Chapter Text
When Stolas woke up the next morning, there was a blanket over him. He found that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He sat up, all crimped from the discomfort of his improvised bed, and looked around. There didn’t seem to be anyone. Blitzø hadn’t arrived yet.
Stolas was a little disappointed.
-Will you wait for me?- Blitzø had said. Didn’t that mean he was coming back?
Stolas sighed. They never understood each other, the two of them.
He stood up, heading towards the kitchen to make some coffee. He checked his phone meanwhile: no news from Blitzø. On Sinstagram, he saw that Moxxie and Millie had let loose, posting photos and videos of their romantic evening.
Stolas smiled: it seemed that on that front at least everything had gone well. He had just sat down, when the door to Loona’s room opened: the hellhound came out with noticeable bags under her eyes, her fur all ruffled and a sour mood.
-Coffee.- she requested and Stolas quickly poured it.
-How was your evening?- he asked kindly.
The hellhound shrugged, and that was his answer. Stolas smiled, thinking about how much Loona and her adoptive father were alike.
They continued to eat breakfast in silence, with the TV playing in the background.
-Where's Blitzø?- Lonna asked.
-He went out last night.
-Weren't you two supposed to spend the evening together?
It was Stolas' turn to shrug. He didn't have a better answer.
They found Blitzø when they arrived at the office. The hitman was rummaging through the paperwork Stolas had been ordering for the past month.
-Newbie! Where did you put the address book? It's not in my drawer anymore.
Blitzø didn't even look at Stolas and an unpleasant feeling twisted in the prince's stomach.
-Well... I threw it away.- Stolas explained.- I replaced it with a binder with alphabetical indexes.
-Where?- Blitzø's manner was brusque and rude.
-S-second drawer.
The boss opened it and took out the binder, taking it and carrying it away.
-I don't have time to commit murders today, I have to go somewhere.- he added, before locking himself in his office.
With that, he disappeared from their sight.
-What the...?
All four of them were shocked. Moxxie started to spy on him through the keyhole.
-What's wrong with him?- Stolas asked, confused.
-Who knows.- Moxxie commented- The last time he acted like this, it was his sister. But this time… what happened last night?
Stolas blushed.
-I… we were watching a movie, then he got up, saying he had to “close this once and for all”.
-It’s definitely Stolas!- Millie suggested.
-You think so?
-Mm…
Suddenly the door opened again and Moxxie took it in the face, falling on his back.
-Ouch…
While Loona was already busy taking a photo for the wall of shame, Blitzø announced that he was leaving. Without another word, they saw him disappear, but first he left the crystal of Asmodeus on the counter.
Stolas didn’t know what to think. He was disappointed, after what transpired last night. Somehow he felt left out. Had Blitzø really gone to Stolas last night? Or rather, the other-Stolas?
Without his books, it was difficult for the prince to speculate about his alter ego. However, given how he had behaved, Stolas' hypothesis was that the other was the perfect prince: a perfect Goetia, abiding by the rules, faithful to his marriage and pleased with his role. The observations he had made in those weeks confirmed this.
If that was the case, the doppelganger couldn’t have welcomed Blitzø in a positive way… but what if that wasn’t what happened? What if his alter-ego wanted to escape the golden cage that Stolas himself had been trapped in for so long?
He welcomed Stella back home, he told himself. It can’t be me.
But Blitzø… the prince had to hope that the imp didn’t have the same effect on his alter-ego as it did on Stolas.
In the days that followed, Blitzø continued to be strange. He disappeared at unpredictable times, leaving the IMP's activities.
When he didn’t, the hitman continued to stare at his phone. Sometimes texting, sometimes checking for notifications.
Loona told them that Blitzø spent most of his time out, or came home in the middle of the night.
This behavior filled Stolas with a terror he couldn’t explain. Had Blitzø and his alter-ego met? What if they started… seeing each other again?
Okay, maybe he was getting paranoid.
It was afternoon and M&Ms were busy with a murder somewhere in Australia when Blitzø arrived, after almost a day of absence. Only Stolas and Loona remained in the office.
-Don't disturb me for at least two hours.- he ordered without saying goodbye.
-But...
Blitzø closed the door to his office.
Still that strange behavior… Loona went back to her phone, but Stolas couldn't concentrate on his work. His tail was twitching, making long strides.
He had to find out why the hitman was behaving so strangely.
Blitzø had been out all night and had been missing since three the day before. That means he had been awake for more than twenty-four hours.
He must be very tired...
Stolas waited twenty minutes, trembling with impatience but managing to contain himself. Then, he decided to go into Blitzø's office.
-What are you doing?- Loona asked him.
-I have to get him to sign something.
-Now? He'll eat you alive if you wake him up.
-I'll take the risk.
The truth was that he had no intention of waking Blitzø.
