"Stall him?" he suggested.
Stall him. That would be amusing. Wouldn't make much of a difference. Still, buy some time for someone to think of something. "Witness!" I snapped.
As I had expected, both Kibs and the Chairman appeared in midair. There were probably thousands of imps phased all around the area, watching the drama unfold. "Yes, Isaiah Bright?"
I pointed at Azriphel, who was seething quietly on the platform. The silence was probably due to the three sword points now at his throat. Hikari and her friends had some cast iron stones. "He seems to think he has a vendetta against me. I was hoping for some arbitration."
The Chairman's eyes flickered in what was probably amusement. "You're stalling."
"His idea," I said, jerking my thumb at Opheran.
"Prince Opheran," the imp rasped politely.
"Chairman. Good to see you again so soon."
"Will you come with me? Perhaps together we can talk some sense into him."
Opheran smiled. "I would be delighted."
I sat down on the steps and watched them pass through the wary ranks of House Lucifer. The human mages even backed off and bowed deeply. This was all sorts of acting. To my surprise, Tink sat down next to me and bumped her shoulder against mine. "This didn't go exactly to plan, did it?"
"Not quite," I said.
"Who's that lady demon up there waving at me?"
I looked up. "Oh. That's my mom."
"She's pretty. What happened to you? Took after your dad?"
I glared at her. "Be nice. I'm looking at a very lopsided little fight here."
"It won't be that lopsided," she said. "I'll be fighting on your side. It's only fair."
"No you won't."
"Sure I will."
I bumped her shoulder back. "Don't be silly. Isn't this what you wanted all along? One less demon in the world, right?"
"I'd prefer one less Azriphel over one less you."
"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"I think you're right. Don't get too used to it."
"I don't think I'll live long enough to hear anything nicer."
Kibs fluttered down to stand in front of us. "Don't worry, sweetcheeks, I'll take good care of you once he's gone."
Tink didn't say anything, just kicked at him. The imp phased out before her foot made contact, then back in. She jumped up and kicked at him again. He started to flutter around, dodging her clumsy moves, phasing whenever she got close to actually making contact.
I started to laugh. Behind me, I heard people leaving the church. With the immediate threat gone, it was safe enough for them to leave the sanctuary. Julian pushed into the crowd of Lucifer demons, craning his head, looking for Chrissy. I heard Jase and Caleb talking quietly behind me. Becky plunked down right where Tink had been sitting. "You ok, Bright?"
"As ok as someone who's about to die can be," I said. "Got any ideas?"
"Nope. You're the bright one here."
I snorted. "Funny girl."
"Sometimes."
"Hey, if things go bad here, take care of my stuff, all right? Have a few drinks in my name. No funeral or anything. I doubt there'll be enough left to bury. Make sure Tink doesn't do anything stupid."
She punched my shoulder, hard enough to hurt. "You're not going to lose this. You'll think of something. You didn't talk with that imp for nothing, right?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Call it female intuition."
"I call it wishful thinking and relentless optimism. But thanks."
She started to say something, but stopped short. Prince Opheran and the Chairman were on their way back. She nodded to them as they reached me, then stepped back and away. "Doesn't look like he's willing to agree to any sort of deal," Opheran said. "He wants your head, rather badly."
"I thought as much."
"Any plans for winning this?" the Chairman rasped.
"One last effort," I said. Becky had reminded me. "Going to be relying on you, Chairman."
"Oh?"
I smiled grimly. "Willing to hear an argument that it's not a legitimate vendetta?"
The Chairman's eyes blazed again. "But of course."
"Would it be possible to call in someone from the Syndicate?"
"Perhaps. Kibs!" Kibs phased over to us before Tink could catch him. "Proceed to the Syndicate and request their Chairman's presence, if at all possible."
"Of course," Kibs said, and phased out in an instant.
"My Prince, would you be as kind as to witness this?"
"You're a crafty son of a bitch, Isaiah," he said. "More cunning than you should be, by half. This should be good for a laugh if nothing else."
