“Those weren’t the terms of our agreement. She just has to admit that she’s your mother. I was going to suggest that she publicly announce that you’re the daughter of Vixen and Asmodeus. Everyone would buy it.”
Lilith stomped her feet several times and shrieked like a siren. Shadow plugged his ears.
“So if I can get her to do that, will you keep your word?”
Lilith looked angrily away and crossed her arms but she nodded in agreement.
“So here’s the...”
Lilith cut Shadow off before he could continue and pulled him aside again.
“Nope... changed my mind. I won’t do that publicly to my father. You just get her to admit in front of us that she’s my mother and that Panic is my father and we’ll call it good.”
Tired of being excluded from their conversations, Leech appeared next to them.
“Lily, did I ever tell you how sexy it is when you pout?”
Lilith smiled at him and ran her hand down his cheek. He completely submitted to it. She then pulled back and elbowed him hard in the face.
“OW!”
“Leech, I’m getting tired of you already. If you aren’t going to be useful, then go and guard the door. That seems like your only practical use.”
“Fuck you.”
Shadow shook his head in annoyance.
“That’s enough from both of you. Let’s go finish this and get ready for crossing the river Styx.”
Shadow turned back to Vixen.
“I was going to suggest that you publicly announce Lilith as your daughter and the daughter of Asmodeus. She doesn’t want that because she thinks both of you are assholes.”
Lilith grinned.
“So what we’re going to do... actually... tell your minions to leave the room.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t want them to hear my terms.”
The minor demons and minions looked at Vixen. She nodded and they all left her chambers. Vixen looked annoyed.
“You don’t get to boss me around in my own department, Shadow.”
“You’ll be glad they left. For Lilith to accept your minor demon position, you’re going to admit to the three of us that she’s your daughter...”
“Fine. She’s my daughter.”
“...and that Panic is her father.”
Vixen looked like an infuriated harpy.
“Get out.”
Lilith stepped up and continued to egg her on.
“What’s the matter, Mom? You can’t admit that the most beautiful daughter you have is the daughter of a minor demon?”
Vixen remained silent.
“Say it.”
No response.
“Say it.”
Still no response.
“Say it or I will leave with Shadow and Leech and I will never work in your department. Ever. That’s a lot of souls you’re going to lose out on...”
“Fine! Panic was an amazing lover and yes, he got me pregnant. Nine months later, you were born. If that ever leaves this room, I will personally kill all three of you.”
Lilith smiled, turned, and walked out of the room. Shadow and Leech followed.
As they headed back to Dagon’s Bar, Leech trailed behind Lilith and Shadow with his head down. Lilith slowed her pace and put her arm around him.
“Look, Leech. I’m sorry. I know it’s been just as hard for you as it has for me. I shouldn’t keep making remarks about how useless you are and I shouldn’t have elbowed you in the face.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Leech didn’t respond.
“Are we alright then?”
“Sure. I’d rather be left alone with my thoughts though so if you could just...”
Leech removed her arm from his shoulder and started walking faster. Lilith ran to catch up. She tapped him on the shoulder.
“I said I was sorry. Why are you being such an asshole?”
“This isn’t about you, Lilith. Not everything is about you. I’m dealing with something that literally has NOTHING to do with you. We’re good. Now if you would just leave me alone for a while, I could try to get over what I’m dealing with. Okay?”
Shadow had stopped walking and turned to face them. They were so caught up in their conversation that they almost ran into him.
“Lilith, go get us a table at Dagon’s Bar. We’ll talk when I get there. I need to speak to Leech alone for a minute. I need him to run an errand before we go to Earth.”
Lilith rolled her eyes and walked off. Leech finally looked like he was going to explode at Shadow.
“Look, man. I understand what I said back in the trials wasn’t cool. I shouldn’t have said it but that doesn’t mean you get to just boss me around and treat me like a minion and your errand boy. If you think I’m a valuable member of the team, then you need to treat me like it!”
“Leech...”
“NO! Unless it’s important, I won’t be running errands for you. I’m not off to polish your armor. I’m not going to...”
“It’s important.”
Leech sighed and then lowered his voice.
“What is it?”
Shadow grinned.
“I need you to go to Baal and accept the minor demon role.”
Leech was shocked. He looked like he was going to fall over.
“I thought my punishment for being an ass was that I...”
“That’s not what that was. I just needed to see if I can trust you to follow me even over your own ambition. If I couldn’t trust you, you would have accepted the position when I told you not to and then just left. You didn’t do that. I’ve learned what I needed to about you and you can go accept your spot now.”
Leech did the one thing Shadow wasn’t expecting. He hugged him.
“I knew you wouldn’t make me go to Earth as a demon-in-training. Thanks, Shady.”
Shadow pushed him away.
“Alright now I have a quick errand that I need to run. I’ll head back to Dagon’s when I finish. I imagine Baal has a few things he needs to teach you after you accept the position.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you become a minor demon, the department usually transfers some powers to you. I’ve had mine for a long time now but yours will become a part of you today. Go and have fun. I’m interested in learning what Baal gifts you with.”
