Ruby POV
Smoke wisped around the room, snaking up from the summoning circle on the floor. The lines glowed crimson, casting the room in wild, jagged shadows. So would probably claim that I’d lost my mind; perhaps I had.
I cackled as lightning struck the ground outside, filling my ears with the roar of thunder. The flash from the window nearly blinded . Blinking the stars from my eyes, I brought the dagger’s blade up to my hand. I didn’t hesitate, slicing it through my palm and watching as dark beads of blood splashed down into the chalice.
lkar would soon face my wrath. As would the rest of those here in the academy who’d wronged since my unfortunate transformation. My long, red tail swished from side to side, exuding excitent.
I cackled again, louder this ti, and poured my focus into the complex incantation. The ancient runes glowed brighter as magic swelled in the air around . And kept swelling. More power, brought forth by the full strength of the storm, dove into the ritual, and the small room’s air thrumd with anticipation.
I took a step back, a grin splayed across my face. Then I finished the incantation’s last stanza, voice swelling to a feverish crescendo. Another flash of lighting hit, powerful enough to shake the room. A loud, demonic groan filled the air, followed by a deep fog that spilled forth from the Under itself.
I’d done it—this ti for real. A large, red hand appeared, easily twice the size of my own. It smacked the ground with a heavy thump, followed quickly by a second. Then a third—and a fourth. The large demon rose, pulling itself to its feet, though I struggled to see much within the heavy fog. It towered over , up and up, until its horned head scraped the ceiling.
The creature groaned. “Fog again?” The voice was feminine, but deep, accompanied by a growl that raised the hair on the back of my neck.
“Heed demon! I hath summoned thee before to do mine will!” I swallowed the nerves down my throat and continued, “Tell thy na, creature of the Under.” My voice didn’t have the masculine presence that it used to, but I hoped it still gave a sense of power and confidence.
“The what?” Two hands and a thick tail as long as I was tall brushed away the fog from the ritual.
The demon—demoness, rather—stared down at with bright blue eyes set against black sclera and sharp, crimson features. My eyes road over her, and I realized that my head barely ca up to her chest, she was so large in size. Two of her four arms crossed under said chest, thick with muscle and level with my gaze. The motion pushed up her generous bust, unfortunately covered by an unflattering, antiquated leather jacket.
When she spoke, I caught a forked tongue between twin rows of dagger-like teeth. “The Under? Are we on Varra?” the demoness asked moving her gaze from to the room around us.
Did demons have another na for their realm? It didn’t truly matter, I supposed.
“I’ve summoned you from the realm in which you reside, demon. Now answer my question.”
“The fog,” she mumbled. “Wait—where is… did you summon anyone else?”
“No.”
She muttered sothing under her breath and eyed up and down. “Are you perhaps one of Lillith’s? Oh, and I’m Zarenna.” The demon hooked a clawed thumb back at herself, then frowned.
“I’m not ‘one of’ anyone’s,” I grumbled back. “Stop wasting my ti with all these questions. I’ve no ti to waste on such trivialities.” With a deep breath, I cleared my throat before continuing, “Zarenna, demon of the Under! I, Ruby, ask for your aid. Assist to triumph over my enemies, specifically lkar Kheln and the others who have wronged since my unfortunate transformation. In exchange, I offer you their souls.”
There was a long pause. “Did you summon to take care of your bullies?” Zarenna squinted down at with… was that pity!?
I scowled, glaring back. “Don’t sass , demon!”
“Your pout reminds a little of my daughter, though she’s usually much more well-behaved.”
A growl slipped from my lips. “Listen here, you fiend—”
The demon waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t have ti for this. Unless you’ve also summoned my fiancée, I must get back to wherever it is you think I’m from; pick a na, doesn’t matter. I can’t be here. Sorry about your bullies; hope you can beat them up soday.”
Fus rolled off of in my anger. I took a deep breath, recognizing that she was simply trying to get a rise out of . Typical demon.
My lips curled into a smirk. “Unfortunately, I can’t simply send you back,” I said with a dismissive gesture and shrug.
“Bad answer.”
