Agiel paced in front of his desk. “And if they don’t go for it?” he turned and asked.

  Damon smiled. “We do what we do best. Bring hell to their door.”

  Agiel grinned back. Damon gave him a shake of his head as he stood and adjusted his jacket. He didn’t need to look good to hold his position of power. He had it by birth and actions. His power level was one of the strongest in his world. Another reason his father had been happy to give him this job. But even he, could be defeated if enough of his enemies clubbed together. Tonight, was about preventing that. He preferred a certain appearance. One that reflected who they were. Rich. Powerful. Deadly. They all did to some extent. For him and his Kin, it was sharp clothing, suits, designer and all in black. Not all the fractions agreed with him and that was their preference. Others preferred older styles, more outlandish, more ….. closer to their original status. Damon found that to be outdated and tiresome and it labelled them all.

  He passed off the parchment to Agiel and exited his office. Entering his private lift he hit the button for the lower basement. It moved swiftly passed the lower floors from his penthouse office to the reception areas of the building, then the underground levels. It stopped at the conference room floor.

  Damon exited striding out, Agiel following him. He picked up two more of his Kin outside the lift and they walked to the conference room. Voices up ahead told him they were already arguing. Damon pushed through the doors, spotting the other players. The other Demon Lords. Masters of their Kin. Ghoul, Knoni, Borutu, Ebis, Zegan, Veper, Seir, Lilith, Mara and eleven others. He acknowledged each leader, who sat or stood, around the table with their two honour guard hovering within sight. Not wasting any time, Damon took his seat and the others followed. The meeting room was a place of sanctuary. Each would honour it or die.

  Damon gazed at each one in turn. There were no favourites here. He knew them all. Each in their own way, had given him at least one reason to pause in the last millennium and it irritated the hell out of him. Pun intended. He signalled for the food to be brought forward. As tradition required, they would feast before talking and the taking of any blood.

  ***

  Clair couldn’t make herself get up and leave. She knew her interview was long gone, and the night was drawing in. She’d seen people leave for the day, go home to family or friends but she didn’t want to go. Being this close to answers after so many years….. the anticipation was difficult to contain. The thought of feeling whole, finally having some answers pulled on her. If she could talk to someone about that day ……. Someone who’d been there ……. Clair shook her head. The person who’d saved her would be in his 60s now. An older man and no longer working, probably retired, she reminded herself. She looked up at the building again. Maybe his son or daughter worked here…..

  ***

  The meal worked its way through the seven courses. Coffee, port and brandy were brought in. Small talk became more ruckus around the table. People impatient to make their point and get things started. More than one couple engaged in heated discussions over titles, ownership and contracts. Tempers flared, accusations flew, and feigned indignation and demanded satisfaction followed. Demon could see where this was leading and cut it off before it started.

  He slammed his hand down on the table. He was so sick of this shit. The sooner it was dealt with the better. The room fell quiet as they turned towards him. “Gentleman and ladies. We are here for a reason. Let’s not kill each other until we have true reason to.” He let that linger while he again, looked around the room.

  Several now looked more interested. “For centuries, we have acted in accordance with my father’s wishes. We have stemmed the tide and in doing so, our Kin have grown. But our people are at a crossroads. We live in this world, make money and take resources from this world. We stomp on those that need it and help those we can. But, they are not our people. They are human, and the human race is advancing. They are not the creatures we found on arriving. They do not believe in us or fear us. The time for hiding and staying out of the public eye is not over. Not that I am suggesting anyone here, would be stupid enough to court that attention, but we live in a media age. Where every individual in the known world has a phone, or some electronic recording device. It has becoming impossible to hide anything. Including us. The time of suggestion is over. We can no longer place figments in the imaginations of people and expect to get away with it and that, only got us so far……” Damon made a point of looking at everyone. Particularly those that seemed to enjoy the public eye.

  He leaned back and threw out a hand in distaste. “You know why you’re all here. I am bringing my people into the 21st Century. The petty shit you have been perpetrating and I have allowed, stops now. I will no longer, be judge and jury over your actions. It is beneath me and you.” He slapped his hand down on the table. “I have decided my father can deal with it.” There were a number of shocked faces around the table. “If you choose remain here, we are going completely electronic and embracing this new age. All of us. No exceptions. No excuses. I want tabs on everyone. I want to see what’s going on, when its going on. We already have system communications in place and both light and dark web access. Currently, we are using it to blind the humans to our existence and cover up our messes.” He looked at several people. “Soon, we will have a number of programs running, that will seek and destroy any Demon activity. Effectively removing it from the internet altogether. Sadly, that doesn’t cover the one person who witness’ our actions or films us or records us and tells the world before, we can shut them down but I’m working on that too. The world is not ready to know about us yet. Might never be. But I expect that time is coming.” He paused to gage his audience. Most of them gave nothing away.

