THE MEETING

"Don't send me no angel (...)

'Cause I need a man with a black heart of gold (...)

'Cause I need a man who's got blood on his hands

And the truth on his face."

Dorothy, Dark Nights

At 10:30 on Thursday the 18th of May, as soon as the cardinal and his attendant stepped into the hotel's hall, a man in a white suit and improbable Panama hat stood from one of the couches and waved at them.

Scanning the handsome young man, Sakuya hesitated. The Oracle had always been a man of discretion, very careful at hiding his real appearance, to the point the priest had been led to believe him middle-aged. However, determined not to show any sign of weakness that could put him at a disadvantage, the cardinal pulled on a charming smile and approached with confident steps.

When the white-suit stretched out his right hand to greet him, Sakuya took his chance to bend in and study his face. The hat was hiding his hair, but his funny, round glasses weren't enough to conceal his pitch-black, almond-shaped eyes. His child-like skin didn't show any traces of tension while his pink lips curved in an enchanting beam, giving a touch of humanity to his androgynous features. All he lacked in virility, he made up for with his mysterious, exotic charm.

Sakuya tightened his hold on the man's hand, trying to sense his energy. Reassuring warmth enveloped him. The most distinguishing trait of the Oracle was his power to induce an immediate relaxation, capable of stirring the desire to follow him to the end of the world. Sakuya looked away before their eyes could meet again. While their hands were connected, he couldn't afford to look at that darkness directly. He would be swayed in. His gaze moved to the side, following a waitress.

As if reading the priest's mind, Sybil Vain withdrew his hand and sat back on the couch. While Sakuya lifted his hand to catch the waitress's attention, Marcus walked past him, lightly patting his back before he settled down beside the Oracle. Disrupted by the miraculous touch of his assistant, Vain's energy dissipated completely and Sakuya snapped out of it, finally taking place in front of the man.

"Sybil, it's a pleasure seeing you—will you forgive me for my ungracious behavior? I didn't expect you to be unmasked and you look younger than I thought you would," he said in all honesty.

"I'm flattered and the pleasure is mine, Father. You can think of my pretty face as a sign of my good faith in concluding this deal," he smooth-talked as he crossed his legs, his shoulders and face completely relaxed. "I see you've brought one more guest," he pointed out, glancing at Marcus with the shade of a smile on his lips.

"Oh, how could I forget that my personal attendant has been straight out avoiding you for years—at the very least, until today—but you must've heard his voice on the phone, and we talked about him sometimes, didn't we?" Sakuya gave the boy a sideways glance and stretched his hand out to introduce him. "His Confirmation name is Raziel, while his given name is Marcus, you may call him either way. Well, you might already know all of this, so forgive me again if I'm redundant," he added and bowed his head to excuse his rudeness.

"Nevermind. I'm not omniscient after all, so thanks for considering the possibility that it might've slipped by me," Vain replied graciously and gave the boy a smile and a nod. "Still, I'm glad that you accepted my invitation." He turned his beaming smile back to the father.

The waitress approached them as they concluded their pleasantries. Sakuya ordered a couple of coffees and a peach juice for the boy, who was already nervous enough. He waited until the girl was far enough before speaking again, in his most persuasive tone.

"Sybil, my dear, I'm delighted at this informal meeting, but you still haven't explained your reasons. You'll agree that I can't fully enjoy your company under these circumstances." He leaned his elbows on the armrests, joining his hands on his laps.

Sybil took off his hat and placed it on the side of the table. A long braid woven in dazzlingly white strands fell over his right shoulder. He sighed dramatically before he rested his back on the couch, undoing his jacket and loosening his collar as if preparing for a long, boring talk. He looked up at the ceiling, light flooding the dark pools of his eyes, his pale skin shining in contrast—an image worthy of overseeing an altar.

"You might not know it, but it's my policy not to peek into my personal future as a way to safeguard my peaceful routine." His gaze trailed down to the father, his deep, soothing voice taking the tone of an English lady during teatime—politely saying one thing while implying something else. "However, about a year ago, I started having a particular dream ... What surprised me the most wasn't the fact that it prophetized my death, but rather, the presence of a stranger who was shaken to the point of tears. It piqued my interest. So, using the best of my abilities, I tried to figure the whole thing out." He bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring straight into Sakuya's eyes.

The cardinal held his gaze without commenting and Vain's white eyelashes slid down in a seductive way before he spoke again.

