For some reason, she got the impression that Devon didn’t care either way. So long as he could perform his experiments.
Pausing for a moment to take a lackadaisical drink of his water, Devon meandered over to a circle drawn on the other side of his cell block.
Zoe had become at least somewhat familiar with summoning circles and shackles. Yet the patterns and designs formed around the standard summoning circle still boggled her mind.
He pulled a knife from his pocket and proceeded to shave a thin layer of skin from his tentacle arm. Not deep enough for him to really bleed. He placed it right in the center before stepping clear of the circle.
“What are you doing?”
“Wondering if I shouldn’t find a way to erase your memory,” he grumbled. “You were far more manageable a few months ago.”
“Try it and–” Zoe cut herself off as the circle started to glow and rotate. “You’re summoning a demon?”
“Course I am. Takes two to tango. Luckily for you, I haven’t worked out an agreement with a demon ahead of time. Saw the kid as an opportunity and took it. You might just get your wish of that kid dying a slow and painful death from whatever cancer he has if this demon declines.”
Before Zoe could think to interrupt, two thick tentacles erupted from the rotating circle. They slapped down on the ground before lifting out a body.
A small, childlike body.
With slit-pupil eyes as red as Eva’s new eyes.
No. They were Eva’s eyes.
A brief tremor ran though Zoe’s body as she remembered her home burning down around her.
The carnivean screamed out once she spotted Devon. She launched herself, slamming her whole body into the shackles.
The glowing inscriptions flickered, but otherwise remained intact.
Devon just smiled behind his goatee.
An awful look on the man.
“Yep,” he said. “Me. I was worried you would still be off in the depths of Hell. Glad to see you’ve climbed out since our last encounter.”
His words sent the carnivean into another rage. She slammed her fists and tentacles against the barrier, each causing the shackles to flicker lightly, but causing no sign of them being in danger of collapse.
Devon didn’t look alarmed in the slightest at the demon’s antics. His smile had slipped, but had been replaced with a narrow-eyed look of annoyance.
“I’m not afraid to dominate you. And I will if you refuse to settle down. But I would rather have you willing.”
“Here to take more of what isn’t yours?” the carnivean snarled, punctuating her question with another fist against the shackles.
“In a sense. I’ve had time to consider your proposition regarding the fae. Dangerous business, but I might be convinced to summon the queen. That is, if you’re still interested in your,” he scoffed, “wish.”
Zoe might have found his overly haughty attitude amusing. A small bit of schadenfreude against the demon. Unfortunately for Devon and her petty revenge, she distinctly recalled how his last encounter with this carnivean ended. Namely, unconscious and needing to be carried out by Zoe.
Despite his attitude, the carnivean calmed down. She actually appeared to be considering his offer.
“You want something for it.”
“Course I do. It isn’t much. Just a sample of your blood every few months and your cooperation. Two years of that and I’ll perform your little ritual.”
“My blood,” the carnivean said, voice flat.
“Not for anything nefarious. I’ll destroy any excess under your supervision if you insist.”
“Two years?” She shook her head. “Too long.”
“And you think you’ll find someone else to summon the fae for you?”
The carnivean shrugged. She paced around the summoning circle twice before stopping at the far side. Leaning against the invisible barrier provided by the shackles, she said, “perhaps I will. There’s always the necromancer. Or the little girl who follows him around.”
Devon’s smile grew to be downright predatory. “After failing him twice, you think he will summon you back? To torture you, I could believe that. Or to turn you into one of his creations. To give you what you want?” He shook his head. “Not a chance.”
“Someone else then,” she shouted, swinging her fist into the shackles at her back.
“I offer a two-year guarantee. Fulfill my tasks and I’ll summon your fae. It will be a full contract. Forged with blood rather than mere words, if you need the extra reassurance. But if you continue to be difficult, I’ve other demons to make the offer with. You have one minute to decide.”
With that said, Devon moved away from the carnivean. He went back to the circle he had been drawing and started checking it over against a little notebook.
Though she hadn’t stopped during their conversation, Zoe renewed her efforts at making the child as comfortable as possible. There really wasn’t much more she could do. Even if she brought him to a proper healer, they wouldn’t be able to help him. Some types of cancer could be cured by cutting off parts of the offending organ and regrowing it entirely.
Unfortunately, Simon was very obviously in the final stages of whatever his specific illness was. Cancer would have spread all over his body. And if it was in his brain…
Zoe wondered just how Devon’s miracle cure could possibly pull him back from this late stage. Her mind started wandering, considering the possibility of reworking his ritual for a cure without whatever side-effects his experiment was sure to have.
After what was probably just over a minute, Devon snapped his book shut. He wandered back to the summoning circle.
“Time is up and time to send you back.”
“Wait.”
Devon crocked his head to one side. “Waiting.”
“Two years? No loopholes? No wordplay?”
“If you want it all in writing–”
“I do.” The carnivean nodded, a shallow smile appearing on her face. “Writing. Blood contract. And I get to go over the entire thing before either of us seal the deal.”
“Excellent,” Devon said as he rubbed his hands together. “Assistant,” he called out, “drop the kid off on the left side circle–the one closest to the door.”
Zoe blinked. It took a moment to realize just who he was addressing.
“The contract details won’t take long. I just hope that kid doesn’t kick it in the middle of the ritual.”
Chapter 016
Eva watched as Zoe left with the body of Simon. Somehow, Eva was hoping that she wasn’t about to return the body to the hospital. Its condition was far from pristine. Seeing it would probably cause a lot of grief if he had anyone that cared about him.
Perhaps returning his ashes would be the best course of action.
Brushing his hands together to get rid of chalk dust, Devon stood from the circle. “Everything is drawn correctly,” he said. “Seems a sick kid won’t do. At least, not one that sick.” With a casual shrug, he went to collect his little notebook and promptly started writing something down. “Still, might be able to improve the efficiency despite that failure.”
“What about me?”
Devon paused his writing to look up over the edge of his notebook.
A fairly lethargic-looking carnivean leaned against a chair, eyes half-lidded. Whatever this new process was, it sure took its toll on the demon. Arachne never looked half as bad after Eva’s treatments. The carnivean–Qrycx, she had called herself–looked more like Eva tended to feel.
Though Eva’s analogue in this ritual had died, so at least nothing quite that bad had happened to her.
“Ah, you,” Devon said. He waved his hand off towards the summoning circle. “Begone with you. I’ll call upon you after I find a new subject.”