The decrepit creature was the one that been in their village, tormenting the inhabitants as if it was child's play. Nate had hoped to never run across the disgusting demon but luck definitely wasn't in his favor and he fought the urge to cover his mouth with his hand as Nadiss stood in front of them. Maya had stopped screaming and now stood trembling violently behind him, clutching tightly onto his leg as if it was the only thing holding her up.
Malice shone brightly in Nadiss's eyes and he darted his forked tongue out like a snake would, tasting the scents in the air around him. Fear was coming off of Maya in waves, her trembling form made him want to scoop her up and protect her from the dangers of the world around them, but it was too late. He'd chosen to make a deal with a demon and now his bed was made, he had no options left except to face whatever came his way head on. Reaching back, he wrapped an arm around her small shoulders, never letting Nadiss out of his sight.
He didn't trust Luca in the least bit either, but he didn't fear him as much as he did the demon in front of him. Why? He had no idea, both creatures were deadly beings. Killing a human was just a game to them, never batting an eye at taking an innocent life. Maybe it was the thin string of hope he held onto that Luca's promise held merit to it and he'd carry out his end of their bargain.
Only time would tell...
Nadiss on the other hand had no reason not to cause them harm, he could easily kill them both for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Judging by the look on his face that was exactly what he wanted to do. Reaching his hand into the front of his cloak he pulled two vials filled with dark amber fluid, which glowed slightly from the light of the fire. Turning his attention away from them Nadiss looked over to Luca, who was still lounging nonchalantly against the boulder, a bored look on his face as he watched the scene before him unfold.
"I believe you might have some use for these Luca, though don't underestimate the risk I took in taking these for you. The price is non negotiable, but I doubt that's a problem for you considering just exactly who your father is." Nadiss hissed out.
At the mention of his father, Luca's face clouded over with rage, his features seemed to sharpen as the barely veiled darkness fought way to the surface and he suddenly stood up. "I'd advise you to watch what you say out loud Nadiss. Slips of the tongue can often lead to misunderstanding and I know that's something you don't want to happen."
The underlying threat was blatant to everyone in the clearing and Nate fought the urge to grin like the Cheshire cat as he saw Nadiss take a step backwards. The knowledge that the rotting creature in front of him was frightened of Luca gave him some strange sense of security and for a quick moment he was almost glad for the strange agreement he'd entered. Almost...
"I have part of the terms of our agreement with me already Nadiss, the rest is waiting in the entrance of the labyrinth. You know I have to be certain that you kept up your end of the bargain before you get the entire payment." Reaching his hand out a large leather sack appeared, the sound of coins clunking together filled the air as he passed it over to Nadiss, whose face lit up with greed as he quickly grabbed the bag and opened it.
The entire sack was filled with gold and precious gems, sparkling brightly as Nate hung his mouth open at the small fortune that was being exchanged before him. Seeming content with the contents of the bag Nadiss quickly stuffed the bag onto his cloak before he carefully passed Luca the two small glass vials. Lifting up a vial Luca pulled the small glass cap off before sniffing the contents, seeming pleased he placed the cap back on the vial before tucking them both into a small silk bag.
"You've done well Nadiss. I'm pleased you were able to get a hold of these for me despite the risk. I shall keep up the end of my bargain and you'll get the rest of your payment here shortly."
"I'm glad you're satisfied Luca. When will you be opening the labyrinth gates? I'm looking forward to my new play things and we both know patience isn't my strongest point."
"Soon enough Nadiss, soon enough. First I'd like to rest for a short while before I head into the labyrinth with these two. Why don't you find something to do for a little while to pass the time."
Walking past where Maya and Nate stood he settled himself once again against the boulder. Nate was seriously confused by the exchange between the two of them, curiosity burned brightly within him, but he knew better than to ask questions. The last thing he needed was to piss Luca off, so he decided it was best to remain quiet as he tugged Maya gently towards the edge of the boulder, as far away from either demon as he could manage to safely sit. Nadiss stared at them with unblinking coal black eyes as he settled Maya against his side, throwing an arm around her as he tried to shield her from Nadiss's relentless staring. Nadiss smirked eerily as he saw Nate try to comfort Maya.
"Why don't you come out and play little Maya?" His low raspy voice hissed out, taunting.
Nate's head snapped up as he heard Nadiss's comment. Maya whimpered lightly, trembling violently against his side and anger flared up brightly within him. How dare that fúcking thing try talking to her. Especially after what happened at the village not too long ago.
Calm yourself boy. Don't give in to his taunts or you'll end up being killed. It's what he wants to happen. Luca's voice whispered across his mind, the tone seemed somehow to be friendly with a slightly dangerous undertone. The warning was enough to stop him from racing forward to kill the despicable creature.
Turning his head he glanced over at Luca, surprised by the silent warning. The golden scaled demon was lounging lazily, disinterest evident on his face but Nate was smart enough to know that wasn't the case. Sharp pale blue eyes studied everything around them, calculating the next move carefully, always planning for any possible outcome.
"Don't be such a spoil sport and let her come out here for a bit Nate." Nadiss taunted, trying to rile Nate up.
"Nadiss leave the humans be, you've already got something cooking on the fire." Luca quickly interjected before Nate could do otherwise.
"But I'm hungry Luca and the little one looks delicious."
"When you get the rest of your payment I doubt you'll need to worry about being hungry again for awhile."
Nadiss shrugged before heading back towards the fire, his attention once again to the scorched meat that was still on the skewer as he brought it back over the flames. Nate blew out the breath he had held in before reaching for the leather satchel bag that lay forgotten on the dirty ground. Pulling out a few pieces of dried venison he passed a chunk to Maya before biting down onto his own piece, munching mindlessly as he tried to piece together the events of the evening so far. Finishing the venison he reached into the bag and pulled out two small red apples. Passing one to Maya he bit into the crisp flesh, savoring the sweet taste he couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the payment to Nadiss was. What was it that made him so anxious to claim his reward?
He was about to find out...
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A/N So what did everyone think of Nadiss's return to the story? Or more importantly what do you think is going to happen next?
Question for everyone. Would you ever want to read a sequel of this story? I've already decided how I want to end the book but I've thought of a few ideas that would fun to write.
Don't worry just yet though. There's still more to come, it's just slowly coming to the finish. I just want to thank everyone again for taking the time to read my story, I never thought I'd get this many people to look at something I wrote. You guys rock :D
Till next time everyone....