by Cara Wylde
Sophie grunted and willed her arms and legs to move. Her hands turned into fists and she suddenly pushed herself up to her knees. Kain caught her sides and helped her stay upright. Alexi placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed lightly.
She looked into his dark green eyes and she was slightly taken aback by the emotions she saw there. “So… I guess I’m ready, right?”
“How do you feel?”
“Pretty drained. But I can walk. I had no idea you two would hit me so hard.”
“It would’ve been no fun if we had warned you,” said Kain. He stood up and pulled her with him. Sophie let him guide her up and started looking around for her clothes.
“I’ll get them for you,” said Alexi.
♥
It was way past dinner time when Tengu reached the priest’s house. Sophie, Kain, and Alexi were sitting by the fire, listening to Father Michael talk about the village, the people who lived there, and how Count Casimir D’Argyle took care of them and helped their children get an education or good jobs in the city. They didn’t like what they heard, but they had to clench their teeth and refrain from telling their kind host the truth. They needed to be patient if they wanted to get useful information that would later help them bring the demon down.
“Welcome back, my dear friend!” said Father Michael the moment Tengu entered the small living room. “We’ve already had dinner, but if you’re hungry I can fix you something in minutes.”
“Where’s the shaman?” asked Kain before Tengu even had the chance to answer the priest.
The incubus threw the blond an impatient look, then accepted Father Michael’s offer. He wasn’t hungry, and as an incubus he didn’t even need food, but he had to send the man away for a couple of minutes without raising any kind of suspicion.
“The old man is in one of the other villages.”
“He is so weird…” whispered Sophie. It still boggled her mind how the shaman could go without sleep or food. What kind of magic did he actually possess? Was he that powerful?
Tengu took a seat at the table and the three cambions gathered around him.
“We don’t have much time,” he said. He gave Alexi and Kain the two files he had brought with him. “Alexi, you’re going to take the identity of Marquis Leraje.”
“Leraje?” Sophie’s heart jumped in her chest at the sound of the demon’s name. A chill ran up her spine, and she felt a bitter taste in her mouth. It was the taste of having almost failed on her first training session.
“Seems okay,” said Alexi. He opened the file and threw a glance over the first page. He already knew it by heart, but he’d have to read it again to figure out how to better copy the demon’s signature aura.
“Kain, I think Marquis Andras is a good fit for you.”
“Seriously? A demon of discord?”
Sophie leaned over his shoulder to take a look at the file. It was the first time she heard about Andras, and she couldn’t understand why Kain didn’t like his new identity.
“You think very little of me, Tengu.” Kain shook his head in disappointment, but a small smirk was tugging at his lips.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked the incubus. He had no time or patience for the blond cambion’s silly games.
“You know I’m a straightforward kind of guy and you make me copy the aura of a demon who likes manipulating people and sowing discord. I’m hurt.”
Tengu cocked a thin, dark eyebrow, and chose to ignore the comment. He didn’t find it funny in the least. “You have tonight to study your new identities and see how you adapt to them.” He turned to Sophie. “I hope you are ready, young lady.”
“Oh, I am.” Sophie straightened her back and looked Tengu straight in the eyes. “This is my first case and I know The Pantheon has taken a huge risk allowing me to work with my mentors, but I will not disappoint you.”
Alexi shot her a quick glance and couldn’t help but smile at the determination he saw in her beautiful brown eyes.
Tengu nodded his approval, which was enough to let Sophie know he trusted her. There was no turning back, anyway. They all had to trust her now. The next day, she would go to the Count’s representative and offer her services for the Spring Celebration he was getting ready to organize up in the mountains, at his mansion. The game was on.
CHAPTER THREE
“Sophie…”
The woman set her pen down and fixed her with golden, mesmerizing eyes. Sophie’s frozen smile didn’t falter.
“I haven’t seen you around. I’ve been helping Count D’Argyle take care of the five villages he has taken under his wing for many years, and I believe I know most of the villagers.”
