Judy woke, but strictly by the loosest definition of the term. She hadn't slept so much as forced herself to doze for a while and when that failed spectacularly, she tried meditating. Even that met only mixed success. She'd gotten enough rest that she wasn't dead on her feet, but would need a lot of coffee to survive her day. She rolled to her side and lifted her head to get a sense of how much rest she'd gotten. A quick glance at the window led her to adjust her position slightly. It was still well before dawn. She revised her mental coffee order to "vat" and flopped back onto the pillows.
The reasons for her utter failure to focus on her meditations, let alone sleep, was no mystery. The way her evening ended rattling around her mind was plenty enough to shred any chance of either. Around an hour after Nick had left her sprawled on the bed, her brain reengaged and the realization hit. She had the Devil on a leash. The actual Devil. The demon who ruled Hell was currently bonded to her. Judy would have been thrilled and uncertain at the prospect, a week ago. Now, as she sat on the mattress surrounded by a puddle of angeldown she was far less enthusiastic about her situation and absolutely certain of one simple fact.
She was utterly fucked.
There was a light trail from the door to the bed and she was sure there were more of her feathers littering the ground where Nick had pinned her to the wall. Sitting in a drift of evidence, she couldn't deny it anymore. She was tempted. Achingly so, and in every way that she shouldn't be. The worst of it lay in that he wasn't acting like a demon.
Demons weren't exactly subtle. Judy was absolutely sure he could get what he wanted without using his powers, just like he promised he would. It terrified her that he was willing to wait. It was a huge gamble from his end of things. At least, it should have been. The previous evening, he had simply made his desires clear. He just happened to do so in a way that made her feel like a toy and left her thinking that she was on fire under her fur.
Otherwise, he hadn't been pushy, or demanding the way she'd have expected of a demon. He was overt and utterly transparent, but it was almost playful. The flirting had crept up on her, leaving her less irate after each exchange. If the Sympathy for the Devil references hadn't been so ill-timed on the heels of so much, she would have laughed. As if that wasn't enough of her altered state regarding the fox, the shower incidents were bothering her far less than they should be, even in hindsight. Closing her eyes, she felt the phantom of his paws on her waist from the night before and remembered not wanting to raise a finger to stop him, despite the fact that her arms had been free.
Her eyes snapped open and she remembered, yet again, why meditation and sleep had failed so thoroughly. Every time her eyes closed, the ghosts of sensation were there. The Bond was closed. She checked every time, yet the sensations persisted. However, her eyes left open brought no relief, either.
If it wasn't the angeldown littering the room, her eyes were drawn invariably to the other evidence of the severity of her situation: her paw. She didn't need the evidence, or the reminder, of all the things it meant. She'd watched with increasing distress as the Mark had shrunk since their meeting at the bar. It was clearly almost fully into the third stage and then there would be no going back for her.
As though there's any chance of that.
Any chance of what?
Judy bolted upright as heat flowed through her; a deplorable cocktail of anxiety, fear and arousal coursing through her.
Look, rabbit, I get that this bond thing is good for communication, but I'm in the next room. If you want to talk, just come out here.
She hadn't even realized the bond had been open. It wasn't supposed to be unless she was consciously holding it open. Not good. Oh, so very not good. One small saving grace lay in the fact that while he had sounded annoyed, she hadn't felt his irritation directly. That meant he hadn't felt the wave of heat that had rolled through her just from hearing his voice.
The small relief afforded her enough mental clarity to realize a few other things. The first of which being that she could smell her own pheromones on the air. She knew the moment she moved she'd smell arousal. Nick couldn't be allowed to know he had gotten to her that badly. HE probably knew, but his smugness was already insufferable. She couldn't let it get any worse.
