“I am Yoru.”

“I think I was a little more interested in the second question,” Violet said. She shifted her stance and rolled her neck. “A lot of demons would take someone knowing everything about them as a threat.”

“I do not know everything about you.”

“Then how did you know what we were thinking?” Vrith asked.

“Your eyes. I already informed you. If you are asking for the identity of my runes, then I will not be answering. That is my knowledge alone. I will not speak on any part of—”

“Do you have Mind Runes?” Noah asked, making sure to keep his tone measured. There was no point getting testy before she could even answer him. It wasn’t like Demons could do much about what runes they had, but he wasn’t willing to leave the question unanswered.

“No,” Yoru said immediately. “I have 5 Moonlight Runes and a Master Rune. None of them are related to Mind Runes.”

“Didn’t you just say you weren’t going to speak about your runes?” Aylin asked.

“That was before Spider asked.”

“I appreciate the honesty,” Noah said. He wished Aylin could have read her, but Yoru seemed to be telling the truth anyway. Almost nobody would just share the exact details of their runes with other people. As long as Yoru wasn’t doing anything out of line, he had no reason to hold her to a different standard. That all went a long way to reassure him. It didn’t, however, do much to help her standing with the others in the tent. Noah blew out a sigh. “But I have to say, you’ve missed something, Yoru.”

“I did?” A trace of panic entered the small demon’s voice. “What is it? What did I miss?”

“Knowing someone’s name and predicting what they’re going to say doesn’t mean you know them. That’s not a relationship. If you’re going to stay at my camp, you’ll be seeing everyone here quite a bit. I expect everyone to get along. I do not tolerate in-fighting.”

Everyone in the room stiffened as his voice grew taut.

“We won’t cause problems,” Aylin promised.

I think Yoru is more likely to cause issues than you are, buddy.

“How are we supposed to be friendly with someone that can read our minds?” Violet asked. “But I will do everything I can to execute your orders, Spider.”

“I cannot read your mind. I can simply predict your thoughts to a very high degree of accuracy.” Yoru said. Her head tilted slightly. “And no, I do not have the slightest degree of interest in Aylin. He is a child.”

“As are you,” Vrith said, sending Yoru a pointed look.

“I am not—”

“Yoru, there’s nothing wrong with being young,” Noah said with a chuckle.

The masked demon turned to stare up at him for a second. Then she inclined her head. “I lost my perspective. You are correct. I am a child.”

So please speak like one, good god.

“We aren’t trying to pick you apart here,” Noah said, crouching so he was at eye level with Yoru. “I invited you here so you’d be able to relax and spend time with others. Let your guard down a bit. Have fun. Okay?”

“I will attempt to do as you ask.”

That was probably about as good of a promise as he was going to get for the time being.

“Great,” Noah said. He straightened back out and gave everyone a nod. “Aylin, would you find Yoru an unoccupied tent to stay in?”

“I’ll look into it immediately,” Aylin said. “I’m sure—”

“She can stay in mine,” Violet said, her eyes locked onto Yoru’s mask. “I’m sure we’d be thrilled to get to know each other better, just as Spider requested.”

Noah gave Violet an approving nod. He was entirely aware she’d only said it so she’d have more time to interrogate Yoru, but he wanted those answers just as badly as everyone else in the room did.

It’s better for Violet to do it than me. Speaking to someone her age should help Yoru relax and realize we aren’t out to get her. I’d prefer that to having to interrogate the poor girl myself.

“That sounds like a brilliant idea,” Noah said. “I’m going to head back into my tent. I’ve got some work to do with the runes I just bought. If anyone needs me, you know where to look. Just make sure it’s important.”

“Very well,” Yoru said.

Wary glances passed through the room, and almost all of them were directed in Yoru’s direction. Noah held back a grimace. She certainly had her work cut out for her if she was going to get along with anyone.Stolen story; please report.

I’m sure Yoru will be fine. She’s just a bit… posh. I’m just going to go remove myself from this situation. That’s the whole point of having subordinates, after all. Why deal with drama when they can handle it themselves?

“Great. Have fun, kids,” Noah said, spinning on his heel and striding out of the tent. He held the flap open for Moxie as she followed after him, then glanced over his shoulder. “And don’t kill each other.”

***

Violet stood quietly as the tent shut fell shut behind Spider. There were so many different thoughts rushing through her head and vying for attention that it was difficult to isolate one at a time.

Nobody else said a word. They just all stood silent. It was impossible to blame any of them. Violet couldn’t claim that she was intimately familiar with Spider. She wasn’t sure anyone was.

But, in the short time she had known Spider, she’d been subjected to a number of baffling events that she never could have guessed she’d partake in. She’d witnessed power beyond imagination. She’d stared death in the eyes and it had given her runes. And, somehow, compared to Aylin, she’d barely even experienced anything at all.