  “Inevitably all good things must come to an end. The years of war between us and your personal vendettas stop. Now. We have all had our share of grievances against others in this room. Reparations need to be made and old scores settled. We cannot allow that to spill over into the human world any longer. That is dangerous to all of us. Turf wars need to end. Moving in on someone else’s business, needs to stop. The last thing we need are humans hunting us,” Damon leaned forward, “because that ladies and gentlemen, is exactly what will happen to us if we are outed. If we are seen as real. We have all seen small skirmishes with humans involved. We have all lost people to the nature of what we are. If they know of us, make no mistake they will hunt us. We can no longer ignore this, it is getting too loud, to out of control. The humans will, tarnish us with biblical references and come hunting. If we then rise-up to defend ourselves, this world as we know it, will be gone. There will be nothing, but devastation left in its wake and we will all, be going home to face my father and uncle.”

  Damon sat back again. “I don’t have to tell you what that would mean. I for one, will not allow that to happen and I will take every step needed, to make sure it doesn’t. I want a future for my Kin here in this world. What we have created works. However the decision is up to you.” The table erupted as he knew it would. There would be many words said in the hours to come. Many threats and demands as the brandy flowed and he was ready for them all. In the end, he did not need their agreement. They would live or die. He was a Prince of the Demon Realm. If he couldn’t garnish their support, he’d take and support each Master’s, second. They were ambitious for power, and he could give it to them. In any event, they would be moving forward on this night.

  As predicted, the arguments raged on for several hours. Damon played peacemaker, when he had to, Lord when it needed. Gradually the arguments ran out of steam. He nodded to Agiel who came forward with the parchment and laid it upon the table before them. They all stared knowing what it was. All the common ground was already written on it. Agiel added the new terms and references that had been agreed upon around the table.

  “You all know what this is.” Damon told them. “A blood contract. Unbreakable and binding. Please take your time to ensure you are happy with the terms. Only Masters will sign for their Kin. We all know what a forfeit would mean.” Damon gave them a pointed look. It wouldn’t be for what was left of their soul, it would be for everything. “Our time on this realm can be long or short. You’re actions here will decide what’s next.” He shrugged. It mattered not to him, if he’s father came calling for those that broke a contract. It was after all, his job as Reaper. “As you all appear to be out of arguments, we will sign in friendship. All settlements are required within 24 hours.”

  Damon waved Agiel forward, who handed him a dagger, inlaid with diamonds. Remaining focused on those at the table, he slashed diagonally across his palm and squeezed his hand closed, drawing the blood onto the parchment. As it scented the air, nearly every person present exhibited desire, intoxicated by it. Damon ignored it. It was nothing new to him and an expected response to his power. When he’d been young he’d enjoyed its full effect, now, it simply bored him.

  Agiel passed him some sealing wax and a lighted wick. Damon melted the wax into his blood, then passed them back to Agiel and removed his crested ring. “A contract has been called and served. You break it at your own peril.” He slammed the insignia down into the blood and hot wax.

  “And so, a new order begins.” He told them, the deal was done. Damon smiled and left the room. They would sign in blood or not. Him being there, wouldn’t make that happen any faster. He felt the tingle in his hand as it mended and wished for the pain to remain. He wanted to feel it. Have something that stirred him as he walked back down the corridor and into the lift. His two guards coming with him. Pain helped him focus. Being too sensitised left you vulnerable. He’d learnt that lesson early. As he reached the upper level, his phone rang.

  Opening it the voice started. “Sir, my apologises, Orcus is not in the building. The information given to me before shift indicated there was an issue with a human sitting outside and watching the building. Sir, that person is still there.” Jinn, his head of night time security told him. Damon checked the time. It was passed 3am. What the fuck was a human doing still sitting outside since lunch time yesterday? Damon sighed. They didn’t need local law poking around. Something about this didn’t feel right to him. He had other fish to fry but he could make this work. He pressed the elevator to stop at reception and told Jinn to meet him there.

  Clair knew it to be late. Darkness had fallen hours ago, the cold had set in, her joints becoming stiff and yet, she couldn’t make herself leave. The vibe called to her. It was like it was talking, telling her to wait. Soon. It seemed to whisper. She couldn’t explain it, but she believed it. The vibe was coming stronger now. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger, they’d started to tingle almost painfully. Sharp sparks agitated the tips of her fingers. The vibe getting stronger, more powerful. Clair’s sense of self-preservation kicked in. But still she didn’t move. Then she heard a voice she hadn’t heard in 20 years whisper through her mind. “He come’s again.”

  She gazed at the doorway as a male, and six security, walked out of the building towards her. Holy shit, they were intimating, she thought. If she’d been the kind to be intimidated that was. She wasn’t. She’d had her share of strange and weird over the years. The leader was tall, with a strong countenance, bold steps and a very smart suit made their way over to her. “At last….” the voice whispered, “we have waited so long…..”

