Terrible Friend

Chapter 25

Albert stormed into the gallery. He had some time to kill and calm down. He couldn't be too angry. Jax, if he understood things correctly, was a demon and had demon needs. One of which, he assumed, was a sexual one. Albert imagined that if he had been forced to go as long as Jax had without it, he would probably take advantage of the situation too. He just hoped that he hadn't done it the way he talked about it. From the looks of things, there was a bit of a heated discussion about it before hand, but the final act was consensual based on Beverly's moans. He would just have to look the other way.

He killed time walking around the gallery. He found he now had a whole new appreciation for the artwork it contained. If what he had been told was correct, this was a prison. A fancy and contemporary decorated one, but still a prison. He looked deeply into the paintings. Nothing seemed extraordinary or particularly beautiful, but they peaked his imagination. He stood staring at one particular painting, scratching his chin. He imagined what it was like, being trapped inside this painting. Jax came out of the storage room. Dressed and reeking of sweat and shame. He nodded at Albert.

Beverly came out of the room behind him, hopping on one foot as she tried to make egress and put on a heel at the same time. Albert laughed out loud. He usually had a good deal of couth about this kind of thing, but seeing her hop on one foot, hair all disheveled, clothes out of place, and her face a shade of crimson he had never seen on a human before, he just couldn't help it. Laughter bounced off the white plaster walls of the gallery.

Beverly flipped him the bird, slammed her lifted foot to the floor and took two steps to keep herself from falling over. "There was a reason he was imprisoned."

Jax turned and looked at Albert, then at Beverly, then back to Albert again. "No shame in it. I have needs and I know how to meet them."

"Did you at least remember to put the fires out? You weren't in there long."

"Shit!" Beverly turned and stormed back into the room.

Jax and Albert bellowed with laughter together. They followed her into the room and helped her douse the flames around the room. Albert tried to wrap his head around the scene. Knowing that Jax would catch on fire any time he tried to harm Beverly, and gauging by the placement of all the little fires around theroom, there was a chase for sure.

Beverly stood in the corner, just a foot away from the pile of black velvet she had been engulfed in a few moments before. She turned and looked around the room. She shook her head, in disgust, before straightening herself, raising her hands, and chanting.

The flames around the room dwindled and went out at the same time. Albert's jaw hit the floor. He rushed in to help her douse the flames and had grabbed the first piece of fabric he could find and was running for the first fire to his left. He had a beautifully intricate tapestry bunched up in a ball over his head, ready to toss and stomp on. When the fires were all out, Beverly rushed over to him. She yanked the tapestry away from him. "Don't ever try to use anything in here to put out a fire. You have no idea what you could have done." She scolded him.

"I'm sorry. Stuff was on fire. What was I supposed to do?"

"Work some magic, call the fire department, but never use an item from here to put out a fire."

"Why, what's the worst that would have happened?" Albert wasn't trying to be a dick, he really didn't understand why she was upset at him for trying to help.

"With that tapestry, we would have double the trouble on our hands. The demon Aziriel is trapped in that one."

Jax let out a long slow whistle. "That would have been bad. Dongorul is going to be hard enough to defeat if he gets out. Aziriel too? No way in hell we are getting out of that alive."

Beverly nodded. "Fire is the only thing that can break my spells, because they are created with fire."

"The whole room was on fire!" Albert yelled. Confused and frustrated by the new knowledge. "Why is it that by trying to save the room, I'm wrong, but you two set it on fire and it's ok? This is bullshit!" Albert stormed out of the room.

"He's got a lot to learn. You are horrible for shielding him from all of this. He should have learned the rules a long time ago."

"How was I supposed to know that he would need to know this stuff one day?"Jax asked and shrugged.

Beverly punched him in the arm as she blazed past him after Albert. "You are a demon, you know. You know it always comes to needing to know."

Jax hung his head. "I know. I just hoped it never would."

"Well now look what you have done!"

Jax accepted the scolding. He did know, and he did hope that he would never have to deal with this kind of thing. He really should have thought better and told Albert, at least a little. Now, it's just a shock to him and he is fighting against it. That had the potential to get them all killed now. Albert needed to know. He turned and walked out of the room.

"We really need to go." Beverly said as she approached the glass desk and picked up her keys and purse. She didn't want to dwell on what was past. They were running out of time and they needed to get Jax to the compound. They needed his intelligence. She laughed at the thought and sighed.