A Different Kind of Despair by Nicole Martinsen Page A

too tragic to do anything but
listen.
    "Turning human doesn't negate the years a Doll
was alive. Diana aged to death in my arms."
    Formosa extended a hand, but curled her
fingers and retracted it a moment later.
    "I'm sorry for your loss, my son."
    "Thank you, Mother."
    "Now tell me how Koronos relates to all of
this exactly."
    Well, I thought. That was quick of
her.
    Marvin must've been used to her manner of
overturning the conversation like this. He extended his sliced palm
and squeezed additional droplets of blood out in front of
him.
    "Koronos, get out here!" he
demanded. The blood turned into smoke as soon as it hit the ground.
Koronos, in his human form, stepped into the light of the Morgue.
His limey gaze glowed even brighter here than it did in the
Grey.
    His sights lingered on me longer
than anyone else, winking slyly in my direction. I shuddered
violently.
    "First of all," Marvin started before the
demon even had a chance to speak. "You are never allowed to hurt
the people in this room -got it?"
    "Hurt?" the demon feigned innocence. "Perish
the thought! So tell me, how might I be of service,
Master?"
    "What is your relation to the Crone of
Astheneia?"
    His unnatural smile tore across his face. "I
see you're finally asking the right questions."
    "So answer them."
    Koronos ran a hand through his blonde hair,
smirking at the ceiling.
    "Hierarchies and castes exist in all mortal
circles -in one form or another. Hell isn't all that different in
this regard. The good Crone, as you call her, outranks
me."
    "Are you under her direct orders?"
    It looked like Marvin's question was a bit too
close to the target. The demon's mouth twitched down.
    "Yes."
    "For how long?"
    "Since Inval arrived in
Nethermountain."
    Marvin crossed his arms.
    "And what was your job?"
    A smile reluctantly returned to his lips. "I
am not at liberty to say."
    "To your Master ?"
    Formosa lifted a hand at her son. "Even devils
have rules surrounding the deals they make. Older contracts must be
honored first; doubly so if they're outranked by their own kind. Of
course, you can also make a devil yours through raw power, if you
have it at your disposal."
    Koronos' eyes lit up with a dangerous
light.
    "Lady Formosa, you know us awfully
well."
    Marvin's mother huffed. I marveled at her
ability to level with the forces of Hell without batting an
eyelash.
    "Despite her evil nature, the
Crone did make for stimulating conversation over the years. The hag
liked to gloat," she sniffed. Formosa took a bold set of steps
towards Koronos, her skirt sweeping the gray floor like a curtain
of midnight. "You knew about the coffin in the attic, so you
must've known its owner and its maker. My guess is the Crone grew
tired of waiting for Inval's life to expire. Demons can't directly
interfere with a mortal they have a deal with, so that's where you
came in. Diana was Inval's greatest weakness; you took care of that
loose end quite nicely, didn't you?"
    Koronos' usual condescending presence
disappeared for the briefest moment. He bowed low before the Shinya
Shaman.
    "My Lady ," he intoned. "I commend your
brilliance."
    "Save your flattery for someone who cares,"
she snapped. "I know I'm brilliant. I don't need you telling me
so."
    Marvin and I recoiled a bit at the blatant
confidence of this woman. This, I realized, was what made her so
intimidating. It wasn't her age or appearance, but the mere fact
that she was absolutely certain of who she was and where she stood
in the world. I was filled with envy and admiration all at
once.
    "Miraj." Formosa looked at me. "How long were
you and Diana fused?"
    I raked my brain. "Fifteen minutes? Twenty at
the most."
    "Excellent. Marvin, order Koronos to step into
the Grey."
    Marvin motioned to the demon. "You heard
her."
    Koronos stepped into the realm of in-betweens,
curious as to what Formosa was planning.
    The Shinya Shaman Mother snapped her fingers.
Koronos made a startled sound as clouded chains bound him to the
floor.
    "My kauna