  Clair frowned. The voice distracting her. She hadn’t heard it since the fire. She thought it had been her imagination, her self-preservation kicking in but now, it was alive and speaking to her. She swallowed looking around quickly. She was alone. Looking on, at the force coming for her she wasn’t sure if she was on crazy train. The same voice had told her to hide in the basement of her house or was that her fathers? She shook her head. She’d followed it then. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

  Her anxiety levels rose. There was little doubt the male walking towards her, was just as huge and stunning as she remembered him. Clair swallowed, how was that possible? She could see and sense he was irritated at being here. He was…. angry. It changed the vibe, she realised, it was sharper. He was looking around, agitated, absorbed in something else on his wrist. Ruefully she realised he didn’t want to be dealing with her. Pain caught in her chest. Clair frowned and rubbed at it. That didn’t make sense. There was no reason he should be happy to see her. None at all. Besides, he looked too young to be who she thought him to be. But, there he was, not paying much attention to her, until he was almost upon her. Then he looked over and faltered. Stopping two feet from her. Clair smiled up at him. The vibe was strong and clear again. The pull undeniable. She stared, it was him. The voice had been right.

  “Hello,” she told him without hesitation, “it’s been a long time.”

  Damon stared disbelievingly at the female. He knew her instantly the moment he focused on her. The child from long ago who he’d rescued from the fire. He’d been to late for whoever else was in the house. But he’d sensed her in the basement and gone looking for her. He didn’t know why at the time, apart from clearing up someone else’s mess. Again. The father had worked for the wrong Demon and put his nose somewhere he shouldn’t have. Retribution had been swift and deadly. Fire. It was always there go to weapon.

  He’d been too late to save the house. It was already ablaze when he’d got there. Having chased the Demon master down and found him still at the home, laughing as he’d blocked all the exits and heard the screaming from inside. Damon had dispatched him quickly and given his second the Kin to rule.

  With orders to wipe memories, the second and his Kin took off and Damon had entered the house following, something……… not quite sure what. But he knew she was in there. Frightened and alone and he’d gone to her. She must have seen him wipe the flames away, it was one of his many abilities. Damon recalled how she’d asked him if he was the devil, as he’d held her close. All his protective instincts rising to the fore.

  No, he’d told her smiling. That was his uncle. And so it was. He’d looked down at the child as she held tightly to him and marvelled at how right it felt. The flames moved aside to make way for him, his aura protecting them both. Are you a bad man? She’d asked cradling into his chest. Damon remembered his answer.

  Right now, I’m exactly who you need me to be. The child had accepted that. He placed a sleeping spell over her and slowly she drifted off. Hours later, handing her over to get on with her life, had been harder than he had expected. Part of him had wanted to keep her. Protect her. But that wasn’t possible. Not in his world.

  All that rushed through his mind in seconds as he gazed down on a face he’d never thought to see again, smiling up at him. He looked at the paper still in her hand. She’d been offered an interview but not come in. So she was the one. In that moment he knew she posed no harm, and dismissed his men to stand down. As they moved to stand a way off, he unbuttoned his jacket and took the seat next to her.

  Damon smiled down at her. She was so much smaller even grown. The warmth of feeling from all those years ago, coming back to him. He could see the child in the woman.

  “Hello Clair, indeed, it has been a long time. Were you coming for an interview?” She nodded at him. “But you didn’t come in?”

  She shook her head at him. “The vibe, I sensed you and it stopped me going in. It felt off. Dangerous.” She frowned shaking her head. “Sorry, I’m intuitive. It wouldn’t let me go in and then, wouldn’t let me leave. I think I had to draw you out.” Clair looked over at the building, filtering the feelings. It was still generating the other stronger vibe, but now that they were separated, she could sense it getting stronger by the second. She turned to him. It was pulsing now. “Somethings wrong with the building,” she told him staring back up at it. The top floor suddenly exploded in all directions.

  Damon threw himself over the female and rolled with her as they flew back from the bench. His men were thrown clear of the building. The bomb. He checked the female over. She was shocked but whole. He glanced back at the building as fire raged through the top floor. His penthouse and office. The fire wouldn’t have killed him, but the explosion would have. Had he been in it. It would have been a well-planned attack. If he hadn’t come outside, or gone to his shelter on the ground floor, he’d have been in his office as everyone would have expected. Debris rained down around them, alarms went off, people screamed and ran about. Chaos ensued. There were only Demon in the building. Fire couldn’t kill them and even a direct hit wouldn’t do much damage. He looked down at the female in his arms. For all intense and purposes, she’d saved his life.

  She looked over at the building then back at him. “I guess that makes us even,” she told him.

  Damon hauled them both up, looking for his men. He called out to Jinn. “Status.” Damon knew he’d be getting reports through his communications device. “Get me my car.” Agiel stood and took out his phone.

  Clair stood unsteadily on her feet, brushing off her clothing looking at the devastation in front of her. A bomb! Seriously? It hadn’t passed her notice that the male had jumped on her at the first sign of an explosion. And was now, helping her cleaning off both his and her clothes, while shouting orders to his men. Was this real?

  A few people came staggering out of the building. Fire alarms going off, mixed with car alarms. Total confusion reigned around her. People were running in all directions. She went to take a step back and realised that the male was lightly but firmly, holding onto her arm. She looked up confused and worried. He gazed down on her as a car pulled in quickly and made a sharp stop by the kerb. He did a slight bow to her.

 

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