Made in Hell 2 Chapter 3

I briefly stopped off at the manor before I headed to Pixie Lane. The Red Witch worked for the bastard priest, and she was often sent to collect payments from various undesirables. If I wanted the chance to talk to her, without the fear of the priest or his guards finding out, then I’d need to stop her from doing her job in order to give us the chance to talk. It would have been far too suspicious if she arrived back at the priest’s estate without the correct amount of pieces in her sack, though, so I’d have to remedy any losses.

With a bag full of my own pieces to make up the difference, I headed through the Shadow Quarters and past Medusa’s Palace. I still had the same sense of trepidation whenever I neared Medusa’s Palace since I knew more gorgons still resided there. Ashe and I had slain three when we were running from the Blessed one night, and I often wondered if the remaining sisters knew who’d killed them, and if we had to worry about some bullshit retaliation from them, too.

The vampires and incubi were enough to deal with for now.

The large clock in the center of the Shadow Quarters chimed five times as I reached Pixie Lane, which told me that it was now the fifth hour and the time that the witch began her work here. She knew I was wanting to meet with her, due to the message that I’d sent Gyor to deliver, but there was a chance that she might have changed her mind at the last minute. The Red Witch had appeared fed up and tired of working for the priest, and she seemed eager to work for Ashe and I, but that didn’t necessarily mean the meeting was still going to go ahead.

I just hoped she wouldn’t back out on the arrangement. I needed information on the priest and the web he was connected to, and she was the only one who could give that to me.

The Church was one of our biggest threats, and one of the biggest organizations in Rengfri. Practically every human worshipped those holy bastards, and some creatures, too, and the Church did whatever they could to rid the city of the undesirables like myself. Yet the priest appeared to be playing a different role.

It was like the man had two faces. To the worshippers of the Church, the priest could do no wrong. He welcomed everyone who walked past, and I assumed that he’d help them in a time of need. But behind closed doors, when he had stripped from his holy robes, he was a completely different man. He had a set up with the dark elves to keep the Church from raiding their illegal business, and the undesirables on Pixie Lane constantly paid him a large sum of money, but I still didn’t know why they paid him. I was curious to know the reason behind this and much more, and only one person could give me the answers I searched for.

The telltale signs of a rolling carriage broke into my surroundings as I thought about the priest. The Red Witch was always dropped off on this certain street, and then the carriage would be waiting to collect her again at the end of her trail. I knew exactly where the carriage dropped her off thanks to Ashe’s stalking over the last couple weeks, so I kept back in the shadows of the alley as I waited for my chance to pounce.

The sun had started to set, and the fire lanterns acted as the main light source. The cobblestone street was lit up with a warm, orange glow, and a dark shadow broke into the light just as I heard the carriage pull away. I could tell from the silhouette that it was the witch approaching, but I stayed still as she passed the opening of the alley, just in case the driver was still in sight. Not that he would have really caused me that much trouble, because I could have killed him within seconds, but it would be suspicious if the horse and carriage didn’t arrive back at the estate.

The last thing I wanted to do was cause trouble for her and lose our most promising informant.

The witch passed the alley and continued to walk, and once I had checked that the coast was clear, I slipped out of my hiding spot and began to follow her. There was a line of houses to the right of us, which I knew the witch needed to stop at, but then she took the first side street to the left and hid in the darkness.

“I thought I’d find you here,” she said as I joined her in the street.

“Yes, thank you for agreeing to meet me,” I replied.

The witch crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to one side, and for a moment I was struck by how beautiful she was.

I’d almost forgotten how warm her golden skin appeared, and how the planes of her cheeks rounded flawlessly while her chin and nose pointed elegantly. Her dark purple hair had been tied into a knot on the top of her head, and the long, red dress she wore helped to emphasize her ample curves. A red cloak was tied around her neck and ran down to the ankles of her high-heeled, black boots, and the petite woman stood at shoulder height with me while her brilliant amber eyes looked up to meet mine.

“I wouldn’t say that I agreed to meet you, but I’m… intrigued by a… partnership.” The witch let her arms drop to her sides again.

“I like that word: ‘partnership,’” I purred.

