“Bummer,” said Oakley over my shoulder. “It’s empty.”
And just as she spoke, the scene disappeared, eclipsed by an eye that filled the entire window, the iris red, and the pupil pitch black. I jumped backward, dropping the box to the floor where it fell open on the stone.
“Sorry if I scared you,” said Oakley as shivers ran up my spine, and I backed away. The eye looked upward at me from inside the box on the floor, and laughter began that echoed around the cellar. Then a voice spoke, originating from the box and coming through the laughter.
“Welcome, Lord of Death. It’s about time you paid me a visit.”
Chapter 27 - The Offer
“Let’s go back upstairs, Oakley,” I said. “There’s nothing to see here.”
“Oh but there is!” cackled the voice in the box, mocking and gleeful. “There is so much more to see.”
“Sure,” responded Oakley, her voice disappointed. “Dang, I really was hoping to find something interesting. But again, just dust. Dust and spiders.”
She led the way to the stairs, and as my foot reached the first step the voice from behind continued.
“Run as long as you want, little lord, they’ll never go away. They’ll never let her go. They never do!”
We reached the fifth step.
“You can’t steal from Death. You’ve taken what was rightfully his. Even a lord can’t disobey the laws.”
We reached the tenth step.
“He’ll hunt her until her hair turns gray, until her bones grow weak and her mind numb from fear. The price must be paid. But there is another way to pay it. There are deals, Lord of Death, deals that can be arranged.”
We reached the fifteenth step.
“Remember me, Lord of Death, and all you must do is return. Listen to my proposition and save the girl’s life. There’s someone who has taken an interest in you. Someone who just might issue a pardon.”
Then we reached the top, and the door was sliding shut behind me.
“Come back,” the voice coaxed. “Come back. No one needs to die today, or tomorrow, or in their youth. Let us have a long-overdue chat.”
And just before the lock clicked shut, just before Oakley pulled me away, my own voice whispered down the steps, the words catching in my throat.
“I will.”
“Then today,” came the reply, “she walks free. Remember me, little lord. You have one day. One, until the hunt is renewed.”
And behind us the box remained on the floor. Open.
Chapter 28 - Parting the Red Sea
The back garden was as we left it when we returned, scores of red figures waiting on every fragment of open space, their faces tracking us as we approached.
“Well, what do you have to say?” asked Oakley, her back to the door, her voice light and unaware of what waited just behind her.
“Sorry, what?” I asked, tearing my eyes away from the outside. By the voice’s words, I had assumed the figures would be gone.
But that also meant I believed a voice that no one else could hear, about beings no one else could see, whose existences were either driving me mad or a result of madness.
“You can at least pretend to be a gentleman, Caleb,” she said, with a small laugh. “I walked you home, I’d expect at least a thank you.”
“Thank you, then, for helping me get back safe.”
“You’re welcome. See? That’s proper manners. And I’ll have what you asked me for in your room soon.”
She touched my nose, and I jerked back.
“Jeez, stop being so touchy. You act like someone’s waiting around the corner to grab you. And the way you acted downstairs—did you hit your head on the fall? It makes me nervous when you act like this. Heck, I almost feel like I get nervous before you even start acting this way.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, then I paused. “It’s just a bit strange when you know something is going on, but you can’t tell what.”
“You’re talking about sight?”
“Sure.”
“So what’s it like, then, being blind?”
“Well, you notice a lot more things than you did when you could see. Things you normally wouldn’t pay attention to, or that might have slipped you notice, now pull your entire attention. Sounds, smells, other senses.”
“Ok, well I think I can understand that, or at least I can try to. Anyway, it’s time for me to go. My mother will be furious already,” she said, opening the door. Outside, the red figures split directly down the center, making a noise like hot steel dipped in water, half heading left and the other half right. They flowed over each other, departing, their glow fading with each step until only darkness was left in the garden as Oakley stepped outside.
“And Caleb, I know there’s something you’re not telling me. And I’m going to find out.”
Then the door closed behind her, and I watched her fire bobbing away until it too disappeared, my hand idly scratching Shankey’s neck.
“What’s going on?” I asked, and he whined. “What the hell is going on? You probably like it better here, being able to stay warm inside with three square meals and all, but I’m seriously starting to miss the trailer park. And you’re starting to get fat. Don’t think you can hide it from me.”
His tail thumped against my leg, and I sighed.
“We’re going to need some answers soon, Shankey. Hell, at this point we deserve them.” I walked back to the cellar door, pushing it open with the palm of my hand.
If Kingston had taught me anything, it was that it’s best to confront a bully early on, before he gets a chance to sink his fingers in deep.
And I had one hell of a bully.
Chapter 29 - Questions in the Dark
“Who the hell are you?” I shouted, taking the stairs down to the cellar but walking this time. Shankey’s fur stood up straight beside me as he hobbled down the stairs. “And why did you come here?”
“Why did I come here? It is you who has come here, as I’ve been here for a very long time. As for who I am, well, quite frankly, that’s not very important. It’s more of a what question.”
