Teaser work! If you like this, drop me an e-mail, but unless you are a major fan, you'll have to wait for the book.
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“Ladies and Gentlemen! I now have one final act to show you all tonight,” the illusionist clapped his hands together and rocked back on his heels, “A real treat, I've never attempted this before. Well, at least in public, but since you are such a good audience, let's give it a try!”
The opera house filled with cheers and thunderous applause as the illusionist raised his hands into the air. Three thousand people cheered wildly for over a minute as he stood before them doing nothing, but basking in their enthusiasm. At last he motioned for them to stop and let out a soft laugh, stroking his anchor-styled beard with his right hand.
“Everyone... Everyone... Please hold your applause until after the illusion,” the man waited for silence before continuing, “From the far and majestic east comes the legend of one of the greatest kings of Hell! Paimon! Servant to His Infernal Majesty!”
The crowd gasped in horror as the man raised his hands into the air, terror struck into the hearts of the crowd at the mere mention of the devil. Several screams came from some of the weaker patrons and it carried through the opera house as if they were warming up their shrill voices in unison before a show.
Several figures ran down the corridors towards the stage in total darkness towards the illusionist. On opposite sides of the front row, two men and two women moved in unison rushing down the aisles as the man struggled to control the crowd once more.
“Everyone... Everyone... Please control yourselves. Thank you,” the man stood in the center of the stage, pulling a small pouch from his black tuxedo pocket, “I shall now summon our guest for some questioning. Please remain quiet. I can not stress this enough. Please remain quiet until the illusion is over. Absolute concentration and quiet is required for this.”
Spilling the sand haphazardly across the stage, the sand began to form a circle of its own accord. Stepping back, just outside of the circle, the man began the conjuration, “I conjure, charge and command thee, Paimon! Thou shalt appear in my presence and do my bidding. Let thee in my presence allow no spirit to hold or linger beyond my calling so that thee may suffer for their trespass! Let thee in my presence do no harm, evil, bodily or ghostly befall me.”
Running as fast as they could, the four figures reached the stage, shouting wildly, “Halt! Mr. Madison! Cease your summoning! Stop! STOP!”
“I conjure thee, Paimon!” shouted the illusionist as the four figures stormed the stage, with guns drawn.
The sand formed a seal and from the wooden floorboards of the stage a terrible gutteral roar filled the opera house as the contents of the circle began to materialize. The terrified screams of the crowd were drown out as thick steel chains shot forth from the circle, twisting and winding their way up into the rafters of the stage.
“Break the pact!” shouted the first man in a black trench coat pointing a revolver at the illusionist, advancing on the circle as one of the Hell's denizens answered the man's call.
With wide eyes the illusionist fell backwards as a fifteen foot tall dromedary and its demonic rider in vermilion cloak sprung up from Hell into the summoning circle. With a face too beautiful to be any man or woman's in the mortal coil, the demon cast his vengeful glare around the opera house and the summoning circle which confined him. A crown of precious gems shot forth unnatural light, illuminating the entire opera house in blinding glory, like the sun itself shining from the tip of his crown. The cloaked rider stared at the cowardly illusionist that had summoned him and bellowed with a demonic thunderous voice, the roar of a hundred demons crying out in unison, creating a cacophony of noise that filled every corner of the cavernous opera house and the hearts of every soul inside it.
“FOR WHAT PURPOSE HAVE YOU SUMMONED ME MORTAL!”
“Kill them!” cried the terrified summoner.
A hail of gunfire struck the illusionist as the four figures opened fire upon the man, his body exploded into pieces as the bullets impacted his chest, blowing apart his insides. The demon turned towards the four figures and eyed them for a moment before asking, “Paul Hamelstein! Camila Greene! Geoffrey MacDonald! Johnathan Snap! FOR WHAT PURPOSE HAVE I BEEN CALLED.”
The first of the four, Paul Hamelstein moved forward and bowed his head respectfully, “I dismiss you, Paimon.”
The king of Hell burst into thousands of flames as the summoning circle fractured and broke, scorching the floor of the opera house as it dissipated. The four shouted as if the entire thing had been rehearsed, “Thank you, everyone! We hope you enjoyed the show! The exits are being unlocked and you can all go home.”
