Demon Affairs (Part II)

(My sister's parts start and end with --)

--Merek sighed, “Of course Ananke knows we are here. If I weren’t here you probably wouldn’t be spotted.” He ran his tongue over his lips before continuing, “She has a way of knowing where I am. If I were to transform into a box, she’d still know it was me. Anyways, I will continue to sit with you unnoticed until it is time for me to come into the conversation, you don’t mind do you Mace?”

Jerek tried to listen to what they were saying, but it was all lost. Somehow Ananke had known all about him, but how? The only people who knew about that would have to be Merek and Camilla, and perhaps even her slaves. “Jerek?” A voice interrupted his thoughts, “What do you say?” A look of puzzlement emerged on his face. “Will you help us?” Help them do what? He should have been listening. A familiar hand grabbed his shoulder, “Of course we will help, but I believe there is someone else who may want to join, it seems as if Soren has taken her precious item, we could ask her now, but she is sleeping, so that will have to wait until morning. You wouldn’t mind if she came along would you Jared? She also has a couple of slaves that follow her everywhere.”

Jared blinked, how did he get there? Merek seemed to always amaze him, "Eh, it’ll be alright. My ship is big enough to hold at least a hundred people. It is quite roomy.” He took a deep breathe, somebody was cooking fish. “I guess I should introduce you to my comrades. I am Jared, Captain of this crew,” he said to Jerek since Merek knew this much. A girl with silver hair stood up, “I’m Noni.” she smiled and sat down gracefully. The female to the left of Noni looked them both in the eyes Milla’s the name they seemed to say. “I’m Jayse,” a lazy voice to the right of them called. “The guy with the dark blue hair is Tuvan. The guy beside him is Xavier. And this male,” he pointed to a guy with off-white eyes, “is Felipe. I figure the others would be mad if I introduced them, so I will stop there.” Two pairs of eyes glared at him. A doll from out of nowhere began to climb up Jerek then jumped from his shoulder to Merek’s and made way up to sit on his head, startling both, “The one who controls me is Cordelia!” A small girl from the other side of the room started giggling uncontrollably then ran up to both Merek and Jerek and hugged them, “Hi!” she said in a non-annoying high pitched voice, “I’m Lyra!” She hugged them again and smiled. Kalypso snapped her fingers to get their attention, a few sparks flew, “And I am Kalypso, Merek. It’s nice to meet you.” A green haired female looked up at them with her amber eyes, “I’m Jade,” she whispered. The introductions had finally ended. --

“Sure,” Mace said to Merek. Mace continued listening, thoughts running through his head. People were named off and he made notes of their names. He had been quite startled by Merek suddenly speaking behind his brother. Would Camilla and her slaves be brought along? Suddenly he saw his sister, silently appearing beside Merek. She sighed gently. Would she have to cook more? The people seemed quite comfortable in the home. Candy floated beside her. The spirit began to move through the people, nostrils flaring. Her eyes were guarded until she reached the last person, Jared. She snorted. Jen watched her partner, feeling uneasy. The seven year old found herself creeping closer to Merek, looking for somewhere to hide. This was when Mace came in. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled, flashing teeth that nearly matched Jerek’s. Mace and Jen were well taken care of for slaves. They were well groomed and well mannered. They needed new clothes, which Camilla was working on. She would probably have Javer make them some. They were currently wearing dark brown pants and shirts that had holes in them. The angel was radiant beside his beautiful sister. He seemed to glow.

Jen found comfort in her brothers presence. How could he be so calm? Candy didn’t like them. Jen folded her silver arms and waited for the intruders to speak.

--Merek looked down at the two and patted Jen on the head. “This here is Mace and his sister Jen.” He winked at them. “They are Camilla’s servants,” he only knew both the females’ names from his brothers thoughts.

Lyra looked over and gasped, where did they come from? She giggled, meeting new people excited her. She poked Mace on the nose and was about to do the same to Jen when her most favoritest puppet came walking up to her, distracting her, Elara was its name; she had named it herself.

Cordelia was wary of the newcomers. She didn’t much like new people. She was told she could trust the brothers, but these two--no three, there was another female--they were never mentioned, she frowned.

Milla looked at Jared, a moment passed before he spoke, “It’s getting rather late, we should go. I’ll be back here in the morning. G’Night you-all.” And with that they were gone.

Jerek looked at his brother confused by it all. Merek looked back and smiled, “I’ll find a room for these two, you should go lay down.” He beckoned the small ones to follow and led them to a room next to Camilla’s. “There’s some clothes and things to change into in the closet and the lavatory is on the other side of Camilla’s room. Make yourselves at home.” He smiled and vanished from the room in a blink of an eye.

