A Demon's Contract

by Delmire Hart

  Barkley twisted around to try to catch Zaxor’s expression, but the arm around his waist held him firmly in place. Without seeing the demon’s expression, he had no way of knowing if he was being truthful. It wasn’t the kind of thing Barkley would expect him to outright lie about, but he could see Zaxor bending the truth to keep from worrying him.

  “I believe you had something to say?”

  Barkley remained silent for a moment, choosing his words, before slowly speaking. “Seeing the guards last night brought back memories of the raids on my home. After the first one, and even while I was travelling to Loria, I had nightmares about it. By the time I got to Loria they had stopped. Somehow I’d almost forgotten how bad the violence is.” He gave a bitter laugh, the earlier tension returning as he spoke. “How can you forget something like that?”

  “I wouldn’t recommend following that line of thought.” Zaxor’s sharp voice cut through his bitterness, forcing him back from his memories and into the present. “Your mind simply wishes to protect you, and it is easier to forget the true sharpness of pain where possible. It is something that all sentient creatures experience.”

  “Even demons?”

  “You’ve met the succubus that are housed here, correct?”

  “A pink and purple one helped me find the garden the first time you dumped me here, and I’ve seen a pretty red one around, although I don’t know their names,” Barkley replied, wondering where Zaxor was going with this.

  “You’ve most likely seen all three then. Both Falress and Vhesh are red in colouring, although you can tell them apart by their horns. Nymixis was the one who helped you. She is very motherly and takes great care of all the demons living here, although I never formally forged a contract with her directly. Her lover, Falress, one of the red succubus, was the one to forge the contract instead.”

  Zaxor paused, his tail flicking at the bubbles in the water distractedly. Barkley waited silently, curious but apprehensive about where this story was going. Knowing no demon would willingly put themselves under Zaxor’s thumb meant it was not likely a happy story.

  “Amongst the incubus and succubus, love is considered taboo. They believe themselves above such emotions. They feed off lust and sexual pleasure, needing multiple partners to survive, so it’s not surprising they believe such. Easier that way. They will mock and shun those like Vhesh who fell in love with a human, but to fall in love with one of their own kind is a grave sin. They cannot feed off each other, so they see it as a death sentence. The elders of their clan took that thought literally and punished Nymixis brutally, aiming to teach her a lesson before she died. They would have done the same to Falress but she evaded capture. I was able to free Nymixis and gave them both shelter here, free from judgement.”

  “That’s horrible,” Barkley whispered, his voice cracking on the last word.

  “I do not know what they did to her, but for years after, when Nymixis would sleep, she would wake screaming. For a long time, I had to lock down her magic while she slept, as she would lash out with it in her nightmares, once even wounding her lover. Even centuries later, something unknown could trigger them to return for a night, even if it hadn’t happened for years. While you both went through very different things, the way it can affect you, the way your mind tries to cope, is the same. Your reaction to being reminded of those memories, and the way your mind tried to forget during peace, is perfectly normal.”

  Barkley sat quietly for a moment, turning over the story in his head before letting out a chuckle.

  “Thank you.” He twisted around in Zaxor’s lap to brush lips across the demon’s jaw in a soft kiss. “It was a rather long and convoluted way to get me to understand so I can work on feeling better, but I appreciate it.”

  Zaxor snorted in derision but lifted his chin to offer his neck for attention, earning a grin from Barkley. It was refreshing sometimes just how open and shameless Zaxor was with his desires. “If I had told you ‘it’s perfectly normal, don’t worry about it’, it wouldn’t have made any difference. But you are surprisingly empathetic towards others. It’s easy for you to understand someone else and then in turn, it becomes easier to understand the same reaction in yourself.”

  “You’re kinda scary sometimes, you know that?”

  “That’s scary? You don’t even blink at my shadow form, yet you think my words are frightening?” Zaxor barked a laugh, and Barkley felt the vibrations from where he nuzzled against his neck. “But more than even that, humans tend to feel better if they know they aren’t alone, be it physically or in shared experience. If you ever struggle with your memories again and I’m not around, seek out Nymixis. Not only will she understand, she’ll take great pleasure in bundling you up in a blanket and mothering you.”

