“ Are you Bao ?” Ivy asked . “ I am ,” Bao replied . “ Please tell me your name and sit .” “ My name is Ivy ,” she said , taking a seat near Bao . “ May I ask how you know of me , Ivy ?”
Bao asked .
Ivy felt it best not to lie , as she was prone to do when questioned . “ A witch named Lillia gave me your name ,” she said . “ She told me to find you .”
“ I do not usually trust a witch ’ s intent ,” Bao said . “ Did she happen to tell why you should seek me ?” “ I ’ m looking for a demon ,” Ivy replied . Bao shifted in his seat . “ One would think they do not exist ,” he said . “ What makes you believe otherwise ?”
Ivy sighed , feeling like she was in some kind of confessional . “ I sold my soul to a demon named Lannus ,” she said , looking at her own reflection in Bao ’ s sunglasses . “ I used him to hex two people when I was nineteen . In exchange , he took my life from me .”
“ Then why do you want to find him again ?” Bao asked .
“ He left me barren ,” Ivy said . “ My family and life were in ruins . I have never recovered from the damage . I want revenge . I want to kill him .”
Bao laughed dryly . “ You seek something that is not easy ,” he said . “ I can help , but you ’ ll have to sacrifice .” “ I have nothing ,” Ivy said . “ You only think you have nothing ,” Bao said , “ but there is still much for you to lose ”. He removed his sunglasses . His eyes were milky white , with a long , horizontal scar across them . “ I lost my sight to the battle against the evil ones who walk among us .”
“ The witch told me they have no form ,” Ivy said .
“ She was right ,” Bao said , “ but they can inhabit the bodies of those who are willing . They inhabit us , living as humans , taking part in the sin their fallen leader was denied so many centuries ago .”
Ivy watched Bao , unable to take her eyes form his deformed face . She wished he hadn ’ t removed his sunglasses .
“ I can get you close to them ,” Bao said , his voice low . “ I have never heard of the demon you named , but I can get you in a position if you would like to wait for him to surface , if he ever does .” “ What can I do ?” Ivy asked . “ As I said before ,” Bao replied , “ you still have much to lose . There is a den in the heart of the underground . Here , demons inhabiting humans come , partaking in drink and the pleasures of the flesh . You have a good body and a damaged soul . They will like you in this place .”
“ What are you saying ?” Ivy asked . “ You want me to be a whore ?!”
“ Will you not sacrifice your body , inside and out ?” Bao asked . “ Is your revenge so petty , that you will not take a most needed step toward it ?”
“ And what do you get out of it ?” Ivy asked .
“ I get a spy on the inside of their den ,” Bao replied . “ In exchange for getting you in , you will report to me all you see and hear .”
Ivy mulled over what Bao was asking of her . She would be one step closer to finding Lannus , if Bao was to be believed . But was he serious about what he was asking , or was he merely testing her resolve ? “ Fine ,” Ivy said . “ I ’ ll be your whore .” “ You will not be mine ,” Bao said , “ not ever . You will only be your own whore .” “ So when do I start ?” Ivy asked . Bao smiled . “ I know you are eager ,” he said , “ but there is much to do .”