What it was was a very large room, the ceiling supported by pillars. It was lit either by lanterns at night or by large, demon made glass windows high in the ceiling during the day.

There was almost always at least one demon there during daylight.

Sometimes alone and sometimes part of a small demon division.

And at different times the human enforcers were also there. Their training conducted under the strict supervision of one of the demon enforcers. One human division was there now, practicing thrusts as she walked along the edge of the room.

Diana Veran was sparring at the other end of the room. When Lita reached her destination, a bench at the edge of Diana’s section, she put the plate of food down. Then looked back at the humans going through their drills.

A male demon paced in front of them. His red hair and white skin were a sharp contrast to his human subordinates’ healthy, dark skin and hair.

He barked and snarled instructions, which the humans followed with precision.

A crack startled Lita’s attention back to her Mistress and she shuddered. Diana’s a monster.

The demoness tossed aside her broken club then spun, kicked and growled at her opponent.

As she pushed Harv into a retreat she pulled free both her knives and ferociously danced them under his guard. Blood splattered and when she got a chance she sprang forward to sink her teeth into his upper arm and sink one knife into his other side.

Harv dropped his weapons and tapped her forehead with his free arm. Laughing.

Of course he’d be laughing about being bitten and stabbed.

“I surrender! I surrender to the most beautiful and most talented of us.”

“Stop teasing.” Diana backed away. She wiped blood from her mouth as she tossed aside her knives. Chest heaving. “I’m not beautiful.”

“Very well, I’ll give you that.”

The two of them walked back toward the benches where Lita waited. Harv, blood drenching his side even though the wound had already closed, started to reach for his discarded shirt. Then changed directions and tried to snatch something from the plate Lita had brought.

Diana swatted his hand.

“Get your own.”

He laughed again. “Feisty. Aridon is a lucky demon.”

“Aridon is a fool.” Diana showed her fangs.

“Ah. You’re fighting again. I wondered where all the animosity was coming from.”

“None of your business. Get out of here.”

He bowed and picked up his shirt. “As you wish, my lady. Tell your human to stop staring. I might kill her if it happens again.”

Lita instantly dropped her gaze and just saw his feet leaving her field of vision.

“Empty threats, boy.” Diana called after him. “She’s under Contract.”

He didn’t turn around, tossing the shirt carelessly over his shoulder as he stalked to the entrance. “It’s still fun to smell their fear.”

Diana Veran laughed softly as she sat down and picked up the food. Lita let out the breath she’d been holding and peeked up at her Mistress.

“You’re in a better mood, Mistress.”

“I usually am after a good spar.” Piling some cold meat between two ends of a roll, the demoness took a bite. “You’re next,” she said around a mouthful of food.

Lita winced. “Mistress, please-”

“No arguments. It won’t be a challenge for much longer if you let yourself get rusty. Like you did before coming here.” The demoness scowled, showing fang. “That was a disappointment you’ll not force me to witness again.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

So much for avoiding the training grounds.

Lita sighed and looked around the room while she waited for Diana to eat.

In the time that she’d watched Diana’s sparring match, a small division of demon had taken the center mat. She thought it was interesting that among the humans there were only a handful of women, with the men vastly outnumbering them.

But, among the twelve demons present, the numbers were even between the genders.

Her eyes strayed to the walls, where weapons hung on hooks and racks between doorways. The weapons ranged from fakes for practicing and the real thing.

Fakes were normally used by humans. At least at first if not consistently. And the real things by demons. The twelve demon were there now, picking weapons and chattering quietly to each other.

One of them said something in another language. It got the child-seeming creature a slap on the back of the head and a round of laughter.

“I’m ready. Come on.”

Reluctantly Lita followed her Mistress onto the floor, glad for the thick matting that the demons had woven together for the purpose. Glad, too, she’d worn pants today instead of a skirt.

Diana retrieved her earlier abandoned knives and traded them for a stave. When she returned she frowned at the blood that made their mat slick.

With an impatient grunt, the demoness pressed her fingertips into the mat and Lita watched the blood move off of it.

Like someone brushing aside a pile of dust.

“Ready?”

Does it matter?, thought Lita grumpily as she moved her weight to the balls of her feet. She was ready. Ready to move as quickly as she could.

Warily she circled with Diana, watching for the demoness’s first move.

Demons were only effortlessly stronger and faster in their demon forms. Otherwise they had to train their bodies just like a human to gain any edge. It meant that as long as Diana Veran didn’t change shapes she had no unfair advantages.

Except that Diana Veran had kept her body trained for centuries and Lita had recently enjoyed a long break.

Also, Lita wasn’t sparring.

She was just trying not to get hit.

Diana lunged and Lita ducked, rolling to the side. The roll smoothly got her to her feet and she ran, staying on the mat but trying to keep distance between her and the demoness.

Even under Contract, Diana could hit her in this situation. Because it was in the name of this twisted game of her’s and not out of direct desire to cause harm.

And getting hit hurt.

Lita dug into her tumbling days and jumped, rolled, and bounced her way around the sparring mat, avoiding as many of Diana’s swings as she could. Sometimes they came so close to her that all she had time to do was bend her body back a couple inches. Then she was rolling to get out of the way of the next swing.

