Dinner, such as it was, consisted of a delightful table in a restaurant usually frequented by mammals who wore suits and thought that banker's hours were strenuous. When asked how he got a table so easily, all he'd said was, "Live long enough and you'll know everyone." This turned out to be prophetic, as a small collection of mammals made brief visits to pay their respects. None stayed long and the males were very conscious of the proximity of their dates to the mammal they came to visit. Nick apparently had quite the reputation and his treatment reflected that. Once the sycophants and favor hunters departed, Judy breathed a small sigh of relief.
"I know, right?" Nick commented as the last mammal retreated from earshot.
Judy, still recovering from shock, blinked at him a moment before responding, "Huh?"
"The crowd," he clarified with a wave of a paw. "Sorry about that."
"What was that anyway?" she asked. The only answer she received was a shrug.
"Some mammals I know."
Judy rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
"What's bugging you, angelfluff?"
His response was met with narrowed eyes as Judy leaned in to . "Shall we start with the most immediate of my numerous confusions? How about how you can know these mortals when you've been in a prison in Hell for the last five centuries, for a start?" she hissed
Elbows were placed on the able and Nick rested his chin on his fists as he regarded her. "Time in Hell is flexible, as I'm sure you know. It can be as long or short as the Devil wants."
It only took a few moments of calculation for Judy to shake her head in disagreement. "I know that the different planes of existence don't always line up in terms of scale of time movement, but that doesn't account for the difference, here," she argued. "To know these people, you'd have to be here during a mortal life span. That's hard to do when you were imprisoned during the first decade of the sixteenth century."
He gave her a head tilt and grin. "Hell is a little special in that regard. What was for me a five-hundred-year confinement, was a matter of moments or minutes outside my cell."
"What?" was her incredulous reply.
"At the Devil's discretion time in Hell can be modified in a lot of very interesting ways. It can be compartmentalized, sped up, slowed down, and it can be affected so minutely, it's scary. How else do you think the idea of endless torment and eternal suffering came into being?" he pointed out. "All the Devil has to do is warp time and you get all the suffering you could ask for and have time to do it all again before you blink your eyes."
"That's insane!"
"I think you mean ridiculous."
Ignoring his attempt at humor, Judy asked, "How?"
"One of the perks of power in the Inferno." Nick lifted his wine glasses and took a sip. "The flow of time can be affected by a few things."
"Like what?" She took a large swallow from her own glass.
"Power, will and desire, mostly. Position helps, too. The higher the rank, the easier it is. Relics can help, too, I suppose. My armor, for one." Judy thought she saw Lefty twinkle, but chose to ignore it.
"And now, you're the Devil," she stated.
"Not yet, but splitting hairs is getting old, so yes. For all practical purposes, I am the Devil, but let us be formal about it to remove any doubt." Nick smirked as he stood and stepped away from his chair to face her. Placing his right paw at his waist, he took her right paw in his left and offered Judy an elegant bow. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a todd of wealth and taste."
"You just had to, didn't you?" Judy glared, not amused. Nick reseated himself, unapologetic. "So, as the Devil, you get to decide all of time in Hell, now…"
"I do believe so," he replied with a smirk as he sipped his water. "Honestly, I never had a chance to try it out. I was keeping my head down and staying off the radar for so long, I'm not sure what I can actually do anymore. Don't worry, though. I'll figure it out eventually and I won't screw with it... too much."
"And you can stop time, here," she asked, side eyeing him.
"On a small scale," he agreed.
"So you say."
"I do say. I assure you, Carrots, I can affect time a little, but nothing like I should be able to in Hell."
"Somehow, I am not reassured."
Nick shrugged and smiled. "What's next on your list of angelic anxieties? Perhaps what's actually bugging you instead of a smokescreen?"
Judy's retort was delayed by the appearance of their waiter. Judy had no genuine interest in the menu and trusted Nick to order something she'd like. As soon as the waiter departed, again, she realized how odd it was for her to feel that way. Unfortunately, it was too late to undo, as the orders had been placed while she tried to get her head together. Resigning herself to her culinary fate, she focused her energies on trying to get a handle on the new reality she found herself in.
"Alright, Nick. If you're playing the technicality game and you're not the Devil yet, why the hell isn't your Name working when I use it?"
"What's puzzling you, is the nature of my game?" he asked, but quickly continued before she could finish picking up her dinner knife. "Plenty of demons have their names floating around."
