《The Soul Reacher》 Chapter 1: A Close Call ¡°I hate snow.¡± Jack Harper shivered despite the thick coat, hat, and gloves. He stared straight ahead as he walked along the sidewalk of a road lined with shops between abandoned buildings. He was only an hour into his shift on the west side of Chicago and was already wishing the day were over. Beside him, his partner on the job only had his coat on, reveling in the snow that lightly fell onto his face and outstretched hands. ¡°You act like a little cold is worse than eternal torment.¡± ¡°Maybe it is.¡± ¡°I doubt a twelve-hour shift in winter is worse than an eternity in a pit of fire or something.¡± Miles Fischer had his face toward the sky, squinting despite his glasses. He removed them and held them out in front of him, then put them back on. He gaped. ¡°Check this out.¡± Taking the glasses off again and letting the snow fall on them, he showed them to Jack. ¡°See the snow on these? How annoying would that be to see through, right? Watch.¡± He then put the glasses back on, and Jack watched as the flakes immediately evaporated, leaving the lenses perfectly clear. ¡°Cool, right?¡± Jack raised an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing this for years and you only just now realized you could do that?¡± ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s still not as cool as this.¡± Miles stopped and approached a car parked on the side of the road. ¡°Miles, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You should try it. Makes working in this cold way more fun.¡± ¡°You do this every day. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s just as much fun every time.¡± Miles looked up and down the street, then put his finger in the inch of snow that covered the driver¡¯s side window. The snow around his finger melted as he slowly traced the shape of a phallus. What remained in the middle of his drawing stuck to the window, completely untouched. Miles grinned and looked at Jack. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jack rolled his eyes but could not stifle a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s a work of art. Now let¡¯s go.¡± Beginning their walk again, Miles asked, ¡°Have you found anyone yet?¡± ¡°No. The cold¡ªand you¡ªare distracting.¡± ¡°And this is why I have to entertain myself.¡± He stuck out his tongue and watched snowflakes evaporate before they could land on it. Ignoring him and the wind that still nipped at him, Jack began scanning anyone in sight. Without distractions, their auras were clearly visible. Most of them didn¡¯t stand out among the rest, just a simple, boring, faint light around them. Occasionally, some were a brighter white, signaling the ones to stay away from¡ªa waste of time, let alone a recipe for trouble. Colored ones, though, were walking opportunities. And the brighter they were, the easier they could be taken. They approached an intersection, stopping for the red light. Jack looked at the group of people that had collected just ahead of them. Even with cars passing in front of him, Jack could still study his potential targets. A woman with a bright green tint, standing tall while clutching a purse that Jack felt was a bit risky to be carrying in such a neighborhood, would be easy to crack. The way she held her head high as if trying to make herself look and feel more elegant than the typical folk of that neighborhood matched well with what he normally saw with greenish auras. She was definitely an option, but they would need to get closer to tell for sure. Another woman, much younger with head down and hands plunged into her pockets, had a strong blue haze completely enveloping her. He hated looking into those souls, full of depression and emotional agony. But he would never admit, even to Miles, that he did not revel in those feelings. He would avoid her. A couple others were the generic white, and he ignored them. Their collective glow was broken by a brilliant red with an outline of blue that approached from behind. It was a man, also with his hands in his pockets, likely clenching them so tight that his knuckles matched the auras of the people in front of him. His radiance was so strong it overpowered the entire group. The green lady meant nothing now. He had his target. ¡°Miles, that guy in the black trench coat straight ahead. I need to see his eyes, but he might get nasty.¡± ¡°I got your back.¡± The light turned green, the walk sign white, and Jack marched forward toward the group. He hoped the man would look up on his own, but instead he kept his glare on the back of the woman in front of him as if trying to burn holes into her. Jack walked straight toward the woman, who gave him a disgusted look before moving out of his way. The man glowing red with some kind of blue¡ªwhat is that blue from?¡ªdid not see him coming and walked straight into Jack. When their eyes met, the rage that typically came with red auras went right through Jack¡¯s gaze and overwhelmed him as if he were drowning in every ounce of the man¡¯s emotion. Jack did not share in the anger, but it was hot, boiling, though nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. It froze him momentarily, as such connections often did, but he regained control and tried to read what was inside. The man¡¯s thoughts raced lightning fast, and Jack snatched as much as he could. ¡°Fuck-pissed-seriously?-why?-ugh-hate-can¡¯t.¡± The thoughts rode a wave of utter fury, mixed with something else that Jack didn¡¯t have time to grasp. The man broke the connection, pushing Jack backward into Miles. ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, asshole!¡± he shouted before continuing. Miles led Jack across the rest of the road, and the entire connection with the aura vanished. ¡°He¡¯s our guy,¡± he said to Miles when they reached the sidewalk again. ¡°Easy work for you.¡± Miles grinned and they turned and ran back across the street again, just barely missing the cars that now had their green light. Jack watched as Miles snuck up right behind the man, walking in step with him, far enough back to not be noticed, but close enough to do what he needed to. Picking up speed to be right behind but to the side of Miles, Jack watched his colleague¡¯s eyes staring into the back of the man¡¯s head. Even though Miles kept his eyes connected, Jack knew he was very aware of his surroundings. He wished he knew what was transferring in that connection. He almost wished he could experience it himself one day, to be able to understand the full power of who he spent every day with. But considering the results he witnessed each time, he was also glad Miles could not use his power on him. The target was becoming more agitated while he analyzed the buildings on either side of the street as if looking for something in particular. Miles only broke his connection when the man turned and entered a small jewelry store. ¡°Wow,¡± Jack said. ¡°Jewelry is a pretty hardcore choice.¡± ¡°His choice, not mine. I didn¡¯t do anything different. Kinda worried this might not go well.¡± ¡°Yeah. Maybe we should go in. Think you can calm him down?¡± ¡°How bright was his aura?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Insane.¡± Miles bit his lip. ¡°We can¡¯t fuck this one up then.¡± They entered the shop. The man they had followed was shouting at three women to get behind the counter, all of them with their hands up and crying. At the sound of the bell above the door, he turned around and pointed the gun at Jack and Miles. Both gasped and put their hands up too. ¡°You¡¯re the fucker that ran into me!¡± he said, the gun directed right at Jack. ¡°Both of you, get back there too.¡± The man stood back to let them pass, the gun never leaving their direction. Jack and Miles followed the directions to lay on the ground just outside a back room face down with hands on their heads. One of the saleswomen sat against a wall about ten feet from them while the other was forced to stand with hands still up, and a female customer cowered in a corner. The man went to the front door, locked it, and lowered the shade. ¡°Well, that escalated quickly,¡± Miles whispered. ¡°Nice pick.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know he had a gun.¡± ¡°If we survive this, how about next time we avoid someone completely unhinged.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®survive¡¯? We¡¯re already dead.¡± ¡°Do you know what happens to our bodies if we get shot?¡± ¡°No. What happens?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know and don¡¯t want to find out the hard way.¡± The man had returned. ¡°Shut up!¡± he shouted at them. He then turned to the still-standing saleswoman. ¡°Put everything in a bag. All of it.¡± The woman attempted to open the case that was the sales counter with a key, but her hands trembled so much she dropped it. She trembled and cried harder each time he shouted at her to hurry. Finally she was able to get it open and began grabbing the jewelry and putting it in a plastic bag. ¡°I know there¡¯s witnesses,¡± Miles whispered, ¡°but maybe we need to just get this over with now. Just dive in.¡± ¡°Just dive in? Easy for you to say. Besides, we can¡¯t yet.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something else about his aura. I¡¯m worried he¡¯s not quite ready yet.¡± ¡°Then figure it out.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± the man shouted even louder, pointing the gun at them again before turning back to the saleswoman. ¡°Now I want all your cash. Every bit of it.¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t have access to the safe. I can give you what¡¯s in the register, but¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! You¡¯ll give me all of it or die.¡± ¡°I swear, only my manager can and he¡¯s not¡ª¡± The gun went off and the woman fell to the floor in a heap, blood pooling around her head. The other women screamed and Jack and Miles gaped. ¡°Think he¡¯s ready now?¡± Miles asked as softly as possible. ¡°That might have been a bit much. He¡¯s probably going to hell on his own now.¡± ¡°Probably? Just¡ª¡± The gun went off again, this time the bullet entering the wall just over Miles¡¯s head. ¡°I said shut the fuck up or you die too.¡± He forced the second saleswoman to stand and open the register. While the woman fumbled with it as she sobbed, Jack took a deep breath and opened himself up to the auras of everyone. Both of the remaining women were a bright purple, but more noticeably, the man¡¯s previously radiant red was getting muddled by the blue that had simply been an outline before. Jack turned his head slightly to Miles and mouthed the words ¡°We need to take him now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± Miles mouthed back. The man was shouting at the saleswoman to open the safe. She cried harder, trying to explain that she couldn¡¯t. Quickly, Jack whispered, ¡°Make him go to the other chick. His back will be turned.¡± Miles¡¯s expression told Jack he was unsure it would work, but he locked his eyes on the side of the man¡¯s head anyway. Almost instantly, the robber froze, analyzing the woman before turning to the customer in the corner. ¡°Maybe watching a customer die would change your mind about that safe.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes went wide. The customer¡¯s aura flashed brighter purple with a waves of blue, quite cosmic and intense. She looked at Jack and a connection he did not expect occurred and the thoughts flashed blazing fast. ¡°Why-no-please-oh God-not them?-please them-not me-family-gone¡± ¡°Did you tell him to kill her?¡± Jack whispered to Miles. ¡°Not specifically, but if that gets the job done¡ª¡± ¡°No! Make him stop.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just fucking make him stop.¡± Miles glared at the man again, who stopped and lowered his gun. Jack sighed. That was way too easy. ¡°You look a lot like my wife,¡± the man said softly to the woman. ¡°She¡¯s dying right now. Our insurance won¡¯t cover her cancer treatment that would save her life.¡± The man¡¯s aura was now blue, the red now only an outline. ¡°I would do anything to save her life. Anything at all.¡± He raised the gun again. Miles¡¯s connection had been too rushed and had failed. Jack jumped to his feet and dove onto the man¡¯s back, pulling him to the floor. As they wrestled, Jack heard Miles tell the women to run and heard footsteps indicating they had listened. Miles then stomped on the robber¡¯s wrist, forcing him to release the gun. He kicked the gun away, and together he and Jack rolled the man onto his back and held him down. Looking into the man¡¯s eyes, Jack¡¯s connection was full force. ¡°No-no-no¡ª¡± As the zooming thoughts transferred to Jack¡¯s mind like a bullet train, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about your wife,¡± Jack said, never leaving the surrounding blue aura. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry you won¡¯t be seeing her ever again.¡± His right hand began to glow white with purple sparks. ¡°You have to come with us now.¡± Jack plunged his glowing hand into the man¡¯s chest, up to his wrist. He wrapped his fingers around a sphere just slightly larger than a tennis ball, the chest holding it now glowing too. As Jack pulled at the sphere, the man began to scream. Miles pressed on the man¡¯s throat just enough to stifle the screams but not enough to strangle him. With a final yank, the sphere came free from the invisible tendrils that had secured it within the body and the man instantly went limp. His aura vanished, the connection broke, and for a moment silence filled Jack¡¯s mind. A silence so deep that it held him in a state of emptiness that Miles had to shake him out of. Coming to, Jack pulled a velvet bag from his pocket and looked at the sphere in his hand. It still held a faint glow, just like his hand, but the sphere, which felt like a warm glass ball, had a marble appearance, like smoke was floating around inside it. Red and blue just like his aura was. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Miles said, and Jack put the ball into the bag, which he then put into his pocket. He stood, looking down at the man once more. He lay still, eyes open but void of any life, his body appearing completely untouched as if he had just collapsed and died of nothing. No blood, no bruising. Jack could not look away and he didn¡¯t know why. There was no soul left there to remain connected to, and the velvet of the bag that now housed it kept its power contained and undetectable. But something kept him there, longer than the one or two seconds he usually stayed after such a task. Miles finally had to grab him by the arm and pull him to the back of the shop. With the sounds of faint sirens approaching, Jack reached into his shirt and pulled out a tin pendant than hung from a chain around his neck. Miles stopped him. ¡°We can¡¯t go yet.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be seen! We¡¯ve already been seen.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go back with just one.¡± ¡°Trust me, this one is enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to get analyzed because we only brought back one, especially after all this crazy shit that just happened.¡± Jack sighed. Getting analyzed was not on his list of fun experiences. ¡°Fine. But we need to hide.¡± He put the pendant back in his shirt and followed Miles out the back door. It led to an alley, which they ran through and between buildings until Miles finally stopped in a collection of snowy brush underneath the elevated train tracks. They collapsed in the snow and gasped for breath. ¡°What was with you back there?¡± Miles asked. ¡°You were totally out of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And since when do you save people¡¯s lives? Must be that ¡®nice guy¡¯ quality that everyone in Paimon¡¯s court has.¡± Miles laughed, but Jack scowled. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°If he had killed her, it would have been too late. He¡¯d already be destined for torment in Hell, and we both know that¡¯s not the ideal soul to bring back.¡± But he knew Miles was right. The real reason was from what he¡¯d seen and felt from his connection with her. ¡°Though that may be true, saving people isn¡¯t part of the job.¡± ¡°Unsurprisingly said by a demon loyal to Beleth¡¯s court. Sometimes I wonder why they put you with me.¡± ¡°I ask myself that every day. But I like you for some reason. And we work well together.¡± He pointed to Jack¡¯s pocket. ¡°That looked like a good one. Might get bonus points from Andy and Val for that.¡± Jack twitched. ¡°Stop calling them that. I can¡¯t speak for Valefor, but yeah Andromalius will probably love it. I think it¡¯s one of the best we¡¯ve ever gotten.¡± He patted his pocket, feeling the sphere¡¯s shape through it. The man had been right on the edge between good and evil, so close that his judgment at a natural death could have gone either way. But Miles¡¯s invisibly injected temptations of theft that unexpectedly led to a murder had pushed him one step over the line. With the man still close enough for later redemption that could give him a chance at Heaven, it was the most perfect moment to take him. A theft from God, as their leaders would say. ¡°That¡¯s why I said we could just go back with this one,¡± Jack continued. ¡°Quality over quantity.¡± ¡°Except Luc doesn¡¯t agree with that sentiment.¡± Twitching again, Jack slapped Miles¡¯s arm. ¡°Seriously, if Lucifer finds out you mock his name, he¡¯ll behead you repeatedly for eternity.¡± Miles shrugged. ¡°He can¡¯t hear what I say on Earth.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such an asshole.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why Val loves me. Though I¡¯d never call him that to his face. I¡¯m not stupid.¡± ¡°You sure tread the line.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Miles stood and looked around. ¡°Let¡¯s get at least one more, preferably two. The more time on Earth the better, right?¡± Jack nodded and stood too. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right for once.¡± Chapter 2: The Life of a Demon The sun was setting by the time Jack had two more spheres in his velvet bag. One had been a young man on the south side of the city that Miles had convinced to beat and rob a woman. Jack had sensed a disdain toward women by the fact he glared at every one he passed by, but made sure Miles kept enough control over him to prevent a rape. The fight with this man was rough, but the connection he established showed heartbreak beneath the anger, remnants of a destroyed relationship. The second target was a woman who Jack saw gazing longingly at a baby in the park, her red and green aura indicating a deep desperation for a child, desperate enough for something drastic. Miles silently made the woman push the mother down and knock her unconscious, then had her run into a wooded area. Though Miles made no effort to protect the baby, Jack did, placing it gently on the ground, then apologized to the woman before taking the glowing orb from within. He gently carried the crying baby back to her mother despite Miles telling him to stop being a sap. Once they had the baby back in her mother¡¯s arms, they ran off as quickly as possible. Now they sat on a bench in the darkness of another empty park. Jack was exhausted, his right hand becoming numb and his mind blurry. A full day of hunting and a collection of three souls didn¡¯t usually wear him out, but the excitement of the morning had taken too much out of him. ¡°Tapped out?¡± Miles said. ¡°We did good today.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Only evil was destroyed in the making of this day. You got to save some lady¡¯s life, you made me keep a creepy guy from going too far, and kept a baby safe. Val will roll his eyes, but I¡¯ll just blame all the niceness on you.¡± Jack stared at him. ¡°So you¡¯d be totally fine with people getting killed and raped and whatever?¡± ¡°I mean¡­¡± Miles seemed to hesitate. ¡°I don¡¯t want people to die like that. But sometimes that¡¯s what happens. It can be dangerous to take the time to stop that from happening. You know, witnesses, cops, getting shot.¡± Miles raised his eyebrows as he stared at Jack accusingly. ¡°Getting caught by humans means eternal torment no matter how much you kiss Andy¡¯s ass.¡± Jack growled at the mockery of his leader¡¯s name. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Both of them took out their pendant from under their shirts. It was about the size of a quarter in both circumference and thickness and hung on a strong yet thin silver chain. With a thumb pressed to the sigil on the front and index finger on a code on the back, they muttered, ¡°Reverto.¡± Like a vacuum they were sucked into a tunnel of pure darkness for a few seconds traveling in no particular direction until below them opened up and they landed gently within a circular room. The wall around them was of rough stone with a few burning torches spaced evenly along it. The floor they stood on was engraved with the same sigil as on their pendants. The seal of Prince Gaap, demon of transportation, had the letters of his name spelled out clockwise around a design made up of a sideways U divided by two intersecting lines surrounded by small circles. Before them was a portal of thick red and orange smoke, and on the wall above it was engraved ¡°No Earth names beyond this point.¡± Jack took the bag out of his pocket and led the way through the portal. The smoke was moist and thick, and they appeared on the other side of the wall with their Earth clothes removed, leaving them with only frayed, faded black shorts. But it was warm now, not the frigid winter they had come from, so being shirtless and barefoot was fine. In front of them was a long counter made of the same rough stone as the walls, and behind it were three male servants dressed in the same shorts. One of them had their back turned as they sorted some items, and in the middle of his upper back was a tattoo of the seal of Knight Gasyaxe. The other two would have the same on their backs; the counter served as one of the thousands of check points for the demon of new-spirit analysis. Approaching one of the servants, Jack placed the bag on the counter. He and Miles removed their pendants and laid them down beside the bag. The servant took Jack¡¯s pendant and looked at the code on the back. ¡°EA-01-197,¡± he muttered before dropping it into a small smoking portal on the counter. He did the same with Miles¡¯s pendant, saying, ¡°DV-08-0497.¡± Lastly, he took the bag and dumped the souls into the portal, handing the empty bag to his colleague. The portal flashed white in acceptance of the offerings and the servant nodded to dismiss them. At the other side of the room was another large seal engraved on the floor, this time being of Prince Seere, demon of internal transportation. At each of the four points of the cardinal directions was a pillar just over waist high, each with yet another seal. Jack walked to the one marked with that of Amenadiel, king of the west, and Miles went to the one opposite for Carnesiel, king of the east. ¡°See ya, 197,¡± Miles said. ¡°Later, 497,¡± Jack said. They put their palms on the seals and disappeared. The vacuum of darkness brought Jack to an open and bustling area that seemed to stretch for an eternity on all sides. Crowds of demon servants wandered about, each with a blank expression as they went about their duties. Most of them were male, and among all of them was a mix of attire; some had shorts like his, others just underwear, and some scattered ones were naked. Jack always wondered what those servants had done to have the privilege of clothes taken away. He knew it was usually minor things like arguing with the guards or fighting with each other or stealing food, all things Jack had never done and had no desire to ever do. He liked his shorts, even if they weren¡¯t as nice as his Earth clothes, and it was certainly better than getting sneered at or spit on as naked demons often endured. The endless stone region of the west echoed with the footsteps of everyone that passed. The only voices were of Amenadiel¡¯s guards barking orders as no idle conversation was allowed. The guards made sure all servants went obediently to the proper pillar that would take them to the various houses within the west. Many of the demon servants were carrying things like food, bricks, bags, or messages between the various houses, placing their palms on the associated seal. A few of them looked at Jack scornfully, jealous that he did not have to carry out tedious and exhausting tasks. Jack ignored them, but he did not ignore the sight of the two massive buildings before him. The center of the western region was home to two castles cut out of the rough stone of the massive cave-like area around them. One was for King Amenadiel and the other larger one was for Great King Paimon. The Great King was the master of all the other rulers in his court. He knew of all the happenings within each house and often made visits to each. Only once did Jack have the pleasure of entering the massive castle and meeting Paimon face to face. He had no idea how long ago it was; all he knew was that it was after he arrived in Hell for the first time. It seemed so long ago, like he had been here forever, though he knew he had not. In a courtyard of sorts outside Amenadiel¡¯s castle were five large boxes made from thick plastic, each holding a screaming human. The humans were being tortured in various ways: two with continuous white-hot flames, a third getting their limbs repeatedly cut off with a dull saw wielded by servants, and two more getting lashed with a flaming whip. The five humans were not always the same each day; they would rotate with others being tortured in private rooms, adding humiliation to their eternal torment. The west side was not known for having a lot of tormented humans under their care, but because there were two rulers in Paimon¡¯s court that could communicate with animals and had a particular passion for them¡ªPresident Camio and Duke Barbatos¡ªany humans guilty of animal cruelty on Earth were sentenced to serve their eternity there. Jack used the sight as a reminder of what could happen to him if he ever disobeyed, as demon servants were not safe from getting the same fate. After looking at the sight for a few moments, Jack approached the pillar for the house of Andromalius, placed his palm upon it, and was whisked away to another open area almost exactly like the central one he had just left. In the middle was the earl¡¯s castle, significantly smaller than that of Paimon and Amenadiel, but still quite lavish in design. He had been inside countless times, and he hated it every time. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. A large section on one side of the open area was lined with stone tables and benches that seemed to stretch a mile each. The demon servants that sat there were eating silently, watched by passing guards. Every one of them was marked with the earl¡¯s sigil on their backs: three parallel lines with an S in the middle flanked by four I¡¯s, the earl¡¯s name spelled out clockwise. Jack walked to the first line of tables, which was assigned to Legion 1 of the external servants, or those who completed assignments on Earth. He had to walk for five minutes before finding an open seat, and sat on the uncomfortably hard bench to wait. Female servants flitted around the tables, carrying trays to and from the demons. Their attire was mixed as well, some with a black tank top and short-shorts, some with a bra and panties, and others naked. A male demon across the table from Jack reached a hand out and placed it between the legs of a passing servant. She nearly dropped the tray she was carrying as she stopped and allowed the continuous touch, though her face showed anguish. A guard patrolling the tables stopped to watch, but when the demon did not stop after a few seconds, the guard smashed the arm away with a baton. ¡°Too long,¡± the guard muttered as the demon rubbed his arm. This happened all around Jack, his fellow external servants taking advantage of their privilege to briefly touch the females serving them, to partake in adding to their eternal punishment for whatever they had done on Earth. A naked female walked up behind him and leaned in to place a tray in front of him, her breasts inches from his face. He saw her bracing herself for him to grope her, then look at him with a flash of surprise when he kept his hands on the table. He looked her up and down slowly, then nodded in thanks and turned to his food. As she walked away he stole one last look; he always enjoyed the views, but kept his hands to himself. On the tray before him was a small stone bowl of rice oatmeal, an even smaller stone cup of warm water, and a hard bread roll. Food was not needed to ¡°live,¡± but hunger was a very real thing in Hell and refusing to eat would result in severe hunger pains. Jack picked up the stone spoon and quickly ate, thinking about what Earth food must taste like¡ªit always smelled so good¡ªto help him ignore the dusty taste that the stone gave it. He had heard stories of demons who had given in to the temptation to eat Earth food and were punished by being forced to eat feces. Once he¡¯d had to tackle Miles and pin him down to prevent him from eating a bag of candy that had been dropped on the ground, saving him from such a fate. Once finished with his meal, Jack walked back to the center of Andromalius¡¯s region and past the entrance portal to reach the lodging quarters. As soon as he reached the section marked for Legion 1, the posted guard stopped him. ¡°197?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The earl would like to speak to you.¡± Jack suppressed a sigh. Of course he does. ¡°Okay.¡± He turned and went back to the center, slowly making his way toward the castle. He knew exactly what was about to happen and he dreaded it with every cell in his body. At the top of the stairs that led to the entrance, Jack stopped and faced the guards there. ¡°01-197,¡± he said to them. Without a word they stepped back and allowed him inside. The foyer was decorated with statues of serpents, some of which held burning torches. Two more guards, who had frayed shirts in addition to their pants, led Jack up more stairs and through a door ordained with intertwined serpents gilded in silver and copper. Inside was a large room with velvet red carpet, all sides surrounded by large tanks of snakes. Nude women flitted about, cleaning the tanks or feeding the creatures within. In the middle of the room was a throne, and at the sight of the man seated in it, Jack immediately knelt before him. Earl Andromalius sat back in his copper and silver throne, his weathered face partially covered by a grayish-brown beard and framed by frizzy hair of the same color. His pants and vest were pristine with faint patterns of silver all over, and in his hand was a snake partially curled around his arm. Andromalius smiled at the sight of Jack. ¡°There¡¯s my favorite Soul Reacher.¡± His voice was strong but oddly pleasant, and he almost always started off with those same words. Words that Jack thought ridiculous since he was the only Soul Reacher in the entire house. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had news from Gasyaxe. You had a very successful day, I hear.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°One soul in particular was of great interest. One he said even Lucifer himself would be proud to see.¡± Jack swallowed hard. ¡°Oh?¡± was all he could say. ¡°Yes. A potential Soul Reacher. I would like to analyze your day. Not because I don¡¯t trust you, but because I want to see how you were able to accomplish such a perfect catch.¡± Trying not to visibly shake, Jack nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Come.¡± Jack was led closer by the guards, who held his arms behind his back at Andromalius¡¯s feet. The snake slithered forward to Jack¡¯s face, tickling him with its tongue. Andromalius placed his free hand on Jack¡¯s head and squeezed. In an instant he had fiery pain throughout his body that then concentrated in his skull. He knew he was screaming but couldn¡¯t hear it. He felt as if his brain was being pulled out through a strainer, and though it only lasted for less than a minute, he collapsed on his side once released. The guards stepped back and the earl called to a female servant to bring him a cauldron. Through blurry eyes Jack could only see a ball of smoke in Andromalius¡¯s hand, which he put into the cauldron now in front of him. A billow of smoke appeared that then cleared in the middle, which began depicting everything Jack had seen through his eyes that day. He tried to calm his trembling, not just from the pain, which was slowly dissipating, but from the fear of what his leader might think of his actions. He watched the face of Andromalius as the earl watched the target human pointing a gun at him, the view from the floor as the woman was killed and the other threatened. There was no sound, not even of Jack¡¯s voice, but the motion of his head in Miles¡¯s direction, then back at the man who was about to shoot but didn¡¯t, then Jack leaping to stop the man as he changed his mind. Jack looked at Andromalius for his reaction. The earl rubbed his bearded chin, then waved away the smokey vision and the female servant removed the cauldron. Jack got back to his knees to face what wrath was to come. ¡°You saved that woman¡¯s life?¡± Andromalius¡¯s voice was difficult to read, but Jack¡¯s fear rose any way. ¡°I¡ªI did.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­I thought perhaps if I took him then instead of after, the soul would be better. Close enough to redemption that it would be a stronger theft from God. I thought that¡¯s what¡ª¡± ¡°Silence.¡± Even though the earl did not raise his voice, Jack still jumped a little at the command. He cautiously looked up at his leader. The face he saw held no expression. ¡°That was incredibly dangerous. A demon getting injured with human witnesses¡­that is very dangerous for you indeed.¡± Jack wondered what would happen to his injured body that humans should not see. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I won¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°I am impressed with your courage.¡± Holding his breath, Jack¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°I trust that you will use that courage carefully, however.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°And be careful getting your partner involved in such dangerous decisions. Duke Valefor isn¡¯t quite as¡­accepting of such things as I am.¡± ¡°I will be careful, sir.¡± Andromalius smiled, a signal that made Jack finally relax. ¡°It would not be fair of me to not reward you for your success today. And I think an extra reward is in order as well.¡± Jack¡¯s heart fluttered with excitement; he had only ever received one reward at a time, which itself was quite rare. He watched as the earl turned to a female servant. ¡°Bring me the tray.¡± After a few moments, the female returned with a tray displaying a heap of perfectly plump and shiny red strawberries, the stem already removed from it. Jack¡¯s eyes widened again and he began to salivate. He couldn¡¯t remember ever eating one, but for some reason he knew the taste. Andromalius picked up one and instructed Jack to hold out his hand in which he placed the strawberry. ¡°You may eat it.¡± Jack looked at it in awe, then slowly took a bite. The sweet juice of it tingled his tongue and he savored it as long as possible. He finished the fruit in two more bites and licked his lips. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Andromalius¡¯s expression was of dominating satisfaction. Though he often favored his only Soul Reacher, he still seemed to revel in watching a servant be given a reward like a dog receiving a treat. Never before had Jack been rewarded with food, and he wondered if he would ever be successful enough to get it again. ¡°I will also have a guard provide you with a pillow for your rest time. Now go and rest up so you can do more great work on your next shift.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you.¡± Jack stood and bowed before being led out of the room and to the stairs outside the castle. He struggled to hide a smile. Getting caught showing happiness would surely get his pillow taken away. Arriving back at the lodging quarters for Legion 1, Jack was met by a guard and escorted through the endless rows of stacked cages until reaching one labeled ¡®197.¡¯ It was the third cage in a stack of four and required moveable stairs to reach it. The cage was only big enough to lay in, long and thin with a stone floor and ceiling as rough as the walls of every room in Hell. Each cage in a horizontal row was separated by cross-hashed bars, the openings small enough to see and hear through, but not to stick fingers in. Jack crawled inside head first, and before the guard closed the door, he pushed a small, thin pillow at his feet. As Jack reached for it, the demons on either side of him began cursing. ¡°Andromalius¡¯s pet!¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s what happens when you suck his dick so much!¡± ¡°Soul Reachers think they¡¯re so special. Fuck them!¡± Jack put the pillow under his head and stared at the stone ceiling. He had heard all those jealous words before as getting a pillow was not new for him. The thinness of the pillow only barely took away the discomfort of the stone under him, but it was enough to make the twelve hours in his cage a little easier. Chapter 3: An Unwelcome Visit Getting released from the cage was always bittersweet. Jack was grateful to be free and to be able to enjoy the fresh air of Earth again, but it also meant soul hunting. All he had to do was remind himself of the humans in torment outside of Amenadiel¡¯s castle and he was able to get the energy to go. Stepping out of the lodging quarters and into the main area of the house, he and everyone else around him was startled by the sudden booming of music and voices. A guard near Jack muttered, ¡°Oh, shit, here we go,¡± before attempting to herd servants out of the way of the intruders. The giant seal of Prince Seere on the floor that marked the entrance portal to the house of Andromalius was now completely occupied by a gang of massive serpents. All were at least ten feet tall as they stood upright like vipers, and each had the head of a beautiful woman, all of different shapes and hair colors and styles. But the loud voices that came from their mouths were distinctly male, deep and gruff. They were surrounded by musical instruments, floating within the group as they blasted music in sync with each other. There were mostly guitars, electric ones despite there being no electricity to power them, distorted riffs along with a few atmospheric keyboards and various percussion instruments like snares and cymbals and the speedy pounding of a bass drum. There were thirteen serpents in all, twelve dukes led by the biggest serpent of all: the wandering Prince Buriel. The giant snake was as wide as two demon servants, and everyone had to crane their neck upwards to see the head of a young blonde woman as it belted out words in a male singing voice. ¡°I am king, it is true. Follow me or I¡¯ll slay you.¡± The voice was impressively melodic, and Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise that the most vile demon in existence could have a pleasant voice. Then the words repeated, only this time in a deep growl that was barely understandable. Jack¡¯s curiosity dissipated as soon as Buriel slithered off the seal and toward the dining area, his twelve dukes following him. He approached a terrified demon servant, and growled in synch to the heavy music, ¡°Sequor! Exsequor!¡± The servant¡¯s back arched, his neck flung backwards, his limbs frozen, his face exuding agony. Buriel swung his massive tail forward, the tip of it morphing into the head of a sharp axe, and swiped it through the servant¡¯s midsection. With a scream the servant collapsed, both halves of him spilling blood. Instead of bleeding to death, he simply lay in two pieces, screaming. The serpent continued on to another group of demons attempting to cower away as Buriel began his singing again, the same melodic lines as before. He motioned for one of his dukes to slither forward, and that serpent¡¯s tail became a mace, and as Buriel growled ¡°Meum cole!¡± the duke swung the mace, smashing the head of a servant to an unrecognizable pulp. All the dukes cheered at these attacks, and Amenadiel¡¯s guards did nothing to stop them. They had failed to get the servants to shelter, so instead they began pushing them toward Buriel to protect themselves like shields. The serpents made their way closer to where Jack stood, giving him a view of another duke setting a servant on fire. When Buriel came to the group that surrounded Jack, everyone screamed and tried to push each other into the violent demon¡¯s path. With a quick motion Buriel commanded the two lead dukes forward, growled ¡°Meum adore!¡± and everyone watched as one tail became a massive sword, the other duke¡¯s tail joining it with flames, and with a flash from Buriel¡¯s tail, the flaming weapon impaled the servant next to Jack. The servant screamed before exploding into fiery flesh. The musical gang made their way around the rest of Andromalius¡¯s house, taking out victims as they went. Jack stared at the pile of smoldering flesh and blood that had once been a fellow servant. His heart pounded at the realization that it had almost been him. Buriel eventually led his dukes back to the seal, and after one last melodic ¡°I am king!¡± he bid the onlookers farewell and vanished. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Jack watched as guards came with a shovel and a wagon in which they scooped up the pile on the floor and carted it toward the seal. He leaned against the wall and sighed. It didn¡¯t matter that the servant would return later completely back to normal after a visit to President Os¨¦ in the north, the demon with the ability to change the shape of anyone. It did not lessen the terror and agony experienced. The sight had taken away Jack¡¯s appetite, but he knew he would regret not eating. After quickly doing so, he went to the seal and traveled to Gasyaxe¡¯s realm to meet with Miles. His partner was pacing near the portal, but stopped and rushed to him upon his appearance. ¡°I heard about Buriel making a visit to your house and worried he might have gotten you. You¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. The guy right next to me though, flaming goo.¡± ¡°Damn. I swear he gets more savage every time.¡± ¡°Yeah, and now he¡¯s going into specific houses.¡± ¡°Apparently yours wasn¡¯t the only one he stopped by. He sure does love tormenting you ¡®nice guys¡¯ in the west.¡± Miles chuckled. Jack scowled. ¡°You think it¡¯s totally okay for him to just go around slaughtering everyone for fun?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they die. Os¨¦ puts them back together. But I admit I was worried about you. Almost like I care or something.¡± They went to the desk to receive their pendants and Jack was handed a velvet bag. Once through the portal they had their Earth clothes on, then stepped on the seal and said in unison while holding their pendants, ¡°Abiego.¡± The vacuum pull lifted them to a dim alley between weathered brick buildings in the center of Milwaukee. Jack put on the hat and gloves that were in his pocket and shivered. As they exited the alley and began their walk, Miles said, ¡°So, I got analyzed last night, thanks to you.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Val was pretty pissed about that whole jewelry store thing. But he didn¡¯t punish me because it was your fault.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°Let me guess, Andy loved it.¡± ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, stop calling him that.¡± Jack sighed, afraid to tell Miles about his rewards. ¡°Yeah, he thought it was good.¡± ¡°You got a pillow again?¡± Jack nodded, his eyes on the ground. Miles stopped and turned Jack to face him. ¡°What¡¯s with you today? Did something else happen?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°No.¡± Jack tried to walk away but Miles pulled him back. ¡°Tell me or I¡¯ll make someone kill someone.¡± Knowing there was a good chance Miles was not bluffing, Jack said, ¡°Fine. He gave me food too.¡± Miles raised his eyebrows. ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°A strawberry.¡± Licking his lips, Miles continued to stare. ¡°You got a fucking strawberry? Are you serious?¡± Jack saw the jealousy raging in his partner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to tell you because you¡¯d be upset.¡± He looked into the eyes of his long-term colleague. A friend even, though friendship was forbidden. Most demons cared for no one but themselves, but Jack clung to this one, and for some reason, the feeling had always seemed mutual, at least somewhat. Though he had never attempted to read the souls of other demons, Jack sometimes tried with Miles, and tried it again now that his friend was hurting. No aura, nothing surrounding him. But there was a spark in his eyes, a bit of a combination of electricity and the whiteish-blue magic that came from his hand. It was so faint that Jack always figured it was his imagination, or wishful thinking because he wanted someone to connect to without killing them. This time it seemed much more real. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± Jack continued, trying to hold onto the light. ¡°You deserve it as much as me. I couldn¡¯t do this work without you, and even though you don¡¯t like it sometimes, you still do what I ask. I know me saying this doesn¡¯t mean as much as a strawberry, but your help¡ªthe way you help me¡ªmeans a lot to me and you have my appreciation.¡± Jack expected Miles to scoff or roll his eyes, but he didn¡¯t, so he went on. ¡°This is part of our eternal torment, you know. Jealousy, being treated like shit, getting led along by treats like a pathetic animal. I was pathetic when he gave me that food. He looked at me like he had so much control over me. He doesn¡¯t do it to be nice. It gives him power. I¡¯m as much of a slave as anyone else. It¡¯s just that sometimes I guess it tastes a little better or my head doesn¡¯t hurt as much for twelve hours in a cage. Most people would rub that in your face, but I don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was the longest Jack had been able to hold whatever tiny connection he could make with Miles, and it made him certain it was real. Miles finally broke it by looking away, but moments later looked back again. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what you possibly did to get sent to Hell in the first place. You¡¯re too¡­good.¡± Jack tried to hide a smile. ¡°Supposedly that¡¯s why I¡¯m a Soul Reacher. But yeah, I ask myself that every day.¡± Miles nodded down the street and began walking. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can get another strawberry today.¡± Chapter 4: The Summoning ¡°This is your way of apologizing to me? Taking me to a forest at night, alone? What happened to the classic flowers and a nice dinner?¡± Miranda Colmyre sat in the passenger seat of a parked car, arms crossed, glaring at the driver. The moonlight reflecting off the snow illuminated his mischievous grin. ¡°If I told you the real reason why I wanted to come here, you wouldn¡¯t have agreed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not having sex with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the reason.¡± ¡°Then what? You¡¯re going to kill me?¡± ¡°No. I promise you won¡¯t get hurt. Famous, though, for sure. Come on.¡± The young man got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. ¡°No, Derek, I am not going anywhere except you taking me home.¡± Derek grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the car. ¡°Since when are you opposed to doing some really crazy shit?¡± ¡°Last time I went along with some plan to vandalize the church, I got in big trouble, even though I didn¡¯t do anything. And the time before that¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, well, this is way more crazy and fun. And you know you love me.¡± Derek pulled her close and kissed her deeply, and Miranda did not pull away until a few moments had passed. ¡°I hate you. You just happen to be a really good kisser.¡± Derek chuckled and opened the trunk of his car, removing a cardboard box and handing it to Miranda. ¡°Carry this for me, and don¡¯t ask what¡¯s in it.¡± He then took a backpack and a flashlight before closing the trunk. ¡°Follow me, it¡¯s a bit of a walk.¡± With the flashlight in one hand, Derek kept his other hand on Miranda¡¯s arm as if she were on a leash. The only sounds in the forest were their crunching footsteps on the snow-covered path. For nearly ten minutes they walked in silence, and just as Miranda opened her mouth to say something, Derek led her off the path and through the open prairie to a collection of trees in which some lanterns were lit. ¡°Are there people over there?¡± ¡°Yep. Some friends of mine.¡± As they approached the cluster of trees, three people turned to face them, one of which shined a flashlight in the faces of the newcomers. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Derek announced, then looked at the ground. ¡°Looks great.¡± All snow had been removed from the area, the dark ground now painted with intricate designs. A large circle was outlined thickly in yellow with a coiled serpent painted in black over it. A red square was in the middle of the circle, which was surrounded by four yellow hexagrams with a blue T in the center of each. Outside the circle were four pentagrams painted in yellow and red. A few feet away was a white triangle with a green circle in the middle and words written in red along each outer side. ¡°What on Earth is this?¡± Miranda said, staring at the creation. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her?¡± One of the strangers, a young man with long dark hair, approached Derek with a can of spray paint in his hand. ¡°She¡¯d never come otherwise.¡± Another man with long blond hair walked up and opened the box. ¡°Decent job on these robes, Derek,¡± he said. ¡°Better than the previous times.¡± Everyone chuckled except Miranda. ¡°Practice makes perfect,¡± Derek said. ¡°Did you make one for your girlfriend?¡± Miranda scowled. ¡°I am not his girlfriend.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need one,¡± Derek said, ignoring her. ¡°She¡¯s not participating. And as long as she¡¯s in the circle with us, she¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Participating in what?¡± Miranda demanded. ¡°Is this some sort of ritual? Am I a sacrifice or something?¡± Derek put down his backpack and flashlight and put his hands on her shoulders. ¡°I would never do anything to hurt you. I know you don¡¯t believe it, but I actually do love you. I¡¯m going to do something really amazing tonight, and I want you to witness it. All those times you and other people thought I was a loser, or worthless, or whatever¡­tonight everyone will see how powerful I really am.¡± He turned and pointed to each of his friends, introducing the dark-haired man as Ben, the blond as Chris, and the third, also with long hair but a lighter brown was Aaron. Turning back to Miranda he said, ¡°After my parents went ¡®born-again¡¯ and started going to your dad¡¯s church and made me go to high school there, my life has sucked. I¡¯ve never been good enough, holy enough. But there¡¯s one great thing your dad did for me that made me realize my true purpose, where I can truly get power. Every sermon he¡¯s given where he talks about demons and how strong they are over humans, it stuck with me. I wanted to know more. And the more I learned, the more I wanted to see that power for myself. Then I met these three guys online and they taught me everything. They showed me the amazing things demons can do and taught me how to use them myself. And now you, the daughter of a televangelist obsessed with demons, will witness the truth of their power.¡± Miranda stared at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. ¡°You¡¯re a Satan worshipper?¡± she squeaked. Derek laughed. ¡°No. Demons are summoned in the name of the Lord, not Satan. You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to summon a demon?¡± ¡°Yes. But not just any demon. The most evil and vile demon of all.¡± ¡°Satan?¡± Derek rolled his eyes and shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t summon Satan. Just stay in that little circle over there and watch.¡± But Miranda did not enter the circle, instead standing frozen outside of it, watching the four young men prepare their ritual. They each put on a white robe with mysterious seals embroidered onto the front. Chris took some incense and fumigators out of a box and began lighting and spraying it around the circle. Ben lit some candles¡ªprotected in glass jars to prevent the grass from catching fire¡ªand placed them around the pentagrams. Aaron sorted through parchments and books that were stacked on a small fold-out table beside a lantern. ¡°You¡­you¡¯ve done this before?¡± Miranda croaked out. ¡°Yeah,¡± Derek said. ¡°The first time was a demon called Sallos. I tried to get him to make you fall in love with me, and it only kind of worked, seeing as you aren¡¯t groveling at my feet and begging for it like I wanted you to, but you are still attached, aren¡¯t you?¡± Miranda blinked and said nothing. ¡°The second time was a demon called Asmoday. That one was tough to get but once I got him, well, how do you think I nearly aced my SAT? I was so full of knowledge after that, it was amazing.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You summoned a demon to cheat? I knew you cheated!¡± ¡°Cheating would be if he gave me the answers. He gave me the knowledge to answer the questions on my own, therefore not cheating.¡± Miranda crossed her arms and glared. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re lying. About all of this. You¡¯re just trying to scare me and it¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Ben said, and Derek led Miranda into the small circle with the others. ¡°Stand right here,¡± Derek said. ¡°Don¡¯t speak or move or anything. Just watch.¡± With Chris to the right with the incense and Aaron to the left with a knife and sickle, Derek faced the large circle with Ben standing before him, holding a ragged book for him to read from. With a wooden wand in his hand, Derek began to read. ¡°I do invocate and conjure thee, oh spirit Buriel, and being with power armed from the Supreme Majesty, I do strongly command thee¡­¡± The conjuration was long and contained many names and words that made Miranda stare at the back of his head in confusion. When he finished, they all looked toward the circle in silence. Nothing happened. ¡°Do the second one then,¡± Ben said, turning the page. ¡°I do invocate, conjure, and command thee, oh thou Spirit Buriel to appear and to show thyself visibly unto me¡­¡± The conjuration continued similar to the first with more bizarre and incomprehensible phrases. But again, nothing appeared once he had finished. ¡°Not surprising,¡± Aaron said. ¡°Asmoday did the same. Third one should work.¡± As Ben turned the page again, Miranda rolled her eyes but remained silent. ¡°I do conjure thee, oh thou Spirit Buriel, by all the most glorious and efficacious names of the most great and incomprehensible Lord God¡­¡± This time, Derek made threats of sending the demon into a bottomless pit forever if he didn¡¯t show. Yet the demon still did not show. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Miranda said. ¡°Seriously stupid.¡± ¡°Shut up, bitch!¡± Derek growled. He glared at her, his anger freezing her. ¡°One more shot, dude,¡± Ben said. ¡°If the Spirits¡¯ Chain doesn¡¯t work, he ain¡¯t coming.¡± With a deep breath, Derek continued, this time his voice stern and furious. ¡°Oh thou wicked and disobedient Spirit Buriel, because thou hast rebelled, and hast not obeyed or regarded my words which I have rehearsed, I do by the power of these names of the true God curse thee into the depth of the Bottomless Abyss until the Day of Doom in chains unless thou forthwith appear to do my will. Come thou! Come thou!¡± The candles and lanterns went out with a blast of cold wind and everyone gasped. No one spoke. Another blast of wind from the opposite direction relit everything and before them was the smokey shapes of thirteen serpents, each with the head of a beautiful woman. Miranda squealed and cowered behind Derek. ¡°What¡¯s this about a bottomless abyss?¡± The largest serpent, standing tall on its tail in the center of the circle, looked down on the group with a smirk. ¡°You humans are pathetic.¡± Swallowing hard and with a trembling hand, Derek turned the page. ¡°Welcome, Prince Buriel! By time pentacle of Solomon have I called thee! Give unto me a true answer!¡± ¡°Or you¡¯ll send me to the abyss?¡± Buriel and his dukes laughed, their hoarse voices echoing among the trees. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t remember the last time some fool tried to summon me. They cast me away as soon as they realized I don¡¯t listen. But I am curious. What do you want of me?¡± ¡°Thou art the most evil spirit of Hell,¡± Derek said. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I command thee to destroy the mega church that lies just east of this place!¡± Miranda gasped, her hands to her mouth. ¡°Now that does sound like a good time,¡± Buriel said. ¡°I am quite tempted. But I won¡¯t do it because some human told me to. Though perhaps if you were to give me permission to leave the circle, I can do it of my own accord.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± Ben whispered. ¡°I shall tell thee my bidding first, then I shall give thee permission to exit.¡± ¡°No, you idiot!¡± Chris said. ¡°You can tell me whatever you like,¡± Buriel said. ¡°But I make no promises that I¡¯ll do it. I don¡¯t ¡®bind¡¯ to a master¡¯s whims like other demons do.¡± Derek held Buriel¡¯s smokey gaze. ¡°Thou shalt go to the church and burn it. Then thou shalt go to the subdivision of houses to the south of it and burn them all, as one of them contains the pastor.¡± Miranda screamed. ¡°No! Derek, how could you?¡± Ben reached for the wand. ¡°You¡¯re insane, dude!¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Buriel said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I think I like you, human. That¡¯s quite savage indeed. But if I¡¯m going to potentially cause a holy war¡ªwhich could be fun I suppose¡ªI¡¯d want to do more than just fire. I prefer bloodshed and fire.¡± Derek hesitated, trying to hold Ben off from grabbing the wand, then smirked. ¡°Fine. Kill whoever you want however you want, as long as you take out the church and the pastor.¡± Everyone else in the circle now tried to wrestle the wand from him, Chris trying to cover Derek¡¯s mouth. ¡°So, so tempting,¡± Buriel said. ¡°But I don¡¯t do things just because humans tell me to. Let me out of the circle and maybe I¡¯ll kill and burn as you say.¡± Derek pulled his mouth free and said quickly, ¡°But it¡¯s a church! You should want to destroy it. You¡¯re a demon.¡± Buriel looked thoughtful for a moment, as if deeply pondering the situation. Finally he looked down at Derek again and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right, human. I¡¯ve decided I will do as you say. Just give me permission to leave the circle¡ª¡± All of Derek¡¯s friends screamed and begged for him not to. Desperately fighting against their strength he said as fast as possible, ¡°Thou hast my permission to leave the circle and do my bidding!¡± He flicked his wand as everyone screamed again, and they watched as Buriel stuck the end of his tail out of the circle as if testing the barrier. Apparently satisfied that freedom was in reach, he slithered across the line. ¡°Merosiel! Drusiel! Follow me. The rest of you, go back home.¡± Two of his dukes followed, one with the head of a brunette woman and the other with red hair, their thick green scales matching their master. The other ten dukes all looked furious, but did as they were told and vanished. The five humans within the circle trembled, four out of terror and one from excitement. ¡°Go to the church!¡± Derek cried. ¡°That way!¡± Buriel laughed, his cackle loud and booming. ¡°Oh, you stupid human. You get to learn the hard way to never trust a demon, especially me. I am not interested in starting a holy war right now, but I sure will take advantage of you giving me permission to inhabit Earth.¡± He slithered farther and stopped at the rim of snow that had been cleared away. ¡°What is this?¡± He picked some up with his tail, watching the white substance melt instantly. He tried to taste it with his tongue but again it vanished from his heat. He looked back at the magical circle that kept the five humans safe, then at his brunette duke. ¡°Merosiel, make something to push this¡­substance over their circle. Quickly, before it disappears.¡± Merosiel¡¯s tail became a large, metal panel that he then used to throw the snow at the humans. The power of it knocked them down, and after only a few scoops, the circle was disappearing underneath. ¡°Don¡¯t let it cover the circle!¡± Ben screamed, scrambling to his feet and trying to kick and scoop it away. The others attempted the same, but the demon was too fast and strong. Once the circle was well enough covered, Buriel slithered close and looked into Derek¡¯s eyes. The young man froze, standing rigid, eyes wide and glossy. ¡°Remove your cloak,¡± he said. Though his friends begged him not to, Derek did as told, his eyes never leaving Buriel¡¯s stare. As soon as the cloak with the protective seal was on the ground, Buriel¡¯s tail became a sword and impaled it through Derek¡¯s stomach. Crying out, Derek looked down to see flaming, jagged lines spread throughout his body from the wound, and once completely covered he exploded into fiery pieces. Miranda and the others screamed and ran. Buriel shouted for them to halt and they did, just as rigid as Derek had been. ¡°Face me,¡± he said, and in unison the humans turned, their faces expressionless, eyes glazed and unblinking. Buriel ordered them to come near and once close enough, he had them remove their cloaks and his two dukes surrounded them. ¡°My favorite dukes,¡± he said to his companions, ¡°since we cannot take a true human form on our own, we shall use these vessels. I like them. They suit us, I think.¡± Merosiel and Drusiel grinned. Buriel wrapped his tail around Ben, lifted him up and studied his body. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one. You two can pick from the others. Leave the female, though.¡± He lay Ben on his back, and with his tail now a thick knife, he cut the young man¡¯s chest open and removed his heart so fast that there was no time for him to scream. He then made a few other cuts along the body, picked it up again, and squeezed out the blood until drained. Then with his tail back to normal, he entered Ben¡¯s chest tail first, disappearing within. The body turned black, steam seeping from its pores. It twitched violently, then slowly the skin returned to normal, the steam subsided, and the cuts and open chest wound closed with thick, dark scars. Once still, the eyes blinked for a few moments, then the head turned slightly from side to side to look around. Little by little Buriel moved his new body, inspecting the hands, testing each finger, then sitting up, touching the scars on the bare chest exposed through the wet and torn shirt. He clumsily got to his feet, and with the help of his dukes he took a few steps, quickly getting the hang of walking. He grinned. ¡°Your turn, my friends.¡± While Merosiel and Drusiel repeated the same steps their prince had, Buriel approached the young woman, still frozen in place. He studied her, touched her face and neck, smelled her hair, tasted her cheek as if his tongue were still that of a serpent. He looked at his tongue, grumbling at how different it was. Then he looked down at his waist and touched a part of his new body that seemed to come alive on its own. He smiled. ¡°I think I know enough about how humans work to really test this new body out.¡± Chapter 5: The Angel Sitting up suddenly in bed as if an invisible hand had grabbed her by the shirt to wake her, Annabelle Colmyre shook the sleep from her head and looked at the clock: almost 11 p.m. Before she could comprehend anything else, her thoughts were derailed by one word: Go. The message was so insistent, more so than ever before, and she let it guide her. She jumped out of bed and down the stairs, not even bothering to change out of her pajamas. Go. Hurry. Quick. For a moment she thought of taking the car keys, it was that desperate. Getting in trouble might be worth it. No. Bike. Close. She listened. She was only fourteen, and the guide apparently kept that in mind. Throwing on her coat, hat, and boots, Annabelle dashed into the garage, grabbed her bike, and rode away without closing the garage door. The guide apparently thought that was no big deal, so she went with it. The sidewalk had been shoveled, but she still had to jump over mounds of snow that had piled up from snowplows. As she approached each one and yanked up her front tire, it felt as if she was being carried over it and placed back down, balanced perfectly on the slippery patches. The guide¡¯s voice in her head gave directions. Straight. Left. Straight. She trusted it. Miranda had plenty of friends in the neighborhood, she could be at any of those and Annabelle could get there fast. But she was led toward the intersection of one of the busiest roads in Naperville. Straight, the guide said, and for the first time Annabelle questioned why. She got no answer and kept going, the light turning green for her as she got to the intersection. Go. She pedaled as fast as she could, terrified of any cars that might not see her in the dark, but no one moved, all was silent, and she made it across. Left. There was no sidewalk on the side of the road, and terror continued as she rode along the shoulder. Not a single car passed her, as if all of them had vanished or gone elsewhere. After a few minutes she reached the next major intersection, and in the distance she could see her church, lit up by the lamp posts in the massive parking lot. It was empty, and before she could wonder if she was meant to go there, the guide said, Right, and she turned away. Back on a sidewalk, she continued straight down the silent and dimly lit road, riding through stretches of unshoveled snow, her tires never slipping, her speed never slowing. She knew of the prairie preserve ahead, and when the guide told her to cross to it, her terror intensified. In the parking lot was one car that she recognized as Derek¡¯s, and she grumbled, anger now mixed with her fear. The only light was the moon, and it was barely enough to help her see the footprints in the snow ahead of her. She had to pedal harder to keep up her speed now that the ground below was gravel. As the guide simply said Go repeatedly, Annabelle started to imagine what she was about to find. Her sister in a nearly pitch-black prairie with a guy that was nothing but trouble¡­murder came to mind. ¡°How am I going to stop a murder?¡± she said out loud, but the guide only replied, Go. She continued along the winding path for a few minutes before spotting faint lights among a collection of trees. When the guide suddenly said Left, Annabelle looked around in confusion; it would take her off the path and into the snow-filled prairie. Left, it said again, more insistent than ever before, and she obeyed. She put all of her strength into pedaling through the snow that almost came up to her pedals, gasping for breath from exhaustion. Trees. As she got closer to the trees the lights became more apparent, but she could see no one and hear nothing other than her own gasps and the crunching under her tires. Stop. Whatever force had kept her upright released her and the bike slipped to the side, sending her into the snow. Crawl. Trees. She grumbled again as the wet snow soaked her pajama pants quickly, and she put her hands in her sleeves to protect them. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Annabelle was within fifty feet of the trees when she finally heard screaming filled with fear and pain. It boosted her, ignoring the cold, the words Go hurry quick now flying through her mind faster than ever. Finally reaching the trees and peeking through some underbrush, she gasped. Miranda was on her back, frozen with her arms at her sides, legs wide apart, eyes staring straight up. She was surrounded by three men with long hair, two standing and watching the third finish his horrible act with a euphoric groan. Annabelle had never seen these men before, and looking around there was no sign of Derek. Lanterns surrounded the area covered in disheveled snow and frantic footprints. A closer look at the snow showed large amounts of dark, circular patches. Blood. Ear-piercing screaming made Annabelle jump and bring her attention back to her sister. She was experiencing some sort of agony despite no longer being touched by anyone, and was still frozen in place. The man who had finished having his way with her motioned to one of his friends, who suddenly had what appeared to be a hatchet in his hand. As he raised it, preparing to bring it down on their victim, Annabelle felt an explosion of power within her, surging up and bursting out of her hand that suddenly felt the need to throw something invisible at the attacker. There was a flash that flew from her hand, through the trees, and into the throat of the man with the hatchet, knocking him backwards and to the ground. As he groaned, his friends looked toward the trees. Annabelle felt the surge again, this time toward herself and with the word Protect in her mind. She collapsed face down, threw her hand back to touch her shoulder, and she was in a bubble, invisible but tangible. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± a voice demanded. Annabelle remained silent and tried not to breathe, keeping her eyes closed and face to the ground. ¡°I command you to come out!¡± Miranda continued to scream in agony. ¡°I said I command you to come out!¡± Annabelle expected to hear footsteps nearing her, and she hoped that whatever weird thing was happening to give her mystery powers would come back. But neither happened. The man¡¯s voice was faint as he had turned away, and Annabelle looked up to see them again. The one with the hatchet was sitting up and rubbing his throat, his leader clearly irritated at his delay. Suddenly he had a massive sword in his hand and lifted it high. The surge came through Annabelle again, her hand thrusting forward to throw the flash that slammed into the attacker¡¯s back. He flew a couple feet before collapsing in the snow. With him out of the way, Annabelle could see her sister was bleeding profusely from where she had been violated, and she silently begged the guide to tell her what to do. Throwing flashes seemed to be only a temporary distraction, and she had no idea how to control any of it. Her hand tingled though, wanting to touch her sister, to heal her like she¡¯d always done. But she stayed in place, watching the leader of the group slowly and unsteadily get to his feet and growl toward the trees. He looked at the third man, who was back to looking at Miranda with enjoyment, and while pointing at the trees said, ¡°Burn it.¡± As if he¡¯d had a flamethrower in his hand all this time, the blond man sent a blast of fire into the trees, igniting them instantly. Annabelle wanted to run, but the guide said No stay wait. The invisible bubble protected her from the flames, though she could still feel their heat. Squinting, she saw the three men run off, quickly out of sight. Go. Annabelle got to her feet and trudged through the snow around the collection of burning trees and toward her sister in the middle. Flames were reaching for her, and with another Protect, Annabelle¡¯s bubble stretched to include her. Once at her side, she placed her hand on Miranda¡¯s stomach, which was burning hot to the touch. ¡°Dear Lord, please give me the strength to stop whatever is happening, heal her, save her, give me some more of these crazy powers or something, please Lord, forgive her for whatever she¡¯s done, please, please!¡± Her hand glowed, brighter than it ever had before, and for a moment it scared her. It always kind of freaked her out, but this time all sorts of insane things were coming out of her as if she no longer had any control over herself. She imagined herself as a channel, a wide open, bright channel for God to do his work, and felt light fill her. She continued to pray and beg, and soon Miranda¡¯s screams subsided, the bleeding stopped, and she relaxed in Annabelle¡¯s arms. Their eyes met, and Annabelle¡¯s heart broke. Miranda was alive, but empty. There was no sign of the sister she always knew, as if it had been sucked out of her or simply erased. ¡°Miranda! Speak to me.¡± Miranda¡¯s mouth moved slightly as if trying to form a word, but only a squeak came out. ¡°Talk to me. Who did this? Who was that? They¡¯ll pay for this!¡± Finally, Miranda got enough breath and movement in her mouth to whisper a word. ¡°Demon.¡± Chapter 6: The Lockdown ¡°Well? Who are we going for?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know. Can¡¯t decide. They¡¯re both a good choice.¡± ¡°Why not both then? I¡¯ll make them go to the alley and attack each other, then I¡¯ll hold one down while¡ª¡± Jack and Miles gasped as their pendants pulsed with heat against their chests. Though it had never happened before, they knew exactly what it meant and dashed to the nearest hiding spot behind a dumpster. In an instant, before either could say anything, the vacuum took them back to Gaap¡¯s seal in the transportation chamber. The chamber was full of other demons, all dressed differently for the various places they were brought from. It was clear who got to work in the warmer climates and who had to suffer harsher winters. The one thing they all had in common, however, was an expression of confusion and concern. Jack tried to listen to the mumblings or read anyone¡¯s faces to find someone who could give insight on what was happening, what this mass return might mean, but got nothing. Slowly the crowd moved forward through the portal where they shed their clothes, and to the desk to return their pendants. Jack had not caught any souls yet that day, but the nervous looks of Gasyaxe¡¯s servants meant it likely didn¡¯t matter. Something more serious was happening. Well-dressed guards flanked the desk and the route to the next seal, and Jack recognized the sigil of Beelzebub on their vests. ¡°Return your pendants and go to your houses immediately!