Stolas slowly opened the door, closing it behind. He crept forward in the darkness, towards the boss’ desk. A genuine smile spread across his face when he saw the exhausted hitman sitting in his chair, his head resting on the table. He was fast asleep, or so it seemed.
-Blitzø?- Stolas called softly, to make sure.
No answer.
The cell phone was still clutched in the imp’s hands, right next to his head. Stolas tiptoed closer, and delicately removed the object from his hands. He knew the access pin: Blitzø used the same one for everything.
Stolas knew that what he was about to do was not right, but the need to know was too much.
Just a peek. he said to himself. And he entered the code, waiting for the screen to unlock and… there was the notification! He was about to open it, but suddenly a voice surprised him.
-What the f*ck are you doing with my phone?
Looking up, Stolas caught Blitzø’s angry gaze. The hitman lunged forward, snatching the phone from his hands. He leapt over the desk, advancing toward him and shoving him against the wall.
-What were you doing?
-I… just wanted… I didn’t want to do anything bad.
-Answer the question!
-Well… you’ve been weird lately and you’re always checking your phone, I wanted…
-You wanted to check who I’m texting?
Stolas opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. He nodded.
-Don’t ever do that again.-Blitzø said, a slight threat in his voice.
-Is that Stolas?- the prince asked, his limp tail brushing the floor.
Blitzø seemed taken aback.
-What if he was?
Stolas looked down.
-I… just wish to know.- he said.
A long, charged silence followed.
-Get out of my office.- the assassin then ordered.
Stolas obeyed.
His footsteps echoed in the large empty rooms. Stolas was in the palace, and like so many other times he was heading towards his room. A familiar loneliness enveloped him like a cloak.
When he began to see the familiar golden doors of his bedroom, he thought he heard something.
It was Blitzø's voice!
His favorite imp was there? Waiting for him in his chambers? What an unexpected joy!
Sadness forgotten, Stolas rushed to open the doors, but when he did, his
Blitzø was there, his back to the prince, but he wasn't alone: with him was also a Goetia that the prince knew well: himself.
Stunned, Stolas remained still for a moment to observe the two on his bed: it was a scene that the prince had imagined several times. Himself lying on his side, relaxed and happy as he listened to his beloved assassin tell the exploits of his adventurous life, every now and then leaning down to give his lover a light kiss on the lips.
Stolas had wanted that so much… But that wasn't him, that was his doppelganger.
-Blitzø!- he tried to call, but even though his voice came out, the two didn't seem to hear him. Even his attempt to get closer was in vain: he was blocked.
Blitzø continued to talk, indifferent to the real Stolas, but the other Stolas looked up, meeting the prince's gaze and smiled.
-It's not me- Stolas shouted, trying to warn Blitzø- He's not me. Blitzø! It's me Stolas, it's me!
But as he shouted, he felt his body shrinking: his bed was getting higher and higher, more and more unreachable… feeling like Alice in Wonderland, Stolas was grateful when the sudden shrinkage ended. Then he touched himself and discovered that he was an imp again.
Looking up, he saw Blitz: he had finally turned towards him, but his expression was stormy, the same as that afternoon.
-Sutler.
-Blitzø, he…
-I told you to stay out of this.- he interrupted him abruptly, getting out of bed and advancing threateningly towards him.- My relationship with Stolas is none of your business, understand?
-Blitzø, I am Stolas, that’s just…
This time it was the hitman’s laughter that interrupted him.
-You? Stolas? Moxxie told me you were pretty desperate, but I didn’t think you were that pathetic.
-Blitzø I…
-Leave us. We have things to do.
Stolas felt himself grabbed by the arms: turning around, he noticed that a couple of his guards had suddenly appeared.
-Wait!- he shouted at them, but they didn't listen. In the meantime, Blitzø had turned, returning to the false prince who was waiting for him with open arms on the bed.
-Throw him in the prison, kill him, I don't care.- the other-Stolas ordered the guards- Just take him away from me: he must not interrupt the moments between me and Blitzy…
-Stop… I am Prince Stolas, that is a fake.- he was now desperate as the guards dragged him away and the doors of his room closed- Blitzø, you have to believe me… Blitzø!
The doors closed, and Stolas felt himself falling into nothingness.
Stolas woke up with a start, the screams of his nightmare still in his ears, accompanied by a familiar ringtone. Coming back to himself, he realized it was dark, he was in his bed at Moxxie and Millie's house and his cell phone was receiving a call in the middle of the night.
Still a little confused by the fears that had materialized in his dream, Stolas propped himself up on his elbows as his hand reached out to grab his cell phone, trying to stop the annoying noise before it woke the owners of the house.
He answered without reading the name, too sleepy to do so.
-I need help.
Stolas' tail stood up in an instant.
