by Rebecca Hall
“Idiot.”
“You could try being a little sympathetic,” Mitch protested, wincing at the sound of a car horn. Of course there were lots around now that he didn’t want them. If the sun hadn’t been making his eyes water quite so much he would have glared at Nikola, he’d looked after him when he was sick, surely a little sympathy wasn’t too much to ask for.
“I don’t want to encourage you,” Nikola said.
“I’m never doing that again,” Mitch muttered. Maybe if vampires had a gag reflex he would have known when to stop. Or maybe just a metabolism that moved faster than the average snail; it had taken ages for him to actually feel the alcohol and it would take even longer for him to stop feeling it. In the future he’d have to rely on common sense and logic.
“Really?”
“Really,” Mitch confirmed. He’d managed to entertain himself for eighteen years without alcohol, he could manage a few more centuries. Or millennia, it wasn’t like he’d be dying of old age anytime soon.
“Good,” Nikola replied, “I was considering pancakes for lunch and I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”
“Does Amelie get pancakes?” Mitch asked. She’d had just as much to drink as him but Changelings did have a gag reflex, maybe she wouldn’t be able to eat anything.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Nikola warned, “Amelie has been doing this for a while, she knows her limits.”
Mitch sighed, of course she had, it wasn’t as if Faerie had a legal drinking age.
“Besides,” Nikola continued, “she’ll be on campus at lunch time, we’ll get the pancakes all to ourselves.”
Mitch grinned at him and reached for his wallet, the smell of fresh coffee calling to him as they stepped inside.
“Damnit.” Apparently his sunglasses weren’t the only thing he’d forgotten.
“I’ll get it,” Nikola sighed. Mitch hugged him.
Blackmail
“I was hoping you would bring your friend with you,” Rana said when Mitch and Nikola descended into the Netherworld. They exchanged glances, Nikola had been too sick to accompany Mitch the week before but Mitch didn’t actually need him there. It was just comforting to have him around, even if he never set foot in the sterile blood bank.
“Broken another door?” Nikola asked. “I’m afraid that I don’t want anything else that you can offer.” He almost sounded flippant but Mitch could hear a faint edge to his words and he silently reached out and took Nikola’s hand.
“Actually I want a demon.”
Mitch frowned, sure he’d been expelled from the Academy but he was pretty sure he would have heard about it if demons were on the curriculum, or at least tripped across some reference to them in the cursed section of the library.
“Shouldn’t we be getting your blood Mitch?” Nikola asked.
“Yeah,” Mitch replied. He let go of Nikola and tugged his insulated shopping bag with its bundle of empty blood bags out of his backpack. The Netherworld recycled the empty blood bags or something; he hadn’t asked for details, he’d just been relieved that he didn’t have to dispose of them himself. The leaflet that had come with his first week’s supply had even included the motto “Be a tidy Kiwi” and the familiar logo.
“Wouldn’t you like to be the first person to capture a demon?” Rana purred. “It would make you famous.”
“It would make me dead,” Nikola said, giving Mitch a gentle push towards the bloodbank. “Nothing survives meeting a demon.”
“We both know that isn’t true,” Rana said. “We could learn a great deal from a captured demon. Teratos would flock here from around the world, the magicians would condescend to deal with us, even the Unseelie king would take an interest.”
Nikola went dead white.
Mitch forgot about getting his blood and put an arm around Nikola. He was trembling.
“No one knows how to track demons,” Nikola said stiffly.
“Perhaps not but we do know what to look for,” Rana replied with a predatory smile.
“The serial killer,” Nikola said.
“Wait you mean that knife wielding lunatic?” Mitch asked. It was all over the news now, he’d killed five people already and the police were at a loss.
Rana nodded, “It’s killed eleven people since arriving in Dunedin.”
“Eleven?” Nikola asked, his voice uneven. Mitch moved a little closer and glared at Rana. He wished that they could just leave but even if he didn’t fully understand the intricacies of the situation he had recognised the implicit threat. If Nikola didn’t play ball the Unseelie Court would learn about him. Rana would probably send them a photograph with his address on the back.
