Simon hurried over to Finnian and Luca, who were finally able to catch their breath after the intense battle.
"Sorry I took so long," he said, slightly out of breath himself. "This fortress is a maze, and I couldn’t find anyone in ti. But I brought enough water for the both of you." He reached into the bag slung over his shoulder, handing them flasks of water he had taken from the kitchen.
His eyes quickly scanned them for injuries. "You’re not hurt, are you?" Though they had a few minor cuts, nothing seed serious enough to cause alarm.
The wounds would heal quickly once they had a chance to rest.
"Are you two alright?" Donovan asked, his voice cutting through the air, though his attention remained fixed on the struggling demon. "Take cover for now, I’ll handle the situation from here."
His voice was low, but the command was clear. The three boys imdiately moved to the side, watching as Donovan approached the demon.
It snarled, roaring in frustration as it thrashed against the bindings that burned into its skin. The bindings coiled around its limbs and torso like a mass of serpent, constricting tighter with every desperate struggle.
The more it fought, the more the threads pulsed and glowed, their hold relentless. It was as though the very air had beco a prison, suffocating and inescapable.
Its defiant gaze locked on Donovan’s imposing form, fear flickering behind the rage in its dark eyes. "Release ... now!"
Donovan’s voice was maddeningly calm as he stepped closer, unfazed by the demon’s growing panic. "I don’t think I’ll be doing that." His tone only deepened the demon’s inner turmoil. "But before I end you, there’s sothing I need to know; why are dozens of your kind heading towards this fortress? What’s so important that you’d risk this much attention, hm?"
The demon only snarled, baring its fangs. "And why should I tell you anything, you’re no better than the rest of us!" it spat in defiance, its voice dripping with venom.
Without warning, Donovan flicked his wrist, and the threads jerked violently, lifting the demon and slamming it into the floor with a bone-rattling force. The impact left cracks in the stone floor, and the demon’s body twitched under the imnse pressure.
"I’m not interested in your gas," Donovan said, his voice dropping into sothing far more lethal. "If you won’t speak, then there’s no point prolonging this conversation. You’ve already caused enough tragedy in lands that don’t belong to you."
"You really think you can get away with this?" the demon sneered, its voice dark and mocking. "I promise you, every last one of you will die tonight. Do you have any idea what my master has planned? He knows exactly who you are and what you’re after. The real problem is, he doesn’t think you’re strong enough to challenge him."
Donovan’s face betrayed no reaction at all, and he cocked his head slightly. "I find that excuse more preferable than skulking in the shadows like he does. If your master — Ultima, or whatever na he hides behind — thinks I’m not powerful enough, then why doesn’t he face himself? Maybe he’s powerful, like you said, but it doesn’t make him any less of a coward."
"You...!!" The demon’s furious retort was cut short when sothing sharp sliced through the air. In an instant, a thin, gleaming thread whipped forward and severed the demon’s neck cleanly.
Its head hit the ground with a dull thud, rolling away as the body collapsed in a lifeless heap. An eerie silence filled the space, broken only by the faint rustling of Donovan’s thread retracting back into his hands.
"All bark, no bite," Donovan muttered, tsking as he wiped the sticky black blood from his fingers, clearly disgusted by the residue. He then turned in the direction where the boys stood.
They imdiately straightened up as Donovan approached, their eyes following him with a mix of awe and frustration. He crouched down to their level, giving each of them a gentle pat on the head, his expression softening.
"You all did well," he said, his voice low and reassuring, "is everyone alright?"
"We’re fine," Finnian replied, though his tone betrayed a hint of disappointnt. "But we really tried to slay it on our own, and we failed. You barely did anything, and it’s already dead."
"Yeah, we really thought we had it cornered," Luca chid in, his frustration clear. "But in the end, I guess it doesn’t matter."
Simon, however, remained silent, glancing between his roommates and Donovan. He couldn’t believe the words Finnian and Luca were spewing. They had charged so fearlessly at a demon, risking their lives just to stall ti, while he had hesitated. Of the three of them, Simon felt the most useless in the group, and the weight of his inaction gnawed at him.
"You two were amazing," he disagreed, shaking his head with admiration. "I was hiding the whole ti, but you didn’t seem to care about your own lives at that mont. If anything, I admire you both for it. So what if you didn’t finish the demon off? You held it off long for to get help. I barely did anything in comparison. You should be proud – otherwise, I’ll have to punch so sense into you!"
Donovan, who had been silently listening, let out a low chuckle, drawing their attention. "I don’t think a punch will be necessary, Simon," he said, his tone lighter than usual as he addressed three of them. "None of you should carry such thoughts. You three did exceptionally well tonight, each in your own way. The most important thing is that you’re alive and unhard. Focus on that. In the anti, let’s join the others."
Standing tall, Donovan turned and began walking away with the boys flanking behind him. Finnian’s eyes lingered on the demon’s shriveling corpse for a mont longer, feeling a sense of grim satisfaction.
At least the innocent lives lost had been avenged.
In the weaponry vault, Leonardo’s eyes swept over the vast array of weapons that was sealed within. He couldn’t help but find it odd that a courtesan knew the location of such a room.
Sothing about her story didn’t sit right with him.
"You’re telling your Alpha infuriated a demon?" he asked, picking a long blade and testing its weight. Unlike the weapons from the Damned, the steel used in the North bore no curse components, which ant it wouldn’t hold much effect if used to attack those demonic beasts. He would have to make do with the one that’s most effective for now till he can find his sword.
Leonardo then continued, "And now, that demon is punishing him for his disobedience. What does any of that have to do with the drugged guests?"
He glanced back at the woman, who was selecting her own weapon. Since his curse mark had faded on the way here, he could speak properly again. However... his poor throat.
"He wanted dead because I overheard his dealings with the demon," the lady replied, her voice edged with bitterness. "Whatever agreent he made, he failed to uphold it. Now his recklessness has put everyone here in danger."
She settled for a curved sword, her gaze sharp. "He didn’t drug them on his own," she explained. "Yes, he’s responsible, but he was following soone else’s orders. Whoever he was speaking to commanded him to do it. My first suspicion was that he was into so sort of cult, but I decided to do so research first before jumping into any conclusions. That was how I ended up learning more about your kind, cause I ran into so old history books about you."
She sighed, "The more I uncovered, the clearer things beca. So of you still manage to control your curse, but others... they’ve completely surrendered to it, like those demons. That’s the difference. The rest of society may be either confused or too scared to acknowledge the facts, but the possibility of any of your kind turning into full demons is just as real."
Leonardo blinked, and for the first ti he was unsure of what to say to this unknown woman. But then she turned to face him.
"Cora," she said simply. "You can call Cora."
"And why would I need your na?"
"Because you’re going to have to address sooner or later," she replied, matter-of-factly. "It’s fine if you refuse to tell yours, I already called you a priest, so I’ll hold on to that title for you."
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed, and he swallowed his retort. From everything she’d told him, it was becoming evident that Thadius hadn’t made a deal with just any ordinary demon. If it had been, his warriors would have easily neutralized it with Lycobane serum. No, this demon was sothing far more dangerous, and he had a feeling that the aura he sensed in the corridor might have belonged to the demon.
Thadius would have so serious explaining to do if he manages to get his hands on him.
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