Chapter 9

Butler at Sea

Leviathan is the Demon Prince of Wrath, Deep Dwellers, and Violent Waters. His moods are mercurial and ever shifting. He has never set foot on the dry lands of Earth.

Jonathan the Courageous

The boat shifted slightly as we shoved off. Timber and board creaked delightfully as the waters of the channel caressed the hull. I smiled and sighed. Boats are wonderful things. Five hundred years of living, and a strong ship and sea breeze still made me grin like a fool. But, I was a simple man back then. With simple goals and simple pleasures. That was when loyalty and honor were the words I lived by. When chivalry made up the bones of me.

Now I am a servant and a liar ... and I am good at both ... exceptionally good.

I glanced at Daniel Fleeting as he moved his bag into the back of the room and nearly rolled my eyes.

He thought himself clever; he thought himself righteous.

He thought he could fool me.

What does a misguided pawn of the Light know about lying? Did he think the scrap of Darkness in him made a difference?

He did save you and Maria from the Afflicted woman, came the unbidden thought from the oldest part of me.

He did it because Maria and I are his meal ticket to the Master. He saved me so he could stick that holy sword in Lord Devnikolus. Little does he know that I'm bringing him to his own demise. Master will be pleased to have this pest squashed.

A good deed is a good deed. Whether it be done by a righteous man or a wicked man. Your own words, Sir Jonathan.

I've been Jonard the Butler longer than I was Sir Jonathan. Jonard the Butler would have no qualms about pushing this Judicar into the sea ... despite whatever aid he might have rendered. Despite whatever noble words I've said long in the past.

It was Jonathan Peter's son that said those words. Is this how father taught you?

Father never taught me of demons ... I chuckled darkly at that, and both Maria and Daniel looked at me.

I shrugged and smiled again, pulling the scars on my face tight.

"I'm simply happy to be moving," I said to both of them. "I'm sick of horses and I'm sick of forests. In truth ... I'm also wholly sick of France."

Daniel raised a bemused eyebrow, and Maria gave a laugh like silver bells.

Ah, Maria, I thought sadly as I looked at her bright face and golden hair. I hope you find nothing but happiness with the Master ... I hope you keep changing him. That melancholy thought made the nub where my finger had been ache. I really hope Master can do something about that. Eternity with a missing finger will be annoying.

Maria sat on the bunk. Daniel leaned against a wooden beam. They both looked ready to spend a long bout of time in the cabin.

I didn't relish the idea of spending time in close quarters. Daniel's Judicar sword spewed the most disgusting smelling magic. Besides, I wanted to go spar with the crew. On a short journey like this, that was how the sailors would pass the time.

I decided to wait until after supper.

The four hours until dinner in the mess hall were excruciating.

Maria fell asleep and snored prettily on the top bunk. To be young again, I thought wistfully.

Daniel simply sat down, still leaning against his wooden beam. He kept his sword across his lap and stared at it with a mesmerized look ... as if it were a roaring fire.

I had nothing to do. So I did nothing.

And doing nothing for a man of my age was an excuse for remembering.

Half a Millennium Ago

Tones of deep violet and splashes of hesitant pink were all that colored the sky.

From a canvas bag I was pouring a rough circle of what looked like dark sand on the ground. The sand was made up of cold iron, new salt, and old bone.

Once the circle was complete, I moved over to a small rock. My armor clinked with each step. I had propped an open book upon the stone. Its pages were made of old papyrus and bound in old black leather.

I had found the book in an old burned-out convent in the Highlands in a lonely and forgotten vale. All the other books had been nothing but charred pages and ash. This book was untouched.

When I had picked it up, it had been cold. I discovered that even if I set it out in a day's worth of sun ... it would always be cold to the touch.

The book held many secrets ... all of them dark.

One page told me how to mix a draught that would turn a man's heart black. Another told me how to put a sickness on a person with nothing but their hair and a few words. There was even a recipe for marrow soup.

There were some pages that told of things too wicked for repeating.

Many times, I found myself about to throw the book into a well, or into the sea. But each time, I stopped, curious to read just a little more.

Then, one page offered me immortality.

I thought of all the good an immortal knight could do. My arm would never grow weak. My shield would never falter. I could be an eternal good, forever riding the hills of England, rooting out the sorts of evil the black book spoke of.

All I had to do was summon a demon ... a very specific kind of demon. The black book said that only ten demons had the strength to grant immortality. The page read:

I didn't know which to pick. I didn't recognize any of the names except the last two. I knew Beelzebub and I knew of the Devil.

I resolved not to choose those them.

In the end, I closed my eyes and touched the book with a blind finger. When I looked, I saw my finger had landed on Devnikolus, who was also called the Destroyer.

I winced. I wondered then if I should break my word with myself and choose the one the booked named the Slothful.