Her world had been turned on its head multiple times but she still hadn’t been prepared to see the most terrifying demon she’d ever met act like… well, that.

She clearly wasn’t the only one who had noticed it.

“Was that really Spider?” Vrith asked hesitantly, watching the still moving tarp entrance of the tent as if Spider was about to pop right back in.

“It was him. He just gets like that sometimes.” Lee said, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. She rose from where she sat on the ground and snagged a second piece of cheese before heading out of the tent.

“It’s him,” Aylin confirmed. “I was with him the whole time we were—”

Lee poked her head back through the tent flap, a piece of cheese stuffed into her mouth, and thrust a finger at Yoru. “Don’t forget Yoru bath.”

Then she was gone again. Violet exchanged a look with Aylin. Then they all looked at Yoru.

“I am confused,” Violet said. “Was that a pun?”

Yoru sniffed at her arm. “I do not stink.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’d scrub my skin so hard it came off if Lee told me to,” Vrith said with a shudder. “I’ve seen what she can do. Just do what she says. You might as well consider her orders as coming straight from Spider. A very hungry, slightly insane Spider.”

“Interesting,” Yoru said.

Violet looked at the demon out of the corners of her eyes. Yoru was shorter than she was — shorter than she’d been before Spider had gifted her runes that had filled her body out. The mask covered her features, but even her voice sounded young.

Her words, however, did not. There was something deeply unsettling about Yoru. The demon carried herself with the presence of a king, not a child. She found it incredibly difficult to believe that Yoru was anywhere near their age.

I need to find out more. I won’t let someone put any of my people in danger. They’re mine. She can’t hurt them. If she’s got any ill intentions, I’ll find out — and then I’ll tell Spider.

“Come on, Yoru,” Violet said, fighting to keep her words as friendly as possible and not doing a particularly good job of it. “Let’s go take a look at my tent and get to know each other a little better.”

“Okay.”

I’m glad you sound so thrilled about it. Trust me, I’m just as annoyed.

“Keep an eye on them for me, would you?” Violet asked, sending a look at Edda and Torrick.

“Sure,” Aylin replied. “It looks like they’ve got more than enough food to keep them occupied for the time being anyway. I don’t think I’ll have to do much.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Violet said with a wry smile. “I heard what Yoru said about what you were thinking, Vrith. Hands off.”

“I — what?” Vrith choked on her own saliva and doubled over, coughing into her fist.

Edda gave a thumbs up. Aylin just sighed and Violet repressed a laugh as she stepped out of the tent, letting the flap fall shut behind her. Yoru stepped out a moment later.

“The tent is this…” Violet started, then trailed off as Yoru stepped past her and walked right over to her tent.

“Here,” Yoru finished, ducking into the tent.

Violet’s eye twitched. She followed after Yoru. The small tent she’d taken over really wasn’t big enough for two people. It only had enough room for a single bedroll, though they could probably stuff a second one into it if they really wanted to.

There was a small desk that lacked a chair to the side of the tent — Violet hadn’t gotten a chance to use it. She’d spent most of her recent time in the command tent, but it was too difficult to interrogate Yoru with other people there. There were too many distractions. Too many risks if something went wrong.

Now that they were alone, she could —

“You will find nothing that I do not give you,” Yoru said.

Violet’s eyes narrowed. “Stop doing that. How are you doing that? Did you lie about not having Mind Runes?”

“No. Lying to Spider is ill-advised.”

“Then how?” Violet demanded. “You’re reading my mind!”

“I am not. I am predicting your words. There is a difference.”

“Let’s just skip all of this, shall we?” Violet asked, her jaw tight as she took a step toward Yoru. “I want to know what you’re after. There’s no way you’re just a random kid. I don’t believe it.”

“I have little interest in you. So long as you do not oppose me, then we will have no reason to interact.”

“Right,” Violet said dryly. “No reason aside from the part that we’re going to be living in the same tent. That’s not going to work on me. I recognize someone that has an agenda when I see them. Until you tell me what it is, I’m going to be all the way up your ass.”

“Crass words will do nothing to intimidate me. You lack the power to influence my actions.”

“Maybe,” Violet allowed. “But you can’t do anything to me either. Because if you do—”

“Spider would be incredibly displeased,” Yoru said, finishing Violet’s sentence for her. “Yes. I already considered that.”

“Of course you did. Go take your bath, then. Keep your goals to yourself. Spider will find them out eventually. Good luck making any—”

“Friends,” Yoru muttered.

Violet’s eye twitched.

“Stop that.”

“I don’t understand,” Yoru said.

“Understand what?” Violet asked. “You’re literally the one that just stole the words from my mouth. You said them yourself. What is there to not understand?”

“I know the words, but I don’t understand them,” Yoru said. Violet was surprised to hear a note of distress entering the smaller demon’s voice. Yoru’s head tilted to the side. “What is a friend?”