The Demon Beside Me

by Nelson, Christopher

  “And the final incident?” asked the House Amon representative.

  “The final incident was Throne Jordan, who was slain by force-amplified hellfire.”

  “Oh, shit,” I said. “I hoped that would be just a ridiculous rumor.”

  “Unfortunately, it is true,” the Chairman rasped. “The demon engaged in the action was identified as Eresma of House Lucifer. Formerly of House Lucifer, I am sure.”

  “We do not assume responsibility for the acts of one maniac!” shouted the first Prince, the one who had railed against me. “The responsibility lies on the one who brought this knowledge into the open!”

  “I can’t assume responsibility for the use of that power, just as you can’t assume responsibility for the actions of your House,” I retorted. “Hell, at least I attempted to restrain the use of it. What did you do to keep your goons under control?”

  This time, he made it over the table before they could grab him. I wasn’t surprised. Tink and Hikari and I had all worked on various ways to slow demons down before they could get to us, working under the assumption that we would get backup in short order. While I didn’t have one of them here, Opheran would help me, at least.

  As he transformed into demonic form, I forced blood to pool in my palms and clapped my hands together, splattering it all over the Asmodeus table. Before his transfiguration was complete, I had a half dozen runes blazing. He paused for a heartbeat as he saw them, then sneered and leapt for me.

  Some of my blood had splattered to the ground in between us. I used that link as a sympathetic force and pushed upwards as he entered that zone. As his left foot came down, his right foot was starting to reach for the ceiling. Before he could land on his back, I reversed the spell and pulled. The Lucifer hit the floor with a shock that practically left a dent.

  Before he could get back up, Opheran and a Prince from House Mammon were on him, pinning him to the ground. I flicked the runes away and sighed. “I don’t even rank as a journeyman mage, my Princes. An adept could have incapacitated him. A master or grandmaster could have pushed him through the floor.”

  “The point has been made,” the Chairman rasped. “Princes, we have long neglected the potential of human magic, except where it coincides with our interests.”

  “Can we encourage these mages to assist us against the Choir?” the Amon Prince asked. “Native support on this world would help even the odds considerably.”

  I looked to the Chairman. “As far as I know, mages organize locally or regionally. I’m not sure larger scale organizations exist.”

  “They do,” the Chairman rasped. “They must. This incident could not have been arranged any other way.”

  “But do you have proof?” asked the Amon.

  “At this time, we do not.”

  “The largest organization I know of is the Northeastern Regional Conclave,” I added. “I don’t know exactly where they’re based from, but it’s not in New York. I can ask, though. Not sure that Hikari will tell me, though.”

  “Please do.” The Chairman returned his attention to the room at large. The Lucifer Prince had finally been wrestled back into his chair and Opheran sat back next to me, barely breathing hard, but grinning like a fool. “We shall put forth every effort to uncover the identity of this human organization and their disposition. While they may have attacked the Choir this time, there is no guarantee that they will not attack us as well. The enemy of our enemy is not necessarily our friend.”

  “They could even be our enemy,” said an unfamiliar voice. I looked toward the table of House Belphagor. Their lead representative had risen silently, but his hollow voice commanded all attention. “I would consider it possible that they have assaulted the Choir with the intention of provoking open conflict between them and the Host. We cannot afford such conflict, my Princes. I recommend that we strongly disavow and deplore the assaults and offer assistance to the Choir in tracking the perpetrators. I would also recommend that House Lucifer prepare to take the lead in such things, as the Choir will not accept the explanation that Eresma is no longer part of the House. Concessions will need to be made.”

  “We cannot take responsibility!”

  The Belphagor Prince turned to face the Lucifer representatives. “Responsibility did not die with Duke Azriphel. You will provide concessions. You will abase yourselves if that is what it takes. If you do not, be assured that House Belphagor will take action to present your broken House as a concession!”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harax nod, then Opheran stood. “House Asmodeus stands with House Belphagor in this matter. We have allowed this weakness in our midst for too long. Unite under duress, use the Council or the Choir as a threat, but you must unite.”

  “Strong words from the House who forced this weakness upon us,” snarled the Lucifer who had remained quiet up until this moment.

  “Isaiah,” Opheran said. “Select one of the Lucifer Princes. Destroy him. We shall provide them an excuse to unite under one faction.”

  “As my Prince commands,” I said, rising to my feet and beginning a series of flashy but ultimately useless runes. “If you will provide the hellfire, I shall provide the impetus.”

  “This is an outrage!” Both Lucifer Princes transfigured in an instant and other Princes were on their feet, hellfire beginning to flash around the room. Leviathan shouted for order, Mammon shouted for blood. Belphagor merely laughed.

  A shrill whistle cut through the room. “End this nonsense!” I had never heard the Chairman shout before. He stood atop his table, his beady eyes blazing and smoke rising from his tiny figure. Behind him, I saw an archon and immediately tensed. If the Choir heard of this, we would be in deep shit. “We have received an official statement from the Angelic Choir,” he continued. As all of the Princes returned to their seats, he clenched his fists and slammed them against his thighs. It was an uncharacteristic display for him and I found my heart starting to hammer.