A low rumbling growl rolled out of her, with wisps of fla slipping from her mouth.
I took a hesitant step back. “No, really, I can’t. The summoning spell either runs out of ti, or you complete the tasks I’ve set for you.”
“How long will it take to run out?”
I could see it now; there was a deep anger hiding within her—an all-consuming wrath just beneath the surface, waiting for an excuse to be released.
I huffed and gave another shrug, doing my best to give an air of nonchalance. “Around five hours or so? Perhaps more. The circle was admittedly a bit rushed.”
“Too long.” She stated with finality. “What if I kill you?”
I smirked. “How do you expect to do that? You can’t leave the circle, and any magic—”
A large hand shot out over my head, and a squeal slipped out as she gripped one of my horns, lifting up to her eye level. The demoness took a step forward, outside of the circle, and pressed up against the wall. My eyes widened in utter terror as a thick soup of pain flooded through my skull.
“Let ask you again: What if I kill you?” Fiery smoke flowed from her lips.
“I-I-umm, I—” I stamred, struggling to form words. “I don’t—I don’t think s-so? The power from the storm, it’s—it’ll probably last at least until it, until the s-storm passes. P-please don’t—” I couldn’t finish the sentence. Even now, so part of refused to beg for my life.
Zarenna released her tight grip, setting down. “Fine. No point killing you if it won’t help. What about dealing with your bullies?”
A heavy, life-giving sigh left my lungs. “If you a-accept the contract, you should return to your realm when it is completed.”
“Should? How long is this storm going to last?” The demoness glanced out the window.
Would she know if I lied? I wasn’t sure if it was worth testing. Though I knew she wouldn’t like my answer.
“This is my first ti doing this successfully, or well, at least moderately successfully. But I’m mostly sure that’s how it should work.” I looked off to the side, choosing to ignore her question about the storm. My tail found its way into my hands, both a comfort and reminder of the demonic succubus that I’d beco.
“Looks like it’s still got a lot left.” Zarenna sighed, eyeing the window. “Fine, kid, if I’ve got no other choice. What’s the plan?”
An urge to tell her that I was, in fact, twenty was quickly quashed. “Well, we agree to terms and exchange mana to seal the contract. And then we’ll go to the n’s dorm and find lkar.”
“Give the terms then, and hurry. My fiancée is literally standing at the altar right now and I am in no mood to tarry. Even if this is like last ti and nearly no ti passes, any ti is too much.”
Huh? Demons get married?
No, that didn’t matter right now. I had other priorities. She was actually going to do it! Thank the gods this one seed to be rather dense. Once more, I cleared my throat.
“Zarenna, demon of the Under…”
I held out my hand, still bloodied from the dagger, and finished incanting my well-practiced contract, most of the words being part of an old, forgotten language.
Growling, Zarenna enveloped my too-small hand in one of hers. “Sure, fine. I accept.”
I expected a push of power, and I wasn’t disappointed. What I got from Zarenna, boiling hot and furious, nearly knocked off my feet. A glimpse into an ocean, from the perspective of a bucket.
— — —
Zarenna POV
The stone hallway didn’t look too dissimilar to what I was used to. Unfortunately, the ceiling was low, and I had to walk with my back bent forward, wincing every ti one of my horns scraped along the ceiling.
The lamps along the walls flickered nacingly, and an aura check confird they were magic. That plus the many decorations lining the long halls indicated this place was either very important, or wherever I’d been summoned had a gross excess of magic. Perhaps both, although I wondered why they’d make the place with such low ceilings.
The young demon who’d summoned led from the side, visibly nervous as her tail switched from side to side, hands moving over where she had hidden weapons of so sort. More notably, she kept staring back at —at my chest particularly.
“What kind of demon are you?” I asked tactfully. “You said you’re not one of Lillith’s but you’ll excuse for making that assumption when you’re staring at my tits.”
She did bear a resemblance to the lust demons I’d seen. The little demon stood shorter than many humans, with a long tail that she kept clenching nervously in hand. Her skin was red, much like my own, and the two small horns atop her head were—well, cute seed the best way to describe them. It was her eyes that really gave a resemblance to Lilly. There was a look within them, sowhere just beneath the surface. Though at least she seed powerful enough to be in control of herself.