Rising quickly, Judy willed down the heat in her blood. She willed the fallen feathers out of being as she stripped off her clothes and the bodysuit that formed the base of her armor. Arousal and desire were thick on the air as the layers came off, growing more poignantly upsetting by the moment. She felt ill at how bad it had gotten. Realizing she had so much farther to go filled her with disgust at her weakness. She was tired and scared, but there was so much more to do. She didn't have time for self indulgence.
A purification spell later and the air was clear, as were her garments. To address her own cleanliness, she opted for a quick, thorough scrub in the shower. The sensation of the water on her skin and fur did nothing to calm her, as she was instantly reminded of the showers she'd had without getting wet. Her mind and thighs clenched as she willed away the memories and blitzed through the rest of her bathing.
Ten minutes later, she was dressed and entering the main room of the suite just in time to hear a knock at the door. On reflex, she summoned her buckler and karambit. A snort from the corner of the room drew her attention. She was not ready for what she saw. So much so that her armaments nearly slipped from her fingers from fear as much as a very carnal hunger.
Nick looked rough. His paws held a lowball and an empty decanter. It was clear he hadn't slept. He was bedraggled and scruffy, his collar glowing a tepid yellow. That was the part that drew her. The part that terrified her was sprouting from his back. He wasn't even bothering with the illusion for his wings. They were majestic and nauseating, sweeping up from his back; black expanses of sinew, muscle and bone. They were leathery demon wings, but something strange was happening to them. Threads of gold glittered under his skin like veins in marble. Where the gold traced, ragged feathers sprouted. Confusion and befuddlement left her gasping like a fish out of water.
"See something you like, hunny bunny?"
Judy's stammering was interrupted by a repeat of the knock at the door, only this time it was notably harder and louder. Nick drained his glass and set it down before heading towards the door. Judy panicked.
"Nick!"
"What?"
"What are you doing?"
"Answering the door. Obviously. Why?"
"With your wings out?"
Nick rolled his eyes and huffed a breath before retorting, "The only living being that it could be, is Finnick."
"You're positive? Did you forget that the thing we're hunting can change forms?"
Nick raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door frame. "I doubt that it, whatever it is, would knock. Either it would just walk in, or be too oddly polite to bother us. Besides, I know that knock. It's about eleven inches off the ground and composed of 40% ears, 10% bad attitude and 100 proof alcohol."
Judy's retort was curtailed as the knocking boomed through the room, again, followed by, "Wilde! I hear you being a smartass in there. Open up!"
Nick traipsed to the door and opened it. "Like I said, 40% ears."
"I didn't hear what you said. I just heard your voice."
"And you know I was being a smartass, how?"
"You were talking." Judy couldn't help but snicker at that statement. That got Nick to half turn to give her a look and then Finnick dropped his teeth. "…Wings…"
"Yes, Finnick. Wings. I presume you understand what that means."
Finnick nodded vigorously.
"Good. Then you know with whose authority you are returning to the Pit, yes?"
More nodding was his only reply, again.
"Good. Now come in. I have a few things for your trek into Pandemonium."
Nick led him in, heading towards his chest. The sounds of tiny feet preceded the sound of a decanter opening and the glugging sound of liquid being guzzled directly from a container.
Judy watched with a mixture of amusement and concern. It was clear the two foxes knew each other quite well, but their dynamic was strange to say the least. It only got worse when Nick returned a few moments later and tossed two small cloth bags to his fellow demon.
"What's this?"
"Enough Coins to help you get the job done. Oh!" Nick paused to flick a platinum Lucifer to the little fox. "That should get you there."
"Gee thanks. Now, where's my pay?"
"Coins on delivery this time, Finn."
"Well, fuck..." the little fox sighed. "Fine. I could use a drink, first."
"You just inhaled a quart of scotch," Nick commented flatly. "You've had your drink, now go get my books."
"I need another drink to brace myself to do just that! You know how heavily guarded that place is!"
"And the second little bag should help you with that."
Raising an eyebrow, Finnick took a peak and immediately snapped he bag shut, regretting his decision. "That was you?!"
