“No, Rex… Nothing safer. No one will hire a freak. They won’t even sell me food.” She looked up at him. “I can be normal in other cities if I don’t stay long but… once they realize something is wrong with me… They treat me the same.”

Looking up at him she just smiled, “Because you are an odd one, Rex.” She tilted her head at him. “It’s not bad… It’s just weird you want to spend time with me when you got other women willing to be with you. I have nothing I can give you but yet you come here every day.”

She smiled a bit at the thought of Angela giving her special flowers. “Peonies mean… romance, prosperity, good fortune, happy marriage, riches, honor, and compassion.” She blushed a bit as she itched the side of her face. “Sorry, you didn’t ask for what they meant.”

She saw Rhenakos coming and looked up at Rex, “You better finish Rex… We have to leave soon. We’re traveling to Bohar.”

Rex finished up with her hair, wondering what she meant by him being ‘weird’, but didn’t think much of it. Something about Hazel was just cute to him, and it drove him a bit crazy that he couldn’t win her over so easily. It was less a challenge though, and more that he wondered just what was wrong with her and what he needed to do to help her.

Rhenakos walked up just as Rex finished. “Well…that was faster than with me, Hazel. I’m a little surprised. It took Hazel almost a full year before she would let me anywhere near her.” He looked over to the plushie, and waved. “Are you ready to go, Hazel?”

“I’m coming with you,” Rex said with a glare.

“Not a chance,” Rhenakos replied almost immediately. “Don’t be stupid. This isn’t a job you can do.”

The boy glared at him, “Says the fuck who…” He rolled up his sleeves and marched towards his father. “I can take a demon just fine. Better than you can! Just let me at ‘em.”

“And this is why I can’t take you. You’re inexperienced and rush headfirst into things,” Rhenakos replied. “The answer is no, and that’s final.”

“Hazel said I could come,” Rex shot back.

Rhenakos looked over to Hazel for the confirmation, and sighed. “Fine. But you listen to my instructions, and don’t do a damned thing unless I tell you. Got it?”

Rex smirked, “Got it. To Bohar!”

The demon hunter put his head into his hand. “I’m going to regret this…” He looked to Hazel. “Go ahead and get ready…”