Within minutes sweat drenched her shirt and hair. Her breathing became more and more ragged as the minutes stretched and Diana’s advances didn’t let up.

Then, abruptly, it was over.

“Ahh!”

She dropped to her knees and clenched her arm. The feeling had instantly gone numb under the blow and her fingertips tingled.

While Lita tried to catch her breath Diana leaned on the stave and watched her with an assessing eye.

“I win. You’re getting a little slow, Lita. No more breaks. I’ll have someone do this with you when I can’t.”

With her hair safely hiding her face, Lita snarled at the mat. Great. Just great. Just what she needed. Some other demented jerk wanting to hit her.

“Lita.” The girl looked up and Diana jerked her chin toward the doorway. “Are you escorting Taiken? Or do I need to meet him myself?”

“I’m-I’m doing it, Mistress.”

She rubbed her arm and slowly got to her feet. She had to grit her teeth as feeling started to come back in pounding throbs.

“Good.” Diana twirled the stave as she turned around then talked over her shoulder as she walked away. “I have something to grab in my room. Meet me at Aridon’s door. Do not go in without me.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Holding her arm tightly, Lita’s heart started pounding. Excitement or nerves, she wasn’t sure. One more. Just one more. Once she was done with this one, she was out.

The idea sent a thrill of relief through her.

In the entrance hall there were a few lingering demons and two of the human guests. And the usual smattering of servants and people wanting Contracts.

Taiken wasn’t there yet.

And there was no one else she was willing to talk to. So she walked close to the wall then waited near to the door, hiding behind the empty pillar as she watched and listened to snatches of conversation.

“You should… North Palace...”

“…found in the mines a fortnight ago…”

“..cut of this dress…”

“How many days worth of food do you think you’ll need?”

“Three. Old Leo will supply me on the way back. And where’s that human I sent for my bags? Lazy filth. If it weren’t under contract I’d whip the voids out of it.”

Lita stiffened and moved further behind the pillar while trying to calm what was left of her ragged breathing. She glanced up ruefully.

Other pillars in the hall sported statues halfway up the pillar. She couldn’t see it from this side of the pillar but this one had a hole where a statue should have been. Waiting for a demon to finally fill it.

It had been a really great hiding place in the past. High enough that when she lay on her stomach she could watch the room without being seen. Unless someone were far enough to see at that angle, which was always a risk.

It was also a pain to get up to.

With her behind the pillar it now hid the door from view but she didn’t care.

Silently she shot a prayer Void-ward. Please, please, don’t let him notice me.

The owner of the voice stopped talking for just an instant. If she was lucky he’d gone outside. Slowly, she started to peek around the other end.

Someone grabbed her shoulder and pushed it, forcing her to turn while her other shoulder was grabbed and pushed. Effectively pinning her to the pillar.

Her arm began to throb again.

“I knew I smelt you. Extra ripe today.” Clophas grinned and leaned his face closer to her’s. He took a deep breath through his nose. “You startle so easily, human Lita.”

“I’m under Contract. Let me go.”

“Let me go, Master Clophas.”

Anger is an easier emotion than fear so she tried grabbing it. Trying to pull it to the forefront. When had she become such a coward? “Let me go, Master Clophas.”

“No.”

“Please, let go, Master Clophas.” In desperation she added, “I'm on an errand for Mistress Diana Veran.”

“Are you, now?” He leaned forward until he was so close to her face she could smell his breath. It was a sweet smell but she gagged anyway. “Pretty Lita,” he crooned. “Have you thought about my offer?”

“I don't need to. I said no and I meant it.”

“But, think of the advantages. Diana won’t give you one lick more than any other servant. And I-” He moved closer, adjusting his grip so his body could partially press into her. He moved his lips close to her ear, brushing against it until she winced. “I could give you so much more, pretty Lita.”

She flinched again as she felt him kiss her neck.

He can’t hurt me. He can’t hurt me-

“N-No-”

“Rude.” One of his friends, whom Lita hadn’t noticed until then, leaned over Clophas’ shoulder and gripped Lita’s chin. “How should we punish her?”

Irritably Clophas used his shoulder to push his unrepentant friend away. Then, still pinning her with the other arm, he placed a hand in a possessive grip on her waist. “This one’s mine. You can have her after I'm done.”

Lita paled.

They can't hurt me. They can't hurt me. I have a Contract. They can't hurt me.

The other one leaned forward, taking a deep breath through his nose. “I love the smell of fear before dinner. I think we should have this one serve our meal tonight, yes?”

Clophas laughed and moved the possessive hand upwards into an inappropriate position. She winced. “Too bad I’m leaving before that.”

It was reflex that caused her to yank again, trying to squirm free. This time Clophas didn’t try to stop her, letting go so unexpectedly that she stumbled. The movement banged her shoulder against the pillar and irritated the bruise on her arm.

She startled to fall and moved so she’d land without hurting herself further.

Except she didn't fall.

Because someone caught her. She looked up, wide eyed, at the demon who’d wrapped his arms around her to keep her off the floor. He met her eyes only briefly before flicking them up to the others.

“Harassing the help, Clophas?”