“Right, come on.” She cleared her throat. “You can tell me what you want as we walk. I’m only meant to be here for a short while tonight.”

We checked our surroundings once more and then began to walk down Pixie Lane. The Red Witch completely ignored the houses to our right, which pleased me. We didn’t have the time to stop and collect payments, and I wanted to get straight to business.

“It’s been a couple weeks since I last saw you,” the witch began the conversation. “I started to think you’d made me that lovely offer and then just disappeared.”

“Would that have disappointed you?” I smirked.

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “I certainly haven’t been waiting around for you, or anything. I am fine regardless, I was only intrigued by your offer to… find me other employment.”

I glanced over at the Red Witch, and she wore the same exhausted look on her face, and spoke in the same irritated tone, as the last time I’d seen her. She was clearly tired and fed up spending her evenings on Pixie Lane, only to be sent back to the hovel the priest kept her locked in. That proved to me that she needed to leave, and I wanted to be the one that gave her that freedom.

“You look tired,” I commented.

“I’m always tired,” she huffed. “But at least I manage to leave my home, and that won’t happen if I don’t return with the correct amount of pieces, so you better hurry up and talk, because I have work to do.”

I smiled at the sassy nature of this witch. She seemed to have a backbone, and she wasn’t afraid to admit how she really felt.

“You think I haven’t thought of that?” I laughed and held up the bag of pieces. I shook it slightly so she could hear the coins inside. “There’s more than enough in here to make up the difference. I’ll give you what you need, but only if you can repay the offer.”

“Hmm, we’ll see about that.” She pursed her lips.

The end of the street curved around a bend to begin yet another line of houses. A lone tree and a wooden bench had been placed before the bend, so the witch and I took a quick seat before we continued talking again.

It was nice to sit and rest for a minute. Pixie Lane was practically deserted at this time of night, probably on account of the Red Witch’s presence, but a few dwarves were hobbiling this way, so we remained silent while they passed.

I glanced up at a window of one of the houses and spotted the lit candle that someone had placed there. The flame flickered slightly, and it sent flashes of red and orange light against the glass. Some mortal then walked past the window, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they were up to, what room they were in, and what they had done during the day.

There was a faint smell of evil in the air, but the majority of the beings who lived here were probably innocents. I bet they didn’t have the same issues I did, with the Lord Captains, the incubi, the Church… and all the others who’d gladly take my head if they could.

Ashe and I were never going to live a peaceful, free life until everything had been dealt with. Which brought me back to the Red Witch. If I could get her on my side, I’d be one step closer to reaching that goal.

“I’m Atticus, by the way,” I broke the gentle silence once the dwarves were out of earshot. “I thought it was best we knew each other’s names.”

“Yes, I know,” the witch replied. “I remember your beautiful little demon friend calling you that.”

I spotted the small smile that appeared on her face, and her amber eyes began to warm slightly, almost like she was willing to enjoy this conversation after all.

“And your name is…?” I asked.

“Sveila,” she said curtly.

“Did you not want me to know your name?” I guessed.

Sveila paused for a moment, and I caught the look in her eyes. She was thinking about how to answer my question, even though it seemed like an easy answer to give.

“I never really tell anyone my name,” she replied after the short hesitation. “Even the priest doesn’t know my name, but then again, he’s never bothered to ask.”

“Nice boss,” I snorted.

I wondered if the warm glow in her eyes came from the fact that I appeared to care, and if this was something Sveila wasn’t used to.

“So, tell me a bit more about yourself, Atticus,” Sveila began as she kicked a loose stone with the toe of her boot. “What is that you do?”

“Just business.” I smirked.

Before I could fully trust Sveila with the inner workings of the organization, I had to be careful that she was going to doublecross me first. For all I knew, this could have been a ploy from the priest. It wouldn’t have been smart for me to divulge until I knew for sure.

“That’s annoyingly vague,” the Red Witch chuckled.

“Let’s just say Ashe and I are still trying to find our footing.” I shrugged. “But there is one thing that we’re after, hence why I came here this evening.”

The Red Witch narrowed her amber eyes at me, but then she got up.

“Come on, let’s keep walking,” Sveila prompted. “We don’t want anyone listening in.”

