Chapter One
The first words that sprung to mind were mangled cat.
Ruby squinted through the unrelenting rain at the creature and for a moment, it stared back through muddy yellow eyes. They were large and round, and glowing in the evening dusk.
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was large enough to be a dog, but everything about it was feline. It was scruffy, with whole clumps of fur missing from a misshapen torso and bones that jutted out at odd angles, as though someone had pulled the poor thing apart and put it back together in the wrong order.
As she stood, rooted to the spot, a curiosity buzzed in her mind like a trapped insect. What was it? Ruby’s heart pounded in her chest. Barely aware of her actions, she stretched out her hand, inching her fingertips towards the strange animal.
The cat-dog sunk to the ground, its yellow orbs fixed on her approaching hand.
Ruby froze, mid reach. This wasn’t her best idea.
As it rolled back its lips, it bared its teeth into a defensive snarl and — grinned at her.
Ruby baulked. She blinked, squeezing her eyes shut, and ogled it again. No, it wasn’t grinning. For a few seconds more, neither she or the cat moved a muscle. Then, finally, it turned and shot off in the opposite direction.
As she tried to piece together what she’d seen, a restlessness crept into her blood. It was one of those sudden itches that demanded scratching on the spot, an impulsive desire that insisted on more. She had to get another look.
Ruby weaved along the puddle riddled pavement, following its curve round to the left, and slipped down between two buildings. As a child, her knack for finding trouble had landed her many an unplanned adventure. Now into adulthood, nothing much had changed except that these days, she tended to go looking for it.
The rain bounced off the walls within the little passageway, its echoing magnified tenfold within the enclosed space. She pushed up her sleeve and checked her watch. Already late. She let it drop, guilt squirming in her stomach. Finding a cat in this weather was going to be difficult. Still, she searched anyway, the mystery driving her on despite the awful country weather. Sandra would forgive her. Eventually.
A strong gust rolled down the cobbled passageway, sending rain splattering against the brickwork in a frenzy. Ruby shrunk into her jacket, hiding her neck from the cold spray. As she did, a soggy ribbon of red hair tumbled out of her hood. She left it, knowing that at this point, avoiding the inevitable bleed of dyed hair would be impossible.
Just then, Ruby’s foot kicked something solid. A short, sharp noise rang out and she jumped backwards on high alert. Two things sped off in separate directions. The abandoned crate, skittering across the wet ground and coming to a stop in the middle of the alley, and the cat, moving like its tail was on fire.
And just like that, it was gone.
Ruby sucked in a breath. Her arms prickled, the hairs standing on end as she glanced back over towards the crate. Whatever it was, it was fast.
The wind picked up, throwing an icy blast of rain at her back. What if it needed a vet? She'd never bothered with pets, but she knew what a healthy cat was supposed to look like. This one looked far from well. Ruby struggled with her rain drenched hood, then folded her arms, making herself smaller. An involuntary shiver passed through her body. Then again, what was the likelihood of something that fast being injured?
Ruby picked up her pace. She crossed the road and jogged up the sloping pavement, passing the hazy glow of the corner store. She was starting to think that she'd imagined the whole damn thing. Maybe it wasn’t a cat-dog at all. Maybe, bored out of her mind, Crichton was slowly driving her mad. She frowned, pushing these miserable thoughts out of her head. Sandra was going to crack up when she heard about this.
She looked ahead, glancing up just in time to spot a long tail disappearing behind the fading bricks of Wishy Washy Laundrette. A smile broke out across her face. Got you, kitty cat.
Ruby swung around the corner and slipped into stealth mode. Too late.
The cat looked around, sensing her presence. When it saw her, it sped up and tore off through the village.
Not this time, she thought, breaking into a run. Any uneasiness she’d previously felt was quickly replaced by thrill as she picked up the pace, pushing herself to keep up.
Just ahead of her the creature leaped, throwing itself against a metal sign on the pavement. It came into contact with the sign and kicked off it, keeping a good pace. The sign knocked over with a clang.
Ruby vaulted it, closing the gap.
Just then, it swerved, veering off at a sharp angle, and that’s when she saw it. The big hole in the ground. Ruby tried to stop. Failed. Dropped.