¡± they shouted. ¡°No speaking. Move along.¡± Jack nodded to Miles as they separated at the seal, and he went to the house of Andromalius without delay. An endless sea of demons was gathered outside the castle, which seemed no farther away than usual despite being surrounded by no less than billions of servants and guards. This was a scenario he had experienced before; there would be an address by Lucifer himself, and it must be a big one if servants were called back from Earth en masse without warning. The gathered population was mostly silent, with only the sounds of shuffling feet and the occasional brave soul that whispered something. Finally, Andromalius exited his castle, descended the stairs while surrounded by guards, and a smokey projection appeared before the entrance, the room dimmed to near darkness as the shape of Lucifer from the waist up appeared to all clearly in white smoke. Though the smoke made him appear like a heavenly angel with white wings and body, the horns on his head were the reminder that the Dark Lord was nothing of the sort. ¡°Greetings,¡± Lucifer said in his booming voice, though there was no pleasantry in his tone. ¡°I¡¯m sure the sudden return of all external servants has been cause for alarm, as it should. President Malphas, whom you know monitors supernatural enemy activity, has notified me of an incident that has taken place on Earth. Prince Buriel has been summoned by humans, foolish ones that let him free.¡± Gasps were heard from all around. Jack¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That is a bad thing for obvious reasons,¡± Lucifer continued. ¡°However, what¡¯s more concerning is that there was an occurrence of strong angelic power at the place of his summoning. Whether this is coincidental is unknown, but it means we cannot take any chances. Effective immediately, all external servitude is suspended indefinitely. Malphas¡¯s servants have done what they can to cover up evidence of Buriel¡¯s¡­actions, but I have withdrawn them as well. Your house leader will inform you of changes in duties from this point forward. Rioters will be punished, as always. Goodbye.¡± The smoke disappeared, the room was alight by the fire again, and demons all around struggled to remain silent, instead exchanging glances of worry and confusion. Suspended indefinitely. Jack remained still, staring at the castle, wondering what he was going to do all day and if he¡¯d ever see Miles again. Andromalius had ascended the stairs again and faced the crowd. His voice boomed as if he were standing right near each demon. ¡°My loyal servants,¡± he said, ¡°because those who do their work on Earth are of higher quality and usefulness, external servants will be taking over some of the internal duties. Those whose work is transferring to them will spend their time in their cells other than to eat.¡± These words brought a roar from the crowd, mostly from those who would likely have their duties changed to occupying a cage for nearly twenty-four hours a day, but also some who probably felt internal duties were beneath them. Jack didn¡¯t like either option, but remained silent and still. A loud crack filled the caved area and everyone who had been speaking was shocked as if a lightning bolt had struck them. ¡°Silence!¡± Andromalius boomed. ¡°Anyone who defies new orders will be punished for the amount of time in which external servitude is suspended, which could be a very long time. Until these new duties can be sorted out, external servants will return to their cells immediately.¡± Jack sighed, and as the disgruntled crowd dispersed, he made his way to the lodging quarters and climbed into his cage. As he stared at the ceiling he thought about Miles. He would probably make some joke about Buriel wreaking havoc on Earth, using that as his entertainment while he was likely locked up just as Jack was. But Jack saw no humor in the most vile demon having free reign out there, probably killing people in horrible ways. Angelic power. His curiosity grew at the thought that maybe there were others like him on Earth, but playing for the other team. In all the time he¡¯d been a resident of Hell¡ªwhich he had no idea how long that was¡ªhe had never witnessed any ¡°angelic power¡± from anyone. Perhaps it was invisible. Perhaps those people that had strong white auras were some kind of angel. But would he be able to read an angel? Did they have souls? Maybe it was just some angel that was sent down for the moment and was no longer there. Or maybe there¡¯d be a war, and Lucifer would make them all be soldiers in battle, and maybe in a battle he could see his friend again. He knew he was probably the only demon in all of Hell that actually cared about someone else. Except it seemed the feeling with Miles was mutual. What did I do to deserve to be in this shitty place for all eternity? * * * Jack had fallen asleep among his thoughts, but was jolted awake by a banging on his cell door. ¡°197!¡± a guard¡¯s voice said. ¡°Andromalius wants you.¡± Suppressing a groan of disappointment, Jack tried to convince himself to enjoy the opportunity to walk around. He climbed out of his cage and made his way to the castle, thinking of what news was awaiting him there. Again he was escorted to the earl¡¯s throne room and again he was pushed to kneel on the red velvet carpet. ¡°My Soul Reacher,¡± Andromalius started. ¡°I hope you know I would never make you stay in your cell during these unfortunate times.¡± Jack didn¡¯t know what an appropriate answer would be so he said nothing. Andromalius seemed amused by the lack of response. ¡°Your modesty is so strong, I think it will get you in trouble one day. Hopefully not. I¡¯m sure you really enjoyed that treat I gave you not long ago.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Very good. I¡¯m disappointed that you won¡¯t be able to use your true talents now, at least for a while, but as my most loyal and obedient servant I would like to have you work here with me.¡± Jack swallowed and said nothing. ¡°Now, most demons would be eager to serve me directly like that. Are you not honored that I would choose you to serve me here in my castle? My chambers?¡± ¡°I¡ªyes, sir, I am.¡± ¡°I do not appreciate lying, and I will punish it.¡± Jack began to shake. ¡°I¡¯m not lying, sir. I am greatly honored that you would choose me, and I will serve you with all of my soul, and do your every bidding with honor.¡± Andromalius smiled. It was the same smile he¡¯d had when giving Jack the strawberry¡ªintense enjoyment at watching his servant be overcome by his exertion of power. ¡°Very good, Soul Reacher. I know that you will. And you will be greatly rewarded for exceptional service, this I promise. But first, a test.¡± The earl motioned for Jack to come closer, and he crawled toward his leader until he was right at the foot of the throne. Andromalius held out his serpent between them. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You¡¯ve met Alice before,¡± the earl said, ¡°but you¡¯ve never had to witness her true power. She¡¯s very powerful indeed. Anyone who serves me in my presence must pass a test by Alice. She¡¯s a bit of a Soul Reacher herself, detecting who is worthy of serving me and who is worthy of getting thrown out. Though I think she will approve of you, I must test it. That modesty, that sensitivity of yours, it¡¯s not a good thing. It helps your soul reaching powers, but it does not do you any favors when it comes to inner strength. I must make sure you have inner strength as well. You must prove it to Alice.¡± Without another word, Andromalius nudged the snake toward Jack. She eagerly wound her massive body around him, a thick, slimy body that seemed to grow larger by the second. Jack¡¯s heart pounded as the serpent coiled around his entire body until only his head and legs were visible, and squeezed. Panic filled him as his chest was prevented from expanding and his throat was clamped shut. The urge to writhe, to scream, to beg for mercy was intense, and as the terror rose the snake curled tighter. As dizziness hit from lack of oxygen, all he could think of was death, that he was going to die and Andromalius would be disappointed and¡ª I can¡¯t die. Jack remembered the demons that had been temporarily destroyed by Buriel, that even though they had experienced agony and terror, they had been put back together and returned to duty with no residual effects. This is the test. As he felt himself beginning to fade out, he pushed away the urge to fight back and instead accepted the pain, knowing it would end and he would be fine. This seemed to make the snake suddenly constrict extremely tight, crushing his ribs and arms in painful snaps, but he redirected any focus that was drawn to the pain to instead fuel a semblance of calm. You¡¯ll be okay. It will end. You are strong. Just before Jack was to succumb to the suffocation, the serpent released him and returned to her master. Collapsed in a gasping heap at the feet of his leader, Jack did not move, his broken bones radiating pain all over. ¡°Excellent,¡± Andromalius said. Jack could hear the grin on his face, and it sickened him knowing the earl had enjoyed the scene immensely. ¡°I will have my guards take you to President Os¨¦, then you will return here to begin your work. You make me very proud, Soul Reacher.¡± * * * Jack had not expected the repair process to be as agonizing as the injuries themselves, but was also not surprised. Some of Os¨¦¡¯s servants had held him down while others healed him with powers gifted by the president, all without a single word spoken. Jack had felt the bones moving back into place under his skin, the cracks sealing as he screamed. He couldn¡¯t imagine what the demon who had been turned into flaming goo had experienced in the healing chamber. Given no recovery time, Jack had been sent on his way back to Andromalius immediately, still aching. But he didn¡¯t dare show any of it in front of the earl. Upon returning to the castle he was led to his first assignment by a guard. The door to a massive, humid, dim room opened and he was pushed inside without explanation. He was surrounded by giant tanks, each filled with a variety of snakes. Their mini habitats were lavish, made up of logs and plants and swamp-like areas. Some of the snakes were quite small while others were even larger than Alice. ¡°197.¡± Jack jumped at the sound of the voice. Another demon, a servant dressed exactly like him, approached from another door. The look of scorn kept Jack silent. ¡°You¡¯re the Soul Reacher, aren¡¯t you.¡± Jack nodded. The demon walked closer, scrutinizing him curiously. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna rub that in my face?¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°The most elite external servant is in the presence of a pathetic internal guy like me. You should be spitting on me right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not like that.¡± The demon stared, his curiosity now mixed with surprise. Jack ignored it. ¡°So, do you know why I¡¯m here?¡± This seemed to break the demon from his thoughts. ¡°Oh. The earl wants to have you care for his serpents. I¡¯m supposed to teach you how.¡± Jack looked around the massive room. ¡°All of these? By myself?¡± ¡°You have no idea what an honor it is to have this job.¡± The demon glared at him. ¡°These are the earl¡¯s most prized animals, and he trusts very few servants to care for them. I¡¯ve been doing it for a long time, and now I¡¯m getting sent to my cage indefinitely because he wants you to do it instead.¡± ¡°Oh. Shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The demon¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and after a moment¡¯s silence he said, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re losing your job.¡± ¡°Are all Soul Reachers like you?¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®like me¡¯?¡± ¡°You know. Nice.¡± Jack thought a moment. He was being nice, which would probably be frowned upon, but he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I never thought about that. Haven¡¯t met any others actually.¡± ¡°Really? Me neither, but considering how nasty regular external servants can be to guys like me, I just assumed you¡¯d be, well, worse.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not like that. And maybe if you take your time to show me around this place, that¡¯s less time you have to spend in a cage. And we can blame any delay on me asking questions.¡± Pure shock showed on the demon¡¯s face. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°I am. Now teach me how to not royally fuck up this job, please.¡± * * * During every shift, Jack pondered whether cleaning up the excrement of over two hundred snakes really was more honorable than spending that time locked in a cage. Despite being praised for his work by Andromalius himself, and receiving a pillow every night as a reward, he longed for the tiny bit of freedom he¡¯d once had every day on Earth. At least I¡¯m not killing people. But many times he wished he could go back to the terrible deed just for a breath of the glorious fresh air. He had counted ten shifts now, and with no news about Buriel, he was beginning to think he should stop counting and accept ¡°indefinitely¡± to mean ¡°eternity.¡± After finishing shift number ten and heading to the lodging quarters, he was intercepted by two guards bearing the sigil of Paimon on their vests. ¡°King Paimon wishes to speak with you.¡± The guards gave him no chance to respond, and he had no words anyway. The Great King of the west was requesting him, had sent for him, something that hadn¡¯t happened since his first days in Hell. He was whisked to the transportation seal and once in the central area of the west, was led swiftly to the massive castle. Inside he was hit with blasting music, heavy and melodic, similar to Buriel¡¯s but with more positive vibes. Despite the excessive volume, it was more enjoyable than the silence of Andromalius¡¯s castle. He had to ascend three flights of stairs to reach the throne room of the great king, and when the door to the room opened, the music was even louder. Jack winced, but tried to hide it to avoid offending the king. ¡°Hello, Soul Reacher!¡± King Paimon¡¯s voice was louder than the music, which Jack did not think was possible. He knelt on the velvet floor and resisted the urge to cover his ears. ¡°Hello, sir,¡± he said, not comfortable raising his voice more than normal while speaking to such a superior. ¡°Oh, sorry, so sorry!¡± Paimon boomed, and with a wave of his hands the music faded, become soft in the background. ¡°I just love music, you know.¡± Great King Paimon sat upon a throne not much different from the earl¡¯s, other than it was made from gold. He appeared younger and more slender in a flowing black robe and black boots. Long blond hair framed his effeminate face and was topped with a jeweled golden crown. Beside him lay a camel, its legs tucked up under it and black beady eyes judging the newcomer. Jack hoped there would be no ¡°tests¡± involving the beast. ¡°You must be wondering why I have called for you.¡± Paimon¡¯s voice echoed in the room. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Well, as you might have guessed, Buriel has yet to be located. The bastard is no doubt on a killing spree, but unfortunately President Malphas has been unable to track him. Buriel isn¡¯t using strong enough demonic powers to be detected, and Lucifer is understandably nervous about sending demons out there to search all over for him. Risks of a holy war, for example. You know, if he sees demons searching all over for him, he might recruit them for some sort of army. Would get ugly. But if we knew exactly where he was, it¡¯s more likely we can sneak up and catch him and bring him back with minimal damage.¡± Jack sat silent, not understanding why he was being told all this. ¡°Yes, yes, ¡®get to the point¡¯ you¡¯re saying. Lucifer has suggested we monitor incoming humans for any that may have been killed by Buriel. They could give us information, you know. Where they died, for example. And the best choice for someone to do this sort of¡­screening¡­is Soul Reachers. Newcomers are still human-ish when they first arrive, therefore you should be able to read them, yes?¡± ¡°Um¡­I suppose so, sir.¡± ¡°You suppose so.¡± Paimon¡¯s jovial tone darkened along with his expression. ¡°Do you know why I have called you separately from the other Soul Reachers of the west?¡± ¡°N¡ªno, sir.¡± ¡°Because you are not like the others. All of you are powerful, yes, but the vast majority of Hell either does not know of your immense power, or does not appreciate it enough. And as I¡¯m sure you know, the west is not appreciated for its greatness¡ªwith the exception of Lucifer, of course. We are good friends, you know. The west does not have as many Soul Reachers as other regions, but we are lucky to have the best one right here.¡± Paimon¡¯s smile returned. ¡°Anyway, I am asking you to prove to everyone how great we can be here. I want you to be the one to find the best intel on Buriel. I want to see the other kings impressed by your abilities. And I want to see Lucifer praise you. And as a result, the west will be respected.¡± Jack began to tremble. He saw nothing but failure ahead. ¡°Are you accepting of this honorable challenge?¡± There was no choice. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± His voice was noticeably weak. Paimon scrutinized him. ¡°Andromalius claims you are very courageous and strong. I see none of that right now. Was he lying to me?¡± ¡°No. No, sir. I can do it. I will do it.¡± He hoped his effort to make his voice stronger was working. ¡°I will do everything I can to make you proud. To prove our greatness. This I swear. Sir.¡± ¡°Very good. Starting tomorrow you will be reporting to Gasyaxe. This is not a demotion as your fellow Soul Reachers seem to think. You are doing crucial work. The knight will explain in further detail what you are to do.¡± Paimon waved to dismiss him. ¡°Go. Rest. I am putting all my faith in you.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Jack was sent back to his house alone, and once in his cage, buried his face in his pillow. It took every effort to push away what he imagined would happen if he failed. And he was certain he would. Chapter 7: The Birth Annabelle sat at her sister¡¯s bedside as she did every day for nearly nine months. She felt drawn to her like a magnet, stronger than ever before. She had begged her parents to let her stay, to be the comfort Miranda needed, and they had agreed to allow her to do her schoolwork from home. Her father owned the school; Annabelle would get whatever she needed without question. Multiple times a day, Miranda would begin to wail in agony, wrapping her arms around her growing abdomen. Annabelle would drop everything each time, jump out of bed during the night, all to lay a healing hand on her sister. It was the only thing that could ease the pain. Doctors were hesitant to give pain medication to a pregnant woman, and what she could receive did nothing. Her parents desperately prayed for Miranda, begging God to free their daughter from the powers of what they were certain was a demon growing inside her. They begged for His forgiveness for Miranda¡¯s sins, to give her another chance at redemption after getting involved with a demon worshipper. But Miranda lay in bed, day after day, thin and frail and speechless. Her body and mind had withered so much while the creature inside her thrived. Annabelle prayed too, but with Miranda, not over her. Though she rarely said more than a few words, Annabelle saw the faith in her sister¡¯s eyes. She knew her sister would never willingly participate in summoning a demon. ¡°Not me,¡± Miranda had squeaked out. ¡°Tried to stop.¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do it,¡± Annabelle had said. ¡°No matter what Mom and Daddy think, no matter what you¡¯ve ever done, you have Jesus in your heart.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Miranda had been asked about the men that had attacked her, who they were, but it made her violently shake with terror. ¡°Buriel,¡± was all she would say. ¡°Burial? Whose burial? They buried someone?¡± ¡°Buriel.¡± And that was all. As Miranda¡¯s pain worsened and came more often, it became harder for Annabelle to hide her powers. She had never needed to use her healing more than once in a great while, but now it was every few hours. It needed to be a secret, this she¡¯d known since discovering it as a child by mending Miranda¡¯s broken arm to keep her from getting in trouble for climbing a fence. That guide voice had been so insistent, Secret secret secret, and Miranda had promised to keep it too. If her parents ever found out, she would be on a pedestal beside her preacher father before millions of people around the country. And if he caught her saving his daughter from a demon¡¯s violation, the televangelist would have even more power over his followers. Power that Annabelle had struggled to reel in her entire life. So she sent her parents away anytime Miranda needed her, begged them and everyone to leave them in peace. She¡¯d cover her hand in a blanket to block out the glow as her healing powers entered Miranda¡¯s stomach, cooling the heat that radiated from there, easing the pain. The heat was so strange, so worrying, but no doctor could find anything wrong with the baby. It was perfect and healthy. The only explanation that the Colmyres would accept was the Evangelical doctor claiming it was because she was a vessel for a demon. Miranda¡¯s womb held a creature with fire in its blood, and no amount of prayer was defeating it. And now suddenly Miranda screamed in pure, violent agony, worse than what she¡¯d shown on the night she was desecrated by evil. Annabelle could not stop it. Her sister¡¯s stomach was so hot to the touch that it burned her hand. She begged God to give her some of those mystery powers that He¡¯d given her that night, something to allow her to touch her, but she got nothing. No guide voice. No surges. Miranda began to bleed profusely, and Annabelle felt as if her own blood was draining too. As if her purpose in life was slipping away. Her heart was emptying. As her parents prayed loudly with their hands over the in-home doctor and the EMTs that had arrived, begging for God to give them the strength to save their daughter, Annabelle sat in a corner, silent, staring. She did not pray. God had stopped listening to her. He was taking Miranda in the most vicious way, torturing her with unfathomable pain, spilling her blood until her bed was soaked red and the hands and clothes of the medical workers matched it, all of them recoiling in pain at the boiling substance. Annabelle could barely breathe as the minutes passed. She barely heard anyone¡¯s voices other than someone saying the baby was coming fast, that they would have to deliver there. Then the screaming stopped and Annabelle collapsed on the floor. Your purpose. It was the guide voice. Annabelle lay in darkness, void of energy or emotion. Your purpose continues. A tiny blast of anger flared. You let my purpose die, she said in her mind. Let me die to be with her. Your purpose continues. You are not done. ¡°Annabelle! Please, God, not both of my babies!¡± Her mother¡¯s voice was in her ear, shaking and sobbing. Annabelle opened her eyes but saw nothing but blurriness. ¡°Baby girl, talk to me! Say something.¡± A baby¡¯s cry filled the room. Annabelle heard the doctor yell, ¡°No! Get that thing away. Take it away.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be taking him to the hospital,¡± one of the EMTs said, taken aback. ¡°Who¡¯s coming to meet us there?¡± Sandra Colmyre stood. ¡°No one! Take that vile creature out of this house of God. Lord, please cast away this evil thing, send him to hell where he belongs and bring back my daughter!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Annabelle¡¯s vision cleared instantly. She saw the EMTs staring at each other, one of them holding a blood-soaked, crying baby in thick towels. ¡°No,¡± she said, getting to her hands and knees. ¡°Don¡¯t cast him away.¡± The words spilled out of her before she could comprehend that she was defending a supposed demon spawn. ¡°Annie, don¡¯t you understand?¡± her mother said, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°This thing killed your sister. I knew it should have been destroyed from the beginning. Your wisdom failed you this time, Annabelle. We shouldn¡¯t have listened to you when you said we should allow it to be born.¡± Annabelle was on her feet, energy returning. ¡°Go,¡± she said to the EMTs. ¡°We will be there.¡± To Sandra she said, ¡°You and Daddy preach against abortion, yet now you wish you¡¯d forced it on Miranda? You say abortion is murder but now it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°That thing is not a child! It was a parasite of evil that has taken an innocent life while beginning its own.¡± ¡°And what if Miranda had died then instead?¡± While Sandra sobbed, her husband held her. ¡°God gave up on her,¡± Robert said. ¡°He knows she brought this upon herself with her sins.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t do it!¡± Annabelle shouted. ¡°God did not answer our prayers. Miranda was too deep in terrible sin, and he unleashed his wrath on her to punish her in life as he will in death, and to punish us for our failure to guide her to the light. And now a creature of evil is born. A son of Satan for all we know. We cannot have the devil in our house.¡± Words poured through her head as if someone was emptying a pitcher into it. ¡°But maybe that¡¯s exactly what we need. Even if he truly is a demon, he¡¯s a baby. He can¡¯t hurt anyone like this. We can shelter him, raise him in our home with God¡¯s love, smother whatever demonic powers are within him, if that¡¯s even what he really is. We don¡¯t know. But if he is, imagine if he were to be in a family that didn¡¯t believe in God, one that might even follow the path of the devil. It will make him more powerful, right? We can counter that. Teach him to be a follower of Jesus, to have love in his heart. Who are we to turn our backs on someone who could truly benefit from our faith? Isn¡¯t that your whole purpose, Daddy? To spread God¡¯s love? Let¡¯s shower this baby in God¡¯s love. We have to try. And besides, he has to have at least a little of Miranda in him, right? So he¡¯s all that¡¯s left of her.¡± Annabelle let out a deep breath as her parents stared at her. Their eyes were still wet from crying, and her mother still trembled. She waited patiently for them to argue. Though they rarely did argue the wisdom that spilled into her brain at the perfect moments without warning, this time she expected a full fight. She knew most parents would rarely take such advice from a fourteen-year-old, but she vowed to not back down. ¡°I think¡­¡± Robert began, holding his only daughter¡¯s gaze, ¡°we¡¯ll need to think about this.¡± * * * The hospital required that Annabelle be accompanied by an adult in order to see the baby, but her parents refused to enter the small room in the pediatric wing, choosing instead to wait outside. A nurse led Annabelle to the boy¡¯s bed and placed him in her arms. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about your sister,¡± the nurse said. ¡°I know this must be very hard for your family. But this little one can be a bit of sunshine on this very cloudy day.¡± Annabelle nodded and sat in a nearby chair. She looked at the baby, bundled comfortably in a blanket, cooing very peacefully. His skin was not hot to the touch like she expected. In fact, he looked and felt completely normal. The doctor had been shocked that such a perfectly healthy baby had come from such a terrible pregnancy and delivery. He was nothing like whatever anyone could imagine a demon spawn might look like: no horns, no red or burning skin, no black snake eyes, no sharp fangs. He was human in every visible way. The baby met her eyes with his soft brown ones and something locked. For a brief moment Annabelle wondered if it was indeed some sort of demon power, but as she continued to look into the newborn¡¯s eyes she did not fight the lock on them. They were peaceful. There was a calmness that swept her. It felt familiar but she couldn¡¯t think of why or where she had experienced this before. Your purpose. ¡°You¡¯re my purpose, aren¡¯t you,¡± she whispered to the baby. ¡°I guess I¡¯m your angel now. I just hope you don¡¯t go evil and kill everyone, okay? I think you can be a really nice boy. You¡¯re going to learn about love and true happiness and everything will be fine. You¡¯re not a demon. Please don¡¯t be a demon.¡± As she sat with him, she prayed. She was only a teenager; she had no say in whether they would keep the baby. Her parents could ignore her every word and give him up for adoption, and there would be nothing she could do about it. How would she serve her purpose then? ¡°Dear God, if this baby is my purpose, I pray that you will help my parents see the light, to give him a chance, to give me a chance to make sure he is good and pure. Even if they don¡¯t love him, they need to decide to keep him so I can love him. If he¡¯s a demon, I want to fix him. If he¡¯s a normal baby, he deserves love. Well, he deserves love no matter what, right? Love thy enemy, right? I don¡¯t want to believe that you gave up on my sister. You were always in her heart, I know it, and if you really gave me these powers then you should know it too. Unless you think I failed. Maybe I did. God, I¡¯m sorry if I failed. I really tried. And I want to try again. Maybe this baby is my second chance. Is he? Can he be? I know you always have a purpose, and I don¡¯t always understand it¡ªlike, did my sister really have to die? Especially like that?¡ªI¡¯m sorry to question your ways, Lord. I always try to see the positive and it¡¯s really hard to see positive in this unless it¡¯s this baby here. I promise I¡¯ll never question your purpose again if you convince my parents to keep him. I¡¯m bartering you, I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s wrong of me. But my prayer is that you will give this baby a chance at a good life, and I hope you will answer my prayer as you have in the past. In Jesus¡¯ name, Amen.¡± The baby closed his eyes, fading into sleep. After a few minutes of silence, Annabelle heard tentative footsteps entering the room. Robert and Sandra were huddled together, warily looking toward the sleeping bundle. ¡°Look,¡± Annabelle whispered. ¡°He¡¯s so peaceful. There¡¯s no evil in him. He needs our love to stay that way.¡± While Sandra stared at the baby, Robert spoke. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to give him a chance. To see if we can raise him to be good. Maybe there is enough of the good things about Miranda in him that it could work. So we¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Thank you, Daddy.¡± Sandra appeared to be attempting to hide some residual disgust as she continued to stare. ¡°I suppose it needs a name,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s not an it, Mom.¡± ¡°You name it, Annabelle.¡± Accepting that there was going to be a long battle ahead to get her mother to admit the baby was human, Annabelle sighed. She wanted the name to be meaningful, something that connected him to his mother. Then she remembered Miranda¡¯s middle name, Josephine. ¡°Let¡¯s name him Joseph,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna call him Joey. Miranda always called me by a nickname, so I want to do the same for him.¡± She looked at the sleeping baby. ¡°And you¡¯ll call me Annie, too, okay? Just like your mommy did.¡± Chapter 8: A Discovery A massive crow zoomed through the seals of Seere to get from the southern region of Hell to the central tower that housed the Dark Lord and his command. None of the guards questioned his presence, but did perk up at his pace. There was only one reason why the crow the size of two human heads would be in such a rush to meet with the supreme leader. Lucifer was pacing a wide open room that overlooked an ocean of bubbling lava when the crow burst in and perched on the back of a chair, his feathers ruffled. The Dark Lord¡¯s black feathers of his own wings ruffled in response, his eyes wide and anxious. ¡°Please tell me you have news of Buriel, Malphas.¡± ¡°Sort of, my lord,¡± the crow said, his voice that of a gruff man. Lucifer growled. ¡°I don¡¯t want ¡®sort of¡¯ news. I want actual news. Have you found him?¡± ¡°No, my lord, but¡ª¡± ¡°Then get the fuck out of here until you do.¡± ¡°Things are worse than originally thought. Let me explain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear! Of course it¡¯s getting worse. The longer that idiot is out there¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the only problem, my lord.¡± ¡°I know he has Merosiel and Drusiel with him. For fuck¡¯s sake, Malphas, stop wasting my time!¡± ¡°A cambion was born today.¡± Lucifer took a breath to continue his rant, then stopped. ¡°What?¡± Malphas shifted his talons on the chair. ¡°A cambion was born today, my lord.¡± ¡°You know as well as I that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s not a true cambion, I suppose. I know Buriel isn¡¯t an incubus, but he certainly is responsible. He must be. There are no other demons on Earth right now, plus there have been no active incubi in centuries¡ª¡± Lucifer glared with his dark eyes as he stepped toward the crow. ¡°It is not physically possible for a child to have been born by Buriel or any other demon. The human would die by the seed itself. You are mistaken.¡± ¡°I can assure you I am not, my lord.¡± ¡°Then what in all of Hell makes you think this ridiculousness?¡± Malphas stretched his wings a bit and swallowed. ¡°There was a decent sized blip of demon activity very close to Buriel¡¯s summoning point today.¡± ¡°It is not possible that Buriel is still there, he¡¯s not stupid.¡± ¡°Precisely, my lord. But the human gestation period¡ª¡± ¡°I know the human gestation period, you fool!¡± Lucifer yelled. ¡°It is not possible for a human to birth a demon. She would die before conception completes.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m fairly certain the human host is dead now, but the cambion, for lack of a better term, is likely alive. And if he¡¯s anything like his ¡°father,¡± well¡­Earth is, as you would say, fucked.¡± Lucifer sighed. ¡°Indeed. And you have nothing more? I suppose a baby wouldn¡¯t be able to willingly wield demonic powers, would it?¡± ¡°I was hoping you would know the answer to that, my lord.¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t know! I just told you this is literally impossible, and you think I have the answer? We need to find that cambion. If Buriel were to find out about it¡­¡± ¡°Fucked, yes, my lord. My servants and I will be monitoring the area. It would be easier if you allowed at least some of them to do ground work on Earth.¡± ¡°Request denied.¡± ¡°But the Soul Reachers have been failing you, my lord. They have found no information during all this time. I beg you to allow my¡ª¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Lucifer grabbed the crow with both hands and gripped the struggling president. ¡°I do not take orders from anyone, let alone a president. Request is denied, and if you ask again, I will cut off your wings and make you eat them.¡± He let Malphas go, and the president fluttered clumsily back onto the chair. ¡°Yes, my lord. I will monitor from my house and notify you of news.¡± Lucifer gazed at the lava again, rubbing his stubble-covered chin. ¡°I want you to take a message to Gasyaxe for me.¡± ¡°My lord, I¡¯m sure one of the servants would be better fit¡ª¡± ¡°You will do as I say!¡± Malphas jumped in the air and flew backward, keeping out of reach. ¡°You will go to Gasyaxe, and you will tell him that the Soul Reacher from Andromalius is to serve his duties at all times and rescan incoming humans other Soul Reachers let through. He has my permission to have hunger and fatigue removed by Foras in order for him to do his work without stopping. Paimon assures me of his power, and I trust him.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. Right away.¡± * * * Fifty lashes with a chain whip at the end of every week that the Soul Reachers failed to find a victim of Buriel was now so regular that there was talk it would be increased to a hundred. Jack had never endured physical punishment for failure before, and there was no arguing that it wasn¡¯t really failure if Buriel¡¯s likely victims didn¡¯t end up in Hell. The only person he tried to convince that the demon might be killing people going to Heaven instead was Andromalius, thinking his leader trusted him enough to listen. But the pushback earned him an extra lashing session and he kept his mouth shut from then on. Though he couldn¡¯t speak for the other Soul Reachers, Jack was certain that none of the ones he read were victims of Buriel and his dukes. Many seemed like possibilities, showing shock or fear in some capacity, but as he scanned their soul through eye contact, he concluded they were not victims and he left them in line to wait their turn at the desk of Gasyaxe¡¯s entry point. The entry point was massive and separated into sections that corresponded to regions of Earth. There were approximately one thousand Soul Reachers in all of Hell, a truly rare breed, and though they were normally spread fairly evenly around the world, many were moved to the section that welcomed humans from the United States. Though it was possible that after months of freedom Buriel would make his way to other parts of the world, Lucifer insisted that more Soul Reachers be used to scan the most likely place. Some of Jack¡¯s colleagues were desperate enough to try to avoid lashings by choosing incoming humans and attempting to coerce them into saying they had been killed by a demon. But humans entering Hell were not easily coerced since they had just as much evil if not more in their hearts. Each of these attempts earned the offending servant an extra lashing with the whip on fire. As much as Jack wished to avoid the agony of getting whipped and the pain of the wounds getting healed after each session, he didn¡¯t dare risk having fire added to the mix. Then a flustered Gasyaxe pulled Jack aside. Expecting to be sent for some additional punishment for some reason he wouldn¡¯t argue, Jack stiffened as he listened. ¡°Lucifer is requesting that you work at all times. All shifts. Non-stop.¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jack was very tempted to argue that doing this work without rest and food would be extremely difficult. ¡°You are to go to President Foras immediately so he can make you resilient against hunger and fatigue. Then come back here right away to work.¡± ¡°Are the others going to do this too, or¡­¡± ¡°No. Lucifer requested you alone, specifically. I haven¡¯t been told why and I don¡¯t dare ask, but if the Dark Lord himself requests you and you alone, something is a big deal. And I guess you¡¯re a big deal. And you better catch something because I now have to completely redo the organization that has been in place here for centuries. You are to re-evaluate every single human that arrives here, even though they¡¯ve already been looked at by another Soul Reacher. Make it worth my time. And possibly not get whipped for once.¡± The trip to the east side to meet with President Foras was filled with thoughts of why Lucifer would choose him. How did the supreme leader of Hell even know who he was? Even among the one thousand Soul Reachers he should have blended in and be seen as just another one of them. When he arrived at the central hub for the east, he passed the seal of Valefor and thought of Miles. He hoped he wasn¡¯t in as much of a terrible situation as he was. I need to find Buriel so I can see my friend again. The removal of hunger and fatigue wasn¡¯t quite as painful as getting analyzed by Andromalius, but the feeling of something getting vacuumed out of his body was highly unpleasant. He was invigorated afterwards, however, and the thought of having endless energy with no effort was exciting. The excitement didn¡¯t last long. When he arrived back at Gasyaxe¡¯s entry point, the lines had already been rearranged so that every human had to pass by him before arriving at the desks to have their souls analyzed. The knight led him to his post, mumbling about how things would be so backed up and that Jack better be efficient. Jack looked out into the sea of humans lined up, all awaiting their eternal fate. He worried that standing in this spot was now his eternal fate. It was easy to lose track of the days when getting no break, even if he tried doing so by the changing of the shifts of the other Soul Reachers and Gasyaxe¡¯s servants. Processing tens of thousands of humans every day might not have made him physically exhausted, but mentally he was running on fumes. There was no cure for mental exhaustion. His first lashing after a week of finding no one was almost a reprieve; he let the pain of each hit empty his head in hopes of a fresh start. The clarity didn¡¯t last more than a few hours. Gasyaxe mostly praised Jack for his efficiency at moving the line forward quickly, but expressed his concern that he was perhaps not being thorough enough. But Jack knew he was being perfectly thorough despite being so drained. Most of the humans had red or green auras, and he let them through with barely more than a glance. Certainly anyone who had been murdered by a bloodthirsty demon would not be full of evil or pride themselves. The ones who came in blue or purple, however, got their souls searched in depth. But their fear and sadness always stemmed from other life experiences or the realization that they had landed in the place they did not expect. Occasionally, Jack would look farther back in the line to see what was coming and if his fellow Soul Reachers had been attracted to anyone in particular. He spotted a male human, standing tall with arms crossed but he tapped his fingers on his arms nervously, and looked around him while biting his lip. His aura was mostly red, but there was a purple mix hidden within, outlining his body. Jack hadn¡¯t seen one like that before, and as another Soul Reacher walked along the line, he hoped his colleague would stop and give him a thorough analysis. But he didn¡¯t. He gave the man no more of a look than any of the other humans around him. Jack wondered if perhaps the purple was a trick of the eye due to his mental exhaustion, but as the man neared, the purple intensified. It reminded him of the man that had taken him and Miles hostage in the jewelry store, two conflicting emotions within the soul. He rushed the others through until the man in question was finally before him. Jack stood in his path and stared into his eyes. What¡¯s this-what now-do it again?-please don¡¯t-awful How the man was able to exude enough anger or evil to hide the intense fear deep in his soul was admirable. ¡°You,¡± Jack said. ¡°Come with me.¡± As he led the man to the side, he nodded at Gasyaxe, who halted all proceedings. Everyone was watching. With the man up against the stone wall, Jack lowered his voice. ¡°Listen, I need to know how you got here. What happened?¡± The man shifted uncomfortably, but glared. ¡°I died, obviously. And it¡¯s none of your business.¡± Jack rolled his eyes. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care why you¡¯re here, but I need to know how you died. What happened?¡± The purple aura intensified, mixing even more with the red. ¡°Why does it matter what happened to me? I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Just fucking tell me. Did someone kill you?¡± ¡°Yes. And don¡¯t ask me who because I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°How did they kill you?¡± The purple now overtook the red, and Jack heard gasps behind him that he assumed were other Soul Reachers seeing what they had missed. The man trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t make me talk about it.¡± Jack calmed his voice. ¡°Listen, man, I¡¯m sorry if something scary happened to you. It¡¯s usually not important to know how somebody dies, but it¡¯s actually really, really important right now. Regardless of why you¡¯re here, maybe there¡¯s a little piece of you that might still give a shit enough to save some lives back on Earth. Maybe even some family or friends you¡¯ve left behind. I need you to tell me what happened. Please.¡± The man looked at Jack, who took the opportunity to read his soul again. Do I care?-they might die-awful-pain ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Tears began to well in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Three guys. Young guys. Broke into my house. They had some kind of powers. The one, he got into my head, had control over me like a robot. Made me lay down in the middle of the floor, told me I was gonna die an amazing death. Then a second guy, his hand turned into a hatchet and he cut off my arms and legs and I was bleeding everywhere but I wasn¡¯t dying, like the first guy was holding onto my life in my head or something. Then the third guy, his arm turned into a flamethrower and he jammed it through one arm hole and out the other and¡ª¡± The man began to cry. ¡°I was burning from the inside and it was the most terrible pain and it felt like hours and they just laughed at my screaming, then finally I burnt away. I swear I saw my own ashes as the fire guy burned my house down.¡± The man slid down the wall and buried his face in his arms resting on his knees. Jack looked at Gasyaxe. ¡°This guy. Buriel got him.¡± The knight rushed over and looked down at the sobbing man. ¡°You¡¯re certain?¡± ¡°A hundred percent.¡± Jack knelt down beside Buriel¡¯s victim. ¡°Hey. Where were you? What city?¡± ¡°Cambridge. Outside Boston.¡± Jack put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I want to tell you that everything¡¯s gonna be okay, but you¡¯re in Hell and nothing is okay here. But maybe you¡¯ll be lucky and it won¡¯t be as bad as it is for some people. Do you know why you¡¯re here?¡± Red started to reappear in the aura. ¡°I killed three of my wives and covered it up.¡± Jack winced. ¡°Yikes. Doesn¡¯t look good for you then, man. Thanks for the info, though.¡± He stood and watched as two servants led the victim away. ¡°Which Soul Reacher missed this?¡± Gasyaxe growled to everyone. ¡°Lucifer will want to know.¡± Jack swallowed. He looked at the Soul Reacher he had seen pass the man up and hesitated to call him out, knowing that punishment awaited the demon. He knew him as 373 in one of Prince Sitri¡¯s legions, a house specializing in lust and love, but not of the good kind. Jack relaxed when another Soul Reacher and a servant pointed at 373 instead, and avoided eye contact as guards took him away. ¡°Excellent work, 197,¡± Gasyaxe said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure your leaders and Lucifer know of your success today.¡± * * * ¡°I will make this quick, Soul Reacher, since I know you must return to work.¡± Paimon stood up from his throne and looked down at Jack kneeling before him. ¡°I knew that punishment would not have an effect on you, but of course I can only advise Lucifer against it. He enjoys watching pain. But anyway, I know that rewards speak to you very well, at least that¡¯s what Andromalius tells me. Isn¡¯t that right? Soul Reachers long for rewards.¡± ¡°I¡­yes, sir.¡± ¡°Something about that empathy or whatever makes you have this amazing power. Though you fear punishment, as I¡¯ve seen it in your eyes many times lately, you thirst for a reward, for happiness. There is no happiness here, but there are rewards for those who thirst enough for them, those who work so hard as to impress the supreme leader himself. Do you feel you should be rewarded for that?¡± Jack found it to be an odd question. All he really wanted was to lay down or be back on Earth with Miles. He didn¡¯t know what Paimon was expecting him to say and feared choosing the wrong words. ¡°I¡­I would do my work well no matter what, sir. To request a reward from you would be selfish of me, sir.¡± Paimon smiled. ¡°You are a strange one. I wish to reward you. You have brought honor to the west! Especially since it was an eastern bastard that missed what we¡¯ve been hunting for months. Lucifer has allowed me to reward you as I wish, and Andromalius gave me a great idea of something that will speak to your desire for rewards that you pretend you don¡¯t have. Besides, you haven¡¯t had anything to eat in a couple of weeks now, correct?¡± Jack nodded. Motioning to a nearby female servant, Paimon requested she bring a platter to him. Jack wondered if it would be another strawberry, and he struggled to hide his excitement. But when the tray was brought before him, he could not prevent his eyes from widening. A selection of chocolates were displayed on the golden platter, and though Jack could not remember ever having it, his mouth salivated immensely in anticipation of the taste that he seemed to know. ¡°Choose one,¡± Paimon said. Carefully, Jack chose a piece and took a bite. Inside was a luxurious chocolate cr¨¨me, smooth and rich. He put the rest in his mouth and closed it to prevent himself from drooling. The tray was removed and Paimon looked down on him with the same smile of enjoyment at watching a pet react to a treat. But Jack ignored it and savored the taste as long as possible. ¡°Well?¡± Paimon said. ¡°Was that a worthy reward?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Perhaps if you find another, you can be rewarded again. I would much rather shower you with rewards for making others respect us in the west, than see you be punished for having bad luck. Now, go back to work and make us proud.¡± Chapter 9: The Child The principal¡¯s office was becoming more and more familiar now that most experiments were less and less discrete. Joey Colmyre sat in the same chair he did every time, only his toes reaching the floor, his hands in his lap. The window blinds he had made fall down the last time he was there had been repaired, and the paperweight he had made fall and break the time before that had not been replaced. And as much as Mrs. Berry tried to avoid eye contact with him, she didn¡¯t realize that he could still read her mind regardless. This goddamn bastard demon child, I swear to fucking God¡ª Joey snickered at the woman¡¯s use of curse words, certainly unfitting for someone in charge of a Christian school. But he resented being called ¡°demon child¡± or ¡°demon spawn.¡± His grandfather always preached that demons were evil beings that preyed on the souls of humans, tempting them away from God, even killing them violently. Joey didn¡¯t feel like that. He had no desire to kill anyone. In fact, he tried to be nice, to make friends, to not be lonely. He tried to hide his powers, the stuff that he figured was what made everyone think he was a demon, but he couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what people were thinking. And moving objects around to confuse people was fun. He wasn¡¯t hurting anyone. And the one time he did accidently make a book fall on his aunt¡¯s head, he felt awful and cried. Third grade had become incredibly boring now that he had learned to read the teacher¡¯s lesson from her head and soak it in immediately as if it all just fit into place like puzzle pieces. He¡¯d had to take to entertaining himself in other ways like reading the minds of his classmates or making their pencils fall off their desk or a magnet to come loose from the whiteboard. Everyone knew it was him but could never prove it. But that day a fifth grader had gotten the courage to push Joey around, dump his backpack over his head and kick his books across the hallway. ¡°Demon spawn, come at me!¡± he had teased. ¡°I dare you.¡± Joey had hesitated. For about two seconds. Then his anger overflowed, and though no one could actually see it, every object and the building itself soaked his anger in and returned a schematic to Joey¡¯s brain. Instantly the sprinkler just above the bully¡¯s head popped off and water spilled from the pipe, soaking him and everyone near. Except Joey, who remained dry as if a shield protected him. And now Joey sat staring at his hands in his lap, having no desire to read the minds of his grandparents as they listened to the principal¡¯s telling of the tale. ¡°Do forgive me, Pastor Colmyre,¡± Mrs. Berry said, ¡°but I really think that perhaps he is not a good fit here. I think he needs¡­more in-depth intervention, if such a thing exists.¡± The pastor sighed, a slight growl hidden beneath. Joey looked briefly, read I hate this monster, and looked away again. ¡°I apologize, Kelly, for his behavior. He will be punished, of course. Unfortunately I feel it is best that he remain here under our watchful eye.¡± ¡°But Pastor¡ª¡± ¡°Trust me. I am not defending him by any means. But I think we have been able to¡­suppress him¡­and I worry that in the wrong hands there could be¡­problems. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± ¡°Yes, yes I suppose I do. But I wonder if perhaps a private tutor, away from other children, would be an option. Many of the children are scared, and understandably so.¡± Robert nodded. ¡°We had done the same for Annabelle for a while when she needed to stay home. Perhaps that is a good idea.¡± At the sound of his aunt¡¯s name, Joey¡¯s heart lifted a little. If anyone could understand him, she would. ¡°Let¡¯s go, you,¡± Robert said, sneering at Joey. He grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed painfully, leading him out of the room and down the hall. His grandmother stood back, always nervous to be within less than a few feet of him. They were silent during the very short car ride home, and once inside the house, Joey was thrust against the wall, Robert¡¯s hand tight around his neck. ¡°You little monster,¡± he snarled. ¡°Do you have any idea what you are doing to me? How bad this makes me look?¡± Sandra squealed. ¡°Please, Rob, don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why do you care, Sandra?¡± ¡°He might fight back!¡± But Joey had no plans to fight back, even though he could read the man¡¯s thoughts of wanting to murder him. Kill this demon spawn, he¡¯ll ruin me, I¡¯ll kill him. The hands tightened and Joey pulled at them, trying to get free. ¡°By the power of God,¡± Robert said, his voice booming in the room, ¡°I beg you Jesus to take the life of this monster, this beast of Hell, and send it to where it belongs! Take him now with your almighty power, your mercy on us, those that worship you and follow your every word, Lord I pray you take his life now!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± A woman¡¯s voice screamed and Joey felt relief despite not being able to breathe. Annabelle had burst into the room and was pulling her father away. ¡°How dare you!¡± she said. ¡°Using the Lord¡¯s name to wish death on someone. A child!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a demon, Annie! I¡¯ve had enough of looking like I¡¯m harboring the son of Satan. Eight years I¡¯ve let him live in this house of God and it only gets worse.¡± ¡°Did he kill anyone today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time. And since God still refuses to send him back to Hell, he shall remain in his room at all times from now on, only to come out for lessons and to use the bathroom. I¡¯ll have bars installed on his windows and take out any objects he could use as weapons. And I will pray every day that God finally kills the monster in this house.¡± Annabelle gaped, seemingly speechless. Joey rubbed his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to my room now.¡± ¡°Not until it¡¯s cleaned out!¡± Joey was forced to lay on his bed under his grandfather¡¯s watchful eye while Sandra went through the room, removing objects she felt were dangerous, which was nearly all of them. Annabelle tried to argue that taking so much away was overkill, but she was ignored. Once the room was little more than a bed, nearly barren desk, and dresser, Robert spent twenty minutes flipping the doorknob around to lock from the outside, then left him alone in silence. He stared at the ceiling for a while, listening to Annabelle argue with her parents. Though he couldn¡¯t hear what she was saying, he knew she was defending him like she always did. He hoped she would still visit him in his new prison. As sadness filled him and spilled into the surroundings, he looked at the doorknob. A schematic of its internal workings came back through the veins of his emotions that lined the walls and he knew he could probably unlock it with only a thought. But he didn¡¯t. There was no reason to want to leave the room anyway. Two things remained on his desk: a Bible and a tablet with headphones. He held his hand out to the take tablet as it gently floated over to him. The device had very little on it¡ªa handful of what his grandmother considered ¡°harmless¡± games like puzzles or drawing, and an app for music. He always gravitated toward the latter, as any type of music connected with him. Even though he was only allowed Christian children¡¯s songs, he enjoyed the melodies, fascinated by how the instruments worked with the voices to create something only tangible to the heart. The soul. He knew there was more out there and he longed to hear it, whatever it might be. Joey looked out the window. There¡¯s music out there, calling to me. Somewhere. I need to find it. * * * ¡°How can you have such hatred in your heart, Daddy?¡± Annabelle stood before her father, struggling to control her desire to explode. ¡°What example are you showing? How can you expect him to do good if all he sees is hatred? This goes against everything we promised to do for him.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°He is only getting worse!¡± Robert shouted. ¡°And it will only get even worse from here. How long before breaking water pipes becomes breaking necks? How long before reading minds becomes mind control? Only an evil creature can have such powers. And you accuse me of hatred? You¡¯ve forgotten that God says to reject every kind of evil. Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. God will protect us from this evil and take him, but not soon enough.¡± Annabelle glared, her fists clenched. ¡°Joey is not evil. He is a child, lost in this world. And you have forgotten that anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.¡± When Robert opened his mouth to retort, Annabelle held up a hand. ¡°Before you claim that he is not a brother because he¡¯s a demon, ask yourself if you would truly turn your back on a troubled soul that needs the path of God. In the words of Jesus himself, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.¡± She sighed, and though Robert did not speak and the argument was over for the moment, she knew the long-term battle was far from over. ¡°Please don¡¯t give up on him. I sure won¡¯t.¡± She left silence behind as she ascended the wide staircase and down the long hall to Joey¡¯s room. There was silence there too, but when she knocked and got no response, she had a good idea as to why. Unlocking the door, she slowly entered, not surprised to find Joey sitting on his bed with his tablet and headphones. He turned to look at her, and instantly his forlorn expression brightened. Annabelle closed the door behind her and immediately tried to put up a mental shield that she had been practicing ever since discovering Joey could read her mind. She worried that her sometimes conflicting thoughts would upset him, so she replaced them with only worldless positivity. It seemed to work. Joey stopped his music and took off his headphones as Annabelle sat on the bed beside him. ¡°Hey,¡± she said, ¡°Are you okay?¡± The boy didn¡¯t answer, but scooted closer and cuddled. ¡°Tell me what happened today.¡± ¡°A boy was being mean to me. He took my backpack and threw all my stuff around. I got mad and¡ª¡± ¡°And what?¡± ¡°I broke the sprinkler and he got all wet.¡± He looked up, tears in his eyes. ¡°Nobody got hurt, I promise! I didn¡¯t hurt him. I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I know you didn¡¯t.¡± Annabelle smiled, unable to hold back a little chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Grandpa and Grandma I said this, but I think a soaking was a nice choice.¡± She held the thought in her mind, knowing he was reading it. It didn¡¯t seem to comfort him. ¡°Was Grandpa really gonna kill me?¡± Annabelle couldn¡¯t deny it had been possible and she was thankful for the guide voice that told her to go downstairs in time. ¡°You knew to come save me?¡± Of course he read my mind. ¡°Never mind. As long as I¡¯m around, you¡¯ll be safe, I promise.¡± She saw uncertainty in his eyes, and though she tried to block the thought, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was time to tell him the truth she¡¯d hidden from him his whole life. ¡°Tell me the truth,¡± Joey said. ¡°I really am a demon, aren¡¯t I.¡± Annabelle sighed. ¡°I wish you¡¯d stop getting into my head.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s the only way I can really know what¡¯s going on because no one talks to me.¡± ¡°I talk to you.¡± ¡°But you hide things. You just thought about telling me the truth. Tell me. Just tell me I¡¯m a demon already so I know it¡¯s true.¡± As the tears fell down Joey¡¯s cheeks, Annabelle wiped them away. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re a demon. Demons are evil and dangerous, but you are neither of those things. You do cause trouble with your powers, and because of how you¡­came to be¡­people worry that you won¡¯t stay good forever.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®how I came to be¡¯? Does it have to do with my dad that no one will tell me about?¡± Annabelle did not want to explain rape to an eight-year-old. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but you can¡¯t tell anyone that you know this now. It stays between us. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay, but why is it so secret? It¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°Because we worry that knowing the truth might¡­¡± Make you evil. ¡°Make me evil. Because I am a demon. Just say it. I already know it because everyone says it. But I want to know why I am. Tell me who my dad is.¡± ¡°Okay. Listen. We don¡¯t know who your dad is¡ªI don¡¯t even want to call him that¡ªand we don¡¯t know exactly what happened. But we¡¯re pretty sure that a demon attacked your mom and¡­you were the result.¡± ¡°¡¯Pretty sure?¡¯ Just say it. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Maybe. See, your mom was so traumatized after it that she could barely speak. She said it was a demon, that her sort-of boyfriend summoned it, but that¡¯s all. She wouldn¡¯t describe it or anything. Your mom¡¯s boyfriend, he disappeared. The police found his blood everywhere but never his body. So it was someone or something else that attacked her. And now here you are, with powers and¡­maybe it¡¯s from a demon.¡± Joey stared straight ahead, and though his face held little expression, his lip quivered. ¡°But remember, you are still in part your mom. You have her good heart, I know it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just saying that. I don¡¯t even look like her. I¡¯m all demon.¡± He curled up against her as he cried, and Annabelle squeezed him tight. He was right that he didn¡¯t look anything like Miranda. He had dark brown hair instead of blonde, brown eyes instead of blue, a rounder face and nose. She hadn¡¯t gotten a good enough look at the supposed demon that night, but she feared Joey was much more like him than anything. With Joey¡¯s eyes averted, he couldn¡¯t read her grim thoughts. ¡°You don¡¯t have to let this dictate your life,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t let this take you on a path that you shouldn¡¯t walk. You¡¯re young enough that you can learn to use your powers for good. You can still prove to everyone that you are good and pure inside.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to have powers. I hate it. What if I do turn evil? Only evil can do things like I do.¡± Making sure Joey was not looking at her, Annabelle pondered whether to tell him one more truth. The guide voice was not telling her to keep it quiet. If he¡¯s my purpose, he should know. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you another secret,¡± she said. ¡°This one is more important to keep secret than what I already told you. You have to promise me you will never tell anyone.¡± Joey looked up. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I have powers too.¡± She saw him try to read more in her mind but she had halted her thoughts. ¡°They¡¯re healing powers,¡± she continued. ¡°I only ever used them on your mom. It was like she was the only one I was supposed to use it for. Remember when Grandma slipped on ice and broke her wrist? I could have healed it, but something told me not to. Probably because she and Grandpa would take advantage of it. I haven¡¯t used my powers since, well, I tried to stop your mom¡¯s pain right before you were born. It had always worked until then. So I guess I don¡¯t even know if it works anymore.¡± Joey stared at her in deep interest. Then he smiled. ¡°Try it! Try it now. I¡¯ll hurt myself and you fix it.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t hurt yourself.¡± But he was already up and opening a desk drawer, putting the other hand in to smash it. Annabelle jumped up and stopped him. ¡°Okay, okay. How about something small. A papercut.¡± She looked around and the only paper left in the room was the pages of the Bible. ¡°This feels wrong, but let¡¯s do it.¡± With a quick swipe she sliced Joey¡¯s finger with the edge of the page. He winced as she squeezed it, then as they sat back down on the bed, Annabelle held his hand between both of hers, closed her eyes, and prayed. Lord, please heal this wound and ease the pain. Through her closed eyelids she could see the glow of her hand, and Joey gasped. The glow lasted only a second, and when they both looked at the boy¡¯s finger, the cut was gone. Joey gaped and stared at Annabelle with wide eyes. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°Shhh! Remember, it¡¯s our extra special secret, okay? And don¡¯t go hurting yourself for fun just because I can fix it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Joey paused, now looking curious. ¡°Wait¡­so are you a demon too?¡± ¡°No, definitely not. I don¡¯t know where this power came from. Your mom always called me her guardian angel, but I don¡¯t really think that¡¯s what I am either. I mean, I couldn¡¯t save her, so¡­¡± She looked down at her hands, sadness and anger at their failure rushing in. She had always wanted to believe she was a guardian angel, that her powers were given by God specifically to watch over one person, that the voice in her head was some connection with God, maybe it was God Himself. But then it had failed. Maybe there were just humans out there with weird powers for no particular reason and she just happened to end up with this specific family. But the powers got stronger that night¡­ Joey was staring at her head harder than he¡¯d ever had before, and she let him do it, having no more energy to block him out. ¡°You¡¯re definitely an angel,¡± he said finally. ¡°I can see it.¡± Annabelle forced a smile. ¡°Well, it really doesn¡¯t matter about me, what I am. What¡¯s important is that I help you learn to stay on the right path. To not be afraid of what you might be. And as you maybe learn more about your abilities, you can find ways to use them for good.¡± ¡°How can I do that if people hate me and lock me up and try to kill me?¡± Reaching for the Bible, Annabelle said, ¡°Have you read any of this?¡± ¡°I tried but it¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°Some of it is a bit dry, yeah, especially for a kid. But there are some really great things in here that can inspire you. You¡¯ve learned the story about Jesus in Sunday school, all the great things he did before he died. He tried to convince people of his goodness, and some people didn¡¯t believe him, but he never gave up on trying. It¡¯s a great example of how you can be strong, and even if it takes a long time you can prove to the world how great you really are.¡± ¡°But he healed people and stuff. Like you. He got rid of people like me.¡± ¡°Jesus got rid of demons that plagued humans. He accepts all who follow him, all who have him in their heart. Is Jesus in your heart? Do you want to follow him?¡± ¡°Yeah, but he knows everything, right? Like, he knows I¡¯m a demon. He won¡¯t let me into Heaven no matter what.¡± Annabelle put the Bible down and placed her hands on each side of his head. ¡°Never, ever, ever think that. Keep your heart pure and strong and good, and Jesus will love you and God will let you into Heaven. This I promise. Read Matthew, read about all that Jesus went through and learn from that strength. I know you can. And you can always come to me. Promise me you¡¯ll come to me.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Annabelle squeezed him tight again and a verse came to her. ¡°May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through,¡± she said aloud. ¡°May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.¡± Chapter 10: The Power of Music It had been three years before Joey was allowed to graduate from children¡¯s music to popular Christian songs. With Annabelle¡¯s help to convince his grandmother that certain singers and bands were safe for a supposed demon, he finally felt satiated once again, as if getting a fix for an addiction. Almost every waking moment he listened to every song by the handful of artists he was allowed to hear, soaking in the melodies of guitars, both electric and acoustic, and memorizing the beats of the drums. But for three more years he was stuck with just that, only occasionally allowed a new album released by some of the artists. His craving for more increased quickly. He knew there was so much more out there, that being forced to only listen to Christian music was limiting his ability to fill his need. But there was no way his grandmother would allow him free reign. Maybe there was more within the genre that he could explore. He felt he was worthy of the trust. For all those years he kept his powers in check, only using them while locked in his room, with the exception of reading the lessons from his private tutor¡¯s mind. He had finally been allowed to eat dinner with the family¡ªat Annabelle¡¯s insistence¡ªand forced himself to not look at anyone so his grandparents couldn¡¯t accuse him of reading their minds. He noticed they seemed to be more relaxed during these times, that maybe they weren¡¯t as afraid or disgusted by him. His grandfather stopped threatening death upon him, but still insisted he not be allowed in church or anywhere outside the house. Annabelle was in charge of Joey¡¯s Bible study, and he had no complaints about that. When his craving for more music was making him physically uncomfortable, he finally decided to ask Annabelle for help. ¡°I¡¯ve been reading some verses in Matthew again,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s one that speaks to me a lot right now, and I want to ask what you think.¡± ¡°Okay, ask away.¡± Joey was always relieved by her eagerness to listen. He quickly turned to a page he had bookmarked. ¡°So, in chapter six it says ¡®For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.¡¯ Do you think maybe that would apply to Grandpa and Grandma? I¡¯ve really tried to be good and not use my powers around them, since they think it¡¯s sin, so maybe they can forgive me now? Because according to this, God won¡¯t forgive them if they don¡¯t forgive me.¡± As she always did, Annabelle smiled thoughtfully at him. And as always, he read her mind before she could attempt to block him out. He¡¯s so smart, he¡¯s right, he¡¯s¡ª ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I do think it applies. And I¡¯ve been really proud of your self-control. For years I¡¯ve tried to get them to let you out of here, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking to come out. I mean, it would be nice, but really what I want is to be able to listen to more music. I like everything I¡¯ve heard so far, but I just really want more. Do you think they can forgive me enough to let me explore it more? I promise I¡¯ll stick to Christian music. I really promise.¡± ¡°I trust you, but it¡¯s Grandma that¡¯s the most insistent about that. I think music is a harmless passion. Maybe it¡¯s your purpose in life. Or it can be. I¡¯ll try my best to convince her. And I¡¯ll make sure to highlight your devotion and your dedication to the Bible, since she¡¯ll likely appreciate that.¡± She stood from her chair but stopped at the door. ¡°Actually, come with me. She should hear it from you.¡± ¡°No way she¡¯ll listen to me.¡± ¡°Come.¡± Annabelle took his arm and led him down the stairs to the living room. It was a room he was not allowed in, originally due to his grandmother¡¯s fears of him spreading his demon ¡°germs¡± around too many rooms in the house. The room was twice the size of his bedroom and decorated lavishly with mahogany furniture, including two couches and several armchairs covered with elegant flower patterns. Delicate crystal statues and scenes of Jesus and the cross were placed on the fireplace mantel and various shelves. When Sandra looked up from her book as she sat on one of the armchairs, she jumped at the sight of Joey. ¡°Why is he here?¡± she said to Annabelle. ¡°He is to stay in his room.¡± Joey kept his eyes down in hopes it would comfort her. ¡°We were doing Bible study,¡± Annabelle said, ¡°and, as he usually does, he had a great analysis of a couple of verses. He expressed to me that it was really meaningful to him, and I feel his analysis was spot on. Is Daddy around? He should hear it too.¡± Sandra shouted to her husband in the nearby study, and he reluctantly joined them. ¡°What is he doing here?¡± ¡°Hand me a Bible,¡± Annabelle said. ¡°Joey wants to read you something.¡± ¡°No,¡± Joey said, keeping his head down. ¡°I¡¯ve memorized it. That¡¯s how much I¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡± Annabelle encouraged him to say it, so he repeated the verses, trying to sound strong but not defiant. When his grandparents said nothing, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking to come out of my room or anything like that. I just want to be able to listen to more music. I promise to only listen to Christian music. I promise to continue to not do the things you hate me for. I¡¯ll stay in my room forever, just please allow me this one thing.