“Lead the way,” I agreed.

We followed the street down onto the new row of houses and ignored every single one.

“So, what is it?” Sveila asked in a low tone.

“I need information on the priest,” I quietly explained. “And you’re the best person to give me that.”

“You expect me to just tell you anything you want to know?” Sveila snorted at the statement.

“If you’d like to find yourself in a better position, yes,” I replied.

The Red Witch stopped walking suddenly and turned to face me. She had a determined look on her face.

“Do you realize how dangerous this request is?” she asked with a harsh whisper. “The priest is not just a priest. He has a large number of undesirables under his thumb, larger than you probably realize.”

“That doesn’t scare me,” I scoffed.

“I don’t say this to scare you,” she urged. “It’s so you and I both don’t get killed over something petty.”

I knew she was trying to warn me, but I couldn’t stop the excitement that rolled through me. Sveila may have been worried, but her words only confirmed how intriguing all this could be, and it sounded like something I definitely wanted to get into.

“There is nothing petty about the priest, and I think you know that,” I replied with a pointed look.

“But why is this so important to you?” Sveila frowned.

Like before, I had to be careful with how I answered, so I chose the easiest option. The option that would leave me with less questions to answer.

“It just is.” I shrugged.

“You know, I could force that information from you.” The Red Witch grinned.

“Aah, but your powers don’t work as well on me,” I reminded her.

Sveila had attempted to overpower me with her magic when we first met. A dark red cloud had swirled around her eyes, and I knew the charm was probably to paralyze her opponent, based on how tingly and numb my limbs started to feel, but it didn’t have the full effect on me.

Ashe had told me how powerful Red Witches were, and all witches for that matter, but fortunately, none of them could control or harm demons as easily as they could these surface world mortals.

Which did make me wonder about Sveila’s situation in general. If the Red Witch was as powerful as she appeared to be, then I couldn’t work out why she didn’t use her magic to enchant the priest and escape the life she hated so much. Ashe had told me about the gated hovel Sveila was forced to live in, but someone as powerful as her surely had the strength to leave if she really wanted to.

The Red Witch turned on her heel to continue walking along the lane, and since she remained tensely silent, I decided to just ask her the question that was on my mind.

“What holds you back from leaving your set up with the priest?” I asked.

Sveila peered down at her boots, and she played with a single lock of dark purple hair that had fallen free from the knot. I got the impression that she wasn’t interested in answering, but that only made me more confused. The truth must have been worse than I first thought.

“There’s a lot behind it,” she finally answered.

“Like what?” I queried.

Sveila let out a light but cryptic laugh. “That’s a tale for a later date.”

I was only more intrigued now, but if she wasn’t willing to entertain me with such a tale, then I guessed I’d have to wait until she changed her mind.

“Well then, about this information I need on the priest,” I started again, to which Sveila let out a deep sigh. “Hey, you don’t even know the plan yet.”

“But I assume this is all leading to something ridiculous,” she replied. “Anyone who isn’t at all concerned about the dangers of prying into the priest’s business can only be trouble.”

“I might be trouble,” I chuckled.

“And I have no interest in getting involved in something like that,” Sveila informed me. “It’s completely idiotic.”

“But what if it gives you the chance to be free?” I asked.

“I’ll never be free, and that’s just something that I’ve come to live with,” Sveila said stiffly.

I raised my eyebrows at the statement.

Sveila clearly didn’t realize I was a demon of his word, and that I fully intended to see her freed of the priest just so long as she helped me out. I needed to get her on my side, and I had to get the Red Witch to realize that I meant what I said.

I held my bag of pieces up for Sveila to see and then shook it lightly.

“This isn’t even a fraction of what I have at home,” I explained. “If you agree to what I say, and can complete a mission for me, then you’ll end up walking away from this entire arrangement with so much more.”

Sveila slowed to a stop and stared at the bag in awe. I wondered if she ever had this much money for herself, or if all the pieces she collected went straight to the priest. It didn’t surprise me if he kept it for himself, the selfish fucker.

He did leave the pretty witch locked in a hovel, after all.