Sophie hadn’t expected it to be easy to convince the Count’s representative to hire her, so she had made sure she had answers to all possible questions. The woman before her, Berith, was just a lesser demon. However, she was smart and suspicious. Even if it would have been easy for Sophie to overwhelm her with her aura and render her unconscious in a matter of minutes, that was not the point. Berith was not important. Her master was.
“I come from the north. My village is on the other side of the mountain, but I had to move here when my father died. My uncle, Father Michael, is my only relative now, and he told me about Count D’Argyle. I can’t expect my uncle to feed me and care for me when his own daughter has just found a job at the mansion.”
“Hmm…”
The demoness didn’t seem convinced. She cocked her perfectly shaped eyebrow, an invitation for Sophie to continue. If she wanted Berith to believe her, the cambion had to up her game.
“Please, Miss. I’m used to working hard. I can work in the kitchen, or I can clean… I can do anything, really. You can even send me to work at the stables. I don’t mind getting my hands dirty to earn my keep.”
“Oh, the Count would never send you to the stables or the kitchen if you were to work for him.” Berith gave Sophie a cold smile. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the girl or didn’t find her appropriate for her master’s needs. In fact, the demoness couldn’t take her eyes off Sophie’s pretty face and full frame. Casimir would definitely like this voluptuous beauty. She was full of youth and fresh energy any demon would have loved to feast on. What unsettled Berith was the incredible contrast between the girl’s soft, clear skin and elegant posture and the rags she was wearing. Yes, she was dressed as a peasant girl, but she didn’t look like one. Girls around these parts had rough hands from working the land, and dark skin from staying too much in the sun.
“He wouldn’t?” Sophie’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “I… I can also help lay the table and serve the guests. I know how to do that too.”
“Why do you want this job so badly?”
“Uncle told me that after the Spring Celebration, Count D’Argyle decides to keep some of the best servants at his mansion, while he helps the rest get good jobs in the city. You see…” Sophie looked at her hands, trying to give the impression that what she was about to say was big and important to her. Like a dream which sounded too far-fetched to ever become reality. “I don’t want to live here for the rest of my life. When father died, he didn’t leave me any money. If I could, I would have taken the first train to the city, rented a room, and started looking for a job. Any job. Count Casimir D’Argyle is my last option.” She lifted her eyes and gave Berith the most innocent look she could muster. “Please, Miss, give me a chance. I promise you the Count will not be disappointed.”
Berith tapped the wooden table with the tips of her fingers. Casimir would love Sophie. She was more than perfect. She was a tasty treat the Count could hardly find among the young men and women in these godforsaken villages. Ambitious, determined, eager to please… She wanted more from life, and that gave her aura a delicious flavor. The demoness could feel it herself. Yes, the Count would love to consume this human’s energy. He would take his time too. Then why did she still hesitate? There was no way this pretty girl knew anything about her master and what the Spring C
elebration he held at his mansion truly was. No one did. They had always been very careful. That was why the Count rarely got to enjoy the curvy, soft human women he loved so much. Hiding from the Pantheon of the Alluring ones wasn’t easy, so he couldn’t be picky.
Sophie squirmed in her seat. Why was it taking Berith so long to make a decision? Had she given herself away? She hoped her story had been convincing, because if the demoness said “no”, then her chance was lost. Begging would have made her even more suspicious.
Berith’s fingers stopped tapping the table and reached for the pen. “Sophie, I think you’re perfect for the job.”
The cambion’s face lit up. “I am?”
“Yes.” The demoness wrote down something Sophie couldn’t read from across the table. “In fact, you’re starting tomorrow. Please be at the mansion before 8 AM. Don’t take too many personal belongings with you, as you will have no use for them. We will provide you with everything you need, especially clothes.” The woman shot a displeased glance at Sophie’s horrible dress, and Sophie made sure to blush in embarrassment.
“Thank you, Miss. Thank you so much. You will not regret this.”
