Update
Today, I got my writing done early in the day, because I'm going to be getting caught up in doing my freelance job as a copyeditor, as well as handling coursework in all 4 of my classes to try to get ahead a bit. I went back and forth on this update a bit, but decided that if I finished off the short today, which would be feasible with only a 3-4 thousand more words to go for it, instead of staying with the daily doses of short writing, I'd likely fall into a bad writing habit I have where I write a ton of content in one go, and then get so burned out by it I don't write for weeks or months afterwards. On the plus side of short updates, I can practice my skills at building tension for readers.
Current Word Count: 14,088
Scene of the Day
Therion stood at nearly seven feet tall, all of his
height made of lean muscle.
A healthy surfer’s tan that you wouldn’t expect someone
from Hell to have showed wherever his grey suit didn’t cover, and a clean-cut
mop of black hair covered part of his face.
Without the suit, and in a different setting, he might
pass for a beach bum.
Nobody would be able to think that if they saw the pure
scarlet irises set into the center of his eyes, though, the color putting my
knife’s ruby to shame.
The smell of brimstone quickly thickened the air, seeming
to make an effort to choke me as it spread.
“Well, well, what pleasure do I find myself facing here?”
he asked with a deep timbre of a voice.
The sound of it hit me like a physical force, as though
just him speaking was pressing a serrated knife to me.
“Let’s not waste time playin’ games today, yeah? The
gate’s only open fer a short time, an’ I hate wastin’ time.”
He looked at his cage, turning in a slow circle as if I
hadn’t spoken.
When he came to a stop, his mouth was in a cruel,
feral-looking sneer.
“This is quite the
barrier here. I was thinking some hapless moron found one of my cards and
decided to have a party. To have summoned me by name, into something like this,
though… You’re not some amateur, yes? What, then? A witch, maybe? I can smell
the stink only someone with Faery in them has, even from here.”
I just shrugged, giving nothing away, if I could help it.
“I know a trick ‘er two.”
“So it seems.”
With a sniff, he nudged at the salt, only to have a small
tongue of fire leap to life on his wingtip shoe.
A gesture snuffed it out, and he gave a small nod, as
though the display had confirmed something.
“They clearly never warned you about summoning my kind,
little Changeling witch. It’s just your misfortune that you fished for me,
specifically. That was an astoundingly stupid decision.”
I shrugged again, my hand tightening just a bit around
the gun’s grip.
“That remains
ta’ be seen. If ya’ want out, trade me fer it,” I challenged.
I watched closely, looking for his reaction.
Demons weren’t good at what they did because they failed
at having effective poker faces, and Therion was no exception.
A small twitch around his jaw was all I could pick up.
Apparently, I shifted from annoying to amusing, all with
a single sentence.
Somehow, I doubted that was a good thing.
“A deal?” he
asked as cunning flashed in his eyes.
No point in hiding the scheming, in a race known for
scheming, I suppose.
“And what is it that you want? Money? Power? A bigger
chest?”
The last one was meant to get a rise out of me, and it
was shocking how weak the attempt was.
I gave him a flippant jerk of my hands, smirking right
back at him.
“No thanks. I’ve got a pretty fantastic amounta’ funds,
there’s not any kinder power ya’ can get with a wish that’d be werth it, and
I’ve not gotten many complaints in that other area. No, what I want should be
pretty simple.”
His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Oh? And what is it that you want, my brogue-ful
Changeling witch captor?”
“I’ll send ya’ back home when I’ve got Catherine O’Brian,
intact in every single interpretationa’ the word,” I stated, locking stares
with the hellspawn.
He was staring at me through slits by that point, and the
glare was made all the creepier with his Cheshire cat smile.
“I see. A gun for hire, so to speak, then. Disappointing,
if I’m honest. I regret to inform you that my contract is binding. Angel sold
her daughter’s soul, and it’s mine to sell or do as I otherwise please, by
right and by lawful transaction. Now, if you’re willing to buy her, that’d be a different story, of course, but-”
“She was an idiot,” I interrupted. “Doesn’t mean ‘er
daughter should suffer. Especially since ya’ prey on people when they’re
already on the way out and think they got nothin’ ta’ lose. We’ve got stuff
dealin’ with contracts made while takin’ advantage a’ people, up on the
topside.”
He smirked and gave me a shrug, seeming entirely amused.
