Demonic Designs (To Absolve the Fallen) (18 page)

Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the people gawking at him.
 
“Look, I’m a demon.
 
You probably think that I’m some weird cult leader with a thing for mouthy teenagers.
 
And you’ll probably go right on thinking that.
 
Just remember, one day, when you’re watching my property because I pay you exorbitant amounts of money, if you see something that looks unholy, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you.
 
It needs to die.”

Higgins shook his head as if he was dazed.
 
“Whatever, man,” he replied.
 
“You pay us, and we’ll keep watching.”

“Of course you will,” Jeremiah agreed cheerfully as he started walking toward the house.
 
“That’s why you guys are so good at what you do.
 
And, Higgins...”
 
Jeremiah added as he turned around and tapped his temple.
 
“I don’t mind if you think I’m crazy or a liar, but thoughts of mutiny and heroism, no matter how fleeting, are dangerous.”

“My god,” Higgins gasped.

“I’m not,” Jeremiah responded, “but I may be the closest being you’ve ever seen.”

Higgins looked a little shaken.

“You are starting to comprehend.
 
This won’t be easy for any of you, but remember you are on the good side.
 
Keep doing what you do, and I have faith that everything will work out just fine.”
 
Looking satisfied, he continued walking toward the mansion.

Alex couldn’t believe his eyes.
 
The foyer was magnificent.
 
The floor was marble, and three massive, crystal chandeliers poured light into every corner.
 
There were twin staircases climbing opposing sides of the room to a balcony, maybe fifty feet above his head.

There were paintings all around the walls.
 
The context of some was easily decipherable; others were very abstract and impressionistic.
 
Any of them could have been pulled from someone’s nightmare.
 
Most illustrated scenes that Alex could only guess related to historical events; there was death in all of those.
 
Jeremiah’s walls looked like a war zone, and many of the portraits depicted exactly that.
 
In the middle, right in front of Alex, between the two staircases, was a portrait at least ten feet high, one of Jeremiah.
 
It seemed very old, and it didn’t surprise Alex to see Jeremiah covered in black chain armor, sitting in a throne, with a long sword propped against right knee, his hand resting on the pommel, and his left holding a golden ball with a cross attached (which Alex would later learn was named the globus cruciger).
 
Long, black hair threatened to hide his face, but it served to frame his gray eyes and wicked smirk.
 
To call the portrait eerie would have been an understatement.

Alex heard Jeremiah comment from behind him, “That was painted about eight hundred years ago,” he said.
 
“The treatment it has required over the years, even with it being encased in glass, could make a poor man rich.
 
It serves to remind me of where I’ve been.”

Matt chuckled and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder.
 
“If you get lost in this
castle
there are intercoms in almost every room.”

Elizabeth walked past them without saying a word.
 
She headed up the stairs.
 
Alex watched her as she walked.
 
She had a presence that enthralled and chilled him at the same time.
 
Matt followed behind her.

“Come,” Jeremiah commanded, pulling Alex out of his reverie, “I’ll show you to your room.”
 
As they walked into a hallway beneath Jeremiah’s portrait, the demon continued, “We’ll put you on the ground floor for right now.
 
That way it will be less confusing for you to find your way around initially.”

They probably passed twenty doors on either side of the hallway before stopping at one.
 
Jeremiah put his hand on a control pad by the door.
 
It scanned his hand, beeped twice and there was a click.
 
Jeremiah pushed it open, and Alex stood and stared at the biggest bedroom he had ever seen, the lights coming to life on their own.

“The lights have motion sensors,” Jeremiah explained.
 
“It’s nice to not have to stumble around in the middle of the night in a room like this looking for a switch.”
 
He pointed to the bed, “This room came with a king size feather mattress.
 
If you want to switch it out with something else just let someone in the help know.
 
I don’t know if you would prefer a smaller bed or if you’re allergic to feathers, but I find these most comfortable when I feel like lying down.”
 
He motioned over to one corner.
 
“You have a bar over there.
 
That door is the bathroom.
 
And you’ll need to talk to Elizabeth about the rules for using the computers.
 
There are usernames, passwords, and such that need to be discussed.”

Alex looked around in awe.
 
“Are their bedrooms as nice?”

Jeremiah considered the room.
 
“Better, I’d imagine.
 
Matt and Elizabeth have been here for four and three years, respectively.
 
They’ve had time to set everything up the way they want it.”
 
He walked across the room to a door on the other side.
 
“Most of the rooms in this building have more than one entrance.
 
This one was made for times when haste is important.
 
Most of the time, you’ll probably only use the other door.
 
In fact, this one only opens from the inside, and every time it does open, security monitors it and has to make a report.
 
In this case, it’s just easier to get where we’re going by taking shortcuts, and security can just make another report.”
 