“Okay. I’ll meet the two of you back at Dagon’s when I have my minor demon powers.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
When Shadow entered Dagon’s bar, he saw Lilith at a table surrounded by her usual male groupies. She waved at him. When Shadow reached the table, he told Lilith’s groupies to get lost before he took his seat.
“Took you guys quite a while. What’s going on?”
“Leech is on his way to accept Baal’s minor demon position.”
“Aww, Shady. You do care.”
“God! You think since Leech calls me that that it’s okay?”
Lilith smiled and patted his hand.
“Yes. I think it’s a cute nickname. I also think it’s cute when he calls me Lily but don’t ever tell him I said that. I just think it’s adorable how badly he wants to belong. He wants us all to be tight with each other.”
Shadow slid a ring across the table at her. Lilith picked it up and looked at its dark red gem before putting it on her finger.
“Does this mean I’m your bitch? Did Leech get a ring too?”
“It’s your minor demon power, you idiot.”
“Oh really? Cool. I had no idea it came in a ring. What power did mommy grant me?”
“It’s a minor ring of mind control and suggestion. It won’t work on powerful demons.”
Lilith looked at her ring and then at Shadow.
“Punch yourself in the face.”
Shadow grinned back at her.
“That’s not very nice, Lilith. I haven’t used powers on you since the death pit.”
“So that’s how you did it. How many minor power
rings do you have?”
Lilith grabbed Shadow’s right hand and attempted to pull the metal gauntlet off. Shadow stopped her.
“That’s a mystery you’re not meant to know yet. I do have a minor ring that counters powers of other minor rings when I touch them to it. Why do you think I was so eager to visit Vixen myself to get your ring? I’m now immune to your powers. It’s good to know that you’ll use them to be a complete asshole though.”
Lilith giggled.
“Oh come on. You needed a good punch in the face. I wasn’t being a complete asshole.”
Leech walked up and sat next to them and placed three beers on the table and a plate with the soul of some corrupted human. Lilith and Shadow both looked at him and saw that he was smiling wider than he ever had before.
“Baal gave me a little money to celebrate. He also gave me this.”
Leech took a ring out of his pocket. It had a dark green gem. He put it on his finger and touched Shadow’s face. Shadow could feel a searing pain and a small amount of his life force being drained before Leech removed his hand.
“Parasitic touch. I guess Baal wanted to match your power with your name. Can I see the ring?”
Leech handed the ring to Shadow. Shadow turned his back to both of them, removed his metal gauntlet, and touched the dark green gem to one of his own rings. He then placed his gauntlet back on his hand and handed the ring back to Leech.
“And... now it doesn’t work on me anymore.”
“Bullshit.”
Leech touched Shadow’s face again. Nothing happened.
“Well that’s pretty annoying. What power did little Lily get?”
Lilith looked directly in Leech’s eyes.
“Put your ring back on and kiss my hand.”
Leech did as he was told. A small jolt of pain shot up Lilith’s wrist.
“Ow! Is it weird that I like your parasitic touch? It’s kind of kinky.”
“Yes, Lily. You are all sorts of fucked up in the head. Shadow and I still like you though.”
“Leech, how many minor rings of power does Shadow have?”
Shadow smiled.
“He doesn’t know.”
“That’s not entirely true, Shady. I know you have at least three now.”
Shadow looked impressed.
“What three do you think I have?”
“One makes you immune to other minor rings of power. You just used that one so that our powers don’t work on you.”
“And the other two?”
“I’m guessing your ability to see through fog and smoke as if you were a part of it is due to a minor ring of power... and... that crazy shadowy, rage creature that you can become?”
“Not bad, Leech. I’m impressed with what you’ve figured out so far.”
Shadow removed his right gauntlet and revealed three rings. One had a black gem, one had a dark blue gem, and one had a grey gem. Lilith drained her beer and slammed it down on the table.
“How? How did you get three minor rings of power?”
“I received one from my uncle when I became a minor demon. This one.”
Shadow pointed at the black ring.
“And the other two?”
“I took them from the hands of two minor demons that I killed a long time ago.”
CHAPTER 21
As Shadow, Lilith, and Leech made their way to Charon’s boat to cross the river Styx, Leech and Lilith continued to nag Shadow about the two minor demons he had killed. Lilith wrapped her arms around his left arm and did her best to look cute.
“Please?”
“No.”
Leech put his arm around his shoulder and tried a different approach.
“Come on bro. I’ve never seen you hold back when you have a cool fight to tell everyone about. Why are you trying to keep this such a secret?”
Shadow sighed.
“I hope the two of you realize what annoying assholes you are. I’ll tell you when we’re on the boat. Sit towards the back of the boat; I don’t want to be broadcasting this to everyone. Especially Charon. He reports directly to the Dragon.”
Lilith beamed at him.
“I love a good story with bloodshed.”
Leech looked at her like she was the strangest creature he had ever seen.
“Lily, you frighten me on so many levels.”
“Touch my arm.”