  An image of Zaxor towering over Headmaster Archibald, voice booming against the stone walls, came to mind. Barkley had been scared then, but it had been expected, to some degree at least. All Zaxor’s actions screamed leashed power, so to see it realised, while scary, was easy enough to accept. His intellect was something entirely different. Barkley had never met someone so sharply cunning and intelligent in all his life, and given it was usually hidden below casual words, it was easy to forget how smart the demon was.

  So, when Zaxor showed what he was thinking, the sharp reminder of how truly small Barkley was with his limited thinking was scarier than any display of blatant power.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he murmured, a smile tugging at his lips at the image of a succubus, whose very appearance dripped sex, tucking him into bed while fussing over him. “Although I find myself well looked after as it is. You’re surprisingly kind.”

  Zaxor barked out a sharp laugh at that. It held a tone of mocking that would be cruel, if Barkley wasn’t under the impression it wasn’t aimed at him directly.

  “Do not mistake calculated actions for kindness,” Zaxor replied, voice clipped. “If I appear kind it’s merely because I have deemed that I will benefit the most from those actions. Perceived kindness and support is the only way to inspire true loyalty in sentient beings. It is quite remarkable what one is capable of when they are loyal to one person above all else.”

  Barkley didn’t reply, choosing to instead roll the words around his head, looking for the real meaning. Because, for all that the words rang with truth, the demon’s actions felt more genuine than calculated. Perhaps there was an element of calculation to his every action and it wasn’t real kindness that Zaxor displayed, but Barkley thought the truth was probably a mix of the two.

  Zaxor always did as he pleased; how he looked after his ‘people’ was the same.

  “Now,” Zaxor’s sharp voice roused Barkley from his thoughts, “you can either stay here or return to the human realm, but I need to speak with Temress. It seems she is finally deigning to see me.”

  He moved Barkley to sit on the stone bench as he stood, stretching out his muscles, before wading towards the entranceway where their clothing lay.

  “You can hear her like you can when I call you?”

  A small nod answered his question as Zaxor used magic to dry himself off and redress.

  “Dragons have innate telepathic abilities. It makes communicating with them particularly easy, but also very obvious when they choose to ignore you, like she has been for the past few hours. I assume she was busy with your friend Max.”

  Zaxor’s lips quirked into a smirk and Barkley wondered if the scholar’s arrangement with the dragon wasn’t unlike his own with Zaxor. That was unexpected.

  “You mean they are…?”

  The smirk widened into a wicked grin, and that was all the confirmation Barkley needed. He didn’t want to be thinking about his friend sleeping with a dragon, but he couldn’t help a flash of curiosity about the logistics of the whole thing. Presumably she had a human form she could change into like Zaxor did.

  “Ah, it seems she even brought Max with her. How about a trip to the library to show your scholarly friend around?”

  A
smile tugged at Barkley’s lips as he stood to leave the pool behind as well. It would be good to see Max again.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Zaxor transported them to a section of the fortress Barkley had yet to visit, the main entranceway if the massive double doors set in the wall opposite them was any indication. The vaulted ceilings were so high above them that Barkley imagined house upon house could be stacked inside and still leave room above. The walls were covered in vast murals depicting impossible scenes of towering monsters and beautiful forests resting upon floating islands, waterfalls cascading down into unseen depths. A strange longing to see the inspiration behind the breathtaking scenes settled over Barkley, and he made a mental note to ask Zaxor about them later.

  “Max!” Barkley called out happily as his attention was finally drawn to the people standing dwarfed before the huge doors.

  The greying scholar turned to face him, a smile stretching across his face as he raised his hand in greeting. Quizak, his imp, zipped back and forth around Max excitedly as though having trouble taking in all of their surroundings. But it was the woman draped across Max’s shoulders that caught Barkley’s attention.