Her stomach abandoned her as she plummeted straight down into the open manhole. Ruby dropped, helpless. Darkness engulfed her, swallowing her who —
A sharp yank at her middle stopped her dead. Her stomach lurched. Her head and limbs kept going, the momentum stretching her, before snapping her back.
Gasping for breath, Ruby swayed, eyes wide. Her brain scrabbled, trying to right itself. She was dangling above a dark pit, with nothing below her feet. She was going to fall. She would probably break a few bones, as she couldn’t see the bottom. If no one had seen her fall in, she could be trapped all night. Freezing. Bleeding. What if she landed on her head? What if. What if.
The fabric of her cheap belt creaked under the strain of her entire weight. Ruby snapped out of her frantic musings and looked up. She squinted against the rain as it splattered her face. Yes, the edge of the hole was just within reach.
Springing into action, she reached up with both arms, stretching them beyond what she thought her arms were capable of. The swaying wasn’t helping.
Holding her breath, she reached up again, her shoulder joints screaming at her. Stretched, and — her fingers met the wet ground above. Relief flooded her as Ruby gripped the edge of the manhole, holding on for dear life. If her fingers slipped now, it would surely be enough to send her tumbling.
She pulled up, cautious not to be too eager. Slow and steady. Steady.
As she reached the top, she scrabbled away from the hole on her hands and knees. Puddles soaked into her trouser legs, but Ruby didn’t care. The overwhelming sense of gratitude she felt was almost euphoric.
Peering over the edge into the open manhole, she looked for her saving grace, and frowned. She couldn’t see what could have caught her. The inside surfaces were smooth, with nothing visible sticking out that could have caught her.
Heart pounding, Ruby turned and started back the way she’d come. As she tightened her sodden jacket around her, a ridiculous thought entered her head. It’s funny, she thought, humouring herself. It was almost as though the cat had planned to send her plummeting into that hole.
She shook her head, trying to let it go. There was really nothing more she could do. And she was late. It didn’t matter that cats couldn’t grin, or that instead of feeling like she could fly, she should be shaken to her core. This was Crichton, and nobody would care.
***
Within the torrents of rain, something pulsed with energy. It called out to him, enticing with the promise of unimaginable power, demanding his full attention. From the moment he had arrived he’d sensed it, and it was getting stronger by the second.
When he'd first stood breathing in the alien atmosphere, gathering his bearings, he’d discovered two things: one, the powerful presence was moving towards him, and two, it was close. So close in fact that Drayvex had tensed in response to its proximity, his body reacting to the unknown entity.
In that moment, a low level demon shot around the corner. It took him a second to realise that it was, in fact, his demon. Drayvex glowered from his rooftop perch. Kaelor had followed him through the portal and his idea of blending in was truly spectacular. Moron.
The rain lashed around him in waves, throwing itself at him, then evaporating into a fine mist upon contact with his hot flesh. The pulsing presence was coming in behind. He looked down at the ground as it moved into view, his sharp eyes cutting through the downpour, and zoned in on the source of power. What he saw threw him off his guard.
It was a girl. A human girl emanating a throbbing black aura.
Drayvex narrowed his eyes and relaxed a fraction. He couldn’t see anything unusual or interesting about her, except — she was chasing a demon.
He watched the chase unfold, and Kaelor resolve his problem by dropping it into a hole in the ground. He kept watching. The girl disappeared; the aura did not.
It collected around mouth of the hole as though close to the surface, ripe for the taking. Drayvex tensed, refusing to be baited. Things were rarely that simple.
Moments later, his patience was rewarded when the girl climbed back out of the hole. She was unscathed and unshaken, and once again he found himself studying the human below with growing interest. It was then that he noticed what was around her neck.
As he stared at the small trinket in revelation, everything clicked into place. It was a simple piece of silver jewellery, hanging on a worn, leather cord. The charm its self was unusually shaped. Its main body was a crescent lying on its side, points facing downward. Underneath that was a smaller crescent, and under that a crescent so small it looked like a pincer. There was a small blood red gem in the centre, and written along each arm were inscriptions so old they were practically ancient. Demon inscriptions.
The girl began to backtrack, Kaelor having given her the slip. Drayvex made a mental note to punish the worthless ingrate. If he'd wanted to be followed, he would have told someone he was leaving.