Leech obeyed and a small jolt of pain shot up Lilith’s arm. She jumped and then purred like a kitten.
“It’s also creepy that you keep doing that. Stop using your powers on me.”
“Every time I do it, you use your powers on me.”
“Because you make me. You’re enjoying it too much. It’s creepy.”
Shadow grinned at the two of them.
“You two need to get a room. I can lend you my cloak so you can make out when we’re on the boat. No one will see you and I won’t tell anyone.”
“You’re just saying that so we won’t keep bugging you about the minor demons that you...”
Leech stopped short and stared. They had reached their destination. A dark hooded figure with a massive scythe stared at the three demons. Shadow recognized the boatman as Charon. Charon held out a skeletal hand to them. Shadow opened his money bag and gave them each a gold coin.
“Pay him his fare.”
Lilith and Leech both cringed as they placed the coins in his hand. Charon said nothing, but turned and pointed to his boat. They boarded.
Shadow, Lilith, and Leech found seats towards the back of the boat. Nightmare, Valefor, and Andras boarded and found them towards the rear of the boat. Shadow spit in front of them.
“What a coincidence. We were just talking about what it would be like to be the three dumbest demons in all of Hell and Nightmare and his goons show up to explain to us what it feels like. Have a seat.”
“We’re not here for you or your pet monkey, Shadow. We came to talk to the chick.”
A ghostly wolf head emerged from Andras’ chest and howled at Lilith. She didn’t look impressed. Andras winked at her anyways. Nightmare continued.
“We figured you wanted to join a winning team, babe. You don’t have to be stuck with these losers anymore. Join the three of us. I’ll talk things over with Vixen and everything will be fine.”
Lilith spit in front of them and hit nearly the same spot Shadow had. She put her arms around Leech and Shadow.
“Actually, I like these two. I like them a lot more than your wolf-boy and the squirt over there. Why don’t the three of you turn around and leave?”
Valefor and Andras did as they were commanded but Nightmare remained where he was and grinned. He stroked Lilith’s chin with two of his fingers and Leech had to stop her from grabbing her whip and attacking Nightmare’s face. He finally turned and left. Leech looked at Shadow to verify. He nodded. Nightmare had one of the same power-countering rings that he did. Lilith decided to ask for more of an explanation.
“It doesn’t make sense. He never had my ring.”
“You have the same ring that all of your minor demon sisters have. I’m pretty sure Nightmare has hooked up with at least a few of them.”
Lilith laughed. Shadow raised an eyebrow at her.
“What’s so funny?”
“If you needed my ring earlier, that means you never hooked up with any of my sisters.”
“That’s because Vixen gave birth to a bunch of whores.”
Leech laughed. Lilith looked infuriated.
“Don’t you lump me in with them ever again. I’ll command Leech to jump into the river Styx.”
Leech stopped laughing. Shadow grinned at her.
“You had that one right on the tip of your tongue. I’m guessing you’ve already thought about doing it.”
“Maybe she has thought about doing it. I’ll bet she’s thought about doing a lot of things to me.”
Leech paused to wink at Lilith. She giggled and then he continued.
“What you’re doing right now is stalli
ng, Shady. We want to hear the story behind your minor demon rings. I can be annoying as hell until you tell us...”
Shadow sighed.
“Fine.”
He looked around to make sure no one was listening and then he told his story.
15 years earlier
Shadow and the demons that trained with him frequently enjoyed training themselves in the fifth circle of Hell, the wrath found within the swampy river Styx. Their trainers thought it would be good for the young demons to prove their own wrath superior to the human souls that dwelled in the circle of anger.
Shadow and Murmur stood on the banks and enjoyed tormenting the souls in the river by throwing rocks and occasionally wading out into the water to hit, punch, kick, and further torment the damned. This continued for several hours until both demons decided to head home. Murmur punched Shadow hard in the arm.
“I’m going to get you next time in practice. Speed can’t beat strength every time.”
Shadow punched him back.
“I agree that speed can’t beat strength every time but I can definitely defeat you every time.”
Murmur laughed.
“Implying that you have something beyond speed. That’s funny, Shadow.”
“It’s another ‘s word’ like speed and strength. It’s called having skill, Murmur. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
“The only ‘s word’ that applies to you other than speed is shit.”
Shadow put his arm out and Murmur stopped in front of it. Their path was blocked by two minor demons that were grinning down at them.
“So it’s the Abaddon runt and some overweight ox. What are the two of you doing out here? You don’t have permission to be out in the river.”
“Actually we do. I’m General Cain’s nephew and Murmur trains with the same instructors that I do. We’re out here all the time. Do you have a problem?”
“You’re the one with the problem. We won’t be spoken down to by a traitor’s son.”
Murmur stepped forward as if he was going to attack the two on his own. Shadow held him back.
“No, Murmur. I’ll deal with this. Go get my uncle.”
Murmur ran off to get General Cain as Shadow attacked. His first two swings at the minor demons missed. They laughed at him, but Murmur had gotten through. He just had to stall until Cain arrived.
Minor Demons Page 13