"There's no guarantee that those names floating around are correct. They could be titles, not names at all! Demons equivocate and lie in order to hide their Names. They do that because they know the power in them," she stressed as she recalled how he was unaffected by the use of his. "The fact that you don't seem to care implies that Piberius isn't your Name at all, but it has to be, because I doubt you'd be able to hide it from the Devil."
"Oh, I didn't hide anything. He was quite correct. That was my Name."
"Was?"It was quite obvious that she had no idea what he was saying.
"Was and is."
"Then what the serious fuck?!" While her voice was louder than usual, it was the way her paw slapped the table that truly demonstrated her ire and frustration.
"Carrots, watch your voice, if you please. I'd like to eat before getting thrown out of the restaurant."
Chastened, Judy settled back into her seat, but barely. She was viciously confused and more than a little upset. The fox's equivocations were not helping matters and she was finding the situation to be increasingly exhausting. Her wine glass was soon empty and an attentive waiter swooped in to fill it before retreating to a discrete distance.
"Carrots, what do you know about Names?"
"Everyone has one,"she explained with careful patience. "They encapsulate us and when spoken can bind and command us."
"Celestials, you mean."
She could feel her nose was beginning to twitch. "Yes, of course. Now, stop being pedantic and tell me what the hell is wrong with you?"
"With me? Nothing. You're missing one little things about Names," he pointed out. "Power. In order to command an angel or demon, you need to be powerful enough to make it be of consequence."
"Wha- wait. Hang on! Are you telling me that I'm too weak to enforce your Name as a summons?" she hissed loudly, being mindful of the potential audience.
"Buffy was, too, so don't feel bad," Nick offered by way of comfort.
The absurdity of the statement got her to huff a bemused and incredulous breath. "What?"
"Carrots, it's the same way that demons have ignored mortals' summons since time out of mind. Most mortals just don't have the power to compel us. Even the strongest only get a response because we're bored or don't mind wasting a few decades in service. It's not like we have anything else to do, most of the time."
"That puts things in perspective," Judy replied acidly.
The remainder of her venom was held in abeyance as the food arrived. Judy was unsurprised when a spectacular meal took shape around them. A cheese tray, ludicrously expensive courtesy of the Milk & Dairy Union, was the first to arrive. A fillet of poached halibut in a light cream sauce appeared before Nick, while a ratatouille materialized before her. Side dishes appeared, as well, covering any desire they might have had for fresh fruit, vegetables in any variety of steamed, seared and raw states you could name, and small bowls of seasoned nuts. A sommelier drifted silently in the wake of the servers, filling two flutes with champagne and settling a bottle of white Bordeaux wine into an ice bucket at Nick's elbow.
Judy wanted to stay angry. She really, really did, but the smell of fresh, hot food crippled her willpower. Her stomach spoke for her, as well, making a very clear point.
"Don't stand on ceremony," Nick said, raising his glass in salute to her. "Eat up. You fought hard, today. You deserve a good meal and this appears to be a very good one."
Taken by surprise at the compliment, Judy didn't move for a moment, even as Nick took up his utensils and began to eat. Raising her own glass, she said, "Thank you." Nick winked over a mouthful of his meal and Judy gave in to the most immediate of her hungers.
One bite in, whiskers quivering, she was annoyed she'd waited so long. Ratatouille is a simple dish, but it is an exceedingly easy meal to ruin. Potentially exquisite flavor combinations are possible with the proper skill. Judy was pleased that the chef seemed to take great care with their preparation of her dinner. It was light, yet satisfying and the sauce just unctuous enough to be weighty, but not suffocating.
Judy tucked in with relish.
The meal passed largely in silence, but not of the oppressive kind. While Nick enjoyed his food, he had sampled the mortal plane before and even a meal as good as this was not a new experience. He concluded his dinner and sampled some wasabi-laced legumes as he watched his companion experience her first truly gourmet repast.
As he watched her eat, he let his thoughts wander.
Now that he had gotten what he had wanted for so long, he was faced with finding something else to do. Revenge was sweet, but he had survived his vendetta. He was the ruler apparent of Hell. He'd ended the life of the one who had engineered his fall. He'd never be welcomed back into Heaven, but after what he knew of the place he didn't want to go there any more than back to Hell. The one benefit Hell had, other than the central heating, was that he would be in charge. However, the actual business of ruling appealed about as much as falling a third time.
He sipped his wine and sighed. There wasn't much point in worrying about it. He had, quite literally, all the time in the world. There was no rush and he was quite happy on the mortal plane. This was the good place. For a moment he amused himself with the thought of retiring and setting up shop as a club owner in the city. It had an appeal, but he knew he'd get very bored, very quickly. He'd need something to help keep him occupied.
