Trixie bit back a shriek as she turned to face the feminine figure. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but the lithe and curvy woman before her certainly wasn't it.
"Uh… hello," Trixie responded with an awkward wave. "You're the demon I take it?'
"Indeed," She said, whipping a thick lock of ebony curls over her shoulder, exposing stone-like skin and her blood red gaze. "You're are quite an interesting little creature, I must say."
"Interesting how?" Trixie questioned as the demon began circling her. She tried to remain still and calm. She didn't need Jemma to tell her that showing fear or weakness might just trigger some sort of predatory instinct. Everything about the demon from the way she moved to the gleam in her eye suggested she was a keen hunter.
"I see the adults dispose of the young bodies all the time, but this is the first that a young one seeks to dispose of an adult," She shrugged. "Besides, you and your friend are quite amusing."
"So you were listening," Trixie frowned.
"Don't you know Trixie? Demons are people too," She smiled wickedly. Trixie was alarmed at the desire welling within herself, and over another woman no less. As a tendency, other females annoyed Trixie. The only other who'd ever been able to invoke such lust in her before was Hilda, and she was pretty sure a lot of the incenses she burned had played a large part in that. She had to wonder if she was experiencing a natural attraction, or was it simply some strange allure that every demon possessed.
"What is it that you want?" Trixie questioned. "Jemma said you weren't serving your master willingly, but you do still have a master and I doubt they'd be happy I was here."
"He wouldn't be," the demon clicked her tongue. "But I don't really care about what he likes and dislikes. Were my life not bound to him by the contract he forced on me, I wouldn't mourn his loss in the slightest. Even then, to some degree I would gladly kill myself if I thought it would bring his end."
"You want me to kill him for you?" Trixie questioned, heart beating wildly. She had been forced to kill before, but only ever in self-defense and the resulting death had always been accidental. Killing someone intentionally without provocation wasn't something she had ever considered.
"If you do it right, you can claim my talisman and forge a new contract with me," The demon replied with a smile. "I'd say it benefits us both."
"How does it benefit you?" Trixie eyed her suspiciously, trying not to think about the fact that the demon before her—while obscured with odd shadows that clung to her body in strategic positions—was ultimately naked.
"While I'm not keen on having a master at all," The demon studied her nails as though bored by the question, "you are preferable to that child violating pervert. Demon or not, I am a mother."
"I don't believe you," Trixie frowned. Inside the room, she heard the sound of something being thrown around.
"Believe me or not, that's your choice," The demon shrugged. "One way or another, you're running out of time. You best make up your mind quickly my dear."
Trixie considered the demon for a moment. It was true, the longer she waited, the more likely she would be discovered. Much as she wished otherwise, Trixie didn't really have much of an option. The only guarantee for getting out of the mess alive was to successfully form a contract with the demon and kill her master. Besides, if Jemma was right about everything, Trixie could feasibly turn the demon into a great asset.
"Fine," Trixie sighed. "What do I have to do?"
"Remove the knife from the body," the demon instructed. Trixie winced at the idea. It was easy enough to pretend to forget who she and Jemma were carrying all wrapped and covered. To retrieve the knife she'd have to gaze into the lifeless face once more.
"I've got it," Jemma replied, before bringing the blade to Trixie who was hard pressed not to cry in relief. As soon as Trixie had the handle, Jemma backed away and positioned herself by the body again. She didn't say anything, but curiously, Trixie noticed that Jemma had removed all of the matron's blood from Trixie's hands and the knife as she handed it off.
"Good." The demon nodded. "Now, the next part is tricky. In order to effectively take the contract from my current master, you will need his blood and your blood on the ring simultaneously as you recite the oath that will seal our pact as he dies."
"What is the oath?" Trixie questioned.
"You will state 'I Trixie so-and-so' or whatever your full title may be, 'contract the demon'—name me whatever, but please have more class than to simply name me 'the demon'—'to my servitude under the conditions' and list whatever terms and instructions suit your fancy." She stretched. "Simple enough, no?"
"You'd like me to think that," Trixie eyed her dubiously.
"I knew I liked you," the demon smiled. "Now, I suggest you hurry up. He'll likely call for me any minute now, and I will be obligated to relay everything I observed in the hallway while I guarded the door."
"Thanks," Trixie sighed. Taking a few deep breaths, she thought through the best approach she could think of, then nodding to the demon, opened the door to the main office.
Inside, she was shocked to see the headmaster. She had never liked the man for a number of reasons, but it never occurred to her to add demonic rituals to the list of atrocities he committed. For a moment, he was so committed to tearing through the office, he didn't notice her entrance.
"Missing!" He exclaimed. "It's all missing! What did those idiot's do while I kept that damn jack rabbit distracted?!"
"What's missing?" Trixie questioned in the meekest and most timid voice she could manage. She kept herself crouched, mimicking the way she was forced to move when Saw had injured her. The position kept the knife in her hands effectively concealed while portraying her as scared and helpless.
"What?!" He whirled in alarm, but relaxed when he spotted her. Trixie tried not to let herself growl at the predatory smile that spread across his face. It was disgusting how off guard he was. "Oh, why, what are you doing here little girl?"
