The Demon in the Pastry Shop

31: Backdoor

 The Ox Sprite lead Kit to a backway out of the Land of Captivators. She said she couldn't follow her. If Kit got caught, her fate would stay the same but if the sprite was caught, hers would worsen. Kit was happy enough to get out of the cell. She held the Ox Sprite's direction in her mind as she crept along the hallways of the complex.

She came upon an intersection of halls she knew she would have to dart across. Kit inched toward the corner, hoping to peek around the bend and time her crossing when no one was coming. The way was clear. She dashed for the other side of the hall, but before she could take her second step out into the intersection she was yanked back by her arm.

Kit whirled around and Silus tugged her back again. She whipped her hand free of him and spun around, determined to flee on her own terms but as soon as she pivoted, Miss Lolona and Lovell strolled down the perpendicular corridor where Kit would've been if Silus had not stopped her. Silus grabbed her hand and whispered a spell under his breath until the eyes of his snakes glowed.

Though she told herself she only kissed him in the cell because he was shackled, as soon as he held her hand, she knew to trust him. To stay with him until his spell was over. She was sure Silus was protecting her.

She watched him carefully. He moved his eyes from Lolona and Lovell to Kit. He reached into his jacket (which she now realized he'd gotten back) and with his free hand, pulled out her magical pouch and offered it to her from crooked fingers.

The black bag swung in the air and Kit lifted it from his fingers. She didn't let go of Silus' hand and had to slide the strap over her wrist with her right hand only. She struggled to pull the string to tighten the strap but after a moment of keeping watch, Silus looked down and pulled it for her, returning his gaze to Lovell (who lingered in the hall, sniffing the air).

The Terrorling grinned with his viciously sharp teeth that gleamed in the light. He stared at some spot only slightly misaligned with the two of them. Kit's heart made the sound of a dice roll and waiting for the numbers to turn up. Silus squeezed her hand but kept his eyes leveled at Lovell.

When the Terrorling passed by, Silus waited for distance to grow between the three of them before he let go of Kit's hand and the spell.

"Come this way," Silus murmured, breezing past her to the hall across the intersection.

Kit held her ground and crossed her arms. She would trust him only so far.

He stormed back toward her, throwing careful eyes to both sides as he moved. Then hissing to her, "I can take you back to Jude. I'll take you out of here."

She narrowed her eyes.

Silus clenched his jaw at her and huffed. "Did you see how I hid us just now? Your odds are better with me. We can leave the rest on the outside of the fortress for now. Let's get out first."

Kit made an 'x' with her arms and pushed forward without him into the rest of the hallway. Silus followed her.

"I gave your bag back," he insisted behind her.

She sighed. With a look back at Silus at a moment she knew the corridor was empty save for the two of them, Kit studied him. There was something new about him and she wasn't sure that he knew it, but in her eyes the newness clung to him the way flour clung to her when she had been so careful to stay clean.

Her gaze found a backdoor into his ivory stare and made Silus fall back a step. Only then, did Kit steel herself in his presence and nod. She didn't wait for Silus to take the lead and she didn't wait for him to speak and she didn't wait for him to walk next to her. Kit spun forward and headed for the back entrance into the Land of Captivators. Jude was somewhere on the other side of this fortress, maybe hiding from Silus' hunter friends. Kit would not lose another of her muses.