The Hunter

Contracts

Finn took a steadying breath in front of the angel-bound door. The etchings in the wood had begun to fade as she'd known they would eventually. Behind her Gloria stood twisting a rag in her hands, nearly in a panic and Finn hadn't even touched the door yet. Finn frowned a moment, considering the difference that growing up fully entrenched in this world could make.

"You don't need to come in, or even watch if you don't want to. I promise you he can't hurt you, although he will try before he figures it out." Finn spoke over her shoulder, her eyes tracing the pattern on the door again.

"I don't know." Gloria's voice quavered.

"I know, I'm not asking you to make any sort of choice right now. I'm letting you know that if you change your mind without warning-" Finn managed to not say 'panic', although it was close. "That running from him won't change anything. Hiding from him, even attacking him." Finn stopped and blinked, remembering the firestorms and that Gloria was still drawing the flames back into herself. "Actually don't attack him. If it comes to a choice between that and running, just run. Don't stop, I'll find you when I'm done."

"Only God has the power to destroy demons." Gloria spoke firmly, the belief she had been raised with permeating her words.

"Don't limit. Any of the gods 'can' destroy a demon, but more importantly for this demon: they can destroy themselves." Finn said and reached for the door. At her touch the etchings flared with a white fire and then faded as though they had never been there. The door slowly swung open on silent hinges to reveal a room where light could not enter.

"Drop the theatrics." Finn commanded as she stepped into the room. As soon as the order left her lips the appearance of the room changed. The book rested askew on floorboards that had been tipped up with age and lack of attention. The demon, in a smaller form, sat with bloody hands in the corner. Blood on many of the boards matched what dripped from his hands.

"What have you done bitch?" He hissed at Finn.

Finn lifted the book up, a grimace of distaste on her face, and tapped the floor with her toe. The floor flattened and the demon yelped as his toes were caught in the wood as it slatted itself back togehter.

"Cement. A lectern in the middle. Ambient lighting." As she spoke the room accomodated Finns' orders, altering the wood floor and damaged walls to cement, a lectern appeared to grow out of the air in front of her and she set the book on top of it, and although there was no source of light in the room it became well lit. Finn tapped the book and glared at the demon.

"I would far return you to hell, but then you'd just find a way back." The demon growled at her and stood. "This way, when you go back there, you'll be eaten alive by the dukes and I'll know you won't ever be able to come back."

Finn opened the book and began reading the contract out loud. From the hallway Gloria watched and listened, her terror growing and changing from fear of the very real and obvious demon, to a deep seated fear of the woman who was accepting a contract from it. She knew she was missing the details, but a contract with a demon was still a contract with a demon. As Finn finished reading the contract out loud the demon started laughing.

"I accept!" He crowed triumphantly, and turned the book to the last page with writing on it, producing a pen for Finn to sign with. Gloria ran to stop the other woman from signing, flinging her hands up and knocking the pen to skitter across the floor.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked.

"You can't do this." Gloria shrieked.

"I already have." Finn said, and flipped backwards through the signatures of all those souls the demon had acquired through his contract. At the first page of signature Finn tapped the third name on the list. "But he didn't accept it until now, so I've had time to make sure I know my limits."

The demon screamed an enraged denial, even as he turned the book to himself, and Finn silenced him with a gesture.

"Basically, he will do my bidding in exchange for my soul. The catch that he uses to get people to sign is that if you could do it yourself it costs you nothing." Finn shrugged. "My bidding is for him to stay in this room - silent - until I specifically say otherwise."

Gloria blinked at the woman. "But, he will get your soul."

"Actually he's fucked himself royally by not noticing that I signed when I did. One of the clauses of soul acquisition in hell means that if he doesn't get my soul he loses every soul he's collected since I initially signed his fucking contract. In short, he gets these two." Finn ran her fingers over the first two names in the book, a pained look crossing her features. "Further to that since one of the dukes owes me a favour when he loses all the other souls he's going to get eaten and these two will be freed. Sort of."

"So, how sort of? No, wait." Gloria blinked. "I'm very confused."

"Yeah, the demonic legal system has that effect on people." Finn closed the book and exited the room, Gloria on her heels. "Ask the questions as you can form them in your mind. Don't poke and prod the concepts too much or they won't take shape for you." Finn stopped outside the door to the library and turned to face Gloria. "Go read the books, they'll thank you for it." She gently turned Gloria towards the library and left the girl to decompress. 

Finn moved to the kitchen and put on the kettle. Gloria liked tea when she read the books, and Finn needed a moment alone. Her silent tears fell to the countertop and when the kettle shrieked the boil she wished she could too.