"I was about to give up when I had a vision of King Solomon. I was told that the ring would allow me to bring clarity into the circumstances of my future death." He took a deep breath and his eyes flung open again. "I reached the conclusion that the sooner I acquired the relic, the sooner I would be able to divine the riddle. That's why I tricked you." His eyes locked to Sakuya's, he chuckled softly, as if he'd spoken a private joke that only the priest could understand. "It might sound childish of me, but I'm not very used to surprises..."

Barely managing to resist the magnetic pull of his eyes, Sakuya noticed how unusual it was for the Oracle to chatter so much. He obviously was trying to trick him again. The cardinal cleared his throat, steadying his voice.

"I can imagine how foreseeing your death might've affected your feelings, but couldn't you have simply asked for my help?" He ran a hand over his face, trying to flatten the wrinkles that had formed between his brows.

"I don't mean to offend you by saying this, but I doubted you would give me such a precious artifact just to clarify my doubts," the Oracle replied, a hint of amusement playing in his voice. "Especially considering that I'm meant to carry out Solomon's wish to return it to its rightful owner."

Before Sakuya could react, Marcus' clear voice cut through their conversation. "Mister Vain, obviously that's out of the question, and your story doesn't justify your behavior. Where is the relic? Why don't you have the ring with you?" His eyes narrowed to shining diamonds. "For your own good, you should return it immediately."

In the middle of the men's little chess play, Marcus' intervention sounded inappropriate like a dog's barking during a function. Sakuya let out a sigh while the Oracle flatly stared back at the boy, not even bothering to reply. They kept at it for all the time it took the waitress to place their orders on the small table and leave. Knowing Vain's taste, Sakuya sweetened both coffees, stirred them and pushed one cup towards Vain. Marcus was still glowering at Sybil as Sakuya took a sip of his own drink, but the Oracle turned his gaze back to the cardinal.

"It seems like your lapdog could use some training too," he noted amusedly, giving Sakuya a knowing glance.

The cardinal couldn't contain a peal of sincere laughter. "You know what they say—barking dogs seldom bite. I was under the wrong assumption that mine was a quiet one." His smooth reply earned him a frown from Marcus. He lightly patted the boy's knee, keeping his focus on Vain. "Still, whenever Linda called me, she seemed to be a polite and discreet woman. Did you get a new assistant?"

"He's more like a house pet than an employee, and I'm afraid he's also likely to bite." The Oracle chuckled to himself.

Sakuya studied his face, managing to conceal his surprise. Apparently, Vain's pet was the reason of their meeting and it was probably going to be a huge complication. The cardinal gulped down his coffee and called over the waitress to order vodka on the rocks.

For a few minutes, he enjoyed the silence, ignoring Marcus' intense gaze—the usual despise for the Father's drinking habit topping his already grumpy mood.

When his order was delivered, Sakuya raised his glass to Sybil Vain. The transparent liquid stirred and the ice shifted and clinked against the crystal. The cardinal took a sip, keeping his eyes on the other man.

"Well, if you are not seeking my help to prevent your death and you have no intention of returning what you took—" he spoke in his cold business tone, finally getting to the point "—to what do I owe the honor of this meeting?"

"To be honest, I want to ask you a favor, Father," Sybil replied, adjusting to a low, measured voice.

"Mister Vain, you are in no position to make requests," Marcus replied quickly.

Vain granted the boy an indulgent smile, but Sakuya glared at him. He raised his hand to silence him before slowly bringing his eyes back to Sybil's.

As expected, the Oracle was willing to negotiate and Sakuya was more than open to listen to his request—or rather he actually liked the idea. The cardinal harbored quite a curiosity toward the Oracle's real intentions. He leaned forward and gestured for Vain to continue speaking.

"It's actually about my pet—well, if I hadn't found him, at this time he would be one of your hounds, but since I've beaten you there..." A wry smile curved his lips. "You see, I'm afraid he might stir up some trouble, so I'm planning on sending him away. When that happens, I would highly appreciate if you'd refrain from engaging him and actually help him to leave unharmed."

Sakuya could've laughed at the absurdity of his explanation—if it wasn't for the serious glance the Oracle gave him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong—you'd foreseen I could make a connection with this person and send him to chase you, so you snatched him away before I could meet him, right?"

The Oracle nodded graciously.

"Well, I presently have no involvement with him, so why should I protect him? What is it that you are offering me?" Sakuya asked boldly.

