Heart's Darkness

by H D A Roberts

  "It goes well with the sadistic streak I'm about to demonstrate," she said in a menacing growl as she cocked her hand back.

  "If you two are quite finished with the foreplay, your Portal is ready," Demise said sardonically.

  "Don't even joke about that!" Cassandra said, walking through the Portal, "Just yuk!"

  "Was there no other way you could have put that?" I asked, following her through as Demise brought up the rear, shaking her head.

  "Such as?" Cassandra asked as we emerged in front of Blackhold's gates.

  "I don't know, anything other than 'yuk', there were girls there!"

  "How about 'bleuch'? Or would you prefer 'eek'?"

  "With a Warden like you, who needs assassins?" I asked, which earned me another thwack for my trouble.

  We walked through the front doors and I said hello to the Wardens on duty and Webb, who went off to see to a light lunch for us while we made for the library. I spotted a very attractive young businesswoman coming down the stairs as we walked up. She wore a conservative, and perfectly cut business suit in dark green, with a white blouse, elegant tights and matching high heel shoes. She wore her red hair up in a severe bun that showed off her pretty- wait a minute...

  "Kandi?!" I nearly spluttered.

  She grinned widely at me, giving me a twirl, "You like? I'm off to a meeting with some of Tethys' investors."

  "S'nice," I said, trying not to drool.

  Kandi giggled and came over to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  "You like the librarian look, huh?" she asked in a sultry little whisper.

  "You're the only girl I met who pulled it off quite this well," I replied honestly.

  She snorted and stepped back, "Watch this," she said mischievously.

  She pulled the pin out of her bun and slowly shook her head to release her hair into a cascade around her face and down her back.

  "Oh, my," I said, grinning stupidly.

  Kandi smiled and moved in close, "So, how long are you home for?"

  "I seem to have rather forgotten... everything."

  "Good grief, show him a redhead, I'll show you a gibbering idiot," Cassandra said, nudging me on my way.

  "Hey!" Kandi protested, following us up, "I was playing with that!"

  "What's going on out he-" Tethys said, coming out of the study, "Oh, good you found him!"

  "Too late," Cassandra said.

  They'd actually been searching for a while before Demise caught a whiff of my Magical Signature, allowing her to home in on me.

  "Damn it," Tethys replied, following us into my library and onto my favourite furniture set, it was one of several sets in the large room, covered with shelves full of books, aside from a wide nook where my entertainment centre was located.

  I sat on a small sofa while Tethys and Cassandra took another and Demise dropped into an armchair. Kandi took her usual spot on my lap.

  "Not sure I can call you Kandi while you look so... grownup," I said with a smile.

  She snorted, "I go to these meetings as Carol Thornsby, if you must know," she said, leaning her head against my shoulder.

  That was her real name; I thought that Carol rather suited her, actually...

  "We found him with the Faust girl," Cassandra said, "She looked honestly mortified, but I'm not sure that we can trust that; she may have been there to distract him."

  "Jocelyn may be many things, but she's not duplicitous like that," I said.

  Cassandra gave me a long, level look, "See what I mean about him and redheads?" she muttered to Demise, who nodded.

  "Hey!" I protested.

  "Really?" Cassandra said, looking pointedly at Kandi, whose back I was even now rubbing gently, which made her sigh contentedly and nuzzle into my neck.

  Tethys snorted, smiling widely, wearing her very best 'all according to plan' look.

  "Kandi, Honey, don't you have a meeting to get to?" Tethys asked.

  Kandi shook her head and grabbed my spare hand.

  "Kandi, don't make me put you over my knee," Tethys threatened.

  Kandi made a tiny little distressed sound and hid her eyes in my hair.

  "Mathew, do something with her, will you?" Tethys said.

  Before I could answer, Kandi turned those big eyes of hers on me, "You wouldn't make me go, would you, Matty?" she said in a small, trembling voice, batting her eyes.

  "I've got to fold here, Tethys, the Pixies have been training her."

  Tethys shook her head and came over to glare down at Kandi, who quailed and drew herself up into a little ball that I had to support. I knew it was an act, but that didn't make it any less adorable (or effective).