"I…I…" tapping into the trauma she'd experienced that night, she forced herself to cry, "I don't kn-know what t-t-to d-do… They… they k-kicked m-me out… I… I d-didn't know w-where else t-to come!"
"Now, now, no need to cry little girl," He purred. Trixie tried not to gag at the lust evident in his expression. How messed up was this guy? She'd heard stories, but she'd always made a point of avoiding the staff, so she had never experienced it firsthand. Besides, how old did the creep think she was? "Why don't you stay here with me? I can help you feel better."
"R-really?" She hiccupped. She cringed inwardly as he started petting her arm, guiding her deeper into the room.
"Most certainly," He breathed, hungrily eyeing her bare skin in a way that made her skin crawl. The one benefit of his distraction with her body, he failed to notice when she slipped the ring off his finger with her tail.
"How will you do that?" She asked.
"Oh, I know a thing or two," He chuckled darkly, running a hand down her neck to her collar, deliberately letting his fingers linger around the fabric of her shirt where it met her skin. He had began tugging on it when Trixie made her move. In a flash, she cut her palm with the knife, slipped the ring into her bloody hand, and plunged the blade into his abdomen, where she began reciting the oath. So occupied with the notion of removing her shirt and exposing her breasts, he never saw it coming.
"I Trixie, leader of the half-blood brigade and big sister to all within it, contract the demon Lamya to my servitude…" She began chanting.
"NO!" the headmaster screamed. "NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! DEMON, COME SAVE ME! YOU HAVE TO SAVE ME, I ORDER IT!"
Ignoring his screams, Trixie continued the oath, remembering Jemma's warning to be concise and thorough. Knowing what he had named the demon she now called Lamya, it was easy enough to instruct her to disregard any order given to her under said name. As she chanted and he grew more panicked, she removed the dagger and thrust it repeatedly into his gut and abdomen, ensuring his blood mingled with hers over the ring. As more and more flowed, it got harder and harder to keep hold of the object, but fearing what might happen if she dropped it before she completed her oath, Trixie kept tight hold of it. When she finally uttered the last of it, she stabbed him through his wicked heart. It was almost surprising that he wasn't bleeding black.
"Well done," Lamya clapped dramatically slow, a massive smile plastered to her face. "And so thorough! You are far more bossy and demanding than my other masters have been up to this point. It's actually quite admirable, you really haven't left me much wiggle room."
"Great," Trixie breathed, feeling light headed. She couldn't quite tell if Lamya was pouting about the restrictiveness of her newest contract, or if she was pleased. "Glad it's over with, that's for sure."
"Shall I dispose of the bodies for you?" Lamya questioned. "Normally I wouldn't offer, but I am feeling charitable. Also, I would rather you didn't die from blood loss or infection. Without someone else to take the contract from you, I would perish alongside you."
"Man, that honesty thing I added was a better idea than I gave it credit for," Trixie gasped. "Yes… please take care of them. I'm going to have Jemma clean me up. Thank you Lamya."
"Thank you for the beautiful name my dear," The demon bowed, then snapped her fingers. At once, the headmaster's body started floating, and based on the yelp she heard from Jemma outside, the matron's had as well. "I'll not be but a moment, then I'll return to the ring as instructed."
Trixie nodded, then stumbled out to Jemma. She didn't have to say anything before the slime girl hand her hands and was removing the excess blood. Once she was sure there was no trace of any blood but what was coming from Trixie's open wound, Jemma took a piece of fabric she'd torn from the blanket at some point and started wrapping her hand.
"You'll probably need a doctor to look at that," Jemma commented. "It will likely need stitches… and more thorough sanitization than what I could provide at present."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Trixie yawned. She was only sixteen, but all at once she felt ancient and exhausted. The weight of the evening's events were settling over her. Worst of all, in all the commotion, she'd entirely forgotten about meeting up with Emerick.
She could only hope that someone had been able to meet on her behalf and reschedule, though she wouldn't hold her breath. She didn't know a single guy that was reasonable or forgiving after having been stood up.
"We should go back," Jemma cocked her head. "The others are still worried, and it would be good to report success."
"I'm going to stick around a while longer," Trixie refused. "I need some time to myself to… you know… let it all sink in. Oh, and I doubt I even have to say it… but the demon stays between you and me. Got it?"
"Of course," Jemma nodded. "There is no benefit to informing anyone else anyway. They would only worry, and doubtless try something foolish which would effectively cause whatever misfortune they endeavored to prevent. You handled her well, and things are stable, so I am all too happy to keep the events of this night to myself."
"Thanks Jemma," Trixie smiled. "Let them know I'll be there in a while."
"I will relay your message," Jemma nodded. "Normally, I would be loath to leave you in such a state, but you have a demon protecting you now, and without a second candidate to take her contract she is unlikely to allow any harm to come to you, even self-inflicted."
"You think I'd kill myself?" Trixie asked incredulously.
"I think you are not in your right mind," Jemma replied. "But you are being watched over, so I will leave as you've asked. Good night boss."
Trixie watched as she hurried back out of the building. Once Lamya had finished her work and reported back, she took a breath and started walking out herself. Climbing up onto the wall, she allowed herself to hope that maybe, just maybe, Emerick might come looking for her.