Nick grinned. "I figured it'd come in handy."
"You crazy bastard!"
Judy chimed in. "What is it?"
Finnick beat Nick to the answer. "You don't want to know. I should have known better than to look, but I did and I wish I hadn't. Now, I'm telling you, you don't want to know!"
Nick shrugged with an easy smirk. "It's just a little passkey through the Archive security barriers."
"It's a fucking toe!"
"A toe?" Judy asked, with a nervous chuckle.
"Yes, rabbit. A. Toe. As in a piece of someone's foot!"
"Nick?" Judy asked tremulously, "Why do you have a toe in a bag?"
"And how the fuck will this get me through security at the Archives?" Finnick boomed.
Nick grinned. "The answer to both your questions is simple. That is the High Archivist's toe. I relieved him of it many years ago."
"Yeah. I heard all about it through the grapevine. Someone snuck in and cut off his toe. No reason. No revenge note, or even a mark to take credit. Just a stolen toe while the old monster was asleep."
"I know I'm going crazy for asking this question with a straight face," Judy muttered, "but why would you steal the Archivist's toe?"
"That ancient slob is as strong as any arch demon and the only one who can pass through any and all of the security measures in the Central Archives. That applies to all of him, even a little piece that isn't attached at the moment. I thought it'd be good to have."
"Good to have..." Finnick grunted.
"And it turns out I was right!" Nick replied pompously, self-satisfaction dripping from every syllable. "Aren't I clever?"
Judy chuckled weakly and Finnick muttered "sweet misery," under his breath.
"Now," Nick continued, "Finnick, you need to get going and, Judy, we have work to do. Finn, did you bring the map?"
A rumpled pile of paper flopped onto the table by the door as the little imp trundled past, shaking his head. Once the door was closed, Nick smiled and collected it, returning to the coffee table and spreading the map across it.
Judy moved from the spot she'd been riveted to since leaving her room enough to peer over the fox's shoulder and ask, "What are you doing?"
"A little sympathetic tracking."
"Huh?"
"Sympathetic magic calls like to like, yes?"
"In broad terms, yes, kinda."
"Well, I intend to use these," Nick said as he pulled the two Tartarus diamonds from his trouser pocket, "to locate all the other Tartarus diamonds in the city."
"There are easier ways to shop for jewelry."
His grin deepened. "If we find enough diamonds in one place, that may just be where this thing has its den."
Nick caught himself thinking that dawning comprehension was a good look for her as he watched her put the pieces together. Normally, he would have squashed the notion, now... Now, he just appreciated it. Uncertainty, perhaps, but sincerely.
"Unfortunately," he continued, "It'll take a while."
"And its possible some of them have been moved, as well," Judy commented half to herself.
"True. However, I think it's likely it'll want a place to hide that's not going to see a lot of traffic. Either way, it's worth a shot."
She blinked in astonishment at the demon. "That's brilliant!"
"Hardly. I remembered your tracking spell and I saw the diamond on the ground after the… Gnu… left. It just came to me. Call it… Divine inspiration."
"Really." Judy stated dryly.
Nick grinned and fetched another bottle from the sideboard to fill the, again, empty decanter. Things were going decently well, despite his rough night, and the awkwardness was at a dull roar. She wasn't asking any of the really hard questions and despite being a little jumpy, she seemed to be in good spirits. All he had to do was keep the conversation flowing and direct her attention back towards their investigation. The longer the previous evening went undiscussed, the longer the implications could fester in her mind. The fact that she was tempted was undeniable, what with all the angeldown previously scattered about his apartment like confetti, and now it was the waiting game. With enough patience, she'd crack.
In the meantime, Nick had all the diversions he could need. He had his task and she'd be back on hers again, as soon as he reminded her. If he got bored after setting up his tracking spell he could read files, or flirt. Life was good.
