by Joe Jackson
It wasn’t surprising to find that Amastri was a beautiful woman; after all, people mistook her for a succubus all the time, apparently. She was gorgeous, with some of the angular features of an elf, including long, slender pointed ears, slightly upturned eyes and brow, and cat-like green eyes that marked Kari with their intensity from across the room. Her face was touched up with just the right amount of makeup to accent her strong but beautiful facial features, the high cheekbones and slender nose, and her pointed earlobes were each pierced only once, from which hung a pair of glittering, tasseled golden jewels. Her hair was fine but long, set up in a high tail that seemed to still reach well down her back, though Kari’s view was partially cut off from this angle and distance. Her skin was not milky-white like Turillia’s fine scaled-skin had been, but instead it was a smooth, light tan as would be appropriate for a half-elf or a human who lived outside the tropics or subtropics.
Most dazzling was her dress, a shockingly red garment that matched the color of her hair, embroidered with sinuous black highlights that accentuated every curve of her feminine body. She was an absolute stunner, and Kari could easily see in those first few seconds why the woman was so often mistaken for a succubus. The difference Kari could see as a demonhunter, though, was that the woman had to make herself stand out because she wasn’t a succubus. A succubus could have commanded all the attention of the fawning men around Amastri by wearing filthy rags. Amastri had a pack of half a dozen men vying for her attention, but at that moment, her eyes were distinctly on Kari, Eli, and Danilynn.
Intrigued, Kari approached the woman. The men around Amastri looked impatiently at the demonhunter when she reached the table, as though she was interrupting their good time. She was tempted to tell them to get lost, but approaching Amastri in the right manner and with the right tone was very important, and Kari kept that in mind. “May I have a few minutes of your time?” she asked the woman.
Amastri tilted her head to the side slightly in appreciation, and nodded. “Gentlemen, the demonhunter and I have business to discuss,” she said lightly. Her voice was strong but melodic, lacking in the seductive charm Kari might have expected, and Amastri kept her tone soft without any obvious effort. “Have the innkeeper bring us a tray of pastries and some coffee.”
Almost as one, the men all stood up and bowed to Amastri before leaving the woman ‘alone’ with Kari and her friends. Amastri gestured toward the seats the men had vacated, and Kari sat down along with her two companions. The encounter was already going nothing like Kari had expected, and she watched the quietly confident way Amastri looked around the room to chase off curious eyes. Kari wondered exactly what she was dealing with. As she’d explained to Eli during her hunt in Barcon, she much preferred the demons that simply tried to rend her limb from limb: they were so much easier to understand. Subtle, crafty creatures like Amastri posed so much more of a challenge.
“Elias, Danilynn…it has been some time,” Amastri said, though she didn’t attach any of the typical pleasantries that would accompany such a statement. The woman fixed her cat-like eyes back on Kari then, and added, “Lady Vanador, I do not believe we have ever been formally introduced. I am Amastri D’al’cinyiore.”
“Doll-sin-yuray…so you are part elf,” Kari said, and the woman gave that appreciative nod again. “I was pretty sure as soon as I looked at you.”
“Your familiarity with the elven people has not faded in all the years you have spent apart from them,” Amastri said. Kari wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or a backhanded insult about how long it’d been since Kari visited the elves; the woman put very little emotion into her voice regardless of what she was saying. She was a practiced speaker, and Kari wished she had Kyrie or even Aeligos with her to better decipher the woman’s intentions.
Kari started to speak, but she stopped herself short when some of the men returned with a tray of sweets, pastries, and a carafe of coffee with several cups. Once they had set up the tray, plates, and cups, Amastri dismissed them with a short gesture. She helped herself to a cup of coffee and one of the fluffier pastries on the tray, and gestured for her guests to do likewise. Kari ignored the food and drink; it was nearly the dinner hour, and with any luck, she would get to spend it with her family instead of syrinthians and a ‘demon.’ Eli helped himself to one of the pastries and some coffee, but Danilynn hesitated.
