Iscariot

And tonight's the night that we begin the end.

The mansion was cold and dark as Matthew ran up the walk. The air felt wrong, charged, static electricity lifting the hair on the back of his neck. They're coming. He knew it was only a matter of time before the devils returned. They knew exactly where he'd run; he had nowhere else to go. With all that had happened, the wards on the mansion were weak. They would only give a token resistance to Malix and the others.

Matthew pulled the keys from his pocket, his shoes scuffing on the concrete steps as he jogged up them. The light over the front door came on, almost blinding him. Just in case anyone didn't know he was trying to get in. As always, his summoned keys worked fine.

Simon Tabby's head popped up from the couch in the living room, the white fluffy toy shifting into a young man as Matthew closed the door and strode across the foyer in the dark. "You're back," the homunculus called after him.

"Yeah."

"She's not," Simon stated the obvious as he stood and followed, pausing at the dining room doorway to flip the lights on. He watched as Matthew picked up a crystal decanter from the sideboard. The demon poured himself two fingers of whiskey in a rocks glass, considered, then added two more. Simon whistled as Matthew snatched it up and drank a third in one swallow.

"You look like shit." It wasn't often the homunculus saw the demon like this. "I didn't think executives got into fistfights."

His master checked outside, peering through the curtains before closing them, then dropped into a chair. "You've obviously never been to a shareholders' meeting." Matthew took another sip and hissed as it burned his split lip.

"You sure drinking is a good idea?"

Matthew's eyes rolled up to stare at Simon. One was black and blue, the homunculus able to see the bruise slowly starting to fade at the edges as the demon tried healing it. "This is the best idea I've had all week," he mumbled into the glass as he took another swallow.

"The devils haven't come back," Simon reported.

"They will."

"I haven't seen or smelled them. I did a patrol and there are no watchers that I can tell, either." Simon shifted from foot to foot.

"They'll come back," the incubus insisted again, running a hand over his face. "They know she will, too."

"When? She's supposed to go back to the company with you in the morning." Simon frowned, gripping the back of the chair across from Matthew. "Your brothers, are you sure they'll bring her back?"

No, I'm not, Matthew thought but kept it to himself. Nothing was going as planned. "James will send her back, he gave his word." He saw enough of his brother's change of heart to hope it was a promise and that his brother would still keep it.

"Oh, that makes me feel better," Simon snapped. "Why did you let them go-"

A ward flared to life in the foyer, Simon giving a squeal and dropping from sight with a purple flash. Matthew saw his brothers land in the mansion's foyer, all of them, and in the middle?

Mika. The rush of relief through him was almost tangible to all of them.

And Sam? Matthew stared at the brother that was supposed to be dead, shocked for a second. Sam noticed and gave him a wink as they all filed into the dining room. I should have known, Matthew gave a weak smile. It was a small comfort as he faced his other brothers.

James stood behind the brute, looking uncomfortable and breaking his vow never to return.

Erik... It had been a long time since Matthew set eyes on his sly brother. He looks how I feel.