  “Chairman, please present the statement,” said the Leviathan Prince.

  “The Angelic Choir High Command declares the unprecedented assault on their forces to be directed by the Infernal Host. Although it is clearly an act of war, the Choir is merciful and will refrain from declaring war if the Host makes the following concessions.

  “First, the Host shall disarm in its entirety. All combat-trained members of the Host are to present themselves to the Choir regional headquarters and provide a bond of peace. Civilian members of the Host shall be required to register themselves and will be allowed to live peacefully.

  “Second, the Host shall place themselves under Choir administration. All major Host economic concerns shall be transferred to Choir representatives. Minor concerns and enterprises must be declared and a percentage will be required as tribute.

  “Third, the Host shall surrender their political independence and subject themselves to Choir command. As the assaults upon the Choir were at the behest of the Host, we demand the surrender of all demons of the rank of Duke or above for investigation. Each House will be assigned a Choir representative to provide guidance and leadership in the interim.

  “Finally, the Host will turn over the so-called ‘Lord of Heaven’, Isaiah Bright, immediately. He will be investigated and prosecuted for his crimes against the Choir.”

  The Chairman finished with a snarl. For a long moment, no one spoke. Each of the Princes was silent, considering the demands that the Choir had made of us. In effect, they were demanding the complete and unconditional surrender of the Host, or they would kill us all. They would probably kill us all afterwards. There was no reason to leave any demon alive after they had sucked us dry. The Princes had to know that.

  “Is there any room for negotiation of these terms?” asked the Prince of House Belphagor.

  “None,” replied the Chairman. “I have been told that the terms are absolutely non-negotiable.”

  “How long are they giving us to decide whether to accede to their terms?”

  “Ninety-eig
ht days.” I did the math in my head. The Choir had a certain fetish for the number seven. Twice seven squared.

  “We cannot accept those terms,” said one of the Mammon Princes. “Those are absolutely unacceptable. It is no less than the death of our people.”

  “House Amon agrees with House Mammon. To surrender would be to die. The Choir has always made it clear that they intend to exterminate us. Accepting these terms would merely remove our ability to fight. While not every House here is prepared to fight the Choir, House Amon is, and we shall die on our feet.”

  “House Lucifer, though divided, has always stood side by side with House Amon.” Their Princes rose as one. “If it is acceptable to House Amon, we shall stand at your back.”

  “Naturally, we are honored by the presence of Lucifer warriors.”

  “House Leviathan, as always, stands against the Choir.”

  “House Beelzebub, while less martial than all of your Houses, will provide all the support we can.”

  The Belphagor Prince rose. “While our House is renowned for our patience and deliberation, there is nothing to deliberate in this matter. We will not roll over for the Choir. House Belphagor shall fight until there is nothing left of us.”

  Eyes turned to our table. Only House Asmodeus had not spoken. Opheran started to rise, but Harax placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. “House Asmodeus will fight, not for the Host, and certainly not for brotherhood among demons. We have long been opposed to the policies of Houses Amon and Lucifer as they use and abuse humans against their will. We have never been especially friendly with House Leviathan. House Belphagor has treated us with contempt for what they perceive to be our impatient and flighty nature. Even our closest allies in Houses Mammon and Beelzebub have looked down upon us as we interact with humans the most. They are our hosts on this world. We are guests, unwelcome guests in their eyes.

  “My Princes, House Asmodeus will not fight for you. We will fight for him.” Harax stepped sideways and his hands dropped onto my shoulders. I flinched. “We will fight for this halfblood, this Lord of Heaven, this Gatekeeper who holds the single possibility that we shall be able to leave this world and return home in this lifetime. This one holds our future in his hands, in his blood.”

  There was another long moment of silence, finally broken by a deep laugh. I stared at the Prince of Belphagor, who stood alone, laughing until tears streaked down his face. “It is true, Prince of Asmodeus, that we have never had much respect for your House. We have rarely needed to agree or disagree, not until now. You offer us a symbol to unite behind, something that will bring together the entire Host, more than simply a war against the Choir. Is that what you are, Isaiah Bright?”

  I took a deep breath and Harax lifted his hands from my shoulders. “My Princes, I pledge that my goal is to see us all home. We can’t let the Choir beat us until we’ve found the way home.”

  Belphagor nodded. “So be it. My Princes, I propose that we defy this demand of the Choir. Let us tell them that in exchange for our safe return to Hell, we shall restore Heaven to them.”

  “House Amon seconds this proposal.” The House Amon Prince nodded to me. “We must support the Gatekeeper.”

  “The proposal stands before the Council as stated,” the Prince of House Leviathan said. “In such a case, let us pass this proposal by acclimation. Do any oppose this measure?”

  I looked across to the House Lucifer table. I wasn’t alone. They remained silent. I hid a smile. Even House Lucifer wouldn’t stand against the entire Host, especially not in a matter like this. Finally, the House Leviathan Prince pounded the table with his knuckles. “The measure passes. Let each House see to its own preparations. In ninety-eight days, we may well be at war.”

  Chapter Nine

  * * *

  “And that’s why we have to leave,” I said. “Look, Hikari, I know you like it here, but in about ninety-six days, this place is going to become ground zero.”

