Chapetr#04

Stepping through the shadows, Elizabeth entered the Great Hall. In the middle of it was a giant table with large, ornate chairs fit for a king. Elizabeth stared across the large, wooden table at the other members of the Society. Five of them were here in person, but the other six were represented only by shadows, hovering entities broadcast across thousands of miles through a form of astral projection, though Sarah had called it a Shadow Skype Call. The empty seat to her left simply had a black rose on it, left there by one of the other members. She pulled her seat out and sat down slowly, gazing at the others defiantly. In reality, she should probably be afraid. If more than a few of them decided to make a move, Sarah was no longer here to help her.

"Tell me what happened," demanded the large shadow at the other end of the table. The voice indicated it was male, but it lacked any physical definition to support this. Eyes like bright stars scrutinized them all from within the darkness. His voice echoed as if through a long tunnel, a weird result of transmitting his astral body across the ocean. A simple feat for some, the High Priest was somehow able to do this without the main requirement for astral projection; a soul. If the others turned on her, he could still help her, even from half a world away... should he choose. And then again, the High Priest could decide to turn her into a smoldering pile of ash at a whim.

She thought carefully before responding.

"We made contact about ten days ago. This much we all know." She was careful to keep the others updated on Society dealings because in the last few centuries, the main reason Society members were executed was for harboring secrets, usually making bids for power that resulted in an immediate backlash from the others. Everyone at this table had a vested interest in her progress on the house - each of them desired the power rumored to be hidden within. "This man, Mike Radley, is a nobody. Or rather, we thought he was."

"They sent an elemental in after him," Daryl, seated beside her, added. His voice was gentle, his long fingers steepled before him. "Mike Radley was able to destroy it, somehow, causing the situation to escalate. We underestimated him."

Elizabeth nodded, grateful that he had spoken up. Daryl was a warlock fascinated with human biology, able to heal wounds, raise the dead, and create maddening creatures directly out of Chaos itself. He was easily one of the strongest magic users there, and hopefully, it sounded like he was on her side.

"And what happened next?" The shadow at the end of the table shifted - clearly the High Priest's attention was on the real world as well; he appeared to be in the middle of dining, a shadowy goblet raised to his lips.

"We decided that the best course of action would be to eliminate him discreetly. Despite any power he has already amassed, his mind would be incapable of withstanding a spiritual assault." Elizabeth shivered, fighting to hide the chill up her spine, afraid to speak the next few words. "So we utilized the succubus."

Whispers around the table were exchanged, and immediately ceased. The shadow at the other end of the table darkened, the light in the room visibly dimming.

"Where is my succubus?" he asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I used the Heart to send her after Mr. Radley and promptly locked it away. My daugh - Sarah removed it from the safe for observation while I slept. When I woke up in the morning, I found that Sarah, the Heart, and a few other magical implements had gone missing."

"I see." The shadow leaned on the table, the frost spreading from his fingertips and the wood creaking dangerously beneath his hands. "And have we located her?"

"Attempts have been made," Daryl announced. "I myself have cast several locator spells, both on the missing objects and on Sarah herself."

"And?" The voice was impatient, and a few of the others scooted away from the table, making room for the potential outburst to come.

"The bracelet is gone, its magic spent. There exists no further trace of it on this plane." Daryl paused, sipping water from his chalice. He appeared unshaken by the shadow's anger. "I tracked the other magic to the grounds of the home, but was unable to penetrate the magical barrier of the Geas around it. The wand, the dagger, and Sarah never emerged from that place.."

More mumbling around the table. Each of those things was irreplaceable, but the dagger more so. As far as any of them knew, there wasn't another like it.

"And my succubus?" The High Priest asked.

"I fear she is yours no longer. The tracking spell I used came up empty, so I used the Infernal Mirror to try and find her," Daryl continued, seemingly nonplussed at the High Priest's scrutiny. The Infernal Mirror was one of the greatest objects in their possession; long ago, the Society had managed to summon and trap a Greater Demon inside, one capable of answering any three simple questions asked of it once every lunar cycle. "When I discovered the loss of the Heart, I asked if Lily's pact was still intact. The Mirror informed me that she is no longer pacted to you."

A shadowy hand slammed down onto the table, the room shaking as a small earthquake rocked the table. "And your second question?"

"I asked the Mirror to tell me the name of the person Lily is indentured to, and the Mirror laughed." Daryl shook his head. Everyone knew that laughter meant that the demon had found a way to avoid answering, a fault in the question itself. This also wasted the question. "Unless Lily has been destroyed, I am at a loss. Something has happened outside of my understanding regarding this manner, and I defer to your guidance."