Chapter Ten

Dealing with Demons

Ashling and the other Shinigami watched Claude carefully as he sipped at a cup of tea, his golden eyes glinting slightly with amusement. They had been trying to get him to go more into detail about this so-called "Wolves-Bane Ritual" for the past several minutes, but he blatantly refused to speak with them. He had, for whatever reason, decided that he wanted only to speak with William from then on. William was reluctant to indulge the beast, but it was important that they do whatever they could to cure Ashling of her condition. After a few moments of silent contemplation, the tired Shinigami relented.

"Very well. Everyone, go get some rest. I'll see you at work tomorrow. I'll handle the demon." he said sternly, his eyes locked with the smirking demon's.

The group shot him concerned looks, but took his stern glare as a sign that he was well enough on his own. They got up and shuffled out into the dark night, hurrying down the street. Ronald held Ashling's hand tightly in his own. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he thought.

"What do you think that demon wants from William?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I just hope it's not anything bad." Ashling replied softly.

"Oh, I can guarantee that it's bad. Demons never do anything out of the goodness of their hearts. That would require them to have goodness in their hearts, which is unthinkable."

Ashling sighed and nodded, glancing over her shoulder as the Dispatch Building vanished from sight.

Claude sat patiently, waiting for William to speak first. The Shinigami seemed reluctant to ask for the demon's help, and it was amusing to watch the anger boiling under his mask of calmness. He could sense the stubborn rage radiating off of the man, and his green-yellow eyes glinted harshly in the light. Finally, William sighed and looked up at him.

"We need your help. We have to cure Ashling of her...condition." William said carefully.

"Indeed. You can't have a werewolf running around in London. Quite dangerous." Claude replied smoothly.

"You seem to know a way to cure her."

"I do."

"Can you give me specifics on the ritual you mentioned earlier?"

"Yes. The Wolves-Bane Ritual is an ancient demon technique. We demons don't much like werewolves, you see. Not only do they kill our food source, humans, without any hint of discrimination. They stink like wet dogs, too. The scent is quite unpleasant. We developed the Wolves-Bane Ritual as a way to cure werewolves so that, if they were humans, we could eat their souls afterward. Only a demon can perform the ritual."

William sighed and used his Death Scythe to slide his glasses higher up his nose.

"So we would need you to do it." he said slowly.

Claude smiled softly.

"Yes."

"And I assume you won't do this for free."

"Correct again. As I said earlier, I want nothing directly from you. There is something in the Shinigami Library that I am rather...desperate...to get my hands on."

William's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the tension in the air was palpable. If what the demon was looking for was in the Shinigami Library, then it could be very dangerous. This particular demon was impossible to read, and it was hard to tell what was going on behind those strange golden eyes. William sighed again and ran one of his hands through his hair.

"What do you want, vermin?" he asked.

Claude sat forward a bit, flashing his fangs at the Shinigami as he spoke.

"I want my master's Cinematic Record." he whispered.

William snarled and curled his lip angrily, his eyes flashing.

"No way in Hell, filth." he growled, his voice dripping in venom.

Claude smirked and sat back, and William took note of a change in his eyes. They now looked more like a normal demon's; glowing as red as a fresh coal, with slits for pupils. It seemed that for whatever reason, this demon was indeed desperate for that record.

"I guess you'll just have to deal with the werewolf, then. Poor Ashling. I've heard the transformation to and from wolf form is incredibly painful. It will be a shame for her to have to deal with it because her boss can't lend out a book." Claude clicked his tongue in harsh, false sympathy.

"What do you want the Cinematic Record for, demon?" William snapped.

Claude sighed.

"My master is...very different from any human I have ever met. I was supposed to take her soul years ago, when she published her first book. However, I made an amendment in the contract stating that I would wait until she was a big-shot in the world of Psychology as well. She's almost there, and I don't know what other amendments I can add to the contract. All I know is that I refuse to eat her soul." he said slowly.

William lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Why is that? What does this drabble have to do with her record?" he asked sternly.

"I am quite fond of my master, Shinigami. So fond, in fact, that I refuse to let her die. I need to record to use a very hush-hush demonic ritual to turn her into a demon." Claude hissed back.

"Turn her into a...by fond, you wouldn't happen to mean you love her, and are just too stubborn to use such a word? Is that it? You want to turn her into your mate?" William snorted, the situation making more sense now.

Claude sighed and stared at William for a moment.

"Think of it as you will. Do we have a deal?" he asked.

William sat back and closed his eyes in thought. If he agreed to this, he would be aiding in the creation of one (if not more) more demon. At least one more vile, soul-stealing beast roaming the Earth. It was either that or an immortal Shinigami-werewolf who was a time-bomb waiting to explode into a disaster. Imagine if she attacked and turned other Shinigami? If that happened, several Shinigami would have to be reaped with Death Scythes, and his whole department would be fired. William gave a resigned sigh.

"Fine, but this stays between us. You cannot tell anyone about this. Clear?" he asked harshly.

Claude smirked victoriously.

"Crystal."

A demand made! A ritual to be performed! Can the Shinigami trust Claude to help, or is he plotting something far more sinister? Wait to find out! Allons-y!

~Silver