That thought brought his attention back to his dinner companion and the fact that she was staring straight at him. He had something to occupy himself with. He hadn't lied when he said he'd given his word to help her, but that was only part of it. Being the Devil carried certain privileges. Among them being an unquestionable right to claim any soul for his own; that included angels who fell. Gone was the need to snatch her from the void as she fell. He could simply reach out and claim her. The idea both thrilled and sickened him. Those reactions, and the reasons for them, made him uncomfortable.
Too soon, Judy's entree was gone and she was left to nibble the various other dishes she had the opportunity to try. It was a delicious meal. One she was sure she was not alone in experiencing. As she loaded her plate again with side dishes and other nibbles, she cast a glance at the fox opposite her.
Her paws slowed.
She was still irritated with Nick, but a superb meal went a long way towards blunting her ire. As her anger had faded, her mind allowed a few things that were of greater concern than her recently wounded pride to bubble to the surface. One of them was her fascination with him.
At the moment he looked pensive; deep in thought, almost nostalgic. He wore the face of contentment, but there was an undercurrent Judy was not sure she liked; one of anticipation and awareness. When his eyes met hers, there was something she saw in them that made her heart stutter, though not unpleasantly. Something had changed and not in a way she found objectionable. She was anxious; excited, even. So much so that she didn't realize she'd spoken until he replied.
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Nothing," he replied with far less pleasure than she would have expected. "Finally, I have everything I've been after."
"Dominion over hell, the power to stop time…"
"Excellent dinner company." While they had eaten and imbibed, the cheese tray had warmed at the table side. Nick took the opportunity to share out the delicacies with accompaniments of crackers and caviar.
"Not everything," she corrected over the rim of her wine glass before taking a sip.
"Oh?"He arched a brow in her direction.
"I heard you tell Baphomet you'd have me."
Nick chuckled. "I recall you were a bit incensed at that when we squared off, earlier."
"Well?" she prompted him.
Making a show of spreading some soft, creamy cheese over a seeded cracker, Nick raised it to his lips before asking, "Well what?"
Judy watched his indulgent act and decided to follow suit by picking up a piece of fresh fruit. "You can't possibly be that stupid," she snorted softly before biting into the rip melon and licking the juice from her muzzle.
Nick watched her little display with amusement in his eyes, but refrained from commenting overtly. "You're upset that I taunted him before I killed him?"
"I'm upset that it was the truth."
"And what surprises you about that?" he wanted to know.
"It didn't surprise me, but it didn't feel good either," she admitted.
"Judy, you know what I am."
"You're a demon," she replied, looking down at her paws as she cleaned them with her napkin. "And you want me to fall."
"Yes. I do," he confirmed. "It's what demons do. However, there is something you're missing."
"Which is?"
He waggled a digit in front of his muzzle. "A secret for another time, my dear."
"Uh-huh…" She huffed softly in obvious annoyance, while making it quite clear she did not plan on making further comment.
"Yes?"
"Nothing. It's not worth it."
"Judith Hopps," chided the todd.
The note of power in his voice demanded her attention, but it did not compel her. There was authority there, but no hint of domination magic, or the eerie pressure Baphomet had wielded. It thrilled her to see that despite, for all practical purposes being the Devil, he did not use his powers unnecessarily.
"I promise you will know the one part of this you're missing once we are no longer in public." That comment was made all the more suggestive by the way he licked a bit of cheese from one claw. "As impatient as you are, there are some things I think would be best discussed discreetly. In the meantime I will remind you of two facts."
Judy swallowed thickly. "Which are?"
"I told you I'd tempt you right from the start, yes?" Judy had to nod. He had made no secret of it, even that first evening at the diner. "I also said I wouldn't use my powers to accomplish that."
Judy's head snapped up. It took a moment, but Judy had to agree. He had said that the same night as well. He also was a mammal of his word. "What does that mean?"
"Think about it, rabbit. If you can guess what it means before we get back to the hotel, you'll get a prize."
He was silent on the topic for the rest of their meal and all the way home.
There was plenty discussed. Trying not to show how much thought she was giving his little challenge, she brought up any topic she could think of. Weather in Hell, his new powers, the origins of his armor and the legends he had used to find the pieces. Anything and everything she could imagine was brought to the table, but there were two topics she refused to mention. The first was his challenge, because she'd only sound wheedling or whiny and she was not about to suffer that indignity. The second was Baphomet's behavior towards her.
