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Chapter Four
Research
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Austin tried not fidget as he sat in the back of the car. His mother insisted that he sit in back, not up the front next to the driver. It was a stupid habit that he had formed which was only encouraged by Exton who didn’t want to be scalded by the formidable Italian woman if she caught her son sitting up front. The traffic was dense, and Austin was seriously stressing that they might not reach their destination before they would have to leave again to get Austin home in time.
‘How much farther?’ Austin asked, trying, and failing to stop the whine from creeping into his voice.
‘About five minutes since the last time you asked me and ten minutes from the time before that,’ Exton answered cheerfully. Austin glared at the back of the hellhound’s chair and resisted the urge to give the seat a good kick. They seemed to crawl down every road and stop at every set of traffic lights. Austin glanced at his phone, watching as minute after minute crawled by and shortened his one hour of freedom.
His knee jiggled as he sat, a nervous tick he picked up in school and couldn’t stop doing every time he was asked to be still. What if this Seer demon couldn’t help? It wasn’t his last line of investigation, but it was his strongest. He would only be able to go through the library between work shifts and spending too much time in there would raise suspicion. (He had always avoided that place like the plague.)
A nasty thought occurred to him as he stared out into the traffic. ‘Hey, Exton, this friend of yours, they won’t freak out and snitch on us, will they?’ Austin asked nervously. Austin’s family was the oldest in the city. His father’s influence consumed the entire continent and there wasn’t a single demon that hadn’t heard of the Contractor. This was partly why Austin found it so difficult to have even a semblance of normal life.
‘They shouldn’t. At least I don’t think they will…’ Exton muttered, eyes on the road. Austin sunk lowered in his seat, his spirits sinking with him.
‘We can turn around if you want?’ Exton suggested timidly. Austin’s nasty glare was answer enough and hellhound sighed but didn’t ask again. Finally, after another quarter of an hour, they reached an apartment complex. Austin could feel the subtle hum of magic and knew without searching for them that the building was warded.
Wards could come in thousands of forms, each race having slightly different variants capable of slightly different things. Most of them were to prevent those with ill will from entering the property. Austin’s own properly was heavily warded with generations worth of spell work. That was part of the value of the estate. If ever a house was to come onto the market for an outrageous amount of money in comparative to the house’s appearance, it is almost assured that the extra value came from the spell work in the building. Not that the mundane human population would know that but it hardly mattered.
Exton parked the car and they got out. Austin had to work hard not to sprint to the door. They had so little time left! His scalp tinged as they crossed the invisible ward line and up the old steps, worn down in the middle from years of foot traffic. The apartment complex was neat, tidy, modern, and quiet. There was a doorman to greet them and a front desk with a casually dressed receptionist. Austin guessed that the complex housed quite a few demons. The carpet under their feet was a coarse blue and several large potted plants lined the walls.
‘Good evening, we’ve come to see Haven?’ Exton said politely. The woman nodded with a smile.
‘Certainly. They are expecting you. Head straight up, eighth floor. I’ll activate the elevator for you.’ As she spoke, Austin caught the glimpse of a sharpened canine. Exton flashed the woman a characteristic smirk and flounced towards the elevator, driving Austin in front of him.
The elevator had one of those annoying space filling jingles. Austin stood with his arms crossed, trying not to let the overly cheerful music turn him murderous. The tension in the little moving box was getting thick enough to weigh him down. Exton opened his mouth a few times but seem to lose his courage to actually say anything under the withering glare of his master. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they stepped out in an entryway.
It looked as though several of the apartments on this floor had the separating walls knocked out, creating one massive floor plan to the single apartment left. Austin wasn’t overly surprised. A demon could live hundreds of years on this plane and most amassed a decent amount of wealth along the way. To keep a low profile, most demons preferred to buy nice houses in pretty suburbs rather than enormous spilling mansions with servants.
Fitting in with human society often helped demons in their hunting of whatever prey they needed. It was always interesting to see how many polite little old ladies in pumpkin printed aprons were actually demons. The stereotype that all demons wanted chaos and destruction just wasn’t accurate. Amusing, but inaccurate.
