Sealing the Pact

When Cecilia zoned back into the conversation, Evelyn had moved on to stories of her time at sea, battling against fierce winds with her crew while fighting off venomous sea serpents at the same time. The other members of her family sat enthralled, Cassandra laughing as her sister gesticulated wildly, describing events that seemed almost too outrageous to be true.

Cassandra Gildamere. Soon to be Cassandra... something-else. Cecilia smiled when she realised she still didn't know the name of the man her sister was marrying. She always had had a way with men, a combination of her exceptional beauty, natural charm, and the occasional magic spell giving her a long list of past suitors. Love had never been anything but a game to Cassandra, and Cecilia wondered if that had ever changed.

Her poor fiance, she thought. He probably doesn't have a clue. For all Cecilia knew, he could just be the latest in a long line of her sister's toys, to be kept until the next one caught her eyes, and then left behind in the dust while she moved on to her next conquest.

Cecilia would never forget the time she was younger, leaving her bedroom in the middle of the night to fetch a glass of water, only to discover one of the servant boys, a few years older than her, sneaking out of her sister's room, and bolting when he realised he'd been caught. When she came down for breakfast the next day, Cassandra had her neck wrapped up in a scarf, despite it being mid July. When Evelyn pulled it away, her neck was of course covered with love bites. The girls' father had been furious, and forbade her from talking to boys ever again.

Not that Cassandra had ever listened, judging by the noises that came from her room on an almost weekly basis.

And then there was her. The fourth daughter. Cecilia's heart dropped. What had she ever done that could compare to her sisters? She'd never been on adventure, never fought any battles, never even kissed a boy, let alone snuck one into her room. She had always been the boring one, the unremarkable one, and as she'd gotten older the feeling had only gotten worse.

While her sisters used their magic to get a leg up in life, she still couldn't even master the basics. While they travelled the world, she sat at home, reading books in the library. She'd never been on adventure. The closest she would ever get would be picking her way through the books her father had forbidden her from reading.

Cecilia smirked to herself. She remembered the first time she'd snuck down in the middle of the night, with only a single candle to light her way, and made her way through the bookshelves, until she found her father's private collections. She was so excited, expecting to find some ancient secret or terrible revelation that would change everything she knew. In reality, all she found there were a few poorly compiled sketchbooks depicting men and woman in a variety of carnal positions, a collection of badly penned 'romantic' novels, and a single book of erotic poems, most of which didn't rhyme, and were more bawdy than arousing.

At first she'd been extremely disappointed, but as she looked through them she managed to find a few tomes that were a little more palatable, even if just as erotic. One of them caught her eye immediately. A book detailing the story of a mortal woman summoning an incubus, a demon of pleasure, and giving herself to him in return for wealth beyond her wildest dreams. The same book she'd picked up again earlier that day.

She thought about the book upstairs, waiting for her on the table in the library. Gods she couldn't wait to get back to it, to turn it's familiar pages once again, and re-read the stories of the Incubi's conquest. She felt her stomach flutter at the thought of propping one leg up on the edge of the table, flicking through the tome with one hand while the other slipped underneath her gown, imagining herself in place of the novel's heroine. The Demon calling her own name. Cecilia, Cecilia...

"Cecilia!"

Lost in thought, it took a moment for Cecilia to realise that everyone at the table had turned their attention to her. She felt her cheeks turning red as she readjusted herself in her seat.

"Yes, father?"

"Jessamina asked how you're doing, my girl."

Cecilia opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again in shame. She could see the disapproval in her father's eyes clear as day.

"I'm doing very well, thank you."

"Are you still practising your spells?" The sickly sweet voice of Cassandra made Cecilia's skin crawl.

"Yes, I am. I think I've nearly got the hang of the basics. I almost lit a candle this morning."

Evelyn tried to stifle a laugh. ""Almost?"

Cecilia's cheeks had to be bright red by now, the way she felt them burning. "Yes, almost."

Her sisters shared a look between themselves, each trying to hide the smile threatening to break across their faces. Cecilia thought she might cry. Jessamina gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon."

"Thank you." Cecilia's voice caught in her throat as she spoke.