“It claimed its sixth human victim last night,” Rana said. “We had to cover up the rest, we couldn’t have the police autopsying ghouls.”
“Get them to hunt it then,” Mitch snapped. Perhaps they’d wipe each other out.
“I’d prefer a more refined approach,” Rana replied. “I already have its address,” her hand slipped into a pocket and come out with a piece of paper. “You just have to go pick it up.”
Mitch snatched it away from her, barely suppressing the temptation to rip it to shreds. If he hadn’t brought Nikola with him…
“She knows where we live Mitch,” Nikola said telepathically.
“She still could have found someone else to blackmail,” Mitch thought back, glaring at Rana as she smiled and walked away.
“She probably did.” Nikola plucked the piece of paper from his hands. “Go get your blood Mitch.”
“But–”
“Go, what else is she going to do to me?”
Mitch sighed and went, shoving the empty blood bags through the stainless steel window that reminded him of a library returns slot and passing the shopping bag to the damphir at the counter. As soon as it handed him his blood he hurried back out to Nikola and wrapped him in a tight hug.
“It’s going to be ok,” he said, somehow.
“Let’s go home,” Nikola said after a moment. Mitch nodded and took his hand.
#
“I thought that you and Amelie were safe,” Mitch said once they got home. “Don’t you have some sort of arrangement?”
“You should put your blood away,” Nikola said, running one hand through his hair and pacing up and down the floor.
“And you should stop wearing a hole in the carpet,” Mitch said, setting his blood on the table and pulling Nikola into a hug. “I thought wearing a hole in the carpet was my thing.” Though Nikola’s inability to sit still was both familiar and worrying, even now he was trembling, his breathing ragged and shaky.
Nikola clung to him for a few moments more before answering.
“The arrangement is that they leave her alone because she’s Oberon’s daughter.”
“But?”
“They turn a blind eye to me because attacking me would almost certainly involve her as well but…” Nikola sighed. “If Rana tells them about me they’ll take that chance.”
“Why?” Mitch asked. “I don’t understand.” Nikola felt calmer now, either because he’d regained some measure of control or he’d moved on to some other emotion. With Nikola it could be hard to tell. Either way Mitch could feel him relaxing and he steered them over to the couch. Nikola settled his head on Mitch’s shoulder and Mitch rubbed his back, his hand tangling in Nikola’s curls.
“I keep forgetting that you don’t know Faerie genealogy,” Nikola said. “Oberon’s brother is Volundr.”
Mitch groaned, of course Nikola’s father was the Unseelie King. There was no way that he’d just turn a blind eye to Nikola’s existence if Rana told him about it. The Unseelie Court regarded Changelings as abominations.
“How did she even know?” Mitch asked. It wasn’t like Nikola advertised who his parents were, or that he was a Changeling though he supposed that that was easy enough to infer.
“I expect she took one look at me and Amelie and made an educated guess,” Nikola replied. He sighed,
“It was only a matter of time I suppose, it’s not like I keep inconspicuous company.”
“Amelie is rather eye-grabbing,” Mitch said dryly.
“Yes, and my best friend is the world’s youngest vampire.”
“I’m not that well known,” Mitch said, “Am I?” There were plenty of vampires scattered around the world but he was the first to be turned in like a century, he probably attracted attention just because no one knew him.
“That would only make Rana dig harder,” Nikola sniffed. Mitch scowled, he’d actually thought that Rana was ok for someone who sold blood and introduced herself as the Queen of the Netherworld. Though Amelie had explained that that was a regional title and the Netherworlds in the other cities throughout the world had their own rulers (who picked their own titles). Apparently he should have done a better job of remembering the ‘underworld’ part of the Netherworld’s description.
“Call Gawain,” Mitch urged, “tell him what’s happened and go home, it’s not like you want to be here anyway.”