The, now former, Devil had left hell to come collect her, personally. She didn't know why. Apparently, neither did Nick. That was a serious problem. If the Devil was after her, it was only by sheer dumb luck that she happened to find the one being other than the Divine Herself that could go toe-to-toe with the Devil and win. Or was it luck? Judy's mind kept creeping back to the conversation they'd had with that insane deer in the catacombs. Creeping suspicions were starting to form in her mind and none of them felt good.
Those uncomfortable feelings were one of several reasons Judy was glad that Nick ordered a car to take them home after they finished their desserts. As much as she was concerned with the happenings around her, she still found the appetite to enjoy a crème brule and tiramisu. One thing she had to admit was that Nick's suggestions when it came to food were never wrong. She was grateful for her celestial metabolism as they climbed into the chauffeured vehicle and glided back out into the city night.
On their way, Judy paid attention to the world as it slid past. She was surprised at how clean everything was, considering the recent unrest. She knew from the files Bogo had left her that there had been an enormous search and rescue operation underway, looking for her, at the time of the attack. There had been a lot of extra officers on the streets and the in tactical gear, ready to respond. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise that so much of the damage had been so quickly contained; the worst of it being the losses suffered at Precinct One.
Judy felt a pang of guilt for talking Officer Clawhauser into returning to the precinct so immediately, but there were things that unsettled her about him. Until she was certain of why he had forgotten her, she needed to keep her distance. He'd shown no signs of corruption, or influence, so what had happened?
Her ruminations distracted her until they were pulled up in front of the hotel.
That was when she got answers and none of them the way she wanted.
The lobby was strangely empty when they entered. It was after hours and most mammals were in bed, or out for the night, so it wasn't a surprise to see fewer patrons. It was, however, a surprise to see only one lion on the concierge desk and no other mammals in any support role visible at all. At the very least Judy had come to expect a cleaner, or a maid to be restocking, or somemammal buffing the floors at such an hour; but there wasn't a single mammal around. Just the one lion who was obviously not well.
For one thing, he was grinning like a raving lunatic and swaying. Like a deer they had made the acquaintance of not long ago and the mammals that had torn through the city on a murderous rampage.
The setup was simply too obvious.
"And the evening was going so well…" Nick grumbled before turning to Judy and asking, "Shall we get this over with?"
"Do we have to?"
Nick understood her trepidation. Aside from the fact that they hadn't been directly harmed, the last time they encountered a mammal with that particular grin, things had not gone particularly well. Abject terror was not an experience Nick had any interest in repeating. Also, plenty of others had been harmed by mammals wearing similar megalomaniacal grins. A few hours ago, he would have suggested discretion, but now he was a very different demon.
Nick approached the desk and addressed the large felid. "I presume you have a message from your puppeteer?"
"Why, Nicky… It's like you don't recognize me…" The same sickly sweet, cavernous voice that the deer had possessed issued, not from the throat, but the chest of the lion. "It hurts, Nicky. It hurts…"
Affecting a bored mein, the demon fox rested his weight on one leg as he regarded the creature. "I presume you're here to be a nuisance, again. What do you want?"
The cat's voice spoke, this time gruff and male. "Want? Wantwantwant… I want a pop tart. I like those. So meaty and sweet."
"I'd suggest a convenience store. Now, why are you here?"
"Deep questions for a deepening mind… Good Nicky. You're asking the right questions. At last, at last…" The lion grinned. It was a sickening thing to behold.
"So you are here to be annoying. If you'll excuse us…"
Nick made to walk away, but was brought up short by the cat's words. "Aren't you grateful little demonangel?"
"Grateful? For what?" Judy chimed in.
The lion scoffed. "For what you have been given, little light."
"Given," Judy parrotted the word, turning into a question. "What do you think I have been given, exactly?"
"Your throne, of course! So short minded. Short minded now and for a time, but not forever. No… Never forever…" the lion was sing-songing his way into a litany of nonsense, but it was sounding less insane to Nick and that disturbed him.
So the fox had to ask, "Are you suggesting you gave me Baphomet?"
"Baphomet. Baffy. Bats! Bats in the belfry and Butter for biscuits!" The lion gasped and licked his muzzle. "I like butter."
"I'll warn you now, whatever you are," Nick sighed dismissed. "Stay away and I won't thank you for what I had to earn myself."
"Such will and won't… Ingratitude I expected, but not forever. One day I will be thanked. Thanked and fed and free to search again!"
"Search for what?" Judy pressed.
"The Meaning! The Meaning and the Source! Little lights and breadcrumbs back home!"
