A World Beneath

Chapter 14 - On One Condition

I woke up bound to a chair. 

Let me stop right there. I 've seen enough movies to know, that waking up attached to a chair is never a good thing. But, I was trying not to panic.

I quickly located my friends. They were also bound to chairs, and we were all sitting next to each other.

I surveyed the room. Dark, creepy, sinister. Seems about right. The only thing in the room was us, and a big empty fireplace in  front of us.

As my friends began to stir in their sleep, I glance over at the ticking sound.

A grandfather clock. And if it was working correctly, then it was 5:04.

How long were we asleep? Or should I say, knocked out.

If I didn't know any better, I would say that this was a set-up. If Farris pointed us in the right direction, and was trying to help us... Then why were we all chained to chairs right now?

Why wasn't Deveraux here with us, telling us what we needed to know? What I needed to know.

My thoughts were interrupted when Ziane looked at me.

"He tricked us."

Ellie: "No, maybe not. He's probably just wondering why we were intruding on his privacy."

Penny: "Yeah, we did kind of just barge in."

Torin: "No. He meant to do this. But I wonder why..."

Suddenly, the fire roared up in flames. We fell silent.

A man walked in front of the fire. He had on a full length black trench coat, and black leather boots. His eyes were red like fire. He ran his hand through his shoulder-length hair. 

I don't know who I was expecting. But it wasn't a middle-aged man in all black attire. 

We all looked at him in shock.

"You look so shocked. I don't know who you were expecting."

He spoke with a slight old English accent.

Torin was the first to speak.

"Deveraux, nice to see you again." He remained calm and composed. "Can you please tell me why me and my friends are tied up?"

He neatly evaded the question and continued speaking.

"So, let's see... A demon by the name of Farris told you that I have information regarding the whereabouts of your mother. Therefore-"

He stopped talking and looked straight at me.

"Therefore, you would like to know where she is."

"Yes, I need to know. Who has my mother?" He grinned at me.

"Who? Darling, there are many ways to dole out information to ones as young and naive as yourself. What makes you think that I will just willingly tell you this without asking for anything in return?"

"What is with you people! Can't you just tell me out of the goodness of your heart?"

"Sweetie, there is no goodness in my heart."

"There is good in everyone." Deveraux smirked.

"And there is also bad", he added. Then he laughed abruptly.

"But no matter", he continued. "I will give you this one piece of information on one condition. You must do the right thing."

"What?" I sat up a little straighter. Deveraux crouched down in front of me. 

"There will come a time very, very soon. You will have to make an important decision. Not just for you, or your friends. But for all of the people who live in the World Beneath. For the vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, fairies... Everyone."

I didn't know what to say. I thought Deveraux was going to demand me to do something outrageous and dangerous, but... It seemed like he just wanted me to do the right thing.

Deveraux stood up.

"I know that you probably don't understand what I'm saying. You probably think that I'm just a crazy old, demon. Still, you will understand when the time comes."

Everyone was silent.

"Okay, then." Deveraux pulled out a chair and straddled it in front of me. 

He smiled. 

"It's about time for me to deliver that information."