Chapter 4: Sebastian POV

I set up a meeting with the Undertaker and the contact Calphis handed Danny. I did hate bringing her to the King's Bar, but it always got results in the past. And as I took the time to make sure the conditions for Danny to be protected until the young Master was ready, per the Master's strict order to me, I was glad that the wretched place existed. For the next week Danny and I were careful to get Souls into her, as needed, and to continue to educate the young Master. She continued to answer questions about the Heavens and the Hells, and the Humans in between, and I was impressed; religious training did come in handy in these conversations.

Danny looked like she was exhausted by the end of the week and we readied ourselves for the weekend it would take to meet the Undertaker and the "businessman." I rubbed her back as she sat on the bed, and I took in her lack of bright and cheerful self as a sign we were doing the best thing for her.

"You guys enjoy the coast for New Years," Mey-Rin said as we came down the stairs. She smiled and looked at Danny and then me. "You two look so fancy for a concert and a weekend away."

"Thank you Mey-Rin," I said. I set the bags down and Danny put her coat on and tied the ribbon on her hat. The young Master came from the library and smiled at us as well. I turned back to the Maid. "You have my list and are in charge."

She stood straight and nodded. "Yes, Mister Sebastian!" I smiled; like old times how quick they were to respond.

I went over to the young Master and looked at him. "Be to bed on time, and be ready for the new quarter of classes to begin, young Master."

"Are you going to give Ms. Hyde more ideas to teach me?" he asked as he sighed and looked at her. "She already gave me homework to do over the holidays!"

"And how far have you gotten?" Danny asked.

The young Master turned a shade pink and looked down. "Translating the Secret Garden into French is hard."

"But you will master it, young Master! I know you will!" Mey-Rin said, her hands resting on his shoulders. He looked up and smiled, nodding. She smiled down at him and then looked up at both Danny and I. "Now, off! Have a lovely time. Oh to have a romantic time during New Years!"

I chuckled softly and picked up the bags. At one time Mey-Rin's very fanciful affections were laid in my direction. These days, as the years passed, I wondered if they did not head into the more natural current of the other gun expert - Baldroy. I wrapped my arm around Danny and we left the Manor. We took one of the older automobiles, and picked up the Undertaker, who was less than thrilled to be in a newer contraption.

"Humans did just fine with horses," he grumbled. He placed his black bag beside ours and settled in. I continued to drive, and soon we were in a town near Dover, also on the cliffs. The cottage we were staying at was a lovely turn of the 1800s style, so it was very cramped with three of us, let alone the fourth, and however many they brought.

Danny set her bag down and sighed as she sank into the bed. I pulled off her shoes and I moved quietly around the room, finally tucking her in; I could wake her when the rest of the group came and we were ready for her.

"You certainly know some odd people, Sebastian," the Undertaker said. "Hehe! Even I wouldn't take the word of a Warlock!"

I smiled menacingly and looked at him. "Why do you think you are here?" He eyed me and I sighed, motioning he should sit down. He gathered his grey robes, and sat, and I did the same, steepling my fingers. "I don't deal with Warlocks if at all possible, but," I looked back at the closed door where Danny was softly sleeping. "You know Contracts both block Demons and give us extra Power. She is getting weaker, I see the Hunger in her eyes."

"Have you told her what she must do?"

I looked at him and then at the ground. "It's best if she didn't know." I sighed and looked out the window. "Yes, yes, I know, deception. But I am a Demon. And my Mate… she is worth it." I looked at him again. "Would you give it up if given the chance to save someone?"

"Ah, for someone who was in danger, perhaps. Love? Well… I have no need of it most times. Just seems to be a scary thing that keeps me out of harm's way."

"She will protect me with her love," I muttered, seeing his point. "I will always protect her. Besides, the Paperwork for her Birth was approved - both with the Reapers and the Demons, so…" I trailed off and flicked my hand, and a steaming hot mug of tea appeared in front of us. "Shall we wait in comfort?"

"Hehe! You never cease to amaze me."

I smiled softly behind my cup. I hoped Danny would feel the same when the Warlock asked for the last remnants of her old life. We made small talk and read books quietly for three more hours. I checked my watch twice and knew that time wasn't speeding up, but just wanted to know how much to berate the man when he came. Finally I heard the sound of hooves and the heavy snorting and breathing of a horse. The Undertaker frowned and looked at me.

"He took a horse."