"Well, what I offer you..." he took a theatrical break, "is a gamble with God."

Sakuya took a slow sip of his vodka before he gave a slight nod. His attention completely absorbed, he bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees and mirroring the Oracle's posture.

"At the moment, my little Set is like an electron that jumped out of his orbit and got under the electromagnetic influence of my Buddha-field. The gravity generated by my center attracts him, leading him to gravitate around me, but the information inscribed in his personal space-time is meant to force him into a determined physicochemical behavior, which implies the death of my current vessel," Sybil explained, taking off his glasses to clean the lenses with his pocket tissue and exposing the boundless depth of his dark eyes.

Sakuya arched his brow. "Pardon?"

Sybil covered his mouth, but he couldn't conceal his chuckle. "Even if I approached Set first, preventing his connection to you. Even if being by my side grants him a certain amount of stability. The only thing that could actually change his karma would be the quantum leap of achieving a higher state of consciousness, a phenomenon capable of bringing to light and rewriting the information stored in his subconscious, and thus modifying his behavioral tendencies."

His lips pursed slightly as the father gave him one more skeptical glance. The Oracle huffed, but his mellow voice came out unperturbed again.

"Thanks to Existence's natural tendency to evolve, my energy and the information stored in it will eventually be assimilated by Set's system, which sooner or later is bound to transform accordingly. However, our current relationship exists in a limited space-time and there's no guarantee that the process would be fast enough to forestall my death and all the collateral damage connected to it." The Oracle bit his lip and took a deep breath before continuing. "Regardless of my fate, I want to keep the door open for him."

Sakuya shook his head. The whole thing was absurd. Sybil Vain was planning to save the person who was supposed to kill him and willing to give all of his power as well as his life for it. That went far beyond forgiveness.

"Set doesn't have the faintest idea of what I'm telling you right now. So, be nice, Father, and for the sake of my little experiment grant my request." As he concluded his talk, his voice drifted back to the light tone he would use to order another drink.

Sakuya massaged his temples. "I'm afraid I missed a good part of your mad-scientist rambling, but I think I got the gist of it. How many days are left before your death?" he asked seriously.

"It should be Saturday," Sybil said under his breath and for a moment his face darkened.

Sakuya took the last sip of his drink, studying the Oracle's face. "Now, the point I wish to make sure is—are you returning the ring?" he pressed.

"Come to my apartment on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and, upon my death, you'll get back your precious relic. However, I want your word that in any case, you'll let Set Voland go." Sybil cut to the chase.

"Set Voland, eh?" The priest put down his glass and leaned back in his couch. He took a moment to relax his features and a deep breath before he sat back up, pressing his hand over his chest. "In the presence of God, you have my word," he declared.

Sybil's face lit up with a heartfelt smile, while the priest shook his head. In the end, he couldn't even begin to fathom the Oracle's true motives for staging such an awkward act. He adjusted the cuff of his shirt, glancing at the watch on his wrist. Dee was oddly late. Sakuya's head turned toward the center of the hall, his fingers tapping his thigh.

"Sybil, I'm delighted we reached an agreement, though you should know that I'd prefer if your death wasn't a necessary condition," he considered.

Marcus shifted nervously on his couch, his face turned pale, his mouth opening as if to say something, but meeting eyes with the Oracle, he was left speechless. The two stared at each other while a steady sound of steps grew closer from Sakuya's back. The boy stiffened and looked down at the floor. Sakuya knew what it meant as he recognized the dark aura approaching them.

"Oh, well, now that we've clarified the lines of responsibility, we have nothing to do but inform our man," Sakuya said pragmatically.

He turned his head just in time to see an athletic blond man, who had apparently approached from the next table and stopped a meter away. Even if sunglasses shaded his eyes, Sakuya could sense his subtly menacing gaze. In the middle of his chiseled pecs, a metal cross pendant shone against the blackness of his tight shirt. Sakuya gestured for him to come closer and the man promptly stepped in front of him.

He took off his shades and stared straight into the priest's eyes, yet no words came out of his mouth. The small ring piercing his right lobe reflected the light in a golden glimmer, but it wasn't enough to catch the priest's eyes. The water-clear transparency of the man's irises was almost disturbing for how much it mismatched his soul.

Sakuya cleared his throat. "I am the resurrection and the life—whoever believes in me, even though he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" he said solemnly, holding the man's gaze.

