he greets me with a curt nod, his gaze sliding back to me.
I dip my head in greeting, my eyes scanning the store. “Did you see which way Jasper went?”
A raspy chuckle escapes the male, and he tips his head to the left. “Three aisles over. He’s complaining about the picky diets of humans again.”
“And he wanted an inn,” I grumble as I turn to depart, making the other demon laugh. “My thanks.”
Keeping Fanny close to my side, I head toward the aisle, my gaze going immediately to the male as he studies the shelves with a faint grimace.
I can feel Fanny cringe at my side, and I get it.
Jasper is not the most attractive creature in the world at the best of times.
Though roughly similar in size to a larger human, in his natural form the ghoul possesses a pale moss green complexion with a narrow face half-hidden beneath wild, long black hair, a mouth full of sharp teeth, a long, razor-sharp claws.
His human disguise, knitted together by magic from elements of decay, is. .. rough. Practically deformed, really.
“I don’t see what’s wrong with just meat,” the male mumbles to himself as he pulls a jar of what looks like tomato sauce from the shelf and inspects it. “Meat is everything.”
“Full house, Jasper?” I inquire softly, drawing the male’s startled gaze toward me.
His magic doesn’t quite hide the red glow of his eyes beneath the decaying muddy brown gaze he focuses on me.
“Need a room again already, Pashar? Did Kremble finally get tired of your shit and kick you out of the mall?” The male cackles to himself as he places the jar in the cart.
“Not at all,” I reply smoothly. “I just want to inquire about someone who may be one of your guests.”
He looks at me suspiciously and grunts. “What’s he look like?”
“Dude is about six-three, clean-shaven, and built. Kind of like a secret service Joe Montana but with a good hairline and rank attitude,” Fanny pushes forward to interject.
Jasper’s brow rises with interest as his gaze drifts back to her, and a low growl rumbles in my chest that makes the ghoul smirk.
“I see. I may have seen someone like that. Goes by David Sweeney, room twelve. I couldn’t say if he actually sleeps there or spends much time there at all as he’s always in and out,” he drones in a long hiss. “But you might get lucky.”
“Did he appear already familiar with the town when he arrived?” I ask, keeping the male’s attention fixed firmly on me.
Ghouls rarely attack and kill the living, but I’m not taking any chances with Fanny.
Not when they are potentially quite dangerous.
It’s the whole reason the male isn’t allowed to live within town limits.
The fact that he still managed to get licensed to establish an inn is astounding.
I suppose the town council has decided that it’s his guests’ funeral if they decide to stay there.
The inn isn’t exactly warm and welcoming in appearance. More like a tomb with a vacancy sign.
Jasper frowns at the question. “Now that you mention it, he checked in late at night and was asking all kinds of questions. I couldn’t help him much since I’m not familiar with the activities that go on around town, but I did mention to him that Hellscape Mall often has flyers pinned for upcoming events and has maps of the key spots to visit in town.
Told him he could easily see everything within a day or two as tourists just stumble across our little town as they pass through while sightseeing around the canyon. ”
I exchange a look with Fanny. It seems that the human’s presence here wasn’t accidental after all, and it was Jasper who had unwittingly pointed him in the direction he needed to go to find exactly what he was looking for.
“Ms. Kremble said something about reviewing the security tapes. Maybe that can give us a clue,” she whispers.
I groan. No, not her. Anyone but her.