"Yes, well. Perhaps if you spent as much time studying as you did reading those infernal books, you'd have mastered the spells long ago." Her father's tone dripped with disapproval.

"They're not infernal, Father."

"Yes they are. Books of demonology, accounts of devils and other fiends, that is the textbook definition of infernal. I expected you to understand at least that after all these years of reading them"

Cecilia felt her eyes welling up. She wanted to scream. Of course she knew what the word 'infernal' meant, but she kept silent. Staring down at her plate, she mumbled out.

"Yes, father."

"Good. Now, Jessamina, tell me more about the rebellion in Ustenwold."

As her sister began to speak again, her voice merging with those of the rest of her family, Cecilia receded back into the comfort of her mind. She hated the way her father did that, the way he belittled and condescended her whenever she brought up one of her passions. As though it wasn't enough to know she was his least favorite. She struggled to keep back tears as she finished her meal in silence, while her sisters chattered amiably among themselves.

--------------------

Later that night, after everyone had gone to their rooms to sleep, Cecilia lay alone in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. As much as she missed her sisters most of the time, whenever they came home she remembered why she hated them so much when she was younger.

She hated the way they looked down on her, the way they teased her. She hated that no matter what she did, she would never be as good as them, never even come close. Each of them wielded a fierce power, commanded respect from the people around them; Jessamina for her military prowess, Cassandra for her diplomacy and negotiation, and Evelyn for her intelligence and free spirit.

But most of all, she hated the way they pitied her.

Cecilia tossed and turned under the sheets, unable to sleep, her mind a flood of different emotions. It wasn't fair. Why had she been born the unremarkable one? Why did she never get any recognition for the things she did? No one was as well read as she was, she had mastered all manner of fields, from linguistics to ancient history, but no one cared. All they cared about was magic. The one thing she had no talent for.

Rolling onto her side, the young woman looked up at the stack of books on her bedside table, and sighed. That was all especially true for her greatest passion, and frankly her real area of expertise; the study of demons.

Running her eyes across the spines, she scanned the familiar titles. "Studies in the Abyss", "Creatures of Sin", "Of Devils and their Bargains". Each one she'd read cover to cover. She doubted anyone outside of the Imperial Academy knew as much about demon lore as she did, and yet whenever she brought it up her father scoffed.

"Don't talk such nonsense girl. There is nothing to learn from the Abyss other than madness and ruin. Why don't you try reading something useful for a change?" Cecilia grimaced to herself, hearing her father's voice berate her in her head. There was a point to it all, she thought, at least as much point as there is in studying anything.

Cecilia rolled back over, staring up at the ceiling. What she wouldn't give for the chance to prove her father wrong, to show him there was a point in her reading, that it wasn't just some frivolous past time. She felt her eyes welling up, and blinked back the tears, even though there was no one around to see them.

Everyone else in her family mattered. Everyone else in her family was important. They had power.

Cecilia wanted power of her own. She wanted people to notice when she entered a room, to be the centre of attention, to hear people gasp and gossip when they saw her on the street. She wanted to be like her sisters. No, better than her sisters. Cecilia wanted to be the greatest Gildamere the world had ever seen.

She wanted magic.

Glancing back at her bedside table, a sudden thought flashed through Cecilia's mind. She dismissed it almost immediately, but as she lay there in the darkness staring at the books, the thought began to crystallize into a plan. She knew one way to get what she wanted.

She could summon a demon.

She'd be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind before. She'd spent many late nights alone in her bed, or sat at her table in the library, dreaming of summoning a creature from the abyss, making a bargain for magic powers, and proving to the world that she could be just as influential as her sisters. But every time she'd dismissed the thought as just a silly day dream. Like she could ever summon a demon.

But tonight something felt different. Maybe it was having all her sisters back together under one roof, or maybe it was the news of Cassandra's approaching marriage, but something made Cecilia feel like she couldn't wait anymore. She'd made up her mind. Tonight was the night.

