Ann Aguirre: Devil's Punch

The Knights—high-ranking individuals who command in Sheol. Each named knight comes from a particular caste, ruling over the rest of the demons in a functional oligarchy.

Luren—the Tempters. These are the most beautiful of all the demons, preternaturally seductive. Their skin is more burnished; they do not grow body hair. They possess pheromones to tempt their prey and feed on sexual energy. They are rumored to have Nephilim blood—meaning that they are the result of interbreeding between demons and angels. They respond only to summonings involving sex magick, and will not possess an unattractive host. The Luren gave rise to legends about incubi and succubi.

Mhizul—the Miserable. They feed on all negative emotions, their favorite being despair. Their appetites reflect in their appearance, as they have the look of wretched lepers, with pale, peeling skin, yellow eyes, and long, dirty nails. They are the lowest of the low, even more despised than the Klothod. In summonings, they respond to practitioners who have suffered a recent loss, not any particular type of magick. Often a summoner who is clinically depressed finds himself unable to summon any other type of demon because the Mhizul find the call irresistible.

Noit—the Dark Brood. These demons are like evil children. They are small, no more than four feet high, and have skin that varies in tone from pale to brown, with shadings of green in between. Their heads are oversize, eyes protuberant. They thrive on mischief and misfortune as much as the Birsael, but they do not bargain. A Noit, once summoned, will do whatever it can to wreak havoc for its summoner, choosing the worst possible interpretation of any order or request. A host possessed by a Noit demon may be diagnosed as a manic depressive who never falls into the depressive stage. Oddly, they love cats. These demons gave rise to the lore regarding brownies and gnomes.

Obsir—the Hidden. These demons do not respond to summonings. They serve the Eshur, investigating crimes within Sheol. Other demons find it difficult to describe the Obsir because it is hard to hold on to the memory of an encounter with them. It is known that they exist, but nothing else has been recorded, other than their notes pertaining to various trials.

Phalxe—the Liars. They are of average height and build, pale-skinned, rather innocuous-looking, like bald humans. These demons thrive on deception and confusion; they are inveterate manipulators who have supernatural powers of persuasion. Great con men who pulled off the most improbable scams and Ponzi schemes have often been possessed by a Phalxe spirit. In Sheol they are always plotting something, but the other castes are wary of their schemes. To summon a Phalxe demon, the practitioner must soak aloe in black cat oil for nine days and then perform a specific rite. On manifesting, the Phalxe demon will promise practically anything in hopes of getting the caster to break the binder before an iron-clad agreement has been struck. Only a fool trusts a Phalxe demon.

Saremon—the Progeny. These demons are descended from Solomon’s line through humans who interbred with demons. They are humanoid in appearance with extras like fins or spines or horns to show their more interesting lineage. They rank fairly high in the caste system, just below the knights and the Eshur. They seldom respond to summonings and can be called only by a practitioner who carries some of the Binder’s blood. They are largely uninterested in events in the human realm and are committed to developing their own arcane powers. For obvious reasons, magick users covet the guidance of the Saremon, who own the greatest collection of spells in existence, the fabled Bibliotheca Magus .

Xaraz—the Outsiders. This is not a caste in the sense that it encompasses a certain type of demon, but in the sense that they have all become outcasts. If a demon is judged guilty by the Eshur, he or she loses all status and becomes Xaraz. These demons, therefore, may have once belonged to any of the other castes, so their appearances will be varied. They are driven from Xibalba and are not permitted inside the city. Instead, they dwell in shantytowns populated with other exiles. On closer inspection, one notes the evidence of their crimes magickally scored into their flesh. They are the most wretched creatures in Sheol.

For obvious reasons, the cocktail Corine had at the ball is more exotic than the real Devil’s Punch. I thought it best to preserve the mystery and not reveal the ingredients in what she was drinking. She was in Sheol, after all. However, here’s the actual recipe if you want to knock one back after finishing this book.

Ingredients:

2 oz. tequila

1 oz. orange liqueur

1 oz. Limoncello

1 oz. sour mix

dash of orange juice

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake well.

3. Strain into a sour or highball glass.

Ann Aguirreis a national bestselling author. She has a degree in English literature and a spotty résumé. Before she began writing full-time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, two cats, and one very lazy dog. She likes books, emo music, and action movies. You can visit her on the Web at www.annaguirre.com.