Sell you a Bridge chapter 245

June 3rd 2016 Julian Advent's Manor, The Nightside 10:00 AM EDT

I  actually slept better than I expected in Julian's house. For some  reason I'd expected to be tormented by strange and disturbing nightmare  visions or something when I slept in the Nightside, but I felt pretty  refreshed. Granted I was feeling a bit weird because to my internal  clock it was ten in the morning but the window still showed that it was  the middle of the night, but I'd already been warned about that. In the  Nightside it was always three AM and the moon was always full. I'd have  to adjust my circadian rhythm a bit but I'd get used to it.

The  girls were both up by the time I woke. They'd slipped out of my arms  without my notice and apparently headed downstairs to have breakfast. I  could smell bacon, which was always nice, so I got changed into a fresh  set of clothes (spatial rings are the best) and headed downstairs to  meet up with everyone to eat. When I entered the large dining room I  found Julian, Jim, the girls, Artemis, Wally, Taylor, and John all  sitting around an expansive breakfast digging in. When I came in Artemis  spotted me and snorted loudly. "See, I told you he wouldn't be far  behind the smell of bacon."

Since I was a guest in someone  else's house and it was above my dignity to engage in childish  bickering with her, I flipped her off and stuck out tongue at her before  dropping into the seat between my girls. They had thoughtfully saved me  a heaping mound of food. Not just bacon, but also eggs benedict and a  huge heaping helping of hash browns that looked to be homemade. I took a  big bite and moaned in delight, washing the whole thing down with a sip  of coffee after adding cream and sugar. "This is fantastic, who made  this?"

Julian chuckled. "I did, and I'm glad you like it.  James and all of our other friends were always hopeless at cooking, I  became the designated chef since I never drank enough to get in my cups  like they did. My eggs benedict was always quite popular with our  drinking companions, even Ab- ahem. Many people were fans." The fond  smile on his face died as he started to mention the woman who I assumed  broke his heart. He forced it back on his face in short order however.  "In any case now that you're awake I can give you the good news. We've  found traces of your cousin."

I choked a bit, having to  take another sip of coffee to clear my throat. "That's-" I coughed a few  times. "That's fantastic. Where is she? Is she alright? Thank you so  much Julian, I really appreciate your help." The others all looked  various shades of relieved and happy, but I noticed Taylor and Jim both  seem reticent to get too excited. Their discomfort had me worried enough  to calm down a bit and actually wait for the answers to my questions.

Julian  held up both hands. "Peace, my friend. I apologize if my wording was  misleading. When I said we found traces I meant just that. We don't know  where she is or her current status. I was simply able to get in touch  with someone who got in touch with someone who saw her recently. She and  her boyfriend were last spotted entering the Prospero and Michael Scott  Memorial Library.  Now, I don't know exactly what they wanted, and  granted there are plenty of pieces of information they could find there,  but I only know one person worth visiting who spends time in that  place."

Taylor sighed. "They went to see Sinner.  That's...not ideal. He's a peaceable enough sort, especially by  Nightside standards, but that lady of his has a nasty temper. If they  picked a fight I can't imagine them coming out of it intact...or at all.  Vanishing after entering the library is a bad sign. Granted, they could  have just been murdered by one of the terrible things trapped in the  books there, which ultimately might be preferable to what Pretty Poison  would do to them if they tried to hurt Sinner."

I glared  at the morbid detective. "How about we don't assume my cousin is dead,  or that she randomly attacks people who don't deserve it. Also, who the  hell is Sinner? I can't help but notice his name doesn't exactly evoke  feelings of good vibes and happy times. Exactly how peaceable is  'peaceable enough for the Nightside'. Because from what I can tell this  place is basically Gotham with rabies."

That got a snort  of amusement from Taylor. "Gotham wishes. But no, Sinner's name isn't  exactly his own fault. Basically he used to be this hotshot magic  scholar. He dedicated his life to studying the dark arts, but when he  was around thirty or so he realized he didn't actually have anything to  live for. He decided to try to experience everything he missed out on,  so he put together a ritual and summoned...something. Some say it was  the devil himself, some say just a low level demon, but the point was he  made a deal. He sold his soul for true love."

I raised an  eyebrow in disbelief at that, about to make a comment, but Zee pinched  me, her eyes full of starts at the intriguing story. Taylor noticed and  smirked a bit but continued. "Anyway, the next day Sinner met the love  of his life. They got married fast, it was a whirlwind courtship. For  the next decade Sinner was blissfully happy, until finally, his debt  came due. The devil, or whoever he made his deal with, showed up to  claim his soul, and when they did they gleefully informed him that it  had all been a lie, that the woman of his dreams was a succubus who  never cared about him at all."

