Demon World

by Balvir Bhullar

  Alexander watched Driskell’s glacial eyes dance on the edge of danger. He felt as if he were playing with fire. He had no option but to tell a partial truth - if he lied outright, then Driskell would pick up on it. ‘That’s right, I have been assigned to London. Each night I am allocated the area with the highest demon activity. I’m sure, with you being so well informed, that you are probably aware of the others deployed here - after all, it’s a big city! I’m not saying that I could not handle it on my own, what with me being Alexander the Great, but it’s good to have backup. Occasionally.’ He laughed, hoping to bring the tension down a notch.

  Driskell smiled at Alexander’s arrogance. He had never met a more conceited demon in his life. And he was reminded of why he had once liked, and perhaps still did, the man before him. Continuing to appear affable, Driskell asked, ‘Were you within the area of the altercation? Perhaps, you were present at the incident?’ he asked, still smiling.

  CHAPTER 11

  Rowanne was in a bad mood. Lady Enid pleaded with an earnest look that said keep calm and live if you want to find out what is happening.

  Lady Enid knew that Rowanne was restless. She could not blame her, really, the young woman wanted to take up some action against what had been done to her. She doesn’t even know the half of it. If she did, then...

  ‘Lady Enid, is there something you wish to tell me?’ asked Rowanne, who had noticed that for the past five minutes, she had been steadily looking at her. It was slightly unnerving to say the least.

  ‘No, of course not. My mind wandered momentarily. I was considering what our next move should be.’

  ‘Really? Like pawn to E6, that type of thing?’ Rowanne had a demanding expression that pointedly asked for the truth.

  Lady Enid was intrigued, ‘Do you play chess?’

  ‘When the mood strikes. I played a lot as a child with my grandmother.’

  ‘Who taught you?’ asked Lady Enid. She had played countless times with... No, she thought, stopping the memory in its tracks.

  ‘My grandmother. She’s quite the player, and if you ever fancy a challenge, then I suggest you play against her. She’d give you a run for your money.’ Rowanne smiled fondly as she remembered the many opponents her grandmother had decimated who had dared to challenge her. Actually, truth be told, she encouraged people to try their luck; she was one wicked lady. In the best sense, of course.

  ‘I like your grandmother. She seems like an interesting woman.’ Even though, sadly, I’ll never meet her; it’s actually a mercy to her. For Lady Enid to meet a human outside of normal parameters was tantamount to a death sentence, possibly for the both of them. She decided not to dwell too much on this melancholy train of thought.

  There was a loud knock on the door, that almost became the death of them as they jumped in their seats, unnerved as they already were. Looking at each other, they gathered their mettle, and metaphorically put on their venetian masks: they were ready for whatever would come next.

  Sitting regally in her chair with her beautiful golden hair shimmering against the stark black of her lace veil which now concealed her face, Lady Enid commanded, ‘Enter.’

  That one word held such authority, and Rowanne looked on in wonder at the transformation of Lady Enid.

  By the time the soldiers entered, Rowanne was looking down and acting docile again. They came into the court and surrounded her, moving into a half circle formation at her back, and to the side of her.

  I wonder what the hell is going to happen next... Knowing my luck, it’s going to be in this precise order: police station, kidnapped, drugged, and then probably death, most likely on this spot, she thought, as she looked out of the corner of her eyes and observed that the soldiers were armed with deadly weapons.

  Weapons, she decided, was too vague a term: they would look quite at home in The British Museum, possibly the medieval period. Perhaps they predated even that...

  The soldiers were even wearing metal armour, such as a knight would wear. Rowanne wondered whether they were part of an order that was obligated to dress in ceremonial clothing. It was undeniably becoming stranger by the minute.

  ‘My lady, we have been ordered to escort the prisoner into detective Driskell’s custody.’