The sudden question against the silence made Ruby jump. “I wasn’t!” She pouted and blushed, sohow forcing her mouth into an unbefitting sneer. Her hands balled into fists, and her tail lashed through the air.
I rolled my eyes.
Ruby snorted and jerked her head to one side impishly.
Brat, I thought. “Really though, are you not a lust demon?”
The small demon spluttered. “What? No! Of course not!” The dark shade that colored her red cheeks suggested otherwise. Not that I particularly cared. She could be who and whatever she wanted to be, really.
“Okay, what are you then?”
“I’m human! Despite my current predicant”
I blinked. “Oh. My apologies then; I assu a magical accident or demonic corruption or sosuch?”
Ruby’s defiant look turned to surprise. “You’re… sorry?” Her eyes narrowed,
In an instant, I could see what I’d missed. All the little cues: a stilted walk, nervous manners, aggressive body posture, and a serious chip on her shoulder. Soone had truly hurt Ruby; or perhaps she’d been hurting herself.
Either way, she reminded once again of my daughter… and of my own self hardly a year prior.
I nodded. “Yes, I presud sothing incorrect. Not that I pity you—” pity was the last thing she’d want right now. “Are your bullies human then?”
“I don’t have bullies.” She sneered, and I had to try really hard to stifle a giggle or smile at how accidentally cute the expression made her look. Poor thing; probably doesn’t get taken seriously.
“Right. Then what did this lkar do? And is he human? In fact, would it be wise for to appear as a demon?”
She raised a brow. “What do you think I have you here for, to chat him up? He’s an absolute prick, that’s what he is—though a human one, yes. I suspect he’s the main culprit for my whole predicant. But, the main purpose of our little trip is to obtain a rather important object from him.
“I must ask, though. What other appearances do you possess beyond your current one?”
“Human,” I replied easily.
She snorted. “That would rather defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? You can do whatever you want to the man, besides killing him. The academy frowns on that—nominally, at least.” The little demon shrugged.
We were at so kind of academy, then. Her odd, custom-tailored clothing had already made it clear she was soone of so wealth. Now the bright red, black and white outfit beca quite recognizably a school uniform of so sort. This really was an issue with bullies, then…
Though what sort of school had capes?
“So you want to browbeat so kid into giving you sothing?”
Ruby gave an exasperated sigh. She’d gone from whimpering and anxious to an attempt at domineering in hardly a minute. “We’re not children, though I doubt a creature of your age would understand such a distinction. I’m twenty years of age, I’ll have you know, and scion to the Zelian family, if that ans anything to you.”
“Not really,” I admitted. “I’m… rather new to this whole nobility thing.”
She chuckled. “Nobles? You won’t find any of those here. Though I suppose one might compare us to those pompous, preening layabouts.”
An academy like this that wasn’t for nobles? “...Right. So… human form or demon form? What’ll make this faster?”
She sighed, and gave a look as though I’d asked an idiotic question. “Have you been listening at all, you big brute? Demon, obviously. Do you think lkar is just going to roll over while we take his things? Demon hearts don’t grow on the backs of aelvins.”
Huh? “I don’t need to look like a demon to be scary, but sure, fine. Wait, is the object you want a demon heart?”
She eyed , before saying, “Yes. I don’t imagine you have one lying around sowhere with you?”
“Not one that I’m not using, no.”
Ruby huffed, “Then stop asking obvious questions,” before mumbling under her breath, “Of course I had to get a stupid one.”
Definitely a total brat.
“Oh jeez, uhhh, sorry boss,” I said in an exaggerated tone of voice.
The small demon gave a look, clearly unimpressed.
I patted her on the head. “It’s okay, I’m not going to kill you for backtalking .”
Her mouth opened, only to click shut as she seed to rember our exchange from earlier. “R-right.”