“I want to be able to visit though,” Nikola said. “If I leave she’ll just tell him out of spite.”
“Who cares?” Mitch said, trying not to think of all the things he’d miss doing with Nikola. “I’d come visit you.”
“I know,” Nikola said softly, he was still crying, his tears soaking through Mitch’s shirt. Mitch rubbed his back, wishing that there was something that he could do. Nikola wanted to stay in Faerie, not be trapped there forever.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat there before Nikola fell asleep. Long enough for pins and needles to stab at him when he eased Nikola onto the cushions and went in search of a snack and a dry shirt. They were already late for their next lecture.
He emailed Sieg about demons and Rana, if anyone would know what to do about them it would be the ancient vampire, and put his blood in the fridge, relieved to find that it still felt cold. He grabbed Nikola’s blanket and draped it over him before settling at the coffee table to study.
“Mitch?” Nikola said. Mitch started and looked over at him. “What are you doing?”
“Matrix algebra,” Mitch replied, managing a small smile. “Are you alright?”
“I think so.” Nikola yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“Want a drink?” Mitch asked, struck by how young Nikola looked despite being almost a year older than him. Nikola nodded and pulled his blanket a little closer and Mitch got him a glass of water.
“You’ll have to sit up,” Mitch said, “we don’t have any straws.”
“We’ll have to add them to the shopping list,” Nikola said. He yawned and slithered to the floor to sit next to Mitch.
“What are you going to do?” Mitch asked.
“Catch a demon,” Nikola said, “what else can I do?” He sounded so utterly defeated that Mitch enveloped him in a tight hug.
“I’m coming with you,” Mitch said. It would mean missing another class but at least he’d be able to copy Amelie’s notes for this one.
“You don’t have to,” Nikola said, “you should go to class with Amelie.”
“We should invite her to join us,” Mitch said. She didn’t have a phone but Nikola would be able to reach her telepathically.
Nikola shook his head, “She’d just go after Rana,” he said. “I’ll be fine, Mitchell.”
“And I’m coming with you to make sure of it.”
“But you don’t know anything about demons.”
“So tell me,” Mitch said.
“No one knows anything about them really,” Nikola said. “Not beyond the fact that they’re homicidal maniacs anyway. They don’t seem to have physical bodies, they possess people instead. The host usually dies but the few survivors gave us a little information. It’s believed that demons were created by the Fallen and their purpose perverted by the Twisted Curse.”
“I’m really beginning to hate the curse,” Mitch muttered.
“It won’t kill you if you’re not married,” Nikola replied.
“Oberon probably would,” Mitch said. His first meeting with Amelie’s parents had not gone well. “Can vampires even have children with Changelings?” The ability of Teratos to procreate with one another (or not) was something else that had inexplicably been left off the curriculum.
Nikola shrugged, “Check the Aether, I’m sure someone, somewhere will have tried it.” Mitch nodded; the Aether was a Teratos forum and chat board. It had all the usual threads on current events, the arts and sciences and the application of magic therein and a warning that anyone who tried to hack the anonymous system would be tracked down and hacked apart in turn.
“We should get this over with,” Nikola sighed and got up, still wrapped in his blanket.
“I don’t think you can hunt demons in that,” Mitch grinned.
“Possibly not,” Nikola agreed. He offered Mitch a hand and pulled him to his feet. “Are you sure you want to come with me?”
“I’m coming with you Nikola,” Mitch said. “Go wash up and I’ll see if Sieg had anything more useful to add.”
“You’re the best,” Nikola gave him a quick hug and shuffled into his room.
Demons
“He really is a demon,” Mitch muttered, staring up Baldwin Street. It looked even steeper than he remembered.
“It’s not that bad,” Nikola said.
“Sure, right,” Mitch replied, “it’s only the world’s steepest street. Why couldn’t he just go to the gym and live on Every Street like the other monsters?”
“Then we would have needed a taxi,” Nikola said. Mitch snorted; most demon hunters had much cooler means of transportation.