  The soldiers were composed and stoic, not that Rowanne had been expecting anything to the contrary. I’m going crazy, she thought. Wait, what did they mean prisoner, have they found evidence against me? Panic stirred in her stomach, coiled tight. If they had, she wondered if they’d be kind enough to share it with her. Please illuminate me. I’m just as much in the proverbial dark, as you are. Just be calm, she told herself, and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

  Lady Enid addressed herself to the soldier who had spoken, ‘This is the first I’ve heard of these orders. I was told that this woman had been brought here for an interview owing to the detective’s constraints on time. I believe she was to be taken back to the police station to continue questioning, and thereafter to be released for the time being.’

  ‘My lady, the detective has been following up on leads, and therefore it will not be possible for him to return to the station presently. He has requested most humbly that you hand her over into our care, and we will escort her to the detective directly.’

  Lady Enid’s hands were tied. She could not even telepathically warn Rowanne; that would probably in all likelihood frighten her, and send her over the edge. What can I do? She considered her options: she could refuse, but she’d need a plausible reason as to why, otherwise she would arouse suspicion, which would lead her straight to the top: Prima Stella, here I come. Dark thoughts ate away at her as she contemplated their dire situation.

  ‘Excuse me, my lady, if there isn’t anything else, may I be permitted to take the prisoner now?’

  Lady Enid looked at Rowanne as she spoke to the soldier, ‘If the detective warrants this to be more than a routine session,’ she paused briefly, as she rose out of her chair. She stood straight, forcing the soldiers to suddenly kneel before their Queen and pledge their allegiance. ‘As daughter of the First Family of the Morning Star Clan, I will accompany the prisoner. I have a duty to see the developments that have taken this case beyond the ordinary, and if this has escalated, then I must be present to pass judgement at the courts. There is a protocol to follow, as I am sure you are well aware of gentlemen.’

  The soldiers appeared unnerved by this speech. Maybe Lady Enid was more influential then she had initially given her credit for. What was a clan? Rowanne had never heard of ‘Morning Star’. What an unusual name, she thought. Rowanne made a mental note of everything she’d seen and heard.

  I wonder if Lady Enid is some kind of high court judge? She had not heard of her, but then again, how many judges did she know? Rowanne found the whole situation dubious - something was not quite right, but she could not put her finger on it.

  As Rowanne stood up, she was handcuffed by a soldier to her considerable annoyance. Do I look like some kind of hardened criminal? Honestly, this is going slightly overboard. And not to mention that I will be having the pleasure of seeing that red headed sociopath again. Maybe, if I’m very lucky, I’ll watch Lady Enid cut him down to size. She noticed Lady Enid’s shoulders trembling. I wonder what’s gotten into her, this situation hardly warrants laughter.

  Lady Enid fought to stay in control; it was difficult to say in the least. Even in this alarming situation, the young woman never lost her good humour. She’d seen grown men break down at the prospect of having to face Driskell, but not Rowanne, who was valiant in her wit. Sometimes, humour is all we have to get us through, she thought.

  The soldiers formed a circle around Rowanne, and Lady Enid preceded them to the doors. The lights turned off one by one the closer they got to the exit, and then the soldiers waited.

  No sooner had Rowanne wondered why they had stopped when the doors swung open, and the room suddenly plunged into darkness, scaring the life out of her. Before her mind could register anything else, ther
e was a flash of bright green, and everything quickly began to fade around the edges until finally she lost consciousness.

  The soldier behind Rowanne caught her as she collapsed, then proceeded to carry her through the portal back to the Earth realm.

  The court house fell away, blazing green momentarily, and the soldiers bathed in the green fire appeared at ease, having used this method many times before.

  Lady Enid was bathed in a regal bluish green flame, like an immortal queen pulled from a dark fairytale. The police room started to come into focus, and runes flashed here and there as this new reality was taking shape and becoming solid by the minute. In no time at all, they were firmly back in the human world.

  ‘My lady, please wait here while we arrange transport.’

  The soldiers placed Rowanne in a chair. The two way mirror reflected a woman who was limp, looking pale and sickly with her hair plastered to her forehead. They left the room, closing the door behind them.