  Tethys responded by sitting next to us and reaching her hands around to Kandi's sides. She then proceeded to tickle the little redhead mercilessly until she emitted a final squeak and rolled off.

  "Oh! That's not fair!" Kandi said, glaring at Tethys, who had made sure Kandi couldn't retake her former position by the simple expedient of taking it herself.

  "Don't blame me, he taught me that trick," Tethys said, stroking my cheek possessively.

  "But at least he has the decency to make it dirty," Kandi protested.

  "What's that?" I said, a little distracted by the Succubus sitting on my lap.

  "You know," Kandi said meaningfully.

  "No I don't!"

  Tethys looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

  "Really!" I said, Tethys just smirked.

  "Not to interrupt this scintillating repartee, but we do have the slight hiccough of Lord Faust to deal with!" Cassandra said.

  "Oh, that's not a problem," I said, smiling broadly.

  "Really?" Cassandra said doubtfully, "How is that 'not a problem'?"

  I smiled even wider, "Oh, I'm sure he and I will come to an... arrangement."

  "Mathew, please don't start another war," Cassandra begged.

  "I didn't start the last one, and I think that 'war' is a bit of a stretch."

  "Mm hm," Demise said with a raised eyebrow.

  "If you make him cry, record it, I think I'd enjoy listening to that," Tethys purred into my ear.

  "I'll see what I can do."

  "You still going to be here when I'm back from my meeting?" Kandi asked.

  I nodded.

  "Okay," she said, bouncy again as she retied her hair into the bun. She kissed my lips, glaring half-heartedly at Tethys all the while, and then walked out.

  "Do I even want to know what's going on between you two?" I asked.

  "What do you mean?" Tethys said with a wide and evil smile.

  "You two seem to be... I don't know, butting heads?"

  "Just a matter of queen bees, Matty. Kandi's coming into her own, and she's discovering that she rather likes the woman she's turning into. And I certainly do, as well... it's just that she's taking your example rather than mine, and that can lead to... problems."

  "I don't understand that at all."

  Tethys rolled her eyes.

  "She's inclined to be decent," Tethys explained, "and while I'm willing to do that from time to time, and if it doesn't cost too much, I generally prefer a more direct approach to business. She's too nice, and it's all your fault."

  "What isn't these days? But how, exactly?"

  "Before you came along with your high-minded nonsense, she was a delightfully perverted, flighty, promiscuous, cut-throat, little darling... I mean, she's still delightfully perverted and promiscuous, but now she's serious about certain things, and that can make it difficult to gouge people."

  "Well, I think that we could probably leave before we have to listen to any more of this..." Cassandra said, standing up and gesturing for Demise to follow her out.

  "I think I could stand to hear some more," Demise said in mild protest as Cassandra shuffled her away.

  "You're worried about her?" I asked once they'd gone.

  "A little. We deal with dangerous people, and I worry that her way of doing things will mark her out as weak. I want to kee
p her safe."

  "She has a Warden," I reminded her.

  "I know that, but Kandi's family, Matty, I can't lose her."

  "I understand," I said, taking her hand, interlocking our fingers, "We'll keep her safe."

  She kissed me then, a gentle, affectionate thing, and I returned it, holding her close.

  "As long as you're around, I don't worry too much. Kandi will never go too far from you. She wants to impress you."

  "She already does, just being her, and you can tell her I said that."

  "You are the most girly human being I've ever known, you realise that?" she said, cuddling in tighter.

  "I just use that to get women to let their guards down. I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing."

  "Yes, you're quite the player," Tethys replied, deadpan.

  I laughed and so did she. She leaned more comfortably against me, and I relaxed a little.

  "You feel like telling me what made you so suddenly mellow?"

  I smiled, and told her about Rose and Gabrielle. Tethys was the one I told about that kind of stuff.

  "That explains a lot," she said, "and I'm glad, very glad, that you're back to being you."

  "Me too. I'm not all the way there, yet, but it's... better. I hated feeling that out of control; that close to the edge."

  She shivered a little and held on tighter.

