Free Demon Lost by Connie Suttle

wonderful." Bel finished off his portion of ox-roast and washed it down with the last of a bottle of wine.
    "Want more?" I asked.
    "No, I'll never get out of bed in the morning and Aris wants a report first thing," Bel grinned. "Come to Crown City, Reah. You'll like it."
    "I'll think about it," I said. The trip was in two days so I'd have to decide quickly.
    "I have an extra bag for your clothes," Delvin offered. "I'll bring it by tomorrow. Just in case." He was grinning, too.
    * * *
    Two days later, I was sitting beside Delvin on a transport bound for Crown City. Bel sat near the front as the others loaded onto the transport. The last one to arrive, shockingly enough, was Commander Aris. Delvin must have noted the surprise on my face as Aris sat next to Bel, right behind the driver. The door closed and we drove away from the outpost.
    "He gets time off, too," Delvin nudged me while nodding toward Aris.
    "Who gets the honor of herding the others around?" I asked breathlessly.
    "One of the two captains from our last reinforcements. I think Aris had him in his office for two clicks yesterday, and a lot of 'do nots' came out of his mouth, I think," Delvin grinned. "Stop worrying about it; we'll be there in less than four clicks," Delvin leaned back in his seat and settled in to nap.
    My first impression of Crown City reminded me of the vid images I'd seen of Serendaan, an Alliance world. Onion-shaped domes atop tall, rounded buildings abounded with smaller, more squat and square buildings built of stucco sprinkled between. Color was everywhere and to the uninitiated it was nearly blinding at first. Even the shops had colorful rugs, clothing and scarves hanging outside in the open air, advertising what was sold inside. I tried not to gawk but couldn't help myself after a while.
    "You can stay with us at the military station or find a room for yourself," Delvin hefted my bag after pulling his from the compartment over our heads. "Barracks are free; a room will cost you," he added, smiling. I shrugged my acceptance and trotted after him.
    We'd been dropped off near the entrance of the military station. I saw some of the women heading toward Crown City, while others walked inside the gate to the station. An entire building was devoted to housing for post visitors, I learned, with small, neat, serviceable rooms for each of us. How my room came to be sandwiched between Delvin's and Bel's I had no idea.
    "Come along, we'll find something to eat," Bel pulled me from my room the moment I'd gotten my clothing into the tiny closet. We ate at an outdoor café, where they served spiced meat sandwiches rolled in flat bread with cooked vegetables. I liked what I had—it was lamb and cooked tender. I always enjoyed eating new things—it gave me ideas for new recipes in my kitchen.
    Yes, I was thinking of the post's kitchens as mine. Everybody looked to me for recipes and preparation instructions. I realized then that I was happy for perhaps the first time in my life, though I did walk a knife's edge, worrying about whether I'd be discovered or if demons were going to come crashing through my door at night. I hadn't heard the voice in my head for a while, too, and figured that a hallucination was exactly what it had been.
    "Come on, spend a little money," Delvin cajoled later as I admired a blue tunic and matching trousers, embroidered in silver around the hems. The outfit cost more than half the money I had and I dithered over it. What if I needed money for other things—such as traveling funds in case I was discovered? My heart eventually won out over my head, urged along with teasing from Delvin. I bought the outfit. The set was sized for a young woman and perfect for my height. The shop's owner smiled as she wrapped it carefully for me in thin paper. The Alliance shops would have shoved it into a recyclable bag and sent me on my way. This world was such a fascinating mix—half technology, half not. I enjoyed seeing both sides of it,