“Then what are you? And show yourself, if you can.”
“Simply put, a being of spiritual nature,” it responded, then it’s voice rushed forward. “And is that an invitation for me to enter the room?”
“Of course it’s an invitation.”
No sooner had the words left my throat than a wind kicked up in the room and the smell of rotting flowers intensified, washing over my face in waves. Shankey barked, lunging forward to swipe at the box with his paw, smoke exploding outward as he yelped and jumped backward, the box skittering until it hit the wall.
There on the floor the box rattled, and out of the top I could see a crimson shadow forming, billowing out like steam from a tea kettle. There was a series of snaps and cracks like miniature thunder, and the smell of ozone, tinged slightly with sulfur, filled the room.
The shadow rose to its full height, about eight feet tall, and extended two clasped hands in front of him. There were ten pops, one for each of his knuckles, then two for his neck as he twisted it and several more from the spine.
“Right then,” he said. “It’s time you learned your first lesson, little lord. Never let a demon loose from his cage.”
He stepped forward, and the ground shook, embers scattering from where his foot struck the stone. I realized then that I had unconsciously backed up against the wall. I gritted my teeth and raised my chin, taking my own step forward to match his. Shankey stood by my side, frothing at the mouth.
I knew we didn’t stand a chance, but there was another lesson Kingston had taught me: When your ass is about to be handed to you, and you’ve nowhere to run, take your beating with pride. The cowardly will back off, the cruel with lose interest, and those with a speck of righteousness in their hearts will show mercy.
“You’ve come to kill me, then?” I shouted. “Well, do it! But I’ll go down fighting!”
I raised my fists, and despite my best efforts, they trembled. Before me, the demon made a peculiar face. Then he laughed, his head rolling backward, and his eyes flashing.
“Kill you? Of course not, boy. But you’re feisty, which is good. That’ll be useful later on. No, I’m not here to kill you. With that necklace around your neck, it’d be damn near impossible, even for an expert in killing such as myself. ”
The demon laughed again, then continued speaking. “But back to lesson one. Never let a demon loose from his cage. Not all of us would exercise the same amount of self restraint as me.”
“So if you’re not here to kill me, what is it that you want?” For good measure, I still kept my fists at eye level and held my ground, Shankey waiting stiffly beside me, though the demon made no attempt to advance. Instead, he seemed to shrink, or reduce in stature, and leaned against the wall as if relaxing, picking his teeth with a finger.
“I’m more interested in putting you to good use. Helping you along in your, erm, educational development. Besides, if I was to kill someone, I’d at least choose somebody who wasn’t already a quarter dead! You wouldn’t even taste good. I do have standards, you know.”
“A quarter dead? What the hell is that supposed to mean.”
“Exactly what it sounds like little lord. I’d have thought you would have had it figured out by now. Damn, please tell me you’re not a slow one. It would make my task most difficult.”
“No, I’m not stupid. But last time I checked I was alive, too.”
“Well check again. What, did you think it was natural you could see me? Of course it isn’t. You’re not blind, little lord. Simply put, your eyes are dead. And now you see what the dead see. A little blurrier, perhaps, because your bitch of a grandmother—” He bent over and yelled into the box, “No offense, down there, dearie,” then continued. “—because your bitch of a grandmother dragged most of their remains down to Hell with her.”
“She did what?”
“Dragged them to hell. The standard stuff. Lucky you escaped that fate, in my opinion, as most regard it as not the most pleasant of places. I’d give it two stars out of five based on the reviews. And your grandmother was damn furious that you’d escaped for weeks afterward. But that was before she realized your potential, little lord. Oh, yes, she’s changed her mind now.”
“So what exactly are you saying? That when I went to visit her, she tried to kill me? I knew she tried something, I knew something was not right, but I didn’t realize it was that.”
“And you claimed you weren’t dense. Of course she tried to kill you. It would keep her alive. One doesn’t just walk around for a few millennia without sapping a life force here and there. And in her weakened state, it had to be a blood relative to work. Bitch—Sorry again, dearie!—Bitch wanted to suck you dry.”
“So my own grandmother tried to eat my soul to keep herself alive and only managed to get part of me?” I asked, and the demon nodded. “Bitch.”
“Indeed. Now on to lesson two. Never, and I repeat, never leave that damn box open.”
Chapter 30 - Introductions
“Hold on,” I said. “You said that if I come down here Oakley gets some sort of pardon. Did you go through on that?”
“I said no such thing,” said the demon. He was reclining now, his back against a couch made of the same material as himself, and sipping from a small glass. The smell of whiskey joined the variety of scents that battled for the cellar, a brand particularly caustic and high in alcohol content that burned my nose more than the sulfur. Shankey had retreated to the corner, watching with a wary eye, ready to jump between us.
“Hell yes you did!” I shouted. “That’s why I came down here!”
“No, you came down here looking for a fight,” he said, taking another swig and exhaling a smokey breath. “What I said is that we may be able to reach a bargain.”
“What bargain, then?”