He continued to feel the presence long after her absence. This was exactly the kind of distraction he’d been looking for. He brought up his hands, studying the curved black claws at his fingertips. These would have to go for what he had planned.
Drayvex clenched his hands into tight fists, then unclenched them. He flexed his fingers and examined the blunt human nails that now took their place. Their black sheen was the only thing that gave away his disguise.
As his tongue wandered over a set of sharp teeth, he made a vow to himself then and there. The summon stone would belong to him. He would do whatever it took to possess it.
Drayvex tracked the pulsing entity to a small building with a thatched roof. The sign hanging above the door read ‘The Golden Spoke’ and propped against the front wall was large, golden wheel.
Humans. Predictable to a fault with their habits and rituals, too afraid stand out from one another for fear of rejection. This all boiled down to one thing; they were weak. The herd mentality they possessed made them all the same in his eyes.
He scoffed, stepping over the threshold. This was going to be simple.
She was sitting by herself at the far end of the room. Wasting no time, a duo of empty of glasses had been drank and pushed aside in favour of a third.
Once again, his eyes were drawn to the necklace dangling at her throat. It swayed as she shifted, the air around it rippling and distorting. You had to admire the power of a summon stone. Its acquired defences were well known amongst all that craved status. No doubt the girl would be a complication, although nothing he couldn’t take care of.
Once a summon stone made physical contact with the wearer, an ownership of sorts was secured. Summon stones protected their owner voraciously. This made it almost impossible to steal.
The only way a claimed stone could change hands was when the wearer discarded it themselves, or died with it. The fact that the stone protected its wearer from harm, both malicious and accidental made it all the harder to take by force. Manipulative powers such as possession were definitely out of the question.
Yes, he mused. Whoever had placed that protection spell all those years ago certainly had a sense of humour. He could wait for the girl to die of natural causes, of course. Seventy years was nothing to someone of his calibre. Or maybe he could persuade her to cooperate. Whatever she loved, he would find them and break them one by one, until she begged him to take the stone off her hands. Drayvex smiled, feeling his ego swell in anticipation of challenge. No, there was better a way to get what he wanted. A method worthy of his time.
Drayvex tore his eyes away from the necklace and, with great reluctance, made himself look at the soggy girl.
She was small with a slight frame and bottle green eyes. Her hair was damp and fell down her back in a matted cascade, its rich burgundy sheen a stark contrast against her anaemic complexion. The small stud in her nose, along with the unnatural shade of her locks appeared to be her small attempt at human individuality. Her plain shirt accentuated what little curves she had, casually unbuttoned at the top.
There was something about the way she held herself that made her look older than she was. He narrowed his eyes as he drank her in. Her body language suggested insecurity, but her sullen pout said ‘bite me’.
As far as humans go, this one would be easy to seduce. Maybe he would devour her when he was done playing games. He smirked in response to that last dark thought and slipped across the room towards her.
The girl was oblivious to her surroundings as he approached her table. He pulled out the chair opposite and sat down uninvited, allowing the legs to scrape against the hard wooden floor.
She glanced up, a smile forming on her lips. It slipped when she saw him.
She was expecting someone. Drayvex made himself comfortable, lounging back in the chair. He folded his arms and gazed at her with open curiosity.
The girl stared back through wide green eyes, seemingly at loss for words. As she arrived somewhere between surprise and suspicion, her mouth hung open, as though she’d forgotten how to use it. He could almost hear the cogs turning inside her mind as she took him in, her dismal attempts at subtlety failing.
He smirked, being careful not to trigger the natural sharpening of his human stumps into fangs.
“Can I help you?” she asked, breaking the silence. The tension was audible in the tightness of her voice. She lifted a hand and began twisting a piece of hair around her index finger. A nervous habit?
Drayvex didn’t immediately answer. A candle flickered in the centre of the table, throwing the light as it danced, creating patches of moving shadow across her unblinking face. For a moment, he didn’t move or speak, allowing the moment to stretch and distort.
When he was satisfied that he'd gotten under her skin, he leaned forward and rested an arm on the table between them. “Maybe you can,” he purred, catching her gaze and holding it. He smiled, confident of his abilities, knowing the effect his gaze had on humans.
The girl seemed to lose focus, her eyes glazing over for the briefest of moments, before quickly recovering herself. She sat up straight in one sudden movement. The stone bounced against her chest and fell still. “Are you looking for someone?” The air around it thrummed.