— — —
Ruby POV
I shuffled down the hall, Zarenna at my tail, as I tried to convince myself she wasn’t going to kill before this was over. Attempting another summoning had very clearly been a mistake. That much was obvious. But I was good at making the best out of a bad situation. The demon was cordial enough that I hoped to get out of this alive—if her inanity didn’t drive mad first.
As we neared the n’s dorm, the halls suspiciously empty, Zarenna once again broke the silence.
“So why do you need this demon heart, exactly?”
I looked up at the massive demon to my right. “It’s the first step toward becoming human again, a necessary ingredient for an elixir.”
She nodded with surprising solemnity, “I’ll admit I don’t understand why you would wish to return to your humanity, or how that is even possible, but I’ll respect your decision.”
“Sure, whatever.” I waved a hand in dismissal. “Just do what you're told and we can get this over with.”
The big brute of a demon shrugged.
As we moved through the double doors of the n’s dormitory, a number of students imdiately scattered to their rooms, with the rest hurrying down the stairs toward the hall’s end. I smiled at the reaction, glad to finally see the response I deserved when entering sowhere, even if it was mostly due to the large demon at my side.
By the ti we reached lkar’s room, the hall had beco silent. I hoped the annoying boy was in here. It’d be a pain to have to search the entire academy for him.
I waved a hand forward. “Open the door,” I commanded.
The demon looked down at , apparently unimpressed with my tone and then stepped forward; my smile slid up into a much more sinister grin. She reached one of her four arms forward and… tapped on the door.
I blinked, and then stared. Had she really just knocked on the door? Just as I found my words through the thick slab of befuddlent, the door opened. In front of us stood yet another demon, the ogre that I’d encountered briefly before. She looked out, and then up, eting Zarenna’s heavy gaze with obvious surprise.
“Hello,” Zarenna said smoothly. “We’d like to speak to lkar.”
The ogre’s lips parted, and she stared for a mont. “Right.” Then she turned, facing back into the room. “lkar, we have…” she looked Zarenna over once more over her shoulder, briefly glancing at as well, “visitors.”
“Send them away. I’m busy,” ca his slimy, obnoxious voice. Prick.
Zarenna shook her head at the ogre, to which the ogre responded back, “I don’t believe that’s an option.”
“Fine. Is it a professor? I suppose I can see what they want.”
Footsteps slowly approached, and the ogre stepped aside, clearly glad to be out of Zarenna’s direct reach. Without the door being held, it began to ease back toward us; Zarenna reached a large hand out, gripping it before it could close. With a light push, it swung fully open, finally revealing lkar.
The lanky boy with short black hair stopped and stared, as though he couldn’t believe what stood in front of him. lkar then looked to the side, to where the ogre had been. She was nowhere to be seen.
I gave him a vicious, toothy smile. “Rough him up so, would you?”
Zarenna gave another look, then sighed. “Ruby here needs a demon heart and insists that you have one she could use. Mind parting with it so I can go ho?” she requested, diplomatically.
What the fuck!? Just do what I tell you, stupid demon!
Thoughts finally caught back up with him, and he eyed the two of us with a still terrified, yet calculated look. “I can’t say I do have one, unfortunately. Have you spoken with Professor Kheln?”
The demon was about to respond, but I’d had enough of this ridiculousness. “Don’t play coy with , lkar. Do you really think I’d believe you don’t have at least one? I know you and your family, and I know demon hearts are used for so of the more dangerous summonings. Give one before sothing unfortunate has to happen. Perhaps we’ll leave you with your legs still working,” I added darkly.
“And you think I’d keep such a thing here?” He raised a brow, deciding to look at rather than staring at Zarenna’s intimidating figure. “Our family is rather more careful with our valuables than that.”
This ti, Zarenna was the one to interrupt . She stuck a crimson arm between the two of us, claws shining in the light. “Nope. Nuh uh. I am not going to sit here and waste ti while you two play at subterfuge, or whatever this is. lkar, co with us to this ‘Professor Khelm’s’ office.”
He nodded. “I’m certain Ruby here would be delighted to show you the way, unfortunately I’m rather busy with my studies at the mont and simply can’t spare—”
I blinked, and Zarenna had lkar by the arm. He squealed as she hoisted him over her shoulder. “I wasn’t asking,” she growled.