“We don’t even know its home,” Mitch said. “Maybe Rana’s information is wrong or it’s out shopping.”
“We don’t even know if it needs to eat,” Nikola said. One hand slipped into a pocket and pulled out a silvery bracelet of Faerie steel engraved with sigils.
“What does that do?” Mitch asked.
“It amplifies my telepathy,” Nikola said, sliding it over his wrist. He winced
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Against something that’s almost certainly incorporeal?” Nikola asked. “I’ll take any advantage I can get.”
“I guess,” Mitch said slowly, wondering how exactly they were supposed to catch something that was incorporeal.
“I can get you a sword if that’ll help.”
Mitch snorted, he’d be more dangerous to himself than any demon with a sword.
“Maybe you should get one,” Mitch said, “We are going after a knife wielding lunatic.”
“I prefer to use magic,” Nikola said. He grimaced, “It’s definitely home.”
“Any other magic toys then?” Mitch gasped. Why anyone thought that building a street this steep was a good idea was beyond him. There was plenty of flatter land nearby.
“Just this, Nikola said, pulling out another bracelet.
“What does that one do?” Mitch asked, stopping to lean against a hand rail. He should have brought a drink bottle.
“Mutes my sensitivity to magic,” Nikola said.
“You could have used that last year,” Mitch replied, and the year before. Nikola’s sensitivity to magic was almost crippling at times.
“No jewellery remember,” Nikola said, “especially not the enchanted kind. Stars, I hated that rule.”
“You hated everything about the Academy,” Mitch replied. “Couldn’t you get a note from the doctor or something?”
Nikola shook his head. “Enough stalling,” he said, “we’re not even at the steepest part yet.”
“We’re not even properly prepared,” Mitch said, starting to move again. “If we were I would have thought to bring a drink bottle.”
“I’ll buy you a drink when we’re done,” Nikola said, “you can even have one of those cheesy souvenirs.”
“Thanks,” Mitch drawled.
Apart from the ungodly gradient it didn’t look like a demon-haunted street. A
s far as Mitch could tell it looked exactly the same as it had the last time he’d come here. Houses awkwardly built into the hill, a scattering of tourists, the occasional insane runner. It was a completely normal street. None of the houses were decorated in satanic symbols or surrounded by dead gardens and the closest thing he saw to a black cat was an old ginger tabby.
Nikola winced. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” he asked.
“There’s good news?” Mitch asked, studying Nikola intently. They’d made it three quarters of the way up the hill and Mitch didn’t think his clammy skin and sickly colour was due to exertion.
“It hasn’t noticed us yet,” Nikola said.
“And the bad news?”
“It’s mad as a hatter but it’s not actually insane. Augh, I’m going to need to wash out my brain when this is done.”
“I’ll get the brain bleach,” Mitch promised. “Which house are we aiming for?” He didn’t want the demon to see them coming because they had to stop and peer at street numbers.
“There,” Nikola pointed to a house perched on the very top of the hill before shuddering and rubbing his head. “I’m definitely going to have a migraine when this is over.”
“Let’s just get this over with,” Mitch said, resuming the trek up the street. When Nikola didn’t immediately follow he reached back and took his hand and Nikola smiled weakly in response.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Mitch asked when they finally reached the top of the hill. Nikola looked half dead, his skin waxy and eyes wide. Mitch was seriously considering knocking him out and dragging him home but he didn’t think he could bring himself to actually strike Nikola. He wasn’t sure how he’d explain it either. Mid afternoon on a Monday was not a time known for its student craziness.
“No,” Nikola replied, “but what choice do I have?” He sighed, “Try to think of something innocuous,” he said, twisting the bracelet around his wrist, “I want to get a feel for this monster before it tries to slice us to ribbons.”
“Right.” What was something innocuous? A purple elephant? A pink rhinoceros? The maths problem he’d been working on before Nikola awoke? Anything that wasn’t the two of them being sliced into ribbons and used to decorate birthday presents? He blanched at the thought and Nikola threw up.