Distracted, Drayvex reached out and picked up a stray bottle cap from the table, rolling it between two fingers. His demon blood screamed in his veins, yearning to be one with the presence. “No,” he answered, hearing a new edge to his voice. “I was wondering why you’re drinking for two.”
The girl stared at him, clearly wondering if he was in possession of his sanity. “Excuse me?” She moved to grip the table. “What did you —” As she did, her arm collided with her drink, pushing it straight off the edge.
She gasped and swiped for the glass, her reactions not unlike that of a week old corpse.
Drayvex moved with preternatural reflexes, plucking the glass from the air. He produced the sloshing glass from beneath the table and placed it back on top, sliding it towards her with the push of a finger.
The girl moved to receive it, a look of disbelief on her face. “Wow.” She laughed once, her eyes flicking down to her glass. “Good save. I’m such a klutz.” Her laugh had warmth to it. He found himself wondering how often she genuinely used it. “Thanks.”
Drayvex leaned forward, letting the table take a portion of his weight. He picked up the discarded cap and spun it on the varnished surface, proceeding as though nothing had happened. “Have you been stood up?”
The smile slipped from her face. She laughed again, this time without warmth. “Stood up?” she repeated, her voice frosty despite its telltale lilt. “Are you being funny?” Her eyes narrowed, shooting to the side and back. “I happen to prefer my own company.”
As he watched her stare at an interesting patch of wall, it was obvious that she thought she could lie to him. Although, he didn’t find it hard to believe that she preferred to be alone. “That so,” he murmured, using his mind to spin the cap. “Well, I hope you’re good company.” He let it drop, then started it with his fingers, for the sake of the girl.
‘Hey, Ruby. Rubeey!’
Drayvex turned his head towards the irritating voice and took in the tall, ginger mop bobbing over to their table.
“Hey,” he panted, stopping and hovering behind Drayvex’s left shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. How are you?”
The girl shrunk somewhat into herself as the boy fixed his attention on her. The grimace that flashed across her face was not something he missed either. “Hey, Gary,” she said, sounding resigned. “I’m fine.”
“Wanna join us? We’re just over in the other corner.” The level of hope his voice projected was pathetic.
Drayvex watched the girl named Ruby cringe. She seemed to flounder for a second as the human named Gary stood, waiting for her reply. Then, with what looked like a fair amount of effort, she smiled politely back.
“Actually, I…” She paused, her green eyes falling on him from across the table. They pleaded with him, and Drayvex thought that if her eyes could speak they’d have a whole speech prepared. “… I’m here with someone else,” she finished, taking the plunge. “Sorry.”
Drayvex watched Gary in the wall mirror. His beady eyes were staring. The boy gawked as if he’d just noticed him sitting there, but his clenched fists told a different story. His knuckles were white, and he looked as though he’d just been slapped.
I’d be happy to oblige, Drayvex thought, irritated. But I won’t stop there. He ignored the weed and focused on the girl as she communicated with him using her eyes. He rewarded her with a smirk. Okay, he thought. I’ll bite.
“Gary,” he drawled.
It took the boy a moment to reply. “Who are you?”
Drayvex smiled without humour. He stood and fully turned to face the boy, matching him in height. “I’m busy,” he replied in a bored voice, meeting his gaze. “In fact, we're both busy. You see, Ruby and I have a lot to talk about.” He continued, allowing his voice to become cold and unfriendly. “Or —” Drayvex moved in close, putting his mouth next to Gary's ear. “We may not talk at all.” He winked for added effect.
Gary change from pale to flame red within seconds. He shot another glance Ruby’s way, then back at him. Finally, he turned and skulked away.
Drayvex smirked, amused at how easily he’d been able to bait the boy. Humans really were stupid.
The first words that sprung to mind were mangled cat.
Ruby squinted through the unrelenting rain at the creature and for a moment, it stared back through muddy yellow eyes. They were large and round, and glowing in the evening dusk.
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was large enough to be a dog, but everything about it was feline. It was scruffy, with whole clumps of fur missing from a misshapen torso and bones that jutted out at odd angles, as though someone had pulled the poor thing apart and put it back together in the wrong order.