  Her skin was pitch black, a stark contrast to the long white braids trailing down her back. If her arrogant sneer and possessive posture didn’t immediately label her as Temress the dragon, the faintly glowing dark red tattoos that decorated every inch of visible skin did. Everything about her screamed magical power in a way that not even Zaxor pulled off.

  “You must be Temress,” Barkley said, not sure how to greet a dragon but figuring politeness was never remiss. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  She didn’t reply nor move from her spot draped over Max, but her intensely assessing gaze boring into Barkley was uncomfortable. Shifting awkwardly on the spot, Barkley tore his eyes away from Temress to greet the excitable imp as well.

  “Hello Quizak.”

  The small demon paused before whirling around to beam at Barkley, his beady eyes scrunched up with the force of his grin. Temress snorted in disdain, but that couldn’t dampen the imp’s enthusiasm over not only being remembered but also acknowledged. Barkley mentally filed away the reaction, it might be useful if he ever had to deal with smaller demons once he was living here permanently. It hadn’t occurred to him before, but the weaker demons were probably ignored by those more powerful, and a little attention might go a long way.

  “So demon, you interrupted my day to call me here. My patience is limited.” Temress’s voice was deeper than Barkley expected, but smooth and laced with irritation.

  From the corner of his eye, Barkley could make out Zaxor giving her an exaggerated bow in a mockery of apology before he vanished. In his place Frederick appeared, a book in one hand with his other hand stretched above his head as though reaching up to pull a second book from a bookshelf that was no longer there. The man looked around in surprise as he noticed his suddenly altered surroundings, and Temress vanished with a small huff when Zaxor didn’t return.

  “Barkley? What?” Frederick dropped his hand to stare at Barkley in confusion.

  “Ah hah.” Barkley rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he set to introducing the two mages before him. “Max, this is Frederick Iron-Eyes. Frederick, this is Maxwell Hamilton the Rilian Mage Academy librarian. Would you be able to take us to the library? I don’t know the way from here.”

  Frederick grumbled under his breath, something unflattering about Zaxor, before politely greeting Max. Barkley watched as Max racked his memory for the name before lighting up much like his imp had earlier. There was the excitable scholar that Barkley had seen pouring over journals and wildly gesticulating as he gushed over his latest find.

  “Iron-Eyes? THE Frederick Iron-Eyes?!” Frederick nodded, looking taken aback by the level of enthusiasm Max displayed as he hurried over to shake the other man’s hand. “How marvellous! I have so many questions for you! Most of your works were burned in the great knowledge purge a few hundred years ago, but my predecessor was able to keep one of your books, and your name is widely touted in others. I’ve contracted Temress to bring back knowledge to the human mages, and your input would be invaluable.”

  Barkley steered his two companions into starting the trek to the library, grinning as Max pulled out a small notebook to note down information as Frederick answered his never-ending list of questions. Between the two of them they were able to keep Max walking without stumbling into anything while he wrote.

  When they finally made it to their destination, Frederick had promised to help Max in any way he could, inspired by the mage’s sheer enthusiasm for learning and for bringing the human mages out from their self-imposed dark age. Frederick left to hunt down a number of tomes to kickstart Max’s endeavour, leaving the two alone amongst the towering bookshelves that made up Zaxor’s vast collection.

  “I, ah, got a little carried away before, I’m sorry.” Max turned from watching Frederick disappear amongst the shelves to cast a warm smile at Barkley. “But it is good to see you, friend. There are few I would bother to call such, so I should treasure the friends I do have, shouldn’t I?” His smile turned self-depreciating before he gave Barkley an assessing once over, nodding to himself at whatever he saw. “I was worried, with you heading to the frontlines, but I’m glad to see that you appear fine.”

  Barkley began a slow wander through the library, Max falling in step beside him. He explained all that had happened since he’d last seen the older mage. The three bases destroyed, the squadron of soldiers that was nearly entirely wiped out, and Barkley’s fears and frustration over their current progress.

  “That’s a remarkable amount of progress to make in a few short weeks,” Max said once Barkley had lapsed into silence. “But the apparent ease with which you were able to complete those tasks worries me.”

