Angel Devil Book 3, Chapter Eighteen
A Sa chapter. Does it have to go on any more?
Yeah, yeah it does. Still another chapter and an Epilogue! Aren't you excited? I know I am!
Sa threatening the other Ladies and Lords. How appropriate. No, I don't really have anything to add to this.
Chapter Eighteen
Sa marched into the conference room with an air of accomplishment about him. At his side was a small bundle in a burlap bag that instantly drew all of the Thirteen's stares. Whispers started, debating what horror could possibly be inside and whether or not they wanted to really know. Evelyn stood to the side, happy that he had finally arrived and the task of entertaining the bunch of them was over.
"Ladies and Lords," he said, placing the sack onto the table between he and they, "I know that Modok was supposed to be here to give his demonstration, but unfortunately," he pulled the bag open and let it fall around the object inside. There was a gasp and the sound of someone retching for there, on the table now, was the bloody and bodiless head of Lord Modok. "I'm afraid that he has become the demonstration."
There was an explosion from the Thirteen. Sa turned and smiled to Evelyn, who nodded a wicked smile of her own. Eyes were turning back to him, their whispering getting harsher and louder.
"You killed Lord Modok?" said Lady Marie .
Sa nodded. "Indeed. Isn't his head sitting before you all proof enough of that?" He gestured to Baus, looking a little paler at the opposite end of the table, but still composed. "And if you don't, Lord Baus there should be getting confirmation of a body momentarily."
All turned to Baus, who's cell phone had suddenly gone off during Sa's posturing. He spoke a few words into the phone and then closed it, nodding, but not saying a word.
"How..?" asked Lord Adlet.
"Like all Lords of Pride, he didn't watch what he was doing." There came that evil white grin of his again, the one that made so many of them so very nervous. "So, is this a proper enough demonstration for you of my power, or should we go for another one?" He gestured. "Anyone?"
Baus shrugged. "This proves nothing."
"Really? I think that this proves a good deal myself. I think it proves that if I can drag myself out of oblivion, that no obstacle will stand before me long. Imagine how easy taking the Dark Prince's throne will be with soldiers even more refined then myself." He was walking around the conference table, stroking the backs of each of the Thirteen's chairs in turn. "and that together, no Realm can stand against us." He grinned. "It also shows you that I am not afraid to take you out should you try and cross me."
"You would have to get to us first," replied one of the Ladies.
Sa held up a finger. "Ah, but would I? Unknown to my former Master here," he pat Modok's head, eliciting more disgusted reactions, "I have made contacts, deals, and allies among those that have traditionally and ignorantly ignored. The guilds, the dispossessed, the mercenary. Even the Lurkers sit at my beck and call now." He leaned over the table. "Bluntly put my Lords and Ladies, join me and work with the winning team...or get crushed beneath as we pass you by."
A quiet had settled over the room.
"But if it's another demonstration Lord Baus wants, well then, who am I to deny a man who has allowed a traitor like me shelter in his home?" He gestured to the man with an open palm. "Tell me Lord Baus, do you have any enemies that you would like made to disappear, with not even a witness able to come forward with a story for the Magi?" He turned to the Lord of Envy. "Or you sir, is there some specific bauble that you have coveted for millenia? Name it and in two hours your retainers will be calling you to tell you that it has mysteriously arrived on the desk in your study." He smiled. "It takes longer to steal things than it does to kill people, I'm afraid," he laughed. Nervously, all laughed along with him.
"You're bluffing," said Lord Adlet.
"Try me," Sa said, leaning in close. The supposedly powerful Lord gulped like a spawn. Sa smiled and turned back to address them all once more. "Now, don't get the impression that I'm soft here people. I am, after all, only a shadow who's been allowed to come up in the world some. And old habits are a bitch to break. Cross me, and find these very same boons have turned to curses, curses that you will never outrun. My people, my connections, will hunt you down." The tone of his voice had turned very grim indeed, and silence reigned again. "So. What is your decision? Follow me, the new Lord of Pride, or die in your sleep without a single bodyguard able to defend you."
There was a cough; all eyes turned to Baus. "You certainly make a much stronger argument than Modok ever did." Several of the Thirteen nodded at that. "You can guarantee us victory?"
Sa nodded. "And not just Hell will be ours. Even Heaven will tremble at our might."
"You mean to even conquer the mortal and heavenly Realms?" Pyro asked, shocked.
"Yes," he nodded to her. "All will fall to our might."
Lord Baus spoke up again. "So you take up both Modok's plan and title. What about the so-called curse of Pride, hm? Your scheme back-firing?"
Sa smiled. "That's what I have you lot for. So again I ask you: yay or nay?"
