Chapter Text
The demon, frozen inches away from Matthias, holds the dagger at the height of a vicious arc. Its other hand grasps a cane, topped with a sharpened crows head, the point of its beak moments away from plunging into the shapeshifters side. Eyes burning yellow, Matthias lets out a deep rumbling growl and the demon snarls back at him, gnashing blunt human teeth at the wolf who quickly backs out of his grasp. The demon remains frozen, only his mouth and eyes moving, tracking the retreat.
Nina, standing in the corner clutching her spellbook to her chest, lets out a giggle.
“Holy shit. Ho-ly. Shit. It worked. I did not think it would, but it did!”
Jesper, stepping forward, hums in thought and scratches his chin with the barrel of his gun.
“I’m out of arcane bullets and I don’t think my regular supply will work, so the kill is yours Inej. Use your Jesus-“
“Sainted.”
“Use your sainted knives then. Let’s get this over with so we can go find the big fella and Van Eck.”
She steps forward, her other knife gripped in her hand. The Demon watches her as she approaches, and she can’t help but feel nervous. He looks… human. The mass of shadow and smoke has solidified in the form of a tall youth, dressed in a long coat and tailored suit, whose appearance makes it seem as if he was barely older than her. With dark eyes and sharp features, he could be any one of the boys back home at the barrel. Inej is no stranger to the tricks and illusions demons use, so knows that he’s not a real boy. Not even a real person. She has stood toe to toe with infernal beasts that were nothing more than a rolling mucous membrane. She has slain huge behemoths. She has even exorcised the possessions of everyday civilians. But there’s something shockingly human about the determination in this demon’s eyes. They’re the eyes of a survivor, the same eyes she sometimes sees looking back at herself in the mirror, and Inej wonders what exactly he- it- has survived. She places the point of her knife against where his heart would be, if he had one, and takes a deep breath. Holds it. Goes to move and…
“I wouldn’t do that”
His voice is surprisingly low, the rumble of gravel against stone. Rough, almost as if he’s unused to speaking. She thinks for a second that he might beg for his life, isn’t sure if she could stomach it if he does. There is no fear or desperation in his stomach, and he looks on calmly as she adjusts her grip on her dagger. Demon hunting 101 is that demons lie, and Inej has been hunting long enough to trust that rule with her life. Putting more weight on the knife, she pushes it into his chest and ignoring the ache that grows in her own.
“STOP!”
Inej came into this expecting very little. A cult, some blood magic, and worst-case scenario, a demon. She was not expecting a random boy to be the main obstacle in finishing her mission. Covered in a fine layer of soot that does not quite hide his wild red hair, he stands well dressed, if slightly bedraggled, in the doorway of the room. At the sight of him, Jesper groans, moving quickly in an attempt to herd him back out of the room.
“I told you to stay put. What part of demon hunters do you not get! We are here because there are demons. That means bastard sons of demon cult leaders stay SAFE and away from things that will literally EAT them at the first chance.”
Matthias, who is back to being more man than beast, glares at Jesper.
“Did you just say ‘bastard son of cult leader’?”
Jesper grins weakly.
“I was going to tell you, but y’ know…”
He waves his hand vaguely at the demon standing in the room.
“Demons. So, ladies and Matthias, this is Wylan Van Eck. Son of the crazy, rich, asshole and our cult leader of the night, Jan Van Eck. Wylan is also the mysterious informant who has been contacting us… W!”
The boy is unimpressed by his introduction, scowling at Jesper. Inej finds herself feeling a similar way, and as his smile begins to lose some of its brightness it seems that Jesper can sense it. Once again, he attempts to push the kid away from the room, but Wylan slaps the gunslinger's hands away, standing firm as turns his attention to Inej.
“Don’t kill him. You’d be killing yourself.”
Nina interrupts with the kind of smile a kindergarten teacher gives a prixstick eating boy.
“Who studied magic here kid? I did this ritual and…”
“But you didn’t finish your teachings though.”
The Demon’s voice interrupts, seemingly tired of the exchange in front of him.
“Young witch, should have paid more attention in class. You bound me to this plane through your little wraith, but you also bound me to her. If I die she dies, if she dies I die. You’ve bound us in blood and soul.”
He pauses, locking eyes with Inej.
“Lucky for you though, I’m willing to make a deal. The demon, or ‘Big Guy’ that you find yourself ever so concerned over, has a long history with me and I’d be more than happy to help you hunt him down.”
“Or he could be lying. Demons are liars, conmen, snakes slithering in the grass.”
Matthias seems to be struggling to keep control, growling his words more than speaking them. It’s a sign of weakness, however small, and the demon grins in response. With him frozen in place, his words should have been a laughable attempt to gain power. The paleness of Nina’s face, the fear in her eyes as she stares down at her spellbook, then at Inej, suggest something much worse.
“I, uh, think he might be right. I… it’s deep magic and I never finished my lessons and…”
It was no secret that Nina’s coven, those who had not already been hunted and slain, had gone into hiding years ago. Their knowledge, the books and history and scrolls of runes had been lost with them, scattered across Ravka. What little Nina had been able to carry, or find in the ruins of past fortresses, was all they had to work off. While still helpful, they only just scraped the surface of the intricate workings of dark and powerful magic like binding spells.
“What do you want in return?”
“To be released from the bind, if your witch can figure it out. Pekka to die. Preferably Van Eck too. I don’t think your young friend would mind me tearing his father apart.”
Inej opened her mouth to object but the kid, Wylan, beats her to it.
“I haven’t been let outside of the grounds in two years. He sacrificed my mother to a greater demon in return for gold to fund his black magic experiments. I’m pretty sure I was what that thing Pekka was supposed to eat tonight. I say it’s a good deal.”
Her crew stands before her, faces drawn and anxious. Matthias, claws biting into his clenched fists. Nina, looking in horror at the ritual circle of her own design. Jesper, restless with the emotional energy in the air, tapping the gun at his side as he waits for her command. She turns her attention to Wylan. It’s easy to see that his face isn’t just naturally cherubic but that he is truly young, younger than them by a year or two. She wishes she hadn’t noticed, especially not when his expression is schooled into cold blankness having just given her permission to kill his father.
Slowly, she turns to the demon, ignoring Matthias’ exclamation of protest.
“You can move. You must not harm me or my friends. You will answer all questions truthfully and must not leave our sight. Now, what should we call you?”
The demon, rolling his shoulders as he settled into a more comfortable position, tapped gloved fingers onto the head of his cane before lifting one in mock salute.
“Dirtyhands. But seeing as we’re a little closer than colleagues you may call me Kaz. Now let’s go kill a demon.”