Getting released from the cage was always bittersweet. Jack was grateful to be free and to be able to enjoy the fresh air of Earth again, but it also meant soul hunting. All he had to do was remind himself of the humans in torment outside of Amenadiel’s castle and he was able to get the energy to go.

Stepping out of the lodging quarters and into the main area of the house, he and everyone else around him was startled by the sudden booming of music and voices. A guard near Jack muttered, “Oh, shit, here we go,” before attempting to herd servants out of the way of the intruders.

The giant seal of Prince Seere on the floor that marked the entrance portal to the house of Andromalius was now completely occupied by a gang of massive serpents. All were at least ten feet tall as they stood upright like vipers, and each had the head of a beautiful woman, all of different shapes and hair colors and styles. But the loud voices that came from their mouths were distinctly male, deep and gruff. They were surrounded by musical instruments, floating within the group as they blasted music in sync with each other. There were mostly guitars, electric ones despite there being no electricity to power them, distorted riffs along with a few atmospheric keyboards and various percussion instruments like snares and cymbals and the speedy pounding of a bass drum. There were thirteen serpents in all, twelve dukes led by the biggest serpent of all: the wandering Prince Buriel.

The giant snake was as wide as two demon servants, and everyone had to crane their neck upwards to see the head of a young blonde woman as it belted out words in a male singing voice.

“I am king, it is true. Follow me or I’ll slay you.”

The voice was impressively melodic, and Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise that the most vile demon in existence could have a pleasant voice. Then the words repeated, only this time in a deep growl that was barely understandable. Jack’s curiosity dissipated as soon as Buriel slithered off the seal and toward the dining area, his twelve dukes following him. He approached a terrified demon servant, and growled in synch to the heavy music, “Sequor! Exsequor!”

The servant’s back arched, his neck flung backwards, his limbs frozen, his face exuding agony. Buriel swung his massive tail forward, the tip of it morphing into the head of a sharp axe, and swiped it through the servant’s midsection. With a scream the servant collapsed, both halves of him spilling blood. Instead of bleeding to death, he simply lay in two pieces, screaming.

The serpent continued on to another group of demons attempting to cower away as Buriel began his singing again, the same melodic lines as before. He motioned for one of his dukes to slither forward, and that serpent’s tail became a mace, and as Buriel growled “Meum cole!” the duke swung the mace, smashing the head of a servant to an unrecognizable pulp.

All the dukes cheered at these attacks, and Amenadiel’s guards did nothing to stop them. They had failed to get the servants to shelter, so instead they began pushing them toward Buriel to protect themselves like shields. The serpents made their way closer to where Jack stood, giving him a view of another duke setting a servant on fire. When Buriel came to the group that surrounded Jack, everyone screamed and tried to push each other into the violent demon’s path. With a quick motion Buriel commanded the two lead dukes forward, growled “Meum adore!” and everyone watched as one tail became a massive sword, the other duke’s tail joining it with flames, and with a flash from Buriel’s tail, the flaming weapon impaled the servant next to Jack. The servant screamed before exploding into fiery flesh.

The musical gang made their way around the rest of Andromalius’s house, taking out victims as they went. Jack stared at the pile of smoldering flesh and blood that had once been a fellow servant. His heart pounded at the realization that it had almost been him.

Buriel eventually led his dukes back to the seal, and after one last melodic “I am king!” he bid the onlookers farewell and vanished.

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Jack watched as guards came with a shovel and a wagon in which they scooped up the pile on the floor and carted it toward the seal. He leaned against the wall and sighed. It didn’t matter that the servant would return later completely back to normal after a visit to President Osé in the north, the demon with the ability to change the shape of anyone. It did not lessen the terror and agony experienced.

The sight had taken away Jack’s appetite, but he knew he would regret not eating. After quickly doing so, he went to the seal and traveled to Gasyaxe’s realm to meet with Miles.

