Chronicles of Waylon's Crossing - 6. The Talk

"Stop fidgeting."

Kynan looked up from building a tower out of coasters and frowned at his mentor. The black demon stared at him from over the rim of his koffee cup.

"I'm not fidgeting. I just don't see why we can't just go get him now."

"You are fidgeting and you're making people stare."

"Of course they're staring," Kynan replied, sighing as the fragile tower collapsed on itself. "It's like we're displaying a big banner over our heads saying, 'Hunters here, run for your lives!' Honestly, Karadur, we're sitting outside in broad daylight -- or as close as it gets, anyway -- at a public cafe that is, I regret to inform you, now empty."

"The best way to hide --"

"Is in plain sight. I know. I'm not an apprentice anymore." He set to work on the tower again, shifting slightly in his chair. "You don't need to keep lecturing me."

The demon frowned and rustled his newspaper meaningfully. Kynan ignored him. He picked up the cap from his beer bottle and spun it on the surface of the table.

"Would you cut it out?" snapped Karadur, banging his cup in the saucer.

Kynan jumped. "What are we waiting for? He's right over there!"

"What, have you got a hot date or something?"

The tone was flippant, but Kynan stiffened anyway, abruptly trying to hide that gesture as the demon's eyes narrowed.

"Kynan," Karadur growled. "Don't tell me that after all this time ...?"

"Of course not!" Kynan retorted. "I'm not that stupid."

The paper flopped on the table, covering the now-abandoned koffe cup. "Dammit! If you can't lie ...."

"Then misdirect, I know, I know!"

"How could you do something so stupid?"

"Do what?" Kynan asked, alarmed. "I haven't done anything!"

"Well, you certainly haven't learned from your mistakes," snorted the demon. "You'd think after what happened to Lincus you'd know better."

"Would you stop harping on that already?" Kynan snatched up his beer and took a swig, glaring at the other demon. "That was years ago and it wasn't my fault."

"Lover, then?"

Kynan's eyes bulged. He coughed, half-spitting across the table. "What?"

They locked eyes. Kynan looked away first. Karadur swore.

"Have I taught you nothing? Of all the advice to ignore! Lovers will get you killed!"

"I'm not ignoring it! You seem to manage --"

Karadur leaped to his feet with a roar, sending Kynan flying, to crash into a nearby table. Kynan rose swinging and they crashed together into another set of tables.

"What the hell was that for?" Kynan grunted.

"I'm not going to pull my punches for you," Karadur replied.

"A little warning would've been nice." He ducked behind the demon and jumped on his back, trying for a strangle-hold.

"Well, then," said Karadur, flipping Kynan off into the last table, "Consider yourself warned."

"How nice ...."

Managing a kick in the back of one knee, Kynan managed to knock Karadur down into the mess, avoiding the flailing wings, but otherwise not successfully avoiding getting pinned.

"So, what?" Kynan grunted around the arm wrapped around his throat, "You just like kicking my ass?"

"It does pass the time."

For a minute, Kynan was too busy struggling just to breathe, but he managed to snap, "Well you're damn well picking up the tab for this one!" before continuing with, "What's so wrong with sex anyway? Why can't I have --"

"Don't be a fool! There are no others when you're a favorite of the -- oof!" He dropped Kynan and they lurched to their feet. "Queen."

"You know we're not ...?" wheezed Kynan, circling.

Karadur tilted his head in a sarcastic smirk. "Don't be daft, of course I know that. It's the appearance of things that matters. I should think you'd have learned that by now."

"I'm entitled to a life of my own."

Karadur snorted. "Where do you get this shit? There is no other life." Snagging an ankle, he threw the smaller man through the window. "You belong to the queen from what you eat to the waste you excrete every minute of every hour of every day, for the rest of your life."

"And what if I don't want that anymore!" He stood up and glared up at the taller, older, heftier demon and vaulted back over the broken panes of glass. "That fucking hurt, you bastard."

Karadur put his hands on his hips. "There is no going back. Hunters don't 'retire.' "

Kynan drew a pistol in one quick, fluid movement and fired. Karadur didn't flinch. An explosion rocked the street behind him. Another second passed.

"Whomever you're seeing, you need to stop."

"There is no one."

"Good. Glad we had this talk."

Kynan nodded. "Mmm." He drew his other gun. "Shall we?"

Whirling, they dashed out into the street after their prey.