¡± He hated not being able to look at them. All he really wanted was to see their facial expressions, but even if he tried hard enough to not read their minds, they would think he was anyway. ¡°Well?¡± Annabelle said with the insistence Joey was hoping for. ¡°Will you forgive him as Jesus says you should?¡± More silence until finally a sigh from Sandra. ¡°Fine. Give him access, Annie. But I will be checking to make sure he keeps his promise.¡± ¡°Great, but you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± ¡°Curb the attitude, Annabelle,¡± Robert said. ¡°You may be an adult, but as Paul says about Christian households, ¡®Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.¡¯¡± ¡°And in the very next verse, he says, ¡®Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.¡¯ It¡¯s your choice to not forgive Joey, therefore your choice to disobey Jesus. Goodbye.¡± Immediately, Annabelle pulled Joey away and back to his room. ¡°Wow,¡± Joey said. ¡°You and Grandpa really go at it lately. Like, Bible battle.¡± Annabelle chuckled. ¡°He used to listen to me all the time, but now it¡¯s like he enjoys the arguments. Almost like he wants to best me at a game of ¡®Who Comes Up with the Best Verses.¡¯¡± ¡°You sure won that one.¡± ¡°Maybe. I just hate arguing with him all the time. He¡¯s really a great man, always has a great message for his followers, but sometimes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Annabelle hugged him. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. He¡¯s always been this way, occasionally going off course and I have to bring him back. I just have an extra reason to work even harder at it.¡± She pulled away. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get you set up with some music.¡± * * * Joey now had a music app on his tablet that allowed him to search specific genres and listen to any album that popped up. He started with the ¡°Most Popular¡± list within Christian music, some of which were ones he¡¯d already heard, but he played and studied the others nonstop for days. Then he explored more categories and sub-genres, listening and analyzing every single song there was. As he went from Gospel to Worship to Pop to Hip-Hop he was starting to have a preference for certain styles. His grandmother had kept her promise of checking his listening choices and told him she didn¡¯t approve of Hip-Hop, but he assured her that he didn¡¯t enjoy it much and wouldn¡¯t listen anymore. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He finally made it to the Rock playlist and was immediately taken by it. The heavier guitars, the more complex beats, the more powerful vocals¡ªhe wished he had started with it because it was so much closer to what his heart was looking for. There¡¯s more, there¡¯s more, his heart kept saying. When the songs were too soft, he skipped them. There¡¯s more, keep going. When they stayed heavy he soaked them in, chills going up his spine and spreading to his whole body. Halfway through the playlist came a song so heavy he audibly gasped. The vocals started out like growls, a shocking change from what he¡¯d been listening to, but he was intrigued by it. Then the vocals became melodic again, carrying him once again. Then a guitar solo so fast, so intricate. Drums so full and varied. The vocals went back and forth between the harshness and the melodies, a combination with the massively heavy instruments that made him collapse on his back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. He was entranced. This is it. This. THIS. Over and over and over he listened to the song. Then he searched the band and listened to their entire album, then the next. He lay completely relaxed, completely overpowered and taken by what his ears soaked in. Heavy metal. He never wanted to stop. But his headphones were ripped from his head, his tablet falling to the floor, and his screaming grandmother stood before him. ¡°What on earth are you listening to?¡± Her eyes were wide in shock. ¡°I knew you¡¯d break your promise and find the devil¡¯s music! I knew it!¡± ¡°No!¡± Joey quickly stood, which made Sandra jump back in fear. ¡°It¡¯s Christian music, I swear. I¡¯ll show you.¡± ¡°Lies! This is exactly what I knew would happen. I saw you lying there, in a trance. I could hear it, that¡­that¡­devil¡¯s music. I knew you would find it and the evil would come out.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not devil¡¯s music. Their songs are about faith and Jesus. That song just now, it¡¯s about using faith in Jesus to be strong in hard times, to fight temptation, things like that. Honest. Just because it¡¯s heavy doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s devil worshipping or satanic or anything.¡± ¡°You can say that all you want, demon, but I will not have you listening to this evil in my house.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Annabelle was at the door. ¡°He found the devil¡¯s music!¡± Sandra said, pointing a shaking finger at Joey. ¡°It¡¯s not! Annie, please believe me. The songs are about fighting Satan, not following him. Please!¡± But there was uncertainty in her gaze, and he jumped into her thoughts as quickly as possible. Devil¡¯s music? He wouldn¡¯t, would he? Oh God, help me¡ª ¡°What is this about devil¡¯s music?¡± Robert¡¯s voice boomed from behind Annabelle. ¡°Take that tablet away immediately and get rid of it.¡± ¡°No!¡± Joey shouted. ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± When Sandra picked up the tablet and headphones from the floor he tried to grab them back, but Robert burst in and took him by the throat. It was Annabelle¡¯s turn to scream and beg as Joey was thrust against the wall, a repeat of years ago, erasing all he had worked to earn. But all he could think about was the music, how badly he needed it as much as he needed to breathe. Through the corner of his eye he looked to Sandra and the tablet in her hand, which flew out of her grip, then he mentally opened a drawer of his dresser, sending the tablet inside and closing it. Sandra screamed in horror, backing into the corner. The pressure on Joey¡¯s neck increased, cutting off all air. ¡°God, take the soul of this demon now through my hands, Lord God, spare us now¡ª¡± Joey pushed away all of his desire to make something fly at Robert¡¯s head or make an electric outlet explode, anything to get the man to stop. It was those things that brought the hatred in the first place. It would make things worse. But he didn¡¯t want to die. What if I go to Hell because I¡¯m a demon? It was Annabelle that got him free, flailing herself at her father and screaming at the top of her lungs. Robert finally released, looking at his daughter, appalled. ¡°Annabelle, you dare hit me? You dare treat your father this way?¡± ¡°And you dare try to kill someone in the name of the Lord, again? I assure you that God is looking down on you with disgust. A man who calls himself a man of God, a pastor, is asking God to help him commit murder. Surely if any of your followers tried such a thing, you¡¯d denounce them.¡± ¡°He is a demon, Annabelle. You are so blind, after all your life where you¡¯ve shown such wisdom. And you defend evil in the flesh. I should cast you both out of this house.¡± Joey remained against the wall, rubbing his throat and watching Annabelle fume more than he¡¯d ever seen her before. ¡°In the words of Jesus,¡± she said, her voice wavering, ¡°¡¯If anyone causes one of these little ones¡ªthose who believe in me¡ªto stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.¡¯ You are the one who is blind. Perhaps you should be the one cast out. It pains me to think that God will turn his back on you for this.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Robert took a step closer to Annabelle, eyes narrowed and fists clenched. ¡°Stop!¡± Joey¡¯s voice was hoarse from being strangled. ¡°Stop fighting about me.¡± A fist flew and hit the side of Joey¡¯s head like a hammer, and he fell to the ground. Again the temptation to fight back was strong, strong enough that his brain began to collect a schematic of the room in search of an appropriate electric outlet to explode. Annabelle dove to his side, and he looked in her eyes. Please don¡¯t, Joey. Please, it¡¯s okay. ¡°I could hurt you right now, Grandpa,¡± Joey said, getting to his hands and knees. ¡°I could kill you in less than a second. But I won¡¯t. I have more self-control than you. Would a demon do that? Would a demon choose not to kill when it¡¯s so easy? Can a demon follow Jesus better than a human?¡± Joey watched Robert¡¯s jaw grind. ¡°You will shut your mouth,¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever compare yourself to me.¡± He turned to his wife. ¡°Take that tablet out of that drawer and get rid of it.¡± When Sandra tried to open the drawer, Joey looked directly at it, forcing it closed with his mind. ¡°Stop it, boy!¡± Robert said, trying to open it too, but Joey didn¡¯t move, focusing everything on keeping the drawer shut. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± Annabelle stood. ¡°How about just¡­going back to what it was before? Where he can only listen to specific things. It keeps him calm and it¡¯s safe. Those are two things you want, right? Calm and safe.¡± They reluctantly agreed, but Joey did not, keeping his powers on the drawer. ¡°Joey, please,¡± Annabelle said softly, kneeling beside him again. ¡°I know it¡¯s not ideal but¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if I have to stay like this forever. You will not take it away from me.¡± Annabelle covered his eyes, but the schematic in Joey¡¯s brain included the furniture, allowing him to hold it shut even without looking at it. He hid his surprise, as he¡¯d never tried that expansion before. ¡°Seriously, Joey, please. I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t fight over this. It will only make things worse.¡± The thought of losing what he had fallen so madly in love with brought tears. He remembered the lyrics: ¡°Let God give me strength for the battles of life. Every step in His name builds me up over time.¡± He released the drawer and let the tears flow. As Annabelle made the changes to the tablet under her mother¡¯s watchful eye, Joey climbed onto his bed and buried his face in the pillow. He was already empty inside, drained of what had filled him with pure joy. There was no reason to live other than to avoid Hell. * * * Annabelle held back tears as she left Joey¡¯s room. Never before had he refused to speak to her, and his harsh words of ¡°Go away¡± stung deep. She tried to convince herself that he was a teenager and therefore dramatically upset about the events of the evening, but he¡¯d come around eventually. She hoped, anyway. Retreating to her room, vowing to not speak to her parents for at least the rest of the day if not the next, she lay down on her own bed. She was exhausted; the guide voice had been so strong and insistent and fast, almost as much as the night Miranda was attacked. And it was strange, the voice not just telling her to save Joey. Stop him, the voice had said. Tell him, teach him, make him listen. And the Bible verse came to her lightning fast, the other accusations pouring out behind it. In hindsight she was shocked at what she¡¯d said, telling her father he should be cast out. I¡¯m crazy for saying that. But a little part of her felt it was true. When she had reverted the access changes on Joey¡¯s tablet, she had taken note of the band he had been listening to. He had claimed they were a Christian band, that their lyrics were spiritual, and she wanted to know the truth. She wanted him to have been telling the truth. Even if her parents would never believe it, she would at least feel better about it. She got a boost of energy from thinking of that and got up and went to her computer. She searched the name and indeed they were labeled as a Christian metal band. Such a thing seemed like an oxymoron. Could something supposedly always laced with satanic themes be infused with Christian values instead? She dug further, eventually finding lyrics. Indeed their songs were empowering and spiritual. Though she thought such poetry sung¡ªwas it even singing?¡ªover noisy guitars couldn¡¯t possibly sound good, she smiled, relieved that Joey had been telling the truth. He wasn¡¯t taking a path of evil. He was following the good path, just in his own way. Annabelle decided to research some Christian rock bands, something lighter than what he¡¯d been listening to, but a little stronger than what he was now forced to have. She listened to some clips and began making a list, preparing to present it to her parents once they¡¯d cooled down. On the website of one of the bands she found, Disciples Rising, was an advertisement for a five-day retreat at Yellowstone hosted by the band members. It was geared toward troubled teens, supposedly to inspire them to better their lives through music. It was perfect. And she would fight as hard as possible to convince her parents to let her take him. Chapter 11: The Trip It took a few weeks of constant practice that brought on headaches, but eventually Joey was able to crack the password on his tablet. He came up with the idea after he had been able to hone his ability to get mental schematics of his surroundings. He could now easily unlock the door to his room with his eyes closed¡ªthough he relocked it again, never leaving the room¡ªso why not try unlocking the tablet as well. The internal intricacies of electronics were fascinating, and he often explored them just for fun, but only after he gave himself access to the music app again. His grandparents had stopped checking his tablet, confident that he had no way of hearing ¡°the devil¡¯s music¡± anymore, so he had no reason to worry about them seeing it. But he was cautious enough to keep the volume low to be able to hear anyone coming in the room. He taught himself how to close the app quickly and hide the icon from the home page with his mind. Going to Yellowstone with Annabelle was both exciting but scary. He hadn¡¯t left the house in six years and now he was flying across the country, the ultimate adventure. But he also hadn¡¯t socialized with anyone other than his family and tutor in that time, so the prospect of having to talk to other teenagers and strange adults twisted his stomach. He also worried that Annabelle would catch him listening to the forbidden music. Though she had told him about how relieved she¡¯d been that he¡¯d kept his promise of listening to Christian music, that she believed him and supported him, he did not tell her his secret in return. She hadn¡¯t immediately trusted him that day. The risk of losing her trust again was high. Once in the sky heading west, Joey made the decision to listen to the metal bands he¡¯d found. The lights on the plane were dim and Annabelle was engrossed in a book. The sound of the engines would muffle that from his headphones, and he could have peace as they went to a destination he was more and more nervous about going to. His eyelids became heavy and he gave in to closing them, letting the music soak in and saturate his whole body. Joy and comfort swallowed him, and he remained nearly catatonic until their impending arrival was announced. When he opened his eyes, he found Annabelle glaring at him. ¡°How did you do that?¡± she said. ¡°Did you read the password from my mind?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t be mad, okay?¡± ¡°You did read my mind, didn¡¯t you. I seriously hate¡ª¡± ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t. I figured out how to hack it myself. In my head. It¡¯s a new power, I guess.¡± She continued to glare, and the fear of her blowing his cover erased all the joy he¡¯d just experienced. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Grandpa and Grandma. I just¡­I just really need this music. It speaks to me. It gives me a reason to live and be happy. If I weren¡¯t afraid of going to Hell, I¡¯d have killed myself when I had this taken away from me before.¡± Annabelle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Joey, don¡¯t say things like that.¡± She put a hand on his arm. ¡°I know it might seem like you have nothing to live for, but there is one person in this world that believes in you and loves you no matter what. I need you. More than you¡¯ll ever understand.¡± Joey looked in her mind, expecting to find a hint of untruth. I¡¯m not ready for this. I¡¯m not ready to die. How do I fix this¡ª ¡°What do you mean, you¡¯re ¡®not ready to die¡¯?¡± Joey asked. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t kill yourself too, would you?¡± He ignored the guilt as she sighed at having her thoughts read. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll explain one day. Just know that I love you, okay? You¡¯re all I have left of my sister, and I see her heart in you every day. I won¡¯t tell Grandpa and Grandma about the music, but if you get caught¡­I don¡¯t know how well I can defend you.¡± Joey nodded. He knew she was right, and if he did get caught, it wouldn¡¯t affect just him. There would be another battle, and even if Annabelle still came out on top, she would be an emotional mess all because of him. Getting permission to come to the retreat had been a battle itself, but with the promise that the hosting band was not heavy metal, his grandparents had reluctantly agreed. And as they had left, Joey had caught a glimpse of his grandmother¡¯s mind: Annie better not mess this up. Nervousness hit like a brick wall when they arrived at the campsite. Teenagers of various ages milled about, some chatting with each other, some listening to instructions by camp supervisors, and some standing alone. Normally Joey would have been one of the loners, but with Annabelle¡¯s status as the popular televangelist¡¯s daughter, she was allowed a supervisory volunteer position. Joey stood close to her, hoping she could do all the talking and be with him the entire five days. A man approached them, and Joey recognized him as the singer of Disciples Rising, Sam Riley. Sam introduced himself and shook their hands, then said, ¡°Welcome to camp. We¡¯re really excited to have you here. You¡¯re kind of the talk of the whole place, as you might guess. Hopefully you¡¯ll enjoy your time and Pastor Colmyre will maybe mention us in a sermon?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Annabelle said. ¡°I know he¡¯s anxious to see what impact this has on Joey.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sam explained that the kids would be separated into groups of five and assigned to a cabin and a chaperone. Since they would also be separated by gender in the cabins, there would be times when Joey would be without Annabelle. Alone despite being surrounded by other teens. He hated it already. Sam introduced Joey to his chaperone, Craig, and suggested he go to his cabin to place his things and claim a bed. Once the two men had walked away, Annabelle took Joey¡¯s head in both hands and spoke softly. ¡°Listen carefully to me. Do not use your powers in any way. I know it¡¯s hard for you, but since I can¡¯t watch you all the time I need you to promise me you¡¯ll control yourself. Because if anything goes wrong¡ª¡± ¡°Grandpa will kill me.¡± Annabelle said nothing but her mind said yes. ¡°Everybody knows who we are, so anything that might make Grandpa look bad is bad for both of us. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± But it wasn¡¯t just in the cabin that Joey had to be away from Annabelle. At dinner the kids were assigned to eat with their cabin group, and with the encouragement of their chaperone, share something about themselves. All four of Joey¡¯s cabinmates were equally as unwilling to talk as he was. Despite his promise to Annabelle, he read each of their minds, all of them thinking some form of I hate this or Fuck this guy. He was so busy trying to dig into their minds that he didn¡¯t notice when his turn came. ¡°Joey? Care to introduce yourself and tell us something about you? Something you enjoy?¡± ¡°Um¡­my name¡¯s Joey and I like music. That¡¯s pretty much it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s apparently a common answer at this table,¡± Craig said, smiling but thinking This is going to be a long trip. ¡°Anything else you enjoy doing?¡± ¡°No. I¡­don¡¯t really get out much.¡± ¡°Well, this trip is a great way to get out and make some friends.¡± I¡¯m with you, man. This really is going to be a long trip. That night as he lay on the top bunk, he decided to get into the minds of those he could see, even though it was dark. Craig was asleep, dreaming of sitting across the table from a woman whom he seemed to fancy. The boy above Craig was wide awake, thinking about a dog lying still in his arms. In the next set of bunk beds, the one on the bottom was also asleep, his dream being one of getting backed into a corner in what looked like a high school, surrounded by taller, older kids. The boy above him, however, was looking at his phone, the screen dim in an attempt to avoid being noticed. Joey almost covered his eyes to end the scene in the kid¡¯s head: he was obviously watching porn and there was regular movement under the blanket. He finally did close his eyes and tried to sleep. Convincing himself that he should just focus on enjoying freedom from a locked bedroom was harder than he thought. There was nothing else positive about this experience, and he had little hope that would change. * * * For three days Joey endured various group activities, some co-ed, which allowed him to see Annabelle and assure her he wasn¡¯t causing trouble. He felt like an idiot every time they played sports as he had no idea how to play any of it, and had to use the homeschool excuse for why he hadn¡¯t learned the basic rules of baseball or volleyball in gym classes. There was music every night with Disciples Rising playing a few of their songs interspersed with prayer for their healing and gaining of strength. Joey tried to enjoy the music but was craving metal; even though his cabinmate Colin was getting away with watching porn every night, Joey didn¡¯t dare try to listen to music in secret and never had time during the day. On the fourth day, Joey¡¯s group was led by Sam on a hike around some of Yellowstone¡¯s hot springs. The band members had been taking turns leading the various groups each day, but none of them had been as excited as the front man, and Joey read the man¡¯s mind that it had something to do with the opportunity to lead the grandson of an idol. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Throughout the morning as they viewed Old Faithful and made their way to other geysers and springs, Sam preached about how God had blessed them all with such wonders, that something as simple as hot water exploding from the ground could have such an impact on millions of people. They could take an example from it, living their life in such a way that they could impact others in the simplest ways. ¡°Spread the word of God in your own special way. Us guys in the band, we chose music as our way to do that. Everyone can find their place in the world, even if it¡¯s just staying in one place and attracting others toward them and the gospel. Like Old Faithful.¡± He looked at Joey. ¡°Like your grandfather.¡± Joey prevented himself from rolling his eyes. Being connected to a man who hated him was getting sickening. As they continued to walk, Sam focused on each of the boys in turn, getting them to open up and talk about ways they could use their other passions in life as a beacon for God. Joey didn¡¯t listen to any of it, simply focusing on what he would have to say when it was his turn. He only had one passion in life, and listening to music wasn¡¯t really a way to spread the good word. And mentioning his powers was certainly out of the question. ¡°Joey, what about you? What are you most passionate about in life?¡± ¡°Music. That¡¯s it. Nothing else.¡± ¡°Do you play an instrument, or sing?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young. Perhaps you could learn.¡± Grandpa would never allow it. Joey shrugged. ¡°I just really like listening to music. It¡¯s the only thing that makes me happy.¡± Sam raised an eyebrow. ¡°The word of God doesn¡¯t bring you any happiness? Any inspiration?¡± ¡°Sometimes. But whenever I find a passage that seems to mean something or is inspiring, I start to feel like it doesn¡¯t apply to me. I don¡¯t think God cares for me too much.¡± Sam stopped and put his hands on Joey¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You should never think that. God does care for you. Whenever a piece of scripture speaks to you, listen to it. Listen to whatever speaks to you and makes you feel good about yourself. Does music speak to you?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great, and I can absolutely relate.¡± Sam winked, then motioned for them to continue walking. ¡°I¡¯m curious. What other bands do you like? Besides mine of course.¡± Joey listed a few of his favorites that he¡¯d heard recently. Sam and the others looked at him and shook their heads. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of those bands,¡± Sam said. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t listen to a whole lot outside of rock or pop. What genre are they?¡± ¡°Heavy metal.¡± They all stopped again. Sam stared at him in shock, and the other boys looked at Joey with a mix of confusion, disgust, and fear. Joey thought perhaps he should have lied to avoid the possibility that any of them shared his grandparent¡¯s view of his preferred genre of music. ¡°Joey.¡± Sam stepped toward him again, and Joey read in his mind a silent prayer for strength. ¡°Does your grandfather know this?¡± Before he could answer, Colin spoke up. ¡°Didn¡¯t he recently do a sermon about that? Music of the devil or something?¡± ¡°Yes, he did,¡± Sam said. Joey¡¯s anger boiled at their revelation. He was forced to watch a replay of every one of his grandfather¡¯s sermons, and more and more often he knew he was the subject, even though he was never mentioned by name or relation. ¡°Oh boy, wow,¡± Colin said, stepping closer. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why he¡¯s here. Pastor Colmyre won¡¯t want to be caught with a devil-worshipping grandson.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t worship the devil.¡± Joey glared at the older boy. ¡°These are Christian metal bands. Their lyrics have a great message.¡± ¡°Christian metal?¡± Colin laughed, and two of the other boys joined in, while the fourth continued to share Sam¡¯s shock. ¡°That¡­that is quite the oxymoron,¡± Sam said. ¡°Christians did not invent heavy metal. These so-called Christian metal bands may claim to want to bring non-believers to the light, but the opposite is likely to be true. Turning Christians away from God with something invented by those with satanic roots.¡± Joey stared in disbelief. ¡°Did Christians invent rock music? Or country? Or Hip-Hop? I¡¯m pretty sure they didn¡¯t, yet here we are at a retreat hosted by a Christian rock band. The style of music has nothing to do with it. It¡¯s all about the message, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s the words that speak to us. Yes, it¡¯s the music itself that I love most, but the words teach me about strength, about how God can help me, and I follow that. I try to, anyway. The only difference between them and you is they turned up the distortion on their guitars.¡± ¡°And they scream,¡± Colin said. ¡°How do you even understand what they¡¯re saying?¡± This time Joey did roll his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not all screaming and growling. A lot of it is actual singing, and that¡¯s the kind I prefer actually. Maybe you should open your mind. You want people to open their mind to God, how about you open yours to expanded ways of spreading his word?¡± None of them spoke, so Joey zoomed between their minds. This kid is nuts¡ªGoing to hell¡ªWhat a dummy¡ªKnew he was weird¡ªLord God, help me heal this child¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t need healing,¡± Joey found himself saying as the anger built up, and turned to each of them in turn. ¡°I¡¯m not nuts and not a dummy. Maybe I am weird and going to Hell but I¡¯m doing my best not to. I really am.¡± All five pairs of eyes were wide and looked at each other as if searching to see if they were the only ones thinking they¡¯d had their minds read. With trembling hands, Sam said, ¡°Joey¡­I¡¯m¡­worried about you. I think maybe you need a little more intervention than we can provide.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need intervention. I am who I am and there¡¯s nothing anyone can do about it. My grandpa hates me. I know you guys think he¡¯s the greatest thing, but I can tell you he doesn¡¯t follow the Bible as strictly as he says he does.¡± Everyone ignored that, and Joey was flustered that all of their minds were still on the fact they¡¯d been read moments ago. ¡°I dare you to do that again,¡± Colin said, his voice soft. ¡°Tell me what I¡¯m thinking.¡± Joey read his explicit thoughts, and even though he told himself he should pretend he didn¡¯t read it, he did anyway. ¡°You just said ¡®I love cheesy fries.¡¯¡± Everyone looked at Colin who was gaping at Joey. ¡°Oh my God, he¡¯s legit a demon.¡± Joey knew he had just made a huge mistake. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± he said, knowing he was not convincing. Sam was still trembling, clearly trying to remain calm. ¡°Are you saying Pastor Colmyre is a liar?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°He¡¯s said it a bunch of times. Demons can read the minds of even the holiest of believers. Does¡­does he know you can do that?¡± Joey felt that any answer was a bad answer, but no answer might be worse. ¡°N¡ªno. I¡¯m not a demon. I¡¯m just¡­weird.¡± Sam slowly took out his cell phone. ¡°I think maybe we should head back to camp. I¡¯m going to call for a ride. Stay here.¡± He stepped away from the group to make the call. ¡°So, did you think you were gonna turn all of us into Satan worshippers? Make us all go to hell?¡± Colin said. ¡°Stick it to your grandpa?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re already going to Hell with all that porn you watch every night and what you were thinking of doing to that Christine girl yesterday. That was a wild, nasty ride of a daydream you had.¡± The other three boys gaped at Colin for a moment, and Joey was glad that at least for a short while he was no longer the center of attention. Colin¡¯s face grew red with rage. ¡°You¡ªyou know what, demon? Didn¡¯t your grandpa say that demons should die by the hands of the holy? With Jesus¡¯s power?¡± ¡°He also said those who watch pornography are the victims of demons. Maybe you¡¯re the demon.¡± Colin¡¯s snarl turned into a thoughtful smirk. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll say I¡¯m your victim. I¡¯ll say I had to kill you before you tempted anyone else.¡± Before Joey could comprehend Colin¡¯s words or read his mind for further details, the older boy wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him along as he clambered over the railing of the boardwalk. Joey heard the other three boys gasping and telling Colin to stop. ¡°No! I think that¡¯s a bad idea. Don¡¯t do it!¡± Colin did not listen, and Joey saw the bright blue bubbling, steaming water of Crested Pool getting closer. He writhed against the pull, scratched the arm that held him, but it did little to slow his attacker down. Closing his eyes, Joey tried to get a schematic of his surroundings. He¡¯d never tried it outside before, but now was the best time to try. And it worked, giving him a basic, blurry topography of what was likely a fifty-foot radius. There was something that resembled a rock close by, so he commanded it to fly at Colin¡¯s head. It hit, but it was too small to stop him. Only a few steps from the pool, the heat radiating from it, Joey detected the boardwalk they had come from and forced a section of it to break off. He brought one of the posts forward to hit Colin hard in the back. This time Colin stumbled from the impact, bringing them both to the edge of the pool and leaning forward. In an instant Joey made the post come at them from the front to attempt to stop them both from falling. But the post was only long enough to stop Colin, slamming into his chest like a baseball bat and sending him backward onto the ground. Joey continued forward, headfirst into the pool. The agony of burning skin hit fast and hard, and he imagined himself in a boiling pot. The pain soaked into his entire body like a sponge, then suddenly the pain was gone. There was heat that filled him and pulsed from him as if preventing the boiling water from touching him. He was afraid to open his eyes but sensed where the light of the sun was to know which way was up. Being locked in a room for six years meant he had never learned to swim. He tried to reach up, only his hands making it out of the water. The air outside felt freezing on them, and when he sank deeper in his failure to get his head out, his hands felt the pain of burning again before the heat soaked in and pushed the pain away. I¡¯m gonna die and go to Hell. I¡¯m gonna die in a boiling pot and go to a boiling place. But then he remembered Annabelle¡¯s words. I¡¯m not ready to die. I need you. More than you¡¯ll ever understand. His lungs began to ache and he fought the urge to take a breath. An attempt for a schematic in search of an object for help brought nothing but solid rock wall all around him. And water. Water. It wasn¡¯t an object, but there was no better time to test it out than now. He used his last bit of energy to thrust his arms downward, imagining himself pushing all the water below him down with such force that the pressure would send him upward. Around him it felt like every molecule of water was obeying his orders, flowing down to the bottom of the pool in a wave that sent a vertical rush from directly below him that carried him up and out of the pool. The freezing blast he had felt on his hands now enveloped his entire body. The geyser sent him nearly five feet in the air and forward until he collapsed in a heap on the ground beside the pool. He heard a few distant screams between his coughs. Slowly he pushed himself to his feet, trembling from the scare and surprise of being alive. He looked up toward the boardwalk. Colin had rejoined the other boys who all stood at the broken section of railing. One of them kept saying, ¡°Oh God, oh God,¡± while the others shook in fear. Sam was beside them, then jumped down and slowly approached Joey. ¡°Are¡­are you all right?¡± he asked, unable to hide his terror. Joey looked down at himself, his clothes clinging to him, his wet hair dripping down his face. Heat still pulsed from his skin, which looked slightly red but otherwise unscathed. Sam took a few more steps closer, studying the boy that had just flew himself out of a pool that should have killed him. He reached a tentative hand out and touched Joey¡¯s arm, recoiling immediately in pain and examining his hand for burns. ¡°Maybe we should get you to a hospital,¡± he said. Joey finally met the musician¡¯s gaze. He looked deep inside the man¡¯s mind searching for his true motive. There was concern fighting against the most intense fear. A belief that God was protecting him while in the close proximity of a demon. And a hope that the hospital would evaluate him for more than just physical injuries. ¡°No,¡± Joey said. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He looked up at Colin and saw a mind mixed with horror and relief that he had been rescued by the very thing he was trying to get rid of. ¡°And so is he,¡± Joey continued, nodding toward Colin. ¡°Thanks to me. Tell me what kind of demon saves the life of his attempted murderer?¡± Chapter 12: Lucifers Idea Annabelle was grateful for the return to camp. The guide voice had spoken to her on the hike with a group of girls, telling her to go back, to go to a place called Crested Pool, but just as she had tried to explain to the group why they should go back quickly, the voice told her to stop. No hurry. Camp. Safe. Reaching the cabin area, Annabelle looked around for signs of Joey or anyone in his group but saw none of them. She did see Sam speaking nervously to some of the other chaperones who all looked at him in awe and shock. Joey had been with him. Something had happened. And when Sam turned to see her and approached, she braced herself for what she didn¡¯t want to hear. ¡°Annabelle,¡± he said, his voice shaky. ¡°I need to talk to you about Joey.¡± Swallowing a sigh and attempting to bury her concern, she said, ¡°Okay. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Well, he and his group were with me today on our walk and¡­there was an incident.¡± Annabelle could not hide her emotions this time. She sighed, covered her face and said, ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°There was an argument between him and another boy while I wasn¡¯t looking. That argument made its way toward one of the hot springs and¡ª¡± ¡°Oh God, no, he didn¡¯t. Please tell me he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°He fell in.¡± This was not the response Annabelle was expecting. To confirm she asked, ¡°Joey fell in?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Annabelle studied his face. One of his campers had just fallen into a deadly hot spring and, though he appeared terrified, it wasn¡¯t the kind of fear she expected to see from someone who had possibly just witnessed a terrible accident. Something people usually died from. But I¡¯m still here, so he¡¯s not dead. ¡°Is he hurt? Is he at the hospital?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s here, and surprisingly perfectly fine.¡± Now she sighed with relief. ¡°Thank God. Can I see him?¡± ¡°I need to talk to you about him. There¡¯s something¡­well, did you know he has some¡­abilities?¡± Annabelle knew there was no right answer, but felt defensive nonetheless. ¡°He¡¯s a special boy. And as long as no one is hurt, it doesn¡¯t matter what he can do.¡± ¡°No one is hurt, but what happened today¡­he should have died. He was underwater for so long, even if he could swim he should have died from burns. He did something to get out and he¡¯s not hurt at all. He did some other things too, before that, and with everything all together, the other kids are scared. Joey isn¡¯t special. He¡ªhe¡¯s dangerous and we¡¯re asking you to leave.¡± ¡°What?¡± Annabelle stared at him, appalled at the accusation of Joey being dangerous. ¡°You said no one was hurt. Joey is not dangerous and would never hurt anyone.¡± ¡°If you had seen what occurred today, you would change your mind. The other kids are scared and I can¡¯t risk their safety. And if Pastor Colmyre isn¡¯t aware of what he¡¯s capable of, he should be. Joey needs divine intervention.¡± ¡°I am certain I would not change my mind. Let me speak to him right now.¡± Annabelle was directed toward the cabin where Joey had been told to remain. He was alone inside, and Annabelle¡¯s heart broke at the sight of him sitting on a bed, head in his hands, his clothes still damp. ¡°Joey?¡± Instead of the relief that she normally saw when she came to him, she saw pain in a deep sigh and a hiding face. She sat beside him and looked at his arms. Indeed there were no burns, no blemishes, no redness of any kind. She put her hand on his arm, expecting heat, but he felt normal. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry for what? Did you hurt someone?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s there to be sorry for?¡± After a little more coaxing, Annabelle listened to his story of how a simple mention of heavy metal had turned them all against him, and in his self-defense he had inadvertently shown his mind-reading ability. When he said Colin had tried to kill him, Annabelle stopped him. ¡°Did you just say he tried to kill you? He threw you into the pool?¡± Joey nodded. Annabelle glared at the cabin door, vowing to chastise Sam for leaving out that important detail. ¡°I tried to save myself,¡± Joey continued, still covering his face. ¡°I broke the fence and made it hit him, but it was too hard and he almost fell with me. So I made it hit him the other way so he wouldn¡¯t fall in. And they still think I¡¯m a demon.¡± As Joey cried into his hands, Annabelle squeezed him in a hug as she fumed. As much as she hated that he had shown his powers, she vowed to stand up for him. ¡°Never mind them,¡± she said. ¡°There are too many closed-minded fools in our circle, it seems. You saved a life today, even if that person was trying to take yours. You really take the book of Matthew to heart, don¡¯t you? And that verse you told Grandpa and Grandma, ¡®For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.¡¯ Do you see now what a wonderful heart you have? You follow Jesus better than any of these people, demon or not. You used your powers to help someone. Maybe that is your purpose.¡± Joey shook his head. ¡°How can it be if everyone hates me, or is scared of me?¡± ¡°We just have to find the right people to accept you. Obviously the people here are not the right ones. I¡¯m sorry I brought you here. I thought it would help. Instead, someone tries to kill you.¡± She looked down at him and his uninjured body. ¡°How did you survive that? Those pools are nearly two hundred degrees.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Something happened, like my body used the heat instead of getting damaged. Maybe it¡¯s a demon thing, surviving hot water and stuff.¡± Annabelle hid her curious expression. It made sense, but she didn¡¯t want to accept it. ¡°Well, whatever it was, it¡¯s a good feature to have, I guess.¡± When Joey said nothing, she sighed. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m going to talk to Sam about what happened. It¡¯s not fair that nothing¡¯s being done about someone trying to kill you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Yes it does. Stay here, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Annabelle stepped out, her anger flaring as she searched for Sam. Finding him talking to his bandmates, she approached. ¡°You failed to mention that the reason Joey went near the pool was because someone tried to kill him.¡± The group stood silent, Sam shifting his feet. ¡°He thought he was doing the right¡ª¡± ¡°No. You know who did the right thing? Joey. Even though someone was about to kill him, he spared that boy¡¯s life. And no one is grateful? Just because the way he did it was shocking to you? You call yourselves Christians, yet you show no love or caring for someone who¡¯s different from you. You should be ashamed. And if that boy isn¡¯t punished, I¡¯ll make sure the police do it for you. I don¡¯t suppose you want that sort of exposure, do you?¡± Annabelle prayed that would work. She didn¡¯t want exposure for Joey either, but if it came to that, she¡¯d have to. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Sam said. ¡°Joey should be commended for showing forgiveness in such a situation. And Colin did attempt to do something that God forbids. Even if Joey is¡­well, I guess your father wouldn¡¯t want this to get out either.¡± ¡°Certainly not. Will you punish that kid? Kick him out too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you. And don¡¯t worry, we will be leaving as well. And perhaps we can all agree that none of this ever happened.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Annabelle returned to the cabin to find Joey had not moved. ¡°Now that that¡¯s taken care of, we¡¯re going to spend the rest of this trip in a hotel pretending we are still here and nothing is wrong. We will tell Grandpa and Grandma that you had a good time and you¡¯re going to be as good as an angel from now on so they believe it. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± * * * When Malphas appeared before Lucifer once again, his feathers were ruffled and he bounced on the edge of a chair. Lucifer sat back in a black leather chair across from him, his feet on a wide stone desk. He tossed a black rock between his hands and stared at the newcomer, expressionless. ¡°My lord,¡± Malphas said. ¡°I have some big news.¡± ¡°You found Buriel.¡± ¡°No, not exactly.¡± Lucifer stopped tossing the rock and glared. ¡°Then why are you here all flustered like that? I told you I don¡¯t want to see your face unless you find the bastard.¡± ¡°Yes, I know, and the Soul Reachers have been providing us with occasional leads, but Buriel is too fast, he¡¯s gone without a trace by the time my legions arrive.¡± Tossing the rock again, Lucifer said, ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing that excuse.¡± ¡°Me too, my lord, but we just aren¡¯t getting enough leads. Maybe the Soul Reachers aren¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Doing their job? They are, it¡¯s just become very clear that some are better at it than others. There¡¯s at least one that has caught many the others have missed. I am confident we are finding all of Buriel¡¯s victims that land in our realm.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not enough. If there were more, we could spread out faster.¡± ¡°Buriel is both highly intelligent and a fool. He knows how to limit his powers to remain hidden from your view, but is stupid enough to kill whomever he feels like, which means most of his victims are going the other direction.¡± Malphas shifted some more. ¡°Perhaps if we still had our external servants out there as normal, Buriel would have better choices.¡± Lucifer sat up and smashed his rock on the table, cracking it slightly. ¡°Are you questioning my decisions?¡± ¡°No, certainly not, my lord. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± ¡°You obviously still don¡¯t understand. No matter how much we track our servants, I do not trust them to not disobey my orders and side with Buriel. Can you imagine what will happen if he creates his own legions? He will eventually destroy humanity, which will make him stronger than me, which is probably exactly what he wants.¡± ¡°Perhaps we should attack humanity first then? Since Buriel seems to just be playing around for the last fifteen years.¡± Lucifer stood and threw his rock at Malphas, who dove out of the way just in time. ¡°If I didn¡¯t need you, I swear I¡¯d send you to torment. Destroying humanity is not my goal. Stealing them is what I want, and for fuck¡¯s sake you should know that by now. If you dare question my choices or suggest I should do something different, I will put you in a pit of lava. For a while, because I need you.¡± Lucifer sighed. ¡°Why the hell are you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about the cambion, my lord.¡± Lucifer stared. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening.¡± Malphas bounced as if relieved to finally tell his news. ¡°There was a large burst of demonic activity earlier today. Really big. Almost as big as when Buriel was summoned, but it was not a summoning. It was the use of demonic powers.¡± ¡°And what makes you think it¡¯s the cambion and not Buriel? Isn¡¯t the boy still young?¡± ¡°He¡¯s nearly fifteen, my lord. It seems he has discovered his powers and¡­he¡¯s quite strong. At first I thought it was Buriel, especially since it took place far from the cambion¡¯s birthplace, but when I sent a full legion there as crows, they discovered evidence that it was likely the boy.¡± Lucifer leaned forward on the stone desk. ¡°Tell me this evidence and it better be good.¡± ¡°There were a lot of teenagers present at the location, a campsite of sorts. Lots of trees, good for spying. Everyone seemed a little uncomfortable, but were quiet about it, as if it was forbidden to speak of something. It made it very difficult for my servants to hear details of the demonic event other than someone fell into a pool and lived. And something about flying objects. Anyway, interestingly they were able to hear well when the adults started preaching.¡± ¡°Preaching like¡­religious preaching?¡± ¡°Yes, precisely.¡± Lucifer stood straight, his eyebrows raised. ¡°The cambion is targeting Christians?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not convinced of that. There appear to be no deaths, and the boy is definitely not there anymore.¡± The glare returned. ¡°He¡¯s gone? Did he go back to his birthplace?¡± ¡°There hasn¡¯t been any further activity, so I can¡¯t track him.¡± ¡°Great. So now we have two potential world dominators on Earth. Just great. And if they meet each other¡­¡± ¡°Earth is fucked.¡± ¡°Indeed. But wait, if the boy was with Christians, did something massively demonic that killed no one, and disappeared with no uproar from said Christians, why was he there?¡± ¡°I do have a hypothesis about that, my lord.¡± Malphas hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Well, this camp thing or whatever it was had a lot of music at it. A band playing, kind of heavier music, not something I would expect from Christians, but the world evolves, I suppose. Anyway, the teenagers had great interest and enjoyment, like it was a concert of sorts. Since they had a microphone, my servants were able to hear quite well, and the singer said, ¡®As we have learned today, it is important to stay away from the music of the devil. In the wrong ears, it is dangerous. It is tempting to many. Do not let it tempt you.¡¯ I think it has something to do with the cambion. Music of the devil sounds fitting.¡± Lucifer smiled and chuckled, putting his hands behind his back and looking out his window to the lava falls. ¡°Just like his father. Tempted by music. It¡¯s the only thing I liked about Buriel, he had great taste. And any time Amdusias brings out a new collection of instruments, who always showed up to steal them?¡± ¡°It has been pretty quiet around here without Buriel all these years.¡± Pacing around, looking from the floor to the window and back, Lucifer remained silent. He bit his lip in deep thought. After a couple of minutes, Malphas finally said, ¡°My lord? Do you have orders? Do we keep waiting?¡± ¡°He was tempted by music,¡± Lucifer said as if not hearing. ¡°He didn¡¯t care about it being Christians. It was the music. Then he did something and hid. And others are hiding it. Perhaps they know.¡± Lucifer stopped pacing and faced the window, silent for another minute before turning to Malphas. ¡°Tell Beelzebub to gather the Great Kings immediately. I have a plan.¡± Chapter 13: The Assignment Jack had become numb to his endless job. He felt robotic, but if he let his emotions fall away to ease the non-stop headaches, the auras around the incoming humans faded and the fear of more punishment brought him back. He hadn¡¯t been punished at all in what he was certain had been years since his first catch, but he also had not been rewarded further. And the fact that so much time had passed meant that Buriel had yet to be found despite the victims they had discovered. Just as he was starting to slip into his robotic, emotionless state for the billionth time, Gasyaxe burst in and shouted, ¡°Halt! Stop everything immediately.¡± For a moment, Jack thought perhaps Buriel had finally been located and everything would be back to normal. But there was no elation in Gasyaxe¡¯s expression. It was frustration, annoyance. Every servant and human went silent, watching him. Gasyaxe sighed before speaking again. ¡°On Lucifer¡¯s orders, all Soul Reachers are to return to their houses and the entrance line will return to its original state. I¡¯m happy I¡¯ll have my smooth process once again, but the Dark Lord has no interest in how much of a pain in the ass that is.¡± Gasyaxe approached Jack and spoke quietly. ¡°You¡¯re to go with them.¡± He nodded to two guards waiting near the transportation seal. ¡°Beelzebub wants you.¡± Jack blinked. Those were words he never imagined hearing. ¡°Do you know why?¡± ¡°Do you think they actually tell me anything? I follow orders just like you. Only difference is I get a fancy title and a castle.¡± As the knight walked off to begin rearranging his entrance lines, Jack approached the guards waiting for him. They stood side by side, each in nicely pressed pants and vests and a spear in one hand; they were clearly some of Beelzebub¡¯s top guards. They said nothing to him as they took him by the arms, stood in the middle of the seal, and pulled him through a vacuum without having to touch any of the seal pillars. Lucifer¡¯s castle was in the center of Hell, and only appointed guards had the ability to travel to and from there. Anyone else had to be escorted. The castle was more massive than Paimon¡¯s, Amenadiel¡¯s, and Andromalius¡¯s castles combined three fold. Jack thought it was a bit overkill as it only housed two demons, but one did not simply question the needs and desires of the topmost rulers of the realm. The guards continued to hold his arms at his sides as if to prevent him from running away. Jack tried to swallow his fear as thoughts of trying to figure out why he was there flew through his mind. Was he being punished? He had been unable to count the years that had passed, but had all of that counted for nothing because he hadn¡¯t found enough victims? He didn¡¯t dare entertain the thought that Buriel had been found and he was to be rewarded. Inside the castle was a wide, round room with large openings to hallways on each side. In the center was another transportation seal with two pillars with sigils on them. On the right was Beelzebub, on the left was one he so rarely saw that he almost didn¡¯t recognize it. The upside down triangle had an extended bottom tip that curled over a V and was crossed with an X. No doubt it was the sigil of Lucifer, and no doubt few people had the privilege of using it. One of Jack¡¯s escorts handed his spear to the other and placed his hand on Beelzebub¡¯s sigil, bringing all three of them up to the next floor. The hall they appeared in seemed to stretch for miles both ways. The guards, both with their spears once again, led Jack toward the giant gold doors that loomed in front of them. The doors had the sigil of the Dark Lord¡¯s second in command and were flanked by more guards who opened the doors for them. Jack could hardly hold back a gasp. He had never seen Beelzebub in person, only hearing rumors of what the Lord of the Flies looked like. He sat on a throne, one leg crossed over the other, a leg shaped like a human¡¯s other than black, scaley skin that showed from under his red velvet robe. His equally scaley human-shaped arms ended in hands with long fingers and additional spikes that stuck out from his wrists and knuckles. His torso was that of a fly, the ribbed abdomen of the insect sticking out from where a human¡¯s stomach would be, and a fly¡¯s thorax making up the chest. His shoulders were ordained with silver ropes that also hung over his massive translucent wings that were folded up neatly behind him. But his head was the most shocking, both sides made up of giant eyes, his nose and mouth coming together like a pipe flanked by sharp pincers. His antennae were very short in the center of his head. ¡°Stop staring, Soul Reacher,¡± came the hoarse voice from an invisible mouth. ¡°Be respectful and kneel with your fellow servants here. You should know that by now.¡± Jack was nudged forward and it was only then that he saw three other demon servants kneeling there. The one he knelt directly next to was Miles, and Jack couldn¡¯t hold back a gasp and smile. Miles didn¡¯t return it, but his eyes shone with happiness. ¡°Wipe that smile off your face before I do it for you,¡± Beelzebub growled. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t even give a warning, but I don¡¯t have time to wait for Os¨¦ to fix you. Lucifer has an urgent assignment for all of you, a quest if you will. It is utterly ridiculous, the most outrageous thing the Dark Lord has ever devised. But when he has his mind set on something, not even I can convince him otherwise. ¡°What I am about to tell you is confidential. If you tell anyone who is not part of the plan, you will be punished. For nearly a week, Lucifer has been working with the Great Kings, asking them to find the four best candidates for this quest. You are the results.¡± Jack looked at Miles again, then past him at the other two servants who looked at him equally as curious. They were both dressed identically to him, though the shorts of the one directly next to Miles seemed a little less dingy. He had short, spiky brown hair and a goatee, his curious look laced with disdain. The farthest demon had long blond hair and appeared much younger than any of them. Beelzebub pointed at the latter. ¡°This is 1301 from the 33rd legion of President Zagan in the north.¡± He pointed at the other stranger. ¡°This is 0192 from the 5th legion of Great King Asmoday in the south.¡± When 0192 held his chin high, Jack could take a guess where the disdain toward him was stemming from. Gesturing to Miles, Beelzebub said, ¡°This is 0497 in the 8th legion of Duke Valefor in the east. And this is 197 from the first legion of Earl Andromalius in the west. The Soul Reacher who will be leading the rest of you on this mission.¡± Those last words repeated in Jack¡¯s mind. Leading the rest of you on this mission. It was one thing to lead Miles in stealing human souls, but it was something else entirely to lead a team to do something even bigger, likely something to do with Buriel. ¡°As you know,¡± Beelzebub continued, ¡°it has been a long time since Prince Buriel escaped, and despite all efforts he remains at large. However, there is a new threat. I think the Dark Lord has been in denial for fifteen years about how this would eventually escalate as it has, but he doesn¡¯t always listen to reason. Buriel copulated with a human, who somehow survived long enough to birth a cambion.¡± 0192 gasped while the others simply stared. Jack had never heard of such a thing, but it sounded bad. ¡°This cambion, this boy, is powerful in ways we are not entirely sure of, but he presents a great threat to the Dark Lord¡¯s eternal goals, and there is concern that he might discover his father and we¡¯ll have quite the mess on Earth. Unfortunately he is just as sneaky as his father and can¡¯t be easily tracked. And it seems he hasn¡¯t had any victims yet. But Lucifer feels he can be easily baited and trapped. Which is where you come in.¡± Jack held his breath, expecting to be told he would need to fight a war against a vicious serpent demon that could destroy him with the flick of his tail. ¡°Supposedly, the cambion is tempted by music, so Lucifer wants¡­¡± Beelzebub sighed, shaking his insect head as he rested it on one clawed hand. ¡°He wants the four of you to go to Earth as a heavy metal band.¡± Miles audibly laughed while Jack raised one eyebrow, 0192 stared at Beelzebub in disgust, and 1301 looked excited. Beelzebub swiftly reached for a sword that was propped against his throne and pointed it at Miles, a quick flash of light shooting forward into his gut, silencing him as he doubled over. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Though I agree it is ridiculous and laughable, you will not show disrespectful amusement at your Dark Lord. Understood?¡± Miles nodded, holding his stomach. ¡°Lucifer has also worked with many of the other leaders to begin putting things in place for your success. This will take time. The cambion is still young and has likely not discovered all of his powers just yet. Since you obviously have no experience in writing and performing music, you will be given those abilities and knowledge by Duke Amdusias. There are many things that must take place for this preposterous plan to work, and while those details are being sorted out, your focus is to become musicians. You will go to Amdusias immediately and he will give you further details.¡± Raising his hand, 0192 said, ¡°Sir, if I may¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said earlier that the Soul Reacher is leading this mission. I¡¯m wondering if perhaps someone of a higher¡±¡ªhe looked at Jack¡ª¡°house stature should be leading this.¡± ¡°Said by a true servant of Asmoday. The high intelligence your leader gifted you will allow you to advise only. Contrary to popular belief, Soul Reachers are of higher status than you.¡± ¡°But he works for an earl. King Asmoday has Soul Reachers, all the kings do.¡± ¡°And one of your house¡¯s Soul Reachers failed to catch one of Buriel¡¯s victims, but this one found it. He may work for an earl, but he¡¯s more powerful than you three combined. Besides, you all work for Lucifer now.¡± Part of Jack was offended by 0192¡¯s remarks, but he also felt nothing like a leader. He raised his hand. ¡°What now, you?¡± Beelzebub shouted. ¡°I¡ªI think he¡¯s actually got a good point, I¡¯m not much of a leader and¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Beelzebub grabbed his sword and leaned forward on his throne. ¡°If any of you dare to argue with the Dark Lord¡¯s plans further, I¡¯ll have your heads cut off and thrown in fire. Understood?¡± They all nodded. Jack wondered if such punishment would be better than what he was being asked to do, but it was likely he would still have to do it after a beheading. The four demons stood and were led from the castle and to the seal. Duke Amdusias resided on the west side of Hell, a place Jack knew 0192 in particular despised. Though all of the other regions looked down upon the west, anyone in the entire hierarchy under Great King Asmoday had great disdain for the region Jack called home. Many of the other rulers in other hierarchies hated them in return, annoyed by their boasting of having incredible intelligence of various subjects. The more he thought about it, the more Jack wondered if working with 0192 might be the worst part of the whole mission. The castle they arrived at was not much different on the outside than others, but the inside was adorned with various musical instruments, from harps to violins to guitars to pianos and more. Soft music played, much easier to endure than that in Paimon¡¯s castle. The guards led them to an office at the top of a set of wide stairs where they were greeted by a black unicorn. Amdusias was sitting at a desk as a human would, his hind legs below the desk, his forelegs bending at human-like elbows but ending in hooves as he leaned over a piece of parchment. His skin was shiny and soft like a stallion, his black mane with silver highlights flowing over one shoulder, and his black horn glittered in the firelight. His head was no different than a horse, forcing him to tilt it so at least one of his eyes could read the parchment. When the four demons knelt in front of his desk, Amdusias said in a gruff voice, ¡°Never mind that, stand. I don¡¯t care about all that kneeling shit around here.¡± It felt strange to stand before a ruler, especially since it made Jack taller than the seated duke. Amdusias looked up from his parchment and eyed each of the four demons in turn. ¡°Not what I expected.¡± He pointed at 1301. ¡°Only you look the part, but you¡¯re all the chosen ones so who am I to argue.¡± Wrinkling his nose, 0192 said, ¡°Do we all need to have long hair?¡± ¡°No, Lucifer says he wants you to look the same as always. I suggested a change in look if needed but he declined. You and you¡±¡ªhe pointed to 0192 and Jack¡ª¡°at least have some scruff on your face, it¡¯ll do.¡± Jack rubbed his cheek, the same level of stubble he¡¯d always had, never having to shave and it never grew more. ¡°Anyway, you all have Earth names, which Lucifer also wants you to keep. While you¡¯re with me I¡¯ll allow you to use them. I¡¯m not one for rules if you haven¡¯t noticed.¡± With his hoof he motioned for a pen to come to him from one side of the desk and it hovered in front of it as he went to his parchment again. ¡°Jack Harper, who¡¯s that?¡± Jack raised his hand. ¡°You¡¯re gonna sing and play guitar. Double duty. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be easy once I¡¯m done with you.¡± The mental image of himself singing and playing a guitar seemed like the craziest thing he¡¯d ever imagined. Amdusias had the pen put a checkmark on the parchment. ¡°Miles Fischer. You¡¯re playing keyboards.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Miles asked. ¡°Have you never seen Buriel¡¯s gang tormenting around? A couple of his dukes play them. Makes different tones and shit. It¡¯s a thing in certain genres of metal and Lucifer wants that.¡± Amdusias studied Miles while putting a checkmark. ¡°You look the part, too.¡± Miles raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack as if wanting reassurance. His clean-cut black hair and clean-shaven face made him look more like an office worker than a heavy metal musician. Jack shrugged. ¡°Will I still wear my glasses?¡± Miles asked. Amdusias looked up and studied Miles¡¯s face again. ¡°You wear glasses on Earth? Why the fuck do you wear glasses?¡± Miles shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t actually need them. It¡¯s just for show, I guess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯ll add some spice to the vibe Lucifer wants. I might insist he let you grow a little stubble or get messy hair like these other two.¡± Jack ran his fingers through his black hair that indeed did stick up in random places that refused to lay flat. ¡°Moving on,¡± Amdusias continued. ¡°Dorian Demaio, you¡¯re playing bass.¡± 0192 raised his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry smarty pants, people will actually highly commend your talent. Don¡¯t let it feed your ego too much, though.¡± Dorian shuffled his feet at the comment, trying to stand tall but clearly offended. ¡°And Cameron Sunderland, you¡¯re on drums. And writing the lyrics. Must have a way with words or something.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± 1301 said, a little half smile appearing. ¡°I get to write lyrics? Lucifer¡¯s gonna let me do that?¡± ¡°Crazy, right? Well, you work for Zagan so I guess I¡¯m not surprised. Smarty pants with wit. But Lucifer¡¯s got specific requirements, so don¡¯t get too excited.¡± Cameron grinned regardless, Dorian rolling his eyes. With all the names checked off, Amdusias sent the pen down and leaned back in his leather chair, front legs crossed over his chest. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. In short, I give you powers, you go write songs according to certain guidelines, and if Lucifer likes it, off you go. Now, I¡¯m sure you all remember having your memories removed when you first became external servants, correct?¡± Jack remembered it very well, the earliest memory he now had. It had been like Andromalius¡¯s analyses, the feeling of having his brain pushed through a sieve, but for hours and much deeper. Duke Dantalion of the south was in charge of the procedure, relishing in the extreme pain each new recruit endured. It was considered the external servant¡¯s only truly cruel punishment for whatever they had done on Earth, not only because of the agony, but because they no longer knew of anything that happened prior to that event. Jack had felt so empty inside, like his head had been cleaned out of everything except basic things like speech, reading, writing, and general knowledge of the workings of Earth. He had grown used to it, only occasionally wondering what had brought him there in the first place. ¡°Well,¡± Amdusias continued, ¡°what I¡¯m going to do to you is basically like that, just backwards. Putting stuff in instead of taking out. Same beautiful, extensive agony, but pretty cool results.¡± A smile appeared on the duke¡¯s face, an odd sight on a unicorn. Jack looked at his comrades. They all shared the same look of dread that he felt. Amdusias stood from his desk and walked toward his door on his hind legs. ¡°Come, then, let¡¯s get this party started.¡± Servants took each of the soon-to-be musicians to separate rooms on the first floor of the castle. Jack was instructed to lay on his back on a slab of stone that stood waist high in the middle of the room. One of the two servants present placed a hand on Jack¡¯s chest, and after a quick flash that shot throughout his body, his limbs went limp and he could no longer move them. He didn¡¯t remember this part of the procedure, being paralyzed yet still able to feel. The door to the room opened and closed, but Jack could not move his head to look. Amdusias appeared in his view, smiling. ¡°Normally my servants would begin the procedure, but since you¡¯re supposed to receive extra special abilities, I get to do it myself. I¡¯d tell you to just think about how great you¡¯ll be afterwards, but you¡¯ll be in too much pain during this to think about anything. Trust me, it will be worth it.¡± Amdusias placed a hoof on Jack¡¯s head, closed his eyes, and in an instant his head filled with agony, like a spear had pierced his forehead and exploded into a million spikes that spread through every nerve in his brain and pulsed with endless fire. The pain was the same as he remembered, but instead of the feeling of his brain being vacuumed, it felt like the fire in the nerves was filling his head, increasing the pressure to a point where he was certain his skull would explode. He saw nothing but darkness and heard nothing but his own screams until little split-second visions and sounds popped up occasionally. Hands holding a guitar, likely his own. A sheet of music. A microphone accompanied by a quick sound of a male singing voice. A stage under lights. A crowd of people and a flash of cheering. A picture of four men, likely him and his new bandmates. Hands playing the guitar, speeding along the frets. But he could not focus on any of it. The pain wiped away any attempt at free thought. For hours he endured it. Hours of darkness and flashes of what he was gaining. Then, as suddenly as it began, the pain stopped and only black silence remained. Chapter 14: New Skills Jack was awoken by a kick to the side. ¡°No rest for the wicked,¡± came Amdusias¡¯s voice. ¡°You got songs to write.¡± Opening his eyes, Jack slowly became aware that he was on the stone floor of a cell, large enough to stand in. He could move again, but with dull pain still bouncing around in his head he had no motivation to do so. Amdusias instructed his servants to lift Jack to his feet. Jack stumbled from his weakness, but after a few steps he was able to walk on his own. He was led to another room at the far end of a hall just as Miles was being taken there too. Jack noticed his friend shared in his weariness, but also noticed he had a very light shadow of stubble around his mouth and along his jaw line, and his hair was just slightly longer with a few strands dangling over his forehead. Inside the empty room, Dorian and Cameron were already there. Dorian was sitting against the wall, limp and staring at nothing while Cameron lay face down on the floor, his head resting on his arms. ¡°All right you bunch of babies,¡± Amdusias boomed, ¡°time to get to work. Get up and listen to me. I¡¯m gonna tell you what Lucifer wants you to do.¡± Dorian and Cameron slowly got to their feet, and all four of the new musicians stood wearily before the duke. Amdusias pulled a roll of parchment from inside his black velvet jacket and unrolled it. ¡°Listen up. These are the rules Lucifer has given for you to follow. One, he wants melodies. So not just heavy riffs, okay? But not happy, cheesy shit. Heavy and melodic, you¡¯ll figure it out. Two, guitar solos and keyboard solos in every song. Duel like you¡¯re knights or something. Three, all songs must be longer than five minutes. Anything less is boring, and I agree. There¡¯s a timer over there to help you. Four, no screaming or growling vocals. Melodic only. Not like opera shit, but nice melodies, all right? It¡¯ll come naturally for you now. Five, no religious or satanic lyrics. I thought that was weird, but the Dark Lord always has his reasons. He wants it kind of cryptic though, something that could tempt someone vulnerable to ¡®the power of music.¡¯ Those are his literal words here. You¡¯re tempting someone or something in particular, so do that but not too obvious. You work for Zagan, you¡¯re already a natural. Each of you still has your regular powers, obviously, since that¡¯s kind of the reason you¡¯ve been chosen. You just got extra stuff now.¡± Amdusias rolled up the parchment. ¡°Right then, I¡¯ll leave this with you in case you need a reminder. You have two weeks to write seven songs minimum. No sleeping or eating, you¡¯re all like the Soul Reacher here, don¡¯t need all that anymore, for now anyway. You will not leave this room at any time. My servants will check on you occasionally. If you don¡¯t have seven amazing songs by the time I come back in two weeks, well, Lucifer¡¯s gonna be pissed and I don¡¯t think you want to find out what he¡¯ll do to you. Got it? Questions?¡± Jack stared at the duke. It didn¡¯t matter how much information had been stuffed into his brain, he still felt like he had no idea what he was doing. Cameron spoke what he was thinking. ¡°Are you sure you put the right powers in our heads? Like, I don¡¯t feel like I can play the drums.¡± Amdusias laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. As soon as you have drumsticks in your hands, it will be like flipping a switch. Here.¡± With a wave of his hoof, drumsticks appeared in Cameron¡¯s hands, and with another wave, a huge drum set popped up behind him. The new drummer¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the sticks. He immediately started twirling one of them between his fingers. ¡°This is awesome!¡± he said, running behind his new instrument and proceeding to play a complicated yet methodical blasting of various drums and cymbals in front of him. Jack, Miles, and Dorian stared, gaping. ¡°Here,¡± Amdusias said, waving at Dorian and creating a six-string bass guitar that hung in front of him by a strap. ¡°Follow a beat with him, but have fun with it.¡± Dorian¡¯s expression showed no interest in having fun, instead looking down at his new instrument in shock. ¡°Let¡¯s go, dude,¡± Cameron said. ¡°Follow me. Play something crazy. People are gonna love you, remember? Guy like you should be excited about that.¡± With a snarl, Dorian took a breath and listened to Cameron¡¯s complicated beat, then began lacing some notes over it. He, too, played complicated lines improvised into a melodic baritone riff. No amplifier was needed, as the music seemed to blast straight out of the instrument. He raised his eyebrows as he looked down at his hands, then stopped, a tiny smile appearing. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve been doing this for years.¡± ¡°You have the skills of a highly trained musician with at least a decade of experience,¡± Amdusias said. ¡°To feel that way means the procedure worked perfectly. Now you.¡± He made a keyboard appear on a stand behind Miles. ¡°Play that.¡± Miles stood behind his new instrument and placed his right hand in a chord position as if he¡¯d done it before. The keys made a piano¡¯s sound, and Miles began to fly along the black and white plastic keys with perfection. ¡°Holy shit, this is fun,¡± he said, grinning. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Experiment with the other sounds on there, mix it up, be creative. Last but not least is you, Soul Reacher.¡± A guitar was suddenly in Jack¡¯s hands, hanging from a strap just like Dorian¡¯s. It was just like the vision flash he¡¯d had earlier. A pick appeared in his right hand, his left hand naturally formed a chord, and he strummed the six strings. The distorted sound radiated from his instrument, and he tried more chords that came to him, knowing the names of each one, knowing which ones to put together to match the right key. Then he moved his hand farther up the guitar¡¯s neck and played a string of notes so fast, his right hand plucking along at the same speed, jumping between the strings with ease. It all felt so easy even though it looked incredibly difficult. He stopped, staring at his hands. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°Now sing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said sing, fool.¡± ¡°Sing what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, make something up. Need to test it out.¡± Jack pointed at Cameron. ¡°Isn¡¯t he supposed to write the words? I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Just sing some random words, damnit! Who cares?¡± Jack thought a moment, drawing on the improvisation he had just used on his guitar. He played some power chords and sang, ¡°I¡¯m in a band now, and I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Miles and Cameron laughed, the drummer playing a rimshot. Dorian snorted but couldn¡¯t hide his slight amusement. While they laughed at his words, Jack couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how clear his voice had been, how the notes he sang had come out so naturally, and sounded pleasant. Very pleasant. ¡°And there you have it,¡± Amdusias said, his horse teeth showing in his grin. ¡°Do all of that but together. Seven songs, two weeks, see ya later. I think you¡¯ll be great.¡± The stone door shut as the duke left and the four musicians were left in silence. Miles finally broke it. ¡°So, raise your hand if you know how to write a song.¡± No one moved. ¡°Cool, so I guess it¡¯ll be torment for us in two weeks.¡± He bent down and picked up the parchment Amdusias had left, unrolling it. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to be able to play an instrument, but something entirely different to be a band, you know? Five-minute songs? How are we gonna do all this?¡± Dorian stepped forward and took the parchment, and Jack looked over his shoulder. ¡°Guidelines for Beautiful Apocalypse,¡± Dorian read. ¡°Is that our band name or something?¡± ¡°Sounds cool,¡± Cameron said. ¡°Demons, apocalypse, it fits.¡± ¡°Do none of you still realize how stupid this is?¡± Dorian held up the parchment. ¡°How is this supposed to help us catch a demon? How is it that no one like Malphas or whoever can find it? A heavy metal band. Seriously?¡± ¡°Beelzebub said it¡¯s a cambion,¡± Jack said. ¡°What is that anyway?¡± Dorian turned and looked at him, brow furrowed. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Of course you don¡¯t, you¡¯re from the west.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Cameron said. ¡°Enlighten us, genius.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯m stuck with idiots. A cambion is a creature that¡¯s a cross between a demon and a human. It¡¯s a mythical creature because it¡¯s literally impossible for that to happen. A true cambion requires an incubus at the very least, if not a succubus too, but there haven¡¯t been any of those in centuries and Buriel is not one of those. I don¡¯t even think he has the right¡­parts, if you know what I mean, unless he has a human form he can morph into on demand, which I don¡¯t think he does. Regardless, even if he did somehow copulate with some human, she would have died almost instantly. They¡¯re probably calling it a cambion because they don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°Buriel does have a human form,¡± Jack said. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent the last fourteen years finding people he¡¯s killed, and they all say he and Merosiel and Drusiel are humans.¡± Before Dorian could respond, Miles said, ¡°But of course you wouldn¡¯t know that, you¡¯ve been too busy kissing Asmoday¡¯s ass.¡± While Cameron laughed into his snare drum and Jack bit his lip to hide a smile, Dorian scowled at Miles. ¡°I suppose because your house is under Great King Beleth, you think you¡¯re the badass of the group. The evil one? The killer?¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯s Jack¡¯s job. I make his targets do evil shit and then he kills them. What¡¯s your power? Making people smart or pissing them off with your obnoxious ego until they kill themselves?¡± Cameron stood and walked around his drums to stand between them. ¡°Guys, guys, listen. Just because Dorian is a dick and Miles is a smartass doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t try to get along for this mission. Maybe it¡¯s a dumb mission, but it¡¯s fun, and don¡¯t deny you actually enjoy having an extra power. We all saw your smile, Dorian. Just think about it: we¡¯ll get to go back to Earth finally, get to do something that no one else gets to do. Amdusias said we¡¯re ¡®the chosen ones,¡¯ and I don¡¯t know why we were chosen above everyone else, but we were and we should be proud of that. And Dorian, we all work for Lucifer now, remember? Same playing field for all of us. Use your intelligence to help us succeed at this instead of making us all hate you. We all bring something to this, so let¡¯s take advantage of that. It¡¯s probably gonna take all of us to take down this beast, so let¡¯s start by writing some songs.¡± Jack stared silently at Cameron along with the others. He had underestimated the new drummer, who looked and acted like an immature young man but spoke wisely at the perfect time. He didn¡¯t know anything about President Zagan, but at least according to Amdusias, it gave Cameron a way with words. Perhaps his purpose was to hold them together. ¡°Well said.¡± Jack finally broke the silence. ¡°Words we should all listen to.¡± He looked at both Dorian and Miles. ¡°All of us.¡± Miles nodded at Cameron. ¡°I¡¯m with you. Is that your superpower? Wise words?¡± ¡°Something like that,¡± Cameron said. ¡°That¡¯s what Zagan¡¯s mostly about. Wisdom, wittiness, make things out of other things. I¡¯d show you that but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m allowed to in here.¡± ¡°Try it. Make something.¡± ¡°Dude, we¡¯re supposed to be writing songs, not playing around.¡± ¡°Can you turn something into a song? Because that would really help.¡± Cameron chuckled. ¡°Only tangible things, man. But for real, we gotta focus.¡± Jack pointed at him. ¡°You should be the leader of all this, not me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who kills people, so that¡¯s probably why you lead. But I¡¯ll definitely help. As we all should.¡± Chapter 15: Performing for Lucifer Cameron explained his idea of each of them working individually to come up with various ideas, then putting them all together. Jack sat in one corner and figured out how to turn down the volume on his guitar so he wouldn¡¯t disturb the others. He tried the improvisation again, and as things came to his mind he tried lacing them together. There were places in his mind that he knew had never been filled with anything before, but now they held the knowledge of song structure, theory, and ability to create something from nothing. He tuned out Dorian and Miles, who were doing the same thing, but Cameron wasn¡¯t creating anything. He sat behind his drums, listening to everyone, then got up and went to each one, listening intently. Eventually he started playing invisible drums, as if he could see each individual piece of his drum set before him anywhere in the room. After sitting next to Jack for awhile, creating whatever beat he had in his head, Cameron stopped, looked at Miles and back at Jack. ¡°Hold up!¡± He pointed at Miles. ¡°That thing you just played, it would go perfect after what Jack just wrote. Like, put them together.¡± They turned up the volume on their instruments and Jack played the riff and melody he had just made up. Then Miles played his right after. They did it again, this time with Cameron doing his part on his real drums, and almost immediately Jack felt some connection with the drummer, a string or a rope or a pipeline as if what he was playing was channeling to him. Cameron seemed to feel it, looking at Jack in surprise as he played. When Miles joined in, he too looked at Jack as if the connection flowed to him as well. Dorian stood there, looking back and forth between everyone, his expression one of someone calculating a complicated algebraic equation. Then he jumped in, and soon they all overlapped and filled the gaps until it was one cohesive unit. Though Jack¡¯s hands weren¡¯t glowing, they may as well have been as what felt like his soul-reaching power was driving his hands and sending it through sound to each of the others, who in turn sent it to each other like an electric grid where everyone was connected. And when he sang, even more of that power spilled out and filled the room until Jack thought the stone walls might cave in. The section of riffs they had just put together came to an end and the power drained from them all like the pipes had been emptied. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, then Cameron jumped to his feet. ¡°Dude, you guys, we just wrote a song! Did you feel that? I thought my brain was gonna blow up. I love this new power.¡± They continued this process non-stop for days, eventually getting frustrated whenever a servant came to check on them. They were provided with stone stools, which Cameron already had, and soon Cameron requested parchment and a pen to write. ¡°Words are coming to me like crazy. It¡¯s so weird. I gotta write them down, keep playing.¡± The four demons talked very little, only occasionally discussing the creation of their songs. Dorian did often interject to express how his ideas were more sophisticated and therefore should be followed more than the others, but Cameron put him in his place when he overstepped his boundaries. But the bassist¡¯s ideas were often right, and their music took a more technical turn, rapidly switching between odd time signatures within the same song. And as the songs progressed into solid pieces of music, Jack began to feel it so strongly within him. Strong enough that it seemed like his emotions flowed out of his hands and into what was heard. His solos came so naturally, and as he ¡°dueled¡± with Miles, the strange connection he sometimes felt when working with him on Earth seemed to strengthen. He was sure Miles felt it too. And when Cameron had finished the lyrics and explained his ideas for each song, Jack found it perfectly natural to sing them. He sang them without the music first, surprised that he was able to sing in tune without it, then attempted to play at the same time. His brain seemed to split itself as if giving one portion the guitar duties and another the singing. It did require some effort and focus, but putting his two new powers together, mixed with what he was sure was some part of his Soul Reacher abilities, was a form of euphoric excitement he didn¡¯t know was possible. But as much passion as he had for what they had written, he couldn¡¯t help thinking about what their supreme leader would think of it. Was it heavy enough? The songs were long enough, and certainly not cheesy, but were they too technical? Cameron¡¯s lyrics seemed to fit the requirements, but would Lucifer agree? And if he didn¡¯t like it¡­inevitable punishment was not as upsetting as having to rewrite what they had all put so much of themselves into. He finally expressed his concern to the others. ¡°What if he hates it? What if we¡¯ve failed before we¡¯ve even actually begun this whole mission?¡± ¡°We got this, man,¡± Cameron said. ¡°This all came natural to us. We gel. Musically at least. We¡¯ll work on not hating each other later. Lucifer loves music, he¡¯s pretty eclectic I think. I just hope he thinks my lyrics are tempting enough.¡± ¡°I know all about temptation,¡± Miles said. ¡°You nailed it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in getting beheaded or thrown in a lava pit,¡± Dorian said, crossing his arms over his bass. ¡°So we better be sure this is right. Maybe it needs more work. I have ideas¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Cameron and Miles said in unison. ¡°I swear, if I get tortured over this dumb thing¡ª¡± ¡°Stop denying you love it,¡± Miles said. Cameron stepped forward and put a hand on Dorian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you see how your regular gift has impacted what you¡¯re doing now? It¡¯s intelligent creativity. It works. Fuck the Dark Lord if he hates it.¡± Both Jack and Dorian gasped. Jack expected the door to fly open and servants burst in to drag Cameron away to some terrible torment. But nothing happened. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Dorian whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t say things like that. Does your wisdom not cover common sense?¡± ¡°Even I don¡¯t say things like that down here,¡± Miles said. ¡°I save my smack talk for Earth.¡± ¡°Even that¡¯s dangerous. Just when I thought maybe I wasn¡¯t surrounded by fools¡­¡± The door opened and everyone went silent. Jack began to tremble, certain that Cameron was caught. In walked Amdusias, looking at each of them in turn. ¡°Well?¡± he said. ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Jack asked. It hadn¡¯t felt like two weeks already. ¡°Yep. I¡¯d ask you to play it for me first, but Lucifer wants you immediately. Hope it¡¯s good shit.¡± With a wave of his hoof all the instruments disappeared. ¡°Off we go, then.¡± Led by Amdusias and flanked by guards, the four demons made their way across seals until finally reaching the one for Lucifer¡¯s domain and in front of the two seals within the castle. ¡°Hold on to each other,¡± Amdusias said, and Jack took hold of the duke¡¯s smooth black leg in one hand and Miles¡¯s arm in the other. Instantly they were in the most ominous-looking hall, the flame lights very dim, the walls made of black stone, and lines of statues depicting angels being torn apart or tortured in violent ways. Amdusias saw them all gaping at the statues and said, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s got a bit of a grudge, as you can see. Imaginative guy. If he likes your music, you won¡¯t end up like that.¡± The duke chuckled. There were various closed-off rooms along the hall, which ended at black doors ordained by what appeared to be real bloody skulls posed in the position of a scream. Jack didn¡¯t dare ask for clarification and imagined he might end up as a decoration if all their work failed. Inside was a massive throne room, and pacing in front of the throne with hands behind his back was no doubt Lucifer. As Jack had only ever seen him as a giant, smoky apparition during announcements, seeing him in real life was surprising. He was the same size as an average human, walked like a person, and when he stopped and turned to face his guests, his glare was intense but not monstrous as Jack had imagined. The large, black, feathered wings shone in the firelight that was only slightly brighter than the hallway. His pants and vest were black, the latter open to show a muscular bare chest and showcased equally muscular arms. His long black hair reached the middle of his chest, and his expressionless face was adorned with thick stubble. Though the horns on his head were short, they were thick and incredibly sharp at the tips. The four demon servants dropped to their knees and bowed with their hands on the floor. Amdusias bowed but remained standing. ¡°Here you are, my Lord,¡± the duke announced proudly. ¡°I can assure you once again I have given them the ability to meet your requests. At your command I¡¯ll give them their instruments and have them play for you.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Lucifer sat on his throne, leaned back slightly, and motioned for the duke to proceed. Amdusias told the demons to stand, and at first they hesitated. They were in the presence of the supreme leader, the Dark Lord, and standing would be disrespectful surely. But slowly they did as directed, and the duke made their instruments appear along with a music stand for the lyric parchments so Jack could read them. Jack¡¯s hands trembled and for a moment he thought for certain he wouldn¡¯t be able to play. He nearly dropped his pick, unable to calm himself. He glanced to his left where Miles stood and saw him shaking as well. On his right was Dorian who had his head held high and wasn¡¯t trembling, but his eyes were closed and he swallowed hard. Jack looked behind him at Cameron, shocked at how calm he was. Cameron pointed to his head, then to Jack¡¯s and back, as if reminding him of their connection. That¡¯s what it would take. The problem was getting started. With a deep breath, Jack nodded at everyone and they began their first song. His hands eventually calmed as the music filled him and flowed to the others just as it had while locked in the cave. He kept his eyes on the lyrics to avoid eye contact with their audience. The musical power flowed intensely and steadily until their song was finished. Jack got the courage to look up at Lucifer, still sitting on his throne with his elbow on the armrest, he chin on his hand. ¡°That was not what I expected.¡± His eyes were on Jack only. Jack¡¯s heart sank and he looked down. All that work, all that immense power was wasted. He waited to hear what their punishment would be. Amdusias cleared his throat, clearly nervous himself. ¡°Well, my Lord, they do have other songs. Perhaps you¡¯d like to hear another.¡± ¡°Yes. Play another.¡± Lucifer¡¯s tone was difficult to read, dark but not angry, but also not pleased either. With another deep breath, Jack led the group through another song, trying to keep the power going. He felt the others pushing it as well, sharing in his desperation to give the Dark Lord what he wanted. At the end of the song, Jack kept his head down but his eyes up just enough to see that Lucifer was now leaning forward with elbows on his knees. Again his gaze was only on Jack and there was clear curiosity there. ¡°Well, my Lord?¡± Amdusias said, clicking his front hooves together nervously. ¡°What did you think of that?¡± But Lucifer ignored the duke. He stood and slowly approached Jack, his curiosity remaining in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re the Soul Reacher, yes?¡± Jack nodded, looking down. The Dark Lord was only a foot away from him, standing half a head taller. He expected something terrible to happen, a hand squeezing his throat to flatten it perhaps, or hot fingers poking out his eyes, or a blast of flames to come out of nowhere and roast him alive. ¡°Look at me.¡± He wants me to watch him torture me. Their eyes met. Lucifer did not move or speak. No attack came. There was something interesting about the supreme leader¡¯s eyes. Jack wondered how many demons had been allowed to stand close enough to see them for more than a second. They were no different from a human¡¯s other than the irises being a dark gray that Jack didn¡¯t think was a typical eye color. Typical for a supreme demon perhaps. They were like pools, like something he could jump into. So he did with his mind just as he would a human, just as he tried with Miles, and there was a spark just like with Miles, a flash of sorts but dark. Terrifyingly dark. But he wanted to swim deeper. Who else could do such a thing? Then a bigger flash as if he had burst through a wall and reached through. What¡ªhow¡ª And the thoughts became burning darkness as he was pushed out and he gasped. Lucifer had taken a half step back, glaring at Jack in shock. Jack closed his eyes, never wanting to open them again. ¡°How the fuck did you do that?¡± The words were a soft growl. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± After a soft sigh, Lucifer said, ¡°Amdusias, take the instruments away. You four, kneel like you should be.¡± The duke and the demon servants did as told. ¡°My¡ªmy Lord, should I try again with them? I can¡ª¡± ¡°No. You did brilliantly. You¡¯ve earned another day as my favorite duke. This is going to go much better than I expected.¡± Jack stared at the floor. Did this mean he liked the music after all? But he remained still as a statue. ¡°Oh! Oh, that¡¯s great, my Lord. I¡¯m very glad they turned out good for you. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± ¡°No. Go. I need to brief them now.¡± Once the unicorn had left, Jack watched Lucifer¡¯s large black boots pace before him. He didn¡¯t even dare look to either side at his bandmates. ¡°Before I send you to Earth,¡± Lucifer began, ¡°I need you all to understand the amount of power you have. When the Great Kings selected you, I was confident that their choices were good. I don¡¯t think anyone realized exactly how good.¡± Jack sensed Dorian shifting beside him, but remained frozen with eyes down. ¡°I had wanted your music to exude some power. To be tempting to our target, obviously. To be just enough to get the cambion close to you to complete your mission. But after what I just heard it¡¯s clear that it is so tempting it will be like dangling a fresh piece of meat in front of a starving dog. That cambion will rush to you quickly. ¡°So, when that happens, your job, Soul Reacher, is very simple. You will take his soul and bring it to me.¡± Jack sat up, but was still afraid to look at Lucifer. There was no way for him to take the soul of a demon, no aura, no connection strong enough to reach in. And now he was expected to take the soul of some incredibly strong creature. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Lucifer continued. ¡°You won¡¯t need an aura. He¡¯ll be easy to spot because he won¡¯t have one. Besides, if what you did a minute ago is any indication, you can do it. This cambion is quite powerful, but not as much as me.¡± It was true. He had connected to the most powerful demon to ever exist, even if the connection wasn¡¯t as strong as with a human. Lucifer broke him from his thoughts. ¡°I want you to try to take his soul.¡± Looking up, Jack saw Lucifer was pointing at Miles and gasped. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to actually take it, you fool. I want you to see how deep you can go with a demon. I want you all to see the power you have at your disposal. Just connect with your mind.¡± Reluctantly, Jack looked into Miles¡¯s eyes. There was a strange emotion there, sort of like fear but tinged with something residual, something left over from their musical connection, like it was still there fading slowly. It allowed him to jump into the pools of his brown eyes as if the door was wide open. There was more than a spark; he was as far into his friend¡¯s mind as he was with any human. What¡¯s happening-doing-what-oh shit-no no no Jack¡¯s hand began to glow, the heat of it filling him like it always did, though it felt weird after not using it for fifteen years. ¡°Fight back, demon!¡± Lucifer shouted. ¡°Use your power, your mind to fight him.¡± The connection constricted yet deepened as if now it flowed both ways. But what came into Jack¡¯s mind was much clearer. We¡¯re friends, you bastard. Don¡¯t kill me. Don¡¯t you care? Don¡¯t you? Put that hand down, asshole! A picture flashed before his mind. A man¡¯s face¡ªperhaps his own but it was so fast he couldn¡¯t tell¡ªthen a loud bang that made his head feel like it had been blown off. Jack pulled away, falling backward, his connection shut down, his hand going back to normal, his head numb. He looked at Miles in disbelief and was met with an equal expression. Lucifer chuckled. ¡°Very good. The Soul Reacher can enter demons as well if the conditions are right. But he is not invincible. Now, do the same to him.¡± The Dark Lord was pointing at Dorian. Despite what had happened with Miles, Jack wasn¡¯t worried about what sort of defense Dorian might have. Asmoday¡¯s demon couldn¡¯t fight back with intelligence alone, which seemed to be his only strength other than an overflowing ego. But when the connection happened, once again through the weak channel that the music had left open, Dorian¡¯s thoughts¡ªyou can¡¯t-no way-nope-can¡¯t¡ªwere followed by little sparks that snaked through the nerves of his brain and collectively sent a sudden flash of white that filled Jack¡¯s body. He screamed and fell over, shaking uncontrollably. He had been electrocuted. Lucifer laughed at this, quite amused as Dorian sat with his hand over his eyes, mouth agape. ¡°I don¡¯t think even Asmoday knew you could do that.¡± He looked at Jack. ¡°Get up, Soul Reacher. When you¡¯re attacked like that, you can¡¯t just lie there. Get up. Last one.¡± Cameron was told to crawl over to Jack, who slowly got back to his knees. He had no idea what to expect after getting a surprise electrocution from someone he had been certain would be harmless. The drummer seemed to not know either. After a deep breath and a sigh, Jack dove once again into the open connection of Cameron¡¯s blue eyes. No idea-what-weird-crazy-oh shit Cameron¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed Jack¡¯s neck. It burned, the heat going through his skin and surrounding his trachea, solidifying it into steel. His ability to breathe disappeared, the connection dropped, and he fell to the floor clutching his neck. He put his hand on what felt like a steel pipe in his neck. ¡°Undo that!¡± Lucifer demanded. ¡°Fix it!¡± The drummer put his hand on Jack¡¯s throat again and the pipe slowly disappeared. Jack gagged and coughed out liquid metall, gasping. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Cameron squeaked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare be sorry,¡± Lucifer said. ¡°That was brilliant. Now, Soul Reacher, you have been weakened by the powers of three demons. All of them could destroy you together if you remain down like that. Where¡¯s the inner strength that demons like you are supposed to have? Your power is natural. Theirs in synthetic. Get up and show me the strength it took to get in my head.¡± Jack wanted nothing more than to collapse and not move for days. If this was what was waiting for him on Earth, he wanted nothing to do with it. But Lucifer shouted at him to get up again. There could be no showing of weakness before the Dark Lord. Indeed, how had he connected to him, someone he¡¯d never even met before? The music did it with his band mates. The music affected demons. That¡¯s it. Without opening his eyes, Jack felt the three channels that were still open, so faded now but still detectable. His own soul had connected to theirs somehow, long term, perhaps permanently. He thought of his guitar, wished he had it, knowing it would renew the power, but just thinking of it and a piece of the song they had just played created enough of a burst that shot through the three channels. All three of the demons groaned and clutched their chests. Jack felt them trying to fight back but he denied every attempt, instead using it to fuel the power building up. Even with his eyes closed he could see his hand was glowing brighter than ever. Lucifer yelled for him to stop, and Jack shut down the connections, his three bandmates collapsing on the floor. ¡°That cambion stands no chance,¡± Lucifer said, his voice hinting at awe. ¡°Not a chance at all.¡± Chapter 16: Return to Earth The demon servants remained silent as they were led back to the west side. Jack was scared to look at his weary companions stumbling around him, not even to see if Dorian was disgusted at their location again. Guilt filled him for hurting them, even though they had hurt him first. He hated Lucifer for making them battle and do harm to each other. They needed to work together, to be a team, but it wouldn¡¯t be a good team if they all feared the leader that had just torn at their souls with his own. To his surprise, they were led into Paimon¡¯s castle. Jack could think of no reason why the Great King of the west would need to be involved before they were sent to Earth, but he did not question it. They were taken to a vast office, the walls adorned with old renaissance-style paintings of well-dressed men and women, some surrounded by piles of gold and jewels, others with commoners bowing to them. At the desk sat a small man dressed in bright steel armor that gleamed in the firelight, though none of it gleamed as much as the jeweled crown atop his head. Before the demon could greet the newcomers, a crocodile waddled from around the side of the desk, making them jump back. ¡°Hello!¡± said the man behind the desk. ¡°I assume you are Lucifer¡¯s chosen ones? My, you all look like you¡¯ve just been rode hard and hung up wet. Is everything all right?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Dorian asked flatly. The demon stood up, grinning. ¡°My name is Caleos. Welcome! I¡¯m very excited for this. I haven¡¯t had an assignment in, well, probably centuries. I get summoned once in a very great while, but an actual assignment given by the Dark Lord himself¡­¡± Caleos closed his eyes and sighed, his grin widening. Jack had heard the name a couple of times in reference to Paimon, but had never seen him nor knew of his role. But Dorian, clearly in a poor mood after the recent events at Lucifer¡¯s castle, asked the question he had been thinking. ¡°So, are you a ruler of some sort? I¡¯ve never heard of you, and I know everyone here.¡± ¡°Not exactly. I¡¯m technically a knight, but Paimon and I are very close so I became his principal servant right here in his castle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a servant?¡± The disdainful tone brought the crocodile closer, the creature lunging and snapping his jaws at Dorian. ¡°Ignatius, that¡¯s enough,¡± Caleos said to his pet. Looking at Dorian he said, ¡°You must be the southerner. Ignatius has a particular distaste for those of your region.¡± While Dorian glared, the others chuckled. ¡°Anyway, grab a chair, have a seat. We have much to discuss.¡± A stack of metal chairs was at the side of the room, and each of the demons took one, settling in front of the desk. Caleos sat in his leather chair and leaned forward on his desk, fingertips together. ¡°My job is fairly straightforward on the surface,¡± Caleos began, ¡°but in these modern times on Earth, which is much different from my more active days centuries ago, it¡¯s a bit more complicated. I¡¯ve sure learned a lot about how things work up there lately. Very fascinating, all this technology.¡± ¡°Get on with it,¡± Dorian said. ¡°I grant fame to those who wish for it.¡± There was silence in the room for a moment. Then Miles spoke. ¡°So you¡¯re gonna make us famous? Instant rockstars?¡± Caleos chuckled. ¡°Not exactly. Technically I could do that, but Lucifer has requested I take a slightly more subtle approach. See, making demons famous can be risky. Granted, the world won¡¯t know you¡¯re demons unless you spill the beans, but if that were to happen, if people did find out you were actual demons and you were world famous, well, you can imagine the sorts of problems that might cause. Not to mention the insufferable torture you¡¯d receive as punishment. So, lips zipped gentlemen. Regardless, what I will be doing once you¡¯ve recorded your music album¡ªdid Duke Amdusias explain that to you?¡± The demons shook their heads. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯ll start at the beginning then. When you step through Gaap¡¯s seal, you¡¯ll find yourself in a house that has been refurbished for you. It¡¯s on the northwest side of a place called Chicago, a city the Soul Reacher and his partner are quite familiar with. It¡¯s sort of close to the cambion¡¯s birthplace, but not too close. Lucifer doesn¡¯t want you knocking on doors to find him. Subtle, remember? Besides, we¡¯re not certain he still lives there. But I digress. In that house will be some fascinating technology. Duke Vapula from the south has spent decades refining his handicraft abilities to include technology, thus he has created everything you need. I¡¯ve been assured that you, southerner, will naturally know how to work it all. The greatness of Asmoday, I assume. ¡°Once you have recorded your album on this technological magic, I will use my abilities to get it into the right hands. Or ears, I should say.¡± Caleos laughed at his own joke. ¡°This is where humans will get involved and things have a chance of getting a bit sticky. Though the cambion will be tempted by your music, he won¡¯t know where to find you. Therefore you will need to travel as musicians do, performing concerts. This will give the cambion the opportunity to come to you, and you can do whatever it is you need to do. However, it takes human intervention for these performances to occur. Which of you is Zagan¡¯s man?¡± Cameron raised his hand. ¡°Great. You¡¯ll be in charge of smooth-talking human executives that will be approaching you very quickly after I¡¯ve sent your music to them and the rest of the world. And who is Valefor¡¯s?¡± ¡°Me,¡± Miles said. ¡°You¡¯re in charge of the humans that will travel with you. Though you all could easily manage your own equipment and sound magically, it would be impossible to do that without humans noticing, so things have to be done the human way. You¡¯ll get in their thoughts and they¡¯ll do whatever you say. I suggested using more demon servants as your crew, but Lucifer denied that. A bit ridiculous if you ask me, but he¡¯ll have me flogged if I voiced my true opinion. So it¡¯s up to the four of you to make this work with all you¡¯ve been provided. Everyone has such confidence in you, so I think this should go well. Questions?¡± The more details Jack heard about their mission, the more terrified he became. So much was being asked of them, just four demons to take on a monster and likely three more after that. But it wasn¡¯t the monster he was the most afraid of. ¡°What if we have problems?¡± Jack asked. ¡°What if something goes wrong? Can we get help somehow?¡± Caleos raised an eyebrow and leaned in further on his desk. ¡°I think the correct answer is, ¡®don¡¯t mess up and you won¡¯t have problems.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s a valid question,¡± Dorian said. ¡°No amount of planning can prepare anyone for what might actually happen. We don¡¯t normally work with humans so openly. Humans are unpredictable and we¡¯re inexperienced.¡± ¡°I think you will find that you have more experience hidden within you than you realize. I do suspect that Lucifer will want regular updates, but I was not made aware of any details. You¡¯ll be meeting with Gaap now, he might know.¡± As the guards led the demons out of the room, Caleos called, ¡°Have fun being rockstars!¡± * * * When they arrived at the checkout area outside the hallway to the seal of Gaap, Jack felt a twinge of excitement. He was close to returning to Earth, and couldn¡¯t wait for the fresh air, the openness. He didn¡¯t even care what season it was. But he was torn from his brief reverie by the sight of Gaap and Lucifer waiting for them. Instinctively they all dropped to their knees. ¡°Get up,¡± Lucifer said. ¡°You can¡¯t go to Earth on your damn knees.¡± They did as told and approached at Gaap¡¯s beckoning. The prince of the east looked as human as could be with shoulder-length bright red hair and large build. In his hand hung four pendants on their silver chains, which he handed to each of them. Jack looked at it; it was the pendant he always wore on Earth. He put it around his neck and held back a smile. It was happening. A taste of freedom was beyond the hallway. ¡°These pendants will not work exactly as they used to,¡± Gaap began. ¡°You cannot come back and forth at will. The seals are still closed off except at my command. The Dark Lord wishes to have weekly updates to start, more often as things progress. I will call the Soul Reacher back to provide that.¡± He looked at Jack. ¡°Your pendant will glow as it normally does in such a situation, so be sure you are in a secluded place when you are called. If there is news or a problem that occurs before your update, you may use the pendant to call me by using the words you normally use. All of you have this ability. This is only in a desperate emergency, and you will not return immediately as I need to open the seal. Lucifer is confident that you are all capable of solving issues together, so do not call unless something terrible is happening.¡± The demon servants nodded. ¡°Oh, Soul Reacher, you¡¯ll need this too.¡± Gaap held out a black velvet bag, reminding Jack of their real reason for going. ¡°Off you go then.¡± Gaap motioned to the hallway. ¡°One more thing,¡± Lucifer said. ¡°Good luck. It¡¯s all up to you now. If you fail, not only will Earth be destroyed and my power subdued, but you will face severe punishment. But if you succeed, you will be greatly rewarded. Now go.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± they said in unison, then turned and walked down the hall. One by one they passed through the portal and Jack was pleased to find himself in Earth clothes consisting of a black T-shirt and black jeans. His companions were similarly dressed in variations of black clothing. ¡°Not used to black,¡± Dorian said, looking down at his black collared shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows. ¡°But this is quite nice after years half naked.¡± The four of them looked at each other, though Jack noticed none of them met his gaze for more than half a second. They put their pendants between thumb and forefinger and said, ¡°Abiego.¡± The familiar vacuum feeling brought them to the interior of a house, just as Caleos had said. Against a long wall just before them was a large soundboard covered in switches and knobs and buttons and two wide computer screens, currently off. To the right was a large, soundproofed room with a drum set inside, and on the left was a smaller one with a giant microphone. They all stared at the setup, then Miles broke the silence. ¡°So, you know how to work all this, Dorian?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this in my life.¡± Cameron was at the window of his drum room, admiring all the microphones strategically placed around it. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be like when we first played. Like, it just came to us, you know? It¡¯ll come to you.¡± Behind them was a staircase, and Jack looked up it curiously. ¡°There¡¯s more to this place,¡± he said, then ascended the stairs. Behind the door at the top was a kitchen and dining table as well as a hallway that led to a living room, bathroom, and two bedrooms. Everything was fully and neatly furnished, though the bedrooms only contained one bed each. ¡°I know we probably don¡¯t need to sleep,¡± Dorian said, ¡°but I am not sharing a bed with any of you.¡± ¡°Who cares if we don¡¯t need to sleep? I¡¯ll lay in one of those all day if I can,¡± Miles said, collapsing on one. Jack went back into the kitchen wanting to explore what he was certain contained items for humans to eat. He didn¡¯t know why he knew that; he¡¯d never been in a human house since he¡¯d become a demon. There was a tall rectangular, metallic machine with doors that he knew was called a refrigerator, though he had no memory of using one. He opened each door, a blast of cold air hitting him, but inside was empty. He then went around the room, opening every drawer and cabinet to find everything empty. No need for food, so none was provided. He sighed softly in disappointment, remembering the strawberry and chocolate. Turning around, he saw the dining table again, this time noticing four neat stacks of items. The first thing that caught his attention was a small, flat, rectangular piece of plastic with his picture on it. He almost didn¡¯t recognize himself as he¡¯d only occasionally seen his own reflection in windows or a mirror in a public bathroom in which he¡¯d had to steal souls on rare occasions if the situation required it. Next to the picture was his name, an address he assumed was to mark the location of their house, and most interestingly, a birthdate: 01/19/1990. He had no idea what year they were currently in, but wished to find out to learn how old he was supposed to be. Below that object lay a small, thin blue book with an emblem of the United States of America on the cover. Inside was another picture of himself and the same information as on the little card. The other pages were blank aside from faint background pictures of buildings and eagles. Next to these were two more items. First a leather object just smaller than his hand, folded three ways and containing pockets, the largest of which had money. Jack had seen plenty of humans steal it as part of their soul-hunting missions, but he had never touched it himself. Rubbing it between his fingers was familiar though, as if he¡¯d done it tons of times, and brought a strange excitement. A feeling of power. Why they would need such a thing for this mission he didn¡¯t know, but if they were to mingle with humans, perhaps it would come in handy. The item that lay under that was another rectangular plastic object, thick with one of the flat sides like glass. No memories of it came to him and there was no writing to indicate what it could be. The other three stacks were identical to his with the exception of the little card depicting each of the other band members. ¡°Come check this stuff out,¡± he called to them. The other three demons joined Jack and inspected their items with great interest. ¡°Birthdate November fourth, 1990,¡± Miles said. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s my human birthdate?¡± ¡°Doubtful,¡± Dorian said. ¡°That would be incredibly stupid considering we¡¯re not supposed to know anything about our human life.¡± He studied his thoughtfully. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s based on our legion number. Mine says 05/01/1988. My legion number starts with 05-01. The year, who knows.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jack said. ¡°Mine matches my number too.¡± He walked up to Miles. ¡°You have the same year as me. That¡¯s cool.¡± Miles nodded, not looking at him. ¡°Is that what I look like now, this picture? Thicker hair and a five-o-clock shadow?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Jack noticed how much Miles was trying to avoid his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s this thing?¡± Cameron was holding up the mystery black rectangle. Dorian frowned then picked up his. Instantly his face lit up. ¡°It¡¯s a phone. Look, push this button and it turns on. Then swipe your finger up and you can use it to make calls or texts or the internet or¡ª¡± ¡°What in the fuck are you saying?¡± Miles asked. ¡°And how do you know this?¡± Dorian shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s like Cameron said. All you gotta do is try and it just comes to you. I know what everything is on here. Look, this is how you make calls. There¡¯s a contact list that has all of you guys in it¡­¡± Dorian droned on about every little feature on the strange device as if he had made it himself. ¡°I think this is how we contact each other if we¡¯re separated. Human technology is actually quite good. Can¡¯t wait to play with all the electronics downstairs.¡± ¡°You know, that electric thing you did earlier makes sense now,¡± Cameron said. ¡°Electronics, technology, it fits right?¡± Jack felt everyone¡¯s tentative gaze toward him, and he hoped Dorian would respond in a way to change the subject or talk about himself, but he remained silent. There was a great deal of emotion filling the room, though he couldn¡¯t determine who it was coming from, like the pipelines that had existed before were broken and spilling all around them. ¡°Listen, guys,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened earlier. I don¡¯t know how I did that. I¡¯ve never been able to do anything like that before, and I hate that I was forced to do it. To hurt you and make you scared of me or hate me or whatever it is you¡¯re feeling because, shit, this room is filled with whatever you¡¯re feeling and it¡¯s intense and I don¡¯t know how or why I feel it, but I do and I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t go into your minds again, I swear. You can look at me safely, I promise. Besides, I don¡¯t want to experience what you did to me again. You got some insane powers. And for fuck¡¯s sake tone down the feelings, I¡¯m drowning in it.¡± It really did feel like the room was filling with invisible water. He wished demons had an aura so he could identify what it all was. Instead all he could do was try to breathe calmly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Dorian asked. He was looking at Jack steadily now. ¡°You can feel emotions in the room? Without looking at us?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s like it¡¯s pouring out of you like pipes that burst. They burst when Lucifer made me attack all of you at once. There were pipes or connections or something that came when we played together, our music, but then it broke and now it¡¯s everywhere.¡± Jack looked at the door to the basement. ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s how to fix it. We play. Come.¡± They all went downstairs and immediately went to their instruments. Jack strummed a chord, and even though he turned the knob on the guitar around both ways, the sound didn¡¯t come out like it had in Hell. Dorian placed his hand on the soundboard and his face lit up again. Instantly he began turning things on and instructing everyone to plug in with cords and put on headphones. Jack could now hear everyone¡¯s instruments through the interesting object that went over his ears, and after some manipulation of the soundboard by the bassist, the group was able to play together. It was strange at first, experiencing the music in a different way, and Jack sang despite not being able to hear himself. But all that mattered was that the connections quickly re-established as the song progressed, even through the wall of Cameron¡¯s soundproof room. The discomfort and fear and distrust that had surrounded him was gone, and he was now filled with excitement, musical passion, and maybe even friendship. Jack knew all he needed to do was keep things as they were and all their powers together would make this crazy mission work. With no need to eat or sleep, and with their renewed drive to make music, the band members began their recording process. They let Dorian take full control, and one by one the band members recorded their parts on the computer. Though each of them got annoyed at the bossiness from their new recording engineer, occasionally arguing with his demand to play a part repeatedly because it wasn¡¯t ¡°perfect,¡± they obliged. There was a reason this genius of a demon had been chosen, and it wasn¡¯t just for his surprise electric attack. As irritated as Jack got for having to play his solos what felt like a hundred times each, he convinced himself it was worth it. Dorian knew exactly what he was doing. Their studio was in the basement of the house, the window wells spilling light before fading to darkness over and over. Jack lost count of how many cycles of day went by; he was too focused on the music to care. They never stopped working, never left the studio, never tired of playing. It was both a disappointment and a relief when they finished. The first step of their quest was nearly complete. Dorian sent the others away, insisting on having peace while he mixed and mastered the music, whatever that meant. Jack and the others went upstairs, Cameron deciding to try out the TV in the living room. Again, Jack had no idea why he knew what the object was called and what it did. As he wandered through the kitchen, pondering going outside for fresh air, he noticed a door in the corner that did not lead outside. Instead it was another staircase, and he ascended it, Miles right behind. At the top was another door that opened to what looked like a mini apartment. There was a tiny kitchen and dining table for two, and two bedrooms attached. ¡°I guess we do each get our own room after all,¡± Miles said. Jack sensed there was something else on his friend¡¯s mind, that it was the real reason he followed. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it¡¯s good to be back, you know? Even if it¡¯s because we have to steal the soul of some demon monster.¡± Jack nodded, hoping for more, afraid to prod. Miles was standing in the tiny kitchen, head down and hands in his pockets. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± Miles¡¯s voice was near a whisper. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°When you¡­you know¡­got in my head that day and I had to fight back, did you see something?¡± Jack hesitated. ¡°Yeah. Did you?¡± Miles nodded. ¡°I saw a face in my head. I didn¡¯t get a good look but I felt like it was you and I was scared. Then it felt like I was pushing something back out at you, an explosion. But the face¡­I don¡¯t think it looked like you. It was really weird.¡± ¡°I saw the same thing.¡± ¡°You did? Was it you we saw? Or did you see me?¡± Jack remembered that brief thought of how it didn¡¯t look like Miles but he felt it was. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And I don¡¯t want to try again to find out.¡± ¡°Me neither. Let¡¯s not tell the others about that. Keep it between us. I¡¯m gonna go try out one of these beds.¡± With a nod Miles went into one of the bedrooms and collapsed on the bed with a sigh. Jack went into the other room, the sunset peeking through the closed curtains. He looked out at a small alleyway between their house and the next, which had faded and cracked brick walls and windows covered with newspaper. He was curious whether their own house looked as decrepit on the outside but would explore it when the sun was up again. Laying down on the bed, Jack sighed. He couldn¡¯t remember ever experiencing such a glorious thing, only the stone cell with the occasional flat pillow less than half the size of the pillows on this bed. It surprised him that they were allowed such a luxury. Wouldn¡¯t Lucifer be worried that they¡¯d go rogue after experiencing what was going to be a rockstar lifestyle? No. They couldn¡¯t go rogue with their pendants on, and they could not be removed in any way. It didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d enjoy it for as long as he could. Even though sleep was not necessary and he wasn¡¯t tired, Jack rolled over and closed his eyes. If anything, lying in bed at night made him feel more human. That¡¯s what humans do. I used to do this. I wish I could remember. Chapter 17: A Taste of Fame ¡°Jack? Are you asleep or are you dead?¡± Miles was shaking Jack awake. How had he fallen asleep? ¡°I¡¯m both dead and asleep,¡± he said, opening his eyes. The room was lit by a light in the corner, and outside was dark. Jack sat up and looked at Miles. ¡°Dorian says he¡¯s done with all that mixing stuff he was doing.¡± ¡°Already? How long was I out for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not used to paying attention to time. Plus, Cameron and I were watching that TV downstairs. It¡¯s addicting. Anyway, Dorian¡¯s as much of a machine as those damn computer things so it¡¯s not surprising he¡¯s done.¡± Jack followed Miles down to the basement to meet Cameron and the grinning Dorian. ¡°Put your headphones on, gentlemen,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Feast your ears on perfection.¡± It was a strange experience to hear the music without playing it himself, and even stranger to hear his own voice without actively singing. It sounded so different than what he heard when singing, but he liked it. Maybe the giant microphone changed his voice or Dorian had done something to it. ¡°Is that how I actually sound?¡± he asked. ¡°Or did you make me sound better or something?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you normally sing,¡± Dorian said. ¡°It¡¯s common biology, Jack. Your voice sounds different to you because when you talk or sing, it echoes in your head. What I hear when I talk is different from¡ª¡± ¡°Whatever, genius,¡± Miles said. ¡°You¡¯re a natural, Jack. Just roll with it.¡± Jack shrugged and they continued listening. He still couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how weird it felt to listen to their creation from the outside. This is what the humans would hear. What the cambion would hear. And they would supposedly like it. Once finished listening, Dorian proudly relished in the praise the others gave him, then insisted they go upstairs because he was tired of staring at a soundboard for days and days. In the kitchen Cameron said, ¡°You know what humans do when they want to celebrate something? Like an accomplishment?¡± ¡°They drink,¡± Dorian said. ¡°A wise man like you should know that¡¯s a bad idea.¡± ¡°Why? Drinks don¡¯t harm demons. Zagan chugs wine all the time. Don¡¯t pretend Asmoday doesn¡¯t get kegs of it for himself.¡± ¡°And how are we going to get drinks?¡± Cameron smiled. ¡°Remember how you wanted to see me make stuff? Watch this.¡± He went to what Jack knew was a cooking device called a stove and ripped off one of the plastic knobs on the front, held it in the palm of his hand and squeezed it. Within seconds it morphed into a plastic cup. He grinned as everyone stared in awe. Then he went to the sink, turned it on, then placed his hand on the spout. The clear water instantly turned red. He placed the cup under it until half full, then drank. Smacking his lips he said, ¡°Who wants some?¡± Each of the other three stove knobs were transformed into cups and filled at the sink under Cameron¡¯s magic touch. They sat around the table and drank. ¡°So, what now?¡± Miles asked. ¡°Caleos said after we record he¡¯d get it out into the world. Does that mean we just sit here and wait? I¡¯m fine sitting here and drinking.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Dorian said. ¡°I don¡¯t feel right just sitting around. We¡¯re on a mission. We should be doing something.¡± Jack felt a pulse of warmth under his shirt. His pendant was glowing. He sat up suddenly, heart pounding. ¡°We¡¯re about to find out, I think,¡± he said. After a few seconds he was in the chamber of Gaap¡¯s seal. Never had he been so nervous to step through the portal. What if Lucifer had wanted them to do more during that time and was unhappy with the progress? What if there was a problem? With a deep breath he stepped through the portal and was back in his servant clothes. Gaap and some guards were waiting. ¡°Everything all right?¡± Gaap asked, his hand out to take the pendant. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Good. The seal is closed until you return. Lucifer is waiting for you.¡± The guards led him to Lucifer¡¯s castle, and Jack kept his head down to avoid the grotesque statues. Inside the throne room, he knelt immediately, only briefly gazing at the supreme leader sitting before him. ¡°Well?¡± Lucifer said. ¡°What news do you have?¡± ¡°We¡­we finished our recording. It¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Excellent. I will have Caleos move forward then. Tell 1901 to pay attention to everything on the telephone device provided. He should know what to do.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Things will move fast now. Don¡¯t get too comfortable. In the meantime, prepare for the concerts you¡¯ll need to perform. It will be here before you know it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Good. Go. There¡¯s work to do.¡± Jack was led back to Gaap, shocked and relieved at how quick the meeting was. He received his pendant back and was off to the seal once more, muttering the command to leave. He found himself back in the kitchen, the others staring at him. ¡°That was fast,¡± Miles said. ¡°Did you talk to Luc?¡± Dorian gasped and stared at Miles. ¡°Calm down,¡± Miles said, then turned to Jack. ¡°Well?¡± Jack sat in his chair once again and told them what Lucifer had said. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s about to happen, but I think we¡¯re doing okay so far.¡± * * * Over the next few days, the band did as the Dark Lord instructed. They practiced their songs over and over, confident they could play them as flawlessly as they sounded on their album. Cameron was glued to his little phone, exploring all the little square things he called apps, telling them all about music streaming and social media and how their band had its own profile on all of them. Cover artwork had been created for them as well: a black and white picture of a forest with the silhouette of a boy running out, entitled From Whence I Came. Cameron excitedly updated them on how many streams there were each day, how many new followers they had, and he was starting to make posts and interact with humans. ¡°They love us,¡± he said one evening. ¡°There¡¯s people from all over the world on here. We¡¯re getting famous and we barely do anything. Caleos knows his shit I guess.¡± ¡°The west does something good for once,¡± Dorian muttered. He was sitting at the dining room table with the television in front of him, currently in various pieces that he studied and organized. Ignoring the insult to his home region, Jack leaned over to look at Cameron¡¯s phone. ¡°What are they saying?¡± ¡°Well, they think you¡¯re some new guitar god or something. A god, ha! How ironic.¡± ¡°Why do they think that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re insanely great at it. Humans think all skills and talents are gifts from God or something. Certainly not a gift from some demonic ruler of Hell, right?¡± Cameron laughed. ¡°We¡¯re a heavy metal band,¡± Dorian said, running a finger along the surface of a green piece of plastic covered in tiny gold zigzags and prongs. ¡°The average human would not think that of us, that ¡®god¡¯ ridiculousness. And by average human I mean those who are not attracted to our music or other bands in this genre. I¡¯m not saying those who like this style of music are satanic or believe in demons or what have you. Despite being non-religious beings, they use the term ¡®god¡¯ loosely to express a type of ¡®worship¡¯ in which they see you as someone with talent so immense that it warrants extreme praise. And not in the ¡®praise God¡¯ sort of way, but¡ª¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Will you shut up?¡± Miles was sitting across from Dorian, leaning back in his chair with arms crossed. Dorian stopped and stared back, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re just upset that I took apart your precious television. Once I¡¯m done studying it, I¡¯ll put it back together. So, as you might say, calm the fuck down.¡± Jack scratched his chin and smirked. Guitar god. The irony amused him, and thinking about the mass of humans that loved him made him feel like he could possibly have more power than Lucifer himself. ¡°Do you think the cambion¡¯s heard it yet?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I have a hard time imagining a vicious demon beast having access to something like digital music.¡± ¡°He is likely in human form,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Or at least has a human form in which he can hide among the general population. As much as I question the sanity of the Dark Lord for this whole plan, I can¡¯t imagine him doing this without knowing the cambion¡¯s chances of hearing us. And I really hate calling him a cambion. It¡¯s just not accurate.¡± ¡°What do we call him then?¡± Miles asked. ¡°What is he really?¡± ¡°I honestly have no idea.¡± ¡°Wow, for once Dorian doesn¡¯t know something.¡± Miles stood and went toward the front door. Jack felt the need to follow and was grateful his friend didn¡¯t tell him to go away. They sat on the front steps of their house, something they often did in the evenings when the summer sun was still high enough for them to enjoy its warmth. The steps were crooked and cracked, but neither cared. Many of the houses on the other side of the street were in better condition than theirs, making them the blemish of the neighborhood. Jack liked thinking about the humans that lived there, going about their lives completely oblivious to the fact they were neighbors with demons. Miles sat silently, staring at the cracked sidewalk. ¡°Is this all because of the TV?¡± ¡°No, but Dorian the dickbag sure isn¡¯t helping things.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± Miles sighed. ¡°Do you miss how things used to be? Our daily business in the city, hunting people. Do you miss stealing souls?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No? You liked being stuck in Hell endlessly hunting through thousands of people for the needle in a haystack for years and years?¡± ¡°No, I hated that too.¡± ¡°You have to admit life on Earth was better before that. Yeah it was work but it was easy work and we were good at it and got rewarded once in a while. You got a fucking strawberry, remember?¡± ¡°But now we get to drink wine whenever we want and sleep in a bed and, you know, we should get some food. We have money.¡± Miles blinked. ¡°So you like it better now?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s like we¡¯re living a good life.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten the real reason we¡¯re here? We¡¯re going into battle with some beast we know nothing about. I know we can¡¯t die but we could get hurt and worst of all fail. Failure is possible and it¡¯s terrifying.¡± Jack looked at Miles, wanting to read his soul like he had before, but chose not to. It was clear enough that the guy who normally had no fear was now overcome by it. ¡°How are you not scared?¡± Miles continued. ¡°You¡¯re the one that has to grab the literal soul of a monster. I know you¡¯re strong, you proved that, but aren¡¯t you worried something will go wrong?¡± ¡°Of course I am. I¡¯m terrified. So much rests on me. But I¡¯m trying not to think about it right now. We¡¯re not there yet. I just want to enjoy what we have right now before it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°I do too. But what scares me about that is how much it¡¯ll hurt once it¡¯s taken away. Even if we succeed, this will all be gone. But maybe that¡¯s part of our eternal torment, getting a taste at human life again before having it taken away.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°Sometimes I think emotional torture is worse than anything. And I don¡¯t think any reward Lucifer can give would be as great as what we have right this moment.¡± * * * Lucifer had been right; things moved very fast. Their music was booming so much that Caleos insisted the band immediately get promotional photos taken and create a music video. It was their first time with in-person human involvement, and Miles did well with controlling them subtly, though he couldn¡¯t help but convince the female photographer to flirt with him a bit. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to tempt anyone in over a decade,¡± was his excuse. ¡°Just let me have a bit of fun.¡± It was so strange to see photos of themselves. Jack found himself staring at them often. They looked so human, so normal. He knew that was the point though, that they had remained in human bodies since their arrival in Hell so they could fit in, but looking at photos, permanent records that the world was seeing, made him see some human qualities inside. The music video was the hardest to comprehend though. Pretending to play and sing in front of cameras while in the middle of a grassy field was weird enough, but to watch the final moving pictures, the quick flashes between each of them performing as well as acting out scenes of escaping darkness and running toward an invisible desire, was the most bizarre experience. Jack felt a little embarrassed watching himself, but it mostly made him nervous. After decades of trying to be hidden, now they were trying to be seen by millions around the world. Then came Cameron¡¯s turn to really shine. He spent countless hours on his phone and on the computer that Dorian reluctantly allowed him to use in order to plot out a tour. He had the invisible force of Caleos behind him though, who made venues across the country suddenly have openings, and the drummer¡¯s quick and witty words convinced promoters to welcome a band that had only been known for barely a month. Their tour would begin in September, they would headline small venues, and the growing number of fans began buying tickets immediately. During one of Jack¡¯s weekly meetings with Lucifer, the Dark Lord had suggested the group go to a concert themselves and witness what they were expected to do. ¡°You need to do it right or you will lose them. And the cambion.¡± A week before they were to hit the road, the group went to a concert at the small venue they planned to play at on their own tour. None of them were used to crowds of humans; their external servitude always required them to remain as hidden as possible. Now they were surrounded, but none of the humans seemed to pay any attention to them. The four of them clustered together, silently choosing a spot toward the back to watch. As they waited for the show to begin, Jack decided to analyze some of the auras around him. Seeing so many at once was overwhelming at first, but once he focused on one at a time he was able to tune out the rest. To his surprise the majority of auras were white or yellow. He had expected a lot of red and green as even he had fallen for the stereotypes of metal fans being bad people in various ways. There were some of those present, but no more than when he would walk down the street any other day. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you at least eighty percent of the people here are guaranteed to go to Heaven as of now?¡± Jack said just loud enough to be heard over the house music. ¡°Not surprising,¡± Dorian said. ¡°It will probably be similar at our shows.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Now that¡¯s irony.¡± The show began and the first of three bands appeared. Jack watched intently as the band members bounced around on stage, banging their heads and whipping their long hair around. He couldn¡¯t imagine himself doing that even if he did have long hair. He looked at Cameron, wondering if he would do that, and found the drummer smiling. Dorian on the other hand appeared to be struggling to hide his distaste. ¡°Not gonna bang your head, Dorian?¡± Miles asked once the band had finished. ¡°It¡¯s the thing to do apparently.¡± ¡°Absolutely not. We are a sophisticated band. I won¡¯t stop you from doing it, but you¡¯ll look like a fool.¡± The second band¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t much different from the first. Jack found himself looking at the audience more, watching their auras morph into a lot more yellow, even the souls that had previously shown a sense of evil or pride. They, too, were banging their heads and putting their hands in the air with forefinger and pinky pointed up. ¡°Is that sign language or something?¡± Jack asked. ¡°A symbol?¡± The others shrugged, then Cameron took out his phone. After a few moments of searching he burst into laughter. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°It¡¯s devil horns!¡± Cameron was doubled over. ¡°They¡¯re fucking making devil horns. People who you say are going to Heaven are doing a devil symbol!¡± ¡°Humans are weird,¡± Jack muttered. ¡°God is weird,¡± Miles said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you think he¡¯d frown upon that sort of thing?¡± ¡°Regardless, it just brings more hilarious irony to our own shows,¡± Dorian said. ¡°People on track for Heaven doing a symbol of Lucifer for a band made up of demons. I think I¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡± After the second band had finished, Jack felt anticipation fill the room. The humans were even more excited, their yellow auras even brighter. He tried to read a little deeper into them, but they were mostly the same generic happiness about what was to come. Then his eyes came upon two male humans looking directly at him while murmuring to each other. As their eyes traveled between his face and that of his companions, their yellow auras soon had a thin inner lining of purple. They¡¯re scared. Do they know we¡¯re demons? They approached but Jack didn¡¯t have enough time to read into their minds before they spoke. ¡°Are you guys Beautiful Apocalypse?¡± one asked. ¡°Sure are,¡± Cameron said, smiling. ¡°You¡¯ve heard our stuff?¡± ¡°Hell yeah. You guys are awesome. Already got tickets to your show next month.¡± Jack was still watching the aura. The purple was fading, the yellow brightening. The man who had spoken turned to him, their eyes meeting. Jack got a speedy glimpse of what was inside. Wow-crazy-insane-wow-Jack-amazing ¡°Love your playing style, man,¡± the fan said, holding out his hand. Jack hesitated for a moment. He had only ever touched a human by tackling them and reaching into their chests to steal their souls. But he knew this was a common human greeting and socialization was now a requirement. He took the outstretched hand and shook it. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. The others received similar compliments and handshakes from both humans and were forced to field questions. No one had prepped them for answering things like ¡°How long have you guys been together?¡± and ¡°Are you all originally from here?¡± and ¡°What other bands are you into?¡± But Cameron seemed to know the answer to everything, not missing a beat with his witty responses. It was clearer than ever that he had been the right choice for the mission. The humans left them alone once the last band started. Jack paid closer attention this time; this band was the star of the show, what they would be, and he needed to study what made the fans glow so much with happy auras. He would need to talk to the crowd, get them fueled up between songs, and he wished Cameron could be the one to talk. But he was the front man, and just like these other bands he needed to do it. And he would have to move around on the stage like he was having fun. Playing music was fun. I can probably do that. Maybe. Chapter 18: From Whence I Came ¡°Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil¡¯s schemes.¡± Joey sat in the living room, arms crossed as he watched the replay of that day¡¯s sermon. He knew where his grandfather would be going with his bombastic rant, and he was tired of being the topic almost every week. ¡°The devil¡¯s schemes that Paul speaks of are the demons that are all around us. On the street, at the store, and even in our homes. Therefore you must put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes¡ªthe day the demons come¡ªyou can stand your ground, stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace and the shield of faith, you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil ones.¡± At that moment, Robert stopped his pacing of the stage and turned to look directly at the camera. He often did this during parts of his sermons to be sure his viewers at home felt included. Joey was also certain he did it knowing his grandson would be watching. ¡°The demons that inhabit the bodies of those around us deserve nothing but death and eternal banishment.¡± Annabelle, who was sitting beside Joey, stirred slightly at that comment. Joey glared into the eyes of his grandfather through the screen. ¡°Let the power of God fuel your hatred of these demons and their evil.¡± Joey glared harder, his mind creating a schematic of the TV¡¯s circuits just as he did with his tablet. ¡°The Bible says ¡®Let those who love the Lord hate evil.¡¯ Do not be afraid to hate! For He guards the lives of his faithful ones from the hands of the wicked, the demons that deserve their death.¡± The circuits within the TV led the glow from Joey¡¯s glare to center around Robert¡¯s head. The screen flickered and within his mind he saw a flash of being in the church standing before the pastor, but it disappeared and a loud grunt of pain and the sound of something ceramic falling and breaking came from the room where his grandfather was. Within moments the man burst into the room. ¡°What in God¡¯s name did you do?¡± he boomed. Joey looked at him innocently. The TV was back to normal as if nothing had happened. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said, hiding his own shock. Robert¡¯s thoughts told him he had seen what Joey had seen. ¡°If you think you can destroy me, you are wrong, and you will pay with your life.¡± Annabelle sat up straight. ¡°Daddy¡ª¡± But Robert left the room without another word. Joey met his aunt¡¯s gaze and read her thoughts. What on earth just happened¡ª ¡°Did you just do something?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Joey looked back at the TV where Robert was once again addressing the congregation. ¡°I got mad and I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± Annabelle sighed. ¡°I know that what he says is cruel to you, and I understand that it hurts. It hurts me too. Maybe just tune out those parts of the sermon rather than let it get to you and you¡­blow up the TV or something.¡± Joey nodded. He didn¡¯t want to ruin a fairly good streak of Robert not trying to kill him. The events of the camping trip had not reached the pastor and he had yet to get caught listening to heavy metal. But the distrust was still there, shown publicly every Sunday. After the sermon was over they went up to Joey¡¯s room for Bible study. He sat on his bed and sighed. It was getting harder to feel passionate about it anymore. ¡°Joey,¡± Annabelle said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. Keep your faith going. Remember all the inspiring verses we¡¯ve read.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to be inspired when someone who supposedly follows the Bible to the letter doesn¡¯t think any positive part of it applies to me. I don¡¯t even want to try anymore. What¡¯s the point?¡± Annabelle put her hand on his arm. ¡°The point is to stay strong despite the struggles. Nothing will show him better than you remaining faithful after all he¡¯s done to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to Hell no matter what I do. Reading the Bible every day and praying and being good isn¡¯t going to change that.¡± Joey felt Annabelle¡¯s grip tighten and her voice became nervous. ¡°Joey, you can¡¯t give up. Please. I need you to stay on this path. I need you to stay good. I know you will be rewarded with eternal life in Heaven. God no doubt sees all the good in you.