-Blitzø? - why on earth would he call him in the middle of the night? And after what happened that afternoon on top of that!
-Get off your ass and come here.- Blitzø repeated, he was whispering. - I have a… magical problem. And that I know of, you're the only one who knows about these things.
There was urgency in Blitzø's voice, along with a hint of apprehension.
-A problem...? What kind? And why…- he checked the time- why at 3 in the morning?
-Long story. I was doing something and… I might have run into a snag. You have to meet me. I’m in Andrealphus’ palace.
For a moment, Stolas was too shocked to answer.
-A-Andrealphus?- he repeated, hoping he had misunderstood- You are… in the Andrealphus’ palace? What are you doing there?
-Too long to explain.- Blitzø said quickly.- What you should be interested in is that I'm trapped by a spell and I can't get out. If that f*cking Ars Goetia catches me before I can get out, it won't end well.
-You're trapped in Andrealphus' palace.- Stolas repeated incredulously.
-Yes, are you deaf? I need help, damn it. Can you help me or not?
Only then did Stolas shake himself.
-Y-yes, of course. I'm coming.- he looked around, starting to get dressed. -Millie and Moxxie…
-No! They mustn't know! You're coming and no one else, did I make myself clear?
Stolas considered it a recklessness, but decided to trust the hitman. The prince left the door trying to be as silent as possible, then ran towards the IMP headquarters.
-How did he trap you?- Stolas asked in the meantime.
-There was a book on his nightstand…
-The nightstand? You’re in his bedroom?!
From bad to worse.
-Yes. Concentrate. There was a book, I opened it and something… turned on. I don’t know, some kind of magic. And now my hands and feet are locked: I tried to free myself but it won’t budge.
-And how did you call me?
-My tail works, unlike yours.
Okay, so Blitzø was holding his phone with his tail. Stolas really needed to learn how to do that too.
-Listen, you just have to come over here and deactivate this magic, okay? Andrealphus is away at the moment, but I don’t know how long they’ll be able to keep him busy.
It was a mess. Stolas knew Andrealphus all too well. During his childhood, after his marriage was announced, the Goetia was always present at the meetings between Stolas and Stella. He was sneaky, vindictive and had little patience, especially with those he deemed inferior to him. If he found Blitzø in his room, and touching his private things to boot…
Blitzø was in real trouble.
After a few minutes of running, Stolas finally arrived at the IMP. I quickly went up.
-Who's keeping him busy?- he asked.
Silence.
-Well?
-I can't tell you.
Stolas was really starting to get fed up with all those secrets.
-Tell me.
-I can't, I promised I would keep quiet, okay?
It was the other Stolas whom he had made this promise to? And why? Stolas absolutely had to know.
-Well, you better tell me, because otherwise I won't help you.
It was a bluff, of course. Stolas certainly wouldn't have left Blitzø there, and yet he had to know.
Entering Blitzø's office, Stolas took out the Asmodeus’ crystal from its night shelter.
-Look, I'll ask them if I can tell you, but I made a promise.
Stolas gritted his teeth.
-Okay.- the prince gave in.- I have the crystal, I'm coming.
With that, he activated the gem’s power, finding himself in front of Andrealphus' palace.
The cold was the first thing Stolas noticed. He had been there before, more times than he would have liked. The outside of his brother-in-law’s mansion was as he remembered: cold, gloomy and unpleasant. It seemed to want to discourage anyone from entering.
It was in the middle of a forest and didn’t need gates or anything: there were various spells to keep intruders at bay, some of them created by the prince himself under Stella’s insistence.
Now Stolas was grateful that he had given in to those pressures: having designed them himself, he knew perfectly well their weak points. That could have been useful. Every access to the palace was activated by magic, otherwise it simply disappeared.
The entire structure was made of ice, with sculptures branching out from the main body, menacing and pretentious. Just like Andrealphus.
Stolas began to think about how to get in. Usually he would have just needed one of his magical passages, or he would have burst through the main entrance with the force of his magic.
-How do I get in?- he asked Blitzø, still on the call.
-Pretend you’re one of the imps who work in the palace. Usually no one pays attention to them. With your dandyish way of speaking, they'll have no trouble believing you.
-Spoken like…- Stolas bit his tongue. This wasn't the time.- I'd have to go in first to do that.
-So it!
How the hell do I do that? Stolas thought irritably.
He thought back to the defenses on the building. He remembered having magically masked emergency exits on the side. He walked around the building, hidden among the trees of the forest, trying to find those exits, but his memories were not clear. He continued to observe, trying to remember. Then, suddenly, in a small recess with a small fenced balcony, he saw a door open in the ice. Shortly after, a small imp emerged from it, dressed as a butler. Said imp had pushed himself towards the parapet, then, very calmly, lit a cigarette.