A sick thought crept into Judy's mind and it was out of her mouth before she finished it. "You were Clawhauser at the café. Weren't you?"
"Clever light!" For the first time this conversation, the lion's eyes slid into focus on the pair and the mind sharpened briefly. "These meats are so flexible, but they don't last long." The lion rippled and the deer was standing behind the counter. "No… they just can't handle changing shapes too often." A petite sheep spoke this time. "Fall apart." A Coyote. "Always falling apart..."
On the heels of the words, the monstrosity shifted and took the form of the chubby cheetah from the bar and Nick winced. With every shift, the body looked less stable, less coherent. The final form was clearly rough and in any other circumstances, he would say it was dying. "They never last long."
They watched, horrified, as the shape of the officer Judy had encouraged shuffled into the shape of the original lion once again and shambled out from behind the desk, dragging a hogtied gnu in its early 30's behind him. "Too soon I need a fresh one."
The lion's clothes shifted, rippling as and a long tendril of black flesh slipped out from between the buttons of his shirt and shot into the neck of the struggling ungulate. It was only a moment before the struggles ceased and the gnu was freed. As soon as the duct tape and ropes were removed, it stood and the lion collapsed like an emptied sack. "See? Good as new! New meat always feels so… fresh."
Collecting the body of the big cat and his former bindings, the gnu grinned sickly and rasped, "I hate to dash, but things to do. Lots to do. Always more! More more more… Congratulations, Nicky! Don't worry. I'll see you again, eventually. Soon? Soon. Sooner or later, but not later, I think."
With a raving laugh, the gnu vanished out of the door with it's felid burden, leaving the angel and demon in an uncomfortable vacuum.
"Do you think it's gone?"
Judy's sudden words made Nick jump. A fact for which he was both grateful and annoyed. "I think so. Come on. The sooner we're behind my wards, the better…"
Judy slipped past the front desk, without her eyes leaving the spot where the lion had fallen, and hastened towards the elevators with Nick in tow. The fox took a little longer getting to the elevator bank for two reasons. The first being a desire to put a little distance between her and the monstrosity that had just left them, just in case he had to intercept an attack. The second was a small object glinting on the ground.
Judy was distracted by repeatedly pressing the call button and tapping her foot, so she missed it. Nick did not. Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was, in fact, another Tartarus Diamond. The significance of this find was not lost on Nick and he swept the little gem into his pocket before joining the rabbit who was now bouncing in place as she held the elevator.
He had an idea.
Inside the suite, Judy was unsettled. As terrifying as her earlier encounter with that... whatever it was, had been, this was worse. Nick was rattled and he was by miles the strongest being she knew. She disliked relying on him at all, but found it oddly cathartic to know he was there. Rather, she would if he was more forthcoming.
"What is it?" she asked him.
The wards were up, allowing Nick to feel somewhat better about the situation. He glanced at the angel, noting her staring. "What's what?"
"You were as creeped out as I was by what happened in the lobby until the elevator showed up. and now you're acting like you're up to something."
"As it happens, I am," Nick replied as he shifted his wings into a more casual arrangement. He winked at her as it briefly became a smoking jacket, but settled on a comfortable silk robe & trousers combination.
"Then, what is it?" Judy asked, with an eye roll as her own personal effects landed on a chair.
"Just an idea. I need to confirm something, first." So saying, Nick pulled out his phone and dialed Finnick. The gruff little imp barely answered before Nick had it on speaker and was barking orders. "Finn, I need you to do two things for me."
There was a harsh sigh and the sound of glass hitting wood with a solid thunk. "Oh no. What now…"
"Nothing serious," Nick assured as he sat and lay his phone down on the coffee table. "You're just going to be paying a visit to the Pandemonium Central Archives. I need a couple books from there."
"NO. Hell no! I ain't going near that place!" Judy was surprised at the fennec's vehemence as she sat opposite Nick on the love seat.
"Not even for five platinum Lucifers?" Nick purred into the phone.
"Five…" They could hear the desire in his voice.
"I take it that's enough for a little trip to the library?" Nick asked, mostly rhetorically.
"For five Luci's you could wax my back, shellac me and use me for a curling stone." Clearly Finnick was interested.
"Didn't we do that on the Styx, once?" Nick wondered aloud.
"Shut up!"
The red fox chuckled. "Do we have a deal?"
"Yes! Now, what books?" growled the voice through the phone.
"The Codex Auream Inferni, the Compendium Malefix Rex and the Lay of Tartarus."