I said nothing but went to the door and opened it, watching the man and two woman dismount. I eyed the two women - Humans. I bit my lip and wondered if they were going to be sacrificed outright or willingly leave their bodies behind for the fires of our needs.

"Michaelis, I assume," the man said, heavily accenting my name and flinging his equally heavy robes over his right arm. "Bassing Hoffinwich. So, Calphis said you have a Demon Feeding problem." He smiled as I looked at him. "I don't like to walk around a mountain when I can go through. Now, the Demon?"

"She is sleeping, let me wake her. Please, take a seat and help yourself to some food and tea."

"She? Sleeps? Was this the Human to Demon that was talked about?"

I turned and eyed him. "Ex-Reaper to Demon, actually. Very briefly was a Human between her being transferred. "

"Oh, clinical, good. So should this go wrong -"

I grabbed the man and lifted him a few inches off the ground and brought him to my face. "Nothing will go wrong, otherwise I and my companion will take every precaution your limbs will not be found." His eyes twinkled and he nodded. I set him down and snorted. "Let me fetch her."

I opened the door to find Danny kicking off the sheets and her long legs sticking out of the tangled mess. I smiled; before she became a Demon, during her transition from ex-Reaper to Demon, I would watch her sleep. She would toss and moan, as if she was reliving something. But since her transition, since we started sharing a bed, she hardly moved, as if the mere presence of someone else, maybe being a Demon, helped soothed her mind, made her feel safe in her sleep. I sat on the bed and placed a hand on her back, startling her and she sat up, her claws out and her Darkness changing her body from the solid Human to the Demonic forms we enjoyed on occasion. I could see that her sudden transformation was not out of joy.

"Daniella, shh," I whispered as I pulled her to me. She collapsed and I felt her solid body in my arms. "The businessman is here. Can… can you walk?"

She swung her legs off the bed and nodded. She pushed off to stand and I caught her as she collapsed. Her body burned and I kissed her sweating forehead. I picked her up and carried her to the living room.

"We need to hurry," I said, fighting to keep my voice even. I didn't want the Warlock to know who Danny was to me; it was already dangerous to involve him with Demon affairs. There were very few fringe Demons - those who were more Human and simply held on to Demon powers - then we cared to admit, and most did not like to deal with full Demons. We had power and the abilities to do all sorts of things, while they had a sliver of both.

"You have the object?" the Warlock asked, again another gleam in his eye. "Powerful magic deserves powerful payment."

I set Danny down, her legs holding as she stood in a fog beside me. I looked at him. "This will keep the Hunger away for a few more years?"

"If the payment is good enough, yes."

I took a deep breath and glanced at the Undertaker. He gave a bare nod and I looked at Danny, blinking and trying to stay awake. Oh my love, please forgive me. Please know I would do anything to keep my Master from hurting you further. I will protect you, this one thing I hope you can depart with and know I did this out of my love for you. I reached into my jacket and pulled out a clothed wrapped object, feeling the power stinging my fingers.

I reached out and placed it in his hands and met his gaze before I let go, the pain of holding the object, of knowing what it meant to both Danny and the Reapers, seering into my heart. "This should be payment enough for two or three years worth of Hunger."

He lifted his eyebrow at me and unfolded it before looking down. "Oh… my. A Pen."

"It is a Reaper's Scythe," the Undertaker said. He lifted it out of the man's hand and looked at it. "Finely crafted." He twirled around his fingers it as I seen Danny do in the woods, when she was saving the young Master. A light shot out at both ends of the pen and and a ornate Scythe was in the Undertaker's hands. The curve of the blade and the small etchings made me want to weep; it was as beautiful as she was.

"Oh… my. Yes, it is worth three years of Hunger," the Warlock said. He looked at the Scythe as if it was as if it was a precious object to be admired and worshiped. I looked down at Danny and agreed.

"Payment has been rendered," the Undertaker said. "Please, do what you have to."

The Warlock smiled and twirled the Scythe the way that the Undertaker had, and it retracted into a normal pen. "Very well. Out back may be best. We have… sacrifices to make."

I picked up Danny once more and carried her to the small back garden. The Warlock placed a sheet on the ground and motioned for me to lay her down on it. One of his companions lay down, her head by Danny's feet, and the other stood by her head. I glanced at the Undertaker and he sat on the small bench, patting the seat next to him. The Warlock got on his knees and opened a case, taking out vials and objects, placing them around the sheet and around Danny.