Jerek silently walked up the stairs, a glass of water in hand. He was going to check on Camilla before falling asleep. The door to her room was slightly open, a pair of eyes were watching him from within the darkness, “It’s about time you got up here,” a husky voice whispered, “Place that water right--” Camilla snorted interrupting Merek. “Right there on the nightstand.” The glass clinked slightly as it landed on the wood. A hand wrapped around his own. A split second later he was in Merek’s room. “You look uneasy brother. Here, take these,” he handed his twin two balls of powdered medicine. “I’ll explain it all to you tomorrow when I bring it up to Camilla." Jerek swallowed the lumps and fell instantly into a dark abyss. --

Mace was surprised when Merek said Jen’s name. How did he know? Mace scowled. He suppressed the want to bite the girl when she poked his nose. He could feel silent laughter coming from his sister. He glared at her in return. He could also feel Cordelia’s feeling towards him and Jen. His eyes narrowed and he smiled.

The two watched them leave and followed Merek up the stairs. Jen changed into a pair of pjs with teddy bears on them. Mace wore blue pjs. Both crawled into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Camilla came slowly from her sleep, gagging and choking. Her mouth and throat were dry. She moved her tongue around, trying hard to wet her mouth. Her eyes pierced the darkness to find a glass of water close by. She sucked it down quickly and sighed. Where was she? Where were her slaves? She looked around desperately before everything came rolling back. Mace must have knocked her out. Surprisingly she still felt sleepy. She lay down and let the darkness take her.

--The sun rose in the distance, Cordelia growled. She hadn’t gotten any sleep. She glared at Jared as he lay there sleeping on a hammock, why had he agreed to let strangers come along? She walked back towards the rooms, the others should be waking soon.

~~~

Merek sighed, he had gotten nothing done yesterday. He would give Jerek back his item when he awoke, finding out what it really was would have to wait until a later date. He could feel somebody watching him, but didn’t know who. He stuck his finger up his nose and fished around. “I wonder,” he pulled out the goodies, rolled them around between his index finger and thumb, and flicked them across the room. He looked up expecting someone to be there, “I know you are there, even though you are not here in the flesh.” He waited for a reply but none came. --

Camilla woke to the sun, finding two figures in pjs slumped over in the corner. “Hey dolls,” she whispered, moving to touch their shoulders gently. Mace and Jen jumped up quickly. The slaves had woken early and moved into Camilla’s room. Mace rubbed his eyes sleepily. Jen, remembering something, rushed off to the kitchen. “I think,” Mace began as Camilla watched Jen leave, “I think Master Merek wants to have a word with you,” he finished.

Jen quickly cooked the fish, listening to Mace and Camilla come down the stairs. She smiled as she worked, her body glistening in the new sunlight.

Mace automatically sensed a presence as he entered the room Merek was in. A sudden icy chill went down his spine. His mind reached out, feeling Camilla and Merek, but nothing else. There was something there, but it didn’t have a mind…or it was blocking it. Camilla’s mind was chaotic. He couldn’t figure it out. Merek’s mind was just as bad, but Mace knew how to shut it down if he had to.

Camilla eyed Merek warily. “Mace said you had something to tell me,” she muttered. She was still angry, Mace knew. It was best she wasn’t worked up. He had explained to her that Jerek wasn’t lying, which made her sigh. “I hoped he was lying,” she had said. She waited for Merek to speak silently, her mind wandering.

~~~

Was it a lung? It looked like a lung. Blood was flowing freely from the open body. The male was crying in pain and fear. Was that really his insides? Cen had injected the man with her own vaccine. It kept him alive as she dissected him. “Oh, God!” he groaned as the beautiful woman took out more body organs. Her wavy blonde hair had spots of blood in it. A long, dark blue tongue slipped from her mouth and tentatively touched the lung. Cen then ate it, smiling in satisfaction. Her red eyes smiled at him as she ate his insides and hummed.

-- Merek looked up as they entered, “Good Morning.” He noticed the expression on Mace’s face, so he could sense the presence as well. He tried to bring the image of the person or thing that was spying on them, but failed. Camilla broke his concentration, “Yes, I do have something to discuss with you Camilla, but it will have to wait until my brother awakens. I see that the young ones have introduced me.” He smiled, “We should eat while we wait.” Hopefully the person would be gone, he’d rather not discuss the proposition with an intruder listening in.

~~~~

Soren smiled, everything was falling into place. He had everything the mage had told him to get. That is everything except the flower of Erif. He hoped that wasn’t a core item needed. It wasn’t in the place it should have been. He looked at the box on top of everything and wondered what it was. He was tempted to open it, but was reminded of what the old man had told him. He frowned. The red sun was hiding behind the mountains. He needed to find shelter rather quickly.