Reaching across to the nightstand, she quickly lit a candle, the flame flickering to life as she sat up. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she made her way to the closet, changing out of her sheer white nightgown into a long black dress. The sleeves were long, decorated with lace, and the hem fell just below her knees at the front, trailing down to the floor behind. Is she was going to summon a demon, she wanted to at least look the part.

Pulling the bodice tight, she made her way back to the nightstand. She took the candlestick holder in a trembling hand, and made her way to the door. Opening it as quietly as she could, she slipped out into the hallway, and began tiptoeing towards the library.

When she arrived, she opened the door and made her way to her familiar reading table. The library was a long way from the bedrooms, on the other side of the house, so she didn't need to be as quiet anymore. Walking quickly between the shelves, Cecilia soon found herself in front of the familiar section nestled between 'World history' and 'Arcane Semantics'. A small collection of dark, leather bound books. Flicking quickly through the titles, she eventually found the one she wanted. "On The Summoning of Dark Spirits". She felt her heart leap with excitement.

Taking the book from the shelf, she had to stop herself from running back to the table, instead pacing at speed through the aisles, before practically slamming the book down and throwing it open. Placing the candle down far more carefully, Cecillia began reading fervently, flicking the pages as she searched for exactly what she needed.

After a few moments she found it. The incantation she would need to summon a creature from the nether realm.

Feeling her heart beating fiercely in her chest, Cecilia began to read, making a mental note of all the things she would need in order to complete the ritual. Making her way back through the house, she eventually returned with all the items listed. Some she found in the kitchen, others in her father's study, but now that she had them all, she could finally begin.

Clearing a space on the dusty floor, she began to trace out an intricate pattern with chalk. It resembled a large five pointed star, contained within a pair of concentric circles, each section filled with a complex series of runes and arcane sigils. It took her a while, but soon enough she was finished. Collecting up the items she needed, she began to place them around the symbol, some in the centre, others around the edge. Standing back, she admired her work.

There was only one last thing she needed for her preparations to be complete. Standing in the centre of the circle, Cecilia held out her hand over the star, a kitchen knife clutched in the other. Slowly, she brought the knife to her palm, holding it against her skin before cutting across in a long, painful stroke.

Cecilia winced. It wasn't a deep cut, but deep enough to draw blood. She clenched her fist, and held it out again, watching as dark red blood began to drip out onto the floor, mixing with the chalk at her feet.

After a few seconds, she clenched her hand, stepping back and fetching a cloth from the table. Wrapping her injured hand in the soft fabric, she quickly grabbed the book and went back to the circle.

Standing just in front of the thin chalk line, Cecilia paused to try and calm herself down. She felt her heart pounding harder than thunder, and adrenaline coursed through her system as she prepared to read the incantation. This was it, she thought. The moment of truth. No going back now. She held the book open in front of her, and began to read.

"O me Deus ut cornutis, convocabo daemonium placet, mihi ut abutamur!"

Silence. Nothing changed in the room. Cecilia felt her heart drop. She tried again.

"O me Deus ut cornutis, convocabo daemonium placet, mihi ut abutamur!"

Agan, nothing happened. Cecilia began to panic. Staring down at the book, she began to franticly search the page for whatever she had missed, whatever tiny mistake she'd made that was stopping her from completing the ritual. But she couldn't find anything.

On the verge of tears, she looked around the room desperately, but saw nothing different at all. No strange lights, no demonic figures. Just dusty old books, sitting lifeless on the shelf.

Cecilia felt the oh so familiar feeling of despair filling her body. After all this time, all this effort, the ritual hadn't worked. Everyone was right. There really was nothing special about her. She felt the hot sting of tears beginning to fall from her face.

But she wasn't going to give up. Not that easily. This was all she wanted, all she needed. She had to make this deal, and nothing was going to stop her. Turning back to the circle and raising a hand, Cecilia began to chant, yelling the words as loud as she could.

"O ME DEUS UT CORNUTIS, CONVOCABO DAEMONIUM PLACET, MIHI UT ABUTAMUR!"

As the last syllable left her mouth, Cecilia felt the ground underneath her shake. Stepping back, she saw the chalk of the circle beginning to glow white, the pile of strange items in the centre shaking and disintegrating before her eyes. A loud rumbling filled the air, followed by a deep, booming laugh that sent shivers up the woman's spine. As she watched, the light became blinding, and as she shielded her face with her arm, Cecilia felt the world collapsing around her.

