Leah Carstairs (Book #2)

Summoning The Demon

2008

Watching Catarina effortfully arrange swords in a pentagram, reminded Oskino of those days when he could summon demons at the snap of his fingers.

As Oskino casually glanced around the room, he noticed a small antique box with a pattern of 3 flying birds inscribed on its top. 3 oddly familiar birds.

"Herondales." He murmured.

"What was that?" The warlock asked.

"Nothing. Do you need some help?" He offered.

"No. I'm almost done." Catarina got up from the floor, and grabbing a book from one of the wooden cabinets, began chanting incantations out of it.

A bluish vapour started churning from inside the pentagon, and soon, from the vapour, an Oni demon rose.

"Well, well. If it isn't again a painfully boring mundane, and a - a -" The demon's eyes widened when he turned to look at Catarina. "The most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in the planet. How you doing, senorita? Seeing anyone at the moment? Because if not, I'd like to take you to my bedroom and -"

Oskino coughed. "Back to the mundane, please."

The demon turned his gaze back to Oskino, in ill humour. "Yeah, okay, what do you want? Attack someone? One fifty dollars! Kill someone? Two hundred dollars! Terrorise your enemies? One hundred dollars! Added taxes: 2 really interesting memories."

"Shuten Dōji, isn't it?" Oskino spoke slowly in Japanese. "The so-termed King of Oni Ogres. Leader of the gang of Oni demons who served Valentine Morgenstern during his terrorism. Last killed by Jace Herondale, or so I have heard. I myself recall having set a few of your kind on fire for trying to invade my palace in the year 1756."

The demon's eyes widened with fear. "You . . . you are . . ."

"You will reply in the language you are being addressed in." Oskino severely corrected him in Japanese.

"Milord! Lord Os -" The demon quickly switched to Japanese, and sunk down to his knees in fear.

"Do not say the name."

"My apologies, Milord. Apologies. It is an honour to be summoned by you. Pray forgive me for my insolent, uncouth behaviour! I am prepared to serve you -"

"Jack, what is he saying?" Catarina whispered worriedly.

"I'm sorry, Catarina. I hate to sentence you to this suspense, but this conversation needs to be private." He answered in English. Her face fell.

Oskino flinched with guilt upon seeing the disappointment of not being trusted, on Catarina's face. But he had no time to waste. Turning back to Shuten Dōji, he continued in Japanese. "Tell me about Edom. What gossips have you recently heard about me?"

"Er, Milord, we usually don't gossip about you. You see, we respect the kind of secrecy and privacy you like to surround yourself with. Besides, there isn't much to gossip about you, really. We usually talk about how glad we are that Lilith is dead, or . . . discuss chicks, especially the hot ones." He laughed nervously, and winked at Catarina's direction.

"Hit on her once more and I shall ensure your kindred know about how the King of Oni Ogres got harassed by a group of mundane teenagers at Bolivia in 1492."

"Oh, no, no Lord -!"

"Don't say the name." Oskino warned sharply. "Has anyone noticed my absence in Edom?"

"I - er, frankly I don't think anyone did. We all thought you were right there inside your palace; you never come out, anyway, and when you do, you don't bother to tell anyone. Although, I must say Asmodeus must have known; I was told by my nephew, about 2 months ago, the Greater Lord risked a trip to your palace, and returned with carts full of gold, silk and diamonds. I assumed my nephew was only exaggerating."

"Let those be his, if he dears. There is more to humanity than silk and diamonds." Oskino spoke silently.

"You are a Demon, Milord."

"Does Asmodeus also perhaps know where I am and what I am doing?"

"If I does, he didn't bother to tell Shuten Dōji."

"Find out. And," Oskino growled. "Not a soul knows you talked to me, is that clear?"

"Very." The demon cowered under his glare.

"I have also heard a new entrance has been opened up to Edom."

"Has there? I don't know, Milord. You should be the best person to confirm such rumours."

"I have only heard. Ask your kindred and superiors about it, and tell me what you learn." The demon nodded. It wasn't true. Oskino neither knew, nor had heard, of any new entrance that had been opened up to Edom. He had only told the demon so, in hopes that Shuten Dōji would ask others about it and be able to find out a gate to Edom which Oskino could access. However the existence of such an entrance was highly unlikely.

"Er, Milord. I was wondering if that was all you wanted, am I free to go now?" The demon asked nervously.

Oskino nodded. "Remember. No one knows you and I talked."

Shuten Dōji bowed and then disappeared from the pentagon in a puff of smoke. Oskino let out the breath he had subconsciously been holding, and turned to face Catarina - only to realise she had gone too.

The front door was open. He took that as  his cue to leave.