6.3

His time with Abyss is over faster than Austin would have anticipated - they insist on only keeping him for two dances, in case any other demons want a turn with him. Austin doesn’t see why any would - Abyss is the first demon to make conversation without prompting all evening - but he dutifully returns to his spot on the windowsill anyhow. Morse is still there, sitting curled up with one knee hugged to his chest, and shuffles over a little to give Austin room to climb up.

“Charming, aren’t they,” Morse says, probably talking about Abyss.

“I guess,” Austin says. He downs the rest of his champagne in one go, wincing at the bubbles as he swallows. “When were you planning on telling me that I’m here to fight to the death?”

He watches Morse’s face carefully. It’s surprisingly emotive, for a person made up of ink and magic. In just a few moments, it goes from confused, to surprised, to furious. His body looks tightly wound, a coil ready to snap.

“He didn’t tell you,” Morse says through his teeth, unconsciously echoing Abyss. “I told him the night he brought you here, I told him he should tell you, and he agreed with me! He said he would tell you before the party - gods, I am so fucking tired of being lied to!”

Morse didn’t know, Austin realizes with a start. Abyss had said that Morse and Naberius are closer to each other than Naberius and any demon of actual title or rank, but it seems like Morse still gets kept in the dark about some things. If Morse wanted Naberius to tell me the truth right away, then…I think I can really trust him. At the very least, he’s more interested in full disclosure about my contract than Naberius is.

“Excuse me,” Morse says, his voice still strained, and hops down from the windowsill. “I have to go see a pathological liar about an argument we’re about to have.”

His hands are balled into fists at his sides, and everything about his posture suggests he’s fuming mad. Austin watches him stride off purposefully, wondering if something in the magic that’s holding Morse together lets him find Naberius more easily in a crowded room. Does the fact that Naberius made Morse make them inextricably bound to each other, or did they grow close just by living together for so long? Did Naberius purposefully fabricate a personal attendant with a personality to challenge and combat his own, or did Morse develop that way naturally?

“Pardon me,” a voice from Austin’s other side says politely, wrenching him from his thoughts. “Are you Naberius’s human?”

Austin shifts on the windowsill, looking over at the newest demon to approach him. He’s not anyone Austin recognizes from the earlier round of introductions he was forced into by Naberius, which means he’s either a latecomer to the party or someone Naberius deliberately skipped. His hair is dark brown, wavy, and cropped short, with the exception of a bright red shock of bang that hangs down and frames one side of his face. His outfit is styled much like Austin’s, but brown and gold instead of black. He has a ring of some shape and size on almost every finger, Austin notes with mild distaste, as the demon sticks out a hand in greeting.

“Yeah. Austin. That’s me,” he says, shaking the demon’s hand briefly and letting go as soon as he thinks he can get away with it.

“I had hoped so,” the demon says, smiling with a mouthful of teeth that look oddly human, compared to the sets of fangs Austin has seen so far this evening. “But I didn’t want to make any assumptions just on account of the fact that you don’t have any horns.”

He gestures at the top of his head, indicating his own lack of horns. Naberius and Abyss don’t have any, either - Abyss tried to quickly explain it as some kind of hierarchy thing, but Austin feels as though it might only make sense given an hour long lecture and perhaps a Powerpoint.

“I’m Kesi,” the demon says, putting a hand on his chest and bowing to Austin. “Pleased to meet you.”

Austin rests a hand on his cheek, considering Kesi. “Are you one of Naberius’s friends?”

According to Morse, not many people here are actually friends with Naberius. Austin knows their type - social vultures, looking to use the party to further their own agendas, or maybe just to keep track of other people's’ faux pas. Unfortunately, Morse is gone, and Austin isn’t intimately acquainted enough with Naberius to know his particular taste in friends.

Kesi laughs. “That’s a difficult question.”

“So, not his friend, then,” Austin says.

“You got me!” Kesi holds his hands up, palms out, in surrender. “Though it’s really not saying much, you know. Most people here aren’t his friends.”

“I didn’t ask,” Austin says flatly, dropping any pretense of politeness, since apparently Kesi has as well. “Did you want something from me, or did you just come over hoping I’d do something to embarrass myself?”

Kesi opens his mouth to answer, but swiftly closes it again and looks off to Austin’s side, a smug smile curling over his face. Austin can’t stop himself from looking as well, concerned that something even worse is coming his way. When he sees who’s actually coming, he feels an acute sense of relief wash over him. Naberius is storming towards the alcove, Morse in tow, heels clicking sharply against the marble ballroom floor.

“Kesi,” Naberius growls, his voice soft and dangerous. “I certainly hope you’re not trying to sabotage our duel before it even begins.”

“I’m offended that you would jump to conclusions so quickly, Naberius,” Kesi says. Nothing about his voice sounds particularly offended.

“I’d call it less ‘jumping to conclusions’ and more ‘making an educated guess’,” Morse pipes up. Kesi gives him an absolutely withering look before smiling at Naberius again, clasping his hands behind his back.

“You really must discipline your servants better. This one doesn’t seem to know his place.”

“The way that those who work in my home act is none of your business,” Naberius says icily, shifting forwards, making his body into a barrier between Kesi and Morse.

Austin’s eyes flick back and forth between the two demons, watching their verbal sparring match closely as he thinks. A duel…Kesi must be Naberius’s opponent, then. The one whose human I’m supposed to fight to the death. I don’t really blame Naberius for wanting to fight him - he seems like a prick. Though Abyss said that Naberius was the one who was challenged, not the other way around.

“You never answered my question,” Austin says out loud, stopping both demons mid-argument. Kesi looks at him in surprise.

“Pardon?”

“You never answered my question,” Austin repeats. “Why’d you come over here to talk to me in the first place?”

“Oh!” Kesi says, his face lighting up in glee, and Austin instantaneously regrets asking. “To introduce you to your opponent. It’s only fair, I think.”

“You found a human?” Naberius asks incredulously.

“Of course I found a human. Not everyone takes ages to pick one out.” Kesi snaps his fingers at a young woman who Austin notices has been standing nearby this entire time, sipping a glass of wine. “Come over and introduce yourself.”

Austin gives the woman a once-over as she approaches the group. At first glance, it’s hard to see why Kesi picked her as a champion. She looks normal, short and chubby in a dark dress printed with sunflowers. She holds the hem of it in one hand, curtsying to Naberius and Morse in a practiced gesture. When she straightens up, her smiling, freckled face looks almost familiar - Austin has a flash of memory of the same woman, curly red hair pinned up behind her head, wearing the same dark uniform he sees Landis leave the house in almost every day.

“I know you,” he says dazedly.

“Oh, that’s right! You’re one of Landis’s friends, aren’t you?” The woman laughs sweetly, her eyes bright behind her cat’s-eye glasses. “I’m Genevieve - but call me Gen. It’s so nice to finally meet you, Austin.”