Page 56 of By Mistake
"Magic of any sort is never easy.I've learned that the hard way," Andrus said."Is aura reading magic?"
Greivs said, "I suppose it depends on who you ask.Seems like magic to me, but you hardly need spells or anything to do it, so…" He shrugged."Not really my expertise."
Before they could speak further, there was a brilliant flash of red-black light, and then the circle contained two figures: Shimari and a man who jerked free of his hold, rounded on him, and threw a punch that sent a laughing Shimari stumbling backward—far enough that he was no longer in the circle.
The man went after him, but was thrown back by golden light as the spell circle did its job."Damn you, Mari!"The man—demon—banged his fists on the barrier."Let me out of here, you worthless pile of shit.Haven't you harassed me enough this past century?"
Shimari grinned as he wiped blood from his mouth."Who can ever have enough of making you miserable, Kress?"
"Are you all right?"Andrus asked, rounding the circle to reach Shimari.
"I'm fine, pet.The world will end before Kressen ever does more than knock me around a bit."
In the circle, Kressen looked disgusted."There you go again, getting cozy with your slave masters.Disgusting and pathetic."
"Yes, yes, we've had this conversation many times, let's not have it again.Anyway, you're about to be bound to a couple of humans of your own, so get used to it."
Kressen howled in rage."You lock me up for decades only to transfer me to a different sort of cage?I'll kill you for real this time, you death mongering bastard."
"Humans aren't all bad."
"I would rather end the world than have so much a single kind thought about power hungry, greedy, warmongeringhumans," Kressen hissed, his eyes glowing brilliant red, much like Shimari's.Did all zero demons have red eyes?He'd have to ask at some point.
Also like Shimari, he had incredibly pale white skin, and silvery white hair that fell over his shoulders and halfway down his back.He was tall, probably the tallest person in the room, and dressed in elaborate black clothes with gold embroidery at the cuffs and a high, stiff collar, with a fancy cravat secured with a bloodred broach.He was beautiful in a cold, untouchable way."What do you want, Mari?Why did you finally pull me out of that godforsaken cave?"
"There's a lot to explain, and you'll be told all of it, but first we must finish the spell.I'm sorry."
"I almost believe you," Kressen said bitterly, and finally turned his attention to the spell circle, examining it thoroughly before dragging his eyes up and finding Coret and Greivs.His lips pulled back in a sneer."An aura-reader and a human-dryad bastard.Lovely.At least the blood will be worth drinking."
Greivs narrowed his eyes, while Coret's face went red.
"Finish it, then," Kressen said.
Shimari held out a hand, fingers splayed, and cast the last portion of the spell.
Exhaustion washed over Andrus as the spell took more of his energy, and he slumped toward the ground before Shimari caught him."I'm going to get him settled in bed with food.Come find me when you're done bonding with your humans."
Kressen ignored him, save for a sharp gesture of dismissal.
Back in their chambers, Shimari set him on the bed and removed his shoes and most of his clothes."You did wonderfully, little human."
"I don't know which is more insulting: little human or pet."
Shimari smirked and kissed him."Get some rest.I'll have food sent up, so you can eat at your leisure.It's truly absurd how much latent energy you have just piling up and sitting around."
"Stop draining me, damn it," Andrus said around a yawn."Don't be too much of a brat.He already wants to kill you."
"Kress?Nah, he's just being snippy.Trust me, when he is truly angry, you will know it and want to get as far from him as possible.When the beast comes outas we say.Kressen hasn't had very good experiences with humans.Look at what Farthing's ancestors made him do.He'll mellow out.Go to sleep."
"Will one of you be here when I wake?"
"Of course."
"Good," Andrus said, and barely felt the soft kiss to his temple before he was asleep.
Sixteen
Oresti started with the money.Always, always, when there was mischief afoot, there was money involved, one way or another.