From his foot locker the fox collected a rack of vials filled with reagents, a pair of nested metal dishes the size of his palm which were covered in worn runes, and a jar of graveyard dust. He checked on his daggers, and made sure his supplies were up to par, taking note of anything Finnick would need to fetch when he returned. Once he was back in front of the map, he scattered the grave dust over the surface and began mixing the reagents to lay the base of his spell.
A small green flame ignited on his claw and was placed in the larger of the dishes, where it danced merrily. The smaller dish was set to hovering over the flame with a small expenditure of will. Into the dish went powders and flecks from his collection of containers, followed by a drop of his own blood. The runes and sigils on the dishes began to glow and Nick settled back to wait for his decoction to finish cooking.
That was when the angel threw him a curveball.
"Nick…"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"How did you pay for dinner?"
Nick huffed out a laugh. "With money. What else?"
"Silly question, I know. I had this absurd idea for a moment that you paid with Coins of Mammon." Now, Nick did laugh long and hard. When he finally did calm himself, Judy wasn't exactly pouting. She was smiling too much to be doing that, but she was certainly a bit put out at being laughed at. "Now that you're finished, would you mind filling me in?"
"On what? The economics of Hell?"
"On how you survive on the Mortal Plane. I have to earn my money, working at the precinct. There are emergency funds in case of-"
"-All hell breaking loose?"
Judy giggled. "Yes. However, I haven't had to touch those funds because you keep paying. I want to know where the money is coming from."
"Hell has a few methods. Some operatives earn money. Others steal, con, or work for criminal organizations. City hall is a big employer."
"It is not!"
"One word: Politics. A demon's daily bread." Nick replied with a smug grin. "I, however, have another cash flow. My cards are all spelled relics. When I want to pay, they create the funds."
"Create, as in manufacture?"
"After a fashion. They cause the local economic structures to undergo a series of unforeseeable conundrums, usually of the electronic variety."
"What does that mean?"
"Banking errors."
Judy blinked. "Hang on there, Slick. Are you telling me you pay by creating electronic errors in the banking system?"
"Uhhuh."
"And it's for everything?"
"Yep!"
"I should be horrified, but I'm not even surprised."
"Demon." Nick chirped with a grin. "It's more complex than that, but between banking errors and stock market quirks, I always have plenty of pocket money."
"Unbelievable," Judy huffed angrily. She was ready to rip into the fox for his open admission to fraud, but he preempted her.
"Hold that thought, Carrots. I have to do a little work, now..." Nick turned his attention to his floating dish and the runes that were pulsing in a cascade across its surface. A few more additions from his vials and another drop of blood later, he turned back to her. "So, this is going to be about three hours of groundwork and layered syntax for me, once this finishes cooking and tinctures. Think you have enough to keep yourself occupied?"
"You mean aside from all the questions we still don't have answered?"
"You'll keep plugging away on the files, then?"
"Is there much of a choice?"
Nick chuckled in acquiescence to her point. "What are you working on, then?"
"My personnel files."
"Curious about others' opinions of you?" Nick grinned. "Vanity, vanity cried the preacher!"
"I'm pretty sure you've got that covered."
"And a few other Sins…" Nick punctuated his rejoinder with a wink, which Judy rolled her eyes at. Her smirk and pinkish ears ruined the effect.
"Alright," Judy huffed. "Rein in that ego of yours. If you're looking into finding that thing's den and I presume the tomes Finnick is looking for are part of identifying it…?"
"Correct."
"Then, I'm looking into the other end of that."
"Why it's interested in you, you mean?"
"And a few other points," Judy replied. "It's said a lot of peculiar things about me. Calling me Lightbearer and such. I know the Host's files on you are useless, so I may as well look into mine. At risk of sounding self-obsessed, I'm our best lead into finding something to link that monster, whatever is happening in this city, and us, together. If I can figure out why it thinks I'm special, we can use that. There may be something in the high security locked files, or sealed portions of my base file. With my current accesses, I should be able to get access and find out."
