Sadistic Demon: A Dangerous Meeting

Derecho pretty much ignored the now dead girl from then on, he did this a lot, she was nothing but another toy to him, another meal for him to enjoy. But, as he walked away from her down the alley, he got the feeling that he was being watched. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and he wondered how long the stranger had been following him.1

Whoever they were, they were getting closer and suddenly Derecho whirled around faster than most eyes could see and stared at the stranger following him.2

It was a little girl.3

“Who are you?” Derecho demanded and the girl smiled at him, the most angelic little smile he’d ever seen.4

“That’s not a very polite way to talk to a lady.” She pouted and Derecho glared.5

“You’re a kid,” He corrected, “Not a lady. Now who are you and what do you want?”6

The girl’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but was right back to dazzling before Derecho could say anything.7

“My name is Antonia, Antonia Sanchez actually and my daddy wants to see you.” She answered and then her tone turned cold, “He wants to see you immediately.”8

Derecho went pale, paler than usual. Antonia Sanchez? As in daughter of Carlos Sanchez, local otherkin sheriff? Whatever Carlos wanted with him, it couldn’t be good. 9

“You mean….umm, now?” Derecho asked nervously, “What did I do?”10

Antonia nodded, “Right now. And I have no idea, but if you didn’t do anything then surely you have nothing to worry about.”11

Derecho’s stomach was somewhere around his knees and in nervous knots. Carlos Sanchez wasn’t known for his kindness and his patience, he was, however, known for his brutality. They’d met once before, Carlos and Derecho, and both of them had walked away bleeding. As a general rule, otherkin left each other alone because they were very territorial, especially demons and especially Derecho. 12

Carlos wasn’t technically a demon; he just called himself that since it sounded better than what he really was. And he really was half fae and half lycan with a little of some obscure demonic race thrown in. Not enough to matter though, he still wasn’t a demon.13

“And what are you, chica?” Derecho asked Antonia, “I don’t see any wings.”14

Antonia scowled.15

“Don’t call me that.” She answered.16

“Whatever, chica,” He answered and repeated the question, “What are you?”17

For a moment she was silent, probably furious, Derecho thought and he got some satisfaction from that. Antonia may not have been Carlos, but she was his daughter and that was close enough until he was faced with Carlos’s ugly face.18

“And it’s none of your business what I am,” She responded, “But I’m not some filthy little venom addict.”19

Derecho mentally cringed at the insult; he could stop any time he wanted. He just didn’t want to.20

“Well, chica,” Derecho responded, putting extra emphasis on the one Spanish word, “You look like a cross between a frost fae and a human. And you’ve got pointy ears like an elf.” He observed, “You’re too pale to be a lycan and too dark to have a lot of vamp in you, but not quite dark enough to be any part Spanish human. So why don’t you just tell me before I come up with my own combination because I know you’re some kind of mixed breed. Everyone is.”21

He hadn’t said so much to another one of his kind, though she technically wasn’t, in such a long time. It felt so odd, he didn’t trust the little mutt girl; he despised her due to her father. 22

“Momma was an ice elf turned vampire, Daddy’s a lycan.” She finally answered, “I’m a trained shifter.”23

Her sleek Spanish hair lightened and seemed to grow slowly back into her skull. It stayed like that for the space of two minutes and then returned to normal.24

“Physical only?” Derecho asked out of common curiosity, forgetting for the moment that he hated her. 25

Antonia nodded, “And visual limitations, I have to be able to see what I’m turning into or I can’t hold the form.”26

That was understandable, most shifters went like that, or so he’d heard. But he had no stomach for shifting. Sure, anyone could be taught to do it. Even humans had been rumored to change shape at will after a bit of practicing. But when you were a fire demon, and a venomous one at that, you generally had a good body. Why would he want to change it?27

He didn’t feel the need to tell her about the rest of his abilities. If she didn’t know about the fire, then that was for the better. Her daddy wouldn’t like that, better to let her think he was, as she so kindly put it, a venom sucker and nothing else.28

Antonia stopped in front of what appeared to be a rundown warehouse and Derecho just stared.29

