Fifteen minutes of rapid repacking and carrying boxes to the car later.
"I do not understand, Rezzo Cal, why would your servant take It?" Lulabel asked, hanging onto the armrest in my car for dear life. Apparently whatever dimension she was from didn't have rush hour.
I swerved into another lane, "Because he's not my servant, he's my friend... and an idiot," I replied, failing utterly to keep the annoyance out of my voice, "While he did defer to me in the store, he's still free to do as he likes... for better or worse." I changed lanes again, to pass a station wagon that was only going five over. This was futile, I knew. The likelihood that Blake had the bottle but hadn't opened it yet, but was in the process of opening it now, was statistically insignificant... but I had to do something. "He still has free will,"
"Had," Lulabel corrected.
"Had?" I asked, my blood turning to ice water, "What do you mean?"
"If he opened the bottle, maybe not so much the free will anymore,"
"...what are we walking into exactly?"
Lulabel shifted uncomfortably, pointedly not looking at the semi truck I was coming up behind faster than is advisable, "The bottle contains a demon. A big one. Lulabel doesn't say the name in case it is awake. Demon will be weakened. Wanting to feed. Probably stole your servant, enslaved, made into sexual thrall to harvest for energy"
"He's not my--" I sighed. Let it go. "So this thing can mind control people?"
She nodded, "Yes. Humans specifically. Sexual contact releases energy, feeds creature. Rezzo Cal protected by wards. If demon not yet strong enough, will be bound. Have to follow Rezzo Cal commands."
"And if demon stro--" I grumbled. Her way of talking was getting to me. "And if the demon is already strong enough?"
"Lulabel mop Rezzo Cal off walls, put in tasteful urn." She didn't look like she was kidding. I wasn't entirely certain she'd know what kidding was.
"uh huh... isn't there somebody we should be calling? A secret cabal of wizards? A sorcerer supreme? A government ministry that handles this?" I swerved. Some people just didn't know how to drive 30 over the speed limit. The police car I blew past sat and did nothing. Thank you Lesser Perception Filter.
"Was. Secret council, secret police, secret laws, secret schools, secret everything. Since new Rezzo appointed been trying to reach them. Nobody answer Lulabel sendings." she sighed, "Humans live so short."
I swallowed. I didn't like where this was going, "Lulabel, how long has Rezzo's Shop been without an owner?"
"About an astral h--"
"In human time, please. Approximate is fine."
She did math for a moment. I'm sure I caught the word logarithm in there somewhere. Lulabel was doing my taxes this year if I was still alive by April. "487 years" she came up with.
"Neat. So everybody you knew in the magical world is dead and we can't reach help in time to make a difference. No telling how much damage this thing could do before they notice." I said darkly. Would she blow up a whole block? The whole city?
"Not exactly" Lulabel looked down at her lap, nervously touching her fingertips together, "Lulabel sendings go to offices, not to specific human. Can send to Minister, go to Minister, whoever that is. No officers answer. No officers exist." she gulped.
My mind whirled with the implications. No officers meant no secret government. No backup. Meaning that by mastering one relatively amateur hour spell, I was... what... the only wizard in the world?
About that time, we pulled up to Blake's apartment. The door was half open and the smell of brimstone hung thick in the air. "That's... probably not good, is it?"
Lulabel either didn't hear me, or chose not to dignify that with a response.
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