Astaroth was trying to enjoy his book, having found some time to himself at long last, when Erebus called upon him.

They felt it first in the slight tingling in their cells, followed by a mild dizziness. Immediately, they were annoyed. They hated summons. While it was true that summons didn’t hurt the way teleporting did, it was incredibly irritating. Astaroth despised the lack of control that accompanied them. Even for hours after, he didn’t feel quite like himself.

He would never tell Erebus, though, so he bit his tongue and closed his eyes against the odd feeling, allowing the magic to pull him apart and reassemble him wherever it wished. 

Astaroth found themself sitting on the stone windowsill inside Erebus’s small room in their wolf form. As usual, their fur immediately prickled, both with the almost oppressive heat that always clouded the tower where the King lived along with the deep discomfort that had recently plagued them at being in this body. They shifted back to human form quickly, adjusting their position to sit comfortably. 

Erebus emerged from the bathroom, his smile shining and happy. He buttoned his sleeves importantly, though they were still a bit too long, and flicked his long coat with a flourish. 

“How do I look?” Erebus asked, putting on his best serious face. It didn’t last long on his boyish face, clearly showing his young age of eighteen in the subtle roundness that still accompanied his features.

“Very kingly,” was Astaroth’s response, returning Erebus’s smile. “My only suggestion is wearing your taller boots. It doesn’t hurt to gain a few inches before consulting with The Council.”

“Good point,” Erebus said thoughtfully, and crossed the room to rummage through his closet. Astaroth took the opportunity to turn away, gazing out of the window. 

As most of the windows in the palace were, it was open to the air. They slipped an arm out and swung it idly, feeling the cool air brush against their hot skin. It was getting colder, a clear sign of the coming winter. They wondered if everything would be different by then. What would the world look like in the spring? 

“Better?” Erebus questioned, and they shook themself out of their thoughts and turned back to examine him. 

“Better,” they confirmed, and Erebus beamed. He turned to the small mirror hanging above his dresser to straighten his collar and put the finishing touches on his look. 

“Will you be accompanying me to the meeting, then?”

Astaroth winced, remembering the feeling of Damon’s nose breaking under his fist during the last meeting, having lost his cool at the smug demon's attitude and remarks. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

Erebus shrugged. “Suit yourself. This is the proposal of the biggest part of our plan, though. I’m sure your presence could gain some support for me, right?”

Smiling wryly at the usage of our, the spirit shook his head. “Evelia and Levina will be doing that for you, and Elias as well. You know I’ll only start fires, and you can’t afford to let The Council burn, especially not now.”

“Poetic as ever, my dearest brother,” Erebus sighed, smoothing out the ends of his stubbornly messy hair and placing the crown atop the black strands. “I’m not counting on Elias's support, but at least my favorite cousin will be there to cheer me on.”

Sensing an end to the conversation, Astaroth slid off of their seat, heading for the door. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. Call upon me when you’re finished. I have matters to attend to in the library, if that is all.”

They reached for the handle.

“Wait-!”

They paused, still facing the door, bracing themself for the worst. Had Erebus found out? Had he finally seen through his lies and fake smiles and deception?

“It’s just… our birthday’s next week. Should we do something? It’s nineteen, after all. It could be fun.”

Astaroth turned to look at Erebus.

Despite his bold black and kingly silver ensemble and the red-tinted crown on his head, Erebus still looked young in his plea. Small. Breakable, if he was going to be honest. It made his chest hurt to think about the boy Erebus had been once, and the boy he was now. 

They nodded at him, and offered a kind smile, tamping down the twinge of guilt.

“Of course. I look forward to whatever you plan,” Astaroth said breezily, as Erebus was the one who always planned celebrations. Astaroth themself had very little care for them, only playing along for their brother’s benefit. “This is a big year for us, hm?”

Erebus brightened. “It’ll be the best one yet, I swear on the Destinies! I’ll leave you alone now. See you later, brother.”

“I’ll see you," they echoed, turning the knob.

Astaroth slipped out the door, closing it quietly behind him. He took a moment to rest his forehead on the wood, closing his eyes. Its warmth made it feel alive, brimming with life, and Astaroth longed to cry. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered instead.

With his muttered apology lightening his burden the slightest bit, he turned and crouched to slide his hand into the shadows gathering in the hall outside of Erebus’s room. 

His skin burned and he felt himself come apart, the darkness gathering around him. It hurt, but it was the least of what he deserved for what he was doing.

When he resurfaced in a patch of shadows moments later, he wasn’t in the library. He wasn’t even in the palace anymore. 

With a deep breath and their secret heavy on their heart, Astaroth followed the path through the forest, heading for the village.