"The fuck?" Finnick spat. "Those are Ancient Texts. They're under lock and key in the deep archives. There's no way I'd get in to see them, let alone take them out for a walk."
"I never said anything about needing permission. There's a reason I asked you, Finnick."
"Ah, shit… I already agreed, too, didn't I?"
"And at a very good price," Nick pointed out.
"What's the second thing?" Finnick reluctantly asked.
"Be here at dawn and bring a city map. I'll give you what you need to get the books. The Coins might even impress your new girlfriend."
Nick ended the call before a response came back. Likely for the best, considering what it would have been, but now Judy was curious to a painful degree. She was sitting on tenterhooks, looking expectantly at him, waiting for explanations that weren't forthcoming. Her eagerness quickly boiled over.
"Well? What did all that mean?"
"Patience," Nick cautioned as he moved to the sideboard and poured two measures from a decanter.
"You have got to be kidding me…" she sputtered.
"Nope. There's no guarantee this little hunch of mine will pay off," he explained as he capped and replaced the decanter. "Therefore, tomorrow, while you investigate your end, I will have homework, too."
"I don't appreciate you keeping secrets."
"It's only an idea and a long shot at that through the legends of Hell. If it doesn't pan out, at least you won't have wasted your time. I promise I'll explain, just give me a little time."
"I gave you a little time at the restaurant." Judy groused, as she accepted her lowball. "Now, you're asking for more and you've explained nothing. Becoming the Devil has done wonderful things for you." There was no escaping the annoyed sarcasm in her voice.
Nick sat and sipped, before asking, "What's bothering you, rabbit?"
"Above and beyond everything else I've said and asked about so far? Where do I begin?" Judy insisted forcefully.
"Anywhere would be a good start," Nick suggested.
"You're a demon."
"Well spotted."
Judy put her glass on the table. "Demons, as far as I know, are all about power. They love it. Want more of it. Can't get enough of it."
"Yes, we do. Your point?"
"You burned Baphomet's heart rather than take his power," she pointed out.
"I told you it would only weaken me," he observed, nonchalantly sipping his drink.
The bunny crossed her legs and leaned back slightly, resting the tumbler on her knee. "That may be true, but it still doesn't make sense. A powerful demon's heart can be made into an equally powerful relic; one that could amplify power, or at least be valuable in trade or as a trophy. Bragging rights are as good as currency in Hell, to my knowledge." Judy took a large sip of the glasses contents, before setting it on the table beside her chair. "Yet, you burned his heart to ash. You must have a reason for doing that. You wouldn't have done that without a damn good reason."
"You are correct," Nick grinned as he set his drink down next to the angel's. This was becoming quite fun for the fox, but the light tremor in his paw was not missed by his companion. He was still shaken from earlier. Upon reflection, Judy understood that there were many very good reasons for his being shaken. It was an opportunity.
She pressed. "Well, that's comforting to hear. I got part of it right, but I still don't understand! What am I missing?"
"Hell is in disarray. With the Devil dead, who also happened to be the arch demon of Pride, they need to find a ruler for the House and squabble over the throne in absence of the Mark of Rule: my Spear. That will take quite a long time."
Violet eyes widened in understanding and she peered at the fox with a new-found appreciation for his machinations and forward thinking. "You've removed them as a player. They're going to be busy infighting, leaving them weakened and easier for you to claim."
"Indeed. Why work harder than I have to?" Judy had to agree that his strategies made sense, but his reasons did not. There were still too many things that did not add up.
"What's your goal, really? You tried to claim the throne of Hell, but now you're willing to wait? Why?"
"It was never about ruling Hell. That's just a fringe benefit. I wanted Buffy vulnerable, so I could finally get my revenge. All of this was. My first uprising, my second fall, finding the Pieces, the coup, robbing the vaults…" Nick flashed a toothy smile at the angel and she could see a myriad of emotions behind his eyes. "All the politics and deals I made were to set Buffy up. I knew once he worked it out he'd come to deal with me, himself."
"As a point of pride…" she added reflectively. "So all this was to get at him?"
"Yes and be strong enough to destroy him." The demon's lowball was emptied and refilled, with the decanter placed beside it, before he continued. "The millennia I spent finding the armor and setting the stage was worth it. I finally got the old goat." The refilled glass was placed firmly back on the table where it had been before.
She was making progress. "Wasn't it risky?"