We extracted Azriphel from the watchful gaze of the Northeastern Regional Conclave and walked toward the back of the church, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow. Opheran walked between the two of us. Good thing. Azriphel was seething. Behind us, I heard Chrissy, her choked voice revealing her fear. I heard Caleb's wings. I heard Tink pacing behind us, could almost see the knife in her hand, the look in her eyes as she watched Azriphel's back.
I stopped dead. "I contend this vendetta is unfounded and demand it be annulled." Azriphel froze, then whirled and nearly leaped at me.
Opheran interposed himself, planting a hand on Azriphel's chest, chuckling. "You declared it with a reason," he said. "He's welcome to argue that it's not sufficient reason. Correct, Chairman?"
"Of course," the Chairman rasped. "And your reasoning, Isaiah Bright?"
I smiled. "My actions were in defense of the Pact."
It caught Azriphel by surprise. "The Pact? No mention has been made of the War. If anyone has broken that part of the Pact, it would be you, halfbreed."
I slapped my forehead. "Oh, no! No one's told Duke Azzy about the recent amendment, right? He's been so busy besieging a church, I bet the news just passed right over his pointy little head!"
"What amendments?" he snapped.
"The ones regarding use of powers considered to be overly destructive," I said. "The ones that outline how both the Host and the Choir will place an honor guard at the Gates of Purgatory in order to prevent people from doing horribly stupid things to breach the Gates, killing countless numbers in their idiotic quest for power and glory. Do you know who would want to do such a thing, my Prince?"
"Why, Isaiah, it is a mystery to me." The Prince was perfectly straight-faced.
I pointed at Azriphel. He bristled. "This demon, right here."
"Oh? He broke the Pact?"
"If anyone broke it, you did!" Azriphel pointed right back. "You and that little bitch used that power! You witnessed it, did you not?"
"Who are you calling a little bitch?" Tink held her hand up in the air. My ichor still stained her skin. "I dare you to say that again. Azzy."
"Of course, there should be exceptions, Chairman?" I asked.
"Such power used in defense of the Gates is acceptable, if used judiciously." He adjusted his collar. "Such is my judgment in this case. Of course, we will need to await my esteemed colleague from the Syndicate to make his judgment as well."
"And that is your goal," I reminded Azriphel. "In fact, I believe I was calling upon you to abandon that plan. Of course, if you refuse that, that will be a breach of the Pact, and cause your summary judgment and execution. I'm just looking out for you, big guy."
Azriphel snarled incoherently. I let him work it out. "Sophistry! You can prove nothing of the sort!"
"It's been your plan all along," I said. "You've said as much."
"The Consortium is aware of your plans," the Chairman added. "While imagining breaking the Pact is one thing, taking action to do so would be considered a breach. Ignorance is no defense, Duke Azriphel. The moment you had slain those humans in order to promote your plan, your life would have been forfeit."
"I don't believe the Pact's been amended. You're all working together against House Lucifer. The Consortium is supposed to be neutral between the Houses!"
He spat on the ground, immediately melting through the snow. "I reject your feeble conspiracy. There's no change to the Pact. I will report this to my Prince, once I've finished this halfbreed. Mark this, Opheran. This will end poorly for you."
"And why do you assume the Pact is not changed?" I asked.
"It takes an agreement between the imps and the archons to propose the changes, which must then be ratified by a majority of the Host and the Choir!"
I shrugged and turned to Opheran. The Prince smiled. "The amendment was proposed Friday night. Houses Asmodeus, Mammon, Beelzebub, and Leviathan voted in favor, Lucifer and Amon against, Belphagor abstaining. I was there for the quorum, my dear Duke. Perhaps if you weren't so busy, you could have attended as well. House Lucifer, sadly, was without a good speaker."
"I don't believe it!"
