by M. Gregg Roe
He would never get used to Audrey having magical abilities. Outsider was the general term for creatures that originated on another plane of existence. That included both demons and elementals.
“Did you speak to Aliva?” he inquired. Eomera had mentioned her involvement, but provided no specifics.
Audrey rolled her eyes. “All I got was a note from Ermizad. Now that Romee’s living with Stanley and Aliva, I can’t just pop in. I’ll wait for her to show up and explain.”
Gabriel had been pleased to learn that Romee had opted for formal combat training. He had always been fond of the girl. When she completed her training, he might even try to persuade her to join the Witch’s City Guard.
“I am planning to visit my father this evening,” he told Audrey. “Would you like to accompany me?”
“I’ve already got plans. Conrad and I are going out to dinner with another couple. Are you worried?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
It was more that he wanted moral support. “I am concerned that the demon might be coercing my father in some manner.”
Audrey shrugged. “I checked for that. I couldn’t detect any enchantments on him or the surroundings. And that demon-slaying sword of his is still inside.”
That was reassuring.
“I’m meeting Kora for lunch,” she continued. “Would you like to join us?” There had been a time when Kora was one of Audrey’s instructors at Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy, so the two knew each other well.
“I cannot,” he said hurriedly, rising emotion causing his chest to tighten. “There is a meeting,” he finished lamely. From Audrey’s expression, the lie didn’t fool her in the slightest.
“Just let me know if I need to kill the demon,” she said coolly. “Bye.”
Gabriel watched in silence as she departed his office. Why had he refused Audrey’s invitation? It was an opportunity to see Kora, to interact with her casually. Why was he so afraid? After a heavy sigh, he turned his attention back to the endless paperwork.
Although tempted to show up both in uniform and armed, Gabriel first went home to his small apartment, changed into casual clothing, and ate a simple dinner. He took his time walking over, choosing a circuitous route, and enjoying the mild weather. Spring was a wonderful time of year in the Witch’s City.
The house that his father rented was surrounded by others that were equally old but in better condition. Aside from stone chimneys, the small houses were constructed solely of wood, even having wooden shingles. They were simple affairs, single-story with two bedrooms and few amenities. Mardan used the smaller of the two bedrooms as storage, or at least he used to.
After smoothing his hair and squaring his shoulders, Gabriel rapped twice on the front door. Seconds later, his jaw dropped as he beheld the elegantly dressed woman who had answered his knock. This was the demon’s human appearance? That explained much, for she was quite comely.
“May I help you?” she asked, tilting her head with an expression of innocence.
His first attempt to speak resulted in little more than a hoarse cough. “I am Gabriel,” he said, resisting the urge to bow.
“Mardan’s son,” she exclaimed with delight. “He has told me a great deal about you and your sister. I am Zyrahi. I presume that you know what I am.”
He thought he did. Even though both he and his father spoke in that manner, her formal speech had taken him by surprise. Was she copying his father?
“Please come in,” she continued, stepping back and gesturing. “Your father is… indisposed.”
Was she actually blushing? “He is using the privy?” Gabriel hazarded, and she nodded. He entered and watched as she closed the door. The furniture inside was old and worn, but that was also true of his own furnishings. Comfort was more important than appearance. She seated herself on the sofa and he took the upholstered chair, sinking in deeply as always.
“I understand that you are a friend of Aliva’s,” she said, visibly tense.
“I am,” he replied, wondering if his father had bought her the expensive scarlet dress she was wearing.
“I do not think I would have fared well without her kind assistance. The journey here revealed that this body is susceptible to seasickness.” She pursed her full lips briefly. “I have never felt so helpless.”
He was still trying to decide how to respond when his father entered from the hallway. “Gabriel,” he said, his gaze intent. “Before we speak, I would like you to review something.” Mardan retrieved a book from the side table next to the sofa and handed it over. “I have marked the relevant passage,” he said before seating himself next to Zyrahi.
It was a book that Gabriel recognized, a treatise on extra-planar creatures with a well-worn leather cover and musty odor. It was a volume that he had read before, but not for some time. His father had given the book to him to read when he turned fourteen, but he and Marryn had already looked through it many times in secret. The illustrations in the book weren’t in color, but they were amazingly lifelike. The entry bookmarked was that for a marilith-type demon, and he dutifully read it in full. It was a type of demon that he had never encountered in person. Fighting a creature that could wield six weapons at once would be quite a challenge, even worse than fighting a gworn.
“The description is remarkably accurate,” Zyrahi said after he closed the book. “But it fails to mention that assuming another form limits a marilith’s innate magical powers.”
Gabriel studied his father’s face carefully, looking for signs that the man was being coerced in some fashion. She might be lying, and mariliths might have abilities not mentioned in the book. She could even be utilizing an enchanted item of some type.
“I have not lost my wits, Son,” Mardan said flatly. Even with his dark blond hair beginning to gray, he still had the look of a warrior, fit and alert. Nearing fifty, he was older than Zyrahi appeared to be, but still ruggedly handsome.
“Then please explain it to me, Father.” He flicked his gaze to Zyrahi, and she smiled at him uncertainly.