"Well reasoned, rabbit. Sounds like a plan." Nick lifted his glass to salute her, but was interrupted when his runed bowls started humming. "And that's me. Talk about timing… I'm going to be busy for a while. Once I'm done, the kitchens should be opened and we can get a bite."
"Good. Reading always makes me hungry."
The only response she got was a chuckle as her de facto roommate dipped a claw into the upper bowl and started to draw on the air about three inches above the map. As she watched, the beginnings of an intensely complex, mandala-style magic circle began to take shape. Whatever it was the fox was up to, it would be a very long process getting there. Judy elected to take her own advice and dig into her files.
One of the basic characteristics of her nature was both an asset and liability. Judy was nothing if not thorough. Most mammals in her position would go immediately to the most interesting parts; the sealed files and locked sections. However, she reasoned, it was possible that without the context of the rest of the information in her file, it would be possible to miss something important later on. That was why she selected her basic file from the top of the surprisingly large stack and settled in to read on the armchair beside the loveseat the fox occupied.
It was an achingly dull read.
As much as she enjoyed recalling her exploits in service and remembering the glory days, such as they were, there was a sense of profound discontentment that came with them this time, which she didn't understand. It didn't help that it was a military file so the reading was almost as dry as her mandatory technical classes on remote control and communications platforms. Very useful in the long term, but no one stayed conscious through more than ten pages at a time, even Judy.
Time crawled along and she was making progress, when a sudden change was noted in her documentation. Around the time when she was assigned to the Inquisitor's Office and ordered to the Fringe, the detail and depth of her fitness reports increased to an alarming degree. She was never supposed to see her own file, but even so, there was no discernable reason other than a single, oblique reference to orders received in relation to increasing the scrutiny on her performance. It was understandable to a point if she was under consideration for fast tracking to a command rank, but this was ridiculous.
Skipping the rest of her dossier, but marking her place to return to once she had addressed her curiosity, Judy shuffled through the stack to find the orders referred to in her file. They weren't there. Seconds after confirming as much, Judy had her tablet in paw and had the file reference information. It was a Locked Document, labeled class five, highest priority, and classified. That led her to the correct drawer within the Sealed Files.
Her personal passcode opened the drawer and she located the file. It was Locked and Warded, as well; an extreme case of excessive security if ever there was one. That unsettled her. She was just a lieutenant and otherwise completely unimpressive. THere was no reason she was aware of for such measures and it sparked both curiosity and disquiet in her. Judy pressed her bangles to the primary ward circle and was rewarded with a low chiming as the security measures disengaged.
"Is that how that works?"
Nick's question caught Judy completely by surprise. She started and squeaked before rounding on the grinning demon. "Oh, I hate you."
"Lies will only hurt you, sweetheart."
"And you know I'm lying, how?"
In response nick held up his paw with the bond mark and Judy face-pawed. "Fine, Mister Pedantic. You irritate me."
"Agreed. Now, what has your tail in a twist?"
"I was finally making progress when you startled me."
"Really?"
"Yes." Judy checked her tablet. "This is one of a pair of files with the same security. I think they're related. They have the same operations codes."
"And they involve you?"
"Apparently. This is the first I've heard of any of it."
"Ooh! A mystery." Nick strolled over to the cabinet and flicked through it, pulled a file that had similar markings from the drawer. "Is this it?"
"Yes, but aren't you working on your tracking spell?"
"It needs a minute. Demonic magic is a little like cooking. Sometimes, you need to let it sit and rest for best results."
"Now, I feel ill." Her stomach growled in response.
"Maybe you do, but your taut little tummy needs a meal. I'll order room service and we can dig in to these super-secret files."
"That one's still locked, dummy."
In response, Nick ambled over and leaned down to her level.
Judy smirked. "Is the Devil going to ask me for a little sympathy? Maybe open his new reading material?"