My triumphant smile was short-lived as the big brute of a demon’s two left arms grabbed next. “Which way?” she grumbled. “Unless you suddenly have a demon heart in your room, lkar?”
He cleared his throat, as though attempting to regain his composure. “His office is that way.”
“Let down this instant!” I shouted.
Day two as a demon, and I was already being picked up and carried again. Though at least this ti I wasn’t naked.
“You have short legs. No.”
“I demand you release , you big oaf. I can walk plenty fast. This wasn’t part of our contract!” My fist smacked against her upper chest.
“No can do, boss.” She seed to savor the phrase, voice pitching oddly up as though quoting soone else.
Despite my many protests, Zarenna refused to put down as lkar gave her directions toward the professor’s office. The ogre, of course, was long gone. lkar clearly didn’t have a very tight leash on her… not that I was one to talk at the mont.
It took little ti to reach Kheln’s office. Sohow, we managed to not run into anyone along the way. I partly expected so professor to show up to take on the rampaging demon marching through the halls, but it seed none of them could be bothered. That or Zarenna was good at avoiding notice. It was difficult to say with demons and magic.
Much like at lkar’s room, she gave a short knock. “Sorry to bother you, Professor Kheln, but I’ve two students with and a dispute that needs solving.”
The door opened barely a second later. Within was much as I’d expect of the annoying diabolist: A tight space full of books and empty liquor bottles, dimly lit and poorly organized. Though he’d at least had enough sense to put up a few paintings and things to at least give the impression he was a civilized human being.
Rather than surprised, the man seed intrigued. He stepped closer, and the heavy stench of alcohol followed. “Curious,” he muttered. “Clearly powerful, yet affable. Tell , who is your master, oh great demon?”
Zarenna hooked her lower right thumb at . “This one summoned . Needs a demon heart to turn back into a human. You know anything about that?”
“Ah,” he replied shortly, suddenly a lot more nervous. “One mont, if you’d please.”
The door swung toward us, stopped only by Zarenna’s foot.
“Can we at least co in?” she asked. “I believe these two are tired of being carried.”
“You can assuredly put down at this point. We aren’t even walking anymore,” I insisted.
Zarenna raised one eyebrow. “See?”
The professor, suddenly looking a lot more sober, waved them in. “Yes, yes, certainly,” he blubbered. “I do hope we can… reach an agreent of so kind here without the need for any sort of violence. We all seem like quite reasonable individuals here, and if I’m being truthful, I’d be quite interested in learning more about your kind… Though perhaps at a better ti,” the man rambled. “I’ve always been fascinated by the nature and culture of demons, you see.” He coughed.
Zarenna walked us inside and closed the door with her tail. She set lkar down first, and then in the chair beside him. I glared over at the obnoxious boy, as though this were sohow his fault. Though given that I suspected him for causing my unfortunate transformation to begin with, in a way it was.
“Did you not want to be done with this quickly?” I hissed at Zarenna. “This would be a lot simpler if you’d just do as I’d asked.”
“Or you’re wrong and it takes much longer.”
I grumbled under my breath at the snarky demon, before saying, “Fine, do it your way then. I don’t care so long as I ultimately get what I want.”
“A demon heart, I believe you said?” Professor Kheln interrupted.
“Yes, so get on with it,” I demanded with impatience. This had been going on for far too long now.
It was at that mont that another knock tapped on the door. The four of us glanced at each other.
“Should I get that?” Zarenna asked.
Before anyone could answer, the knob turned and a familiar voice sounded out around it. “Forgive my intrusion, Professor Kheln, but have you seen—”
Lilis blinked, her bright green eyes reflecting the flickering lanterns. She stood frozen, only her long dark-brown hair shifting over her shoulder. “Am I interrupting sothing?”
When her eyes found , her lips shifted into a frown, as though this were all sohow my fault. Ridiculous. “What’s going on?” she continued.
I crossed my arms. “I’m getting my demon heart, at least if these three would stop wasting ti and get on with it.”
Lilis stared at , seemingly in thought and still with a frown. She was definitely thinking this was my fault.
