Enemy Mine

Chapter 4

"Neil is one of the hive medics. Self-taught, of course," Christoph explained as he escorted me to the west dorm, a backpack now slung over his shoulder.

"He's not licensed to practice medicine?"

Christoph turned around to smirk at me. "That would require a college education, and a college education requires a birth certificate, among other things."

"Can't he just get false records?"

"Yes, but not without risks. Cecile is committed to maintaining the hive's secrecy and integrity, so she hands them out sparingly. To quote her, 'demons take their risks on the battlefield'."

Christoph didn't seem eager to elaborate on the subject, and we arrived at the west dorm before the silence grew too long. As soon as we entered, he and I were ambushed by Stella and her sparring partner.

"Hey, Christoph. Are you going to introduce us to your new pet?" Stella said through a nasty sneer.

Pet?

"This is Reese. Willem's granddaughter," Christoph offered. "Reese, this is Stella and Mia."

"Hi." I kept my greeting short. No sense wasting my breath on bitches.

"If you plan to stay here, Reese, just remember your place is beneath us," Stella said as she pointed at the ground. "And if you forget your place, Mia and I will have no problem reminding you."

"Put away your claws, Stella," Christoph said. "Reese is only here temporarily."

He tugged on my sleeve, and I followed him past several more unwelcome stares until we entered a hallway lit by a single lantern. So far, pond scum was winning out. Hopefully, Cecile would have me starting on her artifact finding tour right away. We passed a never-ending row of arched doorways leading into small rooms. None of them had doors, but a few were fitted with privacy curtains.

"Where does this tunnel lead? I assume these are dorm rooms," I said.

"Yes. I'm taking us away from the action. To the end of the hall. I thought you'd appreciate the privacy." Christoph probably meant to reassure me, but I would have preferred a room closer to the exit.

Not surprisingly, the room in question had very little in the way of furniture, only a pair of cots and a metal stand to hang clothing on. Demons didn't seem to require much, and it reminded me of Heath. He insisted he slept better on his futon rather than my pillow-top mattress. I pushed away thoughts of the amazing sex we had on that futon as I sat on one of the cots. Christoph did the same across from me. He looked exhausted, but I knew he wouldn't be letting me out of his sight, so sleep was off the table.

"So, Christoph. Tell me about your goals and aspirations. Besides taking risks on the battlefield, what do you enjoy?"

As if waking from a stupor, Christoph cocked his head as he looked at me. Despite the serious lack of light, I read the fatigue perfectly. "I enjoy fighting. It's what I'm trained for. We all are."

"Even Neil? You said he's a medic. He must see a lot of battle wounds."

"Fighting is critical to our survival, Reese."

"Is that how demons define their lives? Survival?"

"Yes."

"Oh. So, how many demons hold down jobs outside the hive? Heath always worked."

"Some do work. Under the radar."

"Manhattan is pretty expensive. How do you afford it?"

"The hive has resources."