“All in good time, all in good time. Besides, we haven’t even gone through introductions yet. Where is your business sense, boy? I’m going to have to teach you everything from the ground up. My name is Iaco, and you are?”
“Caleb. Now, about Oakley?”
“Pleasure to meet you, Caleb. See how I did that even though I already knew who you were? That’s called courtesy. Can’t say a demon is the best place to learn it, but it’s a start. As for the girl, I assure you that, for now, she’s safe. Word from Death himself. Consider it an extension. But now we go over lesson two, before you get one or both of us killed.”
“Which is not leaving the box open.”
“Precisely. There’s a bit of history here, little lord, that would do you well to remember. The last time that box was left open was the bubonic plague. Do you know what escaped? One tiny flea. One tiny flea killed nearly a third of Europe. We’re talking the real deal, the black death itself! The time before that? Quite a young girl happened upon it then. And let me tell you, the shitstorm after that was like nothing I’ve ever seen.” The demon raised a finger to his eye, wiping away a fake tear. “How beautiful it was.”
“Beautiful? I thought you said the box needs to stay closed.”
“And so it does. You see, there are things that would come rushing up from the depths of hell if they knew it was open. Things that, well, wouldn’t be so discriminatory in who or what they kill. Meaning you and me, of course, would be appetizers on their dinner plate. Hell, one of them torched an entire building once with the tip of his finger before the box was forced shut. But use that box right, and let the right things out, and you hold the steering wheel to the world little lord.”
“I’m not here to free demons.”
Iaco laughed, spreading his arms and cracking a full smile as smoke curled out of his nostrils. “We’re not all so bad. Look at me! I’ve given you more answers than anyone else has in the past two years. I’m not asking you to let out the nasties. I’m just saying that plenty of my kind have been oppressed. Held down, if you will, for a long, long time. We just need some emancipation. A breath of fresh air. Hell, not even demons, just plenty of other entities that managed to get themselves stuck in one or another dimensional fold.”
“Is that the deal then? That I set you free? After your kind has tormented me? Haunted me? I’m not feeling so generous.”
The demon crossed his arms and huffed.
“Oh Lord, there’s so much more I have to tell. But no, that’s not the deal. As, well, as embarrassing as it is, they’re still discussing the terms of their negotiation down there.”
“And who exactly is it that has such a vested interest in me?”
“Why your grandmother of course. She thinks it’s about time you two had a chat. And a few other parties, though we’ll leave them out of the mix for now. Mere details. Politics down there makes Washington sound like a middle school debate club. If you ask me, it’s because of the influx of lawyers and politicians. Really bottlenecks up the system.”
“Well I’m not interested in talking.”
“Well then Oakley’s not interested in living.”
“Screw you,” I hissed, stepping forward, fists raised again. And the demon made the same peculiar face he had before, letting it slip through for just an instant before recovering with another laugh.
“I’m just a messenger, lord,” he said, showing his fangs in a mixture of a smile and a snarl. “If you’re looking for a fight, you’re talking to the wrong person.”
“Then you can deliver my own message back to my grandmother.”
“I’ll do no such thing. That, little lord, would hardly be polite. Which, by the way, is a trait that you have yet to learn. I fear I’m repeating myself ad nauseam here—are you only blind or are you deaf too?”
“Stuff it. You call me down here and have no deal. I don’t trust you, demon, and I have no reason to.”
“Iaco. Nobody ever does,” he said with a sigh. “It’s our classic stereotype. Well, I’d say that concludes our introduction. A pleasure, of course, me
eting you. Give my highest regards to Death if you see him again—in fact, make sure you fill out the satisfaction survey for my performance. I could use a little favor from one of the bosses.”
“Go back to Hell.”
“Home, sweet home. Or at least I wish. Toodles. Don’t let the bedbugs bite. Of course, they wouldn’t here—they wouldn’t even venture into this school, after what happened. Hell, that’s probably the only reason why I can step on this sacred ground, because even rivers of Holy Water couldn’t wash away this stain. But I’ll save that juicy gossip for next time. Or better yet, you should ask that fine tutor of yours about it. I’m sure he’d just love to tell you about the church’s involvement.”
Then the demon began to dissolve, starting at the feet, into wisps of red smoke. Like a bathtub drain they began to swirl back into the box, gaining speed as more and more of him fell away, until all that was left was the half full glass of whiskey.
Then a hand reached out of the box and took that too. There was the sound of a gulp as the box lid slammed shut.
As he left, something tugged at the back of my mind. There was something familiar about the peculiar face he had made during my outbursts.
And with a start, I realized what that facial expression had been. It had matched the red figure I had seen in the streets.
A flinch.
Chapter 31 - Law
“Let’s go, Shankey,” I said, pulling on his leash, but Shankey was more interested in the recent contents of the bush, a squirrel that had just scurried up a nearby oak. Shankey had made a great companion, but when it came to being a service dog, he had some points to work on. Already we’d trudged through three melted snow puddles on the way to the local park, soaking through my shoes, and I knew plenty more awaited us before our return.
Eden's Eye (The Gates Book 1) Page 10