“You still do not trust me,” Amastri said to Danilynn, and then she smiled an unsettling, if beautiful, smile. “How very prudent of you. Unnecessary, of course, but prudent.”
Eli munched away at his pastry as if nothing were amiss, and washed it down with a few sips of the hot, black coffee. It smelled good, and Kari wished she had the luxury to indulge herself. At that moment, though, she reminded herself that she couldn’t allow anything Amastri said or did to put her off-guard or at a disadvantage. Kari had to be stern and deal with the half-elf or half-succubus or whatever she was from a position of strength. Still, she further reminded herself to deal with the strange woman objectively, politely, and fairly, all the better to put her off-guard and possibly at a disadvantage.
Amastri looked around the common room again and Kari waited for her attention before speaking. At the woman’s glance, several other patrons who’d wandered too close suddenly turned and made their way toward the other end of the room. Kari wondered if Amastri had some innate empathic or telepathic ability, which would have further reinforced the perception that she was a succubus. She clearly had some hold or charms over the people, and Kari glanced over her shoulder at the gathered folk. There were several dozen people in the inn’s common room already, and if Amastri could affect their mood or even partially control their actions, Kari realized she was potentially sitting in the midst of over fifty enemies. She wondered if Eli and Danilynn realized the same thing.
Amastri’s eyes met Kari’s again. “I have heard that your Order has rounded up a number of syrinthian infiltrators. Clearly your efforts before the war,” she said to Eli and Danilynn, and then to Kari, “and yours after on the island of Tsalbrin have set the Cobra Lord on edge. But you have not come to me to be told things you already know. You have come for information. Tell me what you require, and I will tell you what I require.”
Kari tried to maintain a poker face, but she was not at all happy to find that Amastri already knew what had happened on the campus. If Amastri knew, that pointed to whoever the agent of Sekassus was also knowing, though not necessarily. What it did seem to point to for sure, though, was that there was a leak or a mole on the campus. Kari had a hard time believing anyone in the Order had been turned to Koursturaux’ service, but then there had been a dozen syrinthians hidden among the Order just hours before. Kari glanced at Eli and Danilynn, and each nodded their head in turn to her unspoken question. “How much do you know about what Eli and Danilynn did before the War?”
“I am well aware of the thwarting of King Sekassus at their hands, if that is what you mean,” Amastri answered. She took a moment to sip her coffee, and for some reason Kari noted that the woman didn’t leave lipstick prints on the cup. “Does this inquiry have something to do with the death of the turncoat Se’ceria, or her daughter who remains in Sekassus’ clutches?”
Kari held her tongue for most of a minute. Amastri already knew what had happened on the campus, and she also knew why Kari was here. It was possible that Amastri had learned of Se’ceria from her own master, King Koursturaux, who had also been present at the conclusion of the incident. But that the woman knew about the syrinthian infiltrators and somehow already knew that Kari was planning to rescue Se’sasha was troubling. It also bothered Kari because if Amastri knew, it was highly unlikely she was the only one. If most of the underworld knew, then a trip to try to rescue Se’sasha could leave Kari beset on all sides by demons, their kings, or who-knew-what, because they’d all already know where she was going and why. Allerius’ suggestion of a trap within a trap came to Kari’s mind again.
Realization hit Kari after a moment
, brushing the other thoughts aside: Amastri had said in Sekassus’ clutches. It could have just been an odd word choice, but Kari got the feeling it meant that Amastri – or at least, her king – was not pleased with the situation. “Eli, Danilynn, and their friends made a promise to rescue Se’ceria’s daughter from the underworld,” Kari said casually, and she marked well Amastri’s reaction to the word underworld. Something had passed behind those green, cat-like eyes, and Kari didn’t miss it. All those nights playing poker with Aeligos and his siblings had taught her something after all. “Right now what I’m interested in is seeing how much reliable information I can get on going there and coming back alive.”
“Mmm, a demonhunter in the underworld,” Amastri returned, a hair shy of a purr. “Not since the days of Turik Jalar has my homeworld hosted such an exciting guest. Be honest with me, Lady Vanador: is retrieving Se’sasha your true goal, or just a feint to cover up your actual intentions?”
