One of the servant damned found him. They promised to fetch Lily. Lawrence waited outside the rest of the night. In the morning, a caravan of wagons made its way up the slope. They chose a path Lawrence saw was easy. Once again, he cursed the imp, Guh-nat, for its obvious attempt at murder.
Big, bald demons crewed the wagons. Each of them carried a short, barbed whip. Each had an imprint of a tie down the front of their chests. One of them carried a clipboard and wore glasses.
“Crunch time,” Clipboard-demon shouted. “Get moving you brain-mules.”
All the demons on duty groaned. The damned pulling the wagons squawked protests. It made no difference. The demons whipped with renewed fervor. The first of the wagons made it up the slope. Lawrence waited for them to approach, but they went to a larger door. Lawrence walked around the wall to meet them. He stopped outside a gate.
“You there.” The clipboard-demon approached. “Who are you? What are you doing out here? Are you a sorcerer? Tell your masters the food train is here and to let us in.”
“Yes, I am a sorcerer,” Lawrence said. The wind snatched his words.
“Whunt?” the demon cupped an ear.
“YES. I AM A SORCERER. I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.”
“EXCELLENT. NOW TELL YOUR MASTERS WE ARE HERE.”
“HEY.” Lawrence turned to the barred gate. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “THE WAGON TRAIN IS HERE WITH THE FOOD.” He turned back to the clipboard demon and smiled.
The demon’s brow knitted together. He—the monster’s broad shoulders and narrow hips marked him as masculine—shook his head. He hammered on the bigger gate with his trashcan-sized fist. The impact of his strikes made the entire structure shake.
Slowly, the portcullis lifted. Lawrence followed the wagon train under the wall. He positioned himself at the front with the clipboard guy, because he seemed to be in charge. The wind stopped howling. The stone walls killed the noise, while spawnleather flaps kept the toxic gases out. The wagon train halted at the yard. In their path stood a two-headed eagle.
“Lawrence?” Uncle Winter said in confusion. “What are you doing here?”
“Lily locked me outside.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Well, if I had to guess. I’d say she was trying to get me killed.”
“And to survive you pledged your soul to the Bloody?”
“Um.”
“Do not lie. I see their badge on your chest.”
“Um, excuse me?” the drone waved.
“Put the food over there.” Winter pointed with a wing. The last feather on his wing stuck straight out, while the rest of his feathers curled like fingers. To Lawrence he added, “What did they promise you? A Captaincy?”
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“First Lily led me down there claiming they were bringing a shipment of food up.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“That’s what the captain said.”
“The food comes from the Gluttonous.”
“We said that.”
“Then why would Lily lie?”
“She’s trying to kill me.”
“She would never do such a thing. She is my [opener].”
“Well, she got me down there and told me to prove I was a faustian to the Blood Well—”
“She knows you cannot cast the three basics,” Winter said with a dismissive gesture. “Why would she do such a thing?”
“WOULD YOU STOP INTERUPTING ME AND LET SPEAK.” Lawrence couldn’t take it anymore. Winter blinked. Both his heads leaned away, shocked. The visiting demons and damned said nothing. Lawrence could feel their stares. They didn’t even try to hide it.
“Lily told me there was a problem with the shipment of food from the Bloody. She led me down there and tried to get me to represent the school. She—just like you, just like the Blood Well captain—thought I couldn’t cast it. She left after introducing me and the doors closed. The captain told me what was going to happen, and had me do the rituals.”
Winter opened his mouth to speak when Lawrence paused for air.
“This is—” Winter began.
Lawrence thrust his will at his uncle, as much as he could manage. Winter reacted as if slapped. His feathers poofed out, making him look twice his size. Anger smoldered in his eyes.
“I did all three. Then the captain explained there was no shipment, and he explained how Lily tried to have me killed. She’s jealous because I’m a half-demon of your blood. She thinks I’m here to take her place as your heir. She tried to eliminate me to protect her position.”
“How did you become a member of the Bloody?” Winter asked after a moment.
“The captain told me he was breaking the hospitality thing because he wanted to eat me. He said since I proved I was a faustian, I could join them or I could die.”
“So you chose to join.” Winter’s right head bobbed. His left head scowled at the other demons, who moved a little quicker. “I cannot punish you for doing what you must to survive. I am pleased you found a way—”
“I wasn’t finished,” Lawrence snapped. Winter blinked at him. His anger grew. Lawrence kept going. “After I agreed to join, I got the badge and they kicked me out. The captain told me to find my own way back; he wouldn’t show me. I was outside the fortress and I was lost. I bargained with an imp, and he tried to kill me by taking the most dangerous path up the mountain. I made it, but the gates were locked. I sat down outside and waited.”
“All night?”
“All night.”
“And you’re here now because the drones let you in.”
“Pretty much.”
“Is that everything?”
“Uh huh.”
Winter exhaled. He took a long moment before speaking. “You are excused from entry-level lessons. Master all the rituals you can in the library tower. You’ve missed breakfast. Get some sleep or go study. I care not. I will take care of Lily.”
“The captain also said I have obligations now. If the fortress comes under attack—”
“You must go and defend it. Yes, I know. I will ensure you get a key and a map. Or a compass.” He watched the wagons being unloaded.
Now the drama was over, the demons got back to work. Lawrence wavered. He was unsure if he should leave or maybe Uncle Winter wanted to say something. He endured all this trouble on his first day. Maybe Uncle Winter had more to say?
“It is good you survived.” Winter sounded like he forced the words out. “No apprentice should be so far in their training. Your mother has taught you well.”
“Thanks,” was what Lawrence wanted to say. But his mouth wouldn’t work. His mouth pressed into a thin, tight line. He blinked back tears. He cheated death five or six times and that was it? ‘I’m glad you survived?’
He walked away. He went back to the dormitories. He took Cosmic Creepers outside. The llama pooped.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Cosmic Creepers asked.
“Not really.” He took the llama back inside. He put the badge on his desk. An iron fist. “I’ve been at school for twenty-four hours and already I’m Contracted to a demonic company.”
Cosmic ate his fill from a bag of feed. He drained a bucket of water. Lawrence let him out one time. He looked at the hard bed. He sat on the floor. Cosmic Creepers came and sat next to him. Lawrence took off his glasses. He wrapped his arms around the llama. Cosmic Creepers hated but tolerated it. Lawrence put his face in the llama’s rough wool and wept.