  “What do you mean?” There was a note of concern in Max’s voice that caught Barkley’s attention.

  “I don’t claim to know any of the ranking officers in the army, but if there are any like our late Headmaster Archibald, greed might cause them to push for more. If they see you can complete seemingly impossible tasks with ease, then they might decide that merely ending the war is a waste of the power they suddenly have access to. Why just end the war when they could turn the tables on Quathia? I’m not saying they will,” Max hastily added, “but it’s something to keep in mind when you return.”

  Worry clawed at Barkley as he turned his friend’s words over in his mind. It was something he would never have thought about, but now that he had, it seemed like a very real possibility. Had they made a mistake by making everything look easy? Zaxor brushed off any of Barkley’s concern about how much magic he’d used last time, but he remembered how the demon had staggered after teleporting them all back to the frontline headquarters.

  After a moment, something about what Max just said registered in his mind. “’Late Headmaster’?”

  “Ah.” Max grinned, looking positively gleeful. “Yes, our dear old Archibald was forced to vacate his position as Headmaster after the scandal that was your mage exams. The shame of it had him leave Loria altogether, and I’m told he’s taken up residence in the capital instead. The Circle hasn’t appointed a new Headmaster yet, it’s all rather sudden after all, but I’m hoping Lucille steps forward for the role. She was unsure the last time I spoke with her, offering my support, but I haven’t returned to the human plane for a week now.” Max’s grin turned sheepish as he ruffled his already messy hair. “I keep getting caught up in all the new books Temress has.”

  “Only the books?” A deep drawl interrupted their conversation as Zaxor appeared leaning leisurely against a bookcase. “Not the dragon herself?”

  Max’s cheeks went pink and he coughed nervously, failing to hide his embarrassment as Zaxor’s remark hit the truth.

  “I am curious, did she actually proposition you or did you merely end up with a dragon on your cock and too many questions?”

  “That’s
—” Max breathed out a long ‘haah’ that was part sigh, part laugh. “Uncomfortably accurate, actually.”

  “Shut up, demon.” The dragon in question appeared behind Max, and now that she wasn’t slouching over the mage, it was clear that she was nearly a head taller than him. She wrapped her arms about Max’s shoulders, leaning down to press her cheek against his possessively as she glared daggers at Zaxor.

  “What appalling manners you have, Temress,” Zaxor mock scolded, a wide smirk showing off his sharp teeth. “Trust me when I say that there is much more pleasure to be had when your partner knows what is happening beforehand. Now, if your manners are that bad, I don’t suppose he’s aware that dragons mate for life?”

  Temress snarled, lips curling back as her teeth elongated into fangs, and her eyes glowed yellow. Barkley took a step back at the fury in her expression but the next instant they were gone, leaving him alone with Zaxor. The demon threw his head back and roared with laughter. The sound drew a bewildered looking Frederick, who was clutching no less than three massive tomes to his chest.

  “Ah, did they leave already?” he asked Barkley, pointedly ignoring the still cackling demon.

  “Yeah, Zaxor said some things,” Barkley replied weakly, glancing over to Zaxor who looked as though he might actually be crying a little with the force of his laughter.

  Frederick gave a put-upon sigh before straightening. “I’ll get someone to deliver the books instead then. I’ll leave him to you.”

  With that he made a hasty exit and Barkley frowned at his still chuckling lover.

  “That was mean.” His scolding only brought a wider grin and Barkley gave that up as a lost cause. “Why does she keep calling you demon? Aren’t dragons demons? And what did you mean that dragons mate for life?”

  “For all that most dragons choose to live here, due to the abundance of magical energy usually, they aren’t actually demons,” Zaxor replied once he’d gotten himself back under control. “A demon is any magical creature that, while alive, does not have a soul. Dragons have souls and are part of the rebirth cycle, much like humans. Dragons are also solitary creatures by nature, and while they may have brief affairs while looking for a partner, once they have chosen, that’s it. They will keep that partner for the rest of their lives, never abandoning them or falling for another. Even if they lose their partner, they will never take another.”