She knows her name, too, Kari thought. It was perhaps too early to think so, but Kari had the feeling Amastri had already tipped her hand. It seemed that, by trickery or manipulation, King Koursturaux wanted Kari to rescue Se’sasha for whatever reason. The most obvious reason would be that Koursturaux thought she could recruit or bend Se’sasha to her will once the girl was free of Sekassus, but Kari wasn’t ready to make any assumptions. “Rescuing her is my goal,” Kari said evenly. “I’m not interested in getting wrapped up in the affairs of the kings. If Sekassus is humiliated in the process, well, that’ll be a nice bonus but that’s not why I’m considering going there.”
The woman nodded her head appreciatively again, and Kari wondered if Amastri was able to read the truth of her words through emotions or otherwise, like Kyrie or Sonja. “Tell me what you require of me to assist in this endeavor,” Amastri said.
Kari hesitated a moment. “First off, I need to know where Se’sasha is – whether she’s being held prisoner, or if she’s in hiding. I need to know if there’s a safe place to cross over to your world, and if it’s even possible to get to wherever Se’sasha is without getting killed along the way,” Kari said. “If she’s being held by Sekassus and it’s possible Sekassus will negotiate for her release at all, then I need some idea of what he would be willing to trade for. And, of course, I need some way to get back home safely. I understand your king despises Sekassus, so I’m hoping the idea of him losing face over this will mean you can help us.”
Amastri waved away the last comment. “Whether or not I am at liberty to help you will not depend solely on whether it will frustrate the Cobra Lord,” she said quietly. “However, you ask much of Her Majesty, and the price will accordingly be high.”
Kari drew out the Celestial Token – a specialized coin that allowed one to buy a weapon of incredible make from the same celestial smith who’d crafted Kari’s own weapons – and slid it toward Amastri. Amastri studied the coin and her lips curled up into a smile. “Hard to believe this little thing caused such a commotion when we first met, is it not?” she commented to Eli and Danilynn, and Kari saw from the corner of her eye that the question irritated them. “I believe Her Majesty was only interested in keeping this out of the hands of Sekassus and his minions. I find it unlikely Her Majesty actually wants it; as long as it is in your hands and not his, that may satisfy her. If it turns out Her Majesty does still want it for her personal use, then I believe this may be sufficient to strike a bargain.”
“Is this really worth that much, either to your king or one of the others?” Kari asked.
Amastri tilted her head to the side. “Would you part ways with those angel’s blades you carry for less than a king’s ransom?” she asked.
Kari was surprised; Amastri called them angel's blades, just as Turillia had when Kari fought her in Barcon. Kari knew her weapons were exceptional: crafted by the celestial smith Terx, Kari had assumed they might have once belonged to an angel. She’d never really thought of them as angel’s blades, though, and she wondered if the swords themselves struck fear into the hearts of the demons she fought. “No, I suppose not,” she admitted.
“And well you should not,” the woman said approvingly. “The works of the harmauth smith are rare and quite valuable, and probably more powerful than the people who carry them even realize. If you are ever afforded the opportunity to walk the hills of Celestial Arcadia, you would do well to visit with Terx and show him that you carry his works. You may find he can give you insight into the weapons and their capabilities, or perhaps he might even enhance or replace them for you – with or without this token.”
Kari nodded, but talking to a harmauth – even one who served the Celestials – was far from the top of her agenda. The swords killed demons, and that was really good enough for Kari until the day that stopped holding true. “So how long will it take you to find out if this payment is enough?” she asked, keeping on point.
“I will have an answer for you by this time tomorrow,” Amastri said. “I will either take this token as payment and give you the information then – or wherever it pleases you; certainly this inn is not the best place to review plans to enter the underworld. Otherwise, I will name my king’s price, and you will either meet it or find another way to hash out your plan.”
“Fair enough,” Kari said. “So tell me: I can see you’re part elf; what’s the rest of you?”