"Demon, will the bleeding make you want a Soul?"

I met his sharp gaze and smiled. "I have no desires to take such offerings you are so generously offering." I looked over the scene and sighed. "Go on and have fun with your bleeding. Just don't summon any Demons," I added with another, sharper smile, and sat back, and tried to calm my nerves. I even crossed my arms and legs, hoping I came off with a indifferent attitude. But I watched carefully and sharply.

He chanted, and I watched his fingers as they slid over the objects before him. He sliced his arm, and I studied the swaying branches. He dipped his knives and bottles and a chalice in the blood, and I studied the way the vines were clinging to the stone walls.

He lifted the knife and slowly drew a small circle into the woman laying down, her blood prickling through her skin, and the Warlock seemed to shimmer. I sighed at the overly dramatic way that they performed. I was not to be entertained, I was here to have my Mate's Hunger sedated for a time. Time enough to give the Master and young Master their time - a selfish question as I had to watch Danny suffer for the wait. An energy seemed to come back down around us and I felt the pricking I had felt when Danny had reached into the young Master's body and ripped the remains of the lower Demon out of him so many years ago… only two, actually. The sky rumbled.

"Ista daemonia conspirata cuniculis subterraneis maceriae ostende mihi faciem tuam libidine. Sed hæc dico ut pasceret dedere. Sanguis fiant ex decem, centum decem…*" the Warlock said in a low voice. He repeated it and sliced the woman. The one standing did not flinch, and I wondered if he had not drugged them, or spelled them, or had them under a contract, to be so compliant.

"Oh, he has good magic to control two women," the Undertaker said in a whisper. He nodded at the other woman standing and grinned. "Not like a weak Warlock. I think this will do nicely."

I looked at him and said nothing. The Warlock could have been powerful all he wanted, it was the results that I wanted, what I was interested in. I sat forward a little as the blood seemed to seep into Danny's dress, tainting it a deep red, traveling around her legs, her arms, pouring into her naked palms.

"Ista daemonia conspirata cuniculis subterraneis maceriae ostende mihi faciem tuam libidine. Sed hæc dico ut pasceret dedere. Sanguis fiant ex decem, centum decem…" he said again, a bit more forcefully.

"Interesting Spell," the Undertaker muttered as he sat back and examined the scene. "Not one I would expect." He swept a bit of hair from his eyes and I caught the bright green shining in the dim light. "Calling the Underground isn't easy, nor advised by most. And to use strong words like 'lust' and to manipulate the amount her body feels she is taking in. Impressive."

"Perhaps you should ask him to London and become your personal Warlock," I muttered, looking at him. "If she dies -"

"She will not. You can feel that, and you know she is going to be powerful. Not as much as when she takes her Contract, but this will keep her Hunger to a low amount. To Feed on one and have the Souls of ten in your body! Ah!"

I watched as the woman's heart beat slowly stopped and the Warlock snatched her rising Soul and bottled it up. He sprinkled some dirt on the woman and she fell into dust. The one who had been standing, now took her place, calmly, as if this was her duty, her privilege. I smiled a little - it was. I eyed the Warlock and took in his moves, not as fluid as some nor as jarring as most. It was unique and again there was a heavy pressure and an aura about the whole process. I checked my watch as I saw the first trails of pink in the sky. It had been four hours and we were halfway through the sacrifice of the second woman. I glanced at the Undertaker, who seemed to be sleeping. The blood continued to crawl over Danny, soaking into her skin as if it was a sponge and it was drawing in the liquid.

"It is done," the Warlock said at last. He wiped his brow and once more bottled the Soul and made the woman Vanish into dust. "I must rest and then I can be on my way. As for the Demon," he added, standing and looking down at Danny, "she will need the rest of the weekend to fully absorb the Offerings and be fully restored."

"She will not Hunger for three years?"

"Not to the point her Mark burns and she is ready to devour whole villages to sate her desires," he replied. "Now, please, I shall sleep."

The Undertaker and I nodded and he moved back into the house. We waited and I nodded; the Warlock was asleep.

The Undertaker darted forward and collected some of the dust and placed it into a vial of his own. He walked by me and looked at me. "Yes," I simply said. "Do what you wish."

His grin and giggle told me I wasn't the only evil thing awake.

* Demons of the Underground, let me see your lust. Be fed but these offerings I surrender. Let the blood of one be of ten, and ten be of one hundred.