As she stood, rooted to the spot, a curiosity buzzed in her mind like a trapped insect. What was it? Ruby’s heart pounded in her chest. Barely aware of her actions, she stretched out her hand, inching her fingertips towards the strange animal.
The cat-dog sunk to the ground, its yellow orbs fixed on her approaching hand.
Ruby froze, mid reach. This wasn’t her best idea.
As it rolled back its lips, it bared its teeth into a defensive snarl and — grinned at her.
Ruby baulked. She blinked, squeezing her eyes shut, and ogled it again. No, it wasn’t grinning. For a few seconds more, neither she or the cat moved a muscle. Then, finally, it turned and shot off in the opposite direction.
As she tried to piece together what she’d seen, a restlessness crept into her blood. It was one of those sudden itches that demanded scratching on the spot, an impulsive desire that insisted on more. She had to get another look.
Ruby weaved along the puddle riddled pavement, following its curve round to the left, and slipped down between two buildings. As a child, her knack for finding trouble had landed her many an unplanned adventure. Now into adulthood, nothing much had changed except that these days, she tended to go looking for it.
The rain bounced off the walls within the little passageway, its echoing magnified tenfold within the enclosed space. She pushed up her sleeve and checked her watch. Already late. She let it drop, guilt squirming in her stomach. Finding a cat in this weather was going to be difficult. Still, she searched anyway, the mystery driving her on despite the awful country weather. Sandra would forgive her. Eventually.
A strong gust rolled down the cobbled passageway, sending rain splattering against the brickwork in a frenzy. Ruby shrunk into her jacket, hiding her neck from the cold spray. As she did, a soggy ribbon of red hair tumbled out of her hood. She left it, knowing that at this point, avoiding the inevitable bleed of dyed hair would be impossible.
Just then, Ruby’s foot kicked something solid. A short, sharp noise rang out and she jumped backwards on high alert. Two things sped off in separate directions. The abandoned crate, skittering across the wet ground and coming to a stop in the middle of the alley, and the cat, moving like its tail was on fire.
And just like that, it was gone.
Ruby sucked in a breath. Her arms prickled, the hairs standing on end as she glanced back over towards the crate. Whatever it was, it was fast.
The wind picked up, throwing an icy blast of rain at her back. What if it needed a vet? She'd never bothered with pets, but she knew what a healthy cat was supposed to look like. This one looked far from well. Ruby struggled with her rain drenched hood, then folded her arms, making herself smaller. An involuntary shiver passed through her body. Then again, what was the likelihood of something that fast being injured?
Ruby picked up her pace. She crossed the road and jogged up the sloping pavement, passing the hazy glow of the corner store. She was starting to think that she'd imagined the whole damn thing. Maybe it wasn’t a cat-dog at all. Maybe, bored out of her mind, Crichton was slowly driving her mad. She frowned, pushing these miserable thoughts out of her head. Sandra was going to crack up when she heard about this.
She looked ahead, glancing up just in time to spot a long tail disappearing behind the fading bricks of Wishy Washy Laundrette. A smile broke out across her face. Got you, kitty cat.
Ruby swung around the corner and slipped into stealth mode. Too late.
The cat looked around, sensing her presence. When it saw her, it sped up and tore off through the village.
Not this time, she thought, breaking into a run. Any uneasiness she’d previously felt was quickly replaced by thrill as she picked up the pace, pushing herself to keep up.
Just ahead of her the creature leaped, throwing itself against a metal sign on the pavement. It came into contact with the sign and kicked off it, keeping a good pace. The sign knocked over with a clang.
Ruby vaulted it, closing the gap.
Just then, it swerved, veering off at a sharp angle, and that’s when she saw it. The big hole in the ground. Ruby tried to stop. Failed. Dropped.
Her stomach abandoned her as she plummeted straight down into the open manhole. Ruby dropped, helpless. Darkness engulfed her, swallowing her who —
A sharp yank at her middle stopped her dead. Her stomach lurched. Her head and limbs kept going, the momentum stretching her, before snapping her back.
Gasping for breath, Ruby swayed, eyes wide. Her brain scrabbled, trying to right itself. She was dangling above a dark pit, with nothing below her feet. She was going to fall. She would probably break a few bones, as she couldn’t see the bottom. If no one had seen her fall in, she could be trapped all night. Freezing. Bleeding. What if she landed on her head? What if. What if.
