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“Jack, be nimble.”
The voice is soft and melodious as it sings a slow tune, drawing the words out.
Abolish tightens his grip around his gun, keeping his eyes trained on the door as he creeps closer. The sound is muffled by old wood and cracked plaster, but with the stench of burning sulfur wafting through the air, it’s clear that time is running out.
It’s already too far along.
“Jack, be quick.”
When he gets to the door, the latch is already unlocked, and Abolish pushes it open quickly so he can peer inside— And he doesn’t like what he sees.
A man stands in the middle of a complex circle made of blood and salt, candles dotted around it, holding a dull knife. He whimpers as he runs the blade across the palm of his hand, and the drops of blood sizzle as they hit the beaten floorboards.
Abolish shoves the door open without preamble, and takes aim without hesitation.
When the door bangs against the wall, the loud noise startles the man and his head snaps towards Abolish, the pained wonder in his blue eyes turning into surprise, then fear, and he opens his mouth to say something, but it’s too late.
“Jack, jump over the candlestick.”
The gun goes off with a pop, and before the man’s body has hit the ground, Abolish is already rushing towards the summoning circle. The flames flicker just as he jumps inside, then glow brighter. For a moment he considers that maybe he was on time, but as is usual in his line of work, there’s no place for something as fickle as hope.
Oh well.
Damage mitigation it is.
Darkness envelops him as the candles burn out, sulfur mingling with silver, and Abolish can’t help but shiver as the temperature in the room drops starkly.
Silence drags on, and the only thing Abolish can hear is his own slow, even breathing, and the drip of blood as it fuels the circle. It’s a slow process, another bad sign, and Abolish slides the gun back into its concealed holster.
Whatever demon has been summoned, Abolish won’t be able to harm it while they’re both within the premises of the circle, but neither can it hurt him. He’d not been able to observe the sigils that were part of it, but even at a glance, Abolish knew it was far more intricate than he’d initially expected it to be.
The organisation had gotten the report of a sudden surge of magical activity half an hour prior, but the little information that was provided to Abolish told him that the occupant of the apartment was a scholar with little money and no obvious occult connections.
A ritual of this level of complexity should not be near the hands of a mere college student.
Abolish gets drawn out of his musings when the candles flare back up weakly, and as his eyes adjust to the dim light, he sees that the student’s blood has been steadily drained from his body. It’s snaked around the border, further strengthening the ritual, and it’s started to coalesce on the opposite side of the circle.
With the flicker of the flames, Abolish can make out some of the aglow sigils. None of them promise anything fun.
They’re ancient, nothing like the more simplistic symbols he’s grown familiar—almost comfortable—with through the years. Abolish has done his fair share of summonings, he knows how to navigate a deal, but few of the circles he’s been in have come near the Daedalian labyrinth that makes up this one.
What was the student thinking?
Abolish holds back a scoff. There’s no point in dwelling on the past, much less when the person involved is dead now anyway, but regardless of their intentions, Abolish will be the one to clean up the mess.
He hadn’t exactly planned to make a Devil’s Deal today.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
As the candles’ light burns brighter, the distant noise of someone slow clapping their hands together starts to echo through the room, and Abolish keeps his eyes on the blood as it twists around in the air, forming a humanoid shape before, in the blink of an eye, the shape of a man is in front of him instead.
The demon’s clawed hands are black-tipped as they give a lazy applause, the sound eerily loud in the small, darkened room. Abolish can’t see out of the circle anymore, the world narrowed down to the demon, and to himself.
“Well done,” they praise, low and sultry, and it makes the hairs on the back of Abolish’s neck stand up in warning. The demon’s head chokes down as their gaze lowers from Abolish’s face to the student’s cooling body. “Oh poor Jack,” they purr, voice dripping saccharine with sick satisfaction, “he was fast, but not quite as fast as you and your—hm, what are they called again? Ah, riiiight! A gun! Yes, yes, you were quite quick with that one!”
An older demon, then, but that could easily range it from a few centuries to a millennia. Most demons don’t quite reach that age, but if there’s one thing that’s dangerous to do when dealing with a demon, it’s to make assumptions.
They follow rules, but that doesn’t make them predictable.