Kibs phased in behind Azriphel. With him was a glowing blue sphere. I could see dim shadows within the soft glow. Limbs, and maybe a body, head, and eyes. I gestured. "I believe that's the Chairman of the Syndicate?"
Azriphel spun and the archon floated toward him. "Do you doubt the word of the Chairman of the Malefic Consortium, demon?" echoed a booming voice from inside the sphere. "Do you contend that he is being less than truthful?"
"I-"
"He is not lying."
"But-"
"Do you seek to breach the Gates of Purgatory, demon?" The archon zoomed in right at his face, driving Azriphel a step backwards. "If you do, then your life is forfeit. The usage of proscribed force is acceptable to dissuade you from your plot."
"I made you the offer," I said. "You still haven't accepted or rejected it. What's it going to be, Azzy?"
The demon bowed his head, then turned to face me. "You will pay, halfbreed."
"Not today."
Azriphel's gaze was burning red. I could tell that he was on the verge of breaking down, attacking me, dying in the process. I matched his stare. No sign of weakness. No backing down. No way would I lose now.
His gaze didn't waver, he simply nodded. "You win, audacious halfbreed. This plan is at an end. Treasure your victory. For now." His gaze skipped back to Opheran. "Expect a formal protest."
"By all means," Opheran said.
Azriphel stepped back and nodded curtly to both Chairmen, then turned to look at Tink. "Girl," he said softly. "You're still mine, some day."
"You dropped that vendetta in front of witnesses," I reminded him.
"But she hasn't," he said. "And when she comes for me? She'll be mine, halfbreed." Before she could say anything to him, he swept his wings open and took to the skies. The remaining forces of his House followed him. I watched until they were out of sight, watched as the other Houses followed. The sky filled with demons.
Tink stepped up and kicked me in the shins. I winced. "Looks like you won," she said. "Without even a good fight. Coward."
"Best fights are the ones you can win without needing to shed blood," I said.
"The look on Azzy's face was priceless. I don't think he'll ever live that down."
"He's never going to forget it," I said. "Someday it's going to come back and haunt me. You just watch. He holds grudges."
"Maybe," she said. "But you won this one. It's all over now. Right?"
"Right," I agreed. She was right. It was all over.
It wasn't.
Chapter Seventeen
Winter melted with barely a protest. Warmer weather agreed with me. It meant shorts, tank tops, sundresses, and other more revealing items of clothing. It meant pools, beaches, and bikinis. No, I had no problem with spring and summer. I just wished I had the time to enjoy it.
I flopped onto my couch and rolled my head from side to side. Work was kicking the shit out of me. Becky had gotten my job back with her dad's company. I got the feeling that Mr. Silvatini would have given me anything I wanted. Maybe not anything, but close enough. All I wanted was work and a paycheck. I got plenty of both. Construction work in the area was starting to pick up, especially with both of the major area colleges looking to expand enrollment. We worked on a new dorm building, then on a subdivision that was springing up far away from both colleges. The subdivision was aggressively marketed as a good alternative for those who found themselves unwilling to live too close to an expanding college population. It was a good campaign.
Moving was looking like an option for me as well. Not due to the colleges, though.
Hands touched my shoulders, then squeezed. "You look tired."
I opened my eyes and rolled them back to look up at her. Hikari's smile was upside-down from this perspective. "I'm exhausted. Ten hours for the past three days."
She started to rub my shoulders and I felt the aches start to fade. The girl had magic fingers. "Thanks for working so hard," she said.
"Need to start saving again," I said.
"And I need to start getting more hours," she said.
"So we can get out of this place," we said together. She laughed and I grinned up at her. Her fingers dug into particularly sore places and my grin turned to a wince.
The changes hadn't come long after the standoff at First Revelation. Chrissy and Julian had always seemed close to me. After her brush with death, they had become even closer. Too close. The third time I walked in on them in various compromising positions, we all agreed it would be for the best if they found their own place. At least that way they could get some privacy and I would get my bastion of solitude back.
