Page 32 of Chaos Carnival

“Just checking my investment.” His gaze dissected us both. “Though turning a mortal into a half-breed? Wasn’t that deliciously unexpected?”

The scar on my chest singed at his words, a reminder of that desperate bargain centuries ago. Stone, Lux, and I had been stupid enough to think we could outrun Hell.

“That debt was paid.” My voice came out rough as the poison ate its way through me. “In blood and pain, just like you wanted.”

But the argument was flimsy. We both knew I was always on call for him.

Baphomet's form shifted, smoke and shadow resolving into something almost human. “Strange then, that you stand before me bearing a hunter's curse. One might think you're still running.” His gaze fixed on Tess. “Unless you've found something worth staying for?”

Tess tensed behind me, her energy flaring in response. The book she carried thrummed, calling to Baphomet like a beacon.

“The witch's alchemy has changed you. Made you less pure.” Baphomet's claws traced patterns in the air. “The seraphim hunters can smell it. And our original deal specified a pure seraph's future.”

The implications hit like a blade between my ribs. I'd signed away my future to save Stone and Lux. Now that future was entangled with Tess's.

“Leave her out of this.” My shadows writhed uselessly alongside his overwhelming presence.

“But she's already part of it, isn't she?” Her eyes narrowed, sharp as daggers. “You've become such an entertaining collection of corruptions, I'm willing to renegotiate. All it will take is one small promise...”

Tess's breath caught, the cursed book's hunger thrumming between us. The smart move would be to phase us out, find another way. But Addie was running out of time. And this poison...

“Why would you help?” The words tasted rancid, bitter.

Baphomet's shoulders moved in a fluid motion that reminded me of writhing snakes. “Let's call it restructuring our arrangement.” Each shift was a promise of exquisite pain. “After all, your choices have made things so much more interesting.”

The air grew thick with his presence, that same devastating force that had carved our escape route through Hell's armies. My muscles locked as memories of sulfur and screams flooded back. The price of that “help” still haunted my nightmares.

“Join me for lunch?” His claws traced patterns in the air. “I promise to make it worth your while.”

Behind me, Tess's fear crashed against my senses like a rocky shore. The bond between us thrummed with her tension, her unruly magic coiling defensively around us both. But my mind raced through the calculations. We were running out of options.

The poison spread further each hour. Ivan's carnival of horrors awaited. And the hunters tracked us with renewed vigor, drawn by whatever this bond had made me. The corrupted ley lines pulsed beneath our feet, feeding off the demon's overwhelming presence.

Every choice promised pain, but which would hurt less in the end?

Chapter 15: Unholy Arrangement

Maverick

Theredneonsignof “Le Diable Noir” cast a luminous glow over the narrow Parisian street, the crimson light reminding me too much of the demon sector's eternal twilight. Inside, the air was thick with cigarette smoke and something more eldritch—that same sulfurous undertone that had clung to my skin for decades after my first deal.

Patrons with unnaturally gleaming eyes watched us pass, their gazes lingering too long on Tess. My hand instinctively found the small of her back, guiding her closer. This was no ordinary bar, and I'd brought her right into the heart of it.

Baphomet led us through a hidden door at the back to a plush VIP lounge. I slid into the circular booth first, positioning myselfto watch both exits—old habits from the demon sector. Tess pressed close beside me, her tension evident in the rigid line of her spine. The last time I'd sat across from Baphomet, I'd been alone. Now her warmth against my side was both comfort and curse—a reminder of everything I stood to lose.

When he settled across from us, Baphomet’s massive frame made the furniture seem almost comically small. “Now then,” he said, his voice that same low rumble I remembered from our first deal centuries ago, “let's discuss your situation.” The familiar tone sent ice through my veins—he'd used those exact words before offering the deal that had saved my life but had haunted me ever since.

Tess tensed beside me, her pulse visible at her throat. Any other time, her fear would have been intoxicating, but now it just twisted the knife deeper. “What exactly do you know about our situation?” I asked, fighting to keep my voice neutral despite our history.

Baphomet's calculating smile didn't reach his eyes. “A seraph bound to a mortal, now turned halfling. And that curse...” He inhaled deeply, as if tasting the air. “Ah, yes. The signature is unmistakable—demon work, though crude. Amateur, really, but effective. Someone must have made a deal in a past life.” His gaze fixed on Tess, and I had to resist the urge to crowd in front of her. “Tell me, do you dream of fire and brimstone, little halfling?”

I shifted, unsettled by his insight and the way Tess's fingers dug into my thigh beneath the table. “How exactly do you propose to help us?”

“First, tell me everything.” His eyes glinted with that predatory interest of his. “About the curse, about the wraithshade. I want to hear just how desperate you are this time, seraph.”

I met his gaze, weighing each word while trying to ignore how Tess's fear and anger tasted. “My former lover cursed hersoul. Tess's soul—binding us together through lifetimes.” My jaw clenched as Susannah's face flashed through my memory, bewitching and vengeful. “Now there's a man with a wraithshade who won't let her go. Meanwhile, I'm still dodging the seraphim hunters.”

“Oh, this is rich,” Baphomet purred, swirling his wine. The liquid seemed to absorb the light, like a black hole in a crystal glass. “A demon-forged soul curse, a wraithshade, and those persistent hunters.” He leaned forward, his massive frame casting us in the swell a black tide. “When I helped you escape the Seraphim Sector, I knew you'd make things interesting. The way you fought, the price you were willing to pay...” His gaze flickered between Tess and me, lips curving into a knowing smile that made my skin crawl. “But this exceeds even my expectations.”

---