Page 25 of The Misfit Mage and His Darling Demon

Walking ahead, I traced more incantations for defensive wards if anyone attacked, alerts on the presence of other magical signatures, and a highly complex set of symbols that should theoretically guide me to an exit, assuming a villa located on a different plane of existence had an exit.

“Walter Alden,” Novus screamed, his voice a wailing screech at the far end of a corridor.

The piercing sound vibrated along the walls and floor, sending a glimmer rushing toward me. I raced ahead, cutting a corner just in time as sound waves barreled through a wall. Stone exploded, sending glittered dust and chunks of rock everywhere. The other side of the wall was brightly lit, so I ran through the debris, desperate for an exit that may not exist.

I entered a gigantic room and came to a stop, mesmerized by the vast collection of books, larger than anything displayed in the archives. Walls that stretched several stories high, shelves that floated and moved in a rotation similar to a conveyor belt. I could spend a lifetime researching in this room alone. So much information. Everywhere.

Novus tackled me, crashing into my back and sending us tumbling over one another as he clawed at my face and arms. The left side of his face sizzled and oozed pus; his teeth grew bigger and snapped shut, nearly biting my nose off.

I shoved him back by the shoulders, but he reached out, wrapping his long fingers around my throat.

Everything blurred.

My heart pounded.

I couldn’t breathe.

A wall burst, and the immediate terror was replaced by relief when I saw black flames devouring everything in his path.

Bez.

I grimaced at the sight of so many books lost in the fire and rubble, but I couldn’t fault him for rescuing me. How had he gotten here?

He cackled, sending torrents of flames throughout the library.

“Bez, stop.” I fought against Novus’ tightening grip. “H-help.”

“Oh, that’s right.” He quelled his flames, then descended to the floor a few feet from where I struggled against Novus, eyes wide with rage, claws at the ready, and teeth bared in a way that meant he’d rip this fucking Baron to shreds.

Good.

8

Beelzebub

Immediate relief hit once I saw Wally, felt his presence, tasted his sweat in the air. Aside from a few cuts and scrapes, I didn’t note any major sensations of pain from Wally and our strengthened bond, no longer hidden by the temporal folds of time and space. He struggled against the Fae that continued attempting to strangle him, conserving a massive amount of Diabolic essence. Clearly, I’d have to guide Wally better in understanding how much circulated through his being. Then again, the entire process was still new to me, too.

An elemental barrage proved most effective when navigating through this maze and tearing down the walls which stood between Wally and me, but now with many books ablaze, I could feel Walter’s panic in his swelling chest. I huffed. Prioritizing the preservation of these dusty old tomes over his well-being. With a twist of my wrist and a curl of my claws, I simmered the flames I’d unleashed upon this library. Not that it seemed to matter; sparkling lights blossomed from the symbols etchedonto the marble floor and cast radiating waves of rejuvenation and restoring damage to books and repairing the disarray in this library.

I prepared to lunge ahead, eviscerate the Fae who’d pinned Wally beneath him, but my worried little mage broke free from the tight grip on his neck, took a deep breath, and knocked an oozing clump of flesh off the rotting face of the Fae with a solid punch. Nice.

Wally turned, eyes wide and begging for assistance, so I paused. Keeping my feet firmly planted where I stood, I raised my shoulders and gave Wally a perplexed expression. “What do you want me to do? I can’t just impulsively slaughter the man.”

“This is not the time to make a point, Bez.” Wally kicked the Fae in the chest, using the leverage to frantically crawl away. “Just do something!”

“But what if this is all one big Fae misunderstanding? I wouldn’t want to overreact,” I said, keeping a careful eye on the Fae’s swiping hands, the erratic flow of magic, and the profane hollering of vengeance. Ugh, such an insufferable man. All that pompous dignity washed away the minute he suffered a minor blow.

Wally’s breathing steadied, our waned airways no longer blocked.

“Are you serious right now?” Wally asked, skirting around a strike and running between aisles in some futile attempt to avoid the conflict.

“You made it very clear my nature defaults to murder, and I can’t jump into this situation rashly. My instinct upon arriving here was kill first, ask questions later.” I zipped past the Fae, shoulder-bumping him so he’d follow my blur when I reached Wally at the end of an aisle. “Yet you may have a point. I must contemplate these possibilities, Walter. Your lengthy lectures have left an invaluable impression on my heart.”

The Fae bolted for Wally, splintering shelves through the harsh melodies carried in his seething exhales. This obnoxious and enraged Fae had yet to acknowledge my presence, though. Considering the burns on his face, I surmised Wally gave the man an acid bath which he sought recompense for. Good for him. Both of them, actually.

“Not sure who to root for,” I said. “My lover or my potential soon-to-be BFF. Oh, the funny stories Novus and I shall share when out on the town. One day, we three will laugh and laugh about this awkward anecdote.”

“Fuck you”—Wally ground his teeth—“Bez.”

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