When moving day came, they picked up their few possessions and left in a hurry. I had turned around and looked at Hikari. She had looked back at me, raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms. At the time, I had thought that she hadn't been interested in moving in with them and being a third wheel. I wouldn't have wanted to.
I hadn't even considered the idea that she had wanted to stay.
We weren't exactly involved. I still slept on the couch. She had taken over my bedroom and made it hers. Her territory was slowly expanding. At least once a week, I'd come home and find something new, something subtly adjusted, something replaced. It should have bothered me, but it didn't.
She leaned against the back of my head. "You know, I wish they weren't coming over tonight."
"Why's that? Tired?"
"I think we need to talk."
"I didn't do it."
I could feel her laugh. "No, you haven't. That's what we need to talk about."
"You're being mysterious."
"You should know me well enough by now," she said, then pulled away and tapped me on top of my head. "Go take a shower. You smell terrible."
I grunted and followed her instructions. My bathroom had been assimilated. My toiletries occupied one tiny section on the counter. Hers spread out across the rest of the room. In the shower, I used to have my shampoo on one corner of the tub, and that was it. Now we had shower shelves and my shampoo was alone on one shelf, while she had multiple types of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, scented wash, moisturizers, and various other mysterious substances on the other shelves. I had once pawed through them, opened one, and sniffed. When my eyes had stopped watering, I put it back and never said another word to her about the mess she made in there.
When I got out and got dressed, I was starting to feel remotely human again, and not just a slab of meat. She was lying on the couch, remote in hand, flipping channels so quickly I was unsure she was even seeing anything on screen before going to the next. "When's Tink supposed to show up?" I asked.
"The conclave meeting ended around seven, so I'd expect her in about fifteen," she said. "She's probably going to pick up Caleb."
I sat down on the other end of the couch. "So we've got about half an hour to kill?"
"About that."
"Not enough time to talk about what you want to talk about?"
She glanced over at me. "Seriously?"
"Seriously what?"
"You remembered?"
"You only mentioned it about ten minutes ago," I pointed out. "I may be a guy, but I'm not tha
t serious about promoting the stereotypes."
She smiled and turned her attention back to the TV. "You're not serious about a lot of things. I haven't seen you be serious about anything since winter."
"Life's too short to be too serious."
"I find that ironic, coming from someone likely to outlive all of us put together."
"Living longer just means I have more time to be less serious."
She rolled her eyes. I could almost hear them click. "To answer your question, no, it's not enough time to talk."
"Is it enough time to make out?"
She threw the remote at me. "I'm not drunk enough to do that again yet."
I caught the remote and flipped the TV to CNN, then put the remote down, far away from her. "So you mean if I get you drunk..."
"Are you planning on taking advantage of me while I'm drunk?"
"You started it last time."
"Shut up and get me a beer."
I stood up and sketched a bow to her. "Your wish is my demand. I mean, command."
She scrunched her face and glared at me while stretching out across the couch for the remote. I openly admired her stretch and she rolled her eyes again, but I could see her smile. No, we weren't involved, but I had my suspicions about our upcoming talk.
Almost as soon as I opened the fridge, I heard a knock on my front door and Hikari answering. "Hey! We didn't expect you this early!"
Tink's tone was always waspish, but maybe not so much tonight. "Caleb picked me up from the conclave. Surprised me. He doesn't usually think ahead."
"I resent that implication." Caleb sounded vaguely hurt.
"Zay picks me up from work every once in a while," Hikari said. "Not all the time. Just enough to make me appreciate it."
I walked out of the kitchen with four bottles of beer. "And each time I do it, you act all pissed off about it."
Caleb grinned. I offered him a beer and glanced at Hikari. She smirked at me and held her hands out. "I did tell you not to go out of your way for me."
"And I don't," I said. "I just find myself in the neighborhood on a fairly regular basis."
"Demon, give me a drink," Tink demanded. I offered the third bottle to her, then did a double take. She glared. "What?"
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