Witch Princess: Part 1: Chapter 24
Witch Princess by Verlie
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Chapter 24
 
The casino where the auction and other illicit activities took place had an auditorium on the first floor, the entrance located past the doors that led to the stairway down to the arena. Tonight, it was well-lit with soft, cushy red chairs spread out. Higher quality seats were located on the balconies and front section of the seating area. 
 
Finri sat near the back of the seats in her small red chair. Her hood was pulled up and she wore a mask - similar to most in this place, and she crossed her arms while her foot tapped impatiently.
 
“Nervous?” Raven whispered next to her. Instead of his usual uniform, he wore plain colored clothes under his cloak; however, mesh and thin plates of armor were carefully hidden underneath the fabrics.
 
“No,” Finri shot back. “I want to get this done. Ugh, usually, this would be so much fun, and I would just wreck havoc all on my own, but noooo, we have to follow-”
 
“Lady,” Raven said in a low but warning tone. 
 
If anyone heard, she would have already blown the cover. Slowly, wretchedly slow, more people trickled into the room in masks, giggling and laughing, eying some of the objects on display on the stage. Scantily clad waiters, both male and female, scurried around with different food and drink.
 
“Lady,” Finri mocked.
 
Raven glanced around and leaned back in a relaxed position. Trusted knights from his squad littered each part of the room inconspicuously. 
They had waited for this specific night based on the information Finri brought forward. Many nobles would attend tonight, including Jodem Rowley himself to oversee the products. They had a large number of illegally trafficked people as well as relics thought lost from the last regime. 
 
In another room, many already participated in drug use. It wasn’t only nobles here but also wealthy merchants and gang members. It was a special night, estimated to generate a ridiculous amount of wealth. 
 
Raven’s nerves were agitated - not from the environment but because he insinuated a lie to his subordinates that this was all approved by the king. Well, it was approved by royalty but not the king. No one knew of this operation - Amirya and Finri asserted it would tank it and inform the wrong parties. He doubted them, but he told Amirya he would trust her.
 
If this failed, he would take full responsibility.
 
“Are you concerned for her?” He asked softly. He hadn’t met Finri much, and he definitely had complaints about her lack of etiquette, but she appeared to genuinely care for the princess.
 
The fiery redhead side eyed him instead of inclining her head to face him. She scoffed, “More than you.”
 
Raven was not Sephine - he did not argue even if he disagreed.
 
“Her father is one of the - if not the - best knights in the kingdom, it will be fine.”
 
“Like hell I trust that cretin.”
 
“Lady!” Raven scolded in a harsh whisper. She rolled her eyes. 
 
They waited, Finri in agitation and Raven patiently. The lights dimmed, and a man lavishly dressed entered the stage and rambled about the goods of the night. Finri scanned the room, and on one of the high platforms, she spotted Jodem even with a mask, talking to other men. She nudged Raven and nodded in that direction. They needed him alive for questioning, apparently. Maertel soon joined them as well, his gait still awkward from healing broken bones. At this point, knights from other guards should swarm all the exits, closing them down and handling the guards.
 
“Now?” Finri asked. Raven shook his head. “Then when?”
 
“You’ll know,” he said simply.
 
Finri crossed her arms and tapped her foot. The auctioneer brought the first ‘item’ to the stage, stating they’d usually leave such a rarity for the end, but they wanted to start off with a bang. It was a young elf girl. The rowdy crowd bid; the men with Jodem smirking as they raised their number after everyone else, over and over. From the corner of her eye, Raven stiffened, his jaw clenched.
 
“Still not?” she prodded.
 
A siren went through the room, not so loud as to hurt, but everyone noticed it, looking around. All at once, the knight stationed around the room unsheathed their weapons. Raven stood as well, but he slammed his fist on the ground. Ice shot out like veins, and it encompassed the feet of the people in the seating area. A loud voice from the back shouted to not move as they were all under arrest.
 
“Fantastic,” Finri said and jumped from her seat, propelling herself through the air to gracefully land at Jodem’s box. She swiped off her cloak and mask, grinning.
 
“Finri!” Jodem yelled, halting his movement to escape through the back. “You stupid girl!”
 
Maertel stepped in front of his uncle and brought energy into his hands, but before he completed his action, Finri dove in, grabbed his collar, spun, and tossed him over the railing, where he crashed loudly and painfully into several chairs. A man in an animal mask reached into his jacket while facing her, and she spun again, kicking him in the gut so hard he vomited.
 
Finri danced away, disgust twisted on her expression. She smiled at Jodem brightly.
 
“Here we are again,” she said pleasantly.
 
Jodem laughed. He unwrapped his midsection belt and dropped the robes he wore off his shoulders to reveal his bare skin. 
“Are you trying to make me vomit too?” Finri asked while she pointed to herself.
 
Jodem gathered up his energy, making numerous marks on his body glow a red color. He caressed one near his collarbone, “Finri, you foolish girl. Did you forget the promise you made me?”
 
“I had my fingers crossed during, so it cancels it out,” Finri said and demonstrated it. 
 
“What nonsense,” Jodem said. “There’s no canceling a contract with me that you signed with your blood and spirit. Now, you’re gonna get me out of here… I’ll deal with you at home.”
 
Finri popped her knuckles one by one, and asked nonchalantly, “Just like how you deal with Felicity?”
 
“You’re acting cool, but you should be scared, you-”
 
“You see, I made a deal with Felicity. One that I didn’t cross my fingers with. Unfortunately, the guards want you taken away, but I guess prison is also another meaning for ‘dealt with’.” Finri air quoted.
 
“Fine,” Jodem spat, and then he channeled his energy into the seal made for Finri’s contract to enact the punishment on her. When he’d used this asset of his ability in the past, he had always delighted in the way they would eventually crawl and beg him to make it stop. Their pleading intoxicated him. 
 
Finri began to scream.
 
But it quickly devolved into laughter.
 
She held her stomach until it lightened into a giggle. Finri stared at him and shrugged, “That it?”
 
“What… what,” Jodem sputtered. “That’s not possible.”
 
“Sure it’s not,” Finri stalked forward. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have somewhere to be - “
 
The viscount wrenched metal balls from his pants and threw them at her, igniting them.
 
“Fire artifacts are too weak in this world. Ya can’t make fire spirit stones,” Finri sighed. “Besides, I can’t burn, ya know?”
 
He tried to run, but Finri was much faster, tripping him over his own feet before kicking him in the gut. 
 
Jodem rolled and then stood, stagging. He doubled forward and groaned loudly, holding his head in one hand. He twisted his body back and forth like he was in pain, and then he started to laugh, too. He looked up, his eyes glowing silver as a grin stretched widely across his face.
He touched the mark again and it glowed. A trickle of blood came from the mark and only then did he stop.
 
“That’s interesting,” he said with his voice strained. “Hehe… heh…”
 
“…” Finri narrowed her eyes.
 
“You should be scared, little girl,” he said, still in that strange voice, “really scared.”
 
“A demon, really?” Finri asked. “Pathetic.”
 
“What do you know about demons,” he cackled again and energy leaked out. He sent waves at her, like targeted beams. Finri sliced through them with her fire.
 
Jodem frowned. Or, the demon in his body, frowned. He began erratically sniffing the air.
 
“You smell human,” he said, confused. “What power do you have to deflect my energy?”
 
“My organic material is completely human,” she confirmed. “You don’t belong in this world. How’d you even get here? You and that other little demon - demons shouldn’t have access to this place, it’s a black book. Not even devils should be able to come here.”
 
“…How do you know about black books?” Jodem went wide-eyed, genuinely curious. “Little human girl from a stinky, outdated little planet-“
 
“More than you,” Finri rolled her eyes. She jumped forward with speed, slamming Jodem into the ground, her hand across his face, “And I’m stronger than you.”
 
Her hands glowed a brilliant gold. The demon began to scream and wreathe beneath her. It began to beg and then cried out before the flopping finally ended.
 
“Lady Finri!” She heard behind her. She sighed and stood.
 
“What were you-“ Raven ran up, his brow turned down at the sight.
 
“Now worries, he’s perfectly fine.” Finri said. “Actually, he’s better than before. I got rid of a parasite for him.”
 
Raven gave her a disbelieving look.
 
“He’s unsurprisingly weak and pathetic,” Finri stated. “I’m surprised you weren’t first on stage to save the girl. Or the first in the back to open the cages.”
 
“We’ve sent a request to the temple to assist with taking care of the victims,” Raven said. “We should-”
 
“Do whatever you want, I’m leaving,” Finri remarked.
 
“We need to make sure it works out with the Prime Minister or the rest will fall apart,” Raven  argued.
 
“Get on it, then.” Finri said dismissively. She slunk away out of sight and disappeared outside. It was a mess. She ignored all of it and headed towards the Academy. Sephine and Yanafir had better played their part.
 
 
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