Berith gave her a wide, satisfied smile. “I’m sure I won’t.”
♥
Count Casimir D’Argyle’s mansion was one impressive building. It wasn’t just the Victorian architecture, which showed the demon had traveled the world and lived in times and places Sophie could only speculate on, but it was also the landscape. The mansion, with its two wings and the guest house, were tucked high up in the mountains, guarded by an elaborate main gate made of ornate ironwork. The cobblestone alley was lined with beds of flowers, and Sophie couldn’t help but stop half-way between the main gate and the mansion to admire her surroundings. Behind the building, the mountain shot up to the sky. The dark, dense forest covering it sent shivers down her spine. One could easily get lost in these woods and no one would even dare to go look for them.
It was early morning, and the mansion seemed asleep. The windows were closed and the curtains were drawn, which made the building look like a huge creature waiting for the right time to stir back to life. Sophie knew demons didn’t actually need sleep, not even when they were in their human form, so she wondered why everything was so silent. She took a deep breath and continued on her way, trying to guess which was the servants’ wing. The soft sound of her steps was the only noise filling the air, and she swallowed heavily when she realized why this place gave her such a strong feeling of apprehension: she should have heard birds chirping, or small animals running through the bushes, crushing twigs under their tiny feet. It felt like she had just stepped into a new universe, a world whose rules she didn’t know. The main alley split into two smaller ones right before she reached the main door, and Sophie took the one that led to the right wing. The moment she rounded the corner, she heard light chatter.
“Oh, you must be the new girl,” said a cute, chirpy brunette with blue eyes and olive skin. “I’ll go find Berith.” She didn’t even wait for Sophie to say anything, and hurried through the open door that seemed to lead to the kitchen.
Sophie turned to the other girl, a tall, slender beauty with long brown hair and kind, green eyes. Sophie recognized her immediately. Father Michael had described his daughter, Leila, to her, and the cambion couldn’t be happier she had found her supposed cousin so quickly and effortlessly. It was sheer luck.
“I’m Sophie.” She gave the girl a pleasant, reassuring smile. What she was about to tell her was probably going to confuse her, but she didn’t have much time. Berith would be there in minutes. “Leila, your father sent me. We need to talk.”
The girl gasped and took a step back. “How do you know my name? How do you know my father?” She studied Sophie carefully, trying to remember if she had seen her before.
“Leila…” Sophie stepped closer to the young woman, invading her personal space. She let just a tiny sliver of her demon aura out, enough to envelop Leila and make her fears and suspicions vanish. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here to help. I’ve told Berith that I’m your cousin because I needed a cover.”
“Why… why are you doing this? What’s happening?” She couldn’t understand why her mind felt so hazy all of a sudden. She could swear a moment ago she had wanted to put as much distance as possible between herself and this strange girl named Sophie, but that impulse was gone now.
Sophie took the girl’s hand and looked right into her eyes. “Shh… it’s okay. I won’t hurt you.” She used her aura to control the girl’s emotions, and carefully placed the thought that she was safe and Sophie was her friend into her confused mind. “The Count is not who you think he is. I am here to investigate him and his guests, and reveal his real identity. You must trust me, Leila.” She squeezed the girl’s hand. “Don’t tell anyone about this. It is our little secret, okay? Everyone must know I’m your cousin, Sophie, an orphan your father has taken into his care.”
“I won’t tell anyone…”
Sophie buried her demon aura deep down just as Berith opened the door. She slipped back into her role and greeted the demoness.
“I see you two have already reunited.”
“Oh yes,” said Leila. “I’m so glad my cousin is here. Thank you for offering her the job, Miss.”
