Interlude: Spill It
A few very long days ago…
Joisse crunched her way through days-old snow on the road back to town, hands stuffed into her pockets despite how the woolen cap made her forehead itch. The coat she was wearing, something simple she’d borrowed from the castle, didn’t fit quite right.
The cap did though, and the gloves. Verrka’s mom had made them for her after Joisse had healed her husband. Minor damage; he’d not taken on any demonic aspects. The young demon slipped her chin up out of her scarf and let out a puff of hot air, watching the mist get blown away by the breeze.
That could be fire.
Without needing to focus so much on her rage these days, Joisse had thought a lot about the nature of humans and demons. It wasn’t fair, really. Why would the gods grant such obscene power to broken souls like hers?
Was it for that slim chance of healing? Of reparation?
Joisse sure didn’t feel broken anymore; if anything how happy she was these days just didn’t sit right. She had friends now! A social life! She wasn’t just some doted-on dress-up doll for her moms and their friends.
All she had to do was not ruin it. Joisse kicked a rock a little too hard and sent it sailing off into the snowfield where it landed in a plume of glittering white. Like that.
Humans were fragile. Mom Renna had to walk on eggshells all the time and it wasn’t hard to see how awful that was. Especially now that Joisse felt the same. Without the constant vigil against volatile wrath, she could get complacent.
And all it would take to ruin everything would be a single too-hard shove or throw or…
Joisse exhaled slowly and tried to think instead about the cabbage soup they’d be having tonight. A new vigil then, an exhausting, endless…
She had to tell them.
Mom Renna was right. Visible claws were easier to watch out for, even if things changed. She hadn’t lied, hadn’t built these friendships on falsehoods. They’d just… never asked. Never had reason to.
She was, after all, adopted. Easy enough to presume that she was a promising mage who’d slipped the net. And that was if they’d pieced together who her moms were. All she’d said was that she was staying at the castle, but they hadn’t asked for more details.
She should tell them now, though. Absolutely everything. Immediately. Without delay—the very first thing.
Joisse clenched her fists in her pockets. The gloves wouldn’t fit on her real hands.
***
Verrka waved to Joisse when she saw her walking into the town square. “Hey! What’s got you looking so glum?”
The shorter girl startled and looked at Verrka without meeting her eyes, then looked behind her to their other friends. “Oh, it’s nothing. Actually—”
“Someone at the castle want to keep you stuck there?” Verrka took a step forward protectively. “You have to sneak out?”
Joisse shook her head and waved her hands in front of her. “N-no, that’s not it!”
Verrka frowned. “You sure? Nice or no, the marchioness is a demon. Makes sense there’d be secrets and stuff, and they’d want to keep you close ‘cause you can heal.”
Joisse laughed nervously. “Yeah, secrets. Look about that—”
“Let’s go already!” Tyra protested. The tough-looking girl was sitting next to Zeke on the bench behind Verrka and wearing hastily-patched old clothes. “I can’t even tell if my nose or my ass is colder.”
“Go where?” Joisse asked, finally joining the group.
Verrka smiled at how her shoulders seemed to lift a little, even if it looked like something was bothering her. Maybe Joisse can get us inside the castle—I bet there’s all sorts of shady stuff in there!
“An abandoned homestead,” Zeke said with a shrug. “It’s not too far to the west.”
“Zeke!” Tyra hissed.
He shrugged again, the motion losing definition with all the layers the beanpole wore. “She’s got a right to know.”
“Yeah, but we could’ve at least…” Tyra trailed off, a glint lighting in her eye. “Warned her about the ghosts. Yeah, that’s right!”
Zeke rolled his eyes, but Tyra kept going as Verrka stifled a laugh. “So legend has it the owners got eaten by demons and turned into demon ghosts! They, uh, eat anyone who comes near!”
Joisse’s eyes went wide, then she blinked in seeming disbelief.
“Legend has it?” Verrka said with a smirk. “Pretty recent legend.”