The fabric of her cheap belt creaked under the strain of her entire weight. Ruby snapped out of her frantic musings and looked up. She squinted against the rain as it splattered her face. Yes, the edge of the hole was just within reach.
Springing into action, she reached up with both arms, stretching them beyond what she thought her arms were capable of. The swaying wasn’t helping.
Holding her breath, she reached up again, her shoulder joints screaming at her. Stretched, and — her fingers met the wet ground above. Relief flooded her as Ruby gripped the edge of the manhole, holding on for dear life. If her fingers slipped now, it would surely be enough to send her tumbling.
She pulled up, cautious not to be too eager. Slow and steady. Steady.
As she reached the top, she scrabbled away from the hole on her hands and knees. Puddles soaked into her trouser legs, but Ruby didn’t care. The overwhelming sense of gratitude she felt was almost euphoric.
Peering over the edge into the open manhole, she looked for her saving grace, and frowned. She couldn’t see what could have caught her. The inside surfaces were smooth, with nothing visible sticking out that could have caught her.
Heart pounding, Ruby turned and started back the way she’d come. As she tightened her sodden jacket around her, a ridiculous thought entered her head. It’s funny, she thought, humouring herself. It was almost as though the cat had planned to send her plummeting into that hole.
She shook her head, trying to let it go. There was really nothing more she could do. And she was late. It didn’t matter that cats couldn’t grin, or that instead of feeling like she could fly, she should be shaken to her core. This was Crichton, and nobody would care.
***
Within the torrents of rain, something pulsed with energy. It called out to him, enticing with the promise of unimaginable power, demanding his full attention. From the moment he had arrived he’d sensed it, and it was getting stronger by the second.
When he'd first stood breathing in the alien atmosphere, gathering his bearings, he’d discovered two things: one, the powerful presence was moving towards him, and two, it was close. So close in fact that Drayvex had tensed in response to its proximity, his body reacting to the unknown entity.
In that moment, a low level demon shot around the corner. It took him a second to realise that it was, in fact, his demon. Drayvex glowered from his rooftop perch. Kaelor had followed him through the portal and his idea of blending in was truly spectacular. Moron.
The rain lashed around him in waves, throwing itself at him, then evaporating into a fine mist upon contact with his hot flesh. The pulsing presence was coming in behind. He looked down at the ground as it moved into view, his sharp eyes cutting through the downpour, and zoned in on the source of power. What he saw threw him off his guard.
It was a girl. A human girl emanating a throbbing black aura.
Drayvex narrowed his eyes and relaxed a fraction. He couldn’t see anything unusual or interesting about her, except — she was chasing a demon.
He watched the chase unfold, and Kaelor resolve his problem by dropping it into a hole in the ground. He kept watching. The girl disappeared; the aura did not.
It collected around mouth of the hole as though close to the surface, ripe for the taking. Drayvex tensed, refusing to be baited. Things were rarely that simple.
Moments later, his patience was rewarded when the girl climbed back out of the hole. She was unscathed and unshaken, and once again he found himself studying the human below with growing interest. It was then that he noticed what was around her neck.
As he stared at the small trinket in revelation, everything clicked into place. It was a simple piece of silver jewellery, hanging on a worn, leather cord. The charm its self was unusually shaped. Its main body was a crescent lying on its side, points facing downward. Underneath that was a smaller crescent, and under that a crescent so small it looked like a pincer. There was a small blood red gem in the centre, and written along each arm were inscriptions so old they were practically ancient. Demon inscriptions.
The girl began to backtrack, Kaelor having given her the slip. Drayvex made a mental note to punish the worthless ingrate. If he'd wanted to be followed, he would have told someone he was leaving.
He continued to feel the presence long after her absence. This was exactly the kind of distraction he’d been looking for. He brought up his hands, studying the curved black claws at his fingertips. These would have to go for what he had planned.
Drayvex clenched his hands into tight fists, then unclenched them. He flexed his fingers and examined the blunt human nails that now took their place. Their black sheen was the only thing that gave away his disguise.
As his tongue wandered over a set of sharp teeth, he made a vow to himself then and there. The summon stone would belong to him. He would do whatever it took to possess it.