  "Meet any girls yet?" she asked mischievously.

  "It's my first day," I said, "and already I met two girls who I had to scare off, another who's so terrified she can't look at me, and let's not forget Jocelyn, who I don't know what to do with, quite frankly, and then there's Maggie knocking around somewhere..."

  "Well, I'll admit it's not the best start," Tethys said with a grin, "but I've seen worse!"

  I rolled my eyes.

  "I really don't know why I'd bother. I've had two serious girlfriends, both were disasters."

  "Maybe the problem is in the 'serious' part of the equation. Sow some oats, embrace casual for a while. You never know, you might like it."

  "I'm a nineteen year old male, of course I'd like it, but you know that's not me."

  "Why?"

  I had to think for a second.

  "Um..."

  "Go on, give me a reason, I'll wait," she said with a snigger.

  "Because I was raised with certa-"

  "Crap," she said, looking me in the eye, "try again."

  "I don't like the idea of-"

  "Nope, you know your reason, spill it."

  I sighed, "I like having someone. I loved how I felt with Cathy, and even with Jocelyn way back. Simple physical pleasure would be hollow after that, I think."

  "How do you know?" she asked, "Just because it's not deep doesn't mean it can't be intimate. Does Kandi seem unhappy with me?"

  "No."

  "Well, we are certainly not deep. I love that girl, but we're not 'in love'. I frequently fill this place with women and turn it into a palace of the senses, at which time I enjoy the kind of fun that would make the uninitiated keel over. Kandi will enthusiastically get herself thoroughly involved with everything on offer; I didn't even see her at the last one."

  "Please make sure I know when you're planning things like that so I can make sure to be elsewhere," I begged.

  She snorted.

  "My point is that you don't have to be in love to have fun and friends and all sorts of carnal delights. You're nineteen, Mathew, don't assume that you've got everything figured out yet. You're supposed to screw up your first couple of relationships, that's how you learn."

  "I suppose. I just don't see why it has to be such a bloody minefield."

  "It's a minefield because you always pick the same girl, cute, pretty, smart, serious, it's a type you're not compatible with."

  "What would you recommend?" I asked jokingly.

  "Fun. Someone light-hearted, funny, maybe a little mischievous," she said with a very pointed look, "Of course it would have to be someone close by, someone easily persuaded as to your good intentions."

  She licked her lips very slowly.

  "You are the most sneaky, manipulative woman I've met in my life," I said, going for her sides, only to be intercepted and quickly tossed to the carpet, where she held me down one handed and proceeded to dose me with my own medicine.

  "Okay! Okay, you win!" I said, bright red and dishevelled.

  "Don't I always?" she asked before lowering herself gently onto my chest, resting her head under my chin.

  "Yes," I said, wrapping my arms around her back.

  "And who's the boss of you?"

  "You are," I said with a snort.

  "And don't you forget it."

  "No, Ma'am."

  She shuddered.

  "Careful with that tone, Mathew, you'll set me off," she crooned.

  "Don't tempt me."

  "Fish gotta swim, bird gotta fly..."

  We laid there like that for quite a while, the warmth of her disinclining me to go about my business. We chatted idly, comfortably. Eventually we made it back to the sofa (my leg had fallen asleep).

  "So, how do you like school, aside from the lack of un-terrified women?"

  "Hate it. Hate everything about it. It was bad enough before Jocelyn turned up and twisted my head around again."

  "You and your redheads."

  "Please don't start that bollocks again!"

  She laughed.

  After a while, Tethys had to go back to work, and I headed to my bedroom to change into a dark suit and tie. I decided not to take the signet with me; Faust was a Graves problem, not a First Shadow one. I checked my appearance, and I didn't look too bad. The dark cloth set off my eyes to good effect, enhancing the more fearful aspects of my looks, which was the idea.

  From there, I went into the central garden and started making my preparations. I asked Cassandra to make sure I had the place to myself as I needed to do some rather delicate Spellwork. Faust may not have been my match in sheer power, but he was still very dangerous, and I was going to do my level best to make sure that I was ready in the (likely) event that he refused to be reasonable. It took an hour, and I had a headache afterwards, but I was as prepared as I could reasonably be.