Nick flopped the file face down onto her crossed arms and was rewarded with the affirmation chime. The security measures began to disengage and the fox lifted the file, again. "I was just enjoying a close up view of your chest while I took care of that for myself. …and now your blush."
Judy shoved his face out of her personal space. She watched as he swaggered over to the in-suite phone and called room service. Through an effort of will, she tore her eyes off his backside and opened the file. She reminded herself that there'd be plenty of time for ogling his tail after the work was done. She then mentally slapped herself for even thinking along those lines and got to work, but not before willing a few newly fallen pin feathers out of existence.
While Judy read, Nick busied himself with getting at least moderately dressed in anticipation of answering the door. He reasoned that it'd be too soon for him to get anywhere with his file, so dressing was a better use of his time. She mumbled her agreement and tried to limit her disappointment. It got easier as she read.
It wasn't long before Judy had far greater concerns than the state of her demon's backside. Very quickly she was grateful for the space.
Her file was distressing, mostly for the questions it didn't answer. The level of personal information was well beyond what she knew was normal in the Host. It was close to invasive; comprehensive on everything from her powers and their known applications to her pleasure reading. Every tour on the Fringe and her actions in every battle were painstakingly documented and verified. It was as close to reliving the events as she could come outside her own memory. That in itself wasn't a shock; the scope of information dispersal, however, was.
Every report was confirmed as being received by the upper echelons of the Host's command staff. Comments, notations, feedback, and referrals were attached to every sheet, with copies to the Council of Seraphs and The Throne Office of Internal Regulations and Affairs of Celestial State. There were reference numbers to related files and a few quick checks on her tablet demonstrated the extent, much to her horror. Dozens of analyses were attached to every action she had made, right up to her descent to the Mortal Plane. Hundreds of pages worth of projections and assessments, analyses and interpretations, like they were planning a war with her as the centerpiece.
Then, things got interesting. Her bonding to Nick had resulted in over one thousand dissertations and assessment theses from the Inquisitorial Office...alone. There was an entire wing of the Military Intelligence Division devoted to assessing her mental health and battalions of shock troops were mobilizing in the off chance that any teams could be sent in. The scope of it was flabbergasting. Judy had no idea why the Host was going to such extents over her admittedly bad decision. Court marshall and exile she'd been prepared for, but invasion?
Seeing the pages shaking as her paws trembled brought her attention back to herself a bit. Her heart was hammering and hyperventilation was a serious threat. Her eyes shot to the fox, who had his back to her. Thanking the Heavens for small blessings, she took the opportunity to focus. Realizing last thing she needed was to give away her agitation to her companion, she focused. Several deep breaths later, her paws weren't shaking and she wasn't about to panic. When the fox turned around, all he saw was a degree of discomfort on her face that was only to be expected when reading about oneself.
Less than ten minutes after Nick had made the call out, there was a knock at the door and Nick went to collect the food. When he returned, he left her plate in front of her and settled into his seat, again.
He was mid-mouthful when he stopped and asked, "Hey, Carrots. Is this level of medical information normal?"
Judy shook herself out of her concerned musings. "Huh?"
"This file is all about you."
"Obviously. It's my personnel file."
"And this puts the "personal" in personnel…"
Judy's nose twitched. "What do you mean?"
"Judy, the information in here is ridiculously comprehensive. Every scratch is documented. Did you know you got a papercut on your fourth day here? Side of your pinky finger, the joint between the last two filanges. Diagonal abrasion, 12.8 degrees off center for joint alignment, two drops of blood."
"Are you serious? Of course that's in there. Everything is documented like that."
"What else do they have in here?"
"Don't you dare!" Judy leapt up and snatched the file from the surprised fox's paws.
"Jeez, Carrots, you worried about me discovering your horrible, recurring mange problem or something?"
"I do not have mange!"