Drayvex tracked the pulsing entity to a small building with a thatched roof. The sign hanging above the door read ‘The Golden Spoke’ and propped against the front wall was large, golden wheel.
Humans. Predictable to a fault with their habits and rituals, too afraid stand out from one another for fear of rejection. This all boiled down to one thing; they were weak. The herd mentality they possessed made them all the same in his eyes.
He scoffed, stepping over the threshold. This was going to be simple.
She was sitting by herself at the far end of the room. Wasting no time, a duo of empty of glasses had been drank and pushed aside in favour of a third.
Once again, his eyes were drawn to the necklace dangling at her throat. It swayed as she shifted, the air around it rippling and distorting. You had to admire the power of a summon stone. Its acquired defences were well known amongst all that craved status. No doubt the girl would be a complication, although nothing he couldn’t take care of.
Once a summon stone made physical contact with the wearer, an ownership of sorts was secured. Summon stones protected their owner voraciously. This made it almost impossible to steal.
The only way a claimed stone could change hands was when the wearer discarded it themselves, or died with it. The fact that the stone protected its wearer from harm, both malicious and accidental made it all the harder to take by force. Manipulative powers such as possession were definitely out of the question.
Yes, he mused. Whoever had placed that protection spell all those years ago certainly had a sense of humour. He could wait for the girl to die of natural causes, of course. Seventy years was nothing to someone of his calibre. Or maybe he could persuade her to cooperate. Whatever she loved, he would find them and break them one by one, until she begged him to take the stone off her hands. Drayvex smiled, feeling his ego swell in anticipation of challenge. No, there was better a way to get what he wanted. A method worthy of his time.
Drayvex tore his eyes away from the necklace and, with great reluctance, made himself look at the soggy girl.
She was small with a slight frame and bottle green eyes. Her hair was damp and fell down her back in a matted cascade, its rich burgundy sheen a stark contrast against her anaemic complexion. The small stud in her nose, along with the unnatural shade of her locks appeared to be her small attempt at human individuality. Her plain shirt accentuated what little curves she had, casually unbuttoned at the top.
There was something about the way she held herself that made her look older than she was. He narrowed his eyes as he drank her in. Her body language suggested insecurity, but her sullen pout said ‘bite me’.
As far as humans go, this one would be easy to seduce. Maybe he would devour her when he was done playing games. He smirked in response to that last dark thought and slipped across the room towards her.
The girl was oblivious to her surroundings as he approached her table. He pulled out the chair opposite and sat down uninvited, allowing the legs to scrape against the hard wooden floor.
She glanced up, a smile forming on her lips. It slipped when she saw him.
She was expecting someone. Drayvex made himself comfortable, lounging back in the chair. He folded his arms and gazed at her with open curiosity.
The girl stared back through wide green eyes, seemingly at loss for words. As she arrived somewhere between surprise and suspicion, her mouth hung open, as though she’d forgotten how to use it. He could almost hear the cogs turning inside her mind as she took him in, her dismal attempts at subtlety failing.
He smirked, being careful not to trigger the natural sharpening of his human stumps into fangs.
“Can I help you?” she asked, breaking the silence. The tension was audible in the tightness of her voice. She lifted a hand and began twisting a piece of hair around her index finger. A nervous habit?
Drayvex didn’t immediately answer. A candle flickered in the centre of the table, throwing the light as it danced, creating patches of moving shadow across her unblinking face. For a moment, he didn’t move or speak, allowing the moment to stretch and distort.
When he was satisfied that he'd gotten under her skin, he leaned forward and rested an arm on the table between them. “Maybe you can,” he purred, catching her gaze and holding it. He smiled, confident of his abilities, knowing the effect his gaze had on humans.
The girl seemed to lose focus, her eyes glazing over for the briefest of moments, before quickly recovering herself. She sat up straight in one sudden movement. The stone bounced against her chest and fell still. “Are you looking for someone?” The air around it thrummed.
Distracted, Drayvex reached out and picked up a stray bottle cap from the table, rolling it between two fingers. His demon blood screamed in his veins, yearning to be one with the presence. “No,” he answered, hearing a new edge to his voice. “I was wondering why you’re drinking for two.”