¡± He listened as she read through Matthew with him, more to please her than anything, the one person who actually cared. He tried to soak in the words as her voice seemed to bring fresh power to them, but he was not nearly as inspired as he used to be. After their lesson, she closed the book and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to head home now. I have work early in the morning, but I¡¯ll see you in a few days, okay?¡± ¡°I hate it when you leave. Why can¡¯t you still live here?¡± ¡°Because commuting for over an hour each way almost every day is not something I want to do. As much as I want to stay with you all the time, as much as I worry about you, I really like my job and it¡¯s better I be closer to it. And that¡¯s why it¡¯s even more important that you stay on the good path. I can¡¯t protect you all the time, as much as I want to.¡± She left him with a hug and kiss on top of his head. Joey got out his tablet, knowing that music was the only way to fill the void of his rock no longer living in the room down the hall. More. There¡¯s more. He hadn¡¯t had the urge to hunt for more music in awhile. The Christian metal bands had been quite sufficient even though he felt the words were no longer strengthening his morale. He would just focus on the music instead, letting it comfort his heart. Now the craving was back. So much more. Hacking into the forbidden music streaming app he broadened his search for heavy metal. Just searching for it felt like committing a huge sin. What if it all was indeed satanic? What if just listening to it made him into a Satan worshipper? It wouldn¡¯t hurt to just try one song. If it had satanic lyrics, he¡¯d stop listening and go back to the clean stuff he could defend. No problem. There was a featured band in his search. Beautiful Apocalypse was listed under top artist and most popular and top albums. He tapped it and looked at the song titles; they all looked harmless, nothing about Satan or demons or evil. The song ¡°From Whence I Came¡± had the most streams so he selected that. His jaw dropped within the first few seconds. It was like nothing he¡¯d ever heard before. The complexity of it was powerful and increased with each passing moment, the alternating time signatures grasping onto his own intelligence. Intelligent music. It flowed through the circuitry of his brain the same way he filled the circuits of his tablet and the TV. Nearly two minutes passed without any vocals and he began to wonder if it was all instrumental. But then the words came and he listened intently. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°For many years I¡¯ve lived in seclusion Hiding from the eyes of the world. It¡¯s time to find those who understand. I know they¡¯re waiting for me.¡± Joey didn¡¯t think that sounded satanic, so he continued listening. ¡°The dark place from whence I came Is not where I want to be. It¡¯s time to find the power within To be what I want to be.¡± The words seemed to be speaking to him. Like they were for him. ¡°I¡¯m invisible now I don¡¯t want to be. I¡¯ll find you. I¡¯m coming.¡± He stared intently at the album cover as he listened to the chorus. The silhouette of a running person looked like a teenager, like it could be him, running, searching for those who understood. As another instrumental stretch began in the unusually long song, he lay back on his bed, closing his eyes and letting his body be completely taken over by it. The guitar solo sent a particularly warm and exciting jolt through him, like the notes were filling his soul with comfort, happiness. There was no evil. He allowed himself to be inspired by it more than any Bible verse could anymore. Even if I¡¯m going to Hell in the end, I can live happy. This is peace. Every song on the album was similar, and when it was over he continued to lay still, his body numb. He stared at the ceiling until the numbness subsided, then the craving for more hit. More of Beautiful Apocalypse. But there were no other albums by them. Then he remembered the internet, the thing Annabelle had used to show him information about the Disciples Rising camp. There was an icon on his tablet that looked exactly like hers and he tapped it. He typed the band¡¯s name in the search bar and received various results. Knowing nothing about how the internet worked or what he was looking at, it was a bit overwhelming, but at the top was a video. It was titled ¡°From Whence I Came,¡± and the small picture showed a man playing guitar. He tapped it and his screen filled with the video. There were four men, all standing with their instruments in a field of ankle-high grass. The entire video was in black and white and consisted mostly of the band members performing their song. He was drawn to each of them, not a single one of them looking the least bit evil or what he might imagine a devil-worshipper to look like. Only the drummer had long hair, but he didn¡¯t feel out of place next to the sophisticated looking bassist and keyboardist. But there was something different about the guitarist and singer. It wasn¡¯t his scruffiness or messy hair, and it wasn¡¯t just his voice or his hands flying along the neck of his guitar. He looked at the camera often. That¡¯s what it was. The connection wasn¡¯t just the music. It was the man himself. Joey¡¯s brain connected to the tablet, deep into the circuits like he¡¯d done with the TV. The power collected around the man¡¯s head, into his eyes, and a flash of standing in the field in front of the musician came and went. He stopped the video and put the tablet down. If he had just done what he¡¯d done to his grandfather, then that man, whoever he was, just saw him too. He felt guilty for doing it, for probably scaring a stranger. Picking up the tablet again he looked at the paused picture of the musician. Tentatively he tried to connect again, but it didn¡¯t work. The video would have to be playing. Closing the video, he went back to the music app. That was safer, just letting that music take him over rather than be tempted to use his powers to connect to someone he didn¡¯t know. But as he listened to the lyrics again, he pondered that decision. ¡°It¡¯s time to find those who understand¡­ I¡¯ll find you I¡¯m coming.¡± Do it. Find him. With a deep breath, Joey went back to the video. Every time the guitarist looked at the camera he tried to connect. Sometimes he got a flash, sometimes it didn¡¯t work. Twice he watched the video in its entirety and he never got more than a second in the man¡¯s presence. With his head now throbbing, he decided to try the next day, and would try every day until he could get it to work. The urge to find him was getting stronger. * * * Jack walked down the middle of their tour bus toward the front, rubbing his eyes. His head buzzed with a mild pain that had become almost constant for the past week. He wondered if the stress of their tour was getting to him. Or maybe there was something hidden in his mind. Being the center of human attention on a daily basis was incredibly awkward. Constantly he felt the need to hide, the need to grasp his pendant to escape, but reminded himself this was what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to be some level of famous. The first time someone asked for his autograph he had frozen. He knew what that was, but he¡¯d never signed his name before, had never even written it in any way, so he had to come up with something on the fly with strange humans staring at him. Pictures with the fans were scariest. Photographic evidence of demons among humans on Earth? Isn¡¯t this a bad thing? But Lucifer was not concerned. He was pleased. So Jack went with it. It had taken a few shows to get used to being on a stage in front of hundreds of people, having to address them. Performing the music was easy, and soon the entire stage performance became so routine that he didn¡¯t mind it so much. He enjoyed watching all the auras become bright yellow as they played, and chuckled at the idea of demons bringing joy to Earth, unbeknownst to the humans. But now, halfway through their tour, the headaches were making it harder to focus. Multiple times a day he¡¯d get flashes of standing in front of someone he¡¯d never seen before, always the same person, always the same place. And it was getting worse. He was afraid to ask Dorian for answers. Even though the demon would likely be able to explain what was happening, he knew getting berated for ignorance wouldn¡¯t help him feel better about it. Instead he went to Miles, who was sitting alone on a bench at the front of the bus and sat beside him. ¡°You know how Amdusias put stuff in our brains? Knowledge and skill?¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°Do you think he put other stuff too? Maybe by accident. Like memories or something.¡± When faced with a skeptical look, Jack explained the flashes he¡¯d been having. ¡°I had weird flashes during the procedure too. Maybe it was memories.¡± Miles shrugged. ¡°I did too, but not anymore. Maybe you got bonus stuff, I don¡¯t know. Ask Dorian.¡± ¡°No.¡± Jack rubbed his aching head. Another flash came, a strong one, almost clear but still too short to see the person clearly enough. ¡°Do you think maybe when we had our memories taken out at the beginning, we saw flashes too? Like them fading away.¡± ¡°Maybe. But all of that is obviously gone now.¡± Miles sat up. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s an old memory you¡¯re seeing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever it is, I wish it would stop.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go lay down.¡± He stood and took a few steps toward his bunk. Before he could get any farther, he felt his brain freeze in time as if something had completely taken it over. Wincing, he closed his eyes, and after a moment of feeling like he was falling, he opened them when he felt his feet firmly on the ground. It was no longer the solid floor of the tour bus. It was soft grass that came to his ankles. But as he looked down he saw he was holding his guitar, strapped around him, and a pick was in his hand. His skin was gray. In fact, everything that should have color was in various shades of gray except his clothes and the guitar itself, which were black as normal. A slight breeze blew past, the scent of grass wafting along. He looked up to analyze his surroundings more but the person standing before him caught his attention instead. A teenage boy in a dark gray T-shirt and pants¡ªperhaps a different color but there was no way to tell¡ªstood still with arms at his sides. Just by the shape, the size, the position Jack knew this was the vision he¡¯d been having all this time. But now he could see the face. The boy stared in awe, mouth slightly agape, eyes wide. Finally he spoke. ¡°I did it,¡± he whispered. ¡°It worked.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Jack asked, staring. Naturally he looked for an aura, but with the black and white shading of the world he saw nothing. It became clear where he was now. There were hills and trees in the distance, the same ones that had surrounded them when filming their music video. He looked behind him and to the sides but his bandmates were not there. The cameras and film crew were not there either. Just him, his guitar, and the strange boy. The boy was trembling now but took a step toward Jack. ¡°Are you real?¡± he asked. ¡°I should ask the same of you,¡± Jack said. He stepped back. ¡°Who the fuck are you and how did you do this to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The boy looked at him sheepishly. ¡°I¡ªI just really like your music and wanted to find you. This is the only way I could.¡± Jack froze. Could this be him? Only a demon could do something like this. Only a demon descendent of Buriel, a master of mind control. Before Jack could come up with a way to find out, the boy spoke.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for me too? You know I¡¯m a demon?¡± How the fuck did he¡ª ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± the boy continued. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s just that your music really speaks to me, and I feel like I needed to contact you somehow. Like you were calling to me. And it¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it. How do you know about me?¡± Jack held his breath. The boy seemed so innocent other than taking over his mind entirely through a music video. His gaze was nervous yet hopeful. Like the faces of the humans that came to their shows and asked for his autograph. Where was the dangerous monster he was supposed to find? ¡°I¡¯m not dangerous,¡± the boy said. ¡°I didn¡¯t connect to you to hurt you. I just know I need to find you. I¡ª¡± The boy suddenly looked to the side and gasped. There was nothing there, but he saw something. ¡°Oh no,¡± he whimpered. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°No! Wait, come back!¡± But the boy disappeared. The pure fear on his face was the last thing he saw before it went dark and he opened his eyes again. This time he was on the floor of the tour bus, lying on his back and looking up at three terrified faces. ¡°Holy shit, Jack, what happened?¡± Miles was shaking. ¡°I found the cambion,¡± Jack said. Chapter 19: A New Home ¡°He¡¯s summoning a demon! He¡¯s summoning a demon!¡± Joey stared at his screaming grandmother. She stood in the door to his room, her face red in horror, her shaking hand pointing at him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t!¡± he said, knowing nothing he could say would fix things now. ¡°You! You monster, you evil creature, how dare you try to bring the devil into this house.¡± Robert appeared at Sandra¡¯s side, out of breath from running up the stairs. ¡°What is going on?¡± ¡°He was talking to a demon through a video! I could hear the devil¡¯s music through his headphones. He was talking about finding someone. He¡¯s trying to bring another demon into our house!¡± ¡°No!¡± Joey said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing that.¡± ¡°What were you doing then, boy?¡± Robert said. ¡°How did you get a music video? Did Annabelle let you have it?¡± ¡°No, no, she doesn¡¯t know. It was all me. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No you¡¯re not!¡± Robert stepped into the room, rage oozing from his glare. ¡°Did you find one of your kind? Try to bring them into a Godly house to take me down?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a demon, I swear.¡± Sandra spoke up, her voice still shaking. ¡°Then why did you talk about being a demon? About finding someone. You knew them and they knew you.¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. He¡¯s just a regular guy, honest. I can¡¯t explain it.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Robert lunged forward, both hands around Joey¡¯s neck. ¡°This is finally the end, you beast. It¡¯s back to Hell for you!¡± Joey didn¡¯t listen to his grandfather¡¯s desperate prayers to have his evil soul banished from this world. As he scratched at the hands gripping him, completely unable to breathe, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be saved this time. Annabelle was not there. She was at work, in the city, far away, unable to reach him in time even if she tried. He writhed and kicked but the grip was like steel tightening around his neck. Maybe God really was channeling through his grandfather this time. Finally giving him the strength to kill. That meant God was okay with killing. Joey was a demon after all. Jesus¡¯s words really did mean nothing. The thought of what awaited him on the other side now filled his mind. The fiery pit of Hell still seemed such a terrifying place. He was not ready to go there. He still needed to meet Jack Harper. More than anything. The schematic of his room came quickly and he latched onto the first throwable object he could see. The lamp on his desk flew through the air and into Robert¡¯s head hard enough to knock him to the floor. With his neck released, Joey collapsed too, gasping loudly. Sandra was screaming, begging God for mercy. Robert got to his hands and knees and picked up the lamp. The shade had come off and the light bulb had broken, the glass sticking out of the end of the long, thin lamp base like the edge of a javelin. When he raised it to thrust at Joey¡¯s chest, a heavy drawer from the dresser flew at high speed into the man¡¯s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He dropped the lamp. Joey stared at his injured grandfather. He hadn¡¯t wanted to hurt him. He knew it only made things worse. Only a demon would throw objects at someone with their mind. And even if he¡¯d had a chance at Heaven, surely it was gone after this. ¡°Get out,¡± Robert growled, struggling to push himself up. ¡°If God will not give me the strength to destroy you today, then I simply want you out of my house.¡± He gasped for air, unable to get farther up than his hands and knees. ¡°Leave. And if I see you again, I will take drastic measures to remove you from this Earth.¡± If strangulation wasn¡¯t drastic enough, Joey didn¡¯t want to know what his grandfather had in mind. He was equally as stunned that after years of being locked in a room he was being told to leave. To be free. He jumped to his feet and ran, ignoring his screaming grandmother as he passed her. Outside the sun was setting. He continued to run having no idea where he was going and not caring. As long as he got as far away from that house as possible, that was all that mattered. * * * ¡°Well hello my dear Miss Annabelle!¡± Annabelle entered the bedroom with a smile, taking the old man¡¯s hand once she reached his bedside. She squeezed his boney, dark-skinned fingers. ¡°How are you feeling today, Mr. Taylor?¡± ¡°Better than I did before you came in.¡± The man¡¯s voice was raspy, his words slow, but his smile was wide. Annabelle put down her duffle bag and took off her jacket. ¡°Tiana says the pain has been worsening.¡± ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle. Sometimes the road to meet the Lord is long and tough, but I know I¡¯ll see him in the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯ll be waiting with open arms.¡± Annabelle took out her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff from her bag, then listened to Mr. Taylor¡¯s shallow breathing and uneven heartbeat. As she noted down all of the vitals in her notebook, she couldn¡¯t help but notice how quickly her patient was declining in comparison to her previous two visits with him. She suppressed a sigh of disappointment then checked the IV pump and lines. He was already on a high dose of morphine, but the occasional random winces of pain told her even that wasn¡¯t enough. As she began her routine of giving her patient a sponge bath, she did her best to smile. All of her patients told her it was her smile that they loved most about her, and she could see in their faces how her simple gesture soothed them. Once Mr. Taylor was clean and redressed, she took her Bible out of her bag and sat beside him. ¡°Miss Annabelle,¡± the old man asked, ¡°may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Of course. Anything.¡± ¡°Have you ever had to care for a patient who didn¡¯t believe?¡± It was an odd question considering the hospice provider she worked for was a Christian-owned business, but she was glad to have an answer. ¡°Yes, I have. A gentleman with colon cancer just like you. His children are very faithful, and even though their father was a strong atheist, they wanted one last chance for him to accept Jesus into his heart before he passed on.¡± ¡°Did he?¡± Annabelle shook her head. ¡°How hard that must have been for his children. For you.¡± ¡°It was. He was cruel to me at first, and I noticed that any time I tried to discuss God his pain increased. He would get so angry. So I stopped. I know that his children wanted me to get him to see the light in addition to my regular nursing duties, but I had to make the choice that was really best for him. I started speaking to him more about the things he was already passionate about, his hobbies that he couldn¡¯t do anymore because of his illness, and he became calm and friendly and respectful toward me. In the end he was a very kind man and I¡¯m proud to say that I helped his last days be filled with peace, no matter where he ended up after he was gone.¡± Mr. Taylor raised his eyebrows. ¡°You don¡¯t feel guilty about letting a man go to Hell in peace? Shouldn¡¯t he have suffered?¡± ¡°No. I took a pledge as a nurse to adhere to a code of ethics, including acting with compassion toward all patients. Besides, that¡¯s what Jesus would have done, isn¡¯t it? Loving even those who didn¡¯t believe in Him?¡± The old man smiled. ¡°You know, Miss Annabelle, you have more of a heart than anyone I know. You¡¯re right. Shame on me for wishing ill on someone like that. Forgive me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± She placed her left hand on the old man¡¯s skinny arm. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Are you not married, Miss Annabelle?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you have a special someone in your life?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Ah, well, whenever Mr. Right comes along, he will be one lucky man. I¡¯d suggest my son, but even if he didn¡¯t live in California, I doubt your father would be approving of a relationship with a black man. No disrespect meant to you, of course.¡± Annabelle smiled, hiding her disappointment that this man was probably right. ¡°Never mind that. If your son is anything like you, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a wonderful person and I¡¯d enjoy meeting him.¡± Mr. Taylor winced again, this time for longer, and he placed his hand on his stomach. Annabelle knew she couldn¡¯t give him any more morphine without the doctor¡¯s approval. For two years now she¡¯d sat at the bedside of her patients knowing she could likely ease their pain or even heal them on her own, but withheld it. There was always that voice that told her no. It was telling her no again right now and she hated it. ¡°Miss Annabelle,¡± Mr. Taylor groaned. ¡°Will you say a prayer with me?¡± Annabelle stood. She held his hand with her left, then under his blanket placed her right hand on his stomach. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± she said softly, and once he did, she prayed aloud. ¡°Lord, please lay your hands of comfort upon this man who holds you dear in his heart¡­¡± No. The guide voice was stern and firm. She continued to pray, one part of her mind focusing on the words while the other part begged whoever was in charge of her powers to please listen. I just want to ease his pain. No. Her hand was not glowing as she was trying to command it to. I don¡¯t have to heal him, just ease the pain. No. She tried to channel deeper, but it was clear she did not have full control over her abilities. Just this one thing. Have mercy. Have peace. The voice continued to argue and Annabelle continued to channel as deep into her soul as she could. Soon it felt like she had some sort of hub within her that she could tap into. It was full and she grabbed some of whatever power was there and pushed it through until she felt her hand tingle. She could see a faint glow through the blanket, felt warmth in her hand, and continued her prayer focusing only on calming the pain. Mr. Taylor soon relaxed, his eyes still closed, a small smile upon his face. ¡°In Jesus¡¯ name, amen,¡± she finished, shutting off the power and removing her hand. The guide voice was silent and she hoped she wouldn¡¯t be in some sort of trouble for ignoring whatever it was. Especially if it was God. With Mr. Taylor calm and on the verge of sleep, Annabelle bid him goodbye as well as his daughter on the way out. Once in her car, the guide voice came back, insistent and determined. Go. The insistence that flowed through her from the word reminded her of that night she almost lost Miranda. Something was wrong with Joey. He was in danger, and she could think of only one person who could be responsible for that. But it was rush hour, and driving to her parents¡¯ house from the southwest side of Chicago would take over an hour. As she got on the road she began to panic. ¡°This is punishment for what I just did, isn¡¯t it,¡± she said aloud. ¡°I¡¯ll never get to Joey in time. How could you do this to me? To him? I¡¯m just trying to help!¡± She drove as fast as she could without speeding too much, and slammed her fist on the wheel and bounced in her seat during the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway. Tears came as time went by, the voice still reminding her to keep going. The insistence did not get stronger, however. It remained the same, and she took this as a sign that she still had a chance. Almost ninety minutes after leaving Mr. Taylor¡¯s apartment, Annabelle pulled into her parents¡¯ driveway and burst in the front door. ¡°Mom! Daddy! Joey!¡± She could hear her mother weeping faintly upstairs, so she ran up them to the long hallway. Joey¡¯s door was closed, but her parents¡¯ bedroom was not. She saw her mother sitting on the bed, wiping her eyes. She stopped at the sight of her daughter. ¡°Annie! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mom? What¡¯s wrong?¡± As Annabelle walked toward the room she saw Sandra¡¯s face become fierce. ¡°Come look at your father. Look at him!¡± In the room her father lay on the other side of the bed, resting on his left side. He was shirtless with icepacks on both his stomach and his head. He lifted them to show the bruises there. ¡°What on Earth?¡± Annabelle gasped. ¡°That demon boy,¡± Sandra growled. ¡°He did this. He attacked.¡± Annabelle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Joey did this? No¡­¡± ¡°Oh yes he did. That vile monster tried to summon another demon with that devil¡¯s music. A video! Did you give him a video?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t give him a video. What are you talking about?¡± Sandra stood, shaking. ¡°He was talking through a video, looking for another demon. I stopped him, thank God.¡± Annabelle looked back down the hall toward Joey¡¯s room. ¡°He¡¯s gone, Annabelle.¡± Looking back at her mother, Annabelle studied her stoic expression that tried to hide the fear. Her breath caught in her throat. She was too late. But she was also still alive. He must also be alive. ¡°Did you hurt him, Daddy?¡± Her voice broke before it got stronger with anger. ¡°Did you try to kill him?¡± ¡°I did try,¡± Robert said. ¡°And I know God was giving me power, but it wasn¡¯t enough. He¡¯s too powerful. But he no longer lives in this house, and he is to never come near us again.¡± Annabelle blinked. ¡°You threw him out? He left?¡± ¡°Yes. As much as I hate setting a demon loose in the world, I can¡¯t have him in my house. I can¡¯t have him associated with me in any way.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s only sixteen! He can¡¯t be thrown out like that.¡± ¡°Too late. And don¡¯t you even dare try to convince me to take him back. I listened to you before about him and I regret that with all my being. That monster is not allowed back in my house.¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t need the guide voice to tell her what needed to be done. ¡°Then relinquish custody to me. I¡¯ll take him.¡± * * * Just as it had on the night Miranda was attacked, the voice led Annabelle turn by turn to the prairie reserve. It was dark now and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if somehow Joey had been drawn to the area where he was conceived. Had he actually tried to summon another demon? His father perhaps? The voice never answered her questions, just pointed her in the direction of where he was. To her relief, he was not farther than the picnic area by the parking lot. She saw a silhouette hunched over a picnic table, head buried in his arms. ¡°Joey?¡± she called, and he sat up. The initial bright look immediately turned dark and he buried his face again. Annabelle sat on the bench beside him and put an arm around him. ¡°I need you to tell me what happened.¡± Joey shook his head. ¡°Please. I don¡¯t want to believe what Grandpa and Grandma said about you trying to summon a demon through a video. I want to know the truth.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be upset.¡± ¡°Did you try to summon a demon?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Okay then. Tell me what happened.¡± Joey sat up slightly, but kept his elbows on the table and head down. ¡°I discovered a new band. A secular metal band.¡± Annabelle¡¯s heart sank and she closed her eyes and sighed. He was getting off the good path. ¡°They aren¡¯t satanic,¡± Joey continued, now looking at her and clearly having read her last thought. ¡°I promise you they aren¡¯t. If they were I wouldn¡¯t listen. Please believe me.¡± After a pause, Annabelle said, ¡°We can talk about that later. You can show them to me. But I want to know about this talking through a video thing.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡­I wasn¡¯t talking through a video. I was just¡­talking to myself. The music really speaks to me, it¡¯s really powerful and I feel like¡­it¡¯s like they know me. And since I don¡¯t have anyone to talk to¡­¡± Annabelle hesitated. She didn¡¯t want to believe her mother over Joey. And the incident with the TV the week prior still stuck in her mind. ¡°Joey,¡± she said softly, ¡°you can be honest with me. I will always listen and I will never judge.¡± Their eyes met and Annabelle made sure her thoughts conveyed her words. Without wavering his gaze, Joey said, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I promise.¡± She nodded, though deep down she was still skeptical. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. They kicked me out.¡± ¡°I meant my home. You¡¯re coming home with me.¡± Joey¡¯s eyes widened and a smile slowly appeared. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re too young to be out on your own like this. Besides, it¡¯s obvious you need to be close to me.¡± They stood from the bench and walked toward the car. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Joey asked. ¡°I just did. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get to you sooner. I tried.¡± Joey smiled. ¡°You really are my guardian angel, aren¡¯t you.¡± * * * Once settled in Annabelle¡¯s second floor apartment on the north side of the city, hanging the few clothes she¡¯d grabbed from the house in a spare closet and preparing some blankets on the couch, she pulled out Joey¡¯s tablet and handed it to him. ¡°I want you to show me that band. That video.¡± As Joey pulled up the website he had found it on, he said, ¡°They¡¯re called Beautiful Apocalypse. Their music is different from anything I¡¯ve ever heard. Really complex. Fascinating.¡± He pressed play on the video. It was nothing like she expected. It wasn¡¯t even like the other bands he had played for her. To her musically untrained ear it at first sounded like a mess of notes, no regular beat to it, but then it evened out. During the long stretch of music before any singing began she studied the band members. They, too, were not what she expected. Short hair on three of them? Scruffy still, but not drastically unkempt or mean looking. When the singing began there was a closeup of the singer and guitar player and Annabelle found her breath caught in her throat. He was strikingly handsome, somehow far superior to any of the clean-cut gentlemen she found attractive in church. When Joey snickered, she glared at him, feeling her face redden in embarrassment. When he began singing she listened to his words. She tried hard to find some sort of devilish message in it, even something subtle or subliminal. She couldn¡¯t. ¡°Okay,¡± she said once the song was over. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not bad. I¡¯d rather you not listen to secular music like this, I mean this heavy metal stuff. But I know I can¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, Annie. I promise you. Honestly, I don¡¯t really want to listen to anything besides this band. And all of their songs are like this. I won¡¯t listen to anything satanic. I swear.¡± Annabelle couldn¡¯t help but hesitate to trust him, but his pleading eyes that never left hers and the lack of a guide voice to tell her otherwise made her consent. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t make me regret this. Please.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Thank you.¡± Joey put the tablet down and hugged her tight. She reciprocated, resting her head against his. A weight lifted from her, something she hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d had. He was safe with her now, the only danger being his apparent fall into temptation. That might be the hardest battle of all. Chapter 20: Making Plans ¡°Start talking, Soul Reacher.¡± Lucifer sat on his throne, one leg over an arm rest as he leaned against his arm on the other. He stared ahead with slight irritation. ¡°I do come with news, my lord,¡± Jack said, kneeling before him. ¡°Good news. The cambion contacted me.¡± Lucifer raised his eyebrows and sat up. ¡°He contacted you? How? Where is he?¡± ¡°Through our music video. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but he obviously inherited Buriel¡¯s ability of mind control. He got in my head somehow. I could talk to him and see him.¡± Standing slowly, Lucifer took a step forward. ¡°Where is he? What did he say?¡± Jack knew that was the end of the good news and hesitated to continue. ¡°Well¡­something interrupted him and the connection broke before he would answer my questions.¡± When Lucifer tensed, Jack began to tremble. ¡°But at least I saw what he looks like, so if I see him in person¡ª¡± ¡°What does he look like? What was he like? Does he seem like he¡¯ll be difficult?¡± ¡°Well he looks just like a regular kid. A little shorter than me, dark hair and eyes, young face. Seemed curious, a little nervous maybe. But he said our music really speaks to him. I think the plan is working, my lord, we just need a bit more time. He¡¯s coming.¡± Lucifer smiled, then chuckled softly. ¡°They told me I was crazy. That my plan was ridiculous and would never work. This is excellent. You¡¯ve done well, Soul Reacher, as have your companions. Carry on with your tour. We will just have to wait for him to contact you again or come to you. Now go. Off with you.¡± Jack stood and bowed. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± Soon he was once again in the back of the tour bus, and hurried out to update the others. ¡°Well?¡± Dorian asked. ¡°What did he say? Is he pleased?¡± ¡°Yeah. Really happy. He says let¡¯s just wait for him to contact me again. Says we¡¯re doing a good job. I think we got this.¡± Over the next two days Jack waited for the boy to connect again, and worried when he didn¡¯t. Maybe he was afraid to, that he thought Jack was angry for him controlling his mind. But he didn¡¯t want to believe that. This was a demon attracted by the music. Nothing should keep him away. Right? He was onstage in Kansas City in the middle of a solo when the blast to his mind came. Squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head, he tried to push it away. Not now. It released, but only for a few seconds, coming again like a fist trying to grab his brain. Not now! He imagined himself putting up a shield, and as he sang the last part of the song he could hear his voice was not as strong, all of his mental energy going to blocking a demon takeover in front of hundreds of people. When the song finally ended, the crowd was cheering but not as loudly as before. Quickly he went back toward the drum set to get a towel and cover his face. Dorian was beside him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, but Jack didn¡¯t respond. The invisible fist grabbed tightly and Jack took a breath. He could see the boy in front of him in the field and felt himself falling. Not now, please! Give me half an hour at least! He reached out for Dorian to catch him as the grip on his mind released and did not return. ¡°It¡¯s the cambion, isn¡¯t it,¡± Dorian said, still holding Jack upright. Jack nodded. ¡°I told him to wait. I think he heard me.¡± After a drink from his water bottle, he returned to the microphone. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said to the crowd. ¡°Just a headache. I¡¯ll be okay.¡± But even without the interruptions he had trouble focusing on the show. He was anxious to talk to the boy again and willed his bandmates through their musical connections to play a little faster, make the songs go by just a tiny bit quicker. They didn¡¯t, and Jack thought he felt actual refusal from Dorian. But he also felt them carrying him along, helping him stay focused so as not to mess up again. The end of the show was a relief and Jack went backstage as quickly as possible. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how long it had been, but it didn¡¯t matter. Within seconds the fist grabbed his brain and he fell into the world of the black and white field. Standing before him once again, this time looking much more shy and nervous than before, was the boy. ¡°There you are,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the boy pleaded. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad about this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± ¡°You pushed me away.¡± ¡°Oh. See, I¡¯m on tour right now and was on stage, and since I pass out when you do this¡ª¡± The boy gasped. ¡°You do? I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°No, never mind that. Just, I¡¯m off limits in the evenings, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Not knowing how long they might have, Jack decided to dive into questioning. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Joey.¡± ¡°Hi, Joey. I¡¯m Jack.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°Of course you do. Listen, I¡ª¡± ¡°What do you know about me?¡± Joey stepped closer. ¡°You know I¡¯m a demon. I want to know more about who I am, and you know all about that, don¡¯t you?¡± Jack was stuck for words for a moment. This kid didn¡¯t know his own history. ¡°I want to meet with you in person,¡± he said. ¡°Talking about this isn¡¯t practical through a music video.¡± Joey stepped forward and reached toward Jack, his hand going through him like he was a hologram. He said nothing. ¡°Where do you live, Joey?¡± ¡°Chicago.¡± Jack raised his eyebrows. ¡°Really? That¡¯s perfect. Listen, we¡¯re performing a concert there on Saturday night. It¡¯s at a place called Rockhouse on the southside, northeast of Chinatown. If you come, I¡¯ll get you in for free and you can hang out with us backstage. What do you say?¡± For a moment Joey¡¯s face glowed with excitement. He looked like nothing more than a regular teenager being presented with the gift of a lifetime. But then the happiness faded. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can.¡± Jack felt his own excitement fade. ¡°Why not?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°There¡¯s no way my aunt would let me go. I live with her now, and I¡¯ve already lost a lot of her trust, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± His voice was wavering. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can convince her, and I don¡¯t dare try to sneak out.¡± Confused that a demon would be afraid of getting in trouble for doing something rebellious, Jack had to remind himself that this boy didn¡¯t know the details of his origins. ¡°Do you think you can try? Convince your aunt, I mean. It¡¯s really important we talk. Really important.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Okay. If you can come, be outside the door by 5 p.m. If you can¡¯t come, contact me. Just¡­promise to give me a little mental nudge first. And mind the time. Okay?¡± Joey nodded. ¡°Good luck, kid. Hope to see you.¡± ¡°Thanks for not being mad at me.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± The grip released and he found himself on the floor backstage, his bandmates surrounding him. Their expressions were more anxious than scared. ¡°Well?¡± Dorian asked. Jack sat up and rubbed his head, assuming the pain there was from bumping it when he fell. ¡°He lives in Chicago. He¡¯s gonna try to come to our show. The craziest part is that he knows he¡¯s a demon but doesn¡¯t know how or why or anything. I used that as a way to convince him to come. To learn more.¡± ¡°Nice work,¡± Cameron said, and they all helped Jack to his feet. ¡°Should we tell Lucifer?¡± ¡°No. He said emergencies only. Hopefully next time we talk to him, I¡¯ll have a soul in my hand.¡± * * * Annabelle stood in the dark kitchen, peering around the wall into the living room. As she watched Joey sitting on the couch and speaking to the video on his tablet as if having a conversation with it, she was torn between anger at being lied to and worry that she was losing him. She decided to let him finish out his conversation to get as much information as possible. He didn¡¯t appear to be summoning anyone, but it was clear there were plans of meeting up with someone. As soon as Joey stopped the video, Annabelle stepped into view. ¡°I think you have some explaining to do,¡± she said, her arms crossed. Joey jumped and dropped his tablet on the floor, his face filled with shock. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± he said quickly. ¡°You lied to me.¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡± Joey stood. ¡°I just¡­I knew you¡¯d be mad, and you¡¯re the only one who cares about me, and I was afraid that telling you about this would make you give up on me like everyone else. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Annabelle sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She put up her mental shield, knowing he was trying to read her mind. The thoughts and desires to lock him up for safety were inevitable, but doing that would only make things worse. She opened her eyes and looked into his. ¡°There is nothing in this world that would make me give up on you,¡± she said. ¡°To give up on you means I give up on my own life, and that¡¯s not an option. All I ask is that from now on you please be completely honest with me about everything. It¡¯s hard to hold trust when you keep secrets like this.¡± Joey nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± He sat on the couch and Annabelle sat beside him, mentally bracing herself for whatever bizarre story she was about to hear. ¡°Remember that day that I connected to Grandpa in the TV? Well, I kind of honed that ability and connected to the singer and guitarist of this band. Apparently I actually got into his head through the video. I felt really bad about it, especially since he said he passes out when I do that, but he was nice in the end. He actually invited me to their concert on Saturday. Said he¡¯d let me in for free to see the show and hang out with them.¡± ¡°And you said you didn¡¯t think your aunt would let you go.¡± Joey sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you said you wouldn¡¯t sneak out.¡± When Joey said nothing, instead staring at his hands in his lap, Annabelle wondered if he indeed was thinking of doing that. ¡°Who is this guy? Why would he be nice to a strange kid who takes over his brain through a tablet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was mad at first, but then he was okay. I think he understands me. He knows I¡¯m different and wants to help.¡± Though the guide voice did not speak up, Annabelle felt a strong need for protecting Joey. ¡°There are bad people out there, Joey. People who prey on teenagers, trick them. This just sounds too good to be true. I think maybe he sees you as vulnerable and has other plans in mind.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t think so. But maybe you could come with me. Protect me like you always do.¡± Annabelle raised her eyebrows. ¡°Me? At some heavy metal concert? A secular one, no less. Besides, I could barely stop Grandpa from killing you, and I couldn¡¯t stop that boy from trying to kill you at Yellowstone. What makes you think I can stop this guy, or all four of them even, from hurting you?¡± Their eyes met once again, and Annabelle kept the question in her mind to hide the fact she wanted nothing to do with the concert at all. ¡°Because you¡¯re my guardian angel. Though I don¡¯t understand why God would give a demon a guardian angel, I know that¡¯s what you are. You know it too. These guys won¡¯t hurt me, but either way I know I¡¯ll be safe with you.¡± Guardian angel. He kept using that term, just like Miranda always did, and she had always shrugged it off as simply an endearing reference. Aside from a voice occasionally popping in her head that might be God¡¯s and mystery healing powers, she couldn¡¯t feel more human. ¡°I¡¯m not an angel,¡± she said. ¡°Just blessed.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t believe you¡¯re an angel?¡± ¡°No. I am a servant of God, but I am certainly not a celestial being.¡± ¡°Well, you are, whether you agree or not.¡± Joey sighed. ¡°I guess you won¡¯t take me, huh.¡± Annabelle remained silent, allowing him to read her apprehension if he wanted. ¡°I know I don¡¯t deserve it. After all the lying I¡¯ve done, all the sneakiness, causing trouble with my powers¡­I don¡¯t deserve this privilege. I promise to be better, to earn your trust again. Though I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be enough by Saturday.¡± Despite her fear of him falling prey to a potential predator, she began to worry more about him sneaking out in desperation. Surely that would set him on the path away from God. True rebellion. There was only one way to avoid that. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± she said softly. Joey looked at her in surprise. ¡°Really? You¡¯ll consider it?¡± ¡°If you prove to me these next few days that I can trust you, that you¡¯ll stay on a righteous path, I might allow it.¡± He threw himself at her, squeezing tight. ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t let you down, I promise.¡± * * * Though Annabelle was secretly terrified of leaving Joey home alone unsupervised while she was at work every day, there was no choice. He now had the freedom to move beyond one specific room, to go outside if he wanted, though Annabelle suggested to him he simply sit on the balcony if he wanted fresh air rather than wander streets he was unfamiliar with. Returning home after her first day leaving him alone she found him doing just that, leaned back in a chair with feet up on the railing, listening to music. He proved to her he still only listened to Beautiful Apocalypse, so she allowed it. As each day went by, she was pleasantly surprised to see Joey doing unexpected things like cleaning, preparing food for himself and for her after she taught him how, and studying the Bible on his own. He seemed so relaxed, so happy. Freedom was not making him do things he shouldn¡¯t. And he was back to being passionate and curious about spirituality again. She had to admit this was what he needed all along. By Thursday she knew she needed to come to a decision about the concert. Joey had not asked her about it, but he probably read her occasional thoughts about it and had decided to not pester her. Part of her felt it wouldn¡¯t be right to deny him this privilege; he had proven himself more than she had expected. But she still worried about the strange man possibly luring Joey, not to mention her own discomfort at being in a place she knew she didn¡¯t belong. Sitting at her desk that night she put the band¡¯s name in a search engine, finding all sorts of results. Among articles with headlines like ¡°New Progressive Metal Band Takes the Genre by Storm¡± and ¡°Beautiful Apocalypse Dominates the Prog Metal World¡± were photos and videos of their recent performances. She had no interest in listening to their songs, but she studied the pictures. The band members all looked around her age or slightly older, and appeared happy, not menacing as she would have expected. Even their professional photos had them looking harmless despite their very serious expressions. And she despised herself for still finding the front man attractive, glad that Joey wasn¡¯t in the room to see her blush. There wasn¡¯t much information on the man himself, however, other than his name, Jack Harper. The band had a page on an online encyclopedia, but even that information was sparse. What was there was cited to a recent interview with drummer Cameron Sunderland, which she decided to read despite much of the music discussion being beyond her comprehension or interest. All she learned was they were from Chicago, had met in college there, and just recently decided to start putting their music into the world. No details to help Annabelle feel comfortable about meeting them. She¡¯d have to have the courage to ask questions herself. When she woke on Friday morning to breakfast waiting for her, she couldn¡¯t withhold a decision any longer. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of you,¡± she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve shown me what a great young man you can be. I¡¯m going to let you go to the concert. But I will be with you the entire time.¡± She had not expected tears, but Joey nearly sobbed into her neck as he hugged her tight. ¡°You really are the best. This means more to me than anything.¡± ¡°I know. Keep being this great person you are, even after this. Besides, I have to admit I like being spoiled with a clean house and meals waiting for me. There is more kindness in your heart than I think anyone imagined.¡± Chapter 21: The Meeting All four members of Beautiful Apocalypse paced the backstage area of the Rockhouse. Their crew sensed their unease, forcing Miles to repeatedly send them off with thoughts of how they should mind their own business and speak of it to no one. Jack constantly checked his phone, and the moment it was 5 p.m. his heart leaped. ¡°This is it, guys. If he¡¯s out there, this is the big moment.¡± ¡°You know, part of me doesn¡¯t want this to end,¡± Cameron said. ¡°It¡¯s gone by so fast and I want to keep going.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be over,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Buriel¡¯s still out there, and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll be our next target. As long as we do this cleanly enough.¡± Jack led his friends through the venue and to the front door, peeking through the window. He smiled. The boy was there, just visible at the corner of the brick wall outside. Now that Joey was in full color, Jack was able to see something not previously visible in the grayscale video world. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dorian asked. Cameron peered around and out the window. ¡°Is that him? That kid there?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jack¡¯s voice was a whisper as he continued to stare, frozen. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look scary at all.¡± ¡°Easy takedown,¡± Miles said. Dorian shook Jack by the shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He¡¯s got an aura.¡± The other three demons stared at him in silence for a few moments before Dorian finally spoke. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Demons don¡¯t have auras.¡± ¡°I know that, genius,¡± Jack snapped. ¡°It¡¯s really faint but it¡¯s there. I know what I¡¯m looking at.¡± ¡°What color is it?¡± Miles asked. ¡°You said red is evil, right?¡± ¡°Usually, yeah. But there¡¯s no red at all. It¡¯s¡­kinda white and yellow. A faint version of the majority of humans. The kind I would normally ignore.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s him then?¡± Dorian asked. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to mess this up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± With a deep breath, Jack opened the door and stuck his head out. The boy turned at the movement and his eyes went wide. Jack watched the misty aura become more yellow, but still not as vibrant as the handful of others waiting in line across from him. Joey motioned to someone out of view to follow him, and Jack struggled to hide his gasp at the sight of the woman that appeared. The aura that surrounded her was more intense than any he¡¯d ever seen, almost as if it was pulsating power rather than just being a soft visual cue of emotions. It was the whitest of white but with gold marbling, a shiny, gleaming gold that swam brighter above her head, though it completely encompassed her. He ignored the flash of pink outline closest to her body, too mesmerized by the rest. ¡°Hi, Jack.¡± Joey broke his attention away, grinning widely. ¡°Hey, kid. Glad you could come.¡± Jack looked back at the woman, this time meeting her eyes. With a stoic expression like she had, Jack would expect a much more negative aura, but the golden white flared brightly. This was no human. ¡°This is my aunt, Annabelle,¡± Joey said. ¡°She¡¯d only let me come if she was with me. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡± It¡¯s totally not. ¡°Of course. Absolutely.¡± He hesitated a moment, then remembered to do the proper human greeting, holding his hand out to her. ¡°I¡¯m Jack.¡± Tentatively she took it, her smile clearly forced. The direct outline around her body seemed to be a battle between many colors, mostly pink versus purple. Pink was a weird one, rarely seen too. He motioned for them to follow him in, and introduced them to the rest of the band. While the guest of honor grinned with joy, the woman appeared to tense up, but retained her stoic expression. Jack refrained from trying to read her soul deeper despite his curiosity. Once backstage, he pointed out some coolers with drinks. ¡°Help yourself. Water, pop, whatever. Have a seat, we¡¯ll be right back.¡± As discreetly as possible, Jack nodded to his bandmates to follow him out of sight in a side room. ¡°We have a big problem,¡± he said. ¡°The chick?¡± Miles said. ¡°Minor inconvenience, I¡¯ll convince her to¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s an angel.¡± Miles chuckled. ¡°I guess she¡¯s cute, but¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. A literal angel from Heaven is in that room right now.¡± Jack looked at Dorian. ¡°You¡¯d know. Is it actually possible for angels to be on Earth just like us?¡± Dorian scratched his goatee. ¡°Well, technically yes. I¡¯ve heard of it, but it¡¯s incredibly rare. Angels are usually invisible and are typically just channels to real angels in Heaven. Supposedly God prefers a more discreet approach to earthly work. But if there¡¯s a really important thing that requires a physical human form to complete¡ªusually guarding someone or influencing someone who might not be susceptible to invisible channels¡ªthen yes, it happens.¡± Dorian paused a moment, furrowing his brow. ¡°You said she¡¯s his aunt?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he told me.¡± ¡°Related to his human host, perhaps. Could be coincidental, or¡­¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Or God knows about him and is planning something.¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely sure about this?¡± Miles asked Jack. ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°Her aura is like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen before. It¡¯s intense. It screams power. If we try to get the kid, she¡¯ll take us all down. We¡¯ll have a war on our hands.¡± Dorian sighed. ¡°Though I doubt she could take down four demons, you¡¯re right. If we attack an angel, Lucifer gets the Holy War he¡¯s trying to avoid.¡± ¡°What do we do then?¡± Cameron asked. ¡°We can¡¯t just let him go and return to Hell empty handed.¡± Jack remembered all that the boy had said. How their music spoke to him, how he knew they were calling to him, how desperately he had tried to connect, and how badly he wanted to know the truth. ¡°We won¡¯t lose him,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s befriend him. The angel maybe too. Keep them close enough to buy us time while we see what Lucifer wants to do. It won¡¯t be a waste, just a little delay is all.¡± With the others in agreement they all returned to the main backstage area where their guests awaited them, sitting on a dusty couch, each with a drink in their hand. The angel still exuded her strength and Joey was still smiling. Jack sat beside him while his band mates took chairs nearby. ¡°Ever been to a concert before?¡± Jack asked Joey. ¡°Technically yes, if you count the performances of a rock band at a retreat they hosted. But that will be nothing compared to this, I just know it.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t help but smile at the boy¡¯s excitement. He wanted to read him deeper, but with the aura being fainter than normal he couldn¡¯t grasp anything easily, and didn¡¯t have time to try harder before Joey spoke again. ¡°What songs will you play tonight? Or is it a secret?¡± ¡°Well, we only have one album, so we¡¯ll play all of them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Joey¡¯s face didn¡¯t seem like it could light up any more than it already was. ¡°Oh, this is gonna be so awesome!¡± Jack stole a glance at his bandmates. They all seemed to share in his thoughts of how this supposed cambion was putty in their hands. ¡°What¡¯s your favorite song?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Definitely ¡®From Whence I Came.¡¯ And not just because of the video. I just really love it. I feel it, you know?¡± He glanced at his aunt then looked back. ¡°Some people don¡¯t really understand the power of music, what it can do to you. You guys get it, right? How sometimes it can just take over everything, every part of your soul. That sounds weird, I know.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Jack said. ¡°Music comes from the soul, not just the brain, so it¡¯s natural for it to be felt that way by the listener too. It¡¯s humbling to see how our music affects people so much. Brings new purpose to it.¡± Jack did not look at his friends; surely they¡¯d think he was talking ridiculous, even though he felt it was all true. ¡°I wish I could play an instrument and write songs,¡± Joey said. ¡°Music is the only thing I¡¯m passionate about, but I can¡¯t really do good in the world with it just by listening to it.¡± Jack raised his eyebrows, an idea suddenly coming to him. ¡°Would you like to learn? It¡¯s never too late to start. Since I think we might live close enough to each other, I¡¯d be willing to teach you guitar if you want.¡± Joey¡¯s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯d really teach me?¡± ¡°Sure. This is our last night of the tour and we¡¯ll be taking a little break, so why not? What do you say?¡± But the boy hesitated, looking at Annabelle as if he was disappointed to discover she was there. ¡°Can I, Annie? Please?¡± Jack met the eyes of the angel who was staring at him intently. For a moment he ignored her aura, taking in her human form. Her long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, wisps of it hanging in front of her ears. She wore no obvious makeup, her face naturally flawless. If she weren¡¯t glaring at him in intimidation, he would find her quite pretty. With her eyes on his he decided to take the risk of reading her deeper. What did an angel¡¯s soul feel like? In the brief flash he was able to get as he reached in through his mind it was soft and peaceful, at least until fully established and he could read it. Why-no-God-seriously-worse-can¡¯t-why He disconnected quickly, surprised at the nervousness deep inside. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll think about it,¡± she said finally. Though Jack saw her swallow hard, he was impressed by how her expression had not changed. It also was not the response he had been hoping for. Looking down at Joey he saw the dejection there as well. ¡°No problem,¡± he said, trying his best to hide his disappointment. ¡°Just let me know. You can come to our place, see the studio and stuff. You can borrow my guitar, no need to get one of your own. Discuss it and let me know, okay?¡± For the next hour Jack struggled to come up with things to talk about. All the things he wanted to talk about, and that he knew Joey wanted to talk about, were off limits with the angel around. Thankfully Cameron, the master of words, got the boy talking and comfortable. When he asked Joey what other bands he liked, it was difficult to hide the surprise at the answer. ¡°Oh, well, right now just really you guys. That¡¯s all I listen to, at least now. I used to listen to a lot of different metal bands, but¡­¡± Joey was looking down at his hands, seemingly embarrassed. ¡°They¡¯re Christian metal bands so you guys probably wouldn¡¯t like it or know it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s Christian metal bands?¡± Miles asked, unable to hide the shock in his voice. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Joey nodded, fumbling with his fingers as he rambled. ¡°It¡¯s good stuff, I mean, it¡¯s not bad, but it¡¯s not as good as your stuff of course.¡± After a quick glance at Annabelle again, who shifted uncomfortably at the topic, he said, ¡°And not because of the lyrics. I mean, the lyrics of both are great for their own reasons, you know? And music can be great no matter what it¡¯s about, right? It¡¯s okay to like both¡­isn¡¯t it?¡± The last two words sounded like an actual question. ¡°Of course,¡± Jack said, hoping to please the angel. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with liking that stuff. If it¡¯s your thing, it¡¯s your thing. Plus, I think liking both makes you a more well-rounded person. Open-minded. That¡¯s a good thing.¡± Though these words seemed to comfort Joey, they did little to calm Annabelle. Befriending her was going to be impossible. When it came time for the doors to open for ticket holders, Jack ushered their guests out to the main venue area. ¡°Come back after the show,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear your thoughts on it.¡± Though Annabelle seemed disappointed at the idea of meeting with them again, Joey grinned. Backstage he was met with three exhausted faces. ¡°That was intense,¡± Cameron said. ¡°Like, I swear that angel was staring you down, Jack, ready to pounce.¡± ¡°I know. Weird thing is, deep down she was nervous. She¡¯s easy to read actually, which could be to our advantage.¡± He remembered the warm and peaceful feeling of her soul and wouldn¡¯t mind experiencing it again. ¡°The kid not so much. But with his aura and enough time I could do it.¡± ¡°That was a brilliant idea,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Guitar lessons. Get him on our territory. I guess I have to give you some credit for being a decent leader after all.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s just hope our new arch enemy out there agrees to it.¡± * * * Annabelle¡¯s feet began hurting before the second of the three bands even started their set. It was a good distraction, though, from the even more uncomfortable surroundings. She and Joey stood right up against the stage in the center, and she found herself plastered close to her nephew, clutching her small purse in front of her. All around her were terrifying strangers, dressed in black and were loud and drinking and occasionally swearing. She had to remind herself that she was the one who was supposed to be protective, not the one needing protection. At Joey¡¯s insistence they had dressed the part, wearing black T-shirts and jeans, a color she almost never wore outside of a funeral. It was hot with all the warm bodies clustered within inches of each other, none of them minding the closeness at all. To Annabelle it was stifling, but to her relief none of the men around her¡ªand they were all men¡ªpaid much attention to her other than a passing glance. The second band began their set and it was just as awful as the first, at least to Annabelle¡¯s ears. The blasting volume didn¡¯t help, certainly, and she wondered why it was necessary to have everything so painfully loud. She decided these Hell-bound heathens were masochists, then felt ashamed for thinking that. She didn¡¯t know these people, and thinking of all the times she¡¯d had to remind her father to love the sinners as much as the believers and to accept everyone regardless of differences made her realize she was almost as bad as him. None of them had been cruel to her, so she¡¯d leave the judgment up to God. It felt like forever before the band had finished, and even more of an eternity before Beautiful Apocalypse took the stage. She surprised herself at being relieved to see the band appear, but was certain it was only because it meant the end of the torture session was near. Immediately there was a different vibe in the small room. The crowd cheered louder of course, but the music itself was so different. More crisp and clear and clean, and significantly more melodic and skillful. Annabelle found her eyes glued to Jack Harper, particularly his hands flying along his guitar. They had begun with the song from the video Joey had showed her, and seeing it in person brought a new appreciation for the chaotic melodies and riffs. It was organized chaos that somehow made sense. She tore her eyes away occasionally to look at Joey. He was completely entranced as if the music had enveloped him, and she was sure she saw tears in his eyes. Tears of pure joy. He bounced to the music, banged his head mildly, and sang along to every word. Never before had she seen such happiness in him. Perhaps this torture was worth it after all. And she began to feel guilty that it was going to eventually end. But maybe it didn¡¯t have to. Watching Jack again, his masterful playing that seemed to be so easy for him, she considered his earlier offer. Joey still hadn¡¯t found his purpose in life; perhaps it was right in front of him. The opportunity he¡¯d never been allowed to have, his natural way to combine this powerful passion for music with his faith. It was worth a try. The man on stage seemed harmless, his words to the crowd as peaceful as they¡¯d been to Joey. He could still be a predator in disguise, she reminded herself. But she also had trouble ignoring the tiny part of herself that wanted to see him again too. She let out a deep sigh of relief when the show was over and the crowd dispersed. Joey turned to her, grinning. ¡°That was the best thing I¡¯ve ever experienced in my life,¡± he said and hugged her tight. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± The person stationed near the backstage door remembered them and allowed them in once again. The band was waiting, two of them collapsed on the couch, the long-haired one standing up from digging through the cooler, holding a beer in the air. ¡°To an awesome end to a kickass tour!¡± he said. Annabelle twitched at the curse word but forced a smile for Joey¡¯s sake. ¡°That was so amazing!¡± Joey exclaimed. ¡°The greatest experience ever, seriously.¡± Jack was standing near the couch, smiling at his bandmates. Annabelle took the opportunity to approach, silently telling her heart to stop fluttering. ¡°Can I talk to you for a minute?¡± she asked, beckoning him to join her out of earshot of Joey, who was still gushing to the others. He smiled and followed, hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡­I wanted to ask you how much you¡¯d charge for guitar lessons. I¡¯ve been thinking and I decided maybe Joey would benefit from something like that. He¡¯s been kind of sheltered most of his life and I¡¯m trying to sort of fix the damage I guess. He was so happy tonight, so I think he needs it.¡± She felt herself blush at her rambling. ¡°Oh.¡± Jack looked surprised. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t charge anything for it.¡± It was Annabelle¡¯s turn to look surprised. ¡°You¡¯d do it for free?¡± Maybe he is a predator. I really don¡¯t want him to be¡­ ¡°Yeah, why not? He¡¯s¡­¡± Jack looked over at Joey. ¡°He¡¯s a special kid. I¡¯d love to help him out.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I mean, I guess I figured a rock star would insist on getting paid for something like that, but if you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°I appreciate the compliment, but I don¡¯t really see myself as a ¡®rockstar.¡¯ I just played to a room of four hundred people, not exactly a big deal. But yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, thank you. It will mean a lot to him. It would have to be in the evenings though, because I work during the day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. What do you do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a hospice nurse.¡± ¡°Oh, okay, that¡¯s cool.¡± He smiled again, showing interest. ¡°Just let me know when you want to start and we¡¯ll set it up.¡± Once she had his number in her phone, Annabelle promised to text him when she could figure out a good schedule. Then remembering she had to get up early for church the next day, she coaxed Joey away and bid the band members goodbye. As they walked down the street toward where their car was parked, Annabelle told him about the guitar lessons. Joey squealed like a child, bounced up and down, and hugged her again. ¡°You¡¯re the greatest person in the whole world!¡± he said. ¡°I love you.¡± Annabelle had to hold back tears as she hugged him. She couldn¡¯t remember ever hearing those words from him. ¡°I love you too.¡± Chapter 22: The First Lesson Annabelle wasn¡¯t as happy as usual to walk into her father¡¯s church. She hadn¡¯t spoken to her parents since they had thrown Joey out, but she now had no choice. There were things to discuss. Being backstage at the megachurch reminded her of her backstage experience the night before, though the luxury her parents had was beyond the tiny, dingy room in which the band had seemed perfectly content. With Robert in discussion with some of his assistants, Annabelle approached her mother, who was looking in the mirror to touch up her makeup. ¡°Mom,¡± Annabelle began, unable to hide the lingering animosity, ¡°we need to discuss Joey.¡± Sandra stopped and stared at her. ¡°Are you regretting your choice? I knew you would.¡± ¡°Not at all. I meant we need to discuss the official custody changes. I want full parental rights, and I want it ASAP.¡± ¡°Now is not the time to discuss that. Your father¡¯s lawyers are working on it. The sooner that boy¡¯s name is no longer associated with us, the better. And you better keep him under wraps.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s doing wonderfully. Sitting in my apartment peacefully, studying on his own. It¡¯s amazing what not being locked in a room every day does to someone.¡± ¡°Studying, is he? Did you find your own tutor for him? You know Mary won¡¯t go out there to keep teaching him. She¡¯s so relieved he¡¯s gone, honestly.¡± Annabelle remained silent for a moment. She¡¯d been pondering how to continue his education but had yet to decide what to do. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose Daddy would allow him to complete work remotely so he can still graduate.¡± ¡°Most certainly not! He¡¯s already been removed from the class roster, I believe. So if you don¡¯t want him to stay a high school dropout, that¡¯s up to you to figure out. But he will not be associated with your father¡¯s highly respected school.¡± Sighing, Annabelle said, ¡°Fine. I also want to arrange to get his furniture. He doesn¡¯t deserve to live on a couch.¡± Sandra waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Arrange for movers. We¡¯ll pay to clean out that room. It¡¯ll take years of prayer to get the demon powers out of it though.¡± Annabelle could not resist rolling her eyes. ¡°Quite the sass in you, Annie,¡± Sandra said, studying her face. ¡°You look tired. That boy is stressing you out, isn¡¯t he. I knew it.¡± ¡°No, he is not. As a matter of fact, I¡¯m tired because we went out last night, the two of us. Spent quality time with my nephew. He was perfectly behaved and well-mannered. Made staying out late worth it, honestly.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ll regret him soon enough. You¡¯re thirty years old, Annabelle. You need to start thinking about your future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly satisfied with my future. I have a great job that¡¯s perfect for me. I don¡¯t need anything else.¡± Sandra raised her eyebrows. ¡°Time is ticking. And you can¡¯t expect to settle down and have a family with that boy around.¡± Ever since Annabelle had moved out, her mother¡¯s hints at finding a husband had ramped up. And no matter how much she insisted she was still waiting for the right one to come along, and that rushing into marriage just to expand the family was not of interest to her, it never slowed Sandra down. ¡°You know I can¡¯t bear children, Mom,¡± Annabelle said. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to follow a biological clock.¡± ¡°The younger you are, the more children you¡¯ll be able to adopt over time.¡± Sandra patted her daughter¡¯s cheek. ¡°You will be an amazing mother. Now, I think you should spend some time with that young man, Simon. He¡¯s quite handsome, and I¡¯m pretty sure he fancies you. And he comes from a wonderful family.¡± Annabelle had to admit that Simon was nice to look at, and he did often try to get her attention. But she had no desire to be courted by him, or to even have more than basic small talk with him. A flash of Jack Harper crossed her mind, though, and she mentally slapped herself. He was most certainly an atheist, and therefore beyond off limits. And she barely knew him. Looks could not be everything. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said. ¡°Just have Daddy¡¯s lawyers contact me about Joey. I¡¯m going out there to get my seat.¡± In the front row of the auditorium, Annabelle took her usual weekly seat. Her mother would be seated to her right, and to her left would be the empty seat reserved for Miranda. She had always sat there before she had gone, and her parents insisted a seat still be allotted for her to join them all in spirit. Annabelle always put her arm on the arm rest, pretending she was holding her sister¡¯s hand. It had been harder and harder to sit there lately, however, having to listen to her father verbally destroy the only living thing remaining of his lost daughter. But this sermon was the worst of all. ¡°I learned something this week, my friends,¡± Robert said. ¡°I learned that even with the power of God, the power that comes from even the deepest connection with our Lord and the strength within our hearts, we can¡¯t always defeat demons on our own. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I say it also takes a village to bring down the demons among us, among our community. We must all put our strength and faith together, to be as one in order to conquer. I implore you all to remember this. Do not be discouraged if God does not seem to give you the power to fight them on your own. We believers in Christ our Lord must come together, and God knows this. Even me, a man who feels God deeper than most, cannot defeat them on my own. I need you, my friends, to come together with me, just as I will come together with you. And we will destroy them.