With a smile on my face, I begin to walk towards my dollhouse, letting Zade go as I do. Despite how much I’d like him to be, he’s not a henchman. He’s a loner, and I get the feeling he likes it that way.
Besides, my henchmen love to play with me, and I don’t think Zade has any interest in me that way. Based off the way he arrived at my dollhouse tonight, I think it’s safe to assume he already has a special someone.
That’s okay. I still had fun.
I’ve only made it a few steps when bright lights blind my vision. I raise a hand, confused by the sudden bright lights.
“Stop where you are!” A shout rings out from behind the glare. I can’t see who is shouting at me, but they sound incredibly angry.
I pause, lift my chin to the air and sniff.
There’s a mix of dirtiness and cleanliness in the air.
“Sibby! Get in the car!” Zade shouts from behind me. He’s hanging halfway out of his car, eyes cast low in anger.
I glance back towards the lights, and this time I’m able to make out three cop cars parked haphazardly in the field. A total of five police officers are standing behind their respective doors, guns raised and aimed right at me and Zade.
Sadness and anger consume me all at once. My anger is shooting off in so many directions, I’m not exactly sure who to aim it at.
Zade? Or the demons we killed? Which of them alerted the police?
Plenty of anger is directed towards the police officers. They’re trying to ruin my mission! The entire reason I was put on this planet, and police officers think they have a right to intervene.
“Sibby,” Zade growls. “Now.”
I sigh and turn back towards Zade.
“I can’t leave my henchmen,” I say sadly, offering a small smile.
“Sibby, they are—”
“I said freeze!” A police officer cuts in.
I snarl, whipping my head towards the officer.
“Go away! I work here.”
The police officer shouts something back, but it becomes background noise when I see Mortis and Jackal peeking through the windows. I won’t leave my henchmen. They’ve done everything for me. And I will do anything for them.
“Sibby,” Zade starts again. “Please get in the car. They will arrest you if you don’t.”
I stomp my foot, feeling like I’m getting whiplash with all the orders being shouted at me from different directions.
“Zade, I’m not leaving them! Go, while you still can. I promise me and my henchmen will be okay.”
He roughly wipes a hand down his face, muttering a guttural, “Fuck.”
I see the decision the moment he makes it. He’s going to leave me. Just like I’d asked. There’s a twinge of sadness with that realization, but I don’t let it settle. Zade and I may have extinguished evil together today, but we owe each other nothing.
And I think we’ve established an unspoken agreement that we won’t rat each other out.
“Be safe, demon slayer.”
Zade slams the door and the car lurches forward. Tires kick up mounds of dirt as he takes off at a breakneck speed.
“Fuck!” one of the officers shout. Two officers scramble back in one of the cruisers, slamming the doors shut a moment before the car speeds off after Zade, tires spinning and sending more mud flying.
I laugh loudly.