Siobhan, The goddess' handmaiden

14. Fright of flight?

Siobhan is reading her book on her favourite windowsill in the library. She even got a pillow to make it more comfortable. After a few weeks of being here she might just get to finish the Divine Comedy. Her list of books she wants to read is only growing with every passing through the library. With all the interruptions and workload, there was hardly any time for her to read. Naryshka is nowhere to be seen and her royal grumpiness is quiet, too. So, it’s a perfect time to relax and just read.

She hasn’t asked Naryshka if she lives in the palace or just comes to visit. Knowing more about her new friend might be useful. The demoness is great company, she doesn’t ask stupid questions, she doesn’t dwell on the past. And she doesn’t pry into personal things. That is the most endearing quality. Naryshka doesn’t pretend, she is what she is and proud of it. Red skin and all. Nakir uses glamour even here. He doesn’t let anyone see the real him. Why is she thinking about him? Why does everything start and end with him? Gods! She really has to drop this obsession.

The feeling of being watched creeps up on her. She is all alone here, but she can feel a pair of eyes on her body. Who or what is watching? Siobhan casually stretches out and turns her head while doing it. There is a pair of red eyes staring at her. The play of flames around the creature is fascinating in a macabre way. It looks like a wolf on fire. Longer fur and ears, too. The pair of red eyes is the least scary thing about the Hellhound. It’s the unbreaking focus that scares her. Even now, that she noticed it, that she knows it’s watching her, the creature is not moving.

Is she safe behind the window? Glass is no obstacle if it decides to attack her. She is not sure what powers the Hellhounds have, or how much they fear Ereshkigal. The creature just might decide that Siobhan is food. She slides from her spot without turning around. Never show fear, never turn your back on a dog you don’t know. That one slice of wisdom from her father saved her before, so she’s carefully retreating. One step at the time. Slowly. Not showing that she’s in any hurry. Siobhan sets the book casually on a shelf. It’s not the right place, but she can correct that some other time. When she’s not in danger.

The flames around the Hellhound die down for a moment. Is it giving up, or gearing up? She keeps her eyes on the creature to make sure. The whole window flickers out of existence and her dead heart speeds up. Can a Hellhound sense that? Siobhan is not waiting around to find out. She turns and runs as fast as she can. The sound of claws hitting the tiled floor of the library scares her. Demons are fast, she has no chance of outrunning it. The heavy door is in her way, but that is the only exit she knows about.

Just as she manages to open it, the hot breath of the creature falls upon her. She swallows hard and closes her eyes. Turning around to face her attacker with all her strength, she thinks hard of a spell that might deter a Hellhound. The red eyes bore straight into hers. There is a glimpse of intelligence in there. Just a flash that she saw, before the creature knocks her down. The paws are much larger than an average dog’s. Siobhan can’t move under the weight, her hands are immobilised. She can try squirming and thrashing, but to no avail.

Is this a part of her punishment? Is this the way her existence will end? What happens if a Hellhound mauls you when you’re already dead? The creature's fire and saliva are in her face. She doesn’t close her eyes anymore. Siobhan will face her final death if that’s what this is all about. Did Ereshkigal send the creature? The bracelet is not reacting to it the same way it blasted the other demon. The bracelet is actually cold and still. The Hellhound could have killed her twice over, but it looks like he’s waiting for something. This close up she can tell that it’s a male specimen quite clearly.

“Fenrir! For Hell’s sake!” Nakir yells. “You’re supposed to be a fierce guardian. What’s wrong with you?”

“This is your pet? Get him off of me then!” Siobhan grunts.

“Come on, you big oaf. Ery was right,” Nakir pulls the hellhound by his collar. “I should have gotten a fully grown one. Pups are not good at following orders.”

“This is a puppy? He seems much bigger than the other day on the stairs,” Siobhan scoffs when she gets up. No help from Nakir whatsoever.

“Hellhounds can change their size at will. Fenrir probably made himself small to fit the stairs. I found out he was sleeping on the job, so I reprimanded him and he ran away. Stubborn little imp,” Nakir shakes his head.

“He almost killed me. Again!” Siobhan glares at Nakir.

“With what? Drooling on you? Fenrir clearly likes you. He just wanted to play,” he scoffs. The Hellhound next to him is wagging his tail, looking at her with those red eyes. If this is his idea of play, she doesn’t want to know what an attack would look like. “He’d change forms if he wanted to kill you. And his fire would definitely not be there. Hellhounds in killer mood are twice as big, and look more like a rabid werewolf. With fangs the length of your forearm, claws huge enough to tear you in two with one swipe, and acid saliva that can eat through any armour.”

“Huh?” Siobhan has no response to that. The Hellhound puppy likes her? That’s a new development. She thought they were rabid demons that needed to be avoided at all costs. Who knew a puppy is just a puppy, no matter what species? She never actually liked dogs. The girls had a cat when they were small, but no other pets after that. Siobhan herself never saw a reason to have animals around. The viper is not really a pet, it’s there for the free venom. But, since he’s got a name, he counts as a pet. Naryshka made sure of it.

“How old is the pup?” She asks. There is no desire on her part to pet the Hellhound. He’ll have to find another playmate.

“Around a hundred years or so,” Nakir answers. His hand is deep inside the fur. He’s absentmindedly stroking the Hellhound. “They age differently. Maturity comes for them around five hundred years of age. They are not immortal, they just have a different life span.”

“Wow. So talk about a pet for life?” Siobhan chuckles. If she looks at this with humour, it’s not so bad to digest.

“Something like that. Pups can be trained, but they are a lot of work. They don’t want to obey orders. Adult Hellhounds are indiscriminate killing machines. I just want to be left alone in my own tower, so I thought a puppy would keep others away,” Nakir tells her.

“Make him stay there, then. I have work to do,” Siobhan glares at the angel. She walks away without waiting for his response. He wants to be alone, except when he brings his f**k buddies up there. Being close to Nakir and not being able to touch him is torture. Besides, she hasn’t forgiven him for turning her hair grey. That punishment was totally unwarranted. She has been used, so it’s not her fault. Getting a grip on her emotions will take some time. The laboratory is the only safe option. Ereshkigal would see that there is something wrong, and she’s not in the mood to be dissected. Sometimes the goddess doesn’t think about what she says. Most of the time she means no harm, but it still hurts like hell to be reminded of what she can’t have.