When Abolish doesn’t reply, the demon slinks forward like they’re one with the darkness, nearly blending in with the shadows. As they circle around him, taking him in, Abolish observes them right back.
Lesser demons are easy to recognise at a glance, their grotesque bodies the physical manifestation of their mangled, mortal souls; they’re not born of hell, they’re created. This demon is too uniquely striking to have ever been human.
Just his luck.
Snow-white, neatly combed short hair swoops in front of an eye, and it isn’t until the demon tilts their head that it falls out of their face, showing off piercing, ruby-red eyes. They glow faintly, creating a sharp contrast against pure alabaster skin, their darkened lips and blacktipped claws the only exception.
But most striking is their two pale, opalescent horns.
Protruding from the demon’s forehead, they curl up and around their head like a crown, shimmering with shades of blue and gold in the faint candlelight with every flick of movement.
Abolish has never seen anything like them.
“The silent type, are we?” they murmur when Abolish remains quiet, a razor-sharp edge to their otherwise playful tone. This is just a game to them, but the demon will find that Abolish is a far better player than most mortals.
“I’m just wondering what you’ll do,” Abolish says in lieu of an answer, shrugging his shoulders. The most important thing is to keep a cool head, to follow the rules, and to not walk into any laid out traps.
The demon lets out a soft laugh. “Familiar with my kind, are we? I can see it in your soul, of course, my my, you've been sleeping around!”
And to not let yourself get baited either. “Is that a problem?”
“Oh not at all, darling,” they say with a wink. Then they let out a dramatic sigh. “But I’m afraid I do have to disappoint; you won’t have anything to offer me.”
Abolish can work with that— he’d prefer it even. Without a deal, the demon can’t get out of the circle and will be sent back to hell, as simple as that, but he’d much rather end this sooner than later. This might be a game to them, but Abolish isn’t about to become anyone's toy, or to be kept as a hostage.
“How about a name for a name,” Abolish offers. It’s about as harmless a deal you make with a demon, a contract with instant fulfillment, but a deal nonetheless.
Fangs poke past the demon’s lips when they smile, and with their black and red Victorian-esque attire, it would be easy to mistake them for a vampire instead of a proper demon.
“Clever, are we now, but I’m not so easily inclined as to take you up on that. How about I offer you my name instead, hm? You may call me Scott, only the loveliest demon lord you will ever feast your eyes upon,” the demon—Scott—says with theatrical bow. “Now, will you be so kind as to offer me your name in return?”
Hm. An experienced dealmaker then, that’s fine. “Abolish,” he says simply.
“That wasn't so hard now, was it? No deal necessary! Alas, it has been quite a while since I've seen this realm of existence, and I do soooo miss the chaos mortals cause, but I think it's about time we cut this absolutely riveting conversation short.”
Sure, no problem. Boring is good when it means Scott isn’t interested in making any deals.
Abolish tracks Scott with his eyes as he wanders back to the middle of the circle, slow-humming to the tune of Jack, be nimble as he crouches down next to the scholar’s body and trails a surprisingly gentle claw over the man’s bloodied face, from his left eye down to the corner of his mouth.
“I’m not too interested in this myself.” Abolish shrugs again. “I’m not holding you hostage or anything, you can go back any time.”
Scott chuckles, but doesn’t look up. “Come now, darling, you can say go back to hell, it’s the 21st century, isn’t it?” he replies, sounding slightly distracted. “Besiiiiides, playing the good hunter doesn’t suit you at all, not after the mess you made. I should thank you for that, by the way.” The demon’s mocking eyes flick back up to his face, and Scott draws back up to his full height, his claw gleaming with blood. “Without your little sacrifice, I’d be trapped in this circle, forced to make a deal with this foolish mortal.”
Abolish narrows his eyes. “You’re trapped until I let you out,” he says plainly.
“Am I? Oh my, what a surprise! But darling, those are not the rules I abide by.”
Stone cold realisation runs through his veins as he glances over at the unfamiliar sigils making up the summoning circle. Well, fuck. “You can leave,” Abolish states slowly, dread growing in the pit of his stomach.
The smile on Scott’s face grows. “I can leave,” he repeats, lifting his hand up to his mouth. “All I needed, dear, was a little bit of extra power.” To punctuate his words, the glow of Scott’s eyes brightens as he licks the blood off his claw.