  I walked out of my front door just after three o'clock in the afternoon, managing (mostly by begging) to leave my Wardens behind. I told them that all I wanted was a little chat with my old enemy, and that had mostly done the trick (Cassandra was still not very happy with me, but it turned out I'd gotten rather good at begging).

  I decided to take a cab, which I hailed from the front gates. This let me get a better lay of the land between my house and Faust's. I had a feeling I would need to know the route in the future.

  The Old Quarter of Stonebridge moved almost lazily past the window. There was a millennium of architecture there, with nothing younger than two hundred years old. There was a little of everything, from turn-of-the-millennium blocky, through gothic grandeur to Edwardian formal, some white, some brown, a few black or grey. The streets were thin enough that many of them had been made one-way to speed traffic along a little, and the pavements were broken by trees, with small parks nestled in among the various mansions and housing blocks. It was a very nice, very expensive area to have a home.

  I hoped I wouldn't have to burn any of it down...

  The Faust Mansion was located deep in the district, closer to the newer parts of town than my place, though. Clarion Hall was ten stories of white-stoned gothic splendour, riddled with Wards and Enchantments, though these were not as extensive as Blackhold's. The front doors were wide and black, sunk deep into the light red stonework of the arch. I paid the cabbie and hopped out, walking easily up to the door, where I pressed the button for the bell.

  It took a while for someone to arrive and open up for me, but it was a big house. One of the double doors creaked open a little, revealing a middle aged woman in a maid's outfit.

  "Can I help you?" she asked politely.

  "I'm here to see Faust," I said cheerfully, "it'
s Mathew Graves."

  At the sound of my name, her face twisted into a snarl. It was obvious that I was not well liked in the Faust family, can't imagine why...

  "His lordship isn't receiving visitors today," she said, and then she slammed the door in my face.

  I sighed and looked around me. I'd expected something like this. Getting in the hard way was fine with me, too.

  And more fun, anyway.

  There was a set of stairs leading down towards a basement loading area. The doors were closed up tight, but it was dark enough down there for my purposes. I walked down the ramp and opened a gateway into the Shadow Realm.

  It was easy to hop up into the house proper from there, and simple enough to find a large enough patch of shadow to let me back through into the real world. I emerged into a downstairs loo and opened the door into the front hall, where the maid was glaring through a window at the ramp I'd just walked down.

  I coughed and she turned, emitted a strange 'meep' and ran off, I assumed to get help.

  I wondered past a magnificent carved staircase, and into the main reception hall. It was full of the kind of Magical esoterica that I would have happily spent days poring over. There were ornate scrolls from dead civilisations, puzzle boxes that needed to be solved in four dimensions, weapons from before the age of Chivalry, wands from Camelot... it was a collector's dream.

  I found a comfortable wing chair under an arch and settled myself down to wait, leafing through an antique edition of Macbeth, which was actually quite impressive in its own right; more than three hundred years old and still pristine.

  I wasn't waiting long before there was a great bustle and three burly men came in, all dressed in black suits with white shirts, they carried hunting rifles and looked ready to use them. One even had a Spelleater amulet. I took it from him and cast Sensory Overload, dropping all three to the ground, very unconscious.

  It was a nasty little Spell. It projected a simultaneous burst of light and sound, conjured to a particular frequency, one that would cause immediate unconsciousness in the people around you, in addition to a few other side effects, if you were feeling particularly sadistic. I wasn't right then.

  I smiled and went back to my leafing, twirling the mangled Spelleater around my fingers until Faust himself finally showed up.

  He was an older man, appearing to be in his sixties or so, his black hair greying at the temples. He wore a charcoal suit with a waistcoat, a dark tie (fixed with a white-gold clip), gold signet ring on his left pinkie and a diamond-encrusted Rolex on his wrist. His blue eyes sparkled with menace and hatred, but he kept a smile on his finely-boned face. He was a Sorcerer-level practitioner, about mid-range, but his rare Telepathic affinity made him far more dangerous than that would indicate.