Oracle

Part 2

"None of your business," Elison grunted drinking a long swig. He would have lynched some bartenders for the insult of trying to talk to him about his job, but this one was one of his former scouts. Someone who had 'donated' a leg. Once the trauma had passed and Calder's Care House had set him up, John had taken him as one of his workers. Pretty enough for the job, smart enough as well.

"Master John's looking for new staff. Caught a few pinching pennies," the bartender explained, his voice quiet like he was afraid.

Elison looked up at the man. Brown eyes and brown skin with coarse dark hair, he looked nothing like the poor little angel he had given to the butcher that night and yet something in his heart stirred at the fearful look in those dark brown eyes. Possibly indigestion but it was enough sympathy to not feel offended. "Stick to the rules Justice and you will be fine," Elison promised, "If you have broken them, better tell John than let him find out for himself."

"Might kill you quicker," one of the other men chuckled. Justice flinched as one threw a glass on the floor. Elison watched as the man cleaned it up, his false leg moving awkwardly as he had to bend down. Once he was back on his feet, Justice refilled everyone's pints. Good little worker bee that he was.

"Justice, do you have anything to tell John?" Elison asked, swirling his glass idly.

"Yes little one, do you?" a well-refined voice asked from the side. The dark form of John walked from the back of the bar. Shadows dripped off John and onto the floor, adding to the endless burn marks on the wood, revealing a man paler than a ghost with pitch black eyes and a narrow pointed chin. John had several bars throughout the city and he checked on them all every night. The little pub they were in currently could house about twenty people at most, the type that people knew about if they were born in the city.

Justice flinched and shook his head. John moved over to him and took Justice's chin between his fingers. "Do you want to rethink that statement, little one? I thought you were a good boy," John scolded, a whip materialising in his other hand.

"I haven't broken the rules, sir," Justice whimpered as the whip pressed against his thigh, a few of the smoking men grinning in pleasure at the scene. Elison watched with one eye, caring little but not minding the handsome picture of Justice's body curved into John's. John picked his staff based on looks, not brains. Justice was a lucky find being both beautiful and smart. Or, at least, smart enough not to get in trouble.

Humming, John turned Justice's face to the side as if to study it and then to the other side. "You are telling the truth but you feel guilty about something," John commented lifting an eyebrow. "Speak before I lose my patience with you."

"I didn't take any money, sir, but I knew they were doing it and didn't stop them," Justice revealed, smart enough not to test John's patience.

"Did you profit at all from their activities?" John asked, an unreadable calmness in his voice.

"No, sir," Justice's words rang with truth.

"Be glad you ended up with John, Justice. That conscience of yours would make you suffer greatly elsewhere in this world," one of the men laughed. Justice's eyes flickered over to the bar but focused back on his boss who was trying not to laugh himself.

"You're fine, boy," John reassured, petting Justice's rough hair, "Only thing worse than a virtuous man in this city is a snitch. I would much rather you not tell than tell when you see such things."

"Keep your nose to your own business and follow the line," another patron commented, "Keep your own hands clean."

"So I'm not in trouble?" Justice clarified, his eyes wide and hopeful. A little bunny looking up at a wolf, but John was very protective of his staff provided they followed the rules. John smiled and kissed Justice on the lips, the boy responding, dutifully ignoring the teasing whistles of the patrons.

"No, keep being a good boy," John murmured on his lips before pecking them again and moving away from Justice, much to the displeasure of the bar patrons. "Enough, I am not a show and none of you can afford the prices I put my boys on display for," he warned with a dark tone but a good-natured smile.

Elison smirked as Justice flushed again. John was gentle with the one-legged young man, but Elison was not one to judge how bosses treated the souls they owned. After all, it would have been Justice's free will to sell his soul to the fae. John was old and powerful enough to own souls, while the celestials hated it. John moved over to the till and checked the charms which were on the till to protect it from people trying to steal from it, nodding with a pleased expression as he found everything correct.

"Elison," John greeted, moving over to him. "Delivered any handsome boys to the butcher recently?"

"One today, but his eyes will be gone by now, so no use to you," Elison mused, letting John take his empty glass and refill it. "Few earlier this week that might be of use, though."

"I'll look into it," John grinned, his sharp pointed teeth gleaming. They were almost like vampire teeth but John was no blood drinker. He wasn't human either, and the entire image that he was wearing was just that, an image created through magic. His teeth were a glimmer of his true form. "You have a knack for the job, Elison."

"Thinking of retiring from the organ trade, though. Move on to a different job branch. Starting to get nightmares," Elison hummed to the man, accepting the drink back with a grim smile.

"You are far too young to retire," John scolded, pouring himself a glass of whisky. "But I'm sure Calder will find you something if you ask him. Have you made an appointment?" There was no retiring from the organisation, but Calder and his lieutenants were happy to let loyal workers try a different career path provided they had served their dues in their current profession. Something Elison had done twice over. The thing was, if a person wanted to switch trades, they did need an appointment to see a career advisor. Or Calder himself if the person was high up on the pole, something Elison was not.

"Decided tonight, I'll call the number tomorrow," Elison yawned. "Tonight I drink," he raised his glass and clinked it against John's.

"Smart man," John grinned, taking a sip of his drink. "I'd answer your phone if I were you," he commented nodding at it.

Blinking Elison pulled his phone out to discover it was ringing. Ignoring John's grin, Elison answered the phone. "Elison here," he grunted, not comfortable with speaking on his phone in public. It wasn't a good idea where the likes of John could hear your conversations.

"Mr Elison, this is Mr Calder's office. Mr Calder would like a word; we hope this is not an inconvenient time for you. We shall connect you now," a female and professional voice commented on the line. Elison froze, straightening his back and glaring at John, who shrugged not caring. The forces in the city waited for no man, demon or creature.