"Syryn was able to force it close," Magnus told the anti mage who threw the head he was holding at the gate. It spun in the air and landed in the open palm of a small hand that disappeared into the gate with its prize.

"Oh. So you're telling me that Syryn opened one of these things?" Sebastian asked the fire mage.

"I don't know," came the slippery response that Magnus was known for. "He closed it. That's all I can confirm."

"Lucien, can you force it to close?" Artemus shouted to the redhead in the air. Nurhia's statue had been reduced to pieces by him and now he was just staring at the gate and trying to sort his memories. He had seen such a large gate before but where? Syryn's gate hadn't been so large. The memories of another gate teased him like a dream he had forgotten. Maybe it was Red's memories.

"I cannot," Lucien replied. Not all demons could summon the gates just as how not every demon could wield blood magic. What was even the true purpose of such gates?

"This is going to be a real problem."

Artemus had counted the hands and there were more than a hundred of them. There were more hands than humans or animals to use as food.

"So what are we going to do?" Sebastian asked the anti mage. "It needs a really big meal."

"Remember what the innkeeper said about finding heads? What if the bodies are lying around in a pit somewhere?" Artemus said to the mage.

"Nurhia could have eaten them, right?"

"I saw human femur and spinal cords. There's a chance that-" the anti mage paused and turned to the redhead. "Lucien, can you find dead bodies and feed the gate."

"I'm out of magic," Lucien called back. "For a detection spell like that, I'll need more juice than I have. My mana hasn't completely recovered from the spell I used against the ghouls. But-" he looked down at the anti mage with a strange light in his eyes. "I could take vitality from all of you."

"Yer speciality is bein' a leech, ain't it?" Sebastian said with humour. "I suppose I can give you some of me again." The mage was adapting very well to the circumstances of Lucien's origin. He was relieved to find that there was no self-conflict, no hesitation, as he accepted that the redhead was part demon.

"Alas," Lucien declared as he landed near Sebastian. "My father was an incubus. There is only one way I know of to take the vitality I need without killing you."

Sebastian placed a hand on Lucien's shoulder and turned him to the side so he was facing Magnus. "Tell that to him."

The fire mage froze where he was standing. "Are you serious?" He sounded shocked.

"Well seein' that Artemus and I are like his fuckin' elders, I don't know," Sebastian replied. "What are ya proposin', Luci? Pardon my crassness but are ya gonna fuck someone for vitality?"

The redhead began to laugh. It confused the others who couldn't understand what was so funny.

"I'll be right back," he told the others with another amused smile. "Until then, keep the gate busy."

Magnus watched the redhead leave the cavern, his wings daintily tucked to his back. What had that been about? He was shocked to learn that Lucien's father was that sort of a demon. He couldn't know that Lucien was actually messing with all of them.

Artemus glanced at the gate where several hands had grown longer and were nearly touching him. The anti mage knelt on the floor and methodically separated an arm from the body that was at his feet. Tossing it at the hand that came close to touching him, he wordlessly began hacking off another arm with a sacrificial knife he had found in the cavern.

"A-mu, ya look like a butcher."

"A respectable profession," Artemus responded. He wouldn't have resorted to cutting the body up like this if they weren't in such a desperate situation. The anti mage was against the mindless desecration of corpses, but more than that, he hated coming into contact with blood. There were just too many diseases that could be transferred via contaminated blood.

"Magnus, why do ya look so down? Are ya sad ya missed yer chance to get some?" Sebastian asked with a shit-eating grin.

"Ha-ha-ha," Magnus sarcastically replied. "If I wanted to get some, I'd be looking for someone who isn't half my age." That wasn't exactly the problem though, Magnus introspected. It was the fact that he had considered himself a brother to Lucien. If the Magnus from the past could see the Magnus right now, he would be shocked by the unbrotherly feelings that defined his relationship with Lucien.

"Says the idiot who was acting like a possessive little shit when Lucien was being harassed," Sebastian retorted. "We were all concerned about it but my god, Magnus. Boy, ya really know how t'get jealous."

"I guess," Magnus dully replied as Artemus tossed a leg at the gate.

"Luci isn't a baby anymore, Magnus," Artemus said to him. "But if you really can't make peace with it then leave the manor. Find somewhere else to stay till Lucien understands that you'll never reciprocate his feelings."

The fire mage was silent.

"Talking about me, are we?"

Magnus turned to look at the redhead who had returned. Lucien had never appeared more filled with vitality and strength. His skin was glowing like morning dew lit up by sunlight. The horns and demonic accessories were gone, leaving behind the beautiful human-looking camouflage.

"Who did ya feed on?" Sebastian asked suspiciously.

"A strong village boy built like an ox," Lucien dryly replied. "Sucked him dry. He liked it."

Artemus raised his brows at the redhead. If he had any doubts that Red was still somewhere inside Lucien, such moments reminded him of the redhead's other self.

Sebastian made an expression like he had swallowed a lemon. Magnus was unreadable.

"Move aside," Lucien told his companions. "Find ledges to climb over. I sense many bodies buried in his chamber."