  Lady Enid waited a moment and then knelt before Rowanne, tucking her hair behind her ears and helping her to sit straight. Poor thing. Travelling by portal was not the most comfortable method, especially if a person had never tried it before. It affected people differently: some could handle it, whereas others seemed to come out of it for the worse.

  In Rowanne’s case, magic had been used on her a couple of times already, and despite her iron constitution, she was now feeling the effects of it. Lady Enid hoped that it would soon be over. Damn Dewain for putting her through all this instead of concluding this matter. But it was his way though, Lady Enid thought bitterly, as he put demons and humans alike through hell in the name of investigation and upholding their laws. She sat back quickly and composed her face behind the veil as she sensed the soldiers approaching the door.

  The door opened a second later, and the soldiers stepped through, having changed into human law enforcement uniforms. ‘Sorry, my lady, for the delay. It took us longer than expected. If you’d like to come with us now?’

  ‘Is the station secure?’ asked Lady Enid.

  ‘Yes, my lady. Only our people are in the building presently. We are good to go.’

  Without further delay, two soldiers stood on either side of Rowanne, and, placing her arms around their shoulders, they gathered her up and carried her to the lift.

  Lady Enid’s mind worked overtime, trying to plan ahead, but so far, she had nothing. She followed the soldiers to a black car. They placed Rowanne in the backseat, strapped a seat belt across to secure her, and then sat on either side of her. Another soldier got into the front to drive.

  ‘Lady Enid, if you would like to follow me. You will be taking this vehicle,’ another said, and she proceeded to get into the back of the black BMW indicated as two soldiers got into the front. ‘My lady, are you ready?’ She nodded her head just once, and the vehicles pulled out of the police station car park.

  There were three vehicles in total: Rowanne was in the first, Lady Enid in the second, and lastly followed by a black van, filled with Demon World’s best soldiers, all armed to the teeth just in case their services were required; God help the mortal and demon alike who got between that van and Lady Enid.

  The car had been driving for ten minutes when Rowanne began to wake from the induced sleep that she had been under to stop her learning of the portal and Demon World. It would be a lot to explain to a human, but more importantly, it was against their rules.

  Where am I? Rowanne wondered. Her mind felt like a lead weight had pressed down upon it. She felt groggy as she started to come to her senses, and on the fourth attempt actually managed to keep her eyes open. She felt slightly nauseous but the feeling soon passed, and, sitting up straighter, she noticed the police officers on either side of her as they looked on dead ahead, impervious to her discomfort.

  ‘Excuse me, but would you be so kind as to tell me what is happening?’ Rowanne addressed the question to the officer in the front seat.

  ‘Ah, I’m glad to see you are awake, Ms Knight. You seemed to have fallen asleep at the police station.’

  Wait a minute, hold on. Did he say police station? As far as I can remember, I was at a court. Rowanne remembered talking to Lady Enid... Then realisation hit: I can’t believe they’ve tried the same thing on me, again! This is becoming a bloody nuisance. How many more times were they going to drug and move her around?

  ‘Where exactly are we going?’ asked Rowanne, feigning confusion - not that it was that far from the truth.

  ‘We are on our way to meet Chief Inspector Driskell. And we should be there soon.’

  ‘Wasn’t he supposed to be at the police station?’

  ‘He got called away on an urgent matter. He apologises profusely for the delay, and thanks you for your cooperation. He realises that all of this may seem highly unusual.’

  ‘I guess it’s the life of a detective to never be in one place for very long, especially if he’s involved in an investigation.’

  ‘That’s right, Ms Knight. He’s like a bloodhound who doesn’t stop, especially when he catches the scent, if you get my meaning.’

  Rowanne didn’t like the face reflected in the rear-view mirror, it seemed almost demonic with a cruel smile. It had given her the creeps when he had described the detective in that way. What type of man was he? Last I checked, you were supposed to put your faith in the police. They were the good guys, right? Nobody could pay her enough to put her life in the hands of that red-haired madman.