“Stupidity isn’t grounds for termination of my contracts,” he retorted.
“True enough. Which is why I’m not askin’ ta’ break yer
contract.”
“So you will buy
her, then?”
The hopeful gleam to his eyes told me I wanted nothing to
do with paying whatever fee that would cost.
“Not a chance.”
“Then… what? You want me to just give her to you because
you asked so nicely?” he sneered.
“I’ll make a new contract. You get released back to the
Lower Realms in return for Catherine O’Brian. You also nullify any future
claims on ‘er.”
That’s where things got truly dangerous.
Until that point, Therion had been having what would
almost be called fun.
Amusement at the expense of the stupid human, and the
exchange of various threats through body language and potential slip-ups alone.
Telling him I’d put him in a cage that was so much
stronger than him that he had to pay a soul to get his way free, though, was
something different.
Demons are, without a doubt, the worst species to take
being backed into a corner.
“You actually think
you can bargain a miracle child for my freedom!?” he snarled, eyes flashing the
color of old blood.
Yep, amusement gone.
“Look, my client wants her daughter. I’ll add a clause
that says if I ever tell anyone but my client about this, you can take her
back. Fair?”
“Oh, no. No, that’s giving you what you want. I’m not
going to be so foolishly lenient.”
Snarling, he moved to the very edge of the salt circle.
“I’m going to break out of this, and then I’m going to
rend your flesh from bone, and utterly eviscerate you. Slowly, and with relish,
making sure you’re aware through all of it. Are you prepared, Changeling!? Nobody dares such insolence with me and survives with their soul
intact!”
His right fist lashed out in a blur of motion.
My barrier pulsed to life, becoming a solid dome of light
as he connected.
Black, acrid smoke rose from his completely charred hand.
The growl that rumbled free from him shook the entire
warehouse until dust rained down from the roof.
The air inside the circle began to turn opaquely black, the
air pressure around us shifting.
Dark, cloying energy pulsated in and out of existence in
a nebulous smoke around him.
Something big was coming.
The fact that I could feel it from the other side of two
circles was something that was terrifying, in itself.
“If you insist on insulting me this way, then I will give
you no hint of mercy, you arrogant whelp! I’ll punch a hole straight through
your little circle, and then I’ll turn your skull into a chalice!”
Black magic coalesced around his clenched fist, and I
once again checked my gun, just in case.
“Ready yourself to face your end, witch!”
With a snarl, he threw his arms out.
In a flash, his power left him and collided with the
circle.
Evil, ink-black flames burst from the aether, licking at
the outline of the barrier.
A solid tidal wave of obsidian coated the barrier,
running along its entire form to show the magical bubble, no psychic vision
required.
After half a minute, the circle began to wobble and bend
under the demonic assault.
He pushed more power into the black flames, until his
eyes took on the same obsidian color.
His mouth was curled in a hideous snarl as the hellfire
built up more and more.
The daggers began vibrating in the floor, my barrier
rapidly expanding under the weight of his power.
The salt that had made up the first line of defense was
turned to a massive, white puddle of superheated sludge.
As soon as that first circle dropped, the fire shot
forward and slammed into the other barrier.
The ground jerked and throbbed as though a giant’s fist
had slammed down.
The force of it sent me flying backwards.
Pure reflex brought the gun up and I pulled the trigger
just in time.
The quality of the air shifted, and an electric charge
shot through my entire body as every one of the daggers snapped or broke free from
the floor.
The ones that had slipped free smashed into the warehouse
walls with a series of echoing snaps
that screeched against my sensitive hearing.
My bullet collided with Therion’s attack, and the silver
caused it to implode.
The good news was the hellfire had been shut off, and I
didn’t have waves of frozen death coming at my heels.
The bad news was that he’d broken through both barriers.
Admittedly, I hadn’t been expecting that kind of assault,
and it had obviously used a lot of his reserves of power.
But he was still a demon, now on the loose in broad
daylight thanks to me.
“That took more than I expected,” he admitted in a growl.
I stood perfectly still, watching his every move and
waiting.
“What can I say? I always go big,” I quipped. “Wish I’d
gotten here sooner. Another two or three layers might’ve tapped ya’ completely.
But I was pressed fer time da’ get
this done today,” I explained.
“Humans and halflings can’t hold that much power,” he
scoffed while taking an intimidating step forward.
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