Page 6 of Fiends and Familiars
Typhon
Yeth stood before me on his rear legs, a long line of drool hanging from his jowls.
“Master, I went to the address you gave me and picked up the scent. He was there. He definitely was there.”
“Was?” Had I lost him again after searching for so long?
“I searched the area and found nothing but a human woman. I traced his scent and discovered that he’d left in a conveyance, so I began to search the city, using the distinctive odor of the conveyance. It smelled of dead things, of creatures, of human and greasy take-out food.”
I nodded, waiting for Yeth to continue. That bastard Faust wouldn’t escape me this time.
“There was a dwelling…it smelled strongly of the conveyance, but not of the soul you seek, but as I was checking the house, the conveyance arrived—and I smelled him. I sensed him. He’s there. He’s hiding, but I felt the brush of his essence. He’s there.”
“Is this my torture?” The soul next to me moaned. “To stand here while you both yammer on about vehicles smelling of greasy take-out food?”
The damned, they were so impatient. Turning away from Yeth, I unscrewed the cap from a bottle of milk and sniffed it. Ugh. It was so horribly spoiled that there were chunks floating in it. Perfect.
“Well, why is my lost soul nothere?” I asked Yeth. “You sensed him. Why did you not bring him to me?”
Yeth eyed the milk, sniffed it, then made a gagging noise. “I…I wasn’t able to retrieve him, Master. He is there, though. I am positive he is there.”
I handed the milk jug to the human soul I was torturing. “Drink this, then get on the treadmill.” He knew better than to argue. The soul chugged down the chunky milk as quickly as he could then shuddered. “Hurry it up. No dawdling. Get on that treadmill.” The soul groaned, but did as I said. I turned the machine on, then cranked it up all the way. Once the soul started retching as he ran, I turned back to Yeth.
“Then go back and get him. What’s the delay? I’ve waited for centuries. I don’t want to wait any longer.”
“Ummm.” Yeth dropped down onto four legs. “There was a woman.”
I frowned. “So? Remain invisible to the human eye, and go bring me my lost soul.”
Yeth stared at the ground. “That woman…I don’t think she’s a regular human.”
The soul on the treadmill made a heaving noise. “Don’t you puke. You puke and it’s another quart of spoiled milk.” I pointed a finger at Yeth. “What in the third circle are you talking about? What woman? And what do you mean she’s not a regular human?”
“The one who owns the house whereheis. I don’t think she’s totally human. And she’s got a really big pet bird. I mean seriously big. It’s got a sharp beak and it hissed at me.”
I rolled my eyes. Yeth was terrified of birds. This pet was probably a parakeet and he’d peed himself at the first chirp. “Do I need to send in another hellhound?”
Yeth stood up on his hind legs, holding his front paws up in front of him. “No! No, Master. I can…I can face down the bird. I’ll go back.”
I had my doubts about Yeth, but I was a fair demon and I believed in second chances. Sometimes.
The hellhound left and I turned my attention back to the politician on the treadmill. He was a writhing puking mess on the ground and I’d moved on to torturing one of those guys who ran the Nigerian prince scams when Yeth returned.
“He’s definitely in the house, Master,” the hellhound announced.
I spread my hands wide. “Did you not hear me before? Bring him to me.”
Yeth squirmed. “The human woman has something around her house that prevents me from entering. Although she was kind enough to throw me some very tasty rib bones. They weren’t as good as the liver treats she gave me earlier, but I quite enjoyed them.”
I couldn’t believe this. Yeth used to be a decent hellhound, fear of birds aside. What had happened to him? Why was he suddenly turning into a lap dog over liver treats and rib bones?
“Go back and bring him to me. I don’t care if she gives you a T-bone steak, get in that house and bring him back. Understand?”
“But Master, there is something around the house that—”
I waved my hand, inadvertently smacking the scammer in the head with the whip I’d been holding. Oh well. He deserved it.
“I. Don’t. Care. Go. And don’t come back without him.”
