Page 77 of Sold to the Devil
Showing the slightest weakness would only get me killed.
“Arthur, tell me my boy, how is your mission going?”
“Good, Master. I had to put it on hold for the past few days since classes were suspended following the death of a student, but I remain confident. I will have succeeded in destroying the barrier before Christmas, as you ordered.” He bows, trying to keep his voice steady, but I can still hear the fear hidden there.
“Wonderful,” he claps his hands, making us all jump imperceptibly. “And you, Theodore? Have you discovered O'Connor's plans?”
He clears his throat with a nervous tic and bows as well. “Yes, Master. His only plan is to locate more cities and towns housing the disciples in order to eliminate as many as possible. I have yet to discover how far he has progressed with this plan.”
Darkvis clicks his tongue disdainfully. The hiss of a snake echoes through the room, and the Dark Mage's enormous reptile slithers across the table and toward Theodore. I stiffen, knowing the snake's reputation. The animal is fond of human flesh and is said to be able to swallow a large man whole.
I don't know what species it is, but I'm well aware that it's extremely dangerous. All the boys know it too.
The reptile stops in front of my friend and bares two sharp fangs, its forked tongue sliding between them and almost reaching the brunette's face. Theodore keeps his head down and his mouth closed, knowing it's safer that way, though I can see the slight tremor of terror he tries to hide.
“I'm disappointed, Theodore,” Darkvis growls. “But you still figured out his plan, so I'll be merciful this time. Find out how many towns and villages he's located and don't fail, or you'll become dinner for my dearest scaly friend.”
“Yes, Master,” he replies with a slightly trembling voice while bowing.
Then I feel Darkvis's cold, glowing eyes on me and I swallow, waiting for him to speak.
“Aelys,” he hisses like a snake. “I'm impressed by your success in killing Miss Jones.”
He claps, his lips stretching into a disgusting smile that exposes his rotten, yellow teeth. “You have proven yourself worthy of becoming one of my disciples, my dear. Come and claim your prize, sweet child.”
I stand up and walk over to his side, not once glancing at my friends or Mattheo. Yet I can feel their eyes on me. The Master's cold fingers wrap around my left wrist and he pulls, forcing me to be only inches away from him.
He pulls out a dagger with a golden blade and a handle that looks very much like bone, leaving me to wonder in horror if it is human.
I remain calm, maintaining a mask of impassiveness to avoid revealing any emotion. He rolls up my sleeve and presses the tip of the blade against my flesh. Then he carves a first rune, the one of Abyss, the demon of chaos.
I grit my teeth to keep from grunting in pain as my blood flows freely, sloshing against the expensive white tiles of the reception room of Leroi Manor.
Once the rune is etched into my flesh, he sets about engraving the second: the one of Camael, also called the destroyer.
My jaw tightens further as the pain increases, but I remain as stoic as possible. Once the two runes are deeply embedded in my flesh, they begin to emit a faint white glow. I watch, intrigued, as the Master presses the tip of the dagger against his palm and cuts himself deeply. I bite my tongue to hold back a cry of pain as he draws his blood down my forearm and mixes it with mine.
The runes glow brightly for a few seconds before the light fades. My eyes widen in shock as I see my skin close, the wounds disappearing to leave only two pink scars that represent the runes.
“Welcome to our ranks, my dear.”
“Thank you, Master,” I bow.
He snaps his fingers, making the blood begin to dry on my skin and the blood on the floor disappear, then gestures for me to sit down, which I do, sitting down in the chair I'd been sitting in before. I feel Mattheo place his hand on my thigh and squeeze it gently, wordlessly asking if I'm okay. My hand moves over his, I squeeze it lightly to let him know I am. He seems to relax a little but leaves his hand on my thigh, his thumb tenderly stroking me through the fabric of my dress in a gesture of comfort and support.
The doors burst open, we all turn to see who had entered uninvited. Professor Stevens bows as Darkvis hisses disdainfully, his red eyes narrowing.
“I hope you have a good reason for disrupting this meeting, Tydeus.”
“My apologies, Master. I have some important news to share with you.”
“Well, go ahead then,” he growls impatiently.
Stevens clears his throat, visibly nervous.
“O'Connor and Dawson found another village and attacked it, Master. I don't know exactly how many people we lost, but the losses are significant. We'll be running out of followers and time soon, Master.”
Darkvis slams his fists on the table in anger, his snake slithers menacingly toward the professor, its long body already poised for attack. Stevens clears his throat, indicating there's more.