"Incredibly." Nick leaned back in his seat, taking an indolent pose as he studied the color of the liquid in his glass. "I didn't expect to be given to Lust, or to discover that all Buffy's power was really just the spear. That was a happy coincidence. At my second falling I had enough information to plan my revenge. I had to work my way up the ranks in Luxuria and find the armor. Then, I had to earn each piece's respect. Once that was done it was simple. Encourage a coup, but not be involved directly, and use it to rob him. I knew he'd punish me, so I hid my things and waited until he gave me a chance to re-earn my rank. Even Hell's ruler has to obey his own laws, otherwise he'd be pulled down. The rest you can guess."
"You knew it'd be a while before he checked his vault and who he'd suspect."
Nick shook his head and snorted softly. "Buffy was a fool, so I made sure he knew who had robbed him. I left a note."
Judy goggled, shaking her head in disbelief. "You left a- You are completely insane, you know that?"
"I make it look good."
Whether it was the wink or the waggled brows she didn't know, but Judy couldn't help but laugh. It was another moment of too-familiar ease, but instead of leading to the usual flash of irritation, Judy felt warm. And a little shy. "Um... not to be nosey, but what now?"
"Now? Well, bun-bun, we have a monster to hunt and I have a deal with you to keep. Whatever else you can say about demons, we honor the deals we make."
"I don't know about demons, generally, but you seem to."
"And I am the only demon that matters now, so there you are." He toasted her with a raised glass then to a large swallow while Judy rolled her eyes at his complete lack of humility.
"Hang on. Why can't you just go get the books yourself? You have the Key to Hell, don't you?"
"If I return, I will be stuck there until I have claimed the Throne. A little condition that comes with the Key, I'm afraid." A sip. "I was only able to go to the Vaults of Luxuria because they're specifically warded, effectively making them a space outside Hell itself. All the House Vaults are. The archives are not warded in similar fashion." His eyes locked with hers. "And I have other commitments."
Judy fought down the feeling of elation she kept feeling whenever he talked like that. It wasn't good for her and kept derailing her focus. Not enough to completely end her capacity for rational thought or turn her into a pile of goo, but plenty enough to make her uncomfortable with her own reactions. In light of recent events, between him repeatedly defending her and, strangely, trusting her, Judy was less and less happy with how comfortable she was becoming in the company of the demon.
There were still answers she needed and had, in fact, been promised. With his recent willingness to share in mind, Judy resolved to use his trust to at least get something; possibly the one thing that scared her as much as it thrilled her. And it was this excitement that scared her more.
"You promised me an answer when we got back," she reminded him.
"That I did." Nick slipped his drink into his paw and sipped lightly. Very lightly for him, Judy noted. Something was up.
"You said you wanted me to fall."
Nick replied, "I'm a demon. Of course, I want you to fall. We've been over this," but his heart wasn't in the words.
Judy caught the light tremor in his voice and in a fit of blind courage, asked, "In what way?"
Words stuck in Nick's throat. His mind supplied option after option for responses and each was rejected as more damning than the last. The chaos in his mind stretched the moment of silence between them to what felt like an age.
Forcing himself to appear calm, he muttered, "That remains to be seen."
Seeing her ears snap upright from the corner of his vision cleared his mind enough to realize what he'd said. "Lie."
"Judy, I promised you an answer and you have it."
"I have an inference. Not an answer." It was all coming together. The pressure was getting to him.
"What is it, Nick?" she demanded, refusing to back to now that she was so close. "What is it that you promised me? You gave me your word."
The air in the room changed. Since they had gotten back the atmosphere had been relatively light. Perhaps a bit tense, expectant, even charged when she'd been questioning him. But now something was different. The air felt like lightning was about to strike and his collar, which had grown increasingly quiescent as the evening had passed, pulsed red.
Once more he allowed his gaze to meet hers, but this time what she saw reflected there was power. So much power barely leashed by an iron will. "You want to know?" The power trickled into his voice and poured over her in a waves of warmth. Feeling flushed, the angel rose from her seat then walked towards the bar, telling herself it was because she needed a bottle of cold water. Before she had taken her second step, Judy found herself pinned to the wall by the bedroom door. "I'll tell you."
The next thing Judy registered was the same satin thread-count under her back that she had started her day with, but now the paws weren't in her mind. She was pinned. Hard. Each of her wrists was clamped in the unyielding grip of the fox. His knee pinned her legs apart and his hip pressed her body into the mattress. Blood pounded in her ears as much from fear as an emotion she couldn't bring herself to name.
"I want you to fall, but I will never let you reach Hell." His voice was a thick rasp in her ears. "I will claim you before sulfur touches a hair on your head, but that isn't important. You must understand Sin before you can even think of falling."