‘Haven? We’re here,’ Exton called out. There was a clacking of heels on polished tile as a figure came around the corner to greet them. Austin couldn’t tell if the lovely figure in front of them was male or female but that was perfectly normal for a Seer Demon. He’d never met one they didn’t use they/them pronouns. The Seer demon smiled brightly. Austin noted that it had an artificial rigidity to it, like a well-trained medical professional.
‘Good evening, it’s lovely to see you again,’ they said in a low but musical voice.
‘I’m sorry to drop in on you like this but as you probably already know, it’s a bit of an emergency,’ Exton said with a lopsided grin.
The Seer demon nodded, their smile smoothing slightly at the corners. ‘Yes, of course. Come, sit. I’ll make some tea.’ They were guided into a neat modern looking sitting room with tiled floors and white sofas. Austin never liked the look of white furniture. It always reminded him of a hospital.
‘We don’t have a lot of time,’ Austin began as they returned shortly with three cups of tea. The Seer Demon nodded and placed the cups down on a mosaic topped coffee table.
‘I am aware. This won’t take long. Hold out your arm.’ Austin didn’t ask how Haven knew about the mark but instead just rolled up his sleeve and held out his arm. They examined it closely.
‘Can you see anything?’ Exton asked hopefully. Haven’s delicate eyebrows drew together.
‘This is a very powerful mark. It is difficult to make out features, but the intent of the demon is clear,’ Haven said bracingly.
Austin swallowed audibly. ‘And that is?’ he asked. The Seer hesitated.
‘This claim is long lasting and binding. It appears they have added you to their court,’ they said calmly.
Austin let out a laugh that sounding more like he was choking. ‘Umm, yeah, no. I can’t get added to a court! It has to be consensual for starters. The binding goes both ways!’ When the Seer Demon didn’t respond, Austin felt his heartbeat accelerate in his chest.
‘Haven, can you at least tell us from what level or plane this demon is from?’ Exton asked, talking over the top of his master who was seconds away from hyperventilating. They looked down at the gold mark again.
‘I can tell you that it is someone from the third ring or higher.’ If Austin had been able to swallow his tongue, he might have. ‘Third or higher?’ he squeaked.
‘I will be honest with you. Contractor demons are in high demand. They always have been. They have an almost parasitic relationship with those they form contracts with. Their power increases with the complicity and number of contracts and in doing so, can make more complicated and powerful contracts. The terms of these contract are only bound by the imagination of the client. In this way…’ they lifted their gaze and penetrating milky grey eyes met Austin’s.
‘A young, underdeveloped Contract Demon pup is basically a blank slate. In theory, this demon could make it, so you are unable to write up contracts for anyone but themselves.’ Haven patted Austin’s shaking hand sympathetically. Austin snatched his hand away and stood up.
‘Well, that doesn’t really matter does it, because I am not ever going to start writing contracts!’ he snapped.
‘You will,’ said the Seer Demon politely. Austin felt the colour drain from his face.
‘No, I won’t,’ he hissed childishly. Exton winced. He looked faintly embarrassed as though the toddler he was babysitting was a having a public meltdown.
‘Austin… Haven is a Seer Demon. If they say you’ll start writing contracts…’
‘Yes, thank you Exton!’ Austin hollered. The hellhound shrugged his broad shoulders. Haven stirred a cube of sugar into their teacup.
‘I don’t mean to cause you distress. I can only tell you what I have seen. My visions are not always fully complete, often the emotions felt are more important than the actual memory that is produced,’ they offered with a smile. Austin swallowed hard, his throat audibly clicking.
‘And what do you feel when you try to see the demon that marked me?’ Haven’s face darkened. The teaspoon clinked around against the sides of the cup as they stirred and stirred. The sound grated against his nerves. The gaze of the Seer became foggy, and a full body shiver ran the length of the demon’s spine. They looked at Austin without comprehension and seemed to only be able to utter a single word.
‘Rage.’
—
‘You told me that you would be back a little after five!’ Elizabeth snapped as she walked her dainty feet down the hallway towards them.
‘It is a little after five ma,’ Austin replied in a flat tired voice. His mother paused and then looked over at the grandfather clock against the wall. She considered it for a moment and her face relaxed a little.