“Well… well, yeah. Legends gotta start somewhere! And besides, the owners probably really did get eaten by demons and…”
Zeke shook his head. “It’s my uncle’s brother’s friend’s place… I think. I don’t think anyone died there. At least not by a demon.”
Joisse’s giggle broke the silence even as Tyra stared daggers at Zeke.
“Why are we even friends?”
Zeke shrugged again. “I dunno. You three are fun, I guess.”
“Ugh!”
Verrka just shook her head and turned to Joisse. “Well, at least they’re in a good mood, right?”
Joisse nodded solemnly. “Yeah… hey, let’s keep that mood bright right?” She smiled. “If it’s a long walk, we’d better get going, right? I told my mom we’d be staying in the town, so we should get back before it’s too late.”
“Sure!” Verrka clapped Joisse on the back, impressed when the other girl didn’t so much as flinch. “We’re just gonna swing by my place to grab an axe and a hunting bow, just in case there’s any trouble.”
“Like, a wolf?” Joisse offered.
“Nah, demon ghosts. Hate axes or something.”
“You making fun of me?” Tyra challenged as she stood up, glaring at Zeke when he snorted.
“Nah.”
Tyra narrowed her eyes. “Alright, fine. But if we get eaten by demon ghosts and turn into demons or ghosts or something, I’m eating you first!”
“If the demon ghosts eat other demon ghosts, why would there be more than one?”
“Zeke!”
He stood up, putting out his hands defensively. “Hey, I’m just saying.”
Joisse laughed. “Seriously, though, we can’t spend the night out of town.”
“Afraid of making your mom mad?” Tyra taunted.
“Tyra,” Verrka warned. “Don’t get mean.”
She gave Verrka the side-eye and frowned. “Fine. Sorry, I guess.”
“It’s fine,” Joisse said quickly. “But… um a little I guess?”
“Speaking of,” Verka said as the group started to walk out of the square. “What does your mom do at the castle?”
“Oh, uh…” Joisse furrowed her brow and didn’t answer immediately. “Paperwork and stuff.”
“So like a clerk or a steward?” Zeke offered.
“Uh, well…”
“Whatever she is, you don’t gotta be afraid, Joisse.” Tyra said, thumping her chest. “We’ll stand up for you if you need it, right? We can take her!”
Joisse laughed, but Verrka thought she saw a little fear. She’s always so cagey about her family.
***
While the four of them were getting weapons, and again when they’d snuck off to the forest between the now-unused watchtowers, Joisse tried to bring up what she was… and who her moms were.
Each time, it just wasn’t the right time. A joke about demons here, something else about some grand imagined secret there… Joisse just kept her mouth shut and laughed along. When they got back, she’d tell them tonight. When everyone was tired with full bellies and warm limbs.
“Aren’t you cold?” Verrka asked.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Not that cold, I guess.”
A shrug. “Alright, as long as you’re fine.” A yell. “Hey Tyra! Looks like it’s just you!”
“Eat snow!”
***
“This place is a dump!” Tyra said, kicking at a snow-covered pile of logs and wincing when her foot thudded into solid ice.
“Yeah duh, it’s abandoned!” Zeke fired back.
Verrka looked at the sad looking shack with it’s snow-laden, sagging roof and sighed. “Seriously, Zeke, is this it? Just an old shack?”
It was really nothing impressive. Two, three rooms maybe, and built out of logs. The mortar around the fireplace was crumbling and the one door was wide open, even though the windows were shuttered.
“This place doesn’t even look scary!” Tyra added, cradling her foot.
“It was bigger when I was a kid!” Zeke protested, rubbing his mittens together. “A-and there’s an old mine up the hill!”
Verrka rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s just go look around. Maybe they left some stuff behind we can take back and make use of.”
“Well the wood’s no good,” Tyra grumbled. “Let’s go to the mine.”
“I don’t think we should,” Joisse said quietly.
Verrka turned to her and noticed her friend was shaking a little. Were her eyes just glowing? “Joisse? Something wrong?”