With a sudden deafening roar, the circle exploded, hurling Cecilia across the room and onto her back. Looking up from the floor, one arm still raised to protect herself, she saw a plume of black-red smoke rising from the centre of the five-pointed star. And emerging from the smoke, she saw the figure of a man.

"Very impressive, young lady. Very impressive indeed. Although, for the record, it's A-Boo-Tamur, not Ab-Yuu-Tamur. Remember that in future, it'll make the spell... much much easier."

The man was imposing, almost seven feet tall, and as he stepped clear of the smoke, Cecilia could clearly see the two black horns protruding upwards from his forehead. His skin was a deep, crimson red, and as he took another step towards her, his cloven feet clacked against the floorboards of the library. His face was sharp, with a jawline and cheekbones to match, and when his yellow eyes shone down on her Cecilia felt as though he were looking directly into her soul. She gasped. He was, undeniably, incredibly attractive.

Cecilia felt her breath catch in her throat. "Y-You're a demon, aren't you?"

The man looked amused. "Are you surprised? You summoned me afterall. Not something that's easy to do by accident."

Cecilia couldn't believe her eyes. Standing before her, clear as day, was a real live demon. She broke out into a huge, excited smile. She'd done it! Sitting up, no longer afraid, the young woman sprung to her feet with a cry of excitement.

"Haha, I did it! I really did it! Who's laughing now, father?"

The demon looked amused.

"Did you summon me just to prove a point?"

Cecilia felt a sudden rush of embarrassment.

"No, I'm sorry. Well, I suppose I did actually, yes, but that wasn't the only reason."

The demon leant forward curiously. "Go on"

Cecilia took a moment to collect herself. Her head was still reeling. She couldn't believe she'd actually been able to complete the ritual. Pulling herself together, she looked up at the smiling creature.

"I would like to make a deal with you."

The demon laughed, his voice deep and gravely, like the crackle of some immense bonfire.

"Of course. And what is it that your heart desires, little girl?"

"I... I want to be able to cast magic spells. To be the greatest magic user this world has ever seen!"

The demon's smile grew wider, as Cecilia described her wishes.

"I want people to know my name, to cheer when I enter a room. I want my sisters to see me as an equal. No, as their superior." Cecilia paused, savouring the last sentence.

"I want power. The power to make people love me, and fear me."

The demon bellowed with laughter.

"Is that all? You don't want a kingdom as well? A legion of loyal servants, ready to wait on your every whim, and die for you without hesitation? All you want is magic?"

"Not just magic, I want to be the most powerful mage Durlacova has ever seen!"

Cecilia could hear her heart thundering in her ears, the blood in her veins boiling with absolution. She'd never felt so alive!

The demon tapped a sharp, black fingernail against his chin. "That can certainly be arranged. And what would you offer me in return?"

Cecilia stopped. She hadn't thought about that. She mumbled, trying to think of something, before settling on an answer.

"Whatever you ask of me." It was the truth, after all.

Slowly, the demon started to laugh. Not a bellow this time, but a sinister chuckle, from deep in his throat. "Anything I want, eh? Well, that's simple. I want you."

Cecilia was thrown. "Me? You want me?"

"Yes you. I want you to be my servant, my loyal slave, my mortal pawn in this world. All I ask is your service, and I will give you everything you desire."

The demon reached out a long, red arm to Cecilia, offering his hand for her to shake. She paused, suddenly hesitant. Was this really such a good idea? Making a pact with a creature from the underworld she barely knew? Swallowing hard, she made her choice. Reaching out, she took his hand, and shook it.

"I accept."

With a sinister chuckle, the devil withdrew his hand, grinning as he eyed the girl up and down. "Marvelous. But I'm afraid it's not as simple as shaking hands. The pact must be sealed with an exchange."

Cecilia was confused for a moment. An exchange, of what? Blood? Opening her hand, she showed the demon her bandaged palm.

"Do you mean... blood?"

The demon laughed.