and a weakness for computer games."
"But... you're a vampire!" she protested. "You can't refuse me!"
"We prefer the names Moravian or Dark One. They are less dramatic, and result in fewer people arriving at the front door with torches and wooden stakes. As for refusing you..." He gestured toward the open door. "Thank you again, but I'm a busy man. If you wouldn't mind leaving now?"
"Well, I have nevah!" The confusion in Clarice's grey eyes changed to haughty anger as the twangy cadence of her accent deepened. "There's just somethin' wrong with you, you know that?"
"Yes, I'm aware of it," he answered, still amused despite the irritating aspect of the interruption. "I'm more or less damned by an ancient curse. My parents hadn't completed the seven steps to Joining when I was born, so unlike my younger brothers, I have no soul."
"But... your brother said that only a woman can save you. He said that you need a woman to become whole again."
"Clearly it's time for me to have yet another talk with Avery," Paen said, sighing a little. "He means well, but I've told him before - I have no intention of accepting a Beloved even if I did find her."
"Beloved?"
"Only a Beloved can redeem a Dark One's soul. But I don't need a woman to live a happy life," he told her, gently pushing her out the door. "I'm quite content on my own. I have my research, and family - although they can be annoying as hell sometimes - and given my brothers' randy natures, all the beautiful women I can look at. I even had a girlfriend a few years ago, although she left me for a software genius. So as you can see, I may be damned, but I'm just fine with it. Thanks again for the offer. See you later."
"But... you can't... you need to drink blood - "
Paen quietly closed the door on Clarice's outraged protests, turning the lock after a moment's thought. No sense in giving her the chance to pop back in and throw herself at him again.
"Alone at last," he said to himself as he turned back toward his desk.
"Not exactly."
Across the room, a shadow moved against a wall, separating itself to form into a man. Paen watched with interest, cautious but not overly concerned about the sudden appearance of what he believed was a demon in his study. "Today seems to be my day for entertaining guests. I assume this isn't just a social call?"
The man-shaped demon chuckled. Paen was momentarily taken aback by such an act - demons were notorious for their lack of sense of humor. It was a rare one who could appreciate sarcasm and irony. "I'm not going to drag you down to Abaddon, if that's what you are wondering. So I suppose in a sense, this could be construed as a social call. I'm Caspar Green."
Paen looked at the hand the demon offered. It didn't look like it concealed any spring-loaded razor blades, or deadly acid pumps, or even some horrible contagion that would cause various body parts to wart up and subsequently fall off, but you never really knew with demons. "Erm... you'll forgive me for being rude, but I don't recall ever hearing about a demon who assumed a mortal name."
Caspar smiled. Paen glanced quickly toward a delicate glass-fronted secretary that held his more valuable manuscripts. Generally when demons smiled, things broke. "That would be because I'm not a demon. I am, in fact, an alastor."
"Alastor?" The name tickled in the back of his mind.
"Yes." Caspar tipped his head to the side. "I find myself somewhat offended that you thought I was a common demon. I assumed you were a man of some discernment."
"Forgive me," Paen said with a wry twist to his lips. "I am a bit of the stereotypically cloistered scholar. I haven't had time to mingle much with citizens of the Otherworld, but correct me if I'm wrong - isn't alastor another name for a demon?"
"I am of the demonic persuasion, yes, but not truly a demon. Alastors are not bound to demon lords - they can, however, be employed. A better name would be nemesis; it is what most alastors are commonly called. As for my name - I was mortal at one time. It is my preference to use a name that puts humans at ease."
"I'm not human," Paen pointed out, finally shaking the alastor's hand. He might not be able to tell a demon from an alastor,