"John 11, verses 25-26. I believe," the rough, low voice replied, skipping the pleasantries as well. "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat—but if it dies, it produces much fruit."

"John 12, verse 24. So be it, amen," Sakuya replied calmly. "I see you listened in on our conversation, Doctor."

As Dee sat beside the priest, Marcus held his breath and his hands flew to cover his mouth as if he was about to throw up. Sybil Vain kneeled in front of the boy and grabbed his shoulders. When their eyes locked the boy's resistance faltered. Sybil held Marcus in his arms, gently stroking his back. A mystified expression disrupted Marcus' usual indifference, his cheeks were slightly reddened, his eyes filled with gratitude. Sakuya clicked his tongue, but Dee spoke, catching his attention back.

"John, I was at least expecting you to be alone. Would you care to explain the reason of this ... circus?" he asked coldly, his left brow arched.

"Well, after what happened with you, somebody had to take over Lucille's task. The council felt it was unsafe to hire an outsider." Sakuya lifted his hand palm up to introduce the boy, sitting at his other side. "As you know, Marcus has been serving our church for nine years and was my personal attendant for five. They presumed he could easily take the job and would be a better choice when it comes to dealing with you. He surely won't be swayed in by your charm."

Dee's hard expression didn't show any sign of loosening up. "And?" he asked, throwing a suspicious glance at the back of the Oracle still kneeling in front of Marcus.

"He contacted me before you," Sakuya teased.

Dee's shoulders stiffened, his jaw clenched. At the same time, Vain let go of the boy and returned to his seat, a soft smile hanging on his lips.

Sakuya's gaze caught the Oracle's. "Sybil, this is our best inquisitor, and given his Rosicrucian past we lovingly call him Doctor Dee." A sly smile curved his lips before he turned his attention back to Dee.

"I believe you heard that, upon Mister Vain's death, we should be able to retrieve the ring. I'd like you to take care of that. Go to his apartment on Saturday at 4:30 and comply with his request to keep safe the one called Set Voland," the Father instructed. "May the mercy of God be with you all."

Dee ran a hand through his hair before he nodded without questioning. However, he looked back at the Oracle, who was sitting in front of Sakuya, and smiled.

"So, Mister Vain, we finally meet. How naïve of me, thinking that I could just ignore your invitation and take the chance to spy on you," he said, studying the man's pale face.

"Dear Doctor, spying isn't a nice thing to do. So, did you meet my boy?" Sybil asked unfazed.

"I did and I got your message as well, but there's one thing I'd like to get off my chest if you don't mind."

"Go ahead," Vain replied politely.

"If you could face me at any time, why have you been hiding?" he asked directly.

"There's a right time for everything under the sun." Sybil shrugged, his eyes half-closed, looking at his empty cup as if entranced by the secret meaning of his own words. Then, he lifted his gaze and spoke again, his hands crossing on his lap. "To be honest, at first I thought I'd kill Set myself, so I didn't want your church to get involved. However, meeting directly, something about him caught my interest," he said lightly. "Once I gazed upon the star in his heart, I couldn't turn away anymore."

Dee didn't comment, but a spark of amusement lit his eyes. Sakuya cleared his throat, slightly annoyed by the Oracle's easiness in befriending his employees.

"Sybil, would you please provide us with your address?"

The Oracle lifted his briefcase over his knees and opened it. He took out two square, white cards and placed them on the glass table in front of each man. Sakuya promptly picked it up and checked out the handwriting. It was indeed an address, complete with access codes. As he lifted his gaze from the paper, the Oracle gave him an innocent smile and turned the briefcase around. A knife was neatly stashed in the middle of the upper part, while two pendants were fixed at both sides of it. The right one reproduced Glasya Labolas' seal and the left one Astaroth's. An antique copy of the Lemegeton lay on the bottom part, opened at the ritual to evoke and control the infernal dog.

"You compelled him," Sakuya hissed.

"I didn't," the Oracle replied softly.

"Why not? It could've been a big advantage."

"That is if you assume that I'm playing against you, but am I even considering you as a rival? We have an agreement after all," the Oracle spoke in honeyed words before he glanced at Dee. "So, whose orders is Glasya following now?"

"Sakuya Sumeragi," the man replied in a low voice.

Sakuya thrust the card in his chest pocket. "Dee, you are free to manage the rest as you see fit." He gulped down the remaining of his watered vodka and stood, calling the end of their meeting.

"Have a good day, Father John." Sybil waved him off.