‘Cutting it very fine,’ she decided on at last. Some of her tightness seemed to ease as Austin moved further into the hallway. She stared at him, ruby painted lips turning down. ‘Are you alright bambino? You look very pale.’ She stepped up to him and brushed his cheek with her fingertips. For one moment, Austin considered telling her. He met her gaze and tried to imagine how the conversation might go. Almost as quickly as it had come, the impulse faded.
He had never had a close relationship with his parents. His father was much worse and had spent most of Austin’s childhood treating his son like a piece of furniture or a trophy to show off but never as a child with thoughts, hopes, feelings and needs. Austin had been a little closer with his mother, but she too had grown up in the life of luxury. She was powerful, well bred, elegant and overbearing. She had her own opinions of the world, and no amount of argument or logic would ever change them.
She was more like a strict headmistress then a parent, professionally invested in Austin’s career prospects but utterly unqualified and uninterested in handling his emotional breakdowns. He forced a weak smile therefore and resettle his resolve. ‘Yes ma, I’m just a little tired.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘That little shop is draining your time. You shouldn’t be spending so much of your time there. You should be studying and improving your skills as a demon.’ He looked at her stern features. He just didn’t have any energy to go through this argument for the billionth time. Not right now.
‘I have a day off tomorrow. I’ll get some practice in tomorrow,’ he said wearily. She seemed mildly placated by this and huffed. ‘Just as well,’ she said primly. Austin just let himself be led down the corridor without another word.
For the rest of the afternoon Exton kept shooting him concerned looks. He could only silently pray the hellhound didn’t crack and blab about their little problem. Austin ate the extravagant food in front of him that night without even tasting it. The mark on his arm seemed to throb. Whether it actually was or if he was just imagining it, he wasn’t sure. He was probably imagining it.
What he couldn’t understand is why any demon that high up on the ring would even bother with him. Demons from the third ring or higher were bordering on royal blood. Creatures so old they predated the current world. Demons on those rings were said to have lived lifetimes on other plains of existence in whole otherworlds. They didn’t need money or real estate or any other earthly possession. They were powerful enough to command underlings to do anything they could possibly want.
If this Demon wanted Austin, why not just kidnap him? Exton was good, Austin didn’t doubt that. Hellhounds were some of the most feared guardians of the other realm, but they had their limits. Why just mark Austin and not even come forward to speak with him? The whole situation made Austin extremely uncomfortable. He felt a bit like a cow that had just been bought at auction. He escaped his mother as soon as possible and retreated to his bedroom. Exton followed.
‘Hey Aus, do you think now maybe we should-’
‘No. I’m handling it,’ Austin said abrasively. The hound winced, his expression clearly torn.
‘You know I love and respect you…’
‘My family pay you to keep me alive, not kiss my ass. I’m short, skinny, human and like, an eighth of your age. You don’t respect me, you need me to pay your bills,’ Austin snapped. He couldn’t quite meet Exton’s eyes as he said this. He knew that he was lashing out, trying to make the man go away to give him to space to breath and think. Exton straightened to his full and rather considerable height.
‘That’s not fair. I’ve watched over you since you were out of diapers. We both know I can take care of myself without your parents paying my wages. You’re an annoying little shit but you’re my annoying little shit.’ Austin felt his angry façade crack a little.
‘I’m going to go through my family library and see if I can find the mark. It’s the first thing my mother would do anyway,’ Austin mumbled.
The hellhound sighed. ‘Alright. I’m going to let you continue you on your trail but I’m putting a timeline on this…’
‘I know. Thank you,’ Austin said. Exton turned and left him at his bedroom door. It was still early but Austin was already drained. He collapsed onto his bed and set a timer on his phone. He would get a few hours of sleep and wake up later tonight when all the house servants and more importantly, his mother would be asleep.
It was a little after one in the morning when Austin crept from his room. The manor was completely silent, moonlight illuminating the corridors through the massive glass windows. He knew Exton was around. Hellhounds rarely needed to sleep. His bodyguard was giving him space which he appreciated.
The Arvaris Manor was set up like any good demon dwelling. Aside from the main corridors, there were plenty of hidden passages and secret short cuts. It was actually his most favourite aspect of the manor. More than the magical runes or the huge library with its books on magic, Austin loved using the hidden pathways buried deep in the walls.
