Demon Games [4] by Steve Feasey Page A

again.
    ‘We’re going this way,’ he said with a gesture of his thumb over his shoulder. ‘That means that you –’ he poked the demon again – ‘are going that way.’ He nodded in the opposite direction.
    ‘That way. Right.’
    ‘And if we see you again during our travels in this realm, we will assume that you have broken your promise of fealty to my friend here and invoke the first covenant of the Netherworld. We will call upon Helzog and have him collect you. Either that, or my werewolf friend here will simply rip that ugly, spiky head of yours off its shoulders.’
    And with that, Dreck turned his back on the demon and walked off.
    Trey fell in behind the Fire Imp. Great, he thought to himself. Just what I need as a guide: a demon with a Napoleon complex.
    After gathering up the ruined mess of Trey’s clothes, they walked away from the hell-hole, back in the direction that the Fire Imp had first come from. After a short distance Dreck stopped, bending down to retrieve a canvas sack that he’d clearly left there earlier. Fishing around inside the large bag, the demon emerged holding a set of new clothes.
    ‘I need you to change back into your human form and get dressed,’ the Fire Imp said, tossing the clothing at the werewolf.
    The lycanthrope looked down at the garments, raising his head again to stare at the demon.
    ‘ Are you mad? You want me to change back into my human form? Here? In the Netherworld? You heard what Tom said. He specifically — ’
    ‘I know what the human said,’ Dreck said in a loud voice.
    Trey didn’t like the way that the Fire Imp had referred to Tom, and it must have shown in his face or body language because Dreck quickly held his hands out. When he spoke again his tone was more deferential. ‘With all due respect, Tom is not your guide here in the Netherworld; I am.’
    The lycanthrope remained silent, waiting.
    Dreck puffed out his cheeks and regarded the huge beast towering over him. ‘You are unique, Trey. There isn’t another werewolf– a bimorph – like you either here or in the human world. And there’s only one of these in existence,’ he went on, reaching up and pointing to the amulet hanging from the heavy chain around the great beast’s neck. ‘Everyone and everything in the Netherworld knows who wears it. You’re the kid who bit Caliban’s hand off. You’re the kid that walked into Leroth and stole Mynor’s Globe from under the vampire’s nose, right after you’d fought and killed his sorceress, Gwendolin. You’re the kid who, rightly or wrongly –’ the demon held his hands up in front of him – ‘Caliban believes is the biggest threat to whatever sick plans for world domination he might have. There’s a bounty on your head, Trey, and just about every nether– creature we might encounter will be happy to cash you in.’
    If that’s the case, then surely I’m safer like this? Better able to defend myself?’
    ‘Quite the opposite. You’re a walking advertisement of your presence here. You might as well have a neon sign on your head that reads: “Trey Laporte: Caliban’s nemesis. Come and get me.” But if you’re a human, I stand a chance of getting us both to where we need to be. Especially as we are currently inside Molok’s fiefdom.’
    ‘ How’s that?’
    ‘Molok’s a collector. Everyone knows about his predilection for human specimens. If I can pass you off as Molok’s latest acquisition that I have been entrusted to deliver, I think we could avoid any tragedies. Molok is one of the Netherworld’s most powerful commanders, and I’m betting on our being able to use that power and authority to our advantage.’
    A low growl came from the werewolf as Trey considered this. The Fire Imp looked down at his feet for a moment, and when he looked back up again the werewolf was gone – replaced by the naked figure of a teenage boy who turned his back and quickly pulled on the underwear and jeans that Dreck had given him.
    ‘I