But I had never broken my word before. Not even to myself.

Devnikolus it was then.

After I had poured my circle, the book said there was only one more thing to do ... and that was to say the words.

These strange words made up the only phrase in the book that I couldn't read. I couldn't even remember them unless I was looking right at them.

So, in the dying light, I sounded the words out as I read them from the page.

With each syllable, it felt as if the Earth itself shuddered and grew colder. It was as if each word I uttered gave permission for winter to creep closer ... even though it was still a full moon away.

The circle began to glow with a fierce, unnatural red light. Shadows that moved and slithered like liquid snakes emerged from the darkness of the night and gathered inside the bright red shimmering of the circle.

Whispers that sounded like the cold voices of the dead emanated from those shadows. I would have turned to run ... but icy, primitive fear kept me rooted to the spot.

The darkness swirling inside the circle took on a human shape.

But that wasn't quite right. They took on the shape of a man made out of shadow flames. Two red eyes opened on the shadow-flame creature ... red eyes that burned with such an intense malevolence my knees began to wobble.

The shadow-flame man stared at me. It had no mouth, yet still it spoke.

"This circle cannot hold me, human," the creature said in a voice that sounded like crackling flames and breaking stone.

"I am Prince Devnikolus, and I cannot be bound."

The book had said this. It had also said I needed to state my intent quickly.

I cleared my throat, yet even my deepest voice sounded like a child's in the demon's presence.

"I am the knight known as Jonathan the Courageous," I said slowly, trying to enunciate each word. "I have summoned you this night with purpose ... I wish to duel for immortality."

The demon called Devnikolus was silent for a beat. The creature cocked its head to the side. I could tell that the entity within my circle was considering me.

I had a sinking feeling it was the same consideration a bored farm cat gave a mouse.

"Jonathan the Courageous, indeed, it would seem," the demon said in its terrible voice.

To my horror, the shadow-flame man took a step ... then two ... and then stepped completely out of the red glowing circle.

But ... it was strange. As soon as one shadow-flame foot left the circle, it became a regular human foot ... then as the rest followed ... the shadowy substance immediately also transformed into pale human skin.

The red circle vanished now that it was unoccupied. In front of me stood a beautiful dark-haired youth.

In his hand was an elegant black sword, and on his face was a perfect smile.

"Well?" he said in a soothing baritone. "Shall we begin?"

Present Day

The ship's bell roused me from my memories. I blinked twice and realized that my eyes had been closed. Dreams and memories had apparently melded together as I lay on my bunk.

I heard Maria yawn and stretch on the top bunk. Daniel blinked several times, and then shook his head. With what seemed like great effort, he pulled his eyes from his sword and looked about the cabin.

"That was the bell for supper," I said as I stood.

The rocking motion of the wooden cabin felt odd to me. It felt odd that I wasn't standing in the center of that clearing. It felt odd that I smelled the brine of sea air, rather than the earthy scent of late autumn.

"We best go collect what rations they've set aside for their paying guests," I said, gesturing to Maria to hop down from the bed.

The Aethling girl edged her way to the side of the bunk and slipped off. She seemed to float down. I had noticed that Maria had been showing more and more signs that revealed her true nature. Her powers were continuing to grow.

The mess hall smelled like smoke and bread and sweat.

The sailors filled the place with a noise that was almost too big for the small space. The ship had just been restocked, and the journey scheduled was short. As such, all the men had wine or something stronger in their cups. I kept a hand on Maria's shoulder.

In truth, I shouldn't have brought her into the mess hall. A normal lady would never leave her rooms on a normal voyage, save perhaps to visit the deck or the Captain's cabin.

Knowing Maria, she probably wouldn't have stayed anyway.

First Mate Enzo was waiting for us next to the kitchen. He smiled when he saw us, pausing for only a brief moment to ogle Maria. There was no harm in it. I had met a dozen men like Enzo. He loved his women, but he loved an untroubled conscience more.

"Hello, First Mate," I said cheerfully. "We heard the supper bell and could barely contain ourselves. You said something would be set aside?" I asked leadingly.

"Yes," Enzo said quickly. He reached behind the counter and pulled out a sack of foodstuffs. Then he pulled out three full skins of water. "Please, take this and retire to your rooms. The lads are rowdy tonight. Having a lady on board has made half the men talk of bad luck. The other half talk about 'good luck, ' if you take my meaning."

His warning was too late.

"Ha ho! Look here, boys!" came the loud voice of a man just behind us. "The girly has decided she couldn't resist our charms for a moment longer!"

The speaker was a giant of a man with frizzy red hair and more freckles than could be counted. He was built like a tree trunk. Long, but stout.

"Yeah," said one of the smaller men behind him. "Look at those tits! You'd never go hungry with a cow like that!"