Except here there was nothing lurking in the shadows, no matter how many times she thought she saw them. While at the catacombs she’d seen the homeless, the maimed, and those ‘too stubborn to ask for a healing trade’ follow like wolves.

Lita made her way upstairs, wanting to see moonlight and remind herself that there was light.

She could’ve gone to the kitchens. But she was far more likely to run into someone on the human side of the building. At least in the Entrance Hall, she more or less knew the routine of the sentries and could hide.

And, with the no-smell hiding her scent, she had a vague idea of trying to get into Diana’s study in the south wing. She’d been there once, too, and just the idea of it was daunting enough to add to her anxiety.

For someone who kept their room so sparse it could be deep cleaned daily, the study was a royal mess. She shuddered and squared her shoulders. Yes, she’d go there. Maybe she’d find something useful.

She was eyeing the entrance to the south wing when the front door started opening slowly.

Frightened, she hastily hid behind a pillar and crouched. Heart pounding.

“Come on, Eric.” Diana Veran? “Just a little further.”

As several darkened figures entered the Hall, Lita had just enough time to see a few faces before door shut again and cast them all back into shadow.

“Will you require any more help, Mistress?” The man hesitated. “A freezing dork, maybe?”

He had access to a freezing dork?

No, Lita wasn’t surprised. It was Lloyd, Diana’s favorite. He probably had access to all sorts of things that the rest of them had to find and steal if they wanted them. It was too bad he was loyal to Diana.

Lita looked at the others, mentally naming or recognizing them. Diana Veran and a couple other enforcers Lita saw often while training. And a demon she didn’t know, crouched and cowering against Diana’s legs like a scared puppy.

“No. What I need is someone to inform Aridon that I’m ready. The rest of you, go to bed.”

“As you wish, Mistress.”

Lita only knew it was Lloyd who went to get Aridon because she’d kept track of his shadow. The other two enforcers headed to their wing and disappeared.

It seemed like half the night that they waited for Aridon.

Diana Veran’s shadow lowered herself to her knees. And murmured to the other demon. It whimpered more than once but didn’t talk back.

Lloyd came back first and went straight to the south wing.

Then came Aridon.

With a shaking hand, Lita reached into her pocket and clutched the vial of no-smell tighter. Then convulsively opened it and dabbed her wrists a couple more times.

It didn’t hurt to be safe.

“I thought we agreed not to involve the humans.”

“It was either involve a few trusted ones or let him escape again,” Diana retorted. Keeping her tone low and soothing.

“Trusted?” Aridon laughed mockingly. “That is, what’s the word? An oxymoron to say in the same breath as ‘human’.”

“They kept Eric here, won’t ask questions, and won’t know what happened to him. That’s all that matters.” Diana Veran stood up and stretched. “Can we get this done with? I’m tired.”

They walked across the Hall. Lita bit her lip and tapped her head against the pillar. Lita, this idea is stupid. But who else will do it? With a slow, quiet sigh, she followed.

They walked into the south wing and toward the door for the dungeons, on the other end of the administrative hallway. Between the skylights and a lamp by the clock, there was a lot of light. This forced her to fall back further to remain unseen.

The two demon took a lamp from the administrative hallway and descended into the darkness below.

“Aridon,” sang a male voice. The voice didn’t bother to lower itself to match the surrounding quiet.

Lita felt a chill down her spine. It sounded, he sounded, crazy.

“Aridon. Eric likes Aridon. Sweets?”

The thing was no longer pressed up against Diana. Instead, it followed the other two demon in a weaving, crouched pattern.

Aridon obligingly pulled something from a pocket and unwrapped it. The thing, Eric, grabbed the treat and stuffed it greedily into its mouth.

“He hasn’t gotten better at all, has he?” murmured Aridon. He sounded oddly affectionate as the creature pressed up to his hip like a dog. Aridon briefly stroked the filthy and matted hair.

“Did you think he would?”

“I… hoped.”

Diana only grunted in reply.

Except for the insane one occasionally making a comment, usually in a strange, one word fashion, there was no more talking for a long while.

Lita hated the dungeons.

It shouldn’t have been much different from any of the other wings. Since it was also made right into the mountain and was technically on the same level as the human wing. Or, at least, she was pretty sure it was on the same level.

But it was different.

The dungeons smelled vaguely of mildew. And there was always a shuffling noise around every corner. Especially as the demons ahead passed with their lamp and the odd prisoner, hungry for light, moved to the demon touched bars and watched them pass.

Lita had to stay back even further. Not wanting to be seen by the prisoners.

Not that she expected them to purposefully give her away.

Her stomach tightened.

How many were down here? How long had they been here?

She tried not to glance into cells as she passed them. Tried not to think about them. She couldn’t help them and it made her sick.

Twice, she had to freeze and let darkness hide her as Diana Veran turned to look around. Sensing she was being followed but not knowing what she was looking for.

Good sense of smell. Sometimes good hearing. Horrible eyesight, even in demon form, Lita thought with grim satisfaction.

Finally, deeper into the mountain than any other room (other than maybe Aridon’s), they came to a circular cavern. It was a large cavern with alcoves above and seating below. Sort of like the amphitheaters Taiken’s troupe would perform at when they traveled around the lake.

Lita climbed the stairs to the first alcove she came to, the only one directly off the main tunnel. If she’d had to go into the room to reach the other alcoves, she would’ve been caught.

There was only one other room from here. She could see it from where she was crouched on the alcove.

It was a room without bars.

Lita thought it was odd. She’d once read the inscriptions, a long time ago during her first visit to the dungeons.

Ward for the Frozen.

It was a cell for the demons. She’d never heard of them actually imprisoning a fellow demon, but she remembered Taiken being threatened with it a few times. It involved a freezing dork being stuck into the offender and the demon wouldn’t be able to move until the knife was pulled out.

“Stop here, Eric.”

They’d taken the crazy demon to the middle of the circle and Aridon knelt down. Letting the crazy creature sniff him and circle him. The rope around the creature’s neck prevented it from getting too far.

“Diana, here.”

Aridon pulled something long and pointed off his belt. Until then it had been hidden under his outer tunic, so this was the first time Lita got a chance to look at it.

Even then, it wasn’t until Diana took it with her free hand, that enough light got on it for Lita to see. Lita wrinkled her forehead and leaned forward. Was that…? Yes. Yes, she was sure of it. It was the knife Taiken had lit yesterday.

Suddenly she was very interested in what was going on. She’ll have to compose a report for the Chief later.

If it was important.

Diana frowned and hung up the lamp on the center pole.

“You’re seriously going to make me do it?”

“You’ve been playing his guardian for 200 and more years. I thought it was fitting.”