Unlikely Alliance: A Humble Hill Story Chapter 11

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

ALEC

“Truce?”

“What?” The words left Alec’s lips before he could even think. That was the last thing he expected from the demon.

“We will have to get along in there. So, truce?” Alec paused as he looked around the room. They were the only people left standing in the room. Stephen is already making his way into the other room.

“Fine. Truce.” Alec said as he pulled his arm from Eli’s grasp. He didn’t want to be any closer to the demon than he had to be. Alec knew the word alone would not be enough to create a binding spell between them. However, if it meant quasi-peace, he would take it at least until the night was over. Eli knew about this plan; he was still left in the dark. Alec didn’t like going into any situation so unprepared. History had taught him that doing so never ended well. If anything, this would be an attempt to get him closer to Selene, and he could spend the evening ignoring Eli.

“Is any of what you said true?” Eli asked as he stepped back. He was shaking his hand as if it had been disgusting to touch him. Alec rolled his eyes. Demons were so childish.

“All of it…in one manner or another.” Alec paused. “Some things needed to be changed since they aren’t in the know?” He left as a question. He had given away some information; it would only be suitable for Eli to give him something back.

“Hmm. Smart.” Eli agreed before he let out a soft chuckle. “You hunters are all the same.”

“It’s Agents now. Get those antiquated thoughts out of your mind. We haven’t been called Hunters in close to a hundred years.”

“Once a hunter, always a hunter,” Eli shrugged as he moved forward. Alec felt a wave of rage, but he was too old to let it out. Alec followed at a slower pace into the dining room. Just as he thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he was right next to Eli. He would have groaned at the placement if he weren’t almost five hundred years old. He regretted ever saying yes to this dinner.

Setting his glass down, he took a seat, trying hard not to think of the fact that there was a demon sitting next to him and he had no real weapons on him. No preplanned wards. Nothing. Just the demon’s word that they were in the middle of a truce. Across from him sat Selene with Josh opposite Eli. Stephan sat at the head of the table, between Josh and Eli, while Gemma was taking her seat opposite Stephen, Selene, and Alec.

“Where’s your son?” Alec asked as he noted that the table had been set up for six, not seven. “Lucien, right?”

“Old Lucy is at college. He’ll be graduating later this year before coming home. Things will get a lot more boring once he’s back. He’s all about following the rules.” Selene grinned.

“Don’t make fun of your brother when he’s not here to defend himself.” Stephen scolded. “At least one of our children is not trying to lead us into an early grave.”

“Sorry, Dad,” Selene said in the same well-placed tone of a child who felt no remorse.

“Everyone, help yourself.” Gemma smiled. “It’s all fresh out of the oven. Enjoy.”

“Thank you, Mrs. LaLune,” Alec said as he reached for the mashed potatoes.

“Call me Gemma,” Gemma replied as she leaned closer to Alec. “Alec, it is always nice to have fresh blood in the town. It can get so boring sometimes. Selene has told me a lot about you.”

“Boring can be nice sometimes.” Stephen defended. “In small towns, no one wants too much excitement. That usually means someone’s dead.”

“I think I’ll side with Stephen on this discussion,” Eli added. “Humble Hill would be Humble Hill if it wasn’t boring.”

“Exact…wait, aren’t you also calling it boring,” Stephan asked as several members of the table let out a slight chuckle. Eli gave a good-natured shrugged his shoulders. Alec eyes him. If he didn’t know Eli was a demon, he didn’t think he would have suspected it based on his conversations. Everything seemed so human. Alec was struck with the idea: was this how ordinary people behaved? Had he been so involved with the Agency and the Agents that he had forgotten how this worked? When was the last time he had had a meal with someone who wasn’t a part of his life? One? Two hundred years? How was that even possible?

“That can’t be denied,” Eli said. “But like you said. Boring is good. I’d take boring over excitement.”

“Really?” Alec interjected, “I felt you’d be all about the excitement.”

“Nah, Eli is as dull as they come,” Selene added. “The most exciting thing about him is that he owns the café.”

“I highly doubt that” Alec argued. “There must be something else interesting about him.” The fact that he’s a demon was the main thought in his head as Alec started to play his part. He leaned away from Eli and gave him a very obvious once-over. “Something?”

“She’s right.” Eli countered. “I’m not excited at all. I’m more interested in our newest resident.”

“Nothing about me, I’m afraid,” Alec said. “I decided on Humble Hill because it’s boring.”

“Can we all please stop saying Humble Hill is boring?” Stephen asked.

“Honey, it is not right to lie,” Gemma replied as the table erupted in laughter. It took them a moment to gather themselves. “Now, Alec,” Gemma turned towards him. “How have you settled in? Are you still homeless?” Gemma asked.

“I’m not homeless,” Alec replied immediately. He could feel a wave of annoyance fill him, where was this rumor coming from? “I’m living in a trailer by the construction site. Josh has been doing an amazing job completing the construction. I figure it would be three or four more months before I can move in?”

“That’s about right,” Josh added.

“It must be costly rebuilding a house of that size,” Selene added. “Are you sure you save enough for it? Josh mentioned that it was more than you originally thought.”

“I never-” Selene's elbow cut off Josh’s words to the stomach.

“It was,” Alec admitted as he stared at the man in question, eyes narrowing as he tried to understand Selene's direction. “However, I have enough in savings to cover it. Plus, I’m still working. My job allows me to travel.” Eli glanced over at him at those words, his eyes narrowing.

“What was it that you do?” Stephen asked.

“I’m a writer,” Alec replied. That seemed like a safe profession. He couldn’t say Agent, as these people didn’t know about Demons or his other fields. He acted like the hermit specialist who lived in a cabin in the woods with spotty internet and released a new, revolutionary article every five to ten years. That usually gave him some extra money if he needed it.

“That’s amazing,” Josh said as he leaned forward. An earnestness to his tone made Alec think, and not for the first time, of a puppy. “Anything we might have read?” Alec wanted to say yes. He had several books in the ‘top 100 books you should read before you die’ list, however none could safely be announced that he had written them nor were they done under his name. Instead, he shook his head.

“Probably not. I’m working on my first one right now.” Alec knew that was the wrong thing to say almost immediately. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a pseudonym that would work with a mid-twenty-something. He just hoped that they would shift the tone of the conversation sooner rather than later. “However, my editor says it’ll probably sell very well.”

“Publishing is such an unreliable field.” Selene pressed. “You never know what a best seller will be and what won’t be. Wouldn’t it be much better to have a stable job?”

“I’ve got my inheritance. The house came with a great deal of money…and why are you so concerned about my financial situation?” He would if no one else would point it out, even if it seemed rude. He wanted this line to stop.

“I was talking with Eli.” Selene started.

“Please don’t bring me in on this,” Eli interrupted as he downed the rest of his drink. That made Alec worry. If the demon were getting drunk, this would not end well for either of them.

“And I mentioned that he never takes a day off.”

“I’m perfectly fine working as much as I have been.”

“he should hire someone to help out in the café.”

“I can manage it on my own.” Alec felt his blood run cold. Was Selene suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? There must be some mistake. That idea was too absurd even to consider.

“I can see the logic in that idea,” Stephen added. “You do work too hard, Eli.”

“I can manage.” Eli countered.

“It would kill two birds with one stone.” Gemma agreed. “I think Selene makes a strong point.” Alec wanted to scream that she didn’t, but he also knew that if he did, he’d have to reveal any alternate source of revenue. The fact that he was keeping it hidden would be raising red flags with one of the most influential families in Humble Hill. That was not a good position to be in. However, he couldn’t go down without a fight.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Alec countered. The whole idea sounded like the start of a bad joke. An Agent and a Demon worked together in a café. Then one killed the other. Ha. Ha.

“Well, the inheritance couldn’t be enough to cover living expenses after rebuilding the house; it wouldn’t hurt to have an income stream coming in, don’t you think,” Selene continued. “You did just say you were trying to become an author…or is there another source of money coming in?” Alec would look back on this evening and curse his naivety. How had he let someone a fraction of his age coerce him into this situation? Yet, Alec wasn’t stubborn enough not to realize when he was beaten. He did not want to die on this mountain; with a resigned sigh, Alec turned towards Eli. He would be the only person who could save him now. How low had he fallen that he relied on a demon to save him?

“I…” Eli looked as if he had swallowed a lemon as he all but spat out the following words. “I could always use the help.” Eli closed his eyes in resignation, and Alec wanted to follow. His last hope was gone. The demon had failed him. The words came out nearly mechanical as he asked.

“Well, if you have an opening?” The script had been written before he had even entered the home. He was now stuck playing the new role.

“When can you start?” The amount of excitement in Eli’s words told him that the demon felt the same way as he did.

“Tomorrow.” He might as well get this over with. Selene looked as if she was thrilled by the exchange. She raised a glass, which Stephen, Gemma, and Josh quickly followed.

“To the new partnership of Alec and Eli!” Selene toasted. Again, the irony of the situation did not escape him. However, he kept silent as he followed along mechanically. The rest of dinner was filled with Josh explaining some of the aspects of the new house. Alec only paid half attention as he tried to figure out the best way to get out of working with Eli.

If Eli had been forced to go along with the charade, then there was more to this story than Alec had assumed. The LaLunes were a formidable family. It was not the first time he had met a similar family, but the first time he had so quickly fallen into their trap. He had spent so much time looking at Eli for the danger that he ignored Selene. Now, we were paying the price.

Now, he was going to have to spend his days with a demon who wanted him dead. The one benefit was that Eli couldn’t outright kill him. Too much would lead back to him. Alec leaned back into his chair. Or at least try to kill him. It wasn’t as if a simple demon could succeed where so many others had failed.