I didn’t answer him. I flew over to him, grabbed him by the leg and lifted him into the air.
“Despot?” I called to the demon.
“What the hell, Alex?!” Infect shouted, twitching like a worm on a hook. “Let me go! What are you doing?”
Realizing what I intended, Quetzal shouted:
“Leave it, Scyth! Let the kid go! He’s with us! He only just survived!”
“Sure, just one sec… Despot!”
“More food, ally?” the demon growled, separating from the shadows.
“You tell me! Who is he to me?”
“Stop messing around, Scyth!” shouted templar Alison, Bomber’s girlfriend. “It’s Malik, he’s one of us! Don’t hold a grudge. Everyone else fought you from the start too, but still ended up your allies!”
“You don’t get it, Alex…” Infect muttered. At the sight of the demon, he lost the gift of speech for a moment, then continued: “Come on, buddy, Tissa and I will explain everything!”
“Shut up!” I snapped, turning to the others: “Let me deal with this myself!”
The demon chuckled, snorted, blasting us with a wave of heat. But he said nothing.
“Answer me, Despot!”
“This mortal does not himself know who he is,” the demon admitted reluctantly. “Not a friend, not an enemy, but… both. He both loves you and hates you. His soul is filled with black envy, but in his heart of hearts, I see regret for the way he has treated you. He betrayed you, ally, you know that for yourself! His conscience taunts him, but turn back the clock and he would do the same again.”
“You don’t know shit!” the bard burst out in answer.
“Maybe not,” the demon readily agreed. “But I see through you. Well, ally? Will you give him to me? This undying one is out of lives — I will absorb his soul.”
“There’s plenty of time to kill me later, Alex,” Infect said quietly. He didn’t beg or whine, just bit his lower lip. “Let me explain, then decide what to do…”
I looked down at him. “He’s yours, Despot,” I said, releasing my old friend’s ankle.
The bard fell silently into the demon’s open maw.
Chapter 27. “It was all for you, Alex…”
AS USUAL, Kerry met me at my capsule, struggling to hold back a smile. My assistant handed me a towel and turned away. She really was rooting for me, but I didn’t feel like opening up and sharing my joy with her anymore; I had my own team now, united by a shared purpose.
By the time Kerry and I set off for the hall of ceremonies, Marcus was standing in the corridor on the immersion level, waiting for me. He’d already had plenty to drink.
“I just want you to know,” he said. “I don’t hold grudges. Water under the bridge. Everything that happens in the Demonic Games stays here.”
He stretched out a hand, full of alcoholic good cheer, but I still hadn’t forgotten his bullying. There was no need to spit in my face. His hand hung in the air. Barely moving his tongue, he said angrily:
“Wow! What are you, butthurt? Come on, man, it’s just a game!”
“Just a game? So you won’t mind at all when I tear down your clan castle, right? Why would you? It’s just a game…” I shook my head. “No hard feelings, Mr. Jansson, but this isn’t just a game to me.”
“Damn, kid… I thought you were smarter than that.”
“I don’t look for enemies, Mr. Jansson. Don’t worry about your castle,” I said, walking away.
“Don’t think I’m scared, kid!” he shouted at my retreating back. “Don’t get so sharp you cut yourself! You think you can hurt me, punk?! Your days are numbered! We’ll see how you talk after you get eliminated!”
Another unpleasant meeting immediately followed that one. Malik and Melissa intercepted me by the elevators. Now there was a couple I absolutely did not want to see.
“Alex!” the girl said, walking up to me and grabbing me by the shoulders, shaking me. “You have to let us explain!”
“I have to?” I laughed mockingly and calmly continued: “You’re the ones who shouted to the whole world that you didn’t want anything to do with me. Remember what you called me, Melissa: a fame-blind piece of shit. Why the hell should I listen to you?”
Kerry pushed herself between me and the girl, turned to me:
“Should I call security?”
“Alex, I beg you!” Malik said.
“Really? I thought you were sick of my arrogance?”
“You have it all wrong!” he answered, nearly in tears.
“I think I got the message, old friend. You look out for yourself and watch your step. If I see you, I’ll break your guitar. And I will see you, no doubt about it.”
“Alex, come on..!”
I was sick of listening to his whining, especially now that he’d lost everything. That made him look pathetic.
I turned down Kerry’s offer to call security and silently walked into the elevator as soon as the doors opened, away from my former friends. I burned with the desire to speak to them, hear them out and hash it out, but couldn’t shake the fear that my emotions would get the better of me and make me punch Malik in the face. And then I’d be disqualified for sure, with good reason. Anyway, the couple had hardly chosen the best place to confess something. And what could they even have to tell me?
Already in the elevator, I turned around before the doors slid closed. Malik opened his mouth. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he said nothing. Melissa shouted with passion:
“It was all for you, Alex! For you…”
The doors closed, blocking out the sound. Sure, all for me, I thought, grinding my teeth. The Nether with them.
