“Isn’t it obvious?” you said and laid a hand on my shoulder.
Seneser only frowned and said, “How are you at slaying beasts, Henri?”
“Even beastborns feel pain,” was your clipped response.
I recalled Mater’s explanation of Priapus as the patron of the beastborns.
“Is this Ashur character a beastborn?” I asked.
Seneser nodded. “A beastborn with a blood craving, which was why he was chosen as Lena’s captor. He understands your thirst and the methods you must go about to quench it. And he’s been conditioned to repel your seductions.”
“Conditioned?” I asked.
“By the Imperium,” Seneser said ominously.
“How does he get blood?” I asked.
Another look was exchanged between you and Lucian.
“I didn’t see his den, but I’d imagine he keeps blood slaves,” Seneser said. “He certainly accepted my human offerings the last time I was there.”
“Was my father a blood slave?” I asked Seneser.
“I don’t know. Lena never mentioned him to me.”
“Why would Ashur let you leave with me?”
Seneser tilted his head thoughtfully. “That is a mystery to me, but perhaps he believes in the prophecy as well.”
I’d always thought Mater had fixated on the idea of Parousia as a way to combat the psychological torture of imprisonment and isolation. To know that others believed it as well made me a little more hopeful. I still had doubts about me being some kind of messiah figure, but if it gave me sway over our fellow demons, I’d use it to my advantage.
I scanned the rest of their list and noticed a ton of medical supplies.
“What’s all this for?” I read off a couple of the items.
“In addition to blood, Lena will likely need medical attention,” Seneser said.
“Are you a doctor?” I asked him.
“No, but I am,” Lucian said arrogantly.
“More like a mad scientist,” you grumbled.
Lucian shot you a scathing look. “Someone had to transmute our mother when her bloodborn body was stolen from her.”
I didn’t need to ask because you anticipated my next question.
“Yes, it was Azrael,” you said. “Under the directive of the Thrones.”
“We’re going to need cat food,” I said and added Spooky’s preferred brand to the list. I glanced between the three of you, but no one argued with me about it. Now that she’d been identified as a familiar, her rank seemed to have risen.
It was decided then that you and Lucian would go collect our supplies while I stayed behind to babysit Seneser. You weren’t happy with that arrangement, but we didn’t have time to debate it. Seneser’s spirit would only be bound for about three days, which meant we had, at most, 60 hours to make sure his pledge to locate our mother came true.
Before leaving, you gagged Seneser and told me you didn’t want me conversing with him. When I asked why, you said, “Demons are notorious manipulators, and I don’t want him influencing you in my absence.”
Your explanation was vague and unconvincing, like so many others. I recalled that moment in the red room of Ruby Slippers when you tortured Maxwell to make Seneser surface.
“How’s Maxwell’s… you know?”