-Great: smoke break: a classic!- Blitzø said as soon as Stolas told him.- Introduce yourself, make him lower his guard and then take his place.
-How?
- Flirt with him a little.
-Is that your answer to everything?
-It usually works.- Blitzø replied unrepentantly.- Do it! there’s not much time left.
-Okay, okay.
Stolas wasn’t convinced at all.
The prince leaned out from his hiding place in the trees again, took a deep breath, then came out of his hiding place. He walked towards the quiet palace, as if it were the most normal thing in the world for him to be there.
-Hey.- Stolas addressed the imp, who turned around in surprise, hiding the cigarette behind his back.
-What do you want?
-Well… how’s it going?
-Is that your way of flirting?- Stolas heard the cell phone say.
-I’m not good at it, okay?- he reported quietly.
-Make the sweet eyes you usually give me, right?
Stolas turned red.
-That… that’s different!- then he thought for a moment.- Sweet eyes?
-Don’t get too big for your boots.- Blitzø warned him.- Focus on the target.
-Are you talking to someone?- the imp butler asked. Stolas, remembering where he was and what was at stake, came back to himself.
-Oh, yes, I had to… it was urgent.
The other looked at him skeptically.
-Are you new?
-Oh?
-Working here. I've never seen you.
He thinks I’m another butler. Stolas thought. Just as Blitzø had said.
-Yes, it's… my first day.
-Your uniform?
An excuse, an excuse…
-I got it dirty.
The butler sneered, looking him up and down.
This is off to a bad start… Stolas thought. The other guy already thought he was incompetent.
-I worked at Prince Stolas's palace for a few years.- he tried to defend himself, making sure Blitzø couldn't hear him.
Stolas was using the same excuse that one of his servants had given him some time ago to be able to leave.
But that topic seemed to pique the attention of his interlocutor.
-What kind of guy is he? The prince.
-Oh, a disaster. Always feeling sorry for himself.
-Ah. I heard he was very kind.
-Mm.. if the wife is not there, sometimes…- Stolas said, blushing.
Kind? No one had ever called him that except Moxxie and Millie.
-Did you finish your call?- the butler asked, with a more condescending attitude- you should go back- They don't want us to be out too many or for long.
-Oh, sure. Um… how…?- he pointed to the ice wall, on which there was not a shadow of a door.
The imp butler looked him over.
-You got locked out, right?
Stolas looked down.
-Y-yes.
The other sighed.
-Newbies… Come on, I'll show you.
The other turned, threw his cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his hoof, and turned, walking towards the wall from which the door had appeared before. He stretched out a claw, drawing a symbol halfway up with it.
Soon after, the outlines of the door began to light up and an opening appeared in the ice.
-There, you absolutely must memorize this. Or one of these days you will freeze to…
The butler didn’t finish his sentence: Stolas hit him in the back of the head with an elbow just as Millie had taught him. The imp fell to the ground, stunned.
-Sorry…- Stolas whispered, feeling guilty for having taken advantage of the other’s kindness.
Quickly, the prince stripped him of his clothes, then put them on himself. He checked for a moment if everything was in order, then went in. The symbol that opened the door was “unlock”, so once inside he tried a “lock” and indeed the access disappeared behind him, as if it didn’t exist.
-So, did you come in?- he heard from the cell phone. Blitzø was getting restless.
-Yes!- Stolas replied.- Which room are you in?
Blitzø continued by giving him very precise information: apparently he hadn’t entered Andrealphus’s house by chance, but had studied it for a long time. What this careful study was due to, however, Stolas couldn’t imagine.
Stolas pretended to listen to Blitzø’s information: in reality, he knew very well where his brother-in-law’s private rooms were. Sadly.
The interior of the palace was opulent: blue walls covered in luxurious knick-knacks. The room was lit by candlelight, which mixed with that coming from the large red windows covered in ice.
Stolas suppressed a shiver, and not only because the temperature in that palace was freezing: it was above all the memories he had of that place that kept him on his toes.
Andrealphus had always had his own way of making Stolas feel insignificant. If Stella enjoyed public insults, tantrums and mortifications, her brother preferred to act in a more subtle manner: never had an insult escaped his lips, and yet the attitude, the seemingly innocent comments, the looks... everything contributed to making the prince feel banal and insignificant.
Over the years, Stolas had managed to space out his meetings with his brother-in-law as much as possible, although Stella's attempts had made it difficult.
After a few minutes, Stolas finally entered the right corridor: at the end of it, framed by silver and gold decorations, was the door that led to the Marquis's bedrooms.
-I'm here!- he quickly reported to Blitzø, then ended the call. He was about to reach for the handle, when a familiar voice took him by surprise.
-What are you doing here?
Luckily he had put the phone away, or it would have fallen from his hand. He turned, unprepared for what he would see.
In front of him, there was Andrealphus.