His partner was pacing near the portal, but stopped and rushed to him upon his appearance. “I heard about Buriel making a visit to your house and worried he might have gotten you. You’re okay?”

“Yeah. The guy right next to me though, flaming goo.”

“Damn. I swear he gets more savage every time.”

“Yeah, and now he’s going into specific houses.”

“Apparently yours wasn’t the only one he stopped by. He sure does love tormenting you ‘nice guys’ in the west.” Miles chuckled.

Jack scowled. “You think it’s totally okay for him to just go around slaughtering everyone for fun?”

“It’s not like they die. Osé puts them back together. But I admit I was worried about you. Almost like I care or something.”

They went to the desk to receive their pendants and Jack was handed a velvet bag. Once through the portal they had their Earth clothes on, then stepped on the seal and said in unison while holding their pendants, “Abiego.”

The vacuum pull lifted them to a dim alley between weathered brick buildings in the center of Milwaukee. Jack put on the hat and gloves that were in his pocket and shivered. As they exited the alley and began their walk, Miles said, “So, I got analyzed last night, thanks to you.”

“Me too.”

“Val was pretty pissed about that whole jewelry store thing. But he didn’t punish me because it was your fault.”

Jack snorted.

“Let me guess, Andy loved it.”

“For fuck’s sake, stop calling him that.” Jack sighed, afraid to tell Miles about his rewards. “Yeah, he thought it was good.”

“You got a pillow again?”

Jack nodded, his eyes on the ground.

Miles stopped and turned Jack to face him. “What’s with you today? Did something else happen?”

“Never mind.”

“Tell me.”

“No.” Jack tried to walk away but Miles pulled him back.

“Tell me or I’ll make someone kill someone.”

Knowing there was a good chance Miles was not bluffing, Jack said, “Fine. He gave me food too.”

Miles raised his eyebrows. “What was it?”

“A strawberry.”

Licking his lips, Miles continued to stare. “You got a fucking strawberry? Are you serious?”

Jack saw the jealousy raging in his partner. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you because you’d be upset.”

He looked into the eyes of his long-term colleague. A friend even, though friendship was forbidden. Most demons cared for no one but themselves, but Jack clung to this one, and for some reason, the feeling had always seemed mutual, at least somewhat. Though he had never attempted to read the souls of other demons, Jack sometimes tried with Miles, and tried it again now that his friend was hurting. No aura, nothing surrounding him. But there was a spark in his eyes, a bit of a combination of electricity and the whiteish-blue magic that came from his hand. It was so faint that Jack always figured it was his imagination, or wishful thinking because he wanted someone to connect to without killing them. This time it seemed much more real.

“It’s not fair,” Jack continued, trying to hold onto the light. “You deserve it as much as me. I couldn’t do this work without you, and even though you don’t like it sometimes, you still do what I ask. I know me saying this doesn’t mean as much as a strawberry, but your help—the way you help me—means a lot to me and you have my appreciation.” Jack expected Miles to scoff or roll his eyes, but he didn’t, so he went on. “This is part of our eternal torment, you know. Jealousy, being treated like shit, getting led along by treats like a pathetic animal. I was pathetic when he gave me that food. He looked at me like he had so much control over me. He doesn’t do it to be nice. It gives him power. I’m as much of a slave as anyone else. It’s just that sometimes I guess it tastes a little better or my head doesn’t hurt as much for twelve hours in a cage. Most people would rub that in your face, but I don’t. I’m sorry.”

It was the longest Jack had been able to hold whatever tiny connection he could make with Miles, and it made him certain it was real. Miles finally broke it by looking away, but moments later looked back again. “Sometimes I wonder what you possibly did to get sent to Hell in the first place. You’re too…good.”

Jack tried to hide a smile. “Supposedly that’s why I’m a Soul Reacher. But yeah, I ask myself that every day.”

Miles nodded down the street and began walking. “Let’s see if you can get another strawberry today.”