Berith cocked an eyebrow at Leila’s enthusiastic reaction, then looked Sophie up and down. There was still something that unsettled her about this girl, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She had told the Count about her, and he had been eagerly waiting for her arrival since last evening. His impatience even made him lose interest in his guests, which was rare of him. Usually, when new guests arrived at the mansion, which would keep happening until the Spring Celebration, he’d spend the nights with them asking questions about the places they had visited. D’Argyle was almost sure he was the last Ke’let demon left. He rather liked living, even though nowadays it had become quite boring given that he was stuck in these mountains and the only entertainment he got was in March, when demons from all over the world gathered at his mansion for the Spring Equinox. He would have organized more such parties, but he didn’t want his safe haven to become too exposed. He lived through the stories his guests told, so Berith couldn’t believe the Count’s excitement to meet his new toy, Sophie, had topped his excitement to spend some quality time with Marquis Leraje and Marquis Andras, who had arrived at the mansion last evening. He had almost ignored them.
“Come.” She motioned for Sophie to follow her. “I will take you to the Count, but first I need to get you out of those awful clothes. I have something special prepared for you.”
Sophie let go of Leila’s hand. The girl looked like she felt genuinely sorry she was leaving her.
“Something special?” asked Sophie.
“Yes. The Count himself wanted you to wear it.”
“So… I’m not going to work in the kitchen?”
Berith smirked. “Oh no, my dear. Your job is much more important than washing dishes and chopping vegetables.”
Sophie waited for her to continue, although it didn’t take much to guess what the Count wanted from her.
“You’re going to entertain Casimir D’Argyle and his honored guests.”
♥
“Come. Allow me to show you the greenhouse.”
Sophie smiled and accepted the Count’s arm. He led her across the room, to a door which opened in a long, narrow corridor. She carefully lifted her dress before stepping over the threshold, then decided to hold it like that, half an inch above her ankles, to prevent her high heels from accidentally catching the hem. She was almost certain the Count didn’t appreciate clumsy women, so she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. She had been so polite, calculated, and rigid in the past hour that she was starting to develop a headache.
“Unfortunately, I can’t travel as much as I used to in my youth. I love the Carpathian Mountains especially because they offer such a wide variety of flora and fauna, but sometimes I m
iss the exotic flowers, trees, and plants which don’t grow in these parts.” He turned towards her as if he needed her approval to continue.
“Oh, yes. I understand,” said Sophie, her bright brown eyes staring up at him as if she were completely charmed. “I have never seen a palm tree!”
The Count laughed indulgently. “Well, I don’t have palm trees, but I do have a couple of lemon trees, a very small avocado tree, and lots of goji berries.”
He led her to the back of the mansion, and Sophie’s eyes grew wide with wonder when she saw a warm beam of light invade the dark corridor through the glass door of the greenhouse. Casimir D’Argyle held the door open for her, and she entered the large room. The walls and ceiling were entirely made of glass, letting the sun shine brightly on the exotic trees and flowers which occupied all the available space.
“This is amazing…” she whispered in awe.
“I knew you’d love it.”
Sophie took her time to admire the beautiful plants. As much as she hated the Count for what he was and what he did, she had to admit he had wonderful tastes. The dress he had offered her was vaguely inspired from Victorian fashion, and the gold necklace around her neck ended in a tear-shaped ruby that had made a nice nest for itself between her round breasts. The ruby earrings matched the necklace, and Sophie could almost moan at their soft touch against her sensitive neck. She had never owned such beautiful things before, and she had never thought she would feel so sexy in a long, rich dress that actually covered her body, leaving almost everything to the imagination. The cleavage wasn’t very deep, and the dress didn’t come with a corset, which surprised Sophie. Apparently, the Count liked women who wore sophisticated gowns, but felt comfortable and relaxed at the same time.
“I will show you my favorite flowers.”
Sophie followed him between the rows and prepared herself for a long lesson in botany. It was clear the Count was very passionate about his greenhouse. In fact, he seemed quite passionate about everything and anything. She had been very nervous when Berith had taken her to the library to meet him. She hadn’t known what to expect, and his simple presence took her by surprise. She had found it impossible to avert her gaze from his beautiful violet irises. He had her mesmerized the moment their eyes met.