~~~

Black eyes stared at the wooden marionette, maybe it was a willing command that could make it move. She gazed at it intently, MOVE! she yelled at it through her thoughts. The foot began tapping, a smile emerged on her face. HA! What would Cordelia say to her now? Laughter filled her eyes but only for a second. Something moved behind her making her ears twitch. She’d been duped. Cordelia burst out laughing behind her, “Gotcha!”

~~~

A storm was raging, he had to move quickly or face the giant man eating fish, it had already eaten his pinky and had become addicted. A shadow was moving closer. Only a foot more and he would be safe. The fish saw him, he could feel it. “RUN!” he screamed to the surrounding buildings. Buildings? he thought and turned around. A chicken spoke to him, “Wake up you fool! Do you want to be fish bait?” Jerek woke with a jolt, he was covered in cold sweat. He looked down at his hand, all fingers were still there, it was only a dream. The fish had tasted his flesh and wanted more. He looked around the room, how had he gotten here? He had no recollection of coming to his room. He sensed that his clone needed him. With a yawn he stood and shed himself of his clothing. The soft breeze caressed him, he smiled with glee. He’d better go downstairs to hear Merek’s explanation of what happened yesterday.

Merek looked up as Jerek entered and turned the same red as his brother. Clothes had been forgotten. He must not have remembered that they had company. He snapped his fingers and clothes appeared upon Jerek. It was a good thing the females had not been paying attention to the entry way, or they’d have had a surprise. Jerek silently thanked his brother. “So you are going to explain what they said yesterday?” he sat and looked directly at him.

“Yesterday friends of ours came to ask us to help them,” he looked at Camilla to see if she was paying attention. “Somebody, most definitely Soren, he’s a thief, has stolen important objects from certain people, including you. I hear that your box went missing shortly after all the complaints were brought to the deputy. I believe that you would be interested in going to help find it, am I right? There are twelve others that have offered we go with them, they will get a lead on him before anyone else and have told me that you are welcome to come. So, what do you say?” He glanced at Jerek, he would tell him what they would get for helping them later, he didn’t feel like discussing it right now. --

Camilla grinned and held out a hand. “Pleasure to meet you,” she said. She sat down and made herself comfortable, accepting the fish Jen had made. Mace seemed uneasy. He looked as if he were far away. As Jerek walked in, Jen gave him fish as well, blushing as she did so. Then she sat down to eat too. Mace seemed to relax a bit and ate quietly.

Camilla flushed when Merek told her about Soren. “He…has…my box?” She managed to say. If Soren let’s Babea out, he will die she thought, her heart racing. “I need my box,” she stated, her voice hot with anger. Jen eyed Jerek, her blue-silver cheeks red. “These friends, are they trustworthy?” Camilla asked the question on the three people’s minds.

~~~

Cen bottled up some human blood and put them in her ice box. Next to the bottles of crimson liquid was a blue-crimson liquid, Dragon’s Blood. She also had random body parts and organs. No humans were in her beds today. She wasn’t in the mood for people. She was in the mood for Merek. She enjoyed his company. He had yet to come for more blood.

“Cen?” a voice called from her doorway. Ah, Brenna. Cen swam gracefully over to her friend, grabbing two bottles out of her ice box as she went. The bottles were medium in size, one held the blood of humans, the other held animal fat. “Here, love. You brought money, I hope?” She said. Brenna handed over the yils and took her bottles in return.

--The fish tasted good, he wondered what Jen had done to it. A glimpse at her blushing face reminded him of blood. Yesterday’s amount should have satisfied him for atleast two weeks. He looked back down and shoveled some of the food down his throat to forget about it.
“I’ve known Jared and Ananke for quite a while and would trust them with my life. Their crew seems to be just like them, so I assure that they are trustworthy,” Merek brown eyes slightly turned red, whatever it was, was back, this time he was determined to catch the culprit.
Ananke followed Jared to the twins house. She studied the visitor alert. Only Merek would think of trying this. Mahogany eyes watched her captain as he pulled the tail ‘SQUAAA!’ It hurt her ears. They waited patiently for someone to open the door.
The chair tipped over as Merek abruptly lifted, “I’ll get that.” He vanished from their site and grabbed a bag of oddities from behind a large mask that was mounted on the wall. Whatever it was following him, he would get it this time. The doorknob turned as he twisted it to the right. There stood Jared and Ananke, he smiled softly, “Everyone is in the kitchen, I’ll be there in a few.” He turned and ran quickly up the stairs, they knew where everything was, they wouldn’t get lost. The lavatory seemed like a good place, mainly because it was the closest room. A flask that read: ‘HAVE A FEELING SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU? HERE’S THE SOLUTION’ was pulled out from the dingy brown bag. The liquid was changing colors quickly. He sat it down on the stone floor and pulled the cork out of it, colorful smoke in the shape of a hand swirled out of it. He watched as it glided through the room, grasping at the air. After about five minutes of this it began pulling the air. “Let me go!” something squeaked.--

The red head quickly turned away when Jerek looked at her. She ate slowly, watching her brother and mistress. The fish was good. That meant she made it right. Mace listened to Merek and then Camilla’s reply. “Well, I wont hesitate to kill if things go wrong,” her blue eyes flashed. The brown boy wasn’t worried about his masters threat. He felt the presence again. He clenched his fists and his face went white. Brown eyes flashed to Merek, so the twin knew as well.
A loud noise sent chills down Camilla’s back. The poison that had been injected in her blood kept her from sensing anything. The doorbell. After Merek left, Mace stood. “Someone is here,” he said. Mace began to pace, his sisters eyes following. Something changed. He paused, listening intently and reaching out, probing with his mind.