He stopped at one such entrance, an innocent looking painting of an elegant young lady holding a massive bouquet of white roses. He swung the painting forward, stepped into the revealed dark passage and closed the frame quietly behind him. He knew this passage well and needed no light to ascend the old stairs. Two more shortcuts later and he emerged out near the library. He paused, listening hard. All was still and silent.
The library was massive and heavily warded. It had been built at the very heart of the huge manor house. It had been diligently added to over the centuries until the amassed collection of books would make even the most well-read warlock foam at the mouth. There were volumes in this collection that were worth more any currency available on the human market. Austin shivered as he crossed the threshold.
He had always hated this place.
It did not help matters that the room was so drenched in old magic that the air was almost viscous. The hairs on his arms stood on end as he crept passed rows of books. The library was creepy and not just because a good third of its books were written in human blood. He always felt watched in this place, as though the books themselves didn’t want him here.
As he crept along the rows, he had to work hard to translate the various spines. He didn’t dare touch them. Some of the books had feelings, others had teeth. It wasn’t until he came to a dusty shelf containing a history of various family crests did, he finally let out a slow sigh of relief. He hadn’t been completely sure he would be able to remember the way to the right section. Not really knowing where to start, he grabbed the largest and oldest volume and tugged it free of its fellows before sitting down on the floor, his phone out as a torch.
He was hoping to identify the mark of his arm to the family or individual who had created it. The sigil itself was close enough to what humans would call a family crest. Demons of the same bloodline used the same crest but then added or removed brush strokes to make the symbol unique to the user. If he could find something that was even similar to the one on his arm, he would be one step closer to identifying the demon who had marked him.
It was a slow process. Thankfully, most crests were depicted on the page, but some were only described. Page after page, he checked images and read descriptions until the massive volume was finished. The closest he had seen to the mark on his arm was from the Dusze linage and even that wasn’t much of match. The description specifically stated the mark carried a purple hue, not the glittering gold like Austin was now stuck with.
He groaned, closed the book, and went on to the next one. Unfortunately, he didn’t find anything in that volume either or the one after that. His neck and back was getting stiff from sitting on cold stone floor reading. Eyes aching, he paused after finishing another paragraph. He was presuming the mark was old because Haven had said the demon was from the third ring or higher.
Usually the higher the ring, the more powerful and older the demon but maybe…
Austin reached up a grabbed a smaller red book a little further along the row. He balanced it on his knee and quickly flicked through the pages. His heart gave a leapt in his chest as a mark jumped out at him. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly the same, but it was a much closer than anything else he had found so far and had a similar gold yellow hue. He held his phone closer to the page, heart thumping inside his chest.
The crest belonged to the Veida clan. As far as demon history went, the clan was relatively new, only roughly ten thousand years old. Austin snorted. His amusement quickly faded the more he read. Whilst young, the clan had risen quickly in the ranks. They produced several powerful heirs, the lineage quickly developing under a rule of brutality and decisive action. The record suggested that many of the bloodline had been killed off throughout the centuries. Apparently at least one of them had survived.
The name rang a sort of bell though Austin couldn’t really remember why. Veida… where had he heard the name? He wasn’t sure but the sound of it made him feel strangely uncomfortable, like there was some deeply buried instinctual fear of the word. The paragraph on the bloodline was disappointingly short and though he spent another hour peeling through the pages of several other volumes, the clan’s name did not come up again.
Finally, joints aching, Austin straightened. He needed to get back to his room before the staff started their duties. As he crept back along the halls, he struggled to remember where he had seen or heard the name. Possibly he would find it in his old schoolbooks. As he reached his room he suddenly turned around and headed for the door next to his, Exton’s sleeping quarters. It was worth a try. He knocked.
Exton opened the door and peered out at him. ‘What’s up Aus? Did you find the mark?’
Austin gave a half-committed shrug. ‘I think so. Can I come in? I wanted to know if you had heard of the clan’s name. It sound familiar to me but I can’t think of where I have heard of it.’ The hellhound nodded and swept a mocking bow as Austin entered the room which Austin ignored.
‘Well, what is it then?’ Exton asked excitedly.
‘The Veida Clan.’ If anything could tell Austin just how fucked he was, it was that moment, as the hellhounds face lost its colour. It was then, watching Exton stagger over to a chair and sink down onto it that Austin knew that he was in really, really big trouble.
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END
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