  “We can deal with that when the time comes.” She continued to pull dishes out of our dishwasher. Several were already stacked in the sink for a second run. “We should let them smash this dishwasher when they come for us. Look at this! I swear I’ve put this glass through three times now, and it still doesn’t get clean.”

  “I’m sure that when they put a new building up here, they’ll be putting in new appliances,” I said. “You have no idea what’s going to happen here when their time limit runs out. We’re talking about the Second Celestial War. This makes every war you humans have had look like a slapfight. Every war put together, I mean.”

  “You humans?” She looked over her shoulder at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You know exactly what it’s supposed to mean. You’re blowing this off because you’re somehow convinced they’re going to leave you alone because you’re human.”

  “Since when have you been a mind reader? Some new power you’ve never told me about?” She sounded more amused than upset, but the look on her face was cold. “How about this, Zay? You help me wash the dishes and forget about all of this for the next ninety-odd days. Things can change. You’ve got another Horseman to worry about before then, right?”

  “I would rather be safe than sorry.” I stepped up to the sink and picked up a glass, holding it to the light. The sides of the glass were effectively opaque. “I don’t trust the Choir. Specifically, I don’t trust them to hold to their own terms, not where I’m concerned. They want me specifically. They take this personally. I will be damned thrice over if I sit around being a stationary target for them.”

  “And so you want to turn our lives upside down because you’re scared?” She plucked the glass from my fingers and stuck it in the sink again. “Think about it. If you move now, they’ll just have you tracked down again before their time limit is up. I’m not going to live on the run for the next three months. We can stay here for a while longer, and then move when they aren’t expecting it.”

  “I’m telling you, they’re expecting it constantly.” I picked the glass back up and tapped my fingernail against it, resisting the impulse to form a claw and start chipping it. “Running is the only way to stay alive. If that means flying all over the world every week, I’ll do it. I like being alive, Hikari.”

  “Don’t you remember what the safehouse was like?” she asked. “We all almost lost it, and we were just there for a week. Do you really want to go through that sort of stress again?”

  “Do you remember how Caleb started talking?”

  “He wouldn’t shut up.” She giggled. “And then Becky would threaten to shoot him and the two of them would start arguing over how many shots it would take to put him down.”

  “And then Tink would threaten to cut both their throats.”

  Hikari’s giggles died away. “We’ve got time to worry about this later, Zay. Make yourself useful and either wash that glass or put it back in the sink. I’m not going to keep feeding your ridiculous paranoia.”

  I tapped the glass, then whirled and flung it into the corner, where it shattered and sprayed fragments across the floor. Hikari jumped and spun around, but I stepped into her, forcing her to take a step backwards. “I am not being ridiculously paranoid,” I hissed at her. “I am being sane and reasonable. Let me put it this way, dear heart. I am leaving. You can come with me.”

  “What the hell-”

  Her budding rage was cut short when there was a knock on the door, followed shortly by an imp dropping through the ceiling. “Hey, Zay, got the agents working the streets. Oh, shit, am I interrupting a private moment here?”

  “If I said yes, would you disappear, Kibs?” I asked without looking or stepping away from Hikari.

  “Only to get a camera. You’d have to go into your full demonic form for it, though. We could sell it as some sort of Japanese snuff film. She can screech, can’t she?”

  I stepped back to give her a little space. “She sure can.”

  “What exactly do you mean by that?” sh
e snapped. “And who the hell keeps pounding on the door?”

  “It’s open,” I shouted, then looked back to Hikari. “That’s Caleb and Tink. With the truck I rented this morning.”

  “You son of a bitch,” Hikari said through clenched teeth. “You had this planned.”

  “I had this planned from the moment after they told us ninety-eight days,” I said. “Sure, I’m paranoid. Crazy, maybe. However, I plan to stay alive. I’ll do anything I can to stay alive long enough to open the Gates of Ascension. That’s the only thing I can think of that has any chance of keeping my people alive, both humans and demons.”

  Caleb stuck his head in the kitchen. “Did you get a chance to pack anything?”

  “Not a thing,” I said. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem. We brought boxes.”

  “Thanks, Caleb.” I turned back to Hikari. “Your call if you want your things packed up too.”

  “Where do you plan on going? Where in the world do you think is actually going to be safe?”

  “Somewhere closer to the House headquarters,” I said. I was hedging, just a bit. House Asmodeus was based out of Central America. That left me a great deal of latitude in deciding on where to go. Opheran had supplied me with a list of Asmodeus boltholes and Kibs knew how to navigate Purgatory to get to them. “It’ll be warmer than here, that’s for sure.”

  “Hey, demon.” Tink appeared around the corner, scowling at Hikari and me. “Stop flirting and get your ass out here. Caleb can’t pack everything himself.”

  “I’ll be out there in a minute. Hikari, look, this is happening with or without you. If you don’t come with us, you’re going to need to find a safe place yourself. I’d really prefer not to have to rescue any hostages.”

  “Us?” Hikari’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s us? You and Caleb?”

  “Caleb doesn’t need to hide from the Choir,” I said.