¡± For the first time ever she had to stop listening. Though she agreed that everyone should come together in strong faith, the idea of using it to destroy hurt deeper than she imagined. The congregation didn¡¯t know their preacher was talking about his own grandson, but Annabelle did, and that¡¯s all that mattered. And if her father ever called on his followers to harm Joey, she knew there would be no way to stop them no matter how much she begged God for the power to do so. * * * Jack¡¯s heart pounded as he passed through the portal that removed his Earth clothes. He had been going over what he would say to Lucifer, trying to come up with the best words to keep him from getting angry. It was likely that even though he felt good about what had happened the previous night, the Dark Lord would likely not agree. To his surprise he was met by the supreme leader at the end of the hall, standing beside Gaap with a look of intensity on his face. Jack watched both demons look at him, their gazes on his empty hands. Immediately upon exiting the tunnel, Jack got to his knees. ¡°Stand up, fool!¡± Lucifer boomed. Jack obeyed and forced himself to look up and hide his fear. ¡°You better have a good reason as to why you don¡¯t have a soul in your hand.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. I do. There is a big problem.¡± Lucifer narrowed his eyes. ¡°Those are not words I want to hear.¡± ¡°I understand. Unfortunately, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°What is it then? Did he not come to your concert? Did he not contact you again?¡± ¡°He did. He did come to our show last night. We had planned to take him then, but he did not come alone.¡± ¡°And how is that a problem? Getting rid of a human is your specialty for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not human, my lord. She¡¯s an angel.¡± Jack waited for his reaction, assuming Lucifer would explode, claiming he was wrong and would be punished. Instead, his leader simply glared harder. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°What do you mean ¡®an angel¡¯? How do you know this?¡± Jack explained Annabelle¡¯s aura, it¡¯s intensity and the power he was certain she had. ¡°I could not be more certain, my lord. We all agreed that it would be too dangerous to attack. Even if we succeeded in getting the cambion, it would do more harm than good.¡± Lucifer sighed and closed his eyes. Jack waited patiently in silence, though stole a quick glance at Gaap out of the corner of his eye. The demon was watching with extreme interest, barely moving. ¡°You are right, Soul Reacher,¡± Lucifer said at last. ¡°That was the correct choice.¡± Jack suppressed a sigh of relief. His biggest worry was behind him. ¡°But now he has gotten away,¡± Lucifer continued, disappointment mixing with anger. ¡°All of this time and effort wasted now.¡± ¡°Not so, my lord. I came up with a plan to keep him close, to stay connected. I¡¯ve befriended him, and the angel seems okay with me for the most part. She¡¯s supposedly his aunt, and thankfully she gave permission for me to give the boy guitar lessons. He¡¯ll be visiting us regularly. It will buy us time until we have a new plan.¡± The anger left Lucifer¡¯s face, now replaced with relief. ¡°Excellent. That is excellent. Good work. Now¡­¡± The smile that had grown now faded, seriousness returning. ¡°We need to find out why an angel is with a demon. As anxious as I am to finish this job and move on to Buriel, we need more information before we can decide what to do. You will question the boy as best you can about the angel. If you can find a way to gain her trust more, even better, but it is crucial that they not learn of who you are, though that should be obvious to you. It is unlikely she can tell you four are demons unless you show her your powers. But, if you are able to get her separated from the boy long enough to take him, do it. If you do, you will need to be quick. If she¡¯s a guardian angel as I suspect, she will know something is wrong even if she isn¡¯t there, and will come to you no matter where you are. But that is why you need to gather information as quickly as possible. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Very good. We will continue our weekly briefings for now. Go.¡± Jack bowed and went back through the tunnel. The seal took him back to the living room of the house where his three companions were waiting. ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± he told them, relief filling the room. He explained Lucifer¡¯s demand for information before attacking unless an opportunity arises. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, she¡¯ll leave him here alone with us for the lessons. We¡¯ll question him, then do what we need to do.¡± The following day, Jack received his first text message from Annabelle, suggesting lessons on Tuesdays and Fridays. He agreed, and for the next twenty-four hours, the four demons paced the house, discussing what to ask and how to best make their attack. ¡°It would be ideal to find out where she¡¯ll go while the boy is here,¡± Dorian said. ¡°That way we know how much time we have to get his soul and bail. I have a feeling it won¡¯t be as easy as a human, even though his human form is likely weaker than us. We don¡¯t know what sort of powers he has.¡± ¡°He definitely inherited Buriel¡¯s mind control abilities,¡± Miles said. ¡°And pretty hardcore considering he made Jack pass out from hundreds of miles away. We¡¯ll need to cover his eyes.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t connect to his soul without eye contact.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Dorian sighed. ¡°What if we knock him out? Can you still connect that way?¡± ¡°No. I tried once. Remember, Miles? There was a guy we were hunting down, he tripped and hit his head, out cold. You insisted we still get him so we had to hide somewhere until he came to so we could take him.¡± ¡°So does that make this kid invincible to us?¡± Cameron asked. ¡°You try to connect, he takes over your mind, there¡¯s nothing the rest of us can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just have to really try to befriend him, gain enough trust that he won¡¯t feel the need to do that. Then be fast. I¡¯ll need your power behind me for sure. All of you.¡± When the doorbell rang that Tuesday evening, Jack opened the door to the beaming cambion and the glowing angel. He allowed Joey in, but when Annabelle stepped forward to join him, Jack blocked the way and said, ¡°If you want to just come back in a couple hours, that¡¯s totally fine. Have an evening to yourself. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Annabelle stood tall. ¡°I¡¯d rather be with him, if I may.¡± Accepting that their plans were ruined and that he¡¯d have to work on trust with the angel too, he allowed her in. His bandmates, who sat in the living room, clearly struggled to hide their own disappointment at her presence. Jack led their guests down to the basement, and Joey gaped as he entered the studio. ¡°Wow,¡± he breathed. ¡°This is amazing.¡± Jack walked to the wall where his three guitars hung beside Dorian¡¯s two basses. ¡°Which one would you like to play on? I¡¯ll let you pick.¡± With mouth still agape, Joey slowly approached them, admiring them with wide eyes as if he was looking at priceless artifacts. ¡°I really get to play one of yours?¡± ¡°Yeah. Any one you want.¡± Each of the three guitars were similar in shape, but colors varied from a matte black to a shiny black to a dark purple. Joey pointed at the shiny black one, and Jack removed it from the wall and placed the strap around Joey¡¯s shoulders. ¡°How does that feel?¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± Jack took down the purple one, then grabbed two picks from the nearby desk and handed one to the boy before leading him to a stool. He invited Annabelle to take a seat, and she chose Dorian¡¯s comfortable chair at the soundboard. Taking a stool himself, Jack sat facing Joey. ¡°When you¡¯re sitting, hold the guitar like this.¡± He positioned the instrument on Joey¡¯s leg, ¡°Relax your picking hand, too. It¡¯s much harder to control a clenched fist like that. Less hand, more wrist, okay?¡± Joey nodded. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you the easiest chord first, E minor. That way you get the feeling of everything before it gets harder.¡± Jack placed his fingers on the strings, then realized it might be hard for Joey to follow along with his guitar facing the opposite way. However, his student easily found the right spot and attempted the chord, though it was weak. ¡°Press a little harder. Your fingers will be sore at first while you build calluses, but it¡¯s worth it.¡± Jack was surprised by his own words. He hadn¡¯t needed to build his own calluses, as his fingertips were already toughened up when he had woken from his torturous ability infusion. Knowledge of needing that must have been part of the procedure. Joey tried a couple times until the chord was clear, then played it a few more times, the tone strong. ¡°Nice!¡± Jack said. ¡°Now I¡¯ll teach you a C chord. If you have trouble matching my fingers, I¡¯ll help you place yours.¡± But Joey did not have trouble. The boy looked him in the eye for a second, then placed his fingers in the right place. After a few tries it was as golden as his first chord. ¡°Now see if you can switch be¡ª¡± Joey began switching between the two chords before Jack could finish. He did it slowly at first, then gradually faster. Jack thought about pausing him so they could move on, but there was determination in the boy¡¯s eyes, so he let him continue until he stopped on his own. ¡°Am I doing okay?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re doing awesome. Want to add a third one?¡± Joey nodded, meeting his eyes, but before Jack could tell him the next one was a D chord, the boy put his fingers in the right position and played it. Jack froze and couldn¡¯t help but stare. For a moment he thought perhaps the boy had lied and already knew how to play, but there was only one way he would know which chord he¡¯d wanted to teach next. When Joey met his eyes again, seemingly for confirmation of his proper playing, a look of embarrassment came over him but he said nothing. ¡°How did you¡­what¡¯s that chord called?¡± ¡°D,¡± Joey whispered. Annabelle, who Jack had almost forgotten about, sighed and put her hand on her face. ¡°Joey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help it.¡± The kid reads minds. This is really bad. We¡¯re so screwed. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Joey was looking at him again. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad. I really can¡¯t help it.¡± Annabelle was pinching the bridge of her nose. Jack looked back and forth between the two. She knew about him. This could be no coincidence. The angel had to be with him on purpose. Joey was scrutinizing him now. ¡°Wait, you know¡ª¡± Jack held up a hand, and making sure Annabelle was still looking away, put a finger to his lips to silence him. ¡°Never mind everything. Let¡¯s continue. Just¡­if you¡¯re gonna read my mind, just stick with the lesson stuff, okay?¡± The boy sheepishly agreed, and Jack forced himself to only think about guitar topics, as much as his mind was reeling at the realization that they were completely screwed. But the boy seemed to be a natural, and not because he could read the information from his teacher¡¯s mind, but because he could implement it immediately and perfectly. No doubt another trait inherited from Buriel. After two hours had passed, Jack decided to call it a night. ¡°Regardless of how you get the information, you¡¯re a natural musician, kid. Making my job really easy.¡± Joey grinned, but still blushed with embarrassment. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry, again.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, kid.¡± When Jack looked at Annabelle before they ascended the stairs, he saw embarrassment and worry on her face. He smiled in an effort to assure her everything was okay, and the purple outline underneath the angelic one became pink. He wanted to read her deeper to find out what that aura meant, but she looked away before he could. He escorted them to the front door, and once Annabelle was down the front stairs, Jack grabbed Joey by the shoulder and leaned close to his ear. ¡°What you read in my mind today remains between us. Got it?¡± The boy seemed to read the urgency in Jack¡¯s mind and nodded. Once they were gone, Jack collapsed on the couch in front of his friends, leaning forward and gripping his hair. ¡°We are absolutely fucked,¡± he said. ¡°Because the angel won¡¯t leave his side?¡± Miles asked. ¡°Worse than that. He doesn¡¯t just control minds; he reads them too. He literally read what I was going to teach him directly from my mind. How am I supposed to connect to his soul without him reading my plans to basically kill him?¡± Kill him. He froze at the thought. Those words were incredibly uncomfortable to say. ¡°Can¡¯t you just not think about killing him but actually kill him at the same time? Use different words in your head or something?¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°No matter what, this is going to take much longer than we thought, and Lucifer is going to be pissed.¡± ¡°And we got no information at all, did we,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Actually¡­¡± Jack sat up and leaned back on the couch. ¡°The angel knows he can read minds. She almost reprimanded him for doing it because it was so obvious. I think she¡¯s with him on purpose. There¡¯s no coincidence.¡± ¡°An angel knowingly protecting a demon. Now that¡¯s something I never thought I¡¯d see.¡± Chapter 23: Learning the Truth The only difference between the first guitar lesson and the second was the atmosphere in the studio went from apprehensive to calm fairly quickly. Jack allowed Joey to read his lessons from his mind, testing how detailed his ability was by thinking of complicated chord combinations. The boy consistently aced everything, and Jack couldn¡¯t help but marvel in his abilities, both in mind reading and guitar playing. Annabelle still sat in the producer¡¯s chair, but she was much more relaxed, no longer clutching her purse like she was afraid it would be stolen or sitting straight up like a statue. Instead, she leaned back and to the side, her chin resting on her hand as she watched Joey learn. There was pride in her eyes. Jack remembered what she had said at the concert, that Joey had been sheltered and she was trying to fix the damage; whatever that plan was seemed to be going to her satisfaction. During the second hour of the lesson, Jack felt the angel¡¯s eyes on him almost constantly. For a moment he worried that she might be able to tell who he really was, that maybe she had some sort of power to sense it. But whenever he returned the gaze, he saw she was not scrutinizing him, that there was no concern there. She was studying him, but peacefully. And that pink aura was more apparent. He was disappointed he had to focus on Joey instead of investigating what that color meant. ¡°What about pink?¡± Joey asked. Shit. ¡°Never mind.¡± Jack shook his head while Joey stifled a snicker. After the lesson it was Annabelle who hung back at the front door, motioning for Joey to stand away on the sidewalk. ¡°Listen,¡± she said to Jack, ¡°I just want to thank you for doing this. He¡¯s loving it so much and considering how well he¡¯s doing, you¡¯re obviously an excellent teacher.¡± Jack leaned against the door frame and smiled. ¡°Nah. He¡¯s a natural. I¡¯m serious. Might be time to get a guitar of his own maybe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love that. Not sure I can afford it right now. I assume those things are expensive.¡± An idea popped into his mind. ¡°I got you, don¡¯t worry.¡± He winked. The pink got stronger. ¡°You¡¯re not going to buy him a guitar, are you? I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± ¡°You can and you will.¡± To his disappointment she looked down, leaving him unable to read her once again. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°Nope. And if you need anything else, let me know. Anything.¡± Annabelle smiled, then chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know how to tutor high school subjects too. Joey needs one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Jack stood up straight. ¡°But I know someone who can.¡± Looking inside the house, he said, ¡°Dorian, how would you like to play high school teacher?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The intelligent demon sat on a chair in the living room, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. ¡°I was really just joking,¡± Annabelle said, though her face showed disappointment. Jack looked at his band mate. ¡°Don¡¯t be a dick, Dorian. I know that¡¯s hard for you, but help them out. It¡¯s not like you to decline an opportunity to show off your brilliant mind.¡± To his relief, Dorian seemed to understand Jack¡¯s insistent expression. He nodded. ¡°All right. What do you need me to teach?¡± Annabelle began playing with the strap of her purse. ¡°Are you a teacher?¡± ¡°You could say that. I¡¯ve been¡­sharing knowledge for a long time.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, the thing is, Joey can¡¯t exactly go to school. He kind of clashes with other kids his age, to put it lightly. He¡¯s been homeschooled since he was eight, and long story short his schooling fell through when he moved in with me and I¡¯m kind of stuck. I worry about him, you know, well¡­¡± She looked at Jack for a moment. ¡°You experienced what he can do, and I worry he¡¯ll scare someone. But since he¡¯s comfortable with you and you seem okay with his¡­specialness¡­then maybe you could help him get a GED or something. I want things as normal as possible for him.¡± Dorian seemed to soften. ¡°I can do that. No problem. He¡¯s welcome to come here during the day. We¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± Annabelle nodded, though Jack saw some purple surround her. ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave him alone with you because I work during the day.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine with us,¡± Jack assured her. ¡°He¡¯s a teenager, I don¡¯t think he needs much babysitting.¡± ¡°You say that now.¡± Annabelle sighed. ¡°But okay. I can drop him off on my way to work and pick him up after. As long as you¡¯re sure you don¡¯t mind him hanging around all day. He can get¡­excited easily.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can handle it.¡± The pink returned and she smiled. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± She motioned for Joey to come back and told him about his new teacher. His face lit up. ¡°No way! Really? For real? You guys are the best!¡± Promising to start lessons the next day, the band bid their guests farewell and looked at each other once they were gone. ¡°She¡¯s seriously going to leave the kid with us every day?¡± Cameron said. ¡°Can this get any easier?¡± But Jack was not thinking about his job now. ¡°I need you to do me a favor,¡± he said to the drummer. ¡°Think you can make a guitar out of raw materials for Joey?¡± * * * ¡°What happened to your microwave?¡± As Joey was escorted to the dining table, he spotted the dismantled appliance on the kitchen counter. Since the demons never used it, Dorian had suggested Cameron take the metal parts inside in order to create the necessary electronics for Joey¡¯s guitar. He had also requested it remain in pieces so he could study it later. ¡°Dorian¡¯s really into electronics,¡± Jack said, glad to not be entirely lying. ¡°We¡¯re having some trouble with it and he¡¯s working on fixing it.¡± The boy seemed to accept that and sat at the table as instructed. Dorian had notebooks and pencils laid out on the table, smiling as if excited to show off all he knew. Jack decided to sit with them, curious to see Dorian¡¯s reaction to getting lessons read from his mind. But Joey had other ideas. ¡°So, now that Annie¡¯s not here, you¡¯re gonna tell me about myself now, right? That¡¯s the real reason I¡¯m here, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jack had completely forgotten about making such a promise, but it was clear he could not avoid it now. He ignored Dorian¡¯s glare. ¡°That¡¯s not the reason,¡± Jack said. ¡°But I suppose now is as good a time as any.¡± ¡°Jack¡­¡± Dorian growled. ¡°Shut up, you¡¯ll get your turn.¡± ¡°No. We need to talk.¡± To Joey, Dorian said, ¡°Excuse us a second.¡± Jack followed him out of sight of the table and sighed as he prepared for Dorian¡¯s argument. ¡°Have you completely lost your mind?¡± Dorian was in his face, his whisper like a hiss. ¡°You can¡¯t just openly tell him all about us like that. About everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell him everything. Just what he needs to know.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to know anything. If you tell him about where he came from, he¡¯s gonna want to know how we know that. How will you explain that? How will you explain that his favorite band knows all about him?¡± Jack didn¡¯t want to admit that he hadn¡¯t thought about that. ¡°Maybe¡­maybe he¡¯ll trust us more if we tell him who we are. He probably already suspects something about me. I think he knows that I know what his aunt is. Might as well explain it.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°And when he tells her about that? We are fucked!¡± ¡°No we are not. We make him keep it a secret.¡± ¡°The kid can¡¯t even keep secret that he reads minds. That¡¯s kind of a big secret. What makes you think he¡¯ll keep this one?¡± Again Jack didn¡¯t want to give credit to Dorian¡¯s good points. He thought about suggesting they just take his soul if he seems untrustworthy in the moment, but he hesitated. The excited face of the boy waiting for them in the next room was something he didn¡¯t want to lose. He didn¡¯t want this boy to be afraid of him after all he¡¯d done, after how they¡¯d connected so deeply. ¡°What if¡­what if we tell him how we¡¯re looking for Buriel and we¡¯d like his help. We explain how we¡¯re trying to avoid a war, and that Annabelle finding out would be dangerous. He¡¯d understand that. If I explain it to him, he¡¯ll listen to me. I know he will.¡± Dorian was silent, staring at him. Jack took the opportunity to try reading him; the demon wouldn¡¯t dare attack him in retaliation for doing it, not with Joey present. Wrong-stupid-fool-maybe-bad-maybe¡ª The connection that had remained tight between them since resolving their argument months ago suddenly expanded. Painfully expanded. Dorian¡¯s eyes widened for a brief moment before he scowled and a burst of electricity came through and spread through his nerves. Jack screamed, the lights in the house flickered, and he collapsed, twitching on the floor. When his body calmed and vision cleared slightly, he looked up at his attacker. Dorian¡¯s gaze was on the doorway to the kitchen. Joey stood there, eyes wide with fear. ¡°How did you do that?¡± he squeaked. Jack slowly sat up, still numb and trembling. ¡°Well, Dorian, you fucking idiot, what do you suggest we tell him now?¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± Dorian asked Joey. ¡°You¡­you electrocuted him. With your mind.¡± Dorian sighed and closed his eyes. ¡°Are you like me? Do you have powers like me? Are you¡­demons too?¡± Cameron had come out of the bedroom adjacent to the living room, and Miles had come downstairs, now standing behind Joey. ¡°Well done, Dorian,¡± Miles said. ¡°I thought you were the smart one.¡± ¡°This fool,¡± Dorian growled, pointing at Jack still on the floor, ¡°decided it would be a good idea to just tell the kid everything. When I told him he was insane, he got in my head. Just like he did in front of Lucifer. Blame him for pissing me off.¡± ¡°Lucifer?¡± Joey asked. ¡°You are demons.¡± Though he was shaking now, there was light in his eyes. Cameron came over and helped Jack to his feet. ¡°Better hope Malphas didn¡¯t detect that little outburst,¡± the drummer said. ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Dorian said. ¡°That was nothing.¡± His voice was laced with embarrassment. ¡°Tell him, Jack. Tell him what you told me you would.¡± Jack motioned for Joey to go back to the table and sat beside him. Miles and Cameron sat in the other two chairs while Dorian hung back, leaning against the wall with arms crossed and head down. ¡°Listen,¡± he began, ¡°What I¡¯m about to tell you is a secret beyond any secret you¡¯ve ever had to keep. You must not tell anyone, especially Annabelle.¡± ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t,¡± Joey said. ¡°She¡¯ll freak out. I promise I won¡¯t tell her.¡± ¡°Okay. Yes, we are demons. We each have powers, strong like you, but different.¡± ¡°I can do stuff with electricity too,¡± Joey said. ¡°Not zapping people from my head like that, but I can control it around me, like make it burst out of an outlet or something. And take over things like tablets and TVs. But you knew that already. What powers do you have?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain all that later. What I need to explain first is what you¡¯ve been wanting to know. But before that, I need you to tell me what you know about your origins.¡± ¡°Well, all I know is what Annie told me, and I know she hasn¡¯t told me everything. She said that they ¡®think¡¯ a demon attacked my mom and that¡¯s how I was made. I know how babies are made, so that¡¯s pretty scary to think about, you know, what happened to her. Then she died when I was born. That¡¯s all I know.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s ¡®they¡¯?¡± ¡°Annie and my grandparents. Well, my grandparents are certain of it, Annie probably too, but she¡¯s always been in denial. About a lot of things actually.¡± Joey leaned forward on the table, looking closely at Jack. ¡°You know she¡¯s an angel, don¡¯t you. I keep telling her she is, but she doesn¡¯t believe me. But you can tell because you¡¯re a demon, right?¡± ¡°I can, yes. These guys can¡¯t. But I¡¯ll explain all that later. Now, listen carefully, okay? Your ¡®father¡¯ for lack of a better term, is a really nasty, evil demon named Buriel. He got summoned to Earth somehow, and either your mom was involved in that or was in the wrong place at the wrong time.¡± ¡°Annie said she was hanging out with the wrong crowd. She¡¯d never summon a demon.¡± ¡°So Annabelle is actually related to your mom?¡± ¡°Yeah. Though she was adopted when she was a baby.¡± ¡°Annabelle was?¡± Jack looked at his friends, knowing they were thinking about possibilities of her origins. ¡±Interesting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not gonna hurt her, are you?¡± ¡°No. Definitely not.¡± Joey seemed to read the truth in that statement from his mind. ¡°Okay. But¡­why were you looking for me? Are you gonna take me to my dad? To Hell?¡± He scooted back slightly in his chair, his face filled with terror. ¡°You are. That¡¯s what you want from me.¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent my whole life trying to avoid going to Hell. So many times I¡¯ve wanted to kill myself because my life has been awful. My grandpa has tried to kill me so many times and condemned me because I¡¯m a demon, making me feel like the worst thing ever. I¡¯ve been locked in a room for eight years with nothing but music to keep me from crying every day. But I didn¡¯t kill myself because I know I¡¯ll go to Hell no matter how much I¡¯ve prayed and read the Bible and believed so hard. Don¡¯t take me there. I won¡¯t let you!¡± The lights flickered again, the sound of intense electricity filling the room. The outlets began to sizzle and Jack¡¯s heart pounded. ¡°No, Joey, we¡¯re not taking you anywhere. We¡¯re not doing anything to you. We need you. Here on Earth. We need your help.¡± There were tears in the boy¡¯s eyes as he looked at Jack. His aura was stronger now, still fainter than normal but almost entirely purple. Tentatively Jack connected, trying not to think about doing it, just doing it. Why-he cared-nice-scared-please-don¡¯t-nice Joey winced and Jack released him. I¡¯m not going to hurt you, he thought, hoping Joey could read it. I promise you. Please don¡¯t be scared. You are safe with me. I promise. The purple faded and Joey relaxed, the electric sensations dissipating from the room. But a blue aura remained, and the tears stayed. ¡°Listen, Joey,¡± Jack continued, his voice soft, ¡°Buriel is a terrible demon. He¡¯s so evil that literally every demon in Hell hates him. And that¡¯s saying a lot. The problem is, after he attacked your mom, he got away. Him and two of his dukes. They¡¯re still here on Earth somewhere, killing people. And we need to stop them before he causes a war.¡± Joey blinked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­trying to stop a demon from doing bad things?¡± ¡°Yes. Sounds crazy, I know, but believe it or not Lucifer actually wants to avoid a Holy War. Buriel has somehow gone mostly undetected for seventeen years, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before he kills the wrong person or gets too much power. So we¡¯ve been sent here to stop him.¡± ¡°How can I help? I don¡¯t know where he is.¡± ¡°I know. I was hoping maybe you¡¯d know more about that night, the attack on your mom. I do know that Buriel has taken a human form of some sort, which Dorian says is impossible unless he possessed a human somehow. Perhaps the humans that summoned him in the first place. I suppose Annabelle might know them?¡± ¡°She might. I can try to ask her maybe, but I know that whole thing is hard for her to talk about. She was really close to her sister¡­my mom. It actually feels weird to call her that because she didn¡¯t want me. I understand why, but still.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯ve had to go through so much and that you feel like ending it all. Please don¡¯t. The world needs you.¡± ¡°I stopped thinking like that after I moved in with Annie. She¡¯s always been the only one to ever care about me. She lets me be myself. That¡¯s something I never got to do.¡± ¡°And now you get to be even more like yourself. You are really powerful, but so is Buriel, and we might actually need your help in bringing him down. The four of us are strong, but we¡¯ll be even stronger with you. Will you help us?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jack smiled, relief flooding him. ¡°Thank you. Now, it would really help if you could get more information from Annabelle about that night, but you can¡¯t tell her that it¡¯s because of us. Insist it¡¯s just your own right to know.¡± ¡°Okay. I will.¡± Joey paused as he looked around at everyone. ¡°I think maybe if I¡¯m working with you guys, I also have a right to know more about you. What powers do you all have?¡± Cameron stood. ¡°Well, some of my powers are pretty easy to demonstrate.¡± He went to the sink and turned it on, letting the water flow for a couple seconds before placing his palm on the faucet. When it turned to wine, Joey gasped. ¡°I¡¯d offer you some wine,¡± Cameron said, ¡°but I think there¡¯s some law about that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s super cool, but how are you going to stop Buriel with that?¡± Cameron laughed. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t tried yet but I might be able to turn blood into wine too. Something to keep in mind. But my main thing is transforming objects. On my own I can turn one thing into another.¡± He picked up the square metal grill from the top of one of the stove burners and morphed it into a giant knife, its sharp tip gleaming in the light. ¡°Okay, now that is useful.¡± ¡°Yeah, but only if I have a material handy. If I don¡¯t, but I have these guys handy, I can turn organic material into metal. Gave Jack a steel throat once. Would have killed him fast if he weren¡¯t already dead.¡± Joey gaped. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± He looked at Jack and Miles. ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°My powers are similar to your mind control stuff,¡± Miles said. ¡°Usually just the power of suggestion, getting into their subconscious, making them do stuff. But now I¡¯ve learned that with a boost of power I can do the same to other demons, and it hurts them. Right, Jack?¡± ¡°Yeah. Felt like you were sucking out my brain.¡± ¡°And since Buriel has a human form, he¡¯s got a brain. At the very least I can distract him enough to give Jack an opportunity to do what he needs to.¡± Joey looked at Jack. ¡°And what is it you do?¡± Jack hesitated. As much as his friends had some pretty savage abilities, they weren¡¯t as deadly as his. But if he didn¡¯t tell the truth, the boy would read it from his mind anyway. ¡°I¡¯m a kind of demon called a Soul Reacher. I connect to the souls of humans and can read their emotions. If I choose to connect deep enough, I¡¯m able to¡­to¡­take their soul.¡± There was silence in the room as Joey stared. ¡°You kill people,¡± he whispered at last. ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone in a really long time. Many, many years. But yeah, I used to kill every day. Only certain types of people, those who were sinners but close to redemption. I never liked doing it. I hated it. But I had no choice. Miles was my partner, tempting certain people to steal so they would be closer to the line between Heaven and Hell. But now I can do the same to demons, as long as I share power with these guys. The plan is to make Buriel and his dukes my next victims.¡± Joey¡¯s faint aura gained more purple again, staring at Jack. Please don¡¯t hate me. Please don¡¯t be scared of me. I won¡¯t hurt you. I promise. When the boy relaxed once again, Jack was for once grateful that he could read his mind. He knew his companions would not approve of his words. And he knew at least Miles would know that he actually meant them. Chapter 24: Questions Joey looked back at Dorian, still leaning against the wall. ¡°So, does this mean you won¡¯t teach me after all? Like, does any of this matter anymore? Guitar lessons, all of that.¡± ¡°I will still teach you,¡± Dorian said. ¡°If anything, it will keep your aunt at bay. Plus, knowledge is power, I always say.¡± ¡°And you better stick with guitar lessons,¡± Jack said. ¡°I got you a present. I¡¯ll show you after you finish your school stuff.¡± Joey¡¯s heart lifted. After learning his hero had once been a murderer, the kindness from him helped soothe the disappointment. Once Cameron and Miles left the room, Dorian took his seat back and handed Joey a notebook and pencil that he¡¯d set aside for him. Though Jack was still at the table watching his bandmate, Dorian was clearly avoiding all eye contact with him. ¡°So, I¡¯ve done some research on what a student your age should be learning and what is required for this GED thing your aunt talked about. I don¡¯t know what you already know, so I¡¯m going to just teach you and you tell me if you know it already. You can take notes on there.¡± Dorian, now smiling, scooted closer and used his own notebook to begin explaining algebra concepts. Though Joey already knew a lot of it from reading his former tutor¡¯s mind, he didn¡¯t want to interrupt his new teacher. Instead, he made eye contact as if listening but was instead reading everything passing through the demon¡¯s brain. It was like walking through a giant library. He hadn¡¯t been to a library since elementary school, but the collections of knowledge in Dorian¡¯s mind was like the school library a thousand times over. It seemed like there were organized sections by subject, though he couldn¡¯t tell what they all were, but one section that he assumed was math was pouring out with thoughts floating by. It was so much smoother than that of his old tutor, whose mind was filled with more Biblical topics than anything else. Joey grabbed everything that passed by including what was planned to come out of his mouth in the future. ¡°Are you listening, kid?¡± Dorian¡¯s words broke him away from the sea of knowledge. ¡°Yeah.¡± Joey could tell that Dorian did not believe him. This kid has no appreciation for my knowledge. ¡°Yes I do,¡± Joey said. ¡°I¡¯ve read a lot of teachers¡¯ minds, but your brain is amazing. How do you know so much stuff?¡± Dorian¡¯s thoughts were almost amusing, going back and forth between being flattered and irritated. ¡°All right, kid, if you¡¯ve been listening and reading my mind, figure out this math problem.¡± Dorian wrote out an algebraic equation and pushed the paper to Joey, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. The equation was not one he¡¯d read in his mind, or had previously learned how to do, but he had seen the technique go by in Dorian¡¯s wave of knowledge and solved the problem in seconds. He pushed the paper back and smiled. Dorian raised an eyebrow and Joey read his thoughts of shock. ¡°Did you learn this already?¡± ¡°No. I read it in your mind. Something you were thinking of teaching me later.¡± ¡°Holy shit,¡± Dorian muttered, and Jack snorted. ¡°How do you know so much?¡± Joey asked, still thinking about the giant library in the regular sized head in front of him and compared it to what he¡¯d remembered seeing when Jack taught him guitar¡ªminimal book knowledge aside from music. ¡°It¡¯s like you know everything.¡± Dorian smiled suddenly. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t know everything, but I know almost everything. I guess since you know about us now, I can teach you a little demonology, if you¡¯re really interested in my intelligence.¡± Joey nodded vigorously. ¡°Okay. Now, you said you¡¯ve read the Bible, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. My grandpa¡¯s a preacher, owns a giant church, preaches on TV and stuff.¡± ¡°A televangelist?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Dorian snorted and shook his head. ¡°That explains a lot. Anyway, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve always thought of Hell as being all fire and brimstone, everyone burns forever, etc.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m afraid to go there. I don¡¯t want to burn forever.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t. Only the worst of the worst get eternal torment. But Hell is actually a very organized hierarchy of rulers serving under Lucifer, the Dark Lord, and each ruler has legions of servants below them. That¡¯s what we are, members of legions. Some of us are higher up in the hierarchy than others.¡± Dorian shot a look at Jack, who glared back. ¡°Anyway, servants are given powers by their rulers in order to do their assigned jobs. I work under a Great King named Asmoday whose specialty is the knowledge of everything. Every subject, anything you can think of. As a top member of one of his legions, I have been granted most of that same knowledge. At least the most important stuff. Everything needed for me to complete my job as an external servant here on Earth.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your job? Do you kill people with knowledge or something?¡± Dorian and Jack laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered the same thing,¡± Jack said. ¡°Enlighten us both, please.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Dorian took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°I do not kill people. What I do is find people who are questioning their beliefs in God. In the beginning I¡¯d find these people in places like libraries or community centers or among the homeless and I¡¯d talk to them or sneak them books that validated their questions, made them give up their religion. Atheism isn¡¯t a straight ticket to Hell, but if they were unlucky enough to talk to me, I would convince them that committing certain sins was okay. In these modern times, however, I¡¯ve begun doing my work on the computer, the internet, finding vulnerable and questioning people to teach them and groom them into Hell-bound humans. I¡¯ve been so successful at this that Asmoday has considered me his best servant. Probably why I was chosen for this mission.¡± He looked at Jack again. ¡°Unfortunately not everyone appreciates my gifts.¡± ¡°Impressive work, Dorian,¡± Jack said. ¡°You really do love kissing Asmoday¡¯s ass, don¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Shut up. I hear you kiss Andromalius¡¯s ass, so who are you to talk.¡± Joey looked back and forth between the two as they glared at each other. ¡°You guys don¡¯t like each other, do you.¡± ¡°Not a fan of assholes, no,¡± Jack said. ¡°And I¡¯m not a fan of having an earl servant from the west as a leader.¡± ¡°But I seem to remember something you said¡­what was it¡­oh yeah, something about me having a brilliant idea and that I was a decent leader.¡± ¡°Today proves I was wrong.¡± Joey tried to read their thoughts again, getting only If only he knew what else I told the boy from Jack before his new teacher demanded to continue lessons. As much as Joey still reveled in the vast knowledge he had access too, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disdain toward Dorian. Jack might be considered a murderer, but Joey felt more attached to him¡ªand somehow safer. * * * ¡°Are you ready?¡± Jack had taken Joey down to the basement to present his gift and to fill the remaining time in their day with guitar practice. The boy seemed to have forgotten his fear and disappointment from earlier, his aura yellow once again. The boy gasped when a shiny black guitar was taken from a hidden corner and presented to him. ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Yep. It¡¯s all yours. Now that you know about us, I can tell you that Cameron made it. He made a nice case for it too.¡± Jack showed him a black rectangular bag with a handle. ¡°He made all this stuff? From other stuff?¡± ¡°Yep. The wood is from a nightstand in one of the bedrooms, the electronics from the microwave we don¡¯t use, and the bag from some blankets and curtains. The strings are the real deal though, some extras I had.¡± ¡°This is amazing, thank you! And it¡¯s just like yours.¡± ¡°No problem. And if Annabelle asks, it¡¯s a cheap one I bought, okay?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Joey nodded. Jack took one of his guitars from the wall and sat on his stool across from Joey, who was looking at Dorian¡¯s basses. ¡°It¡¯s sad that you guys don¡¯t like each other,¡± he said. ¡°Is it hard to write music together? And tour together?¡± ¡°Sometimes. I can¡¯t deny that he¡¯s a great asset to the mission and that our music has a certain great flavor because of his ideas, but it is frustrating when he doesn¡¯t respect us in return. But it¡¯s not really all that surprising. The hierarchy he mentioned is very competitive among the servants. The higher you are, the ¡®better¡¯ you are. The Great Kings are only two steps down from Lucifer. Earls, like the one I work for, are way near the bottom, so in Dorian¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m trash. The rulers themselves don¡¯t seem to feel that way among each other, but for those of us damned to a life of servitude, there¡¯s a lot of competition and hatred. I thought Dorian was coming around, but I was wrong.¡± ¡°What about the other guys? They seem to like you. Do they work for earls too?¡± ¡°No. Miles is under a duke and Cameron is under a president, both higher than me. Miles and I have been friends for a long time, and Cameron¡¯s a decent enough guy to not even care about that sort of thing, or if he does, he keeps it to himself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of cool that demons have different personalities like that. Hearing my grandpa talk about them all the time always made it seem like they were just evil beasts. But I guess if I¡¯m a demon, that proves it¡¯s not true. I don¡¯t feel evil anyway.¡± Joey paused and looked curiously at Jack. ¡°Were you guys born into human bodies like me? Or is this just a human form and you¡¯re really like in the pictures where you have the red skin and horns and spikey tails?¡± Jack laughed. ¡°There isn¡¯t a single demon in Hell that looks like that. Some of the rulers have unique forms, but us servants, we look like this all the time.¡± ¡°Lucifer made you all look human?¡± ¡°No. We were born human. From human parents. Regular people. But when we died, well, we went to Hell.¡± Joey gaped. ¡°So, you were a real person that did something bad and went to Hell. What did you do?¡± Jack shrugged to hide the shudder as he remembered his first memory, the agony of everything being removed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. When we¡¯re demonized they remove all our memories from when we were alive so that it won¡¯t affect our work on Earth. We¡¯re given a new name and they change what we look like, at least slightly so we¡¯re not recognized. So I don¡¯t know anything about who I used to be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so sad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s part of our punishment for whatever it was we did. The removal is extremely painful, and we have to live eternally knowing that whatever life we lived is gone forever. I try not to think about it. I¡¯ve lived like this for so long now, but I still wonder sometimes.¡± ¡°How long have you been a demon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know exactly. Decades for sure. And I¡¯ll be like this forever.¡± ¡°Wow. So Hell¡¯s not a place where everybody burns, but it still sounds like a horrible place.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°It¡¯s where I¡¯m gonna go someday, isn¡¯t it. No matter what I do.¡± ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. You¡¯re the first ever of your kind. But interestingly you¡¯re protected by an angel, so maybe you¡¯re in luck.¡± After a pause, Jack said, ¡°She knows you¡¯re a demon but still protects you even though she¡¯s an angel.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe she is though. But she¡¯s got powers, healing powers. She hides it though. Only I know about it. And my mom knew. I think Annie¡¯s got some sort of psychic powers or something too, like she always knew when I was in danger. She¡¯d come to save me, always knew where I was. And she¡¯s said weird stuff sometimes, like I mentioned I wanted to kill myself and she said something about how she would die if I did that, like she needed me to live. But you know for sure she¡¯s an angel, right? How can you tell?¡± Jack thought about Annabelle¡¯s unique aura and knew Joey could see it in his mind. ¡°People have auras that I can see. I can tell from hers that she¡¯s an angel even though I¡¯ve never seen one before. I just know it.¡± ¡°Do I have one too?¡± ¡°Yeah, though it¡¯s faint. Demons don¡¯t normally have auras, so I wonder if maybe you have some human in you.¡± Joey smiled. ¡°So maybe Annie¡¯s right. She sees my mom in me, or so she says. So maybe it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Could be. You said Annabelle always knows when you¡¯re in danger. She doesn¡¯t feel that way about us?¡± Joey raised an eyebrow. ¡°Should she?¡± ¡°No. As long as you¡¯re with me, you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably why she¡¯s okay then. She has a crush on you.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Totally. I¡¯ve read it in her mind a bunch of times. It¡¯s super hilarious now that I know you¡¯re a demon.¡± ¡°Do not tell her. Don¡¯t let it slip because of that.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I swear.¡± Jack spent the rest of the time teaching scales and more complicated chords. Watching the boy excel, he couldn¡¯t help but think about Buriel. Despite having some sort of human quality, there was a lot of the terrible demon in him. His powers, his natural proficiency in music. He kept these thoughts for when Joey wasn¡¯t looking at him. The boy had some hope about himself now; no need to ruin it. Around 6 p.m. the doorbell rang and Jack led Joey back up the stairs with his new guitar. Annabelle stood just inside the door, looking at Dorian in particular with discomfort in her aura, though the demon was paying no attention to her while he sat on the couch with a book. She hadn¡¯t looked at him like that before. Perhaps she sensed some sort of danger as Joey had mentioned. She looked relieved to see Joey approach her and show her the notebook proving he¡¯d learned things that day. But her eyes strayed to Jack standing behind him. The pink aura was sudden. Jack finally knew what the color meant and had to hide a chuckle. ¡°Look, Annie,¡± Joey said, holding up the case in his hand. ¡°Jack got me a guitar! Now I can play at home too.¡± Looking at Jack in surprise, she said, ¡°You didn¡¯t. Please tell me you didn¡¯t spend a lot.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s just something to get him started.¡± Annabelle blushed. ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked tentatively at Dorian. ¡°And thank you, Dorian, for tutoring him. I hope he wasn¡¯t a bother to you.¡± Looking up from his book he said, ¡°Not at all. Smart kid. Makes my job easy.¡± As Jack bid them goodbye, he shared a last look with Annabelle, trying not to show his amusement. A demon and an angel. How crazy would that be? * * * Joey wanted to wait for the right time to question Annabelle. She had been tired after a long day of work that Friday night, and much of Saturday had consisted of getting Joey¡¯s furniture moved in and Annabelle¡¯s office dismantled to create a room for him. He felt guilty for intruding to the point of taking over an entire room of the apartment, and read many thoughts of frustration and exhaustion from her mind. But Sunday was not much better. He could easily sense the dread she had when preparing for church, and remembered her irritation when she¡¯d returned home the previous week. But he needed answers, if not just for him, but for his demon friends. Annabelle finally seemed mostly relaxed that evening, collapsing on the couch with the greatest sigh as if it were the first time she¡¯d been able to relax in ages. For a moment Joey thought he again shouldn¡¯t ask her anything about that night, that it would ruin her comfort. It had to be done. ¡°Annie,¡± he said softly, entering the living room. ¡°Can we talk please?¡± She sat up, looking concerned. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just I¡¯ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, now that I have the freedom to do that. Thinking about my past, where I came from, now that I have a future of some sort.¡± He paused, preparing himself for her reaction. ¡°I know that what you¡¯ve told me about that night isn¡¯t all that happened. I think I deserve to know. I¡¯m old enough to understand.¡± As Annabelle sighed, Joey read the words God help me please, then she patted the empty spot on the couch next to her. ¡°I understand that you want to know,¡± she began after he sat down. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered about where I came from too. But sometimes it¡¯s better to not know, especially when it¡¯s something painful and scary.¡± ¡°I can handle it. Please tell me. I have a right to know.¡± Annabelle nodded. ¡°Okay. You have to understand how hard it is for me. I was there. I saw it.¡± Joey raised his eyebrows. ¡°You saw it? Everything?¡± ¡°Not everything. Not the summoning and not what happened to Derek, her boyfriend. But I saw your mom get attacked.¡± Her eyes were tearing, her fingers fumbling in her lap. ¡°What did he look like? The demon.¡± ¡°Like a regular person. Looked to be in his twenties maybe, long hair. Same with the two guys that were with him. It didn¡¯t even occur to me at the time that they might be demons of some sort or possessed or something. But it¡¯s when they were about to kill her that I realized they might be.¡± ¡°What did they do?¡± ¡°One of them suddenly had a giant axe and was going to¡­¡± Joey tried to coax her to continue. ¡°Joey, I have to tell you something. The things that I¡¯ve done for you, finding you, saving you, those were all things I did for your mom too. She was my purpose. I knew she was in danger and where she was, where I could find her. Just like I do with you. And I felt myself dying when she died. I actually collapsed like I had died at the same moment. I had saved her that night, and took care of her while she was pregnant, but I couldn¡¯t save her in the end. But then it was like it transferred to you. You became my new purpose. And even though you came from evil in some way, I¡¯ve never given up because I know my purpose must be to keep you good.¡± She put her hand on his and squeezed. It seemed to make sense now, why an angel would protect a demon. Joey remembered what Jack had said about his aura, that it meant he could be part human. ¡°I¡¯m trying my best to be good,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe I am a bit like my mom after all.¡± Annabelle smiled. ¡°You are. And always remember that.¡± Going back to the visual of his mother under an axe, Joey asked, ¡°How did you save her that night?¡± ¡°Something¡­something happened to me while I was hiding in the trees. I had some sort of invisible power that I threw and knocked down that guy. Then I had some kind of shield power, protecting me when the one who attacked your mom was looking for me. Then he was going to kill her again so I threw something at him. This invisible something that just came out of my hand. The third guy set the trees on fire. It came out of his hand, I¡¯m almost certain of it. I had the shield again and it protected me from getting burned. It¡¯s never happened again, those weird powers. I even tried to consciously do it, but couldn¡¯t. It felt like all for nothing afterward, watching your mom suffer so much, and then I failed in the end.¡± She looked at him, a tear leaking from her eye though she smiled. ¡°But now there¡¯s you. It wasn¡¯t all for nothing.¡± Joey hugged her. Of all the kind things she¡¯d done for him, those words were the most meaningful of all. ¡°You know, this proves you¡¯re an angel. These guardian powers.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my halo and wings then?¡± Her smile and thoughts were of amusement. ¡°Modern angels don¡¯t need that stuff maybe.¡± Annabelle laughed. ¡°You can keep believing that, I¡¯ll keep living my life like a normal person, even if it¡¯s only to care for you.¡± She paused a moment, concern on her face. ¡°Did you feel safe on Friday?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± ¡°I was worried about you all day. There were a couple times when I got a feeling like you were in danger. Was there any time when Jack wasn¡¯t with you?¡± Joey thought it an odd question. ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t follow me in the bathroom to pee.¡± ¡°Besides that.¡± ¡°No. He actually was with me the whole time. That¡¯s kind of weird, come to think about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. Keep it that way please.¡± The sudden seriousness in her tone was jarring and he could tell it was not due to her secret crush. ¡°Okay. Why exactly?¡± ¡°Dorian. I have a weird feeling about him. As much as I appreciate a free tutor¡­Just stay with Jack, okay? I just feel better that way for some reason.¡± Knowing Annabelle¡¯s instincts against danger were never wrong, Joey promised to heed her warning. He vowed to himself to try harder to read the demon¡¯s secrets. Chapter 25: Breaking Down ¡°Why the fuck haven¡¯t you brought me the boy yet?¡± Lucifer stood tall over Jack as he knelt before him, the servant trying to hide his trembling. He knew it was highly likely that the Dark Lord would not think his new plan was a good idea. Actually, he was quite certain of it. ¡°Well, my lord, things have gotten a bit complicated as of late.¡± ¡°I do not want to hear those words!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry means nothing to me! Is it the angel? Is she your ¡®complication¡¯?¡± ¡°A bit, yes. We¡¯ve only just recently been able to convince her to leave the boy with us, without her supervision. He¡¯ll now be with us every day while she¡¯s at work. For tutoring.¡± ¡°Fine. What else is complicating things then? Is the boy being difficult?¡± ¡°Not exactly, my lord. He¡¯s very trusting of me. Unfortunately we discovered he has the ability to read minds. Direct reading of thoughts. It¡¯s proven hard to keep secrets from him.¡± Lucifer narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you telling me that he knows what you are? He knows the plan?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake!¡± The booming voice echoed in the throne room and Jack could not hide his terror. ¡°What does he know?¡± Jack swallowed hard. ¡°He found out we¡¯re demons. It was an accident. But¡ª¡± ¡°An accident? You just happened to let it slip? Or did he read your mind? Do not lie to me.¡± ¡°He read my mind.¡± ¡°And why do I get the sense that you¡¯re lying to me?¡± For a moment Jack wondered if Lucifer was able to actually sense his lie. He hesitated too long, however. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll find out for myself.¡± Lucifer bent down and grabbed Jack¡¯s hair, placing his other hand on the top of his head, gripping his skull. ¡°Tell me exactly when it happened or I¡¯ll analyze every moment of the past week.¡± Jack¡¯s heart pounded, knowing exactly what was coming. It didn¡¯t surprise him that Lucifer could analyze memories, but he was angry at himself for not thinking of it. ¡°Friday morning. Two days ago.¡± There was no warning. Immediately Lucifer¡¯s grip tightened and power went into his brain, searching through it for the right time since it was far enough in the past to be buried by recent events. Jack screamed the entire time, the pain increasing when the memories were found and pulled out quickly. It felt like part of his skull had been removed with it and he collapsed. Lucifer sat on his throne, reclining as he tossed the orb in front of him to watch. Jack watched too, grateful there was no sound, but it didn¡¯t matter. Everything was there to see: Joey arriving at their house, his immediate questioning of his past, the argument with Dorian, and the conversation that spilled everything. Though Lucifer could not hear what Jack said, he could clearly read the response from Joey. The Dark Lord sat up, waved away the orb, and glared at Jack. ¡°You told him. You sat there and told him everything.¡± He stood from his throne and approached the kneeling demon, bringing him to his feet by his hair, sending him flying against the wall, and slamming his fist into the middle of his chest. Jack felt every rib shattering into tiny pieces as if the power from the hit had spread through each one. He fell back to his knees, clutching his chest, every breath agony. ¡°I can explain, my lord,¡± he croaked. ¡°I know what I saw. I ought to bring 0192 and 1301 here for punishment too, showing their powers like fools. But that¡¯s no excuse to tell him everything.¡± Lucifer paused a moment. ¡°Though he didn¡¯t react when you explained the plan. To bring him to me. Why not?¡± ¡°Because I didn¡¯t tell him that. I came up with another idea. His trust was waning, I had to.¡± Jack had to stop between every sentence to take a slower breath. ¡°What did you tell him then? Do. Not. Lie!¡± ¡°I told him we were looking for Buriel and that we needed his help to take him down. He has access to information that can help us. We can use him.¡± ¡°What information? The angel?¡± ¡°Yes. I already have some, and he¡¯s promised to get more.¡± Lucifer looked at him curiously. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± Jack explained how Annabelle had been adopted as a baby, that she had healing powers and could sense danger, and that she was in denial about being an angel. He told of how Joey only knew his mother had been attacked by a demon and nothing more, and confirmed that the angel was related to her. ¡°I¡¯m hoping he¡¯ll bring good news tomorrow, something to help us start a search. With your blessing, of course, my lord.¡± With a snort, Lucifer began to pace. ¡°With my blessing, you say. You apparently think it¡¯s okay to just change up what I¡¯ve been planning for years. The boy is in the palm of your hand, and you do the exact opposite of what I told you to do. Blatantly defying my orders. Do you know what happens to those who defy my orders?¡± Jack knew he was about to find out. ¡°They¡¯re punished.¡± ¡°Indeed. Which you shall receive. However, I will allow this new plan to commence. Buriel has been free for far too long, and I¡¯m tired of listening to Beelzebub and the kings whining about it. Use the boy as long as his and your powers remain secret from all others, especially the angel. There will be dire consequences if you screw that up. What I¡¯m about to do to you will be nothing in comparison. Do you understand?¡± There was no preventing his severe trembling. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Lucifer approached, and Jack could not look at him. ¡°Oh,¡± the Dark Lord said, ¡°I¡¯d also like you to write some new music, and I¡¯ll be sure Caleos pushes it more. Additional bait for Buriel.¡± Jack was picked up by his throat and tossed onto his back. The supreme leader knelt and placed his hand on Jack¡¯s broken chest, extreme heat flashing from it and into his heart. Instantly the blood within it was replaced with something that felt like lava, pumping through his body to fill every vessel, every artery, every vein with the boiling liquid. Without blood everything stopped, his lungs no longer able to breathe, his heart no longer beating, his brain sensing nothing but the pain of everything inside melting. He could see nothing, hear nothing, only existing as a pile of agony. * * * Jack woke up to see faces he didn¡¯t recognize, three shirtless males expressionless. Servants looking down on him as he lay on a stone slab. In moments they were joined by someone he did recognize. The leopard head peered down at him, his black eyes scrutinizing, his furry brow furrowed. President Os¨¦ put his front paws on Jack¡¯s chest and pushed down in various places. The ribs were solid once again. Though he didn¡¯t have opposable thumbs, he was able to pick up Jack¡¯s arms and legs with both paws to examine them. He walked around the table, upright just like Amdusias, his black robe flowing behind him. After a look into his eyes, Os¨¦ said, ¡°You¡¯re good. A lucky one. Or should I say unlucky.¡± The chuckle came out like a hoarse purr. ¡°That was a new one for me. Dealt with things like boiling water or gasoline or other chemicals for blood, but lava? Count on Lucifer to come up with something like that. What did you do to piss him off so much?¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sitting up, Jack could still feel a tingle of pain all over. ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± he said. Another chuckle purr. ¡°Well, off with you. The Dark Lord insisted you return to Earth immediately once you¡¯re awake whether you can walk or not.¡± Jack fell to the ground upon trying to stand up, two of the servants having to pick him up and handing him over to guards that assisted him toward Gaap¡¯s seal to Earth. He was eventually steady enough to slowly hobble down the tunnel and through the portal. But once back in the kitchen of his house, he had to lean against the wall to keep upright. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Miles jumped from his chair where he sat with the others around the table and put his hands on Jack¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for hours.¡± ¡°Hours?¡± Jack mumbled. ¡°Felt like years.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it. I need to sit down.¡± He took his chair and reluctantly looked at the other two demons at the table. Cameron¡¯s eyes were wide as he bit his lip, and Dorian simply stared, waiting. Jack was in no mood to try to read him. Instead, he sighed and rested his aching head on his hand. ¡°You gotta tell us what happened,¡± Miles said. ¡°It obviously didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put it this way: I needed a long visit to Os¨¦ afterwards.¡± ¡°I knew he wouldn¡¯t like your plan,¡± Dorian said. Jack glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re real fucking lucky he didn¡¯t call you back for the same treatment. He analyzed me and saw what you did. Saw it all. But I got all the punishment. So fuck you to Hell and back a hundred times, asshole.¡± There was silence in the room, Dorian looking down at his hands on the table. Cameron finally spoke. ¡°He saw me too, then.¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man. Didn¡¯t even think about him analyzing you.¡± Jack sighed again. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. He agreed to it in the end. We¡¯re going after Buriel. And he wants us to write new music, too.¡± He stood and walked toward the door to the upstairs apartment. ¡°I¡¯m going to lay down.¡± When he reached the top of the stairs he heard footsteps behind him and knew it was Miles without even looking. He allowed his friend to follow him in and down the hall to his room. ¡°Jack. Talk to me.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We¡¯re absolutely fucked. I can feel it. You¡¯re¡­disconnected. I don¡¯t know how else to describe it. You don¡¯t have to tell me what he did to you, but I just know that something is missing now, and we¡¯re fucked if you don¡¯t¡­well, reconnect or something. You got more soul power than any of us realized. You gotta fix it. Do some soul power shit or something.¡± Jack knew Miles was right. The disconnection, the spilling of emotions all around them that had happened when they first arrived had occurred yet again, but worse. Music had been the remedy for it. But now he had little motivation to do it, or even be in the same room with his bandmates. Except Miles. His friend had felt the connection too. That was one he wanted to fix. ¡°I can fix us,¡± he said. ¡°You and me. The others¡­¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re pissed. You should be. But Cameron is legitimately remorseful. And I know you¡¯re the kind of guy that can easily forgive, something no demon is really capable of doing. I think we¡¯re the odd ones out, considering I never thought I¡¯d say something like that. You¡¯re turning me into a nice guy. And yeah, Dorian is a piece of shit, but as much as I wish we didn¡¯t need him, we do.¡± Miles shook Jack gently by the shoulders. ¡°You gotta fix this. Only you can.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°One at a time. Let me rest for a while, then you and I go downstairs and jam. Just us, okay?¡± ¡°Deal.¡± * * * The connection with Miles was repaired within minutes as they improvised together, coming up with random riffs and melodies and dueling solos. Jack kept thinking about Miles¡¯s comments regarding his ¡°soul power¡± and how only he could fix their broken team. Indeed, without the strength pumping through from Miles, and surely the other two, he would not be able to take down Buriel and his dukes. When Cameron came down the stairs, unable to hide his desire to join them, Jack invited him to jam. The happiness that exuded from the drummer proved that his earlier apology had been sincere. Jack wondered if he felt the missing connection too, but decided not to ask. It soon became a powerful triangle, the music holding the repaired connections tightly together. Soul power. As much as he wanted it to be enough, he knew it wasn¡¯t. The missing piece was on his mind, fighting with the grudge that had seemed to peak. He buried it, wanting to enjoy what he had already put back together. After hours of putting pieces of songs together, a sound came from the stairs. Dorian stood there, hands in his pockets, watching them. The rest stared back, and Jack expected him to make a snarky comment about what they had written, that he could make it better. But no such words came. Miles and Cameron looked at Jack. Only one person could take in the missing piece. Only one could fix the broken connection that spread across the room between them. ¡°If you have something constructive to add, you can join us,¡± he said at last. Dorian nodded and took one of his basses. He asked them to play something they¡¯d written, and as they did, he listened intently as if calculating in detail. ¡°Again,¡± he said when they¡¯d finished, and he began to play along, whatever he had put together in his head coming together in the mix. The connection was slow to repair, and Jack knew it was as much because of his own hesitancy to allow it as it was Dorian. But it had to be done. He finally lifted the barrier entirely, leaving it up to the bassist, who soon released his own tension and the connection was back. The room was clear again, and as Jack looked at each of his bandmates in turn, there was no doubt they all felt it too. Their power was back. * * * Cameron had made a fifth chair from another nightstand so they could all sit with Joey at the dining table. There was no question what their first order of business would be. ¡°She actually saw it happen,¡± Joey said. ¡°The attack at least. She said one of the guys pulled an axe out of literally nowhere, and the other guy set the trees on fire when she sneak-attacked them.¡± ¡°Wait, Annabelle attacked them?¡± Jack asked, everyone¡¯s eyes wide. ¡°I thought she just had healing powers.¡± ¡°I did too. But she said some weird random powers of throwing invisible things just came out, and that she hasn¡¯t been able to do it again. It got them to leave, though. It saved my mom.¡± Dorian sat back in his chair and rubbed his chin. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s likely that she was the angel¡¯s original assignment.¡± ¡°God knew this would happen?¡± Miles asked. ¡°She¡¯d get attacked by a demon someday so here¡¯s an angel for later?¡± ¡°No. God knows a lot, but nothing that specific. If he knew that sort of thing, he¡¯d send millions of angels to take down every demon working on Earth. There¡¯s got to be more to it than that.¡± Dorian suddenly sat up again and leaned on the table. ¡°It¡¯s my understanding that angels ¡®die¡¯ or go back to Heaven when their assigned human dies. She didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°She almost did,¡± Joey said. ¡°She told me she pretty much dropped dead when I was born and my mom died. But then she came back to life or something and it transferred to me for some reason. Her power of protection and all that.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s bizarre. A guaranteed Heavenly decision there. Wow.¡± Jack found it fascinating, but mostly by watching Dorian get blown away by things that went against everything he knew. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to need to ponder that one for a bit. In the meantime, what did you learn about the attackers? Did she know them?¡± ¡°No. Never seen them before. She described them as all having long hair, looking like they were in their twenties. The guy that raped my mom had dark hair, the others had lighter hair. But they were too far away to get a good look at their faces.¡± ¡°Just like all their victims described,¡± Jack said. ¡°Victims?¡± Joey raised his eyebrows. Jack explained his time working at the intake of Hell, analyzing the auras of every human that arrived and questioning those he discovered had been murdered by Buriel and his dukes. ¡°Mind control, sharp weapons, and fire. Their specialties.¡± Pointing at Jack, Miles said, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could ask Lucifer to let you see any analysis of those memories. Get an exact look.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°Yeah, right. After yesterday¡¯s lovely torture session I doubt he¡¯d be willing to share something so confidential.¡± ¡°If they even still have it,¡± Dorian added. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, Cameron, but all memories removed when demonized are kept among the northern rulers, not general analysis.¡± Cameron shrugged. ¡°I worked for Zagan, dude. He didn¡¯t do that stuff. How would I know?¡± Dorian sighed, muttering something about ¡°useless.¡± ¡°Your Great King is Balam, is it not?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you know what he does?¡± ¡°He knows a lot. Super witty apparently.¡± Cameron chuckled. ¡°At least that¡¯s what Zagan says. Never met the guy.¡± ¡°Yes. But what does he know?¡± ¡°Random shit.¡± Dorian covered his face with his hands. ¡°You¡¯re saying you don¡¯t know?¡± Miles asked Dorian. With a glare, Dorian sat up straight again. ¡°I¡¯m just getting the Great Kings mixed up. I¡¯m not from the north, I don¡¯t have an interest in their hierarchies.¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re thinking of Purson,¡± Cameron said. ¡°His whole hierarchy is about knowing secrets and stuff. If our memories are ¡®secret¡¯ from us, bet he has all that. As for analysis, no clue, man.¡± ¡°My guess is not. I¡¯d say it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask, but¡­¡± Jack stared at him through narrowed eyes, but Dorian did not look at him. Joey looked around the table, face full of fascination. ¡°Wow. There¡¯s different parts with different rulers and stuff in Hell? Where was Buriel from?¡± ¡°Nowhere,¡± Dorian said. ¡°He¡¯s a wandering prince, so he¡¯s not tied to any Great King. Goes all around Hell slaughtering servants for fun. He has twelve dukes under him usually, but apparently he only kept his two favorites for his Earthly adventure. Merosiel and Drusiel.¡± ¡°Where would I go?¡± Joey¡¯s fascination included fear. Dorian did not answer, instead glancing at Jack. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty special case,¡± Jack said. ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t go there at all.¡± He ignored the glare from across the table. ¡°Anyway,¡± Dorian said at last, ¡°we can try some searches for missing persons that match the descriptions we know. Try to get names or possible sightings. Then if you want, Jack, you can ask Lucifer this weekend if he has details on Buriel¡¯s human form.¡± ¡°We need to give him something, show him we¡¯re actually trying on our own.¡± ¡°Tell him about the angel. What we just learned.¡± Joey gasped. ¡°You¡¯re gonna tell Lucifer about Annie? He¡¯ll want to hurt her!¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t,¡± Jack said, hoping his reassurance came through. ¡°Hurting her would ruin the mission anyway. