Deal with the Devil

Ruler of The Abyss

I had come to see Fayette because she was a high fae from the Unseelie court and she had known my mother well. There weren't many people in the city that I trusted and even though she was fae, she knew the demon realm well. “What do you mean? What am I supposed to hear Fay?” I threw my hands up in frustration.

 I took a seat on the small red sofa across from her ‘reading’ table. The cozy room had always brought me comfort, but today the rows of demonology books and endless oracles and runes gave me the chills. “I just had a run in with some Tempters on the west side. Dane Shaw said there were whispers of my name in Hell? And someone was coming?” I hoped she couldn't feel the desperation in my voice. “Whispers from Hell do not come lightly, Wren. I have heard murmurs among the demons of an uprising. I don’t know much but it feels like the realms are preparing for something.” I swallowed hard at what I already suspected. 

I know there was unrest in both fae and demon realms, I just didn't know what I had to do with it. “Fey, what can you tell me about the demon Abaddon.” 

With a disapproving glance towards me, Feyette went to her floor to ceiling bookshelf and plucked an old book with a black leather binding from the shelf. As soon as she turned it to me I could feel its power pulsing in my veins, like a heartbeat. The small book had no title, only a star symbol etched...no burned into the cover. The same star symbol that now marked Jace’s chest. I opened it to find runes, ancient demon script, covering the old pages. “How am I supposed to read this Fey? It’s written in ancient runes.”  I scrunched my nose at the lingering sulfur smell the book released.

 “You are demon Wren, you can read the text. Feel it in your blood. The book will recognize you.” She coaxed. I closed my eyes and loosened, ever so slightly, the grip I kept on the darker part of me. I could feel it coiled in my blood like a snake, never allowed to strike. I wasn't sure what type of demon I was, Mom never liked to talk about my father, but I could feel its power. The pulsing power of the book intensified and as I laid my hand over the demon runes. I could feel it probing me. Testing me. I could feel the runes shift and when I opened my eyes to glance down, they had morphed into letters. Into horrifying words. Destroyer, Ruler of the Abyss.

“Wren, I think it's time you tell me what you've gotten yourself into.” Her stern eyes were wise and warm and Hell, maybe she could tell me more about my fate. She poured us both some hot tea and she took a seat across from me. I told her from start to finish how Jace and I had gone on a job to send some winged beasts back to Hell. It should have been a simple job, rounding up the brainless beast’s and casting them back where they came from. But when we arrived we found a portal to the underworld had been opened, held open, and beasts and demons were pouring out of it. Jace had tried to close it but an archdemon slipped out and stabbed him in the heart. It had taken every ounce of my strength to close that portal. 

It isn't a simple thing to open a portal for even a moment, let alone hold one open. Jace has been searching for answers about who or what would have had the power to do that. The thought of what crawled out of there before we were able to close it still haunts my nightmares.

I told her of the demon I summoned and the bargain I struck. When I mentioned the brand on my back the old woman's eyes shuddered and she began whispering ancient words under her breath. “Wren, you must show me your scar. Now.” she demanded. Still not knowing what it looked like myself, I turned around and slowly lifted my shirt. I heard her gasp and before I could yank down my tank, her magic shot me out of the tiny room and onto the sidewalk.  I spun on the closed door “Wait! Fayette, you have to tell me what it means!” I banged against the door. The latch opened and I saw her green eyes peek out, weary. “Wren, you must go child. You have damned yourself and I cannot save you from your fate.” She slammed down the latch and locked it. It was a little melodramatic if you asked me, I mean how bad could it be? An eternity in Hell? No amount of self-soothing could not shake the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.