-- The hand pulled until the thing was visible in the room. It wasn’t any bigger than a squirrel. Merek cocked an eyebrow at the imp. Why was one spying on him? He picked up the little thing and put it in a cage. That forbade the use of any type of abilities, built, of course, by him. He looked down at the now empty flask, he sure hoped he remembered how to concoct that potion. He sighed and turned his attention to the little fellow. “Who are you?” he asked curiously, “And why have you been spying on me?”
The little red being stared at him and blinked, “How did you know I was there?” it squeaked.
“I just know,” Merek started annoyed. “Now tell me why you are here before I send you to my good friend Cen. I know she wouldn’t mind cutting you open and having a wee bit of fun with you if I asked her to. I hear imp blood has quite a bit of good uses,” he eyed the small being, it looked a little frightened by what he had said.
“I an known as Mav, messenger of the underworld,” he puffed out his chest and beamed with delight as he said this. “I have come to deliver a message to Jared. He should have been here by now.”
“He is here,” Merek grunted. “How come you didn’t go straight to him instead of here?” HE waited patiently for a reply, the imp seemed to not know how to reply and stared at him. “I will release you once Jared has verified your identity,” he beckoned the cage to follow him as he made his way to the kitchen.
~~~
Ananke ran up and hugged Jerek from behind after she entered the room, amusing Jared by her actions. “You must be Camilla,” she looked up at the woman and tugged on Jerek’s left ear. The Captain sat down in the empty chair and smiled, “I am Jared, Captain of my crew, this here,” he pointed at the female on Jerek, “is Ananke. I hear you would like to join us for awhile.” He smile at her and waited for a reply. Ananke stood up and frowned, “I wonder what Merek is up to.” She made way toward Jared and sat on the arm of the chair. They all stared at each other in silence.
“Hey Jared, this little guy says he knows you. Mind telling if what he says is true?” Merek entered the room carrying a cage.
The red toy yelled “Jared” after seeing his fellow employer. “Tell him to let me go! He was horrible to me!” he began to sob.
“Oh quit your whining Mav and tell me what you want,” Jared sighed, he hated dealing with the little twerp, always exaggerated the truth.
He imp stood up straight, “We have received information that he has headed North, he seems to be stealing from anybody that has any trinkets of value, that is except from the two hosts here,” he eyed them suspiciously and waited to be let free.
The door opened and he hopped out onto the table, grabbed a bit of fish and popped out of sight. “We should leave at midnight. Will that be enough time for you to pack and be ready?” Jared asked the others.--

The three watched Ananke and Jared silently. Jen felt a bit jealous of Ananke. “Yes, allow us to join you,” Camilla said in a near commanding tone. Mace had sat back down and relaxed.
As the imp was brought into the room, so was Candy. The small horse stood tall, watching Mav’s every move. Jen stroked the spirit to calm her, Candy had been told to watch them. She didn’t like the imp.
The slave watched the imp take her fish she had made and curled up her nose. The small creature smelt bad. “I will be ready by midnight,” Camilla answered. “I hope you don’t mind if a friend of mine coming,” she said raising an eyebrow. Jen flashed a smile. Her friend could come to! She giggled gently, eyeing Camilla.
~~~
A white figure with black wings fell from the clouds, wings folded. Before she reached the cold cement ground of the city she opened her wings. The wind lifted her and kept her in the air. The people of the city watched in amusement. She giggled and spoke to them. “Nice to meet ya!” she said as loud as possible. People gathered around her, eyeing her curiously. Sky demons were rarely seen in the city. What’s more, they were usually silent, meaning they didn’t talk much.
Mallary soon found herself at her sisters house, calling for Camilla. Instead of Camilla coming from the home, it was Trisha. “Oi, babe, where is Camilla?”
Mallary played with the gem on her necklace as she waited for her sister. She stroked Trisha and Casey while watching some birds at her feet. They eyed the tiger and lynx wearily. Trisha was a Bengal Tiger who guarded the house when Camilla and the slaves were gone. Casey was Camilla’s lynx. She was really just a house cat and Jen’s friend. The wind had picked up since Mallary came. She loved the wind. Her blonde hair whipped around her, stinging her skin. The birds sang happily to their fellow sky creature.