That made me wince. "That  sounds...heartbreaking. Also pretty on brand for demons, but that  doesn't explain how he's at this library. Wouldn't he be in hell?" I  tried to imagine finding out Zee was some kind of demonic puppet made to  trick me into thinking I was loved and even the thought of it was  horrifying. I really felt for the guy, and clearly Zee felt the same  way, because she took my hand in hers and squeezed, even as Drea grabbed  the other. I turned to see my goddess giving me a reassuring smile, as  if she knew what I was thinking.

Taylor, naturally,  ignored our emotional affirmations. "He would if that was the end of the  story. But when the devil told him what his wife really was, he didn't  care. He said he always knew she wasn't real, but she was real to him,  and that was enough. The devil was annoyed and dragged him back to hell  to be tortured for eternity, entrusting the task to the very succubus  who had been his wife. Except the stubborn bastard didn't care. She  tortured him and tortured him, and he just kept on loving and forgiving  her. Eventually the constant positivity made the environment so toxic  the devil threw him out to stop him from ruining the atmosphere."

The  smirk on his face was full of respect as he finished the story. "Since  he sold his soul he couldn't get into heaven, but he couldn't go back to  hell, so Sinner is stuck on earth, impossible to kill or harm. But  here's the kicker. The succubus he married? She was so confused by how  devoted he was to her even after everything she did that she followed  him back to earth to try to understand him better. She's been with him  ever since, watching over him, as if he even needs it. So yes, if your  cousin went there with good intention he would have spoken to her  civilly. Either way, the only way to know for sure is to ask."

I...didn't  know how to react to that story. Any of it really. That was a level of  devotion that I wasn't sure I was even capable of, but I didn't know if I  should be impressed or feel sorry for him. Was he a saint for keeping  that kind of love in his heart after literally going through hell? Or  was he an idiot for not letting go of the lie? The question was too  heavy for me, especially this early in the morning. I shook off the  thoughts. "Well, whatever the case we'll find out when we get there. I  assume you know how to get to this library?"

Taylor  snorted. "Boy, I know how to get wherever I need to go, and if I don't I  can find out. Yes, I can take you to the library. However, I somehow  doubt that's the only information Julian managed to glean from his  little ask about. He's far too uncomfortable to be done telling us all  the bad news, aren't you Julian?" His tone wasn't icy exactly, more like  demanding, but it was clear he expected an answer.

Th  Victorian Adeventurer sighed. "Yes, I did get some rather...disturbing  information. I'm not the only one who has been making inquiries about  your cousin. Someone else has been trying to find her location, and I'm  not entirely sure how successful they may have been. I can't tell you  exactly why, given I still don't know what information they're here for,  but I suggest asking Sinner as quickly as possible. Whatever they came  to the Nightside to do someone doesn want them to do it."

I  was already shoveling down the last of my breakfast and draining my  coffee cup as I stood up. "In that case we don't have any time to waste.  I appreciate the breakfast Julian, and I appreciate you putting us up  for the night, but we have to go." I looked at the others. "You all  ready?" Most of them were finished eating, though Wally was on his tenth  or eleventh plate it looked like, and he was gazing mournfully at the  rest of the table as he finished shoveling the last of his into his  mouth.

Despite  the hangdog expression he didn't say a word though, just stood up with  Artemis. Everyone else was ready too. We thanked Julian again and headed  outside, where Taylor whistled for another carriage. I was nervous as  we waited...antsy. My feet were shuffling and my fingers were tapping.  It was one thing knowing my cousin might be in some kind of danger, but  knowing for sure, even if incompletely, that she was in immediate  danger, was driving me nuts. I desperately wanted to get to this library  and find out what was happening.

Drea  reached down and took my hand, stopping my twitching. She gave me a  gentle squeeze and a warm smile. "Peace, love. I know you're worried,  and I understand, but this isn't helping. You're doing everything you  can to get to her as soon as possible. You need to trust that your  cousin can take care of herself. She was fine only recently, and  this...Sinner, seems like a decent sort. I doubt he took exception to  anything she said. Chances are she was merely moving stealthily when she  left to avoid her pursuers."

I  forced myself to calm down, taking long, slow breaths to sooth my  racing heart, and then sighed. "You're right." I focused on my ghostly  powers, tapping into the icy nature of my spectral aura, not to  intimidate, but to calm myself. It took me a few seconds to really sink  into it, but I managed. By the time the carriage came down the road I  was standing perfectly still and more than ready for what came next.  Whatever we found at this library, I would be more than prepared to deal  with it. I had some things to say to my cousin when we found her, and I  needed her to be alive.