Page 68 of The Curse of Indy Moore
The professor twirled her parasol when sitting. Her cane leaned against her thigh. “Taking up gardening?”
“Since Otis has been so busy, I have been taking care of it, and I…” I folded Baxter’s letter to stash in the pocket of my overalls. They were dirty and ripped from years of labor, so they were perfect for gardening. I tore a new hole in them for the whole tail issue. “I need a distraction. This just so happens to be an enjoyable one.”
“Yes, it’s important to keep your mind off things now more than ever. I’m doing the same. I needed a break and some fresh air. That boy’s office is the definition of erratic. I cannot fathom how he functions in there, and don’t get me started on the cologne he wore the other day.” She waved a delicate hand in front of her nose as if the mere mention of cologne affronted it.
I laughed. “Yes, I’ve been having that same trouble.”
“Your senses have heightened, but is it more than your sense of smell?”
“I see well in the dark and hear much more. It’s nauseating at times, actually.”
They were senses I hoped to be rid of sooner rather than later. While they could prove useful, they were more annoying than anything else. Hopefully they wouldn’t become permanent…
“How are you faring in all of this?” the professor asked.
“Not well. This hasn’t gone away all morning.” I gestured toward the tail that stood partially alert and wagged gently.
The accursed appendage mimicked my emotions that were more turbulent than ever. Though I kept myself busy to avoid thinking about losing myself to the wolf entirely, the thought lingered at the back of my mind.
“So I see.” Professor Kumir shut her parasol to lie across her lap. “What would you like to ask?”
“How did you know I wanted to ask anything?”
Her gaze drifted to the tail. “I have had my fair share of dogs.”
My groan was deep and humiliated, though it was true. Professor Kumir had been at the house for three days. We spoke little past that initial interaction. She took to re-reading Mr. Hawthorne’s notes and the incidents I wrote down concerning Carline. When I happened to see her these last few days, I went to the office to tell them then left because I didn’t want to get in the way.
“I am fine with answering your questions, so long as you answer some of mine. I’ve made quite a list,” she added.
“I certainly can’t avoid answering them, seeing as my soul is at stake. How did you get into studying and tracking demons?”
“I initially worked with the militia on the construction of war machines. I did my job well and retired early. I have been keeping to my studies ever since.”
“So you studied demonology afterward?”
Professor Kumir held up a hand to signal for the water jug. A second teacup wandered out of an open window to descend to her hand, where the jug poured for her. “No, there are demons who work alongside humans in our military sectors under deals struck by our sovereign. There are those who seek riches, those who want souls—”
My heart clenched, and a vile taste fell on my tongue. “She offers souls?”
“Of our enemies,” the professor elaborated prior to drinking. “So she and many other royals find it a worthy endeavor.”
“That’s vile. I never… Who else knows this?”
“Whoever bothers to ask. It is an open secret. Most don’t care, so long as Arestat never crosses our borders.”
I didn’t want their theocracy to overtake us as much as anyone else. Living close to the border, I met refugees, mostly women, seeking shelter from Arestat’s outdated beliefs. Women could be beaten in the north simply for not wanting to bear children or for asking too many questions. The priests who happened to cross the border spoke of destruction and blasphemy, frightening anyone who went near them. They were easy to hate, although offering souls to a demon didn’t sit right with me, regardless.
“I don’t see how demons can be trusted,” I muttered. Carline’s face came to mind, the chill of her eyes and the eerie promises she spoke like a song.
Professor Kumir laughed. “They surely aren’t. It is a mutual arrangement, and those under Her Majesty’s power are nothing like Carline. She’s far too powerful for us or anyone to bargain with.”
“Other kingdoms do this too, then?”
Professor Kumir nodded.
How many soldiers lost their lives in battle protecting their homes only to have their souls taken by demons? Did they know that was a risk, and did they realize afterward that they were used? Did their souls remain in our world, tormented until the demon who had them in their clutches was put to rest?
“The world can be a violent place,” Professor Kumir said with the cup held in her lap. “I, too, believed in such methods once, but I was wrong. I cannot make amends, and I do not expect to, but I will help when I can, as I am with you.”
