so that he’d never see her taken by surprise. It would be hard to fake. The being spewed terror around like it was free or something. Which for him it was.
He could hide that part of himself, she knew, but hadn’t ordered him to do that around her. It made for a handy early warning system, didn’t it? Besides, admitting she felt it would look weak to him. Darla nodded and stood, waiting.
She didn’t trust Balthias either. He had a deal with Keeley, one that, as pointed out earlier, couldn’t be easily broken. He couldn’t even just kill her to try. Technically he could kill himself, and she could release him from the bond, or maybe just make it seem like that at any rate, never calling on him. She probably would, eventually. In the mean time she just needed to keep him busy and relatively happy, so that when he eventually could be sent on his way he wouldn’t try to destroy her.
She didn’t get to her feet, just shifted her attention to where she thought he’d appear. She was off by nearly ten feet, so Keeley glanced over at him as smoothly as possible, as if she’d meant to do it, rather than just being wrong. Darla had gotten it right, of course. Next time she’d double check with where she was looking first.
“Mistress of Souls, I bring news as commanded of impending harm, potentially, to one of your vassals.” The Lesser Demon bowed low, making his head go all the way down to six feet off the ground, not it’s normal nine. The horns looked slightly whiter today, and so did its teeth. The skin was more red, she noticed and the fur on the shoulders and back more black.
She got it without having to say anything. The being was made of energy and intent. All the Christians of the world having created it to punish them, to keep them in check. The sum of their hidden fears, perversions and desires rolled into one happy package. There were hundreds of the things, at least as far as Keeley could tell from the information she had. Tulpas, Darla had called them. Incredibly powerful in this case, thanks to all that belief put into the idea.
Only now it was reshaping, to look like she wanted it too, on a subconscious level. It was better. He smelled nicer too. Like a clean dog, rather than a musk ox or whatever he’d been going for before.
“Darla’s vassals. Mine are different people. What’s the situation?” She spoke quickly, just in case it was actually important. It probably was, but not too dire. If it had been an actual attack, Balthias would have protected her friends physically. Those were his orders, and darn the fallout from a giant Demon looking thing showing up.
“It is Eve. She seeks her revenge for the death of Roberto. She has acquired a human weapon and seeks to retaliate against those of the blue devils on her own. She has followed a likely one to his domicile and waits now to deliver death. I did not have orders to aid her in this, so I came as instructed.”
Keeley nodded.
“Good job, do you have the address? The street location where she’s at? We should drive I think. We likely have some time.” It was all Keeley could do not to gibber, but Darla nodded.
The alternative was “sending” Darla, which could work out too, since Eve really was one of her people. Keeley could claim that part wasn’t her job. Which it wasn’t. Or they could take the in roads, except that she couldn’t. It would probably make her look a little young if she failed or had to hedge to often there, so she needed a reason for traveling in other ways.
Darla laughed, a low chuckle.
“Ah, Eve. Well, not the role I have planned for her exactly, but it shows courage. If she kills this human, I’ll simply move her into another line of work. That might be worth it. Set her up as an assassin perhaps? Yes, let’s drive and see if she is a destroyer of life or not.” The voice had gone slightly bored. As if it really was just as good of an idea.
That couldn’t be true though. Darla didn’t need a fugitive
He could hide that part of himself, she knew, but hadn’t ordered him to do that around her. It made for a handy early warning system, didn’t it? Besides, admitting she felt it would look weak to him. Darla nodded and stood, waiting.
She didn’t trust Balthias either. He had a deal with Keeley, one that, as pointed out earlier, couldn’t be easily broken. He couldn’t even just kill her to try. Technically he could kill himself, and she could release him from the bond, or maybe just make it seem like that at any rate, never calling on him. She probably would, eventually. In the mean time she just needed to keep him busy and relatively happy, so that when he eventually could be sent on his way he wouldn’t try to destroy her.
She didn’t get to her feet, just shifted her attention to where she thought he’d appear. She was off by nearly ten feet, so Keeley glanced over at him as smoothly as possible, as if she’d meant to do it, rather than just being wrong. Darla had gotten it right, of course. Next time she’d double check with where she was looking first.
“Mistress of Souls, I bring news as commanded of impending harm, potentially, to one of your vassals.” The Lesser Demon bowed low, making his head go all the way down to six feet off the ground, not it’s normal nine. The horns looked slightly whiter today, and so did its teeth. The skin was more red, she noticed and the fur on the shoulders and back more black.
She got it without having to say anything. The being was made of energy and intent. All the Christians of the world having created it to punish them, to keep them in check. The sum of their hidden fears, perversions and desires rolled into one happy package. There were hundreds of the things, at least as far as Keeley could tell from the information she had. Tulpas, Darla had called them. Incredibly powerful in this case, thanks to all that belief put into the idea.
Only now it was reshaping, to look like she wanted it too, on a subconscious level. It was better. He smelled nicer too. Like a clean dog, rather than a musk ox or whatever he’d been going for before.
“Darla’s vassals. Mine are different people. What’s the situation?” She spoke quickly, just in case it was actually important. It probably was, but not too dire. If it had been an actual attack, Balthias would have protected her friends physically. Those were his orders, and darn the fallout from a giant Demon looking thing showing up.
“It is Eve. She seeks her revenge for the death of Roberto. She has acquired a human weapon and seeks to retaliate against those of the blue devils on her own. She has followed a likely one to his domicile and waits now to deliver death. I did not have orders to aid her in this, so I came as instructed.”
Keeley nodded.
“Good job, do you have the address? The street location where she’s at? We should drive I think. We likely have some time.” It was all Keeley could do not to gibber, but Darla nodded.
The alternative was “sending” Darla, which could work out too, since Eve really was one of her people. Keeley could claim that part wasn’t her job. Which it wasn’t. Or they could take the in roads, except that she couldn’t. It would probably make her look a little young if she failed or had to hedge to often there, so she needed a reason for traveling in other ways.
Darla laughed, a low chuckle.
“Ah, Eve. Well, not the role I have planned for her exactly, but it shows courage. If she kills this human, I’ll simply move her into another line of work. That might be worth it. Set her up as an assassin perhaps? Yes, let’s drive and see if she is a destroyer of life or not.” The voice had gone slightly bored. As if it really was just as good of an idea.
That couldn’t be true though. Darla didn’t need a fugitive
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