And Abolish had offered it to him on a silver platter.
“Right,” he replies slowly, internally cursing himself. So much for not underestimating demons. Now he has to do a risk assessment. Funnnn. “And I’m guessing you’re not at all worried about being banished right back?”
Scott waves him off dismissively, then steps away from the student’s corpse and to the border of the circle. He inspects the line of salt with exaggerated interest, then lifts his hand and presses bloodied claws against the invisible barrier.
“Nahhh,” he replies, and Abolish can practically see the smugness radiating off of Scott when he scrapes over the surface and violent sparks fly off. Like nails on a chalkboard, the magic screeches in protest, the claws leaving angry, dark trails behind in the air.
He grimaces.
“Yeah, no, I find that hard to believe,” Abolish comments. He ignores the amused huff Scott lets out and pushes on, “You’ll be hunted down eventually, I think we’re both well aware that it’ll just be a matter of time.”
There’s a pause as Scott’s claws come to a halt. He tilts his head thoughtfully, then shrugs. “Aww, but think of all the fun I can have before you guys manage to send me back! Last time it took them a dozen mages and three massacres before they figured it out, and I’ll bet ya that it will take them a looooot longer now.”
Now it’s Abolish’s turn to pause.
With uneasy familiarity, he instantly knows exactly what Scott is talking about, which event he’s implying to be responsible for, and isn’t that just great. Abolish had studied the events thoroughly, but very little had been known about the demon that had caused them, most of the records about them wiped clean. Of course, the organisation had kept one tidbit about its appearance— about how its pale horns had shimmered with colour.
Lovely. A severe risk.
“...The Oakhurst massacres.”
Scott turns slightly, just enough that Abolish can see the offensive on his face. “They named them after that stupid town?” he questions, genuinely scandalised. His voice turns mournful, then, “Oh, they truly tried to erase me from history, didn’t they, how rude.”
It’s a rare thing, but beyond being able to identify them, information about highly classified demons is often thoroughly removed, to prevent the temptation of summoning that damning power for yourself. Even Abolish hadn’t been high up enough to get an insight into them, exceptions only permitted when deemed necessary.
Now, Abolish wishes he’d been allowed this one exception.
His ancestors had been involved with banishing Scott many centuries ago, and now it’s up to Abolish to follow in their footsteps, far less prepared to face such a threat, and once Scott breaks the circle, far less willing to die knowing it would just be in vain.
And even without knowing much about Scott himself, Abolish now knows exactly what he’s capable of— just how dangerous it is to let him walk free.
Unfortunately, there’s only one thing he can do.
“You know, a deal would prevent you from being banished at all,” Abolish suggests as casually as he can, eyes tracking Scott as he turns away from the barrier.
An indulgent smile forms on his lips. “Ah ah, but I have no intention of being a lap dog.” Scott is in front of him in three long strides, mouth curled up in amusement. “And besides, we both know such deals are only ever temporary.”
Well fuck.
There’s no other choice, then, isn’t there, there’s only one more gambit he can make. “Not if we make it permanent.”
A soft laugh.
“What an intriguing prospect.” Scott’s red eyes gleam with genuine curiosity, and his hands come up to drape themselves over Abolish’s shoulders. He leans in closer, his cold lips tickling the shell of Abolish’s ear. “Tempt me, angel,” Scott says in a purr.
Oh, this is going to give him so much paperwork to do…
Abolish works his jaw, casting his eyes up in the darkness. Fine. “I’m offering you a soulbound contract,” he starts, voice flat. Abolish forces himself to keep going, to keep the strain out of his voice, but he imagines Scott is well aware how reluctant he is to make this deal, “as long as I’m alive, you’ll not be able to be banished.”
He can feel Scott’s grin grow sharp as he tilts his head, the brush of his lips dusting over his cheek. “My my, aren’t you just full of surprises,” he murmurs against Abolish’s skin. He suppresses a shiver. “That does all sound veeeery tempting, angel, but what would be your terms?”
“No massacres, for one,” Abolish replies instantly. “No killing or maiming innocent people.”
There’s a huff right next to his ear, and then Scott draws back enough that Abolish can see the glow of his eyes. “I still need to eat, angel.”
“You can get your food elsewhere.”