Zarenna released an impatient sigh. “This is great and all, really. But can soone please hurry up and resolve this, whether or not Ruby gets her demon heart. I’m missing a wedding here. My wedding, specifically.”
“Ruby, what have you done?” Lilis hissed quietly, as though the others wouldn’t clearly hear her.
Kheln cleared his throat. “I may be able to get my hands on such an item, though I don’t believe I could part with it for nothing.” He eyed Zarenna with a nervous energy sohow full of greed. “They are not exactly easy to obtain, as you can imagine.”
Bold of him. I turned to Zarenna, expecting her to call his bluff.
“How about this then?” Zarenna clapped both sets of hands together. “You may ask five questions about demons as paynt. I’m not going to answer certain personal ones that could endanger myself later, and if I don’t answer, it doesn’t count. Oh, and I might be a different sort of demon—-from a different place—-than, for instance, Ruby.”
I smacked a palm against my forehead. The professor smiled.
“That sounds anable. Though perhaps we could do sothing more like, say, thirty?”
“Ten,” Zarenna smiled, showing two rows of sharp, deadly teeth—ones that promised a lot of pain and flesh-tearing. “I’m being rather nice, you know.”
He choked. “O-of course, yes. Ten it is then.”
I sighed, but let my frustration go. So long as I got what I wanted, I supposed I could get my revenge on the professor and lkar at a later date. Things were certainly going to get complicated after this.
Why did I have to summon the most diplomatic demon in all of the three realms?
The questions began, and despite my impatience, I did my best to take her answers to mory. Of course, so of those answers were a shrug and an “I don’t know,” and a few others made no sense at all. It was interesting, nonetheless.
“Well, as much as I’d love to question you further, I must say I’m rather satisfied,” Kheln said with a smile. A smile that was completely ruined by the alcoholic stench of the room, as far as I was concerned.
“Allow to go to my back study and grab what you need. In truth, you’re lucky I have such a thing. It’s not exactly sothing easy to get one’s hands on,” he comnted as he made his way back, leaving the door open.
“Ruby, what have you done?” Lilis asked once again at a whisper. She grabbed my horn, the sa one that Zarenna had before, and I winced.
“I—I didn’t. This isn’t my fault!”
“It’s her fault,” Zarenna said with a shrug. “Entirely.”
Lilis’s scowl deepened. “Thank you.”
“Ow!” I yelped out as Lilis thumped my forehead.
“I believe we’re having a very long chat after this,” she hissed.
I winced, and then shivered, worried exactly what this “chat” might entail. Then I turned toward the, admittedly, rather powerful demon to my right.
“I don’t suppose you—”
“No,” she cut off.
She didn’t even let finish! Would it really be that bad to stay just a little longer?
Things were about to get rather complicated for …
As though brought forth by the thought, the air above us rippled. Magic flooded through, enough for wisps of mana to dance through the air. Conversation stopped, and a line—a tear—ford, widening into a rift. Across from us, Professor Kheln rushed back into the room, only to pause as a pale arm stuck out through the rift.
I felt my breath catch, certain that we were all about to die.
An echoing voice thrumd through the air, strong enough to seemingly make the world shake. “I don’t know what the fuck happened, but I’m taking my demon back.”
Zarenna scratched the back of her head. “Guess I’m off then. Good luck with the bullying, Ruby.”
“I don’t believe I caught your na, but I hope you have a nice wedding?” Lilis said cordially.
“Oh!” Zarenna smiled. “Thanks, I—”
The arm found her horn and pulled. With a rush of wind, Zarenna flew up through the rift, and it sealed shut with a loud bang.
“W-what was that?” lkar asked.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Professor Kheln replied, his voice filled with wonder now that the danger had apparently passed.
Only then did I realize that I hadn’t actually gotten the demon heart that I needed, and the demon that had been protecting was now absent. Everyone’s curiosity over the strange rift didn’t last nearly long enough.
Kheln, Lilis, and lkar each turned toward . Lilis crossed her arms and lkar smirked.
I released a sigh.
“Great.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers