Free Demon Warriors 1: Hondo by Lynn Hagen

know if anything is missing.” Falcon took a step into the room, his stance challenging.
    “No can do. Panahasi wants us to get this done, and when boss man issues an order, we listen.” Hondo bent down, pushing aside papers to see a familiar case lying open on the floor.
    “I’ll see about that.” Falcon turned on his wingtip heels and stormed from the room.
    “Does this look familiar to anyone?” Hondo held up the empty case.
    “Fuck.” Kane exhaled. “Better call the boss.”

    * * * *
    “So what’s Kane like?” Snooke asked as they walked back to Chris’s house.
    “Why?” Chris’s steps slowed as he waited for Snooke to answer him.
    “Are you going to start, too? I don’t have a motive, Chris. I’m just like everyone else, curious about the warriors. If you don’t trust me—”
    “No, I trust you. I guess Hondo is starting to rub off on me.” Chris began to walk again, sipping loudly on his Slurpee. “You want to go get something to eat at King Wings?”
    “Now that sounds like a plan.” Snooke chuckled. “Best wings in the demon realm.” They both recited the commercial and laughed.
    “So what do you want to know about Kane?” Snooke popped a handful of candy into his mouth as he shrugged.
    “Don’t know.” He chewed and then swallowed. “Is he always so playful?”
    Chris nodded as he took another sip. “Yep, never knew him to be serious.” Chris bounced in front of Snooke, placing his hand on Snooke’s chest. “Hold on. You like him, don’t you?” Chris giggled.
    “Snooke likes Kane,” he sang.
    “Do not.” Snooke laughed as he pushed Chris’s hand away.
    “Maybe.” His cheeks flushed as he looked away from Chris.
    “I can hook you up. I’m cool with him, you know,” Chris boasted.
    He waved his Slurpee around as he talked with his hands. “Oh, we can double date. Me and Hondo, you and Kane.” Chris jumped up and down excitedly.
    “I don’t think Hondo would like that. For some reason he thinks I’m a spy.”
    Chris stopped jumping and growled. “You let me worry about my mate. He promised to behave, so I don’t see a problem with it.” 
    “I don’t know. How much fun can double-dating be with tension between two people? Maybe I can go to the warriors’ apartment building and talk to Hondo, make him see that I’m not a spy.”
    “I can take you. I know how to get in.” Chris giggled into his hand. “This is so cool. I never had a friend to hang with besides the warriors. I like it.”
    “Me, too.” Snooke smiled at Chris. “Me, too.” He clapped Chris on the back as they walked to get some food.

    * * * *
    “Are you sure?” Panahasi asked as he paced his living room.
    “We searched the whole room. The crystal is gone.” Hondo sat back on the couch, wondering what Chris was doing right now. He was amazed how quickly he adjusted to the idea of Chris being his.
    It no longer felt odd to cross the line from friendship to lovers, but not having the exuberant man bouncing around him bothered Hondo.
    He missed him.
    “Then we need to find out who took it and get it back.” Panahasi stopped at the large window in his living room, looking down over the city in concentration.
    “If whoever took it knows how to use it, we’re fucked.” Kane ran his hands through his hair, looking, for the first time ever, worried.
    Hondo’s eyes wandered over to Takeo, the warrior watching their leader intently. His face pulled back into a mask of rage, and then he blinked and looked around as if just realizing where he was.
    Panahasi nodded at the window. “Go, Takeo.” Takeo bowed and swiftly left the apartment.
    “Where is he going?” Kane asked.
    Panahasi rubbed the short stubble on his jaw. “Helping out a friend.”

    Hondo looked behind him when the apartment door opened. Two warriors, Phoenyx and Rainerio, strolled in. Phoenyx closed the door quietly as they joined the group.
    Panahasi turned from the window and snapped his fingers, pointing them at the