“Gone frugal, has he?” Derecho asked and Antonia nodded.30

“Si,” She answered, “Sadly. I miss the old technology, the old rooms. I liked the mansions better.”31

Derecho could only stare. What had happened to his old enemy? The Sanchezes he knew would never settle for less than three stories with an inground pool. This place looked entirely deserted, which would be beneficial until the humans decided to sell it, but also like it hadn’t been cleaned in centuries.32

“Lead me to hell.” Derecho said grudgingly but Antonia stared at him for a moment before moving.33

“He’s changed, that’s why he wants to see you.” She explained, “He wants to hire you actually.”34

Now it was Derecho’s turn to stare at her….he didn’t believe her. He and Carlos had tried to kill each other one several occasions, what made this one any different?35

But before Derecho could speak, Antonia was shifting again. She went from looking like a child to looking like a fully matured, and developed, woman. Physically she appeared twenty two to his twenty five. But that was only physically, neither of them were in their twenties.36

She turned around, her face appeared angelically precious, and shrugged.37

“He likes this better; he doesn’t like me to be a child.” She explained, sounding as though she’d memorized the words, “He’s very…loving with me, very physical.”38

Derecho cringed. Was this what Carlos Sanchez had become? That he would have an incestuous relationship with his own daughter?39

“What does he do to you,” Derecho asked carefully, “If you are a child?”40

Antonia shuddered and he regretted asking.41

“Some things are better not to know.” She answered, “Don’t worry about it, he doesn’t mark me.”42

Of course he wouldn’t mark her. Marking was a fae thing; Carlos would never leave proof of that fae blood on his daughter.
Derecho had never hated Carlos so much.43

After all, it was hard to dislike Antonia when she looked the way she did now. The child was still all over her body. Her eyes were too big for her face, her movements had none of the restriction that so many mature otherkin always had, the white dress she wore fit her but it moved too loosely to suggest seriousness. There were other things as well, but he was determined not to see her in a sexual light.44

Antonia pushed open the door of the warehouse and they crossed the threshold together. The moment Derecho did, he could see how Carlos had changed the place.45

From the outside, the building was ready to collapse. From the inside, it was stable and strong and perfectly polished. The room they were in was lit with clear bulbs and three men stood guard. One of them stopped Derecho.46

“Weapons, please.” He said stiffly and Derecho nodded.47

“Of course.” He responded. 48

He pulled out two guns, one from each side of the shoulder holster inside of his coat. Next came the blades, but he only had two of those as well. One was around his ankle and the other against his forearm. He wasn’t that heavily armed, he thought, when he looked at the selection of guns that had already been left by others. 49

Regretfully, he handed the weapons to the guard who still didn’t appear satisfied.50

“That’s all I’ve got.” Derecho assured and the guard shook his head.51

“You’re venomous,” He shook his head, “I don’t trust that.”52

Derecho had heard this before, he never liked hearing it, but no one ever trusted venom drinkers, as they were supposed to be called.53

“I’m also stronger and faster than your average vampire,” He answered cheerfully, “Do you trust that?”54

The guard glared and put Derecho’s weapons on a clear spot on the tables with the others. 55

Antonia, having her own place, was already putting a little handgun in a satin-lined clear case beside two other handguns, a sniper rifle, and a decent selection of well-used throwing knives.56

He appreciated a woman who could aim.57

“Like stabbing things, do you?” He asked and she nodded.58

“You like getting stabbed?” She responded smoothly, clearly there was to be no kindness beyond his feet safely in the door.59

“That depends on who’s holding the blade, chica.” He said running a finger across her neck and then following her out into what appeared to be a sort of throne room.60

Derecho started to move forwards, but Antonia grabbed his shirt, holding him back.61

“When he asked you for your loyalty,” She whispered in his ear, “Don’t refuse. Stay, I’m begging you.”62

And she let him go the moment she finished speaking since the people in the room had spotted him.63

This room wasn’t like the other one, he noted. It was darker, the bulbs that lit it were dusty and the people in the room wore clothes in shades of brown, black, and deep green in contrast to the weapons’ room where the guards wore white. A layer of smoke drifted over the gathered otherkin. 64

Some of them he recognized from the wanted posters, none of them he knew personally, but he could tell the species most of them were by their looks and actions. It was common knowledge that vampires were shy predators, fae were cheerful flower eaters, and witches were pretty little things that loved men.65

This room actually seemed like a combination of a nightclub, a throne room, and library. Music was playing but it was too slow and dark for real dancing. Derecho could feel the increase in nobility in the atmosphere as he moved towards the front of the room. Antonia had moved in front of him and the small crowd parted automatically to let them through. 66

Carlos saw Antonia first. He held out his arms welcoming her and she moved into them with what appeared to Derecho to be hollow eyes. Carlos kissed his daughter the way Derecho himself had kissed many a woman. It made his stomach turn.67

Antonia stepped away from her father with something like eagerness, he could tell she disapproved of his treatment but, for otherkin, there was no such thing as child services, and she hardly qualified as a child.68

Carlos finally spotted Derecho and the two men stared at each other with contrasting expressions. Carlos smiled kindly, as though Derecho were a young and loyal subject. Derecho, on the other hand, seemed ready to draw blood.69

“Derecho!” Carlos exclaimed eagerly, “Welcome to my district!”70

“Go die.” Derecho replied coldly and whispers spread through the room like a wildfire.71

“My friends,” Carlos said, speaking to the room this time, “Don’t judge him so, I have quite the past and he deserves an explanation.” 72

Derecho felt he better deserved a blade to make the fight in his favor.73

“I wasn’t sheriff when we last met,” Carlos continued, “Responsibilities can change the way we see the world, so can a family.”74

Derecho did not miss the glance Carlos threw at his daughter. His eyes were full of the sort of desire Derecho felt only between bed sheets and women. Nor did he miss Antonia cringing.75

“Like hell you’ve been changed.” Derecho snarled, “I expect the first time I turn my back on you I’ll find a knife in it.”76

Carlos smiled apologetically.77

“That was many years ago, I ask your forgiveness for our disagreements now. I was actually hoping you might join my guard.” He said.78

“Your personal guard?” Derecho asked, raising an eyebrow. Antonia might be a lovely one, but it just wasn’t worth it, “You’ve either lost your mind, or you want to lose your head.”79

Carlos laughed, “No, not my personal guard. I’m not so important that I need a personal guard. I mean for the district, it’s by no means small and others seem to think we are always open, it’ll keep you busy.”80

Derecho glanced at Antonia. He was honestly less than a second from saying no, his lips were already forming the syllable.81

Antonia’s eyes, deadened and hollow from the moment her father touched her, were full of hope and her gaze met Derecho’s.82

“Why?” He said, speaking to them both and knowing only one would answer.83

“We’re near equal in strength, truly. What you lack in physical strength in comparison to me, you make up for with your, ahh, racial strengths.” Carlos said, and Derecho took this to be a reference to the fact that, being a venom taster, Derecho could have Carlos black-veined and dead before he realized he’d been pricked, “We’d be unstoppable together. And the pay would be unbeatable, I assure you.”84

“How so?” Derecho was honestly considering it now. Maybe it was Antonia’s big, hopeful eyes. That kind of gaze was just too much; it had to be impossible for anyone’s eyes to look that helpless.85

“It’s come to my knowledge that you have no home,” Carlos said softly and Derecho glared, “I could give you that. A home, a woman, anything you want. And well over a hundred grand would be appropriate, I believe.”86

Derecho’s eyes widened, maybe a doctor or a lawyer could make more but for a new guard that was a shocker. He threw a glance at Antonia again; her eyes were those of a helpless child. He couldn’t resist. No man would be able to.87

“Alright.” He answered, again he spoke to them both. 88

“Wonderful!” Carlos said cheerfully and turned towards Antonia. He rattled off something in rapid Spanish and Derecho rolled his eyes. He might be of Spanish blood, but he liked London better. How was it his fault the stupid girl he’d bitten had screamed at the wrong time and he’d been seen and run out by the people?89

“She’ll show you some rooms here, take your pick.” Carlos translated, “I really do apologize. And I really do believe that, together, we could go farther than anyone.”