Alastor's POV
I stood near the entryway to the hotel with Charlotte. She was going over a list of things that she insisted we bring, even though I can conjure anything we need.
Tuning out her mindless babbling, I glanced off the the side towards Aria.
I watched as she stood with angel, wiping tears from her eyes here and there as they talked. The sight made an ache form in my chest.
She pulled him down into a hug, and angel retaliated by pulling her up off the ground, squeezing her.
A bit of nostalgia hit me, the moment she said goodbye to Eliot flashing through my mind.
"Alastor are you even listening to me?"
I snapped my attention back to the princess, a large smile on my face.
"Of course, of course!" I said with a nod, and she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at me.
I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot, glancing back towards Aria and Angel.
"No..." I admitted quietly with a sigh.
Charlie took a deep breath, and touched my arm slightly before pulling her hand back. I looked at her, and she was giving me a sympathetic look.
"I know...I know you're worried, Alastor..." she started, "we're worried, too..."
She looked towards Aria, and then sighed and looked back to me.
"We will find him. When we do...I don't care what it takes...if I have to I'll have my father come permanently erase him myself."
This surprised me. Little princess Charlotte...willing to kill one of her people? How strange.
"I thought you believed all could be better?" I hummed and raised an eyebrow, and she scoffed.
"He's barely a demon anymore," she said, and that piqued my interest.
"What do you mean?" I questioned her, and she looked up at me curiously.
"You haven't noticed...?" She questioned me back, and I shrugged, getting impatient.
"Noticed what, dear?" I asked, and she blinked.
"Alastor...he doesn't have a soul."
...
"Excuse me?" I said, wondering if I heard her correctly. She only nodded, and repeated herself.
"He does not have a soul. He has no soul...he has no heart...he is just an empty shell full of evil and malice."
Her words made perfect sense...the strength of his magic, the ruthlessness in the way he works.
There's just one problem.
"Do you know where his talisman is?" I asked her, and she tilted her head.
"His what now?" She asked, completely confused.
My eyelids fell and I should've expected that reaction, but I figured maybe she might know since she knew about his soul.
"Talisman...it's a sort of...cocoon, a holder of sorts. In voodoo, if you stray far enough into the darkness your "friends" become hellish. It happens to the weak willed...but unfortunately it makes them stupidly powerful." I sighed, "however, that power comes with a price...a sacrifice..." my brows furrowed as I thought.
Then I nearly gasped as it hit me, and I suddenly felt stupid for not realizing before.
"His eye!" I exclaimed, still keeping my voice down.
Suddenly, I feel much better about this.
If I can find him.
And destroy his sacrifice...the talisman that is the source of his very power...
He'll become what we in voodoo practice refer to as "forgotten".
Consumed by the darkness that we call friends. The demons, and the entities that grant us power.
I work in sync with mine.
He works for his.
This is a huge advantage for me...but I still need to be cautious. With that power he could use it to invert mine...
Which would obliterate my control over my spirits, allowing them to consume me.
I may have an advantage but he is dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Charlie looked at me perplexed, and I snapped out of my stupor, giving her a smile.
"You just helped me tremendously Charlie...thank you dear," I said to her, and she smiled and nodded.
Then the door opened, Vaggie peeking her head in.
"Car's here..." she mumbled and I sighed.
I guess it's time...
I looked back at Charlie, and she just smiled up at me.
Then she held her arms out, giving me a questioning look with her eyebrows raised.
"Hug?" She asked, sounding as if she were already prepared for a certain answer.
I nearly chuckled, letting my hands relax from behind my back before I reached forward and pulled her against me.
She immediately hugged me tightly, letting out a little squeal as she rubbed her face against my chest.
Such an affectionate little thing.
I chuckled and pulled her off me, "that's enough...I'll miss you, demon belle," I said to her, and she waved me off.
"You'll be back in no time." She said.
Aria came up to my side, grabbing my arm.
I looked down at her and her eyes were puffy and red, but she was smiling.
Then I sidestepped Angel as he tried to surprise hug me from the back, and Aria burst out laughing when he fell on his face.
"Fuck you, pimp, how come Char gets a hug," he grouched and I rolled my eyes, ignoring him as I stepped over his body on the ground.
"We'll see you all soon, hopefully," I called, waving as I escorted Aria towards the car.
"Be safe!" Charlie called.
"Don't die." Vaggie mumbled.
"Stay sanitary!" Niffty chirped.
"Fuck him good while you're on ya vacation, babe," Angel said with a golden toothed smirk, making me heavily roll my eyes.
I helped Aria into the car, and then went to walk around to the driver's side.
Suddenly someone had my collar in a death grip, and I looked at whoever was grabbing me.
"Husker?" I said, confused.
He was scowling, and pointed a claw into my chest, "you bring her home in one piece..." he growled quietly.
Slowly he let me go, and I straightened my jacket, nodding.
"I'll make sure of that much..." I said casually, and then looked him in the eyes.
"Even if it means I come back in pieces."
*
*
*
*
Narrator POV
Zip watched from the shadows of an alleyway as Aria and Alastor got into the black town car.
The creature's bright white eyes blinked, and he focused on the female of the two.
He cooed softly, remembering the gentle way she pet him on the head.
Never had he been touched so gently before. All he had known was punishment and abuse.
The small shadow didn't even know being touched could be a pleasant experience.
Trying to insinuate the same feeling, he took one of his small arms and swiped it back over his head, squinting slightly.
It wasn't the same.
Then the car drove off, and he watched it disappear down the street. Afterwords, he hopped around the shadows before diving into one and reappearing in his master's lair.
Using the shadows in the floor, he traveled quickly up to the chair his master sits in.
The chair that was now adorned with a pair of magnificent black angel wings, spread wide as if they were lifted.
This made it seem as if Xander himself had the wings.
Attala eyed the small creature, gnawing on a skull that had been picked clean of any meat. Xander ran his claws through her fur, tilting his head as Zip cowered at his feet.
"Report." He said simply, and the creature was quick to transfer the message.
As much as he was fond of this girl, and didn't desire her to get hurt, he belongs to Xander...
So that's where his loyalty lies. It doesn't help that Xander rules by fear and punishment.
Not to mention, zip doesn't even necessarily have to do something wrong to get punished. His master could simply be having a bad day.
Xander's eye widened slightly and he rested his knuckles under his chin.
"Leaving..." he hummed, "smart...the outside territories are unruly. An overlord outside their turf is not as strong..." Xander hummed, talking to himself, "so he's hindering us both, say I decided to follow them..."
Tapping his chin, he thought.
A battle of strength between he and Alastor would end in his blood on the asphalt.
A battle of power would end with him on top.
"Let's play your game, Alastor," he smiled and stared down at the little creature, "let's play it my way."
He narrowed his gaze on the shadow who shrunk away in response.
Suddenly Zip was surrounded by several other shadowy creatures, but these were more humanoid.
Their jagged smiles and glowing eyes terrified the little creature. They were all waiting in anticipation for their order.
"Follow them."