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± I promise. I¡¯ll make sure of it. Getting his mind read was really coming in handy. Chapter 26: The First Memory Joey was grateful that Jack remained at the table during his lessons, even though the demon seemed incredibly bored by it all. It was like having two guardian angels, or one angel and a guardian demon as Joey began to refer to him as, though he kept that secret from him. And Annabelle had become more relaxed about leaving him during the day as the week went on, as Joey assured her that Jack was taking good care of him. He had never felt safer while away from her. Dorian didn¡¯t seem to be a threat now, especially since there wasn¡¯t as much tension between him and Jack for the time being. And he couldn¡¯t deny how much fun he was having soaking up all the knowledge floating around in Dorian¡¯s head. And to his surprise, Dorian was starting to act excited to share more and more of it, no longer anxious about having his mind read. By Wednesday, Joey sensed that Dorian¡¯s mind was open wider, like the library doors had expanded and were completely open, subconsciously welcoming him in. He couldn¡¯t resist the temptation in front of him; after soaking in the lesson of the moment, Joey ignored everything being said, instead sifting through whatever he could find. Things completely unrelated to what was being taught. While Dorian¡¯s brain was going through geometry collections, Joey was studying the demonology, or while Dorian was thinking about world history, Joey was learning about science. That part of his brain was one of the biggest and densest, and since Joey had not learned much of it due to his religious-based education, he wanted to know it all. Know as much as his teacher. Finally he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. ¡°You know a lot about science stuff,¡± he said, even though it was irrelevant to the current topic. ¡°Can you teach me that?¡± Dorian¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Sure. What kind of science in particular?¡± ¡°Anything. Everything. All of it.¡± ¡°Okay. Well, since we¡¯ve done a lot of algebra, we can talk about physics. It¡¯s one of my favorite topics.¡± ¡°Yes please.¡± And the science section spilled out, seeming to engulf Dorian¡¯s brain and taking over everything else. There was a strange excitement taking place, a passion Joey had not seen before from his teacher. He dug through the massive pile of physics information, not able to take it all in as fast as he normally would. Something told him to keep digging, to find the end as if looking through a giant pile of books to find what was at the bottom. Then he saw it. A picture. A faint one. Only the hazy form of a man standing behind a dark counter, a tall, long desk of some sort with unidentifiable objects scattered on top around the hands that lay on top. Only the man¡¯s hands, arms and chest were visible, dressed in a casual suit that included a dark jacket and white buttoned shirt with no tie. He studied it hard, trying to see it clearer, but his subject pulled away. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dorian asked, rubbing his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re like Jack and can hold me hostage in my head.¡± Joey ignored the comment. ¡°Were you maybe a teacher when you were human?¡± There was silence at the table, Jack looking surprised while Dorian stared in annoyance. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was when I was human. All my memories were removed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Trust me. I remember the procedure extremely well and remember nothing from before it. Quit digging through my brain like that. It hurts. You want me to teach this to you or what?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Joey went back to his usual sponge-like intake of the information at the forefront of Dorian¡¯s mind, though the picture he had seen tempted him greatly. He could think of no other reason for it; Dorian had said all his earthly work was done in public places, not in classrooms. It had to be an old memory from long ago. Something left behind. During his afternoon guitar lesson, he decided to try it with Jack. He¡¯d possibly be more receptive to having him dig into his mind. But having to look down at his guitar repeatedly kept him from digging too deep. ¡°You¡¯re trying to do what you did to Dorian, aren¡¯t you.¡± Joey opened his mouth to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say. Had he been that obvious? ¡°What did you see in him?¡± ¡°Just a picture of someone in a classroom. I couldn¡¯t see a face. Maybe it was nothing.¡± He read the curious thoughts from Jack, a hesitation to ask him for the same information. ¡°You want me to try with you?¡± ¡°I guess if you want.¡± ¡°Okay. Think about music or what you¡¯re teaching me.¡± Joey dove in gently. What was inside was drastically different from Dorian. No overwhelming sections of knowledge crammed in every corner. They were smaller and more sporadic, the largest being the one currently spilling musical knowledge. The others seemed more general, likely regular information on human living. But there were seemingly untouchable areas, however, that looked more like bubbles or balloons, colorful and opaque. He chose to leave them alone, instead focusing on the main subject of music. He dug through it all just like he had with Dorian, looking for the bottom of the pile, the end of the cluttered hall. But there was nothing there other than knowledge. No picture. No memory. Joey pulled away and Jack squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his head. ¡°Sorry if that hurt,¡± Joey said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything like I did with Dorian.¡± ¡°Well, I can tell you for sure I was not a musician when I was human. I was given this ability by another demon specifically for this mission.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s cool. Though I was kind of hoping you¡¯d have been a musician before, too.¡± Jack smiled, but behind it Joey read the thoughts of disappointment. If there was one person he wanted to find the truth about, it was his guardian demon. * * * It was getting harder for Joey to hide his annoyance at Annabelle¡¯s change in demeanor upon being in Jack¡¯s presence twice a day. Even though it was never for more than a couple of minutes, it seemed to be the highlight of her day. She was getting more talkative, and at first it seemed like Jack was just listening to be polite or was just as amused at her not entirely subtle interest, but soon he changed. That Wednesday, instead of reading Annabelle¡¯s usual thoughts of gushing that she couldn¡¯t suppress, Joey started to read Jack. He was looking more interested, casually leaning against the door frame as he encouraged conversation with her. But his thoughts were strange, not the usual sentence structure, just bursts of words, somewhat muffled. Words that seemed odd coming from him. They were more fitting for Annabelle. Wow¡ªsweet¡ªcare There were long, staticky pauses between words. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Nice¡ªbetter Jack was smiling, but with all the strange words flying through, Joey couldn¡¯t tell what was driving it. Handsome¡ª The smile broadened and Joey couldn¡¯t prevent himself from rolling his eyes. It wasn¡¯t until they finally bid goodbye that normal thoughts returned to Jack¡¯s head. I like this. Her. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Joey,¡± Annabelle said, her scowl showing she had not missed his irritated expression. As they walked down the street to where the car was parked she said, ¡°I wish you would mind your own business once in a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°Well, I think you should work on that. I¡¯d like to have a private life if possible.¡± Joey sighed. He knew she was right. But he wasn¡¯t comfortable letting this one go. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should get involved with him.¡± She scrutinized him. ¡°Why not? Is he bad? Should I be worried about you?¡± ¡°No, no, nothing like that.¡± He struggled to find a reason that didn¡¯t involve the truth. ¡°It would just be awkward.¡± They reached the car and got in, but Annabelle wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t get into a relationship with him anyway. Atheists are off limits, obviously.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not atheist.¡± Annabelle paused her movement of starting the car. ¡°He¡¯s not? He¡¯s a believer?¡± Joey saw thoughts of hope. ¡°Technically, yeah. But still¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s still off limits anyway.¡± Annabelle started the car, disappointment returning. ¡°He¡¯s in a secular heavy metal band. Can you imagine Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s reaction if I brought him home? I¡¯m just going to enjoy him from afar, and you¡¯re going to mind your own business.¡± As they drove off, Joey tried to read her through the corner of his eye. Without a full view he couldn¡¯t get full thoughts. But she seemed to be hesitating to say something. ¡°What?¡± he said finally. ¡°Did you¡­read his mind too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did he say anything about me? In his thoughts, I mean.¡± Joey thought about lying, telling her Jack hadn¡¯t been thinking about her, but her hopeful thoughts tugged at him. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What was it? Does he think I¡¯m annoying? No dirty thoughts, I hope.¡± ¡°No. Just that he likes you.¡± Annabelle smiled, quite content for the rest of the ride home. The only reprieve Joey had was that Annabelle would keep herself out of reach for the very reason she had stated. Her parents would never accept someone like Jack. That night, after retiring to his room, Joey got out his tablet, its bright screen highlighting his face in the otherwise dark room. He pulled up a search engine, but struggled to think of what might give him good results about Dorian¡¯s human life. Of course more than one teacher had died over time, and with no name or age or location to go by, he knew he¡¯d never find Dorian¡¯s former life. He searched for ¡°teacher death¡± and had a variety of results from all over, mostly from more recent years and spread all over the country. None of the teachers were science teachers that he could tell. Jack had said he¡¯d been a demon for decades; perhaps Dorian had been as well. But how many decades? He decided to try ¡°teacher death 2000¡± but nothing stood out to him as possibly being Dorian. He tried 2001 and 2002, then gave up. Even if he did the same search for every single year, there was no guarantee he¡¯d find him. He needed to narrow it down. He needed to question Dorian further. But what to ask someone who had no clues to give was the biggest roadblock of all. * * * ¡°I¡¯ve found a handful of missing humans that Buriel and his gang may have...borrowed.¡± Dorian was at the computer in the studio, surrounded by his bandmates and Joey. ¡°None of them are from the area, though. And in no case are all three mentioned together. There¡¯s a set of two in New York, and another different set in California. All the rest are just about one person. We really need more details on what the attackers look like.¡± ¡°In other words, you want me to ask Lucifer to let me see any possible analysis they¡¯ve saved,¡± Jack said. ¡°Well¡­¡± Dorian hesitated to meet his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. It would help. And maybe if Lucifer can understand that it¡¯s important for our plan, he¡¯ll let you.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t often listen to reason.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that. This whole mission is born of his lack of reasoning. The other option is to ask the angel, and I can assure you that will open up a very dangerous door.¡± ¡°I doubt she¡¯d recognize them anyway,¡± Joey said. ¡°All right.¡± Jack sighed and rubbed his head. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him. But if I get tortured again, I¡¯m taking it out on you.¡± Joey wondered what torture he was talking about. It was the second time he¡¯d mentioned it. He thought perhaps he could ask him during their guitar lesson, but with the thoughts of dread flashing through the demon¡¯s mind, Joey decided it might be a bad idea. Besides, he had more pressing questions to ask Dorian instead. Since Joey had been excelling so much at the algebra and geometry he¡¯d been taught in such a short time, Dorian offered more advanced topics like calculus. ¡°As much as I love talking about science topics, and I¡¯m glad it interests you, we¡¯re going to take a break on that for now. I don¡¯t enjoy having my brain sifted through like a junk drawer.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Joey agreed. ¡°Can I ask you something first though?¡± ¡°You can ask.¡± ¡°Your job that you talked about, where you got people to drop their religion, where did you do that? Did you travel all over or stay in the same place?¡± ¡°My region was all of Texas. Occasionally I¡¯d get sent to Oklahoma or Arkansas, but that was rare. We all have assigned regions. Jack and Miles did the Midwest, and I think Cameron said he was in California somewhere. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just curious. This demon stuff is interesting. I still don¡¯t like being one, but it¡¯s just so different from all I¡¯ve ever been told.¡± As Dorian began his calculus lesson, Joey soaked up everything he could before pretending to listen while he pondered his teacher. What if their work location was the same place they had died? They had their appearance and name changed, it could be possible. He would narrow his search down more by location, but didn¡¯t have his hopes up. And what if that picture he found wasn¡¯t even Dorian? He knew he¡¯d eventually get another chance to see it, maybe get a clearer look if he tried hard enough. While watching Dorian write out equations in the notebook, Joey stared at his hands, trying to memorize their shape just in case they hadn¡¯t been changed. Every inch, every crease of each knuckle, the shape of every fingernail. If he could remember that, he could compare to the hands in the picture. All he needed now was to access that picture again. * * * Something very strange was happening. Strange but quite enjoyable. And very, very wrong. So wrong that Annabelle thought she might go to Hell just for pondering the possibility. He¡¯s a believer. It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not wrong. The idea of inviting him to church had crossed Annabelle¡¯s mind a few times since Joey had told her of Jack not being an atheist as she had thought. Such an invitation had never been difficult for her before. She¡¯d been able to encourage quite a few people to join their church. But for some reason, this time it felt awkward. Too awkward to follow through. But if she could get him to come to church and make a good impression¡ªwhich she was certain he would, as he had made an excellent impression on her¡ªthen he wouldn¡¯t be forbidden, perhaps even accepted by her parents. But the words would never come out. She wished the guide voice would show up, give her some confidence, even insist she do it. Though the last time she¡¯d heard it, she defied it, so maybe that wouldn¡¯t even help after all. No, she would need a different tactic, something that would get their conversation away from the front door and Joey¡¯s prying eyes. Some way to become friends instead of acquaintances. Yes, then it would be easier. Maybe. But for days she was too busy being mesmerized. It felt so weird to call it that, but there was no other word to describe it. When she looked into his eyes it was like something warm was going through her and into her heart. No, her soul. By Friday she finally decided to try. ¡°So,¡± she began, ¡°are you busy on Sunday?¡± Her heart sank as he almost immediately became uncomfortable. ¡°Actually, Sundays aren¡¯t good days for me. Music business meetings and stuff. You know.¡± ¡°Meetings on a Sunday?¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, it seems weird probably but that¡¯s just how it is. But¡±¡ªhe stood up straight suddenly, the smile that had disappeared now coming back¡ª¡°I¡¯m free any other day. Or night. Whenever.¡± Things were now much more awkward than she had expected. She didn¡¯t want it to seem like she was asking him out on a date. That would be very weird. ¡°Oh. Well¡­¡± She looked at Joey, who was standing at the bottom of the steps with his arms crossed, looking at both of them. ¡°I¡¯ll see. Maybe. Something sometime. Or something.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°Sure. See you Monday then.¡± Thankfully, Joey waited until they were in the car before he berated her. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to listen to me, are you. Why would you? Of course. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s a bad idea.¡± ¡°Joey, I was just¡ª¡± ¡°Inviting him to church. I know. But he thinks you want a date, and he wants one too. This is weird, so just stop, okay?¡± Annabelle sighed. ¡°Is there something I should know about him? Something bad? Because you are freaking out over a little crush.¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s not¡­bad. I told you, it¡¯s just weird and awkward.¡± ¡°Well, if it makes you feel better, I will not be asking him out von a date. Call me old fashioned, but that¡¯s just¡­abnormal.¡± ¡°And if he asks you out? Then what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say yes, obviously.¡± Joey groaned and leaned his head back against the seat. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s off limits anyway?¡± ¡°It would just be to get to know him better. That¡¯s hard to do when you and his friends are hovering around.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± Joey grumbled, slumping in his seat with arms crossed again. That was all it would be. Becoming friends rather than acquaintances. There was nothing wrong with that. Chapter 27: Memories Lucifer sat on his throne, rubbing his chin as he listened to Jack tell everything he¡¯d learned about the night of Buriel¡¯s summoning, including the surprise powers the angel apparently had. Jack hoped it would help solidify Lucifer¡¯s agreement to not harm Joey, that it would be too dangerous. But the Dark Lord¡¯s expression was difficult to read. It was impossible to tell if it would be safe to ask about the memories. ¡°Fascinating information,¡± Lucifer said at last. ¡°An angel that chased away three powerful demons all on her own. Well, with divine intervention it seems. Dangerous times are ahead, Soul Reacher.¡± Not sure what was meant, Jack stayed silent. ¡°And how is the angel around you? Is she still cautious?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine with me, my lord. Quite comfortable, actually.¡± Jack refrained from mentioning the pink aura and its meaning. ¡°Very good. Make sure it stays that way. It seems that for now any divine intervention she might have access to has not detected what you are. And the boy has successfully kept his mouth shut as well.¡± ¡°Yes. He understands the consequences of her knowing.¡± ¡°Excellent. Now the four of you just need to keep your powers to yourself. How is the new music coming along?¡± ¡°Quite well, my lord. I apologize that we haven¡¯t been moving as quickly as before.¡± ¡°No matter. Caleos tells me we shouldn¡¯t rush to get it out there anyway. Says you need to tour more. That¡¯s what bands do, apparently. So you should get 1301 to work on that. I trust he will handle things as well as before.¡± ¡°He will.¡± ¡°That could help find Buriel as well, perhaps. Speaking of, do you have any leads, anything to make me not regret allowing your plan to replace mine?¡± ¡°Yes. Dor¡ªI mean 0192 has found some potential humans. Missing persons that match the descriptions we¡¯ve heard about the three that were possessed. We think if we can find which ones are the actual humans, it could help us track them down.¡± ¡°Fine. Get on that then.¡± Now was his only chance. ¡°My lord, I do have a request about that.¡± Lucifer scowled. ¡°If you dare try to change the plan again¡­¡± ¡°No, no change in plans. But may I ask a question?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°The humans that I found when I worked with Gasyaxe, were their memories analyzed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is it possible for me to see them? If they¡¯re kept, that is.¡± The scowl deepened. ¡°And why in Hell would I allow you that privilege?¡± ¡°If the memories show the faces of the killers, it would help us determine which of the humans we found were the actual ones. Much faster than if we tried to track them all.¡± Lucifer stared at Jack for a long while. Jack tried to take it as a positive, that the Dark Lord was strongly considering the request. Then he stood and approached, and Jack worried he was within seconds from having lava blood once again. ¡°I will accompany you,¡± Lucifer said finally. ¡°No servants have ever been allowed in Purson¡¯s library, not even his own servants, for obvious reasons. But it would be foolish of me to have kept the death memories of those humans you found and not use them for our purpose. Come.¡± Jack stood and was led by guards alongside his leader as they made their way to the north end of Hell through a special portal that led directly into King Purson¡¯s castle. It didn¡¯t look much like a castle at all but rather a massive library both endlessly wide and long with neatly lined up shelves. The first set of shelves to his left had the sigil of Duke Aim, the shelves containing dark yet clear, melon-sized spheres. Jack realized they were the stolen memories of every external servant under the duke¡¯s domain. Everything that had been a part of their human lives, every moment they had ever lived, was captured, stolen, and kept in a dusty sphere for eternity. Since the shelves began with Aim, Jack assumed the sections were alphabetical by ruler. Perhaps the memories of those under Andromalius weren¡¯t too far away. His memories. ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it, servant.¡± The voice was not that of Lucifer. It was a gruff growl, and Jack turned to see a strong man glaring at him with the face of a lion, fur and teeth included. He wore a giant viper on his shoulders like a shawl, and rode toward his visitors on a black bear. ¡°If you weren¡¯t here with the Dark Lord,¡± Purson continued, ¡°I¡¯d have Brutus chew you up for a snack.¡± The bear growled and began to drool. Jack assumed he was the Brutus in question and stopped looking at the shelves. ¡°My Lord,¡± Purson said to Lucifer, ¡°to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?¡± ¡°This servant here is the Soul Reacher currently assigned to Earth. I wish for him to see the memories of Buriel¡¯s victims.¡± Purson blinked a few times, then looked from Lucifer to Jack and back. ¡°Pardon me for questioning, my lord, but why are you allowing a servant to view confidential information?¡± ¡°Do not question me, Purson. It was a decision I did not make lightly. Now, let¡¯s do this quickly.¡± Purson bowed as best he could while on his mount, then turned and led his visitors toward an unmarked shelf to their right. ¡°Do you want him to see them all?¡± ¡°Whichever ones will give the clearest picture of the human bodies used to commit the murders.¡± There seemed to be a lot of spheres on the shelf. Jack wondered if they were all from victims, and if they were, there were more than he remembered catching. ¡°There are two that are particularly clear,¡± Purson said. ¡°I must admit that I still watch them on occasion. Though I don¡¯t approve of Buriel¡¯s escape, I do find his methods of killing to be entertaining. Forgive me if I¡¯m overstepping my boundaries with that, my lord.¡± ¡°Not at all. Buriel has always amused me greatly. But he is the one who has overstepped his boundaries, and that is what I have a problem with.¡± Purson chose a sphere and led them back to the middle of the library where the firelight was best. He placed it over a pedestal where it floated before dissipating and morphing into a scene. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It was a view of three men looking down at the source of the memory. A very clear view. Jack studied the faces as closely as possible, knowing he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring this or any pictures of the faces back to Earth with him. The man in the center with long dark hair seemed to have an air about him, doing the talking though there was no sound to match. The eyes seemed dark despite the distance, and his face was indeed young, looking no different from a normal young man he might see at one of his concerts¡ªcertainly not obvious as being possessed by a powerful demon. Jack took note of the straight nose, the long face, the high cheek bones. The possessed human motioned to the demon on the right of the scene, spoke something to him, and the hand of that one became a giant gleaming hatchet. This human body had similar features with a long face, but less sunken cheeks and slightly lighter hair. The hatchet came down and the scene went dark. Jack thought it was over already, disappointed he hadn¡¯t gotten a closer look at the third one. But the scene came back long enough to show the hatchet come down on the other side. It went dark again before coming back once more. ¡°A lot of the memories are like this,¡± Purson said. ¡°Arms cut off, sometimes the legs. But it gets better.¡± The third possessed human had light hair, his face rounder, nose smaller, and a hand that turned into a flamethrower. The human being tortured turned his head and thus the view to get a closer look, just in time to see the flames enter where the arm had once been. The scene disappeared and this time it was over. It was just like the first victim he¡¯d encountered had described. It was just like Annabelle had described. And he was confident he would remember the faces of such evil. But Purson wanted to show another, more for his own enjoyment than to help Jack. In this one, the one in the middle that he assumed to be Buriel commanded the one with a butcher knife for a hand to cut into the victim¡¯s chest. Buriel then reached in and pulled out the heart, holding it perfectly in view. It seemed like the human¡¯s eyes were attempting to close as the scene darkened, but Buriel¡¯s free hand floated above and the scene became clearer than before. A fist of flame replaced the heart which the mind control forced the human to lift their head to watch. Jack cringed, unable to look anymore. Lucifer and Purson chuckled at Jack¡¯s revulsion. ¡°Was that a good enough look for you?¡± Lucifer asked. Jack nodded. ¡°It¡¯s obvious Buriel is in the middle. I believe Merosiel is on the right as he typically utilizes sharp objects, and Drusiel does fire. Nice team there.¡± Lucifer scowled. ¡°Fucking bastards. Well, Soul Reacher, if that¡¯s good enough for you, go get to work.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Jack still shivered from disgust when he returned to the house, appearing in the studio where the others waited. ¡°You were gone for a while,¡± Miles said. ¡°Everything okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Believe it or not, Lucifer let me see some of the memories. Sick shit. Awful. But I got a great look at them.¡± He nodded to Dorian, who was sitting in his producer¡¯s chair with his bass in his lap. ¡°Show me those pictures again.¡± Dorian put his bass down and seemed to be hiding an impressed expression. ¡°Was it hard to convince him? To let you see them, I mean.¡± ¡°He hesitated, but then caved, though he came with me. Apparently no servant has ever been in Purson¡¯s library.¡± He described the massive building to them, all three intrigued. ¡°It¡¯s so strange to think that I was in the same room as my memories. Our memories.¡± All were forlorn as they looked at Jack, but Dorian pulled himself together and opened up the internet browser where he had multiple tabs open. He showed Jack the first one, a dark-haired man that looked nothing like the ones he¡¯d seen. One by one Jack looked at the pictures until finally a blond stood out. ¡°There! That¡¯s Drusiel.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°A hundred percent.¡± All of them looked closely at their target, the fire specialist. He looked more innocent in the picture, no sly smile or smirk, no desire to brutally slay anyone. ¡°Christopher Warren,¡± Dorian announced. ¡°Reported missing from Port Washington, Wisconsin on January 11, 2010. Twenty-three years old.¡± ¡°Do we know when Buriel was summoned?¡± Miles asked. ¡°I can¡¯t even keep track of what day it is now. I¡¯m not used to it anymore.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact date, but based on Joey¡¯s age, it could be around that time.¡± Dorian showed Jack the others he had found, but none of them matched what he¡¯d seen. ¡°Are you sure these are the only ones?¡± Jack asked. ¡°No one else?¡± ¡°No one else reported missing at least. But we have one lead now. We need to follow it, and maybe we¡¯ll find the other two.¡± The four demons sat in silence for a moment. Even though they had a lead, it seemed that none of them felt confident it would lead them anywhere. ¡°So¡­¡± Cameron finally broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s cool and all that we found this dude, but what do we do about it now?¡± ¡°We need to find out why a guy from Wisconsin was down here in Illinois,¡± Dorian said, scratching his head. ¡°And find out who he associated with. That way we might be able to find out who Buriel and Merosiel possessed.¡± ¡°And how do you suggest we do that?¡± Miles asked. ¡°We go there.¡± ¡°And how? We don¡¯t have a car. And even if Cameron made one, none of us know how to drive it or how to get there. When we traveled around it was on a tour bus driven by someone else.¡± Jack sat up. ¡°That¡¯s it. Lucifer told me we need to tour more before we release a new album. Maybe we can play a show up there, a one-off show so it gives us time to investigate.¡± Cameron jumped up and clapped his hands once before motioning for Dorian to move. ¡°I got this, guys. One concert, coming right up.¡± * * * It only took two days for Cameron to have an impromptu two-day tiny metal festival of local bands set up in Milwaukee, half an hour south of Chris Warren¡¯s hometown. They would be one of the opening bands on the last day, giving them plenty of time to explore and investigate. It would take place that upcoming weekend. Though they hadn¡¯t planned on telling Joey about it, the boy apparently read it from Cameron¡¯s mind as he walked past the kitchen table while on his phone. ¡°You¡¯re gonna play another show? Can I come? It¡¯s close enough by.¡± The demons shared a look before Dorian spoke. ¡°Sorry, kid. It¡¯s best you not come. Besides, I doubt your aunt would allow it.¡± Joey nodded, disappointed, then looked up at Dorian. ¡°Will you teach me some science today?¡± Dorian hesitated, but agreed to discuss biology. ¡°It¡¯s my favorite subject of all,¡± he said. ¡°Especially when it comes to the theory of evolution.¡± ¡°But evolution isn¡¯t real,¡± Joey said. ¡°We and Annie are proof of that.¡± Dorian smiled, and Jack sat back in his chair, ready for what was about to be an entertaining lesson. ¡°Well,¡± Dorian began, still smiling, ¡°while it¡¯s true that God created the universe, the typical human view of ¡®intelligent design¡¯ is far from correct. Consider this: why would God have to use a rib from Adam in order to create Eve? If he could make one human, he could make another, yes? And as a demon with extensive knowledge of the history of the underworld, I can assure you that Satan, or Lucifer as he prefers to be called, was not a serpent tempting Eve with an apple. Lucifer is a fallen angel that came along much later. Though temptation is indeed his preferred method of bringing human souls to Hell. Regardless, there is much to argue regarding the beginning of mankind.¡± As Dorian rambled on about the creation of the universe, Jack lost interest and instead watched Joey. Though he appeared to be listening, there was something about the way he was looking at Dorian with such intensity. The tutor didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by anything Joey might be doing, either because he didn¡¯t feel anything or because he was so engrossed in his own lesson. Joey¡¯s aura did not change from its usual mix of white and yellow, giving Jack no indication of what was happening. Dorian changed the subject slightly from creation to later stories. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know the story of Noah and the flood.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Do you believe it to be true?¡± ¡°Well, yes. Or at least I did since I¡¯ve been told everything in the Bible was fact. But I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re about to say it¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Indeed. It is far from true. But I am not one to claim something is false without logical and scientific explanations. That¡¯s how I¡¯ve been so successful in my work.¡± ¡°Teaching science stuff,¡± Joey said. Dorian shrugged. ¡°In part I suppose. Anyway, think about how many animals there are in the world. Millions, billions, yes? Imagine the size Noah¡¯s ark would have to be to carry all those. Imagine the largest cruise ship in existence. Even that would not be able to hold two of each animal. Also, if the flood eradicated everyone not on the ark, that would mean the rest of humanity after that descended from Noah and his family, not Adam and Eve. Questionable at least, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Joey looked fascinated and Dorian seemed to be reveling in it. As the lesson continued, Jack noticed Joey¡¯s curiosity changing, now mixed with a hint of determination. It lasted for ages, intensifying, and Jack assumed Joey was no longer listening. He was reading. When Dorian¡¯s voice faded and stopped, Jack saw a glazed look on his face. Then Dorian pulled back suddenly, crying out in pain and breathing heavily. The boy¡¯s face was one of shock. ¡°I found a memory. I¡¯m sure of it!¡± Chapter 28: Not a Date There had been a particular change within Dorian¡¯s brain when he began talking about evolution. It was as if the information didn¡¯t need to be dug through to find what was buried underneath; it just floated out of the way, allowing Joey to ease his way in to search for the fragment he had found before. He had very delicately connected to the still picture of the hands on the desk surrounded by scientific objects and the picture turned into a moving scene. It was short but incredibly clear. The hands were identical to Dorian¡¯s, nothing different about them, and the garbled sound he heard was the voice he listened to every day. He couldn¡¯t make out any words, but the voice was there. He was looking out of the eyes of the human Dorian, gazing out at a classroom of high school students, all staring at him in confusion or concern. But before anything else could happen, Dorian the demon pulled away in pain. ¡°You were a teacher,¡± Joey insisted. ¡°You taught high school science. I saw it. I saw your hands, heard your voice. It was you.¡± Though Dorian was slowly shaking his head, he had trouble looking at Joey. ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± he whispered. ¡°Why not? It makes sense. You love science and you love teaching. Maybe what you did in your human life has something to do with what you do as a demon.¡± Joey looked at Jack for affirmation, but saw only a dumbfounded stare. ¡°There are many reasons why it is not possible,¡± Dorian said, his voice still low. ¡°First of all, our bodies are changed, so my hands would have been different.¡± ¡°Why would they change that? Maybe just your face, and since the memory is from your view, I can¡¯t see that.¡± ¡°Also, memories don¡¯t contain sound.¡± ¡°This did. I heard your voice.¡± ¡°You just heard me talking to you now.¡± ¡°No. I know what I heard.¡± ¡°And the memory removal procedure is highly effective. There is no way there would be anything remaining.¡± ¡°Then explain to me why there¡¯s a clip of a man with your hands and voice teaching a high school science class. Did you do that as a demon?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± Dorian was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. It frustrated Joey that he was in such denial. But as he read his thoughts casually then, he saw there wasn¡¯t as much denial as there seemed. ¡°You¡¯re afraid to know,¡± Joey said softly. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of what you might have done. But haven¡¯t you ever wanted to know who you were, what you did to deserve this fate?¡± Dorian looked up again. ¡°It¡¯s better to not know. Now please don¡¯t do that anymore.¡± Joey sighed. It was disappointing. He wanted more than anything to learn the truth, and even if Dorian never let him see that memory again, he wouldn¡¯t give up his search. ¡°However,¡± Dorian continued, ¡°regardless of what that was, you obviously are even more powerful than I think anyone realized.¡± He looked at Jack. ¡°I think he should come with us. Think of the secrets this kid could dig up.¡± As Jack raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, Joey leaned forward on the table. ¡°What do you mean ¡®come with you¡¯? To Hell?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jack said. ¡°To our concert this weekend. It¡¯s more a mission than a show. We found where the human that Drusiel possessed is from and we want to try to find more details about him.¡± ¡°Really? Oh wow, that would be awesome. I really want to help. But¡­Annie won¡¯t let me, I¡¯m sure. Unless you can convince her you¡¯ll be with me the whole time. That¡¯s the only reason she lets me come here. She knows I¡¯m safe with you.¡± ¡°With me and not them?¡± Jack pointed at Dorian. Joey nodded. ¡°She¡¯s got those danger sensors, you know. But she says you¡¯re safe. And I know it¡¯s not because she¡ª¡± He stopped when Jack shot him a thought telling him to shut up and not dare speak of Annie¡¯s crush in front of anyone. ¡°Well, anyway, either way, she probably will say no, so¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her,¡± Jack said. ¡°Alone.¡± Joey caught the thought process of Jack¡¯s sudden plan. ¡°You¡¯re gonna ask her ou¡ª¡± Standing suddenly, Jack motioned for Joey to follow him downstairs. Dorian didn¡¯t seem happy about being excluded, but he didn¡¯t follow. As soon as they were in the studio, Joey asked his question in full. ¡°You¡¯re going to ask her out? Take advantage of her liking you?¡± ¡°No, of course I won¡¯t take advantage of her. I might be a demon with a history of killing people, but if this mission¡ªand you¡ªhave taught me anything it¡¯s that hurting innocent people is the last thing I want to do.¡± Joey blinked as he tried to understand what he¡¯d just been told. An experienced demon had just told him he didn¡¯t want to hurt people. It reminded him of when Jack had first told him what they were¡ªhe¡¯d said he hated killing. And Annabelle was so insistent he was safe to be with. It really was possible for demons, true ones normally residing in Hell, to be kind. ¡°I know you won¡¯t hurt her,¡± Joey said. ¡°Physically, at least. But I don¡¯t want her hurt on the inside because you lead her on or something.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°It won¡¯t be anything like that. Maybe it¡¯s a bit of a peace offering, taking her out for dinner or something, but it¡¯s just so we can talk away from everyone. I won¡¯t pressure her or use her feelings as leverage. It just sounds like she¡¯ll listen to me. That¡¯s all it is. I promise.¡± Joey nodded. He still worried that Annabelle would see things differently, but it was the only way. ¡°Okay.¡± * * * ¡°I know you¡¯re probably pretty tired after your work day, so I would totally understand if you didn¡¯t want to, but I was wondering if you¡¯d like to grab dinner or something tonight.¡± Annabelle froze at the words; they were completely unexpected, but ones she had secretly been hoping for. Not so secret from Joey, but certainly from Jack. It had been a very long, difficult day; Mr. Taylor had finally succumbed to his cancer that afternoon, and she had been at his side praying with him and his family. All she had wanted to do was go home and collapse on the couch to distract herself with TV. But this unexpected opportunity was not one she wanted to pass up, and was one she might not get a chance at again. Besides, perhaps a nice date would help her feel better, surely better than binge-watching shows would do. But she stayed frozen. A date with this man was surely wrong. She waited for the guide voice to tell her so, but nothing came. ¡°I just need to talk to you about something,¡± Jack continued, stepping quite close. ¡°Away from mind readers and nosey friends.¡± She chuckled at this. It wasn¡¯t technically a date. Only sort of. ¡°Oh, well in that case, that sounds great.¡± She looked down and noticed her scrubs. ¡°Oh goodness, I can¡¯t go out looking like this, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t judge.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not.¡± She thought quickly. ¡°Maybe you can come pick me up in a bit. Gives me a chance to change and freshen up.¡± Jack scratched his head. ¡°Well, see, I don¡¯t have a car, so, I know it might seem weird but I was kind of hoping you could drive, if that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It was indeed surprising, but perhaps having the control of being the driver would be better. ¡°Well I suppose you could come with us so I can change and drop off Joey. Then we leave from there.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll grab my coat.¡± The car ride was quiet, Jack sitting in the front with Annabelle while Joey studied their minds from the backseat the entire drive home. The boy seemed tense but hadn¡¯t put up any sort of fuss. She however put up the best shield in her mind that she could. It would be refreshing to be in Jack¡¯s presence without getting her thoughts analyzed the entire time. She invited Jack in, and while he waited in the living room, she stared at her closet trying to decide what would be appropriate for a date. It¡¯s not a date, stop overthinking. She went with a dark blue V-neck shirt and jeans, simple yet nice. Joey was waiting outside her room, making her jump when she opened the door. ¡°Joey, seriously, if you¡¯re here to¡ª¡± ¡°I just want to tell you it¡¯s not a date,¡± he whispered. ¡°Okay? He just wants to talk about something.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny a twinge of disappointment, but reminded herself it was a good thing. ¡°I know that. Do you know what he wants to talk about? Should I be worried?¡± Joey shook his head, then stepped back to allow her through. If he knew what this was all about, he wasn¡¯t saying. Finding the handsome man sitting calmly in her living room, staring peacefully out the window then smiling at her arrival, brought more disappointment. It was getting harder to convince herself her feelings were wrong. But this dinner could serve an additional purpose; she knew next to nothing about this man, and that needed to change. Jack let her choose the restaurant, so she chose a steakhouse close to her home and began the short drive. ¡°I hope that¡¯s all right with you. It¡¯s been a rough day, so I could use some comfort food.¡± ¡°No problem. Do you mind me asking what made it a bad day? It¡¯s probably none of my business, so it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one of my patients passed away today. It was a hard one.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± He actually sounded genuine, and stealing a glance at him confirmed it. ¡°It¡¯s part of the job, really, being a hospice nurse. You have to accept that all of your patients are going to die soon. Most nurses in offices or hospitals focus on saving people, but in my line of work it¡¯s all about helping them feel as comfortable as possible while they die because they can¡¯t be saved.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°That¡¯s important too, though. Just because your patients die doesn¡¯t mean your work is less important. Besides, I think it takes a special kind of strength to do the work you do.¡± Is he flattering me? ¡°It is rewarding in its own way. Dying can be painful and scary, so it¡¯s meaningful for me and the family that I help ease them comfortably to Heaven.¡± She remembered the patient she had told Mr. Taylor about. ¡°Or Hell if that¡¯s where they happen to be destined to go.¡± She caught a look of curiosity from the corner of her eye. ¡°You help people even if they¡¯re going to Hell?¡± The thought that Joey was right about Jack being a believer lifted her spirits. ¡°Yes. What kind of person would I be if I didn¡¯t treat others the same? That¡¯s what Jesus has said after all.¡± Annabelle wondered if the mention of Jesus might have been too far, but as they parked outside the restaurant, she met his gaze and held it. Was that awe she saw? No, maybe just respect. Yes. One more reason to like this man. But walking into the restaurant was much more uncomfortable than she expected. A nicely dressed woman with a light pink jacket entering with a scruffy man dressed entirely in black, including a leather jacket with numerous silver zippers and buttons all over it surely made the hostess question the compatibility of the two patrons. But if she had any opinions, she kept them to herself as she led them to a booth. Sitting across from each other, Annabelle removed her coat, but Jack did not, though it was already open. They smiled at each other, and now that they were closer together, his features that she¡¯d always been curious about were easier to see. The stubble on his face never seemed to grow and he never shaved it. And his shaggy hair seemed to always stick up in the exact same spots¡ªnot quite cowlicks but rather tufts that naturally popped up in scattered places, one most notable on right side near the top and another above his left ear. Every day, every time, very clean and no hair products to make it happen. ¡°You think my hair¡¯s messy,¡± he said, rubbing his head. The tufts resumed their places when he stopped. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Well, yes, but not in a bad way. It looks good on you.¡± The waitress interrupted and took their drink order, Jack requesting a beer and Annabelle a lemonade. In hopes of changing the subject to avoid the possibility of offending him, she said, ¡°What was it you wanted to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s order first, then I¡¯ll tell you. Fewer interruptions.¡± Jack seemed oddly fascinated by the menu, expressing his indecisiveness and desire for everything. It was as if he¡¯d never been to a place like this, and Annabelle wondered if he¡¯d never had the privilege of eating a nice meal out. Perhaps being a touring musician in a band just starting out left him with only enough money to get by, and worried that he either wouldn¡¯t be able to afford their meal, or would be spending more than he should. She chose something on the cheaper end while he eventually settled on one of the most expensive plates on the menu. Once their order was in, Jack leaned forward, clearly ready to discuss. ¡°So, the guys and I are performing at a festival in Milwaukee this weekend. The fest is Friday and Saturday, and we play on Saturday, but we plan on going up there a day early to hang out and check out some of the other bands. We thought it might be a fun experience for Joey and would like it if he¡¯d tag along.¡± Though Jack¡¯s expression was peaceful, it was only moments before the red flags appeared in Annabelle¡¯s mind. She was still uneasy leaving Joey alone with these four men all day every day, even though he always came home happy and in one piece. He was getting the education he needed despite her strong discomfort about his teacher. He had found his purpose in music, his talent blossoming quickly. And he didn¡¯t seem to be straying from his good path, still doing his Bible study with her, showing interest once again. But still, something made her hesitate even without the guide voice blatantly telling her no. Clearly noticing her hesitation, Jack said, ¡°I understand your protectiveness of him. There¡¯s nothing wrong with feeling that way. And I know me just promising he¡¯ll be okay isn¡¯t good enough, and that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not offended. But I thought maybe if you told me what specifically makes you nervous, we can talk about it.¡± These words shocked her more than his original request. Though she realized this might be why she felt Joey was safe with Jack. He cared, but not just about Joey. About her. But she couldn¡¯t tell him about her intuition, about the natural and possibly heavenly instincts to keep Joey within her reach at all times, and certainly not about the voice that stepped in on occasion. ¡°Well¡­¡± she began, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what Joey may have told you about his past, but he¡¯s had quite a rough childhood, though I think I did mention that once. You know of his¡­gifts¡­and I¡¯m grateful that you are accepting of him, but unfortunately many other people in his life have not been and have tried to hurt him because of it. He¡¯s nearly been killed quite a few times actually, so naturally I¡¯ve grown very attached and protective and it¡¯s hard to trust anyone these days.¡± Jack raised his eyebrows. ¡°Nearly killed? How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to say, but mostly by the hands of my father, Joey¡¯s grandfather. He¡­he believes he¡¯s a demon and needs divine intervention, and has tried to take matters into his own hands, literally.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the televangelist?¡± ¡°Oh, you know about that?¡± Jack seemed to be stifling a smile. ¡°Joey¡¯s mentioned him.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t judge me based on my father¡¯s actions.¡± Annabelle was not sure why she felt the urge to defend herself that way. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t always see eye to eye, my dad and me.¡± ¡°I can see why.¡± The response caught her off guard. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I just think it says a lot about you, caring so much about a kid with demonic powers. Goodness of your heart and all that.¡± Annabelle lowered her voice to hide her surprise. ¡°You think he¡¯s a demon too?¡± She did not expect the discomfort across from her, and she watched Jack struggle to hide it. ¡°No¡­I mean, if he is, that doesn¡¯t change that he¡¯s a really good kid. Maybe not all demons are bad? Or he¡¯s probably not a demon. Either way, we can agree he¡¯s a really special kid and that¡¯s all that matters. Anyway, what sorts of things did your dad do to him?¡± ¡°Oh he tried to use his bare hands in the name of God. But that honestly wasn¡¯t the worst.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something worse than murder in the name of God?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty bad when a group of Christians gang up on him and throw him into a thermal pool at Yellowstone. He survived water of nearly two hundred degrees.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Annabelle twitched. ¡°Please don¡¯t curse.¡± ¡°Sorry. Wait, you said a group of Christians did that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even get me started. Anyway, he miraculously survived, using his powers to get out and not drown. How he survived the heat completely unscathed, I don¡¯t know. But you can see how he¡¯s had a lot of bad luck, been in a lot of scary situations, and it¡¯s hard for me to let him out of my sight. I¡¯ve been torn between wanting to lock him up again to keep him safe, but also want him to be free because he¡¯s so happy.¡± Annabelle paused as she looked at Jack. ¡°He just thinks you¡¯re the greatest thing. And not just because you¡¯re his favorite musician. He really respects you and looks up to you. It¡¯s nice to not be the only good influence in his life.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid. I¡¯m glad you gave him a chance.¡± There was another moment of silence, and Annabelle knew Jack was still waiting for an answer. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not sure how I feel about him being so far away from me. For two days.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let him out of my sight the entire time, if that¡¯s any consolation. It probably isn¡¯t, but I can at least assure you that there won¡¯t be many if any Christians where we¡¯re going, and certainly no one wanting to kill in the name of God.¡± ¡°In the name of Satan maybe?¡± Annabelle couldn¡¯t stop herself. Jack chuckled. ¡°I know there¡¯s a bit of a stigma around heavy metal, people calling it satanic or devil worshipping or whatever. We certainly aren¡¯t, and I¡¯m pretty sure the other bands are safe, but I can check them out first and make sure to steer Joey clear of them if that will help you feel better.¡± ¡°It would.¡± She looked down at the table, still not ready to accept the offer. ¡°You¡¯re still not sure. I¡¯d tell you to think about it for a couple days, but I really need an answer tonight. Tell me honestly what I can do to help you feel better about it.¡± Annabelle sighed. She couldn¡¯t tell him honestly why she felt this way. But she had already told him a lot more than she probably should have. She also couldn¡¯t explain why¡ªor deny¡ªshe felt Jack was a safe person. ¡°Maybe¡­maybe it¡¯s partly because I feel like I don¡¯t really know you guys. I trust you with him every day, but I hardly know you.¡± Jack shifted a bit in his seat, then said, ¡°We can fix that, I suppose. What do you want to know?¡± She thought a moment, trying to decide what information would bring her the most comfort. More than anything she needed to know where he came from. ¡°Are you originally from the area? I know you went to college here. I read it in an interview.¡± ¡°Yeah. I grew up close to here on the west side, not far from where I live now.¡± Annabelle had been hoping for a little more elaboration but got none. ¡°Do you have family here? Parents? Siblings?¡± There was a pause before he answered. ¡°My parents divorced when I was young. My dad moved out of state so I don¡¯t see him much, and my mom doesn¡¯t exactly approve of my life choices, so we rarely talk either. No siblings.¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she approve?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m wasting my talents on heavy metal.¡± Though she herself didn¡¯t approve much of that life choice, she had to admit she didn¡¯t think it was worth losing family over. ¡°That¡¯s really sad. Considering how quickly you¡¯ve built up a following, you¡¯re at least successful. That¡¯s something to be proud of.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t let it get to me. I¡¯m happy how I am.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s why Joey looks up to you so much. He¡¯s happier about who he is now. Though I have to wonder, why is it that none of you are offput by what he can do? He reads your mind. Everyone else has been terrified by him.¡± Jack seemed to be thinking a lot before answering. ¡°I think it¡¯s not hard to accept that there are people out there who are different. Special. Unique in that way. At least to me, and I think I can speak for the guys on that. And as long as they¡¯re not hurting anyone, I think it¡¯s something to marvel at. He¡¯s never used his powers maliciously toward us, and yeah it¡¯s a little awkward he can read our thoughts, but he means no harm. He¡¯s young and still learning what he can do.¡± Annabelle tilted her head as she studied him. ¡°You sound like a spiritual man.¡± ¡°Spiritual in that I believe there are certain powerful forces out there that affect our world.¡± ¡°Like God?¡± ¡°For example.¡± She smiled. He really was a believer. ¡°I have to ask¡­you¡¯re very spiritual and believe in God, yet you don¡¯t go to church and you curse and I assume you don¡¯t read the Bible and you write music that people might consider satanic. Aren¡¯t you afraid of going to Hell?¡± His answer came very quickly. ¡°It¡¯s too late for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s never too late.¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Annabelle scrutinized him. ¡°Have you committed big sins? Killed anyone? Raped? Robbed? Things like that?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s not too late. And even those things¡­well maybe not murder or rape¡­but most sins can be forgiven. People who accept that they¡¯ve done wrong and choose to better themselves and accept Jesus from then on can be redeemed. You can¡¯t just accept a fate of going to Hell. It¡¯s a terrible place.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to go there. I know some people might think that, a lot of people might think that, but those who truly follow the word of God would know that someone like you can very much end up in Heaven.¡± Jack wasn¡¯t looking at her. ¡°I suppose in your opinion I¡¯d have to give up my style of music.¡± ¡°Not in my opinion.¡± ¡°You listed it as a reason I would go to Hell.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I think as long as you¡¯re not worshipping Satan with it then it¡¯s okay. Joey loves it and I know he¡¯s going to Heaven.¡± Was that a tiny smirk he was hiding? ¡°I think all I can do is live out my time here on Earth the best I can, trying to be a good person, do what I can for others. And wherever I end up is what happens.¡± It saddened her that he was giving up so easily, so calmly. She didn¡¯t want to accept that a good person like him would be destined to burning for eternity. She also had the feeling that pushing the subject further was a bad idea. ¡°Well if the way you treat Joey¡ªand me¡ªis any indication, you¡¯re doing a great job.¡± Their food arrived and Annabelle spent most of the meal amused by Jack¡¯s enjoyment of his steak and shrimp platter. ¡°Holy shit¡ªI mean, wow, this is the greatest thing I¡¯ve ever eaten.¡± He seemed to savor every bite and every drop of sauce and juice from the meat. He ordered dessert, which she declined, and devoured every morsel. Upon finishing, he leaned back in his seat and sighed deeply, looking at her. ¡°You know, you still haven¡¯t given me an answer about this weekend. I told you a lot about me and you keep complimenting on how great I am with Joey. What else is stopping you?¡± He was right. Many times that night she had spoken of reasons why she should allow Joey to go without her. But there was still an unease inside her, and she wondered if it was that supposedly heavenly intuition. Then she got an idea. ¡°How about this: I let him go with you on Friday, but then I will go up there on Saturday. I think only one day far from me is okay for me to handle.¡± Jack seemed to hesitate, looking off into the distance, then said, ¡°All right, that¡¯s fair. As long as you¡¯re okay hanging around a metal festival. I know that¡¯s not really your idea of a good time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not. But I survived your concert, I think I can handle another.¡± When the check came, Annabelle was surprised to see Jack sift through a large amount of cash in his wallet. He obviously was more successful than she thought. There was little conversation as she drove him home, but she couldn¡¯t help but steal a few glances at him. Why did she find such a man so attractive? He was the complete opposite of any other man she¡¯d been close to. She also hadn¡¯t been overly attracted to anyone else, and perhaps this was why. Her type was different. So wrong. They shared a smile before saying goodbye at the curb in front of Jack¡¯s house. ¡°Thanks for trusting me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± ¡°I know.¡± And she did know. Chapter 29: Infiltration Walking onto a tour bus was like entering a new dimension. Joey barely listened as Dorian complained that getting a bus like this was overkill for a two-hour drive, but Cameron had insisted they enjoy a bit of luxury once again. Joey was led around and shown the tiny kitchen, bathroom, bunks, and the open room at the back with a TV and couches. ¡°This is super cool, but I can¡¯t imagine living in something like this for weeks,¡± Joey said. ¡°I guess living in a bedroom for eight years makes me feel that way.¡± They had a small crew with them, fewer people than they had brought on tour since their set would be short and it was only one show. That meant there were extra bunks that Joey got to choose from to sleep in that night, and though it felt like being a rockstar, the bunk felt so much like being in a small box that he only tested it out for a few seconds. They arrived in Milwaukee early since they only had one day to carry out their plan. Dorian made sure to subtly berate Jack repeatedly for allowing ¡°the angel¡± to join them the following day. Annabelle had been uneasy that morning when dropping him off, but Joey had read more trust in her mind than ever before. He also didn¡¯t want her to come, but knew he had to relinquish a bit of freedom to appease her for now. Listening to Dorian¡¯s plan the previous day and all the excitement surrounding his ability to even go on this trip, Joey had forgotten to research the bassist¡¯s past further. He was confident he could find something now, but being around Jack nonstop and helping the guys with their plan would have to delay his search for a bit. The plan was exciting, and he bounced around restlessly on the bus with the others as they got on the road. It was like being secret agents, demon agents using their powers to solve a mystery. Dorian constantly went over the plan with them, pacing and chewing on his fingers. Joey read all of their minds, none of them even trying to hide their stress and excitement. While Dorian never stopping thinking about what was coming, Cameron was analyzing a show on TV, Miles was hovering around the crew to send them subconscious thoughts, most of which were more for fun rather than to keep them controlled, and Jack went in mental circles that included worrying about the plan, about Joey, and about Annabelle. There was a lot about Annabelle in Jack¡¯s mind. Too much for Joey¡¯s comfort. Especially since Annabelle¡¯s mind had been constantly full of gushing thoughts about Jack after their ¡°date.¡± They arrived in Milwaukee at 10 a.m., and the band ditched the bus and crew as quickly as possible. Dorian used his phone to order a rideshare to Port Washington with enough seats for five. When their ride arrived, the five demons rode to their destination in complete silence. The driver tried to make conversation but Miles stared at the man¡¯s head for a few moments to quiet him. Joey couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bad for the man, an innocent human under the power of a car full of demons. But he convinced himself that a few subconscious thoughts to shut him up wasn¡¯t harmful. The driver left them in Port Washington completely unscathed and oblivious to his situation. Dorian had requested they be dropped off a block from their destination. He led them silently down the quiet, tree-lined street, eventually slowing to scrutinize the location ahead: the police department. ¡°Around the back,¡± Dorian said, and once certain no cars were near, they stepped off the sidewalk, through the trees, and into a cut out corner of the building that housed the air conditioner and electric boxes. He motioned for everyone to get down and huddle behind the small, white wall out of sight. On command, Joey approached the cable and electric box and quickly unlocked it after studying its internal components for a few seconds. Dorian handed Jack his phone, which had a cut-off end of a charger cord plugged into it. He then looked at all of the wires in the big green box and found the one he wanted. Quickly he unplugged it, holding the end of the wire in one fist while pressing the side of that hand against where it had once been plugged in. Taking the end of the cord attached to his phone in his other hand, he nodded for Jack to do his part. In a moment, Dorian¡¯s phone flashed to show surveillance camera footage, and to everyone¡¯s relief, it was in color. Jack studied the first image, a young female receptionist leaning back in her chair while holding the phone between her ear and her shoulder and twirling the cord around her fingers. ¡°Easily distractable,¡± he whispered. ¡°She¡¯s bored. Definitely not on a business call right now.¡± Joey was amazed to see how Dorian had such similar powers to him, hacking into electronics and manipulating them. The only difference seemed to be Dorian¡¯s ability to physically conduct electricity as well. Joey watched in awe as the demon switched past the next two camera images of unoccupied hallways on his own. He found another showing a more open area where a few officers were chatting, some with cups of coffee in their hands. ¡°Gotta watch out for that guy,¡± Jack said, pointing to a tall muscular officer. ¡°Probably an asshole. This other guy is annoyed by him, could likely still be swayed, Miles, but this other one for sure, guarantee he¡¯ll do anything you say.¡± After reviewing more images, many with no one in them, Dorian spoke quickly. ¡°Cameron, go in the front and do your thing as planned. Try to get the difficult officer out to you and hold him off.¡± Cameron saluted, then walked around to the front of the building. The image of the front desk appeared on the phone again, and the remaining four demons watched as Cameron approached the woman. She looked perturbed to be interrupted, and reluctantly hung up the phone. ¡°Any sound?¡± Jack asked. Dorian shook his head. The drummer was casually leaning on the desk while talking to the woman who now also leaned on it, but with her chin on her hand. Though she appeared uninterested, she did not stop watching him. Gradually her interest changed, leaning closer, a small smile on her face. ¡°Is he hitting on her?¡± Miles asked. ¡°Better not be,¡± Dorian snapped. ¡°That¡¯s not the distraction I was hoping for.¡± As the seconds ticked by it became clearer that Cameron was not doing anything flirtatious, but instead had the woman entranced by some sort of story. Finally she seemed to agree to something, and stood from her chair to go to a back room. Dorian quickly flipped through the pictures until finding the one that had the group of officers. The woman was speaking to the officer Jack had warned about, the man reluctantly following. As soon as that officer was in view of the reception camera, Dorian plugged the cord back into the green box and led the others to the back door. Joey opened the lock without being asked. His heart was pounding. This was it. It was happening. The secret agent spy mission was underway. Silently and slowly they followed Dorian along the halls, peering into the first office they came across. Joey watched as Jack was motioned forward to peek in, and after a few seconds he returned. ¡°Have him keep his head down or look away,¡± he whispered to Miles, who then proceeded to step forward and look at the man. Satisfied his work was done, he waved everyone on. Joey looked in the room as they passed, the officer inside was turned in his chair, looking through a file cabinet. The next office was dark and the door locked. Joey again did his part and silently all four of them stepped inside. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Based on the camera views, that open room we saw should be around the corner,¡± Dorian said to Jack and Miles. ¡°Keep them all there.¡± The two left the room, leaving Joey alone with Dorian. The computer was on, and upon turning on the monitor they were not surprised to see the account was locked. Joey sat in the chair, but before starting what he was told to do, he asked, ¡°How come you¡¯re not doing this part? You hacked that camera system.¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. I conduct electricity and electronic data through me, not actually manipulate it. Now hurry.¡± Joey stared at the screen, gradually getting the circuitry of the device. He had only ever done this on a tablet, never a full-size computer, let alone one that was likely much more secure due to the information it held. But Dorian had taught him about how passwords worked on computers, so once Joey had traveled through the circuitry far enough to enter the hard drive, he knew what to search for. The information within the device was incredibly vast, and for a moment he slowed down to take it all in. All the ones and zeros that made up the data were easily and instantly translated for him to read. It was like walking through a massive room with tall, neatly lined up shelves of data, and he wanted to look at it all. But the words ¡°Hurry up, kid,¡± were hissed in his ear and Joey got to work finding the file Dorian had told him to look for. He flew through the shelves and files quickly, finally finding what resembled his target: a hashed password. As directed, he deleted it, then retraced his steps back and out of the computer. Finding himself back in reality made him dizzy, but Dorian was smiling as he pushed Joey out of the chair. ¡°Nice work, kid,¡± he whispered as he sat down and went to work on his search. For nearly ten minutes Joey watched Dorian type and click and scroll through various windows. Both of them jumped when Jack stepped into the room. ¡°Gotta go!¡± he whispered. ¡°Cameron couldn¡¯t hold the cop anymore, so he¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t Miles take control?¡± Dorian asked. ¡°He¡¯s fighting it too much. Hurry up!¡± Dorian grumbled a curse, then pulled an intact USB cord from his pocket to connect his phone to the computer. A few more clicks and an agonizingly slow progress bar later, Dorian seemed satisfied with what he had. He unplugged his phone, closed all the windows, and turned off the monitor. They were unseen as they exited and returned to the corner where they had hacked the cameras. Dorian sent a message to Cameron telling him to come back, and after a couple of minutes, all five were together again. ¡°Did you get anything?¡± Cameron said. ¡°Please tell me you did. That guy was a pain in the ass.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Dorian said. ¡°I grabbed everything I could, and there¡¯s some good stuff. Let¡¯s get back to the bus so we can check it out on the laptop.¡± ¡°And you were so worried.¡± Miles punched Dorian lightly on the arm. ¡°We¡¯re a good team whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°I admit you all did decently.¡± Joey felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Jack. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s a big compliment coming from him. You did awesome, buddy.¡± Buddy. Joey grinned, the elation of their success and being appreciated for his abilities carrying his spirits the entire way back to Milwaukee. * * * While Dorian was left alone to analyze what he had found, the others sat around in the back room of the bus. Miles had joined Cameron in being entranced by the TV, though the drummer was absent-mindedly morphing a drumstick into various wooden objects. Jack received a text message from Annabelle asking about Joey¡¯s well-being. ¡°Let¡¯s send her a picture to prove you¡¯re still alive,¡± Jack said, and held the phone in front of them for a selfie. Within moments of sending, he received a response of nothing more than ¡®Great¡¯ and a heart emoji. Joey struggled to not roll his eyes at the thoughts that were flowing through Jack¡¯s mind. One stupid heart was all it took to get him excited to see her. ¡°She¡¯s an angel, remember?¡± Joey whispered. Jack was pulled from his reverie. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re a demon.¡± ¡°Also aware of that.¡± Joey sighed and crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s just wrong.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Joey scowled at Jack who was blatantly thinking about how he didn¡¯t care at all about that. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset about it. Nothing¡¯s gonna happen anyway, so forget about it. Here.¡± Jack got up and went to a guitar case he had brought on the bus and took the instrument out to hand to Joey. ¡°Let¡¯s practice. Show me your stuff.¡± It was about an hour later when Dorian burst into the room with his laptop open and a smile on his face. ¡°You guys ready to hear this?¡± ¡°About time,¡± Miles said. ¡°Hopefully good news.¡± ¡°Mostly good.¡± Dorian sat on the edge of an empty seat, his computer on his lap. ¡°So, I¡¯ve read through interviews the police did of Chris Warren¡¯s family. According to them, he was a good kid who ¡®went astray¡¯ at the end of high school. Dabbling in satanism, spending a lot of time chatting online with other satanists. Never grew out of it like they had hoped. The cops had found a ton of paraphernalia in his room since he still lived with his parents. Books like the Lemegeton and The Book of Oberon, which I know you uneducated unfortunates have never heard of¡ªthey¡¯re books on demonology and how to summon demons. They also found tons of stuff with pentagrams on them, some written in blood. But the best part was the pictures they took of the demonic sigils they found, too.¡± Dorian grinned as he turned the screen around to show a photo of a piece of white cloth with the sigil of Sallos embroidered on it. Leaning forward to look closer, Miles said, ¡°Sallos? Why the fuck does he care about that guy?¡± ¡°Good question, but humans don¡¯t know of the typical uselessness of the western demons. Sallos is the duke of love, so he must have been lonely. Anyway, this looks like a cloak of some sort, so I¡¯m assuming he at least attempted to summon him.¡± The grin widened as he showed another photo. ¡°Look at this. It¡¯s another cloak. The man chose wisely that time.¡± Joey, fascinated by the sigils, read the letters clockwise around the symbol. Asmoday. He remembered Dorian telling him about his leader and was amused at the reactions of the others. Laughing, Miles said, ¡°Of course you¡¯d be happy to see that. Though I have a hard time believing Asmoday would respond to a summoning.¡± ¡°Agreed. My king is far above that nonsense.¡± He showed another picture, a digital image of an intricate, square-shaped sigil with no name around it. ¡°This is Buriel¡¯s sigil. Wandering princes and dukes have no names on their sigils, but Buriel is one of only two demons to have a square shape, and I recognize this. No cloak or other physical items with this, but it was on his computer. I find it interesting that he went from some fairly harmless demons to the most vile of all.¡± Jack leaned forward, elbows on his knees. ¡°So all this does is just prove I picked out the right guy. I thought we were looking for information on people he hung out with.¡± ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s where the bad news is.¡± Rubbing his face and sighing, Jack said, ¡°Lucifer does not like bad news.