Tyra set her boot back down in the snow and looked over. “You finally cold?”
“No, it’s just… well… um, the mine’s probably dangerous. If it’s not already collapsed, it could.”
Verrka walked over and put a hand on Joisse’s shoulder. “We’re not gonna go banging around in there. If it’s collapsed-looking or we see broken beams, we’ll ditch.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really, Tyra,” Zeke said. “If we get trapped, no one’s gonna find us in time.”
That seemed to shut Tyra up.
“Let’s just look around the house and head back then, okay?”
Tyra shrugged and started to jog over to the shack, Zeke not two steps behind her.
“...O-okay,” Joisse agreed with a shaky nod. “Um, stick close to me, okay? In case something happens.”
Verrka turned her head and cupped a hand to her mouth. “Sure thing! Tyra, Zeke, you hear that?”
Two “Yes’s” followed as the pair reached the open doorway.
Verrka’s smile vanished when she looked back at Joisse, who was looking at a dark spot in the trees. An instant later, Verrka heard the soft crunch of snow, her ears rotating to listen.
“Whoah,” came Tyra’s voice from inside. “These are some big claw marks.”
Something moved at the edge of her vision, fast enough for the sound of its footfalls to drop out of sync. And then her shoulder hit the snow so hard she heard something crack as she skidded to a halt.
Pain bloomed from the spot as an inhuman roar froze her muscles. From further away, Verrka heard two screams.
Something heavy hit something else, and the roar repeated, pained. By the time Verrka had moved her head, something had grabbed her and pulled her off the ground. She saw flashes of red, watching the snow blur below her as her head swam.
Snow turned to wood and Verrka barely got her arms down before her nose hit mud-caked pine. Tail sweeping the floor, she rolled and kipped up, years of training as a hunter finally kicking in as she saw what was happening.
It’s a demon.
Crimson skinned and tall, with too many arms and claws dripping blood, the demon looked at her with red and black eyes before darting into the other room.
That’s not the marchioness.
Wait, blood.
Joisse!
Verrka scrambled to the doorway and looked outside. A bloody mangled form lay in the snow where Joisse had been and her heart missed a beat. But it wasn’t Joisse; it was covered in fur and too big. From the cabin’s other room, Verrka heard another scream and the sickening sound of flesh tearing.
The others!
But… what could Verrka do? She had a hand axe and a miraculously intact bow, but neither could harm a demon.
We were really idiots, huh? Sorry.
Without looking back, Verrka took off out of the doorway, sprinting for home.
***
Joisse frantically held Tyra together as a Zeke slammed her in the back with an axe again and again. The dull thuds reminded her of failure. She’d killed both demons, but her friends probably wouldn’t…
No, they might. They might still care for her, if she could just save Tyra.
Her magic flooded out like a wave over the girl who was seizing, chest opened from sternum to crotch, one leg dangling by a thread. Even with magic, she’d lost so much blood.
“Die!” Zeke screamed again.
“I’m trying to save her!” Joisse growled back.
Zeke didn’t stop even as the bleeding did. As flesh knit back together and bone mended. One arm hed the leg, two the body, and the other guided the flesh and organs back together as Tyra’s eyes rolled back down and breath returned to her lungs.
A second more, and she’d have died.
Unfortunately, such healing came with a cost. The red blush that came to Tyra’s cheeks flushed redder as her skin changed and horns poked out from under blood-matted hair. She was changing more than the duchess; a tail fought free of ruined pants as canines sharpened.
Zeke stopped hitting her. “Y-you… what have you done!”
“I saved her!” Joisse whispered, then repeated louder. “I’m sorry! I should’ve told you sooner, convinced you all not to come here!”
“What?”
Joisse set Tyra down carefully and shifted back to her human form. The gloves were gone, as with most of her winter clothing, and the hat had been lost in the mad dash outside. Human hands covering what needed to, she looked up at Zeke with blurry eyes.