The woman smiled again in that disconcerting way and something flashed in her eyes that Kari couldn’t quite read. “You would not believe if I told you,” she returned evenly, and then she gestured at Eli and Danilynn. “I know they certainly did not.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Kari countered. “I fought a half-syrinthian, half-succubus just a few weeks ago, and I’ve spent the last three years unlearning a lot of what I spent the first thirty-five years of my life learning.”
Amastri glanced around the common room again, and when her eyes settled on Kari once more she said quietly, “Angel.”
Eli started laughing. Danilynn’s reaction was more subdued, but she still shook her head. “This is where you tell Kari the same thing you told us? That rubbish about how not all of you ‘fell,’ but some were ‘pushed’?” the priestess asked, barely able to keep the civility in her voice.
“Believe what you will,” Amastri countered with a shrug, her voice still calm and lacking much emotion. “Truth is not dependent on whether or not it is believed.”
Kari wasn’t sure what to think; in all honesty, she knew less about angels and celestial beings than she did about underworld demons. And when it came to underworld demons, she didn’t know much more than what they looked like, what powers they possessed, and how best to kill them. The suggestion that an angel – or even a half-angel, as the case may be – would ever serve a demon king was unthinkable. She didn’t know what to make of Danilynn’s words, but she guessed Amastri had explained her heritage to the priestess in a way Danilynn had found absurd. In the long run, Kari supposed it didn’t matter: nothing Amastri could say would make Kari trust her fully. Whether Amastri was half-demon, half-angel, or half-addled, Kari was really only interested in whether the woman’s information was accurate and reliable.
“Before I go, there’s one other thing I want to tell you,” Kari said after a silent minute. “I’m not sure if you’re aware that I was recently promoted again within the Order, and I’m now its head.”
“I had not heard that. I assume congratulations are in order?” Amastri returned. Again she spoke in those near-emotionless tones and kept her face carefully under control as though she were playing poker. Kari wasn’t sure if Amastri was being sincere or mocking her.
“That’s not the point. The Order is under my control now, so whatever arrangement you may have had with Jason Bosimar, or anyone else within the Order, no longer applies,” Kari said, and Amastri perked up defensively at her words. “I’ve been living in this city for three years now and I’ve never even heard your name before, let alone when there was trouble. So I’ll tell you what: if you want to st
ay in this city on my watch, then the information you come back with tomorrow had better be exactly what I need.”
“Ah, Lady Vanador, tsk tsk,” Amastri returned, settling back down into her comfortable and calm demeanor. “I thought we were getting along so well there for a few minutes. Why the barely-veiled threats now?”
“It’s not a threat,” Kari said with a dismissive wave. “I just want to make sure you and I understand each other. We’re not friends, but you don’t want me as an enemy. I know what went on with your king and Eli and his friends before the War; I’m not sure I understand what your king wants, exactly, but if I can trust her and she’s willing to aid us in fighting against Sekassus, then you and I can have a working relationship. But that will start or end with what you tell me tomorrow night.”
The appreciative nod came again. “Lady Vanador, I assure you, if Her Majesty does not want you helped, I will simply tell you so,” she said. “If Her Majesty wants you helped, then I will give you the most reliable information I can to see to that end. Either way, you will know exactly what her wishes are. In short, Lady Vanador, I am an instrument of Her Majesty’s will, and my own wants and desires are of no consequence.”
Amastri slid the Celestial Token toward Kari, and the demonhunter put it back into her belt pouch. “I have one question for you, perhaps related to our bargain,” Amastri said, and Kari gestured for her to ask. “This half-syrinthian, half-succubus you fought and, I must assume, killed…was her name Turillia?”
Kari nodded. “That's right,” she affirmed. A look crossed Amastri’s face, and Kari recognized it fairly well: as much as Amastri always seemed to be calm and in control, that bit of information had shaken her. In light of how proficient a fighter Turillia had been and the fact that she had belonged to some sort of underworld assassin’s guild, Kari guessed that Amastri now saw her as an actual threat. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Kari said, breaking the short-lived silence. “I’m guessing you’d rather not meet on the campus of my Order?”