Jeremiah opened the door and motioned for Alex to walk through.
 
“Right across the hall,” the demon continued, “is the conference hall.
 
Most of our household meetings take place there.
 
This house is free of any kind of spying devices that we haven’t put there ourselves, but I just feel safer in there.
 
We run scanning sweeps of it every day.”
 
They took a left and walked down the hallway.
 
“That’s the library ahead,” Jeremiah stated.
 
“It’s going to be where you will be spending most of your near future.
 
I’ve hired tutors for you, and I’ve even implemented a chemistry lab.
 
We need to get you caught up on your education, so you can go to a university this semester.”

“Why am I going to college?
 
I thought I needed to help you fight demons.”

“No,” Jeremiah corrected, suddenly looking very serious.
 
“I don’t want you to fight demons.
 
To do so would very likely result in your death.
 
Leave that to me and Matt.
 
We’re the most experienced.
 
Your job will be different.
 
For that you will need to go to college—more specifically a university.”

“But you still haven’t told me what I’ll be doing in school.”

Jeremiah shrugged.
 
“Whatever people do in school.
 
Read a book, get high, take tests, get oral sex from a busty blond, I don’t care.
 
I’ve never had a formal education, so I’ll leave your activities in the hands of someone with more experience.
 
Just try to win over some hearts and minds while you’re there.”

They rounded the corner, and Alex could smell something being cooked.
 
“What is that?”

Jeremiah sniffed the air.
 
“That would be boiled shrimp.
 
The kitchen is perpetually making and serving food.
 
People are on all different shifts around here, and someone is always eating.
 
I have a rotating kitchen staff to suit the needs of everyone here.”

“How many people live here?” Alex asked in wonderment.

“There are 418 people in about a five square mile compound.”

“What do they do?”

Jeremiah laughed.
 
“Anything I need them to do.”
 
He pointed across the hallway.
 
“That’s the dining hall.
 
Like I said, at any given time there are people in it.
 
You don’t have to eat there, of course.
 
You may eat in your room or anywhere else you want.
 
It makes no difference to me.”

“There you are,” a female voice sounded from down the hallway.
 
Jeremiah flinched.

Alex turned and saw a very self-assured, beautiful, black woman, who looked to be about forty, walking down the hall toward them.
 
She seemed to be on a mission.

“Is she a prophet, too?”

“No, she’s a bitch,” Jeremiah whispered.
 
“Marla.
 
I have battled countless demons and prophets, but she will prove to be my bane.”

“You just drive on in and not even tell me you’re here, huh?” she said as she got closer.
 
“You give me so much hell—pun intended--”

“How clever,” the demon interrupted.

“--for not being able to keep up with your sporadic, sometimes thoughtless, behavior,” she continued.
 
“Then, you don’t even tell me when you get here.”
 
Jeremiah made to interrupt her again, but she waved her hand dismissively.
 
“You know what?
 
I don’t want to hear it.
 
Oh, Alex,” she stated, as if only then realizing that he was there, “so good to have you.
 
Has he been treating you okay?”

Jeremiah was fuming.
 
“How dare you bark orders at me, cut me off, and then go on like I’m not even standing here.”

Marla, who was still smiling at Alex, rolled her eyes.
 
“Jeremiah, you need someone every now and then to tell you that you’re spewing shit.
 
And, as far as I can tell, that seems to be my job description.”

“You insolent--”

Marla once again cut him off.
 
“Sticks and stones, Jeremiah.
 
You can’t kill me because you need to be good.
 
You can’t fire me because no one knows how to coalesce your operations like I do.
 
What’s a demon to do?
 
Oh, I know!
 
He tells everyone on the front lawn that he
is
a demon.
 
That should work wonders.”

“I will do whatever I please on my property,” Jeremiah growled, “with my
property
.”

Marla smiled wryly at the comment, “We’re property, hmm?
 
You’re sounding more human with every passing day.”

***

When Patheus returned to his den, satisfied that his plans were well on the way to fruition, one of his guards was standing outside of his door looking fidgety.

“What?” Patheus snarled.

“Uh,” the guard stammered, “there’s a man waiting inside your office.
 
He said it was important.”

“And you just let him in, I suppose...”

The guard looked to the ground.
 
“There wasn’t much I could do.
 
He walked in, sat down, and told me that he didn’t want to be disturbed.”

Patheus gave the guard a withering and confused look.
 
“What?
 
He told you he didn’t want to be disturbed, so you let him waltz into my office?
 
Why, exactly, do you think I gave you that gun?”
 
He pointed to the sidearm on the man’s belt.
 
He stared at the man, waiting to see if he’d get a response to his rhetorical question.
 
Patheus pushed the guard to the side and grumbled, “Well, I guess I should go disturb him, then.”
 
He opened the door, walked in and closed the door behind him.