The explanation took a while, and he was curious as to how Aliva had known to be present for Zyrahi’s summoning. He also remained surprised that High Witch Ermizad hadn’t objected to the demon’s presence in the city. When a succubus took up residence several years ago, Ermizad had ordered Mardan to seek the creature out and destroy it. Gabriel still wasn’t clear on what had happened to that succubus, but he knew that Aliva had been involved. He definitely needed to speak with her.
“I have some questions,” Gabriel said slowly, staring at Zyrahi. “Was it necessary to slay those who summoned you?” Not that they hadn’t gotten the fate they deserved.
“There was no choice,” she explained, clasping her hands together on her lap. “Chaos may rule in the demon realm, but summonings follow rigid laws. Rest assured that their deaths were not prolonged.”
Gabriel had no doubt of that. “Why did you accept the summons?” he asked next.
Zyrahi’s sigh was profoundly human. “It was an opportunity for newness, a chance to visit another plane of existence. In the past I have either missed out on such opportunities or declined them.”
Mardan squared his shoulders, thrust out his chin, and leaned forward slightly. “Zyrahi will cause no harm here. She has given me her word.”
Gabriel didn’t doubt his father’s sincerity, but he could see the way the man looked at her. Regardless of whether he realized it, the man was smitten. And it was more than simple physical attraction. He had noticed maps sitting out that he hadn’t seen in years, diagrams of battles that his father had fought in or commanded. No doubt Mardan had been showing them to her.
“One moment,” Mardan said, then rose to his feet and headed for the bedroom door. When he returned, he was holding his sheathed longsword with both hands. He held it out to Gabriel, saying, “It is time you had this.”
Gabriel took the weapon reverentially and placed it across his lap. “I already have Mother’s sword,” he commented, trying to hide h
is consternation.
“And have you encountered any giants or trolls while on patrol?” Mardan asked wryly as he resumed his seat.
“I have not.” Gabriel returned his father’s look of amusement. “I will wear this from now on. Thank you, Father.”
Mardan nodded. “I hope that it will serve you as well as it has served me.”
Zyrahi cleared her throat. “After discussing the matter, we believe that it would be best not to tell your sister the truth about what I am.”
“I agree,” Gabriel told them. “Do you have a backstory prepared?”
The two of them looked at each other before Mardan spoke. “We will come up with something suitable.”
“I believe that we should come up with something now,” Gabriel said seriously. “I will probably see Marryn before you do.” He also didn’t trust the two of them to come up with something that would fool his sister. She wasn’t stupid.
The story they concocted was relatively simple, which he knew was best when concocting untruths. It should suffice.
As Gabriel was preparing to leave, Mardan said, “Gabriel, the next time you see Tobias, please thank him for me. Marryn visited me shortly before Zyrahi arrived, and she told me that he was the one who persuaded her to take time off. I am grateful.”
“I will, Father,” he promised. He had never heard his father speak of Tobias, let alone thank the man.
Gabriel considered the situation as he made his way home. His father was living with a demon, one not only attractive but who shared his interests. For the first time in years, Mardan appeared to be truly happy. And if Zyrahi proved to be a threat, Gabriel now possessed a weapon capable of vanquishing her. That would do for now.
Gabriel was observing a few of his guards practicing in the courtyard when a familiar figure entered through the door opposite. Even dressed in loose clothing and with her dark hair tied back into a bun, she attracted attention because of the way she walked. Spotting him, she headed left, making use of the surrounding wooden walkway. After Gabriel gestured sharply at them, the gawking guards resumed their combat practice.
“Is this a bad time?” Aliva asked in her sexy voice. “I received your letter, but this was as soon as I could get away.”
Only three days had elapsed since he sent it. “I am not concerned about Zyrahi as a potential threat,” he told her, resisting the urge to sigh as a guard fell flat on his face in the dirt and dropped his weapon. “I am curious as to how you knew of Zyrahi’s summoning from such a distance. Were you already in Zardis?”
Her face froze briefly. She opened her mouth to reply, but then snapped it shut with a startled look. “I can tell him?” she said to herself. “Really?”
“To whom are you speaking?” he asked, suddenly worried.
“Would you believe Lasrina?” she asked with an embarrassed smile.
“One moment.” He stepped to the side and barked out orders to the supervising sergeant. Then he watched briefly as the guards began a series of drills with their wooden practice swords. Their degree of skill varied widely, but that was typical.
After resuming his position opposite her, he said, “You serve as Lasrina’s avatar?” Beauty was a trait often associated with that particular goddess, and Aliva was certainly beautiful.
“Not exactly,” she replied. “Lasrina assigns me tasks, from time to time. She told me exactly where to go in Zardis, and when. That’s why I was there.”
“Does that mean that Lasrina was responsible for Zyrahi’s summoning?” he asked. That cast everything in a different light.
Aliva spread her arms in exasperation. “She never explains these things. Maybe Zyrahi needed to leave the demon realm. Or maybe there’s something that she’s supposed to do here. Or maybe it was about the people who summoned her. We’ll probably never know.”
He could hear the frustration in her voice. “Perhaps the goddess sent Zyrahi here to keep my father happy in his old age,” he suggested with a straight face.
Even Aliva’s laughter was sexy. “I can’t rule it out,” she said. “I stopped by earlier. They’re definitely getting along well.”
Gabriel wondered why Lasrina had permitted Aliva to reveal such a secret to him. Was there purpose in that? Or had his question forced the issue?
“I also stopped in at Alluring Apparel on the way here,” Aliva continued. “Hazel told me about Marryn. It sounds like she’s finally come to her senses as far as work is concerned.”
The mention of Hazel made Gabriel sad. After their second date, they had mutually agreed they weren’t compatible romantically. It was an amicable parting but still disappointing.
“What is it?” Aliva asked, her violet irises seeming to grow larger. “Are you still having issues with romance?”
He could only manage a nod in response. If Hazel hadn’t mentioned their dates to Aliva, then he wouldn’t either.
She leaned forward, and he caught the scent of honey. “Do you want to discuss it while I’m here?” she asked.
“There… is no need,” he stammered, only then realizing that he had taken a step backward.
“That was a lie,” she said, looking at him with pity. “Is there somewhere private we can talk?”
He wanted to protest, but the words wouldn’t come. Acquiescing, he led her through a door nearby and then down the hallway behind it to a small storeroom used to keep boxes of old documents. She closed the door after entering, plunging the musty room into near darkness.
“Tell me the truth,” she urged in hushed tones.
Feeling suddenly warm inside, Gabriel heard himself say, “I should never have left Kora.” Was Aliva coercing him? If so, he didn’t mind. Voicing the confession was liberating.
“Then why haven’t you gone back to her?” she asked as if addressing a small child.
“I am afraid,” he whispered in shame.
“Your father was also unskilled at romance,” she said with a note of sadness. “And you are your father’s son in many respects. Gabriel, you will never know unless you try. Maybe Kora has changed. Maybe you have. Relationships require compromise. And time. It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that Stanley wasn’t just infatuated with my appearance.”
“I will go see her,” he promised, puffing out his chest. “It cannot hurt to attempt a reconciliation.”
Aliva patted his right shoulder. “It might hurt, Gabriel. And it might fail.”
A sense of purpose filled him as he nodded his understanding.
“If you fell you need advice,” she continued, “ask your mother. Unlike your father, Medea is very sensible. And think things through before you go to see Kora. Think of it as a battle you need to prepare for. Come up with a plan of attack and create contingencies if your plan goes awry.”
“Now you sound like my father,” he said, smiling in the darkness. He had always liked Aliva, but his father certainly hadn’t. Mardan found it difficult to look past the fact that she was part demon, ignoring the fact that her father was not only human but a long-time friend of Medea’s.
Aliva sighed softly. “Speaking of that, I need to go speak with Ermizad. Take care, Gabriel.”
He flushed as she kissed him lightly on the cheek with lips that were soft and warm. After opening the door, he escorted her to the exit.
Once again observing the courtyard, Gabriel sighed as three of the trainees somehow managed to all tangle with each other and collapse into a heap. It was fortunate that city guards rarely needed to draw their weapons, let alone fight with them. He stepped down into the courtyard and went to lend a hand in their instruction.
The door in front of him abruptly opened, revealing a frowning Kora. “Just how long are you planning to stand out there?” she demanded, crossing her arms in front of her. Judging from her appearance, clad in old clothing and with her long hair tied back, she had been cleaning.
He had, in fact, been standing outside her front door for some time. Despite all the preparation, his resolve had faltered
as he neared her home. A few minutes more and he would probably have slunk away in shame.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, letting her arms drop to her sides. “Is it Marryn?”
“My sister is doing well,” he said, relieved by the straightforward question. “She has moved in with my mother and Tobias for the time being.” After clearing his throat, he looked into her eyes and said, “I wish to speak with you about another topic. May I come in?”
“You may,” she said, stepping back and sweeping her arms as she bowed formally. “Please to enter my humble abode, Master Gabriel. Would you care for food or refreshment?”
Her abrupt switch to match his formal speech didn’t surprise him. Assuming different personas had been part of Kora’s courtesan training, and she was remarkably good at it. “I believe I would like some rice wine,” he told her as he walked inside. Perhaps it would calm his nerves. He turned and closed the door as Kora headed toward the kitchen.
Gabriel seated himself on the small sofa in the sitting room, noting that it was new. To his right, a small fire crackled in the stone fireplace, spreading warmth throughout the sitting room. To his left was the dining room. Atop the round table were rags and a large bowl of water.
This was the second house that Kora had occupied since he came to know her. The original had been located not far from Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy, where she had been employed as an assistant instructor. But when she agreed to take charge of running Desires’ business affairs, that had no longer been convenient. Kora’s solution was typical of her personality: She purchased a plot of land close to Desires and paid to have an identical house constructed there. He had laughed out loud the first time he had visited her. It was as if someone had magically whisked her house to a new location.
Kora strode into the room carrying a delicate silver goblet in each hand. She handed one over and then sat down beside him. He took a sip and nodded. The wine was of excellent quality, strong and yet smooth. For the next minute, they sat quietly and took small sips while watching the flickering flames.
