The Stronghold 2: Immortals

Mrs Devil

Brian and I spoke through the night and into the next day about all sorts of random nonsense. I showed him how my powers worked and he told me stuff like how to pick a lock, how to hack into computers and how to throw your phone down the stairs without breaking it. Soon eight o'clock was drawing near and we realised that we had both got no sleep and had a full day of work ahead of us. In a mild panic I used magic to change my outfit's design and colour while Brian vanished into his bedroom. I decided to time him and was impressed to see that he could have a complete outfit change, find his glasses and have a shower - not in that order - in ten minutes flat. 

"Velena is getting back today," Brian said, snatching up a coffee off the side from his coffee machine. "She's always punctual. We need to go."

I nodded and shadow-ed (I need a name for that) back up to Division X's offices. The shadows had stopped swirling and we just had time to look like we'd been there for ages when Caspar sprinted through the door.

"Velena," he wheezed, pointing wildly behind him. "And... oh hell... her sister..."

Brian went pale and I looked from one man to the other in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Velena's sister is horrible," Brian said quietly. "Like the living definition of Satan."

"She hates me," Caspar whimpered, dropping down into a chair and burying his face in his tucked-up knees. "She says I don't do anything."

"And she treats me like I'm a machine," Brian said bitterly. "Orders me around like I don't have feelings, expecting me to have the answer to everything."

"Velena's afraid of her," Caspar said from behind his legs. "And Velena isn't afraid of anything."

"Why? Is she Voldemort or something?" I asked.

"No, she's called Trinda," Brian said. "And she's Mrs Devil."

As he spoke the doors flew open and Caspar fell off his chair in fright. A woman with fluffy brown hair that was about my height but looked a lot cooler walked into the room, staring pointedly at the floor. I saw a gold necklace with the letter 'V' on it hanging around her neck and wondered what all the fuss was about. I couldn't see anybody else with her, so it couldn't be that bad, surely?

"Move outta my way!" a high pitched voice screamed. Velena darted to the side to allow a tiny woman with a mass of frizzy hair march into the room. She had a clipboard under her arm and a pen in her suit pocket. Her shoes were flat and sensible and her face held a look of determination and anger that said 'don't question me'. But me, being me, did.

"Who are you?" I queried, rising off the desk I was sat on to tower over the little woman.

"My name is Trinda," she barked up at me. "Who and what are you and why are you here?"

"Shaade Jaetun," I said, holding out my hand at the normal height (on purpose) then putting it back when I 'realised' she couldn't reach. She really was small. "Shadow demon, god of light and king of the rainbows. I'm the newest member of Division X."

"I want to talk to Blade," Trinda shouted, pushing past me with surprising strength to march over to Blade's empty office.

"There might be a problem with that, ma'am," Brian said softly, blocking her way.

"Oh really? How come?" 

"Blade is dead, ma'am," Brian said calmly.

"So who's in charge of this stupid unit?" Trinda screeched. "Not him!" She pointed a gnarled finger at Caspar who slid under his desk and out of sight. 

"Velena is now, ma'am, as she was second in command," Brian explained. "But I'd advise you not to go into the office. I haven't quite managed to get the blood off the walls."