The Thirteen all shared looks, then each nodded in turn. "We will go with you and your plans, Lord Sa of Pride." Baus nodded.
"Good. And end this pointless Dance, will you? Lady Devi isn't dead and will not allow any wannabe's to take her place." He gathered the bag back about Modok's head. "Anything further you need to say you can direct through her." He leaned over to whisper in Devi's ear. "And call the soldiers out of the hall. We have no further need for them."
Devi smiled and nodded, going for the cell phone in her jacket.
"And with that, I think we're just about done here my good sir's and madam's. I hope you all have a pleasant trip home, plotting and scheming amongst yourselves. Just remember who holds your leash now." He looked to Devi and nodded, exiting the room.
///
Devi was laughing as soon as they got out of proper earshot of the conference room. "Did you see the look on their faces when you showed them Modok's head?"
Sa smirked. "Well worth the displeasure of having my fingers in his insides, I suppose."
They were working their way back towards the upstairs and their rooms. "So should I go back to calling you Vince then?"
"No," Sa shook his head. "Vince is dead. Sa is who I am now."
Devi nodded. "And I return to being Lady Devi. Not too shabby, especially since I don't loathe the man I have as my husband now."
Sa nodded. "Yeah."
"I do have some bad news for you though."
"Oh?" His eyebrow arched.
Devi nodded, her hand trembling, unsure of how he would take this. "Hermes got away. You were right: that was his sister that came for him. Supposedly the group he took down here to participate in the Dance helped him out of there too."
"And who told you this?"
"Sofi herself. Laurel and a partner of hers killed her bodyguard and then left her for dead. She was rescued by some of ours a few minutes after Hermes' cohorts left. She's resting up in our safe house right now."
Sa's hand clenched. "And your daughter?"
"Hasn't reported in yet."
"Why do these people continue to pester me?"
"At the very least Sofi reports that Hermes was near-dead the last she knew."
Sa turned to her, his face dark. "Near-dead isn't dead, Devi. The man could make it through."
Devi laughed. "But in the rare chance that he did, he would be too injured to even move properly. He's a cripple thanks to what you and Sofi did to him."
The elevator door opened, and Devi stepped out. She waited, then said, "aren't you coming?"
Sa shook his head. "No. I have things to think about now, thank you."
"Hermes?"
"Yes."
Devi sighed. "I told you Sa -"
"Pardon me if I remain unconvinced." The doors shut between the two of them.
Yeah, yeah it does. Still another chapter and an Epilogue! Aren't you excited? I know I am!
Sa threatening the other Ladies and Lords. How appropriate. No, I don't really have anything to add to this.
Chapter Eighteen
Sa marched into the conference room with an air of accomplishment about him. At his side was a small bundle in a burlap bag that instantly drew all of the Thirteen's stares. Whispers started, debating what horror could possibly be inside and whether or not they wanted to really know. Evelyn stood to the side, happy that he had finally arrived and the task of entertaining the bunch of them was over.
"Ladies and Lords," he said, placing the sack onto the table between he and they, "I know that Modok was supposed to be here to give his demonstration, but unfortunately," he pulled the bag open and let it fall around the object inside. There was a gasp and the sound of someone retching for there, on the table now, was the bloody and bodiless head of Lord Modok. "I'm afraid that he has become the demonstration."
There was an explosion from the Thirteen. Sa turned and smiled to Evelyn, who nodded a wicked smile of her own. Eyes were turning back to him, their whispering getting harsher and louder.
"You killed Lord Modok?" said Lady Marie .
Sa nodded. "Indeed. Isn't his head sitting before you all proof enough of that?" He gestured to Baus, looking a little paler at the opposite end of the table, but still composed. "And if you don't, Lord Baus there should be getting confirmation of a body momentarily."
All turned to Baus, who's cell phone had suddenly gone off during Sa's posturing. He spoke a few words into the phone and then closed it, nodding, but not saying a word.
"How..?" asked Lord Adlet.
"Like all Lords of Pride, he didn't watch what he was doing." There came that evil white grin of his again, the one that made so many of them so very nervous. "So, is this a proper enough demonstration for you of my power, or should we go for another one?" He gestured. "Anyone?"
Baus shrugged. "This proves nothing."
"Really? I think that this proves a good deal myself. I think it proves that if I can drag myself out of oblivion, that no obstacle will stand before me long. Imagine how easy taking the Dark Prince's throne will be with soldiers even more refined then myself." He was walking around the conference table, stroking the backs of each of the Thirteen's chairs in turn. "and that together, no Realm can stand against us." He grinned. "It also shows you that I am not afraid to take you out should you try and cross me."
"You would have to get to us first," replied one of the Ladies.
