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In hindsight, Angel and Husk should have turned back the moment they saw how thick and dense the fog had gotten. But it was their anniversary, and Husk was sure he could punch through it and find clear skies above. What could go wrong?
Harness secured, Husk flapped his powerful wings, hoping to get through the fog quickly. It was cold and damp, and although Angel was shivering, he gave Husk an excited grin. “There’s supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. If we get up high enough, I bet we’ll have a perfect view!”
Husk climbed higher and higher, cresting around the edge of a high rise building. He guessed that they were almost through the fog, since the roiling clouds appeared to be thinning somewhat, and he lifted a paw to point out a star to Angel-
Pain ripped through Husk’s shoulder, causing the cat demon to let out a yowl of pain. Another invisible strike hit his left wing, and all Husk could hear was Angel’s cry of fear as they began to spiral.
The ground rushed up to meet them with frightening speed.
Husk wrapped his wings around Angel, and his last thought before he passed out was that he hoped Angel would be okay.
Alastor tapped the end of his cane against the floor, a tic which Husk knew to be a subtle sign of fury seething under the skin of the outwardly calm radio demon.
Since Husk had used himself to shield Angel, the spider demon had been mostly unharmed and had managed to drag both himself and Husk back to the hotel. The invisible attacks had turned out to be the work of crossbow arrows- as soon as Alastor had seen them, he turned pale and practically ran out of the hotel. When Husk woke up, Charlie told him that it was the fastest she had ever seen him move.
Now Husk sat up in bed, watching Alastor’s cane tap faster and faster against the floor. Eventually the noise became grating to his ears, and they flattened along the cat demon’s head. “Quit making that racket and tell me what happened. Angel and Charlie both said you acted real weird when I showed up here all shot with those arrows. And I can tell that you’re still mad.”
Alastor sighed, reaching up with one hand to massage his temples. “Let’s just say you were shot by a competitor of mine. One I told very explicitly to stay away from the hotel and everyone connected to it. Those arrows were marked with her sigil. She likely recognized you as an ally of mine, and simply didn’t care that Angel was with you.”
Blood boiling, Husk attempted to rise from the bed. “Why I oughta-
Angel gently took the growling cat demon’s shoulder and eased him back down. “Husk, please just relax. I know that you’re mad but you can barely move right now, much less fight.”
As Husk slowly relented and settled back against his pillows with a sigh, Angel leaned in and gave him a kiss. “There’s my Husker-doo.” The spider demon paused, looking back at Alastor apprehensively. “Er, when you left the hotel, did you-
“I took care of the problem.”
Both Husk and Angel raised an eyebrow at the Radio Demon, obviously expecting a more in-depth explanation.
Alastor hesitated, but stopped tapping his microphone stick. “Her building may or may not be on fire. And full of shadow monsters that are hunting her staff members.”
Checking his watch, Angel frowned. “It’s been a few hours though. How is there anything left to burn at-
A loud boom sounded from somewhere further downtown, and Angel laughed nervously as Alastor’s grin stretched even wider than usual. “And there goes the gas line!”
Despite his lingering anger and fear, Husk found himself amused. Alastor always claimed that he only stuck around for his own entertainment, and that he didn’t care about anyone in the hotel.
Sure, Alastor could have taken down the other demon just to preserve his own reputation as he claimed. But Husk, with a smug smile, liked to imagine that this was Alastor’s way of showing that he really did care after all.