His paws slid along her arms to her sides and she yielded to every touch; her senses overwhelmed. "You asked once why I didn't take you when you were vulnerable. Sin doesn't work that way. For you to fall, it needs to be your choice. You need to come to me willingly and so I will never... ever... force you."
His hands clamped down on her waist and pulled her flush against him. He was an inferno bound in flesh. The feeling of it stole her breath and smothered her mind. Her trembling paws reached of their own accord to rest on his shoulders.
"I will know what the bond is and what it means. I will know your taste and I will feel your pleasure. And on that day you, dear bunny… You. Will. Be. Mine."
The pressure on her body suddenly lifted and Judy became aware that Nick was gone. She rolled onto her side, eyes were the size of dinner plates as she clutched the bed clothes to her heaving chest. Not in fear, but in nervous tension. She was stunned, uncertain and something else. It wasn't a negative emotion. "Hopeful", a traitorous little voice in the back of her mind supplied. The bottom fell out of her stomach.
"I gave you my word I wouldn't use my powers to tempt you." Judy bolted upright to see Nick standing beside the bed. "I'll keep that promise, but don't think for a moment that there isn't every bit of intent in my actions. I will simply wait. When you are ready, I will welcome you with open arms." Nick watched her with eyes blazing. "And no hesitation."
As the fox moved towards the door he drew a cigarette from somewhere on his person and lit it with a claw. The flame was indigo limned with violet and the collar around his neck glowed a steady, ruby red, painting the walls in multi-colored shadows.
"Sleep well, sweetheart," he purred as he closed to door behind him with a paw made of his cigarette smoke.
Once on the other side of the closed door, Nick sprinted to the sideboard and gripped it hard enough to score the material with his claws. He should have been ecstatic! She was hooked. Openly. The air was thick with her pheromones and it was just a matter of time before his rabbit came to him of her own free will. All he had to do was not screw it up and her wings would whither, no doubt about it. The thought summoned alcohol-laced bile to the back of his throat.
Something was wrong.
He was changing is ways that sickened him, but he still Craved. That was on top of the other absurd revelations of the recent past. Working with an angel, allowing her to bind him; it was playing a long game. The kind he excelled at. So, why had this one gone so far awry? How!? He'd accounted for everything.
A traitorous voice reminded him that he hadn't considered the bond or the willpower of the angel he'd decided to mess with. Or the fact that a devil was involved. Or...
Nick slapped himself, forcing himself to calm. This wasn't helping. The whole situation was a disaster. The little diversion he'd allowed himself to indulge in had gotten out of hand, but it was not unsalvageable.
Turning back towards the couch, he passed where he'd pinned her to the wall. The floor was littered with angel down. As though he needed the confirmation of her temptation. He stooped and collected every single feather, adding it his collection. Once they were secure, he beat a path back to the sideboard and collected a fresh decanter and glass before taking a seat on the couch.
Two full glasses were poured and emptied in quick succession before he felt the edges of oblivion reaching for him. He reached back by pouring a third glass.
As his paw raised to his lips, he saw the bond mark on the back of his paw. It was smaller, again. Barely past the knuckle of his thumb and distorting to pool on the back of his paw, it was far more complex. There were hints of layered patterns and suggestions of meaning tickled at the back of his mind. He shuddered at the sensation. He felt anger and elation; anticipation and anxiety. All nebulous and uncertain. He didn't know what to think any more than he knew what he was feeling, or why.
All he was sure of was that the mysteries were piling up. There was nothing he could do, however. Not just then. Finnick wasn't due for a time yet and he had to avoid Judy for a while. His hungers were flaring after reclaiming his wings and his Collar barely was restraining the power.
Nick caressed the slick metal as it rested around his throat.
"Who ever would have thought I'd be so pleased to have Izzy's trinket back on my neck…" Nick mused aloud to himself.
The Collar was a singular piece of metalwork, older than hell itself, according to Asmodeus' boasting. It could contain all but the strongest of powers and bind any angel or demon, or so he claimed. It was perfect for the purposes of House Luxuria in breaking new acquisitions. Nick had agreed to wear it as a condition for regaining his rank and now he had a reason to be happy for his choice, rather than merely inconvenienced.
Nick needed answers. He had to tread lightly with his pet imp and the angel for a number of reasons and he'd gotten his revenge, but mysteries needed answers. He needed satisfaction and soon. HIs Pride and Lust were stronger than ever, now and they would need feeding. He was hungry and the Collar was only doing so much to blunt it.
NIck drained his glass and poured another. The hours ticked by as he waited for dawn and the suppression sunlight would give him.