Sa held up a finger. "Ah, but would I? Unknown to my former Master here," he pat Modok's head, eliciting more disgusted reactions, "I have made contacts, deals, and allies among those that have traditionally and ignorantly ignored. The guilds, the dispossessed, the mercenary. Even the Lurkers sit at my beck and call now." He leaned over the table. "Bluntly put my Lords and Ladies, join me and work with the winning team...or get crushed beneath as we pass you by."
A quiet had settled over the room.
"But if it's another demonstration Lord Baus wants, well then, who am I to deny a man who has allowed a traitor like me shelter in his home?" He gestured to the man with an open palm. "Tell me Lord Baus, do you have any enemies that you would like made to disappear, with not even a witness able to come forward with a story for the Magi?" He turned to the Lord of Envy. "Or you sir, is there some specific bauble that you have coveted for millenia? Name it and in two hours your retainers will be calling you to tell you that it has mysteriously arrived on the desk in your study." He smiled. "It takes longer to steal things than it does to kill people, I'm afraid," he laughed. Nervously, all laughed along with him.
"You're bluffing," said Lord Adlet.
"Try me," Sa said, leaning in close. The supposedly powerful Lord gulped like a spawn. Sa smiled and turned back to address them all once more. "Now, don't get the impression that I'm soft here people. I am, after all, only a shadow who's been allowed to come up in the world some. And old habits are a bitch to break. Cross me, and find these very same boons have turned to curses, curses that you will never outrun. My people, my connections, will hunt you down." The tone of his voice had turned very grim indeed, and silence reigned again. "So. What is your decision? Follow me, the new Lord of Pride, or die in your sleep without a single bodyguard able to defend you."
There was a cough; all eyes turned to Baus. "You certainly make a much stronger argument than Modok ever did." Several of the Thirteen nodded at that. "You can guarantee us victory?"
Sa nodded. "And not just Hell will be ours. Even Heaven will tremble at our might."
"You mean to even conquer the mortal and heavenly Realms?" Pyro asked, shocked.
"Yes," he nodded to her. "All will fall to our might."
Lord Baus spoke up again. "So you take up both Modok's plan and title. What about the so-called curse of Pride, hm? Your scheme back-firing?"
Sa smiled. "That's what I have you lot for. So again I ask you: yay or nay?"
The Thirteen all shared looks, then each nodded in turn. "We will go with you and your plans, Lord Sa of Pride." Baus nodded.
"Good. And end this pointless Dance, will you? Lady Devi isn't dead and will not allow any wannabe's to take her place." He gathered the bag back about Modok's head. "Anything further you need to say you can direct through her." He leaned over to whisper in Devi's ear. "And call the soldiers out of the hall. We have no further need for them."
Devi smiled and nodded, going for the cell phone in her jacket.
"And with that, I think we're just about done here my good sir's and madam's. I hope you all have a pleasant trip home, plotting and scheming amongst yourselves. Just remember who holds your leash now." He looked to Devi and nodded, exiting the room.
///
Devi was laughing as soon as they got out of proper earshot of the conference room. "Did you see the look on their faces when you showed them Modok's head?"
Sa smirked. "Well worth the displeasure of having my fingers in his insides, I suppose."
They were working their way back towards the upstairs and their rooms. "So should I go back to calling you Vince then?"
"No," Sa shook his head. "Vince is dead. Sa is who I am now."
Devi nodded. "And I return to being Lady Devi. Not too shabby, especially since I don't loathe the man I have as my husband now."
Sa nodded. "Yeah."
"I do have some bad news for you though."
"Oh?" His eyebrow arched.
Devi nodded, her hand trembling, unsure of how he would take this. "Hermes got away. You were right: that was his sister that came for him. Supposedly the group he took down here to participate in the Dance helped him out of there too."
"And who told you this?"
"Sofi herself. Laurel and a partner of hers killed her bodyguard and then left her for dead. She was rescued by some of ours a few minutes after Hermes' cohorts left. She's resting up in our safe house right now."
Sa's hand clenched. "And your daughter?"
"Hasn't reported in yet."
"Why do these people continue to pester me?"
"At the very least Sofi reports that Hermes was near-dead the last she knew."
Sa turned to her, his face dark. "Near-dead isn't dead, Devi. The man could make it through."
Devi laughed. "But in the rare chance that he did, he would be too injured to even move properly. He's a cripple thanks to what you and Sofi did to him."
The elevator door opened, and Devi stepped out. She waited, then said, "aren't you coming?"
Sa shook his head. "No. I have things to think about now, thank you."
"Hermes?"
"Yes."
Devi sighed. "I told you Sa -"
"Pardon me if I remain unconvinced." The doors shut between the two of them.