It was the name Sakuya had chosen when he took his vows, but it suddenly felt oddly wrong. The cardinal couldn't grasp the reason of his own uneasiness, but something didn't feel right anymore. He turned on his heels and quickly walked away.

Retrieving the ring was his Church's priority and Sybil Vain's death would be a simplifying coincidence. Didn't he believe that the means justify the ends? Still, something kept bugging him.

It was unthinkable that Sybil Vain—with all his supernatural abilities and knowledge—couldn't find a way to change his fate and hold the ring.

The thought kept him company all day. Neither the fundraising lunch meeting nor the charity event in the afternoon had been enough to shake it off. Going to the gym afterward hadn't worked either. He realized he couldn't bear to have dinner until he had solved the issue.

Under Marcus' glare, the priest ended up getting ready to go out.

It was just past sunset when the private limousine pulled into the underground parking of a modern six-story building, facing Central Park. The card Sybil Vain had given him reported the passcode for the gate and the lift. The hired driver got out of the car and quickly moved to open the back door. Sakuya slipped out, but Marcus fell on himself before his foot could even touch the ground. As he folded on the seat, he brought both hands to his mouth, his face twisted, his eyes glazed.

"What's the matter, Marcus?" Sakuya asked, poking his head inside the car to check over the boy.

"T-the ... s-stench ... is ... un-unbearable," he muttered through his fingers.

Sakuya inhaled deeply, the tangy smell of the leather seats mixed with some chemical car freshener flooded his nostrils in an unpleasant way, a slight sting of fumes followed. Nothing strange though. He sighed and shook his head.

"I guess, as usual, this is something only you can feel. You've always been extremely perceptive." He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Alright. You stay here and I'll try to make this quick," he said, withdrawing his arm.

Marcus grabbed his hand. "Inside ... there's a Grand Duke." He struggled to steady his voice, squinting his eyes as if they were burning.

"Would you mind getting over your demon allergy and come with me then?" Sakuya asked ironically.

The boy let go of his hand. "Be careful, Father," he murmured before he pushed him out of the car and pulled the door shut.

Sakuya instructed the driver to move to a nearby location until his call for pick up. He walked to the elevator, called it down and punched in the display the code to access the last floor.

Arriving at the top, he walked through the deserted hallway and rang the bell of the only door. When it opened, the priest couldn't conceal his surprise.

A flustered, half-naked boy in his mid-twenties glared at him. He had a well-proportioned build, yet lean and glabrous as a woman. His rosy cheeks exalted his big, brown eyes and plump, coral lips. His delicate features were enclosed in wavy hair, cocoa roots mellowing into mahogany tips. His indecently ravishing look was in stark contrast with his wolf's gaze, and above all with the big, nasty aura emanating from his body in the shape of two big, blackened wings.

Taken aback, the priest blinked a couple of times. The boy reminded him of Astaroth, as it was represented in an old demonology text he had been studying. When the odd apparition pulled back, ready to close the door, Sakuya managed to regain his senses. He stretched out his right hand.

"Good evening, dear boy, I'm John and I'm here to—"

"Not interested." The boy shut the door.

Sakuya's hand hung mid-air in front of the white steel.

"Set, who was at the door?" The Oracle's muffled voice vibrated from the inside.

"A fucking priest and I can't stand priests," the boy growled back.

As realization sunk in that the boy was the pet Sakuya had accepted to protect, a chuckle escaped his lips. He didn't even manage to ring once more that the door flung open again. Sybil Vain showed up completely naked, bestowing him an amused look and inviting him in with an elegant swing of his hand.

Despite his nudity and elf-like appearance, the Oracle still radiated some sort of divine charisma.

For a moment, Sakuya closed his eyes, focusing on the other man's energy. His spirit was disenchanted, ambitious and not devoid of malice, but possessed a delicacy and purity of heart at odds with the idea of self-centered grandeur that his reputation had earned him.

Whether the cardinal should be involved with such a dubious being—or shouldn't—was an ethical conundrum. Sybil Vain was a rule breaker and surely didn't walk the path of virtue, yet he obviously loved the world and seemed able to watch it with the same amused glance of God himself.

Sakuya had been brooding over it all day and had come to the conclusion that it wasn't too late to find a way to save his life. He opened his eyes and a smile curved his lips as he stepped in.

"Sybil, my dear, there are a couple of points that I'd like to clarify," he said, resting his hand on the man's shoulder.