“By Dhias…” he trailed off. “You… did…”
“No, I didn’t lure you here.” Joisse couldn’t meet his eyes. She knew what was coming next.
Instead, she was met with silence, overlaid by Tyra’s labored breathing.
When she looked up, Zeke was staring at her, confusion written all over his face. “What—who are you, really?”
“Joisse Miller,” Joisse answered. “I’m Renna and Sey’s daughter.”
“Renna… Zarenna… the marchioness?”
Joisse nodded.
Zeke thought for a bit. “What did you do to Tyra?”
“She’s demon-blooded now. I have holy magic, but it’s demonic aspected.”
“Is that possible?”
“Apparently.”
At that, Zeke smiled for just an instant. “Well, if you wanted us dead, you’re doing a pretty shit job. I… I hope she’ll be okay.”
“Me too.” Joisse paused. “Wait, shouldn’t Verrka…”
She ran to the door, only to see an empty cabin. She must’ve gone for help, but if there are more demons…
Joisse ran back into the room. “Verrka’s gone.”
“She must’ve—”
“Gone to get help,” Joisse finished, shifting back to her demon form.
Zeke flinched. “Uhh… you didn’t fool me! If you’re g-gonna kill me now?”
Joisse glanced down and sighed. “There might be more demons. I’m taking you two and we’re going to go find her.”
“Can’t we stay… alright, let’s go.”
Joisse tilted her head.
Zeke shook his. “I’m not an idiot. If there’s more, they could come here. We need to group up.”
Joisse flashed him a smile and he flinched. Mom was right. Zeke closed his eyes and braced himself, and Joisse picked both of them up and ran for the door.
Look for long strides.
Out of sheer luck, she spotted her hat and flicked it up with her tail, using her one free arm to stick it on her head, horns piercing wool and locking it in place.
Verrka had taken the same trail in, and Joisse headed after her, forced to slow down for both her passengers’ sake and to keep track of Verrka’s wrong-way boot-prints in the snow. Not a dozen steps into the woods, Joisse heard Verrka scream. Her heart seized, but it repeated, more like a shout. She’s fighting.
Joisse sped up, abandoning the trail to go for the sound. Tyra stirred in her arms and Zeke swore. The trees opened slightly to a frozen creek lined with boulders. Verrka was using the terrain to dodge around a lupine-looking lesser demon.
Joisse looked around with aura sight, but didn’t see anything else waiting in the trees, so she set her charges down and dashed in.
***
Verrka tried not to think about how dead she was. All the axe had managed to do was cut the demon’s fur, and she’d nearly lost an arm for it. She didn’t have the reach to try again, or the range to use her bow.
She circled the rock left, feinted, then ducked back to avoid an unnaturally fast swipe. The claw clipped her cheek, drawing blood. Already, Verrka was tiring. At least this thing’s behaving kinda like a wolf.
Feint, duck, change tactics, change rocks. Maybe it was just playing with her, but she didn’t care. The thing was misshapen, half covered in spikes, and with one too many eyes on one side of its head. She’d fought a wolf, once. With her father. There’d been fear and determination clouded under madness in its eyes.
In the demon’s eyes there was nothing but fury.
Verrka heard something and looked up. Her worst fears were confirmed when the demon from before, dressed in ragged human clothing and wearing… Joisse’s hat?
“Verrka!” the demon shouted, voice oddly familiar. “Duck!”
Reflexively, Verrka ducked.
The wolf demon yelped, the rock rolled over, and when Verrka looked up the four armed demon was standing over her and… smiling? The smile looked a little forced.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you I was a demon. Zeke is okay and Tyra… will be. Hopefully.”
Verrka blinked, looked over at the wolf demon that’d been half-pulped from a single attack, then looked back. “I… you… what?”
The maybe-Joisse demon’s smile widened to show teeth and Verrka reflexively showed hers. When the demon laughed, there was no mistaking who she was.
Screw it. Verrka ran forward and hugged Joisse. “You’re spilling everything when we get back.”