The Devil's Details - Ch. 07

"Ah yes. And you've set up a meeting for us?"

"In just under an hour."

"Excellent. That should give us time to figure out who the hell that is," Tabitha said, gesturing towards the door as a man in his early 50s walked into the suite, clearly someone who had the access code, although there was a strange look on Veronica's face.

The man had skin like ancient sand, his black hair slicked back and just long enough to tease the back of his neck. The deep blue suit he was wearing looked expensive, but the cut didn't seem especially modern, and Tabby noticed that there was a gold pocketwatch chain that ran from one of the buttons of the blazer into one of its pockets. Also, it was impossible to miss the many rings that lined the man's fingers, or the fact that he had painted his fingernails a deep, nefarious shade of scarlet. His eyes were like illuminated emeralds, sumptuous green lakes to get lost within, protected behind a pair of gold-frame octagonal shaped spectacles.

He wasn't tall, but nor did he seem particularly short. His face was also adorned with a black goatee, the points of his mustache having been tipped with wax and twirled into sharp points. In his right hand was a wooden cane, although the wood seemed sort of reddish gnarled fiber that almost gave it an unnatural appearance. Also around his neck hung a large necklace made of woven gold rope, braided into a heavy coil, with a singular piece dangling from it, a giant pearl carved to look like an eyeball with a sapphire set in the center of it to resemble an iris.

From what little skin of his that was exposed, it seemed like much of the man's flesh was covered in black ink, tattoos of an elaborate kind, some faded, but many showing signs of being habitually touched up, as if their appearance was tantamount to the man's existence.

"Hello there, ladies," he said with a voice that felt ancient and ominous. "To what do I owe the privilege of your presence at my gathering?"

"Your gathering?" Tabitha said. "This suite belongs to AOA and I wasn't aware were required to ask anyone permission for anything."

The glasses shifted from clear to a sort of silvered mirrory substance for a moment and then back again. "I recognize you, demon, but who's your little nephilim friend?"

"Lord Merlin may I present to you Tabitha Saint Cloud, daughter of Lucifer and possible heir to her throne in Hell," Veronica said, taking a very deep bow, her voice completely humorless, something Tabitha hadn't thought her assistant even capable of.

The fact that Veronica was taking this seriously conveyed to Tabitha that she should as well, so Tabitha struck a deep bow herself. "Great Lord Merlin, I had no intention of disrupting your gathering. I was simply going to introduce myself to one of the other nephilim who is attending this evening, in order to further my cause of establishing myself as a worthy heir to my mother's throne. Have you had the privilege of meeting her, master warlock?"

Merlin chuckled in amusement, seeming to take delight in the respect they were showing him. "I have, in fact, had the pleasure of your mother's acquaintance several times. Quite a remarkable thing, to rule in Hell, although I can understand why she is loathe to have such duties all the time." The wizard lifted his hand holding the cane, or perhaps staff would be more accurate, up to shoulder height and the room began to fill with a dense blue fog, the odorless smoke going from a wisp to a fog and back again within the space of a few breaths. "Your words have the tone of truth to them, so I will allow this to occur with but a warning - do not disrupt my games."

"If I might ask, oh mighty Merlin, but why are the games of such import to you that you are attending them personally?" Veronica dared to query.

"Magic is an art that requires belief to power it, and belief is a thing that can be harnessed, that can be... harvested," he said, gesturing to the crowds out in the arena before them. "Those fans out there, they aren't so very different from old worshippers to ancient temples. It's the same spiritual energy, ripe for the taking, just in a shiny new wrapper. So every year, at the Planetary Showdown, fans of Avalon come from around the world to pay homage to the new sport in this most modern Colosseum. And every year, I siphon some of that power off to add to my own. Sometimes I use it for major magics." He chuckled bitterly, turning back to look at them. "And some years, I'm just dicking around. But I will not let the ritual be interrupted. I've warned gods and mortals alike off this holy site before, so do not think I am frightened of a demoness and a nephilim just on the verge of coming into her powers. I am an adversary you do not want to mess with, child."

"I had no intentions of doing so, great Merlin," Tabitha hastened to add. "I am simply here to take what's mine - that being the single other nephilim beneath this roof - and then abscond with her into the night to further my quest."

Merlin stepped closer to Tabitha, peering at her with eyes that seemed to house a thousand lifetimes, maybe more. "Then I wish you luck in doing so, and will even give you a free piece of advice to help you on your way. Since you're in AOA's box, I'm assuming you have some legal training, yes?"

"I do, master mage."

He nodded, his breath almost dusting across her skin, the scent of garlic and brimstone. "Remember that training. The people you are playing against have lifetimes of experience in attempting to disrupt this challenge you are on, but they are bound by the terms of the contract regarding the contest, just as you are. And when all seems lost and failure threatens to consume you, salvation may lie among said contract's fine print."

"Thank you, oh Merlin."

He waved a hand almost absent-mindedly. "It is a trifle, a thing for my own amusement as much as it is your continued success. But remember - if you interfere with my games, the angels will be the least of your concerns." He lifted his cane and then struck it down against the floor of the suite, which suddenly rang out like a tiny thunderclap, golden light filling the room for a moment, threatening to blind both women, and by the time it had faded, the wizard was gone, no sign that he had ever been there at all.

"He could do it, couldn't he, Roni?" Tabitha asked the demoness, who had just let out a very heavy sigh of relief.

"Easily and without so much as raising a sweat, Mistress," Roni said, shivering slightly. "I've been around angels, demons, gods and immortals nearly all my existence, but nothing scares me more than Merlin and/or Morgana La Fay."

"Has he ever come into conflict with the forces of Heaven or Hell?"

Roni nodded, her face a little ashen. "He's been attacked by each side exactly once. The angel who attempted to strike him transformed into a bottle of Scotch before the blow was struck, and Merlin drank that angel up before the rest of his Heavenly brethren. No angel has dared cross him since."

"And the demon?"

"A demon named Bazalgalar attempted to slide a knife between the mage's ribs, thinking he could rule in Hell if he could lay claim to slaying one of the two mightiest wizards of all time."

"What happened?"

"The moment the knife touched the wizard's skin, millions of volts of electricity ran through it and through the demon's body, charring him to a crisp, even though technically he remained alive. Merlin told Bazalgalar that next time he would not be so kind."

"Hardcore."

"Hardcore indeed, Mistress," Veronica agreed. "Now, shall we go over and introduce ourselves to miss Emily Barber? I imagine you'll have her agreeing to come home with you within minutes."

"Home?" Tabitha laughed. "Why, dear Roni, I intend to bring her back to this very suite and have my way with her while she's looking down at the crowd below, hidden behind the one-way glass of the suite's windows."

"Mmmm... yesssss Mistress."