"Not with fur that soft…"
"Damn it! Surely, there must be something in all of existence that you can be serious about."
"I'm always serious. And don't call me Shirley."
"You're never serious and I'll call you whatever I like."
"Whatever you call me, make it good. You don't want to be screaming something ridiculous, later. Might kill the mood." A melon ball flew sharply from her paw, only to miss his head as he ducked and slipped to his feet. "I'd settle for "God", but that'd be a bit absurd."
"You are impossible!" She seethed. Then, seeing he was wrapping himself in his wings, she continued, "Where are you going?"
"Before you so rudely snatched that file from me, I saw a small notation about a surgical center in the city. As I have nothing else to do, I figured I'd check it out."
"Nothing to do? There are dozens of files here!"
"And all about you." So saying, the fox wandered off to the bedroom and, presumably, his supplies. His voice carried through the doorway, "Considering your reaction to me reading that one, are you sure you want me traipsing through the rest?"
That gave Judy immediate pause. Wanting to assure herself that there was nothing too earth-shattering in the file, she flipped the file open to a page marked out with the High Inquisitor's Seal at the back and was instantly glad she had kept it from him. A few more pages turned in her paws in as many seconds. The report summary on the final sheet had her snapping the file shut as soon as her eyes traced the ink.
"Is that common?"
Judy jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice, despite it still coming from the other room. Willing herself to sound calm, she responded. "Is what common?"
"Using local medical establishments. I thought the Heavens provided for that in house."
"They do. A facility like this is a first to my knowledge."
Realizing how dangerous her situation was, Judy clamped down hard on the Bond in the hopes of keeping it closed. The last thing she needed was the demon getting a hold of her emotional state. She'd be lost if he even had an inkling of how upset she was over the situation. If he saw, he'd have to ask why she was upset and she couldn't lie to him. He would push and corner her as only a demon could and she would be ruined. The best she could hope for was keeping her newest secret hers until she could grasp and accept it. Just the thought of what it meant nearly sent her hyperventilating, again. If she could manage to extend the secrecy until she found a countermeasure, so much the better for her. She doubted she'd get either, but she had to buy herself some time, regardless.
As she conversed, Judy frantically, yet as silently as she could manage, sped around the table cleaning up the scattered documents and activating the security measures on each of them. By the time Nick returned to the room, all the files were stowed and the document case was unsummoned. Only she could call it into being again, so that was one loose end tied off for the moment. Now, it was a matter of keeping her own mouth shut.
"You ready to go?"
"Yep!" she squeaked.
"You ok, honey bunny?"
"No and don't call me that."
"What's wrong?"
"It's… too much too fast. This is all a little overwhelming."
"Did it catch up with you just now?"
"Something like that."
"I can check this out on my own if you like. We're never out of touch, remember?"
The tone of his voice was almost enough to make her cry. She shouldn't feel comforted at the words of a monster who had already said he wanted her to fall. She shouldn't feel relieved that he was being considerate. She shouldn't...
She kept trying to convince herself as she huffed out, "I think it'd be better if I went with you. A little movement might help me clear my mind."
"Alright. Let's get going, then. The food will keep and we can get something to nibble on while we're out."
"I'm not that hungry," Judy muttered quietly as she felt her stomach boil with acid.
As the door closed, Judy's mind crept back to the truth about herself she had learned and barely kept from the demon. Now, she understood why she was such a hot topic for Command and why the Throne was interested in her. Of all the things she had ever thought possible, this was never even close to making the list. The final lines of the report were a collection of words she wouldn't have believed possible if it weren't signed by the High Inquisitor, himself.
Presence of Empyrean potential: Confirmed.
New designation: Lieutenant Judy Hopps, Divinitas in Potentia.
Her eyes crept up from the floor ahead of her where they had been keeping her from walking into a wall and locked onto the strutting demon in front of her. Of course, the Heavens were panicking. The Heir to Heaven was Bonded to the master of Hell!