“These extra pieces will be for you if you complete a task for me,” I continued. “You can smuggle it back to the hovel, or wherever you feel safest, and finally get a payment for the job you do out here.”

“What do you need me to do?” Sveila asked at once.

I smiled and looked at the witch excitedly. She must have noticed the evil gleam in my eyes, because the same expression began to form over her face, like we were both in this together now.

“I obviously cannot get close to the Church, so I need to work out the details of the priest’s ranking for me,” I answered. “I need you to find out how prominent he is.”

“Prominent?” Sveila repeated with a frown.

“Yes.” I grinned. “Let’s say, for example, the priest was to… disappear. What would the fallout be to that?”

“What are you going to do to him?” she asked with narrowed, amber eyes.

Sveila appeared hesitant again, but she hadn’t disagreed with the idea, which told me that she was still tempted by my offer.

“Let’s just say that the Church may need to hold a funeral at some point soon.” I shrugged nonchalantly.

Sveila gasped as she worked out my plan. Thankfully, no one was within earshot to hear the gasp, otherwise the plan could have fallen through before it even began.

“You can’t kill the priest,” the Red Witch hissed.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I can already imagine the backlash that’ll come from that.” Sveila rolled her amber eyes.

“Yes, and I need to be one-hundred percent positive about the extent of that backlash,” I clarified. “If you can help me work that out and complete this mission, then I can give you enough money to keep you comfortable for long after the priest has died.”

Sveila nibbled on her bottom lip, and then I watched as her tongue licked away at the divot where her teeth had been. It reminded me of Ashe’s reaction to the fairy twins earlier on, and I was briefly distracted by how naturally pouty the Red Witch’s lips were.

She looked like she was considering the offer more seriously now, but there was still a hint of hesitation in her eyes. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but I hoped she’d at least allow me to meet her again if she couldn’t make up her mind tonight.

Sveila never responded and turned to continue walking at a quicker pace, but there was still a flicker of hope from the consideration I had seen on her face. It was a lot for someone to take in, in such a short space of time, so I decided that she needed the time to fully think it all through, and I could return to Pixie Lane later.

“My carriage will be here soon,” Sveila huffed as she steered us into another secluded alley.

“Here,” I said as I opened my bag of money. “I promised you that I’d make up the difference.”

Sveila opened her sack, and I dropped handfuls of coins inside. I wasn’t sure how much she usually collected on a nightly basis, but I doubted the priest even counted the pieces in the first place. I could imagine that he felt the weight of the sack, mentally calculated what was inside, and accepted it without question.

“Thank you,” she replied.

“How about you give my offer some thought, and in two day’s time I’ll meet you again,” I suggested. “We can meet at that tavern across the road.”

We both turned to look at the dark, dank building at the far end of the street. The sound of laughter and cheering told me that the tavern was alive with customers, and I speculated about how many of those customers were tinsel fairies, and if they were as drunk as I usually found them.

Ashe and I had come to realize that if tinsel fairies weren’t flying around causing mischief, then they were probably lying on a bar top or flying into the side of buildings because they couldn’t control their wings once they had enjoyed a few tonics.

“I’ve never been to a tavern,” Sveila pondered out loud.

“You really have lived a sheltered life,” I commented. “I bet you’ll like it, and I’ll even buy the drinks.”

“The drinks are on you?” The Red Witch raised a dark purple eyebrow.

“Hey, I look after the women in my life.” I winked. “But you should go, I think I can hear the carriage arriving.”

The clear sound of horses’ hooves were heard in the distance, and my money was on it being the carriage to take Sveila away again. She looked so irritated to be leaving all of a sudden, and she fussed with her hair while her expression darkened.

The immediate shift in her demeanor only made me more determined to give her the freedom she deserved.

“Two nights from now?” Sveila double-checked.

“Two nights from now,” I confirmed.

I hid back into the shadows before the driver could see me talking to Sveila, and she glanced back at me before she swiftly left the alley. In that one glance, I could tell she both intrigued and impressed.

I shifted to the edge of the alley and watched her red cloak billow behind her as she hurried to the priest’s carriage, and I couldn’t help but think she’d complete the mission I set for her.

And that I’d soon have my plans for the priest underway.