¡± ¡°Allow me to explain. According to the reports, this human was active on a private server of a chat app. The server was dedicated to some pretty sick satanic activity and discussions, and was only made up of four people, including Chris. The server doesn¡¯t exist anymore unfortunately, probably because they¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°How do you know they¡¯re dead?¡± Cameron asked. ¡°Are the other two guys part of it?¡± ¡°The police only mention one. They could not get real names from anyone on the server, but it was clear they were planning on getting together to summon Buriel at a place called Springbrook Park in Naperville.¡± Joey gasped. ¡°That¡¯s right by my grandparent¡¯s house. I went there after they threw me out.¡± He paused, thinking about that night. He hadn¡¯t known why he chose that place to run to, to hide at. Perhaps it had called to him because that¡¯s where he had been created. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s where it happened.¡± Dorian nodded. ¡°It was. The cops found out about the missing guy down there, Derek Jennings. I¡¯d wager a guess that was your mom¡¯s supposed boyfriend at the time. But that¡¯s the only additional name in the report. They never found the names of the other two. And I¡¯m betting those two are the current hosts for Buriel and Merosiel.¡± Still leaning forward and covering his face, Jack said, ¡°This is not helping me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more clue, something you can give Lucifer. In their search for the other two guys, they tried to go off a piece of information in the chat, something that made them think they lived together or at least very close to each other. They said they would be riding together and it would take them at least three hours to get there. The cops tried to find missing persons reports in that three-hour radius but found nothing. Maybe we can find something though.¡± Joey read terror in Jack¡¯s mind. Dorian¡¯s words had not appeased him at all. ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing, Jack.¡± Miles spoke softly in an attempt to comfort him. ¡°We know Drusiel¡¯s host now. It¡¯s a step in the right direction. Luc has to see the value in that.¡± ¡°For the love of Satan, Miles, don¡¯t call him that!¡± Dorian slammed his laptop shut and glared. ¡°Though you are correct. I believe the Dark Lord will appreciate this news and our efforts to achieve it.¡± Joey watched Jack¡¯s reaction, reading Fuck this asshole repeatedly in his mind. ¡°You better be right,¡± Jack said. ¡°It¡¯s times like these I really do wish he¡¯d made you leader so you can feel his wrath.¡± Chapter 30: Forbidden Attraction As much as Jack wanted to hide in his bunk to ponder how he would tell Lucifer about their mediocre progress, he decided it would be best to take Joey into the venue to see some of the other bands. He could use the distraction and the boy was getting bored and hungry. Inside he bought Joey a slice of pizza and they stood near the back to watch the band on stage. But he paid no attention to them. Instead he could only visualize himself kneeling before Lucifer under the Dark Lord¡¯s vicious glare that intensified with every desperate word of explanation, then getting thrown across the room before a pulse of lava flowed through him once again. Or maybe it would be worse. He didn¡¯t want to think that the others were right, that Lucifer would accept their news as progress and leave him unharmed. Any bit of hope would make the failure hurt worse. He chose to expect only the worst and no less. He still had one full day before that moment would arrive. And it would be a good day. He missed performing, watching all the auras change before his eyes because of the music they created. Playing guitar had become so much fun, a gift he was forever grateful for. He never wanted it to end even if it would have to end at some point. There would be another person in the audience, too. Someone who didn¡¯t belong there but he wanted her there anyway. Even though he had hesitated to agree to her terms of coming, it was only because he knew his bandmates would not approve. Jack liked the idea. He liked it very much, in fact. But he would never tell anyone, not even Miles. It was unfortunate enough that Joey had read it from his mind. Though he was certain nothing would come of it, it was fun to pretend that it might. Between each band, Joey wanted to discuss the music, but Jack had been going in so many mental circles that he couldn¡¯t participate much as he had barely heard any of it. At least the boy seemed so enthralled by all the music that he didn¡¯t seem interested in reading his mind. After the show they retreated to the bus. Besides the crew and bus driver, the only person in need of sleep was Joey. Jack lay in his bunk anyway, wishing he could sleep. He had done it before, but this time there was too much on his mind, blocking the unnecessary sleep from him. It was only when he forced himself to only think of Annabelle that he could finally relax enough to doze a bit. Miles questioned Jack¡¯s pep the next morning, but only Joey could see the reason for it. At least the boy¡¯s scowl was faint enough. Jack tried to bring up thoughts of the upcoming show to appease him, and he got out his guitar to help that along. But when the text came that Annabelle had arrived, hiding his happiness was no longer possible. She was waiting outside the bus door, glowing with pink at the sight of him, and Jack invited her in. ¡°You live in this thing for weeks?¡± she asked, looking around, especially surprised by the size of the beds. ¡°It¡¯s cozy once you get used to it.¡± ¡°I suppose so. But this room is cute.¡± She entered the back room where the others were sitting. The band members waved casually, but Joey jumped up and they hugged tightly. Jack saw how relaxed she was now. ¡°Told you I¡¯d take care of him.¡± Annabelle looked up at him. ¡°I knew you would. Thank you.¡± It was a tight squeeze for all six of them to sit together in the room, but Jack was glad that Annabelle didn¡¯t seem to mind sitting right next to him, sandwiched very closely between him and Joey. They sat across from the two TV junkies, Cameron twirling his drumstick in his fingers, and Dorian sat nearby with his laptop. Annabelle had removed her jacket, her bare arm against Jack¡¯s. After a few moments of that contact, she placed her hand on his arm. ¡°You¡¯re so warm. Are you feeling okay?¡± Jack thought it a very odd question. Then he remembered how Miles used to use the natural high heat from his body to manipulate snow and realized she must feel that. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± She placed her hand on his forehead and frowned. ¡°Are you sure? I think you might have a fever. I¡¯m a nurse, remember?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I promise. I¡¯m always like this.¡± ¡°Cameron!¡± Dorian had made everyone jump when he shouted the drummer¡¯s name. Jack saw that Cameron now had a miniature gavel in his hand to match the one the judge on TV was holding. He quickly tucked it behind him on the seat, avoiding everyone¡¯s glares and Annabelle¡¯s look of confusion. Though Jack was annoyed that the demon had used his powers in the presence of an angel, it at least got them off the topic of his body heat. They ordered pizza for lunch, all the demons except Joey audibly enjoying it as if they¡¯d never had something so wonderful. ¡°It seems you guys don¡¯t get out much,¡± Annabelle said. ¡°Jack was the same way when we went out. It¡¯s like you don¡¯t eat or something.¡± Jack ignored the observation and focused on the words ¡°when we went out.¡± He wanted to do that again, and not because of the heavenly food. The heavenly company. Showtime neared and excitement abounded as they went into the venue¡¯s backstage area. The only one not showing excitement was Annabelle who was now surrounded by a purple haze. ¡°Stick near me and you¡¯ll be okay,¡± Jack promised, and the pink returned as she did just that. Since they were the second of five bands, the crowd for their show was somewhat sparser. Jack led his guests out to the crowd and had them stand near the side of the stage where they would be away from the rowdier fans yet still have a good view of the show. And when he took the stage he was glad he had a good view of them as well, not only to make sure they were safe, but to hopefully have a few moments with Annabelle. Not too many so as to not upset Joey and ruin his experience, but enough to increase his enjoyment of his own performance. Her eyes were on him the entire time; he felt it from the side as he spent most of the show facing forward, watching the crowd go from uncertain to highly entertained. Cameron had done well to choose other bands that would bring people who didn¡¯t know them but would quickly morph into fans. It would help spread the word about their music, and Lucifer might be happy about that. He put the Dark Lord out of his mind to focus on the moment. The invisible soul bonds between all of the band members were strong, but strongest with Miles, more so than Jack could remember. When they played their melodies in synch or dueled back and forth, there was a rush, a pulse in their connection that their smiles couldn¡¯t even truly illustrate. His own soul was filling with pleasure as he played the instrument he had fallen in love with and sang with the voice that expressed it as much as his fast fingers did. And it was topped off by the woman and the boy to his right. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Jack stole a glance at Annabelle. Her discomfort was apparent, but her smile was genuine, the pink aura still strong. Being a demon didn¡¯t matter anymore. Demons weren¡¯t supposed to have feelings and emotions, let alone these emotions. He never felt more human than he did in that moment. After the show, Jack expected his guests to return backstage, but they did not, even after waiting for ten minutes. He was certain Annabelle would want to get out of there as fast as possible. Something didn¡¯t seem right. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Annabelle and Joey,¡± he told Miles. ¡°They should be back here by now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± They went to the side of the stage where the two had been during the show and found that the crowd had thickened there. Two tall men seemed to be looking down menacingly at whoever was in front of them. As Jack approached, he looked between the men and saw one was incredibly close to Annabelle, his hands on her in places they shouldn¡¯t be. She was looking up at her assailant in fear, trying to push his hands away and get past. The other man was pushing Joey back and out of the way, and the red aura around the boy made Jack worry he was about to use his powers in a huge crowd. It happened before Jack could intervene. The plastic cup of beer in the second man¡¯s hand flew up and into the face of the one groping Annabelle. Though Jack knew it was due to Joey¡¯s power, the target had not seen it and assumed Annabelle had done it as her arms were flailing more to get away. He grabbed her by the neck and yelled. Jack lunged, wrapping his arms around the man¡¯s neck to pull him back. Though he stumbled from the force, it didn¡¯t stop him from throwing Annabelle to the ground and stomping on her ankle. She cried out loudly. In an instant, Jack kicked the man behind the knees, knocking him to the ground. The red aura was intense; the bastard was going to Hell anyway, but Jack couldn¡¯t stop himself from wanting to send him there early. He connected. Fuck-kill-dead-destroy But Miles grabbed Jack from behind, thrusting the Soul Reacher¡¯s right arm behind his back and between them to hide the developing glow of his hand. After a moment, the man on the floor put up his hands. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯m out of here.¡± His friend helped him up and they walked away under the glares of many. Then the glares stopped and everyone went about their conversations again. Miles had cleaned up the mess for him. ¡°Have you lost your fucking mind?¡± Miles hissed in Jack¡¯s ear before releasing him. ¡°Thanks for that.¡± Relieved that the close calls of a show of demonic powers had been averted, Jack got to his knees beside Annabelle, who was sitting up slightly, holding her ankle as she cried. Some other fans were beside her attempting to comfort her along with Joey. Jack was thankful that Miles knew what to do, subconsciously telling everyone to step away and mind their own business. Without hesitation, Jack put his arms around the trembling woman, who almost instantly relaxed against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he said, his face close to hers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Will you be okay?¡± She nodded and met his eyes for a moment. Almost all the purple disappeared from around her, the pink fading in. Jack helped her to her feet, and with Joey¡¯s help led her backstage. Dorian and Cameron looked at them in surprise, and Miles went to them, likely to tell them that Jack had nearly ripped the soul out of a man in front of nearly a thousand people. Jack led Annabelle to a couch, and Joey brought a chair for her to elevate her ankle. He kept his arm around her, and she did not pull away in the slightest. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that,¡± he said again. ¡°Stop that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true though.¡± ¡°You rescued me. Thank you.¡± She looked at Joey. ¡°I really wish you hadn¡¯t done what you did. I thought you¡¯d learned to not show your powers in front of strangers like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Joey said. ¡°I was just so mad.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone noticed,¡± Jack said, knowing his own mistake would have been much more costly. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Cameron came over with some ice, which Annabelle placed over her injury. ¡°Next time I come to your show,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not standing in the crowd.¡± Jack smiled. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d willingly come to our show again after this.¡± Her return smile was accompanied by a blush. ¡°Your music¡¯s not terrible like the others, so coming to be with Joey isn¡¯t torture.¡± Jack laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± After a few minutes of sitting quietly, Jack still with his arm around her and Joey still fuming over what had happened, Annabelle requested to go to the bathroom. They helped her there, and when she came out a while later, she seemed to be walking normally. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Jack said, trying to hide a smirk. He knew she had healed herself but didn¡¯t want her to feel like she¡¯d spoiled her own secret. Annabelle added a fake limp. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I¡¯m feeling better already. I¡¯d like to get out of here if that¡¯s okay.¡± She accepted an invitation to join them on the bus once again, a relief as Jack was worried she wanted to go home already. She sat beside him, his arm over her shoulders again. He ignored all the looks from everyone else, ranging from curious to concerned to annoyed. They watched as Joey practiced his guitar more, everyone complimenting his exceptional progress. Dorian eventually went to the front of the bus to have peace on his computer, and Cameron got up to walk around as well. Though Miles was watching TV, he continuously glanced at Jack, who returned the look casually. There was no doubt Miles was judging his actions, especially when Annabelle rested her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her, his face so close to the top of her head that her hair tickled his nose, his breath rustling the stray strands. Surely she could feel it, sense it, but she didn¡¯t move. And he stayed that way, wishing he could connect to her that way, not requiring her eyes, just simply the closeness. It worked with his bandmates, though that was a connection for different reasons. She was a supernatural being, but maybe it only worked with demons. At last she looked up, their faces so close together that they both pulled back slightly, Annabelle blushing. She looked like she was going to speak, but Jack took the opportunity to connect like he wanted, deeper than he¡¯d been able to before. Her soul was a wide open door that his could walk through so easily. Not a single bit of resistance. Awkward-nice-sweet-strange-go-leave Instead of his actual hand glowing and reaching and grasping, which he could have done with no effort whatsoever, it was as if his own soul grew fingers and gripped hers through the invisible connection. He hoped he was gentle enough for it to not be noticeable or scary for her. Go now-wait-like-nice-wonderful-warm-stay ¡°What?¡± he asked, knowing she wanted to say something. ¡°Never mind,¡± she said with a smile, and relaxed beside him again. The connection remained even after their gaze was broken. He put all his focus on holding it for as long as possible. It also helped him ignore the look of revulsion from Joey and the raised eyebrow from Miles across the room. Soon Cameron walked back in, stopping short at the scene of the angel and demon, stumbling on his words. ¡°Uh¡­so¡­the driver wants to get moving. Hate to kick anyone out, but¡­¡± Annabelle sat up and Jack reluctantly released her. ¡°I should get going anyway,¡± she said. ¡°I have church in the morning and we have a long drive ahead.¡± Jack walked their guests outside and saw Joey¡¯s relief turn to annoyance once again when Annabelle turned back. She was no longer doing a fake limp and no one questioned it. He knew that as soon as she left, the connection he¡¯d been holding would be broken, and though he could get it back easily, he didn¡¯t want to wait to regain it. ¡°So¡­¡± Annabelle said, ¡°I had a nice time with you tonight.¡± ¡°Even though you got assaulted and stomped on?¡± ¡°I said with you. I had a nice time with you.¡± ¡°Same.¡± The sheepish woman didn¡¯t seem so sheepish at the moment. And the few minutes twice a day during the week would not be nearly enough time to enjoy anything. ¡°If you¡¯re interested,¡± he continued, ¡°we could get together again. Go out or something. Us. You know.¡± ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that. I assume you¡¯re busy tomorrow with your meetings or whatever.¡± Jack did not want the reminder of his meeting with Lucifer. ¡°Yeah. Sundays are bad still.¡± ¡°Can we go already?¡± Joey was now next to them, exasperated. Annabelle rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine.¡± To Jack she waved and said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Annabelle.¡± She stopped after one step. ¡°You can call me Annie.¡± ¡°Okay, Annie.¡± He watched them walk away, and though the connection faded and eventually vanished, there was still a piece inside him that remained. I don¡¯t care how wrong this is. I don¡¯t care. These are human feelings, and I won¡¯t let it go. Chapter 31: Joeys Discovery Annabelle had to slap herself a few times to stay awake during the drive from Chicago to Naperville for church. Though she hadn¡¯t gotten home too late, she barely slept as her mind twirled around the prospect of having a forbidden boyfriend. Forbidden by whom, though? Her parents, surely. The church. Maybe God too? She didn¡¯t want to believe that a kind-hearted, caring man like Jack would go to Hell. It just didn¡¯t seem right. Her goal that day was to try to rebuild the bridge with her parents. Not only would she prove herself to be the better person by offering peace and forgiveness when they had shown neither, but she hoped to regain their favor and respect. This would not only help her sway her father away from cruel sermons, but would maybe, with luck, get them to accept a non-evangelical as their daughter¡¯s eventual boyfriend. It had been a month since she¡¯d taken Joey in. Every Sunday had been a difficult one where she avoided conversation with everyone. The only positive that had occurred between her and her parents was the parental rights had just officially been passed on to her without hassle. With no legal battles on the horizon, and a renewed happiness in her heart, she was ready to take on what might likely be negativity from her family. Once at church, she went straight to her mother, who was sitting and eating a bagel. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± Sandra looked up at her. ¡°You decided to finally speak to me at church again?¡± Annabelle sat across the small table from her. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we put all that behind us now. There¡¯s just no reason to push each other apart anymore. I¡¯ve done a lot of reflecting lately, and since I¡¯m happy in other aspects of my life, I want to rebuild this part too. You and Daddy. Now that everything is settled, we can move on.¡± After chewing for a while, clearly considering Annabelle¡¯s words, Sandra said, ¡°Are you truly happy, Annie?¡± ¡°Very.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even talking about the demon spawn.¡± ¡°Me neither. Though he does make me happy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you lonely?¡± ¡°I have Joey. I¡¯m not alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Of course Annabelle knew exactly what her mother was referring to. ¡°I am not lonely. I am perfectly content with my life as it is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be a mother?¡± It was a struggle to not roll her eyes. ¡°Someday, yes. I¡¯m just waiting for the right man to come along.¡± ¡°I keep telling you, the right man is right here in this building. Simon has been waiting very patiently for a long time.¡± Annabelle couldn¡¯t suppress the sigh. ¡°Simon is nice, but I¡¯m just not interested in him that way. Besides, is it really necessary that the man for me be in this church?¡± Though she had thought she¡¯d asked the question innocently, Sandra¡¯s wide eyes and gaping mouth proved otherwise. ¡°You don¡¯t dare find yourself a husband outside the church.¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s a believer?¡± ¡°Then bring him here.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Do you already have someone?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying hypothetically.¡± She hated lying, but it just wasn¡¯t the right time for the truth. She would just need to find a way to convince Jack to postpone or reschedule his meetings to come with her. Robert came over to the women and nodded at Annabelle. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you come around to speak to your parents again.¡± ¡°I was just telling Mom that I think it¡¯s time to put our disagreements behind us and come together again. The three of us.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Though his words sounded sincere, he was looking at her with concern. ¡°You look tired. Is that demon boy giving you trouble?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯ve actually been having a lot of fun together. We stay out late sometimes, and last night was no exception. But let¡¯s not talk about Joey. We¡¯re here to share in each other and in the Lord. Right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Robert held his arms out and Annabelle stood to hug him. ¡°I may not approve of your choice to support the demon, but your faith sure hasn¡¯t wavered and I respect that.¡± Annabelle sighed and smiled. Those words from her father were unexpected so quickly, but she embraced them as much as she did the man right then. ¡°Thank you, Daddy.¡± As she went out to take her seat, she was stopped by a hand tapping her shoulder. She turned and swallowed a groan. Simon stood there, smiling hopefully. ¡°Hello, Annabelle,¡± he said. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Fine, thank you.¡± She tried to step toward her seat again. ¡°You look very nice today. Well, you look nice every day, actually.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I wanted to see if you were free one evening this week. I¡¯d love to buy you dinner, maybe get to know each other a little better.¡± She stared at the man, only a year older than her, very clean cut with perfectly styled blond hair, a smooth face, and flashing blue eyes. His gray suit was neatly pressed, his red tie no doubt made of the finest silk. It made her chuckle to think she was far more attracted to a man that looked the complete opposite of this one. Perhaps Simon was a good man, though in school he had been quite the jock and proud of it, something Annabelle found annoying. Maybe he was different now. But she had no interest in finding out. She was tempted to tell him that she was seeing someone else, even though it wasn¡¯t true just yet, but knew the news would spread to her parents before she could even sit down. Instead she said, ¡°Unfortunately I have to work late evenings this week. Maybe another time.¡± It wasn¡¯t entirely false. When she had tried to decide what night to go out with Jack, she was disappointed to see her schedule had changed on a few days to make her late. She convinced herself her declining of Simon¡¯s offer was fair because it wasn¡¯t totally a lie. Simon nodded, clearly disappointed. ¡°Okay. Perhaps the following week?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll have to let you know.¡± With the service about to start, Annabelle was finally able to escape to her seat in the front. Her mother had obviously seen the exchange and was smiling as she patted Annabelle¡¯s arm. I just need to get Jack to come here. I have one week to make it happen. * * * Silence filled the throne room as Jack awaited Lucifer¡¯s reaction to the news he had just provided. The Dark Lord was reclined on his throne, one leg over an armrest, a hand rubbing his chin. He had listened patiently as Jack told of how they had discovered the identity of Drusiel¡¯s human host, how they had scheduled a metal festival to get closer to information, how they had successfully infiltrated the police station, and how they had analyzed the information they had obtained. Jack had done his best to assure Lucifer that they were still confident they could find the others. At long last, Lucifer spoke. ¡°Impressive work.¡± Jack blinked, otherwise frozen in shock. ¡°Th-thank you, my lord.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve proven to me that the four of you were indeed the right choice. You have worked well together as a team based on your infiltration of human law enforcement. Very impressive. And the cambion is proving quite useful indeed. Very good.¡± Jack relaxed, but when Lucifer sat up and his expression changed to grim, he tensed again. ¡°It is all well and good that you have discovered the identity of Drusiel¡¯s host. But this human has been missing for seventeen years. Surely the hunt for him by other humans has been pushed aside. And with the vast majority of his and his leader¡¯s murder victims ending up in Heaven, it is impossible to track their path. So, what the fuck do you plan to do with this information?¡± Dorian hadn¡¯t prepped Jack for that question, one he knew was inevitable, but his fellow demon had insisted that the explanations he¡¯d already given would suffice, likely because he didn¡¯t want to admit he didn¡¯t know what to do. As Lucifer¡¯s glare intensified, Jack had to think fast. ¡°Well, it¡¯s important to know their identities so the others also know what they look like rather than just me. I know that might not help us find them now, so I think your idea of putting out bait for Buriel is good. More music. Touring. Try to make him come to us like we did with Joey¡ªI mean the cambion.¡± Lucifer stood and slowly approached Jack, who began to shake. Lava for blood was coming, he knew it, and he planned to do something terrible to Dorian in return. ¡°That tour should have already been set up. Why has it not?¡± ¡°We were busy planning for our mission. I¡¯ll make sure 1301 sets it up right away. Today.¡± ¡°See that you do or I will have him come see me for a ¡®discussion.¡¯ We may have been sitting on this problem for nearly two decades, but now it is time to get going quickly. Be gone. I expect progress next week. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± He had never felt so relieved while leaving the demon leader¡¯s presence. But he was also already dreading the next meeting more than he¡¯d dreaded this one. * * * Sunday had been Joey¡¯s first day of peace in a while. Though he had promised Annabelle he¡¯d do some Bible study while she was out, there was only one thing he wanted to do. Scouring the internet was more tedious on his tablet, but Joey didn¡¯t want there to be any trace on Annabelle¡¯s computer so he suffered through it. First he searched ¡°Texas teacher dead¡± and got results, again mostly from recent years. He then put ¡°Texas science teacher dead,¡± and it narrowed it down only slightly. Next he tried adding more specifics like high school and biology and chemistry and physics but they either repeated his previous results or were still too recent to be Dorian. He leaned back on the pillow propped against the wall as he sat on his bed. How badly did he want to find out this information? Dorian didn¡¯t want to know, so why should he try? Maybe finding out would be a bad thing, make him think less of Dorian. But he already didn¡¯t hold the demon in much high regard other than his extreme intelligence. He treated Jack poorly, often insulting him, so it was hard to have any respect. Finding out the truth might explain why he was the way he was. Why he was different from the others. With a deep breath, Joey began what he knew was going to be a long search. Over and over he searched his previous terms but added a year at the end, 2000, 1999, back one by one and reading through pages and pages of results. He was on 1994 when Annabelle arrived home from church, and when she asked him about his Bible study, he admitted he had gotten distracted and took a break to read and discuss with her. But the moment he was free he resumed his search. 1993. 1992. Then he found it. First page. It had to be him. ¡°Texas Catholic school teacher dead after being fired for teaching evolution.¡± The first thing he looked at was the picture. He desperately tried to find similarities between the man and Dorian. They both had hazel eyes. They both looked around the same age. But this man¡¯s hair was a much lighter brown and neatly cut, not spikey. He had no facial hair. His face was slightly rounder, his nose slightly larger, but there was one thing about him that Joey felt was unmistakably Dorian. The pretentious expression in his eyes, the tiny smirk, and chin held high was identical to the demon he looked at every day. Joey read every word of the article, mouth agape. Paul Mason had allegedly hijacked his own biology class to teach the forbidden subject to his students at the prestigious Catholic school. He was accused of being a closet atheist, and minutes after he had been fired, he set off an explosion in his classroom that killed himself and three students. That¡¯s why he went to Hell. Murder. He murdered people. The knowledge that someone who seemed to pride himself on not committing murder as a demon had actually done exactly that in life was both infuriating and fascinating. Perhaps telling Dorian this would humble him. Perhaps being proven wrong about his former atheism would be a nice touch. But more than likely, he wouldn¡¯t even believe any of it. If there was one person who would listen, who would have interest, it was Jack. That¡¯s who he would go to first. * * * Lessons with Dorian were near impossible to pay attention to that Monday. All Joey could think of was the human version of the demon in front of him. The more he stared at Dorian the more he saw Paul Mason, whose picture he had studied continuously the previous night. As Dorian rambled on about US history, Joey couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how the demon had taken innocent lives along with his own as a human and had no recollection of it whatsoever. He had no memory of the terrible thing he had done to land him in the situation he was now in. Though maybe there was one in there, an extension of what Joey had already found. But he wasn¡¯t ready to ask Dorian to teach him science again. As soon as he was alone with Jack in the basement for guitar lessons, Joey said, ¡°I need to talk to you about something.¡± Jack picked up his guitar and made his way toward his stool. ¡°If it¡¯s about Annie, there¡¯s nothing to talk about. We¡¯re adults and can do as we please.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I already know neither of you will listen to me about that. There¡¯s something else. Something serious.¡± Jack sat and raised his eyebrows. ¡°What is it?¡± Joey sat too and took a deep breath. ¡°I found out the truth about Dorian¡¯s past. His human life. Based on the memory I found.¡± When Jack didn¡¯t respond, Joey dove into his thoughts before he could be blocked out. No way it¡¯s not possible how can it what is it. ¡°I can tell you if you want. It¡¯s bad.¡± Jack hesitated. ¡°I¡­are you sure?¡± ¡°Very sure. Do you want me to tell you?¡± ¡°As much as I¡¯m curious, I don¡¯t think I should be the one to hear it first.¡± ¡°Dorian won¡¯t believe me, even if he lets me tell him.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°True.¡± His voice was soft and he looked off into space. Reading Jack¡¯s desire to know, Joey blurted out, ¡°He killed people.¡± Looking back, Jack¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°Seriously? Wait, don¡¯t tell me any more. It¡¯s not my business. It¡¯s not fair that I know this and not him. These memories¡­it¡¯s like a precious thing stolen from us. Not that the memory of murder is exactly something to miss, but¡­¡± Jack sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered why I ended up in Hell. I never felt like a bad person even though I¡¯ve had to kill people for decades. Miles has always teased me about it, still does. Why would a ¡®nice guy¡¯ like me end up here? But now I wonder if maybe I shouldn¡¯t find out. If Dorian was a murderer in life, maybe I was too. And I don¡¯t want to know about that.¡± ¡°Do you think Dorian wants to know?¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s perfectly content with his life now. Knowing this will either give him a bigger head or, less likely, calm his attitude. You can offer it, but only tell him if he wants to know. He was right when he said it¡¯s sometimes better not to know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just hard to imagine having the answers to your past in front of you and not wanting them.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s what makes us different from other demons. Many would do anything to get their memories back, get the most personal things you can have back. They¡¯d accept with no problem whatever terrible thing they¡¯d done. I don¡¯t want to accept whatever I¡¯ve done, and I think Dorian might feel the same. Interesting that a dick like him can feel that way. A bit of a soft spot in him after all.¡± A soft spot. Maybe that was precisely why Dorian should know what he did. Maybe demons could change. Chapter 32: A Forbidden Night Jack decided that the only time he¡¯d ever been in a more tension-filled room was when he met with Lucifer each week. But now their kitchen was dead silent and the tension was smothering. He went back and forth between Joey¡¯s face and Dorian¡¯s as they stared at each other. He knew Joey was reading his teacher¡¯s mind and he wished he could too. It had taken Joey two days to finally ask Dorian if he wanted to know the truth. Jack silently hoped Dorian would agree; he wanted to know too, despite what he had said to Joey. He expected Dorian to get angry, or at the very least be annoyed that the boy had dug up his past without his permission, but there had been neither reaction. He seemed to actually be considering it. ¡°How can you be sure it¡¯s me?¡± Dorian said at last, an edge to his voice. ¡°There is one way to find out,¡± Joey said. ¡°Let me look at the memory again. If you don¡¯t pull away from me like you did before, I might see more of it.¡± ¡°It hurt. A lot. And I don¡¯t want to see that again.¡± ¡°Wait. You saw what I saw?¡± Dorian sat back in his chair and waved Joey off. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know. It¡¯s a mistake that it¡¯s even in my brain. And don¡¯t tell anyone else. Just forget it.¡± ¡°Can you access the memory on your own?¡± Joey was leaning forward on the table. ¡°Can you see more of it?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m stuck with what you dug up and that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t want to see more.¡± Seeing that Joey wanted to pressure him more, Jack said, ¡°Just leave it, Joey. Leave it be.¡± The boy nodded, oozing disappointment. Jack shared in it, but was more surprised in Dorian¡¯s subdued mood that lasted the rest of the day. It was clear that the offer was still in his mind. ¡°He wants to know,¡± Joey said when they began their guitar lesson. ¡°I read it in his mind. He wants to.¡± ¡°I have to admit I¡¯ve never seen him act like this,¡± Jack said. ¡°I think he doesn¡¯t like the idea that someone actually knows more than he does. You hold the one bit of knowledge that he could never have.¡± ¡°Then he should let me tell him.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s also scared.¡± ¡°He¡¯s terrified. I read that too.¡± ¡°Even more reason to respect his wishes. We need him to be focused for this mission. He¡¯s the only one that can use technology in the way we need for information, but now I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll be too preoccupied by this. And if you were to tell him, it¡¯d be worse.¡± ¡°Maybe. I¡¯m sorry I looked into it. I should have minded my own business.¡± Jack put his hand on Joey¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s all right. You meant no harm.¡± This boy had the power to answer their biggest questions. Answers that he knew they all wanted. But the knowledge was almost as terrifying as the mission ahead of them. * * * Annabelle¡¯s heart had been fluttering all day, but never as hard as it did as she stood on Jack¡¯s doorstep that evening. Her first real date was finally happening. After Joey walked past them and down the steps, scowling, Annabelle shared a look with Jack. She felt as if he was connecting to her, invisibly touching her heart, and it was the most unexpected yet amazing feeling she could imagine. When the three of them stopped at her apartment, she changed out of her scrubs into something black, something to at least somewhat match her date¡¯s all-black style. She had to settle for another V-neck shirt, the only casual black thing she wore, the shirt she had bought for attending their concerts. Along with her dark blue jeans she figured it was close enough. And the one benefit to the sudden drop in temperature outside meant she had switched to her light-blue coat instead of her pink jacket. Pink would not do. After bidding farewell to a cranky Joey, the two walked arm in arm to the nearest elevated train station. Jack had suggested they go deeper into the city, and Annabelle said she had no patience to drive there, so they settled for the method of travel that Jack knew inside and out. Their destination for dinner was kept secret from Annabelle, and her eyes widened when they arrived at a steakhouse she would have only imagined going to with her rich parents. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± she said. ¡°Very serious. If that steak I got the last time was that good, then it will be even better here. Plus, you¡¯re worth it.¡± The guard at the door gave Jack a long look up and down. Annabelle worried that, even though Jack¡¯s clothes were in good condition, they would be turned away because of his rough appearance. But the guard reluctantly allowed them entry for their reservation. One glance at the menu and Annabelle¡¯s jaw dropped. She leaned on the table toward Jack, who was scanning it thoughtfully. ¡°Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, Jack, but do you realize how expensive this place is? Even I can¡¯t afford to pay for my own food.¡± Jack looked up. ¡°I¡¯m paying.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± He put the menu down and a slight look of disdain came across his face. ¡°I know I may not look the part, but I can afford this perfectly fine. Just because I¡¯m in a metal band and have no other job doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m broke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t mean to judge.¡± Even so, it still hurt a bit to order a $77 steak and watch him order one even more expensive. As much as she wanted to ask him how he got so much money, she worried about offending him again. She just hoped it wasn¡¯t a sign of a sinister source of income. As they waited for their food, Annabelle decided to pry a little. ¡°Just because I¡¯m curious, did you have a job before you became a musician? Since your band is still kind of new.¡± Jack seemed to hesitate. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I used to be an accountant actually. Boring stuff but I made a lot of money. Got fired, decided to do music instead.¡± Annabelle raised an eyebrow. ¡°You went to college for music but became an accountant instead?¡± ¡°Well¡­I mean¡­gotta pay the bills when you¡¯re starting out in music. Just took me until this age to get there, you know.¡± ¡°How old are you anyway?¡± Jack seemed to be calculating. ¡°Thirty-five.¡± There was a slight questioning tone at the end of his words. Annabelle hadn¡¯t expected him to be that much older than her, but decided it wasn¡¯t concerning. ¡°Better late than never to get started on a dream, I suppose,¡± she said. ¡°Definitely. Best thing to ever happen to me. Well¡­one of the best things.¡± He subtly motioned toward Annabelle, smiling. She blushed. ¡°Are you flattering me?¡± ¡°Just being honest.¡± He took a drink from his beer. ¡°Does your televangelist dad know you¡¯re going out with a scraggy guy like me?¡± Annabelle chuckled. ¡°No. I¡¯m not normally the rebellious type, but I have purposely not said anything about you. Granted I only just recently started talking to my parents again after what they did to Joey, and I think telling them about you would ruin that progress. No offense, of course.¡± ¡°None taken.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just not the type of guy they expect me to be with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely not.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°And they really want me to be with someone in the church.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t qualify.¡± ¡°Yet. I think maybe if you came to church with me, show your beliefs, then they might maybe possibly give you a chance.¡± Jack took a breath to speak but stopped, looking at the table for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pressure you. This is going to sound like a weird reason but there¡¯s a guy in my church who asked me out and I¡¯m not interested in him, but if I tell him that, my parents will be upset because they think he¡¯s the greatest thing, and if I tell people I¡¯m seeing someone else they¡¯ll be upset that you¡¯re not in the church, and I¡¯m not necessarily asking you to join the church but just to come once so they can meet you.¡± A small smile appeared on Jack¡¯s face. ¡°Pulling me into a love triangle, are you?¡± ¡°No. My feelings only go one way. I¡¯m just also trying to keep my family intact at the same time.¡± The smile grew. ¡°I¡¯m honored you feel that way. Problem is, like I said, I have meetings on Sundays.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you reschedule it just once?¡± ¡°Really can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Please? I¡¯m not a fan of lying but maybe you could tell them you¡¯re sick and can¡¯t go.¡± Jack laughed. ¡°I wish that would work. Now, my meeting is normally in the morning, so there¡¯s always the afternoon for something.¡± Annabelle tried to hide her dejection. She would have to come up with an excuse to tell Simon. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no afternoon service unfortunately. But I won¡¯t say no to seeing you again.¡± As they ate their meal and Annabelle enjoyed the entertainment of Jack¡¯s euphoria of every bite, she pondered the weird connection she kept feeling. It was making her brave enough to say flirtatious things, things she normally would be too shy to express. It was as if the ¡°power¡±¡ªas strange as it was to call it that¡ªwas telling her it was okay, that it would always be met with positive reactions. She would never be turned away or judged. Only loved. Though the night had grown even colder than expected, they stuck to their plans to walk around the parks on the east side of the Loop. It was early November, so there were no holiday decorations to admire, no ice skating rink to watch people at, but Annabelle didn¡¯t mind. There were plenty of other couples wandering around, and now she was a part of them, holding hands with the one she had claimed. She felt the odd warmth through both his glove and hers, as if he had a heating pad of sorts. Her gloves were thin, so she gripped his hand with both of hers to keep warm. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not bored,¡± Jack said. ¡°Not at all. Are you?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Living most of my life in the suburbs, the city is kind of a novelty no matter what time of year or what¡¯s going on. I suppose it¡¯s not as special for you.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°It used to not be, I guess. For a long time I didn¡¯t really get a chance to enjoy what¡¯s here, to experience everything as it should be experienced. Certain¡­obligations¡­prevented that. But these past few months I¡¯ve gotten to see so much, live so much, it¡¯s crazy. I honestly didn¡¯t think I could ever be this happy. Ever.¡± Looking up at him, Annabelle studied his thoughtful, reminiscent expression. There was more to this man. She wanted to ask him what had prevented him from having a happy life, but it sounded like it would hurt, and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin what was feeling like an amazing evening. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that whatever it was that stopped you is behind you now. There¡¯s a lot about life to enjoy.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°A lesson I¡¯ve learned.¡± They approached Buckingham Fountain, and though the jets were off, it was brightly illuminated in white lights. Standing near it, Jack smiled as he took it in. ¡°Reminds me of you,¡± he said. ¡°The fountain?¡± ¡°Yeah. The lights. It¡¯s just like you. An angel glow.¡± ¡°Now you really are flattering me.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s true. To me, you glow exactly like that.¡± It was difficult for Annabelle to believe that someone actually felt that way about her. If only her parents could hear that, see that, understand that. They sat on a bench facing the silent fountain, Jack¡¯s arm around her. She leaned close, trying not to shiver. As much as she wanted to go inside somewhere, she didn¡¯t want this moment to end. ¡°So,¡± she began, ¡°you asked me earlier about whether my parents knew I was going out with a ¡®scraggy¡¯ guy like you as if that was a strange thing.¡± ¡°It is strange.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s just as strange that a heavy metal rockstar guy is going out with a devout Christian girl like me.¡± Jack chuckled softly but said nothing. ¡°So, why? Why me, then?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I literally just said why not.¡± ¡°Call me weird but I don¡¯t feel that religion is the only thing that makes a person who they are. It only affects their actions and feelings after they¡¯ve been taught it. A person isn¡¯t born knowing about God. They¡¯re taught that. It¡¯s what people do with that knowledge that shows their true colors. Look at you and your dad. One uses God to try and kill while the other uses God to love people no matter what. Same religion, different results. That¡¯s¡­incredibly respectable. I love that about you.¡± They smiled at each other, the connection deepening. Though it warmed her on the inside, the rest of her body shivered from the wind that had picked up. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want this to end, I¡¯m really, really cold,¡± she said. ¡°Same. I hate winter.¡± ¡°We can hang out at my apartment for a while. Joey will either be sleeping or listening to his music, so he¡¯ll leave us alone. Hopefully.¡± She clung to him as they walked to the elevated train station. She knew that there usually was a section of the platform that had heat lamps to huddle under, but to her dismay, as the wind blasted them, it was out of order. ¡°Well, shit,¡± Jack muttered. When Annabelle gave him a look for cursing, he said, ¡°Sorry. Here.¡± He unzipped his coat and moved to pull her close. Annabelle gasped. ¡°Don¡¯t unzip your coat! It¡¯s too cold.¡± ¡°Not if you¡¯re here.¡± With his arms around her, her head nestled against his neck, Annabelle relished in the heat that radiated from him. Her nursing instincts made her worry; this was not normal. He should probably see a doctor about it. But for the moment it was useful. Much more comforting than the heat lamps would be. She put one arm around his waist under his coat, the other on his chest. There was something under his shirt, something hanging from the silver chain he always wore around his neck but always had it hidden. She traced it, a quarter-sized metal circle. She pulled on the chain, curious to see it, but he gently pulled her hand away and held it. When she opened her mouth to ask him about it, her words were stopped by a kiss. Annabelle immediately lost interest in the necklace. She lost interest in anything else. The cold no longer bothered her; rather she was blushing so much she felt hot instead. She blushed even more at the thought that others on the platform would be watching. Many times she¡¯d silently scoffed at public displays of affection. Such things should be kept private. Her mother had mentioned once that anything more than a simple, quick kiss in public was sexually immoral. And this kiss was far more than simple, and definitely not quick. But she didn¡¯t stop him. Only the arrival of the train stopped them. They rode on the train in silence, standing rather than sitting so Annabelle could continue to enjoy her human heater, which she wrapped herself tightly around. She felt his face on the top of her head. She wanted to fall asleep that way. That would certainly be immoral. It was after 9 p.m. when they arrived at Annabelle¡¯s apartment. Joey¡¯s bedroom door was closed, but the light could be seen under the door. ¡°Darn,¡± she whispered. ¡°Though he is a bit of a night owl, so I guess I¡¯m not surprised.¡± They removed their coats, and Annabelle thought about offering a drink, her original plan of inviting him over, but the turn of events on the train station platform had changed that. An unspoken decision was made through the connection they shared, and they kissed again in the hallway. But after only a minute, Annabelle pulled away. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m worried Joey will come out and see us. And you know how he feels about us.¡± ¡°We¡¯re adults, you know. We can do whatever we want.¡± ¡°I know that. I¡¯m just tired of the constant teen angst scowl every day.¡± Jack chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± He looked down the hall and to the open door to her bedroom. ¡°We can go in there instead. Otherwise¡­maybe I should just go.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t go.¡± The prospect of entering her bedroom with a man she had just been kissing was a bit scary, but nothing had to come from it. All they needed was a door to hide behind just to enjoy a kiss for a while. That¡¯s all. Nothing more. She led him to the bedroom and closed and locked the door. Jack looked around the room, admiring her bookshelves and pictures and trinkets. There wasn¡¯t a lot of room to walk around, and suddenly Annabelle was embarrassed about how cluttered it was. ¡°Cozy,¡± Jack said. ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­packed in here. Since Joey moved in, I had to move my desk and other things in here.¡± ¡°A worthy sacrifice.¡± Jack sat at the foot of the bed, looking up at a crucifix on the wall. Annabelle sat beside him, studying his expression. ¡°Does that bother you? The crucifix?¡± Still looking up at it, he said, ¡°Do you ever wonder if Jesus were to come back, what he¡¯d think about people having those things around their house? Like, maybe it¡¯s just me but if I were crucified I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like the reminders everywhere, you know?¡± Annabelle snorted. ¡°I never thought about it that way. I guess if he ever comes over to my place, I¡¯ll take it down for him.¡± They shared their gaze again, then another kiss. Finally alone, with no fear of interruptions, Annabelle let all tension slip away to enjoy it in full. Every few moments they¡¯d stop to look in each other¡¯s eyes; she felt like his were calling to her, begging her to meet them. The connection she felt with him swelled, and she allowed him to gently nudge her backward to lay on the bed. He lay on his side, leaning over her. Her heart pounded. This position was a dangerous one. She was vulnerable, exposed. But it was just kissing, nothing else. It was just to be more comfortable, no straining their necks or twisting their backs. That¡¯s what she told herself, anyway. She hoped that was all he saw it as. Jack pulled away for a moment, this time his gaze gripping her, physically yet invisibly holding her. She could not pull away even if she wanted to, but that was okay with her; she didn¡¯t want to. And it held even when he closed his eyes to kiss her again, and as his actual fingers caressed her body, she felt as if imaginary fingers were caressing her heart¡ªno, her soul. While one part of her brain was screaming at her, telling her his touching under her shirt, under her bra, then in her pants, was wrong, to make him stop, it was strongly overruled by her soul and the connection to it. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m still pure. This is immoral. I¡¯m a grown woman, not a child. I can do what I want. Not if God has anything to say about it. At this thought she gently pushed him up by the chest, but had no idea what to say. ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡± he asked, though he did not withdraw his hand. Her screaming, pleading brain lost the battle quickly when the grip on her soul tightened, the invisible fingers caressing it more. And where his actual fingers were at that moment, how that part of her body was reacting, meant it was already too late. ¡°No,¡± she whispered, and with that she gave up everything to him. Chapter 33: Regrets Annabelle sat hunched over on the toilet, shaking. She fought hard against the tears; as much as she wanted to hide forever, she would have to come out eventually, and Jack would see her. And she didn¡¯t want him to see her crying. All the euphoria she had felt minutes before had now drained from her like an emptying bathtub. That was exactly how she felt: empty. All she had left was a massive weight of guilt overpowering her. Regret. Shame. The realization that she was now destined for Hell. Imagining how she was to burn for eternity brought the tears. She couldn¡¯t hold them back anymore. All her faithfulness, her worship, her devotion, all for nothing because she couldn¡¯t control her body in a way that was holy and honorable, as she had been taught by the Bible. It didn¡¯t matter if she were to marry this man someday. She was no longer pure. A soft knock came on the door, followed by a whisper. ¡°Annie? Are you okay?¡± How could she tell him no? How could she explain to this man that what they had just shared was sending them both to Hell? He already didn¡¯t care, though; he had said as much once before. But would he care about her destiny? She said nothing. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Besides the pain in her heart, she had a strange burning sensation in her abdomen, like a little fire was sizzling there. Not painful exactly, but definitely noticeable. She hoped it was normal since she had no prior experience to compare to. ¡°No,¡± she said, and knew her attempts to hide her sorrow from her voice had failed. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± he said. ¡°Come tell me. Please.¡± The softness in his voice reminded her that the connection she¡¯d had all evening had not completely disappeared. She no longer felt a grip on her soul, but there was still something there, even with a door between them. She flushed the toilet and came out, giving up on hiding her tears. Jack motioned for her to follow him into the bedroom again. He was fully dressed¡ªthough he hadn¡¯t taken off his shirt to begin with¡ªand sat on the foot of the bed, patting the spot next to him. When she sat, he made no move to put an arm around her or kiss her or anything like that. He simply rested his elbows on his knees and leaned close. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I hurt you,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crying.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Is it a girl thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a God thing.¡± Jack raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She knew he wouldn¡¯t understand. But as the tears flowed fast and sudden, she blurted it out. ¡°I¡¯m going to Hell.¡± The words were met with silence at first. She had expected a chuckle or a snort or a scoff. ¡°No you¡¯re not,¡± he said. ¡°Yes I am!¡± She finally looked up at him, ready to defend against any snarky looks, but was met with seriousness. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± she continued. ¡°You don¡¯t care about going to Hell, you just accept it. I can¡¯t just accept that. I¡¯ve spent my whole life working toward earning eternal life in Heaven and it¡¯s all gone, just like that.¡± ¡°Do you really think that a woman like you, someone who knows only kindness and caring and love and faith, is going to Hell for one sin?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big sin. I took an oath many years ago to remain pure until marriage. I knew tonight was wrong but did it anyway.¡± Though she expected to be met with ridicule in some form for taking such an oath, no such reaction came. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I pressured you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t. It was my choice.¡± ¡°Maybe. But honestly, think about it. Think about all the great things you¡¯ve done. All you¡¯ve done for Joey, loving him when no one else would. All your patients that you cared so much for when they needed it most. All your devotion to your church and your beliefs. Even being nice to a guy like me, your polar opposite. I¡¯m pretty sure God has seen all of that and secured your spot in Heaven already.¡± Jack paused a moment. ¡°Besides, I seem to remember you telling me that I still had a chance at Heaven because God forgives when you confess your sins and accept him. Am I right?¡± He was right. Everything he said rang true in her heart, and she recalled the exact verse that referenced it. ¡°If we confess our sins,¡± she said aloud, ¡°He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.¡± Jack nodded and squeezed her close. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay. And¡­and I¡¯ll understand if you think we shouldn¡¯t see each other anymore.¡± There was dejection in his voice and on his face and she felt the connection fading. She grabbed it back to hold it tight, not sure how she was able to do such an invisible thing. ¡°Of course I still want to see you. After what I just gave up to you, you better be my boyfriend.¡± Jack grinned. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not doing that again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Annabelle stared. ¡°You¡¯re okay with that?¡± ¡°Of course. I might not be godly and pure, but I¡¯m no asshole either. At least I try not to be.¡± ¡°Stop cursing already, please.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± But he was smiling. ¡°Am I at least still allowed to kiss you? That¡¯s not a sin too, is it?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s private you can kiss me all you want. Just keep your hands away from certain places.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± After they kissed for a couple seconds, Jack said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go now. But I¡¯ll see you in the morning with Joey.¡± Annabelle grabbed his wrist as he stood. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s late, but the buses are still running. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold out and you¡¯ll have to walk still.¡± As they gazed at each other one last time, Annabelle felt the fingers caressing her soul once again. ¡°I¡¯ll be warm enough,¡± he said. ¡°Trust me.¡± * * * Jack¡¯s head buzzed with so many thoughts and emotions that he passed the first bus stop he had planned to take, forcing him to walk two extra blocks to reach the next one. He had opened a most forbidden door that night and had walked through it without a second thought. For the entire evening he had forced himself to ignore the fact that he was a demon. If demonized souls weren¡¯t supposed to have feelings like this, then why did he? Tonight, I am human. There had to be some sort of human component left in his soul, though. He knew he had human instincts leftover in his brain after his memories had been removed, and they had gone to good use that night as he seemed to know exactly how to do something he could not remember ever doing before. Maybe some of that humanness had seeped into his soul, too. Or been leftover even after being demonized. Maybe that¡¯s what made him so different. Surely no other Soul Reacher could connect as deeply to someone as he had done that night, being able to touch her soul with his. The pathway to it had been wide open though, no resistance whatsoever. She had to have felt it. But instead of pushing the sensation away like anyone else he¡¯d connected to had done, she embraced it somehow. Maybe it was an angel thing. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. For a moment he realized he had committed something that would earn him a long stint in torment if Lucifer were to find out. He would just have to hope that the Dark Lord would not feel the need to analyze any recent memories. And he would probably have to keep the kissing to a minimum. Secrets were getting harder and harder to keep, and he worried he might not be able to keep them all from the right people. When he finally arrived home, he was greeted by his three bandmates sitting in the living room, all of them giving him curious looks. Dorian¡¯s was laced with a bit of concern, and Jack had been surprised that the demon had kept his opinions on the matter to himself. Until now. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Dorian asked. ¡°Out, obviously.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for five hours.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know I had a curfew, mother.¡± Miles and Cameron chuckled, but otherwise said nothing. Jack hung up his coat, planning to get upstairs as quickly as possible before questions were asked. But he didn¡¯t get farther than one step from the coat rack. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°None of your business, Dorian.¡± Dorian was glaring now. ¡°Something happened. I can tell. And you better spill it, because anything you do affects us all.¡± With three sets of eyes on him there was no escaping. And once again he couldn¡¯t disagree with Dorian¡¯s assessment. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jack sighed. He might as well just come out with it since it was obviously going to come out anyway. ¡°Fine. I had sex with her. That¡¯s what happened.¡± His companions all gasped, but none looked more petrified than Dorian. ¡°You did what?¡± he screeched, slowly getting to his feet. His eyes were wide and his hands gripped his spiky hair. ¡°You did what?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not deaf.¡± ¡°You idiot. You fucking idiot! I knew you getting involved with the angel was bad, but didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad. Shame on me for thinking you¡¯d have enough common sense to not completely fuck up this mission and get us all sentenced to torment.¡± ¡°What Lucifer doesn¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt anyone. Just keep your mouth shut about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? It doesn¡¯t matter what we say or don¡¯t say. A holy war is imminent now, and all because you couldn¡¯t keep your pants on.¡± Jack stared at him, then at the other two hoping they shared in his confusion. Unfortunately he only saw fear. Cameron spoke. ¡°There¡¯s seriously gonna be a holy war now? Wouldn¡¯t we have been called back by now if there was?¡± ¡°It is strange we haven¡¯t been called back,¡± Dorian said, shaking now. ¡°That gives us time to maybe figure something out. Jack, what did you do with the body?¡± Jack furrowed his brow. Dorian had truly lost his mind. ¡°What are you talking about? What body?¡± Dorian¡¯s return stare was equally as dumbfounded. ¡°The dead one, you fool. Unless her body disappeared after she died. That¡¯s what happens to demons, you know, when we die on Earth. Maybe it¡¯s the same for angels.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not dead, dumbass. Why would she be dead? It was just sex. I didn¡¯t take her soul.¡± Dorian cocked his head. ¡°She¡¯s not dead?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s perfectly fine other than she thinks she¡¯s going to Hell for sexual immorality. Why did you think she was dead?¡± Scratching his goatee, Dorian looked away thoughtfully. ¡°Wow. I assumed she was powerful, but this is beyond what I expected.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jack demanded. ¡°No, actually, it makes sense.¡± A knowing smile came over Dorian¡¯s face. ¡°When Buriel raped Joey¡¯s mother, she should have died within minutes. Melted from the inside out. But she survived because the angel used her powers to heal her. Because she has those powers, she survived the same situation with you.¡± Jack blinked. The news that what he¡¯d done could have possibly killed Annabelle gripped his heart. ¡°She still doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re a demon, right?¡± Dorian asked. ¡°Right.¡± Dorian sighed and collapsed back in his chair. ¡°Okay. We¡¯re good then.¡± ¡°No holy war?¡± Cameron asked. ¡°No holy war. Oh, and Jack, I suggest you keep it in your pants from now on. You¡¯re treading a very dangerous path with what you¡¯re doing. Unfortunately you¡¯re the leader so I can¡¯t forbid it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be happening again.¡± Relieved that the interrogation was over, Jack said, ¡°I¡¯m going upstairs,¡± and made his way to the stairs. He was halfway up them when he heard footsteps following. Normally he wouldn¡¯t mind Miles¡¯s company, but this time he wasn¡¯t in the mood. But he didn¡¯t tell him to leave. Once at the door to his room, Miles called out to him. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in a lecture, Miles,¡± Jack said. ¡°I just want to know, are you not seeing her anymore because of what happened?¡± ¡°I am still seeing her. Just with certain boundaries. And none of you will stop me.¡± Miles sighed and followed Jack into his room. Jack stared out his window at the shadows formed on the side of the building beside them. ¡°As much as I hate to say it, Dorian is right. This is dangerous, Jack.¡± ¡°I had no idea I could have killed her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. I know you didn¡¯t sleep with her because you¡¯re a horny demon that thought it would be fun to desecrate an angel. You did it because you actually like her. You care about her. If we were human, that would be a great thing, but¡ª¡± Jack turned to face him. ¡°I am human, Miles. I¡¯ve never felt so human in all my time as a demon. I don¡¯t feel like a demon at all. The only thing that reminds me of what I¡¯m supposed to be is my powers of connection. I connected so deep with her tonight that I literally touched her soul with mine. Not my hand. My soul. It was the greatest happiness. Once this is all over, I¡¯ll never get to experience that happiness ever again. No reward Lucifer can give would come close to what I felt tonight. I need to enjoy every moment of this before it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t actually care about her? It¡¯s all for your own enjoyment?¡± ¡°Of course I care about her. I can¡¯t even put into words how much I do. Who would have thought I¡¯d fall in love with someone from the other team?¡± ¡°Love?¡± ¡°Yeah. I told you, I¡¯m human. There¡¯s something very human about me, and I can¡¯t ignore that.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s why you¡¯re so strong. Why you¡¯re the best Soul Reacher ever known. You connect to people in ways no one else can. But your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. You¡¯re connecting to the wrong person for the wrong reason.¡± ¡°Of course you don¡¯t understand. You¡¯re too much like any other demon, incapable of caring about others.¡± ¡°I do care.¡± ¡°Only about yourself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Miles scowled, but underneath Jack saw pain. ¡°I¡¯m just not good at showing it. I don¡¯t know how. You¡¯re a professional at dealing with emotions. It¡¯s natural for you. Me, I don¡¯t know what to do with this¡­this¡­nice feeling. Like, yeah I care about the mission and not fucking up because I don¡¯t want to be tortured forever, but what bothers me more is that¡­I miss how it was always just us, doing our thing. Like friends. Now I have to share you. And it¡¯s gotten even harder because it¡¯s like your power over us, through the music, it sticks and it¡¯s changed me even more. Like I¡¯ve said before, you¡¯re making me good. But now you¡¯re kind of slipping away.¡± Jack felt a tug on his soul as if Miles was actively pulling on their connection, one that had become so natural that he rarely thought about it unless they were playing music. He gripped it back as if shaking hands through it but not letting go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jack said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you felt that way.¡± ¡°Now you do. So I guess I¡¯m saying to think of it like this: if you fuck up this mission because of a woman, it¡¯s gonna affect the rest of us in a way you might not realize. Especially me. And it¡¯s gonna hurt more than whatever Luc might throw at us.¡± Jack nodded, hiding the twitch at the degradation of the Dark Lord¡¯s name. Their friendship was even more rebellious than that. ¡°I won¡¯t fuck this up. I promise.¡± * * * Annabelle almost missed her alarm on Thursday morning. She had stayed up late praying and scouring her Bible for reasons she would not go to Hell. As always, she was comforted by Matthew, where the righteous were those who cared for the least of mankind, that caring for others in need was the same as giving that love to Jesus. People who were not devout but had good hearts were rewarded with the kingdom of Heaven. She would be okay. Even Jack would be okay. But after her shower and getting dressed, Joey was waiting for her at the kitchen table with a glare as he ate breakfast. ¡°I know what you did last night,¡± he said. Annabelle rolled her eyes as she went to the coffee maker. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, so never mind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sin.¡± ¡°Trust me, I am very aware of that. I¡¯ve asked God for forgiveness, and Jack has agreed to keep our relationship pure from now on.¡± Still facing the boy¡¯s judgment, she said, ¡°Are you convinced I¡¯m going to Hell?¡± ¡°Of course not. That¡¯s not possible. You¡¯re an angel.¡± Annabelle sighed, then sat at the table with a muffin. ¡°I am not an angel. I wish people would stop saying that. Jack said it last night too.¡± Joey¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He did?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said the lights around Buckingham Fountain remind him of me. An angel glow or something. It was cheesy, but I think he meant it.¡± Joey snorted. ¡°I can guarantee he meant it. But you still shouldn¡¯t be with him. Not like you¡¯ll listen to me or anything.¡± ¡°Joey, you¡¯re sixteen. You don¡¯t understand these sorts of things yet. Besides, wouldn¡¯t you like it if Jack became your uncle?¡± The boy covered his face with his hand and groaned. ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret this. Both of you.¡± Throughout the rest of their morning routine, including the drive to Jack¡¯s house, Annabelle worried about Joey. The closeness they¡¯d built over the years seemed to be fading. Her purpose in life was pulling away. But couldn¡¯t she have two purposes? Couldn¡¯t she have a happy, loving relationship with a man and care for and protect Joey? She didn¡¯t understand why Joey was so against it; Jack was his hero, he should be happy at the prospect of being closer to him in the foreseeable future. She would just have to hope that something would change his mind, something would make him see that what she saw in her future was a good thing. Chapter 34: A Friendly Talk Seeing Annabelle on his doorstep was more heart-lifting than it used to be. Jack hugged her tight and kissed her forehead; she¡¯d wanted the more intimate things private, and he¡¯d respect that. She barely had any white left in her aura while in his presence. Now there was so much pink it was amusing. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to wait until Sunday,¡± she whispered. ¡°For alone time.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait that long.¡± ¡°We do. My job is getting more demanding now. I have to take on more patients, at least for now.¡± ¡°Then either you let me kiss you for real now, or we have patience.¡± She blushed. ¡°Patience.¡± Jack nodded and let her go, watching her walk to her car before going inside. The kitchen was filled with tension once again when he entered. Dorian sat in his usual spot, but he was not looking at Joey. He was tapping his fingers nervously on the table and bouncing his leg as if sitting still was impossible. Joey sat quietly, his gaze sheepish. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Dorian doesn¡¯t want to teach me anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to,¡± Dorian