Scott pouts, but when Abolish meets his pleading look with an unimpressed expression, he sighs. “I suppoooose you are offering me a great deal,” he admits, and that grin returns again as he wraps his arms around Abolish’s neck. Does he have to be this touchy? “But I want one, teeny-tiny adjustment.”
Can’t be good, but whatever, Abolish is already in deep anyway. “What tiny adjustment would that be?”
“I want this term to be adjustable— or any, really,” Scott says smoothly, and before Abolish can argue, he continues, “Ah, ah, don’t worry, angel, this term would be adjustable at your discretion.”
“At my discretion? What, you think I’d change my mind?” he questions, furrowing his brows slightly. There’s always a reason with demons, but Abolish can’t quite figure out what Scott’s endgame is.
A fang slips out as Scott’s smile grows. “Does it matter? Surely such a siiiimple change isn’t a dealbreaker for you?”
Reluctantly, Abolish shakes his head. No, it isn’t, it can’t be, not if it is for Scott. “Fine, as long as it’s at my discretion,” he replies firmly. “Are these your terms?”
“Aww, look at how formal you’re being! It’s adorable,” Scott coos with a delighted laugh as tilts his head so their noses bump together. This demon, dear lord.
Abolish rolls his eyes. “Be serious.”
With a chuckle, Scott falls silent, his expression turning pensive. For a moment, he seems to genuinely think it over, letting out a drawn out hmm. Then, as quick as his thoughtfulness came, it disappears with a shrug. “Yep, those are my terms.”
It sets Abolish’s teeth on edge how agreeable Scott is.
“Alright.” There’s no point in questioning him. Demons can’t lie while making a deal—you can’t trick a soul, it would defeat the purpose of obtaining it willingly—but that doesn’t mean Scott is compelled to answer.
Scott leans forward, resting his full weight against Abolish. It forces him to grab hold of Scott’s sides to stop them from toppling over, and Abolish regards Scott cooly as his grin goes smug. “And are those your terms, angel?” he purrs.
Be nimble.
“Yeah,” he confirms without hesitation. “Those are my terms.”
Demanding more would only show weakness, something Abolish can’t afford. Not with a risk like Scott. There’s little he can ask for anyway, both of them have shown their hand, for Abolish this deal is about keeping Scott from causing death and destruction at a scale he can’t begin to imagine, and for Scott it’s a way to stay in the mortal realm however long he wishes.
And after centuries of banishment, that seems to be a high priority for him.
Red eyes brighten with delight. “Lets skip the foreplay and go right to the main act then, shall we?” Scott suggests, and Abolish feels a slight tug on the back of his head when Scott twirls a lock of his hair around a finger.
This demon is going to give him paperwork and a headache.
Be quick.
Abolish nods stiffly, and for the first time since he’d entered the summoning circle, he feels a hint of nerves. Soulbound deals are extraordinarily rare for a reason, their permanency off-putting for most people, but they can’t be broken.
It’s the one thing that eases Abolish’s nerves.
Neither of them can ever break it.
Jump over the candlestick.
He slowly inhales through his nose and steadies himself, meeting Scott’s coy gaze with steely determination. The corner of Scott’s mouth ticks up, and then he leans in. Scott’s fang pierces through his bottom lip, sharp pain blooms up, and Abolish lets out a soft hiss when Scott runs his tongue over the puncture, lapping up the blood.
A bond snaps in place, viciously, without mercy.
Abolish feels it under his skin, on his tongue, behind his eyelids, rushing through his veins, in the back of his mind, beyond himself. It settles in his body like it’s coming home, languid and easy, with a thrill of contentment.
It doesn’t feel like any other deal he’s made, like an attachment to his soul, no, instead it feels like an extension.
“Why, thank you, angel,” Scott murmurs softly after a moment of quiet, voice dripping with honey, but his hooded eyes and blood-stained grin make him look anything but sweet. His arms are still locked behind Abolish’s head, and a sharp claw scratches playfully against the back of his neck. “I think the two of us are going to have a lot of fun together.”
The candles burn out, plunging them in darkness. Scott’s eyes are the only thing he can still see, aglow with satisfaction and dark amusement. There’s no lie to be found in them, instead all Abolish finds is a promise.
Ugh.
He needs a raise.