The girl stared at him, clearly wondering if he was in possession of his sanity. “Excuse me?” She moved to grip the table. “What did you —” As she did, her arm collided with her drink, pushing it straight off the edge.
She gasped and swiped for the glass, her reactions not unlike that of a week old corpse.
Drayvex moved with preternatural reflexes, plucking the glass from the air. He produced the sloshing glass from beneath the table and placed it back on top, sliding it towards her with the push of a finger.
The girl moved to receive it, a look of disbelief on her face. “Wow.” She laughed once, her eyes flicking down to her glass. “Good save. I’m such a klutz.” Her laugh had warmth to it. He found himself wondering how often she genuinely used it. “Thanks.”
Drayvex leaned forward, letting the table take a portion of his weight. He picked up the discarded cap and spun it on the varnished surface, proceeding as though nothing had happened. “Have you been stood up?”
The smile slipped from her face. She laughed again, this time without warmth. “Stood up?” she repeated, her voice frosty despite its telltale lilt. “Are you being funny?” Her eyes narrowed, shooting to the side and back. “I happen to prefer my own company.”
As he watched her stare at an interesting patch of wall, it was obvious that she thought she could lie to him. Although, he didn’t find it hard to believe that she preferred to be alone. “That so,” he murmured, using his mind to spin the cap. “Well, I hope you’re good company.” He let it drop, then started it with his fingers, for the sake of the girl.
‘Hey, Ruby. Rubeey!’
Drayvex turned his head towards the irritating voice and took in the tall, ginger mop bobbing over to their table.
“Hey,” he panted, stopping and hovering behind Drayvex’s left shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. How are you?”
The girl shrunk somewhat into herself as the boy fixed his attention on her. The grimace that flashed across her face was not something he missed either. “Hey, Gary,” she said, sounding resigned. “I’m fine.”
“Wanna join us? We’re just over in the other corner.” The level of hope his voice projected was pathetic.
Drayvex watched the girl named Ruby cringe. She seemed to flounder for a second as the human named Gary stood, waiting for her reply. Then, with what looked like a fair amount of effort, she smiled politely back.
“Actually, I…” She paused, her green eyes falling on him from across the table. They pleaded with him, and Drayvex thought that if her eyes could speak they’d have a whole speech prepared. “… I’m here with someone else,” she finished, taking the plunge. “Sorry.”
Drayvex watched Gary in the wall mirror. His beady eyes were staring. The boy gawked as if he’d just noticed him sitting there, but his clenched fists told a different story. His knuckles were white, and he looked as though he’d just been slapped.
I’d be happy to oblige, Drayvex thought, irritated. But I won’t stop there. He ignored the weed and focused on the girl as she communicated with him using her eyes. He rewarded her with a smirk. Okay, he thought. I’ll bite.
“Gary,” he drawled.
It took the boy a moment to reply. “Who are you?”
Drayvex smiled without humour. He stood and fully turned to face the boy, matching him in height. “I’m busy,” he replied in a bored voice, meeting his gaze. “In fact, we're both busy. You see, Ruby and I have a lot to talk about.” He continued, allowing his voice to become cold and unfriendly. “Or —” Drayvex moved in close, putting his mouth next to Gary's ear. “We may not talk at all.” He winked for added effect.
Gary change from pale to flame red within seconds. He shot another glance Ruby’s way, then back at him. Finally, he turned and skulked away.
Drayvex smirked, amused at how easily he’d been able to bait the boy. Humans really were stupid.
Living in quaint little Crichton is City girl Ruby's idea of hell. But when a silver-tongued stranger takes an interest in her mundane country life, she gets far more than a sympathetic ear. Drawn into the world of demons, darkness and deceit, Ruby may well get the adventure she craves after all. Hell has a name... but it's not Crichton.
When restless Demon Drayvex stumbles across a human girl with a powerful demonic pendant, he makes stealing it from her his number one goal. But the stone does not wish to be stolen from its human owner. In fact, it seems to be perfectly content being dear old Grandma's necklace. Game on.
When restless Demon Drayvex stumbles across a human girl with a powerful demonic pendant, he makes stealing it from her his number one goal. But the stone does not wish to be stolen from its human owner. In fact, it seems to be perfectly content being dear old Grandma's necklace. Game on.
LEAVE A COMMENT
Like my Facebook Page, pretty please |
|