"Eat, darling. Weather demons are very energetic, and you're going to need a lot of extra padding for him in there. Otherwise he'll beat you black and blue from the inside out. Trust me on this."
"Are your children always male, then?"
"Yep."
"Weird." She dug into the large fish he had caught for her with some relish.
Aizawa watched them with an odd look on his tired, pale face. It was difficult for him to think he was wrong, but he had to admit there were some extremely good arguments on their side.
Besides this, the two of them were expressing emotions he had never seen demons show before. Hizashi had placed himself in danger several times and defended her even when it cost him pain. She, on her part, had accepted his advance, knowing it would be even harder on her when she was incarcerated. Neither one had lashed out at him or any other humans when given every opportunity. It was baffling.
Hizashi was watching him anxiously. And no wonder, since he held the power to condemn both his wife and child. Aizawa took a very long, calming breath.
"I never told them I would bring her back."
"What?"
"I said I would bring the demon back that committed the crime. If no demon did, the contract is invalid." He waved a hand in the general direction of the place. "Also, no money exchanged hands so they don't have any hold on me."
The thunder demon's eyes lit up with hope. "Then..."
"She comes with us." The group leaped to their feet, Hizashi again standing over his mate. She shook as she saw the mob that had melted out of the trees before them. Angry people waved various farm implements at her and several crept around to the back, circling them.
"We thought you might back out!" There was a stocky male leading the peasants. He pointed accusingly at the demon hunter. "We figured, you're traveling with one! You must be friends or something."
"You've got to be kidding me." Hizashi slapped the side of his own face, dragging his palm down. "He's bound me, you idiots! I'm forced to be here!"
"Go back the way you came," Aizawa told them firmly.
"No! If you're not going to do it, we have to protect our families!"
"I wasn't even staying in your area," Elly snarled at them, creeping low to the ground as if she were still in cat form. Her tail was shivering, the fur spiked out as they threatened them. "And I did no harm!"
"Even if you didn't then or now, we don't want your kind around!"
"You mean alive," she hissed. "You humans just want to wipe us out."
"Get her."
"Oh, so no more talk then." Weapons bristling, the mob advanced on them as one. Hizashi leaped to the front as Aizawa protected their back. Unfortunately, he didn't release the demon's powers enough so he could defend against humans. One facet of the binding spell, unknown to them, was that they couldn't unleash their powers on people. The demon hunter had been careful even when testing their resolve, but it failed them now when Hizashi could only produce faint crackles of electricity, barely seen or heard by the enraged men they were fighting. Aizawa was too busy guarding their back to undo any part of the spell.
Hizashi brushed a rake away but a crude wooden spear was shoved in his side. He ground his teeth together and grasped it, tearing it out with a sickly sound. The humans surrounded them but she screamed piercingly and managed to fling herself forward.
"Wait! Shit!" She threw herself on the ground in front of her mate. "Leave them alone. You know it's me you want."
"<i>No!</i>" Hizashi strained to move closer as they dragged her away, digging his hands into the earth. At this distance from his master there was not only agony, the air itself was like a fine mesh net. He could barely breathe as he felt his skin flattening on an invisible barrier. The people considered him, but left when their leader barked an order. "How could they take her?" He gasped in great lungfuls of air, shaking from pain and fear. "The binding ..."
"Is catered to work for the people I'm bringing her back to, as well." Aizawa groaned. "That's how I'm able to transfer demons. Once they have her in the village, she won't be in pain."
He stared at him incredulously. "You kidding me? They'll hurt her themselves by then! C'mon, quick!"
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