  Looking out the window, Rowanne could see the moon intermittently peep out behind the clouds. She requested the officer to open a window as it felt quite stuffy in the car, and he obliged. Cold air came flooding in, helping to clear her mind as well as honing it, so that she could prepare herself as best as possible for wherever they were actually heading.

  They drove along the river down Victoria Embankment. Rowanne found it ironic that only a couple of nights ago, she had been running along this very river to avoid the police. Now look at her; same river, opposite side and in a police car. Sometimes, the very thing you want to avoid ultimately happens. Do we not have a choice in life? Is it all mapped out? If the answer was yes, then it was quite depressing. She stopped her morose musings, they were not going to be of any help.

  I have to stay calm, that’s what Alexander would tell me. I can’t believe I just thought of that fool again. He is a pain in my side, but strangely, getting angry at him helped her to focus.

  Where was the voice in her mind when she needed it, usually it would come up with something helpful. Rowanne felt a slight prickling sensation in her mind, almost as if a spider had crawled across her skin. She suddenly found herself becoming calm and amenable.

  You called, I came. I see that you have gotten yourself into a bit of trouble here, again!

  Rowanne sputtered, coughing violently which caused the soldier on the side of her to be alarmed.

  ‘Ms Knight, are you alright, can I get you some water?’

  ‘Thank you,’ she replied, and gratefully accepted the bottle that was hastily placed into her hands.

  Look, you might as well give the game away now. Can you be any more dramatic! the entity said in an irritated tone.

  For a voice in my head that’s supposed to comfort me, you are rather unpleasant! Rowanne replied in an equally peeved manner.

  Have you never heard the expression, ‘cruel to be kind’? Anyway, my job is not to be your friend, it’s to keep you alive, you got that? The entity wanted to support Rowanne, but the best way to do that was to make her stronger, so that she would no longer need her. The entity had its job cut out for it.

  Fine, then tell me, oh enlightened one, what should I do? Rowanne was willing to go along with the crazy scenario. The voice in my head doesn’t sound like me. It’s official, I’m certifiable.

  First of all, let me make it clear, you are not crazy. But you can’t act to save your life. If journalism doesn’t work out, then don’t let acting be your second choice, you will not win any awa
rds! The public will pay not to see you! said the entity.

  I beg your pardon, but what the hell has that got to do with anything? I’m doing the best I can here. Great, now I’m justifying myself to me, thought Rowanne.

  Calm down, you need to do better frankly. Lucky for you, you have me.

  I concede to the unfortunate truth of the earlier point. The dramatics were just for show, it takes a lot more to rile me. Now, if you’ve quite finished, how do you propose that we proceed? asked Rowanne.

  The entity had to give Rowanne credit, maybe she had underestimated her. There’s still hope then, perhaps I can tell her the truth sooner than expected. I wonder why I was so hesitant to put the plan into action, maybe I’m projecting my own fears onto Rowanne. Maybe I’m the one that can’t go forward.

  Hello? All I’m getting is radio silence, is anyone there? Can you hear me? Rowanne felt as if she was coaxing her mind, and found it quite bizarre. There was definitely something wrong with her.

  Cut that out, I’m still here. Would you go completely off the rails if I said the voice in your head needed time to think. The entity held its breath; even though, the dead have no need to breathe.

  On the weirdness meter, I’d say that’s a category Freud. Psychologically, there is something not quite right with me, am I correct? asked Rowanne.

  Do you want me to answer that? Think carefully before you ask, replied the entity.

  You are me, but you don’t sound like me, does that make any sense? asked Rowanne.

  Completely! Right, here goes nothing, listen up. I am a part of you, but I am not you. I am not your voice in your mind, though I reside there, replied the entity.

  That sounds like a riddle. I think it’s something I will have to come back to later. For now, we should focus on the more pressing matter at hand. Rowanne could feel the edges of a migraine begin to appear, hence her hasty withdrawal from the topic at hand. She would eventually deal with it. Maybe she’d get professional help, it could not be ignored any longer.