Violet Eyes

75: Devil's Advocate

Twenty minutes after Nyx's death
The Erebus Estate, Exterior

Damien dashed away from his burning home, clutching Nyx's body close to his chest so he wouldn't drop her. He stumbled every now and then, but he didn't let it stop him as he raced into the woods next to his home. He could hear Nate's pained screaming in the distance, even over the flames, and it caused him to take pause. He stopped running and leaned against a tree to rest. He breathed deeply for a while, resting his head against the tree before he looked down at the woman in his arms. She was hanging limp and Damien noticed that her eyes were still open. He adjusted his grip and used his hand to close her eyes before taking a deep breath. What the hell am I doing? He asked himself internally as he stood back up straight, groaning from the pain surging through his body. Nyx had still broken a few of his ribs and the adrenaline was fading now. He knew it wouldn't be long before his body would give out. Damien bit the inside of his lip, he needed to find a phone and fast, he had a very important phone call to make.

Damien moved his right hand upward slightly as his arm held up Nyx's legs. A black tendril snaked up from his shadow and wrapped around Nyx's body. It completely encased her in shadows and carried her onto his back where it turned itself into a case that resembled a backpack. Damien cursed under his breath, these woods went on for miles. He couldn't walk all that distance carrying a body, with broken ribs, a stab wound, and a nearly empty stomach. He looked back towards the direction of the estate, seeing the flames through the trees. Damien growled in frustration before he started walking back towards the estate, he knew that Nyx had slaughtered all of the agents here, a lot of them in the front gardens. One of them had to have their phone still intact.

After a while of walking, Damien came to the edge of the tree line and crouched down. His eyes scanned the area, looking for a sign of life, specifically the group from Sanctuary. He didn't want them to see him outside, with Nyx's corpse in his arms. He could see the disturbed snow that could've only been caused by Nate and his friends, but they were gone now. Damien shivered from the cold before he got up and dashed towards the main gate. As he approached, he slowed down a bit as subtle shock spread across his face. He saw the first two corpses outside of the main gate, one was killed from a bullet wound and the other had a broken neck, his head bent at an impossible angle. He also saw the main gate was bent and destroyed inward and he swallowed. He crouched down next to the body that was shot and searched his pockets, no phone. Damien cursed under his breath before he moved to the other corpse. He sighed in soft relief when he found a cellphone in his pocket, he opened the cheap flip phone and quickly dialed a number that he had memorized previously. The number of a man that he knew would help him, for the right price. The man that had brought him back from the dead.

After a few seconds of dial tone, a man with a thick Russian accent answered. "I do not know this number, who is this?"

"Faust, it's Damien Erebus." He answered, his voice was scratchy and gruff, his throat still hurt from Nyx clutching it with a grip so tight, it would make a vice jealous.

"Ah, Damien. I haven't heard from you since I created that small boy with the dragons." The faceless voice named Faust spoke casually into the phone.

"Shut up and listen. I...need your help." Damien said quietly, the exhaustion was clear in his voice. He didn't even want to try standing up because he felt like he would fall over if he tried.

Faust hummed into the phone, "The strongly independent Damien Erebus needs my help? I seem to recall that same man telling me that he didn't need help from anyone." Faust sounded like he was mocking slightly. Damien gritted his teeth in frustration.

"That was before my home burned to the ground and I became 50% of the only living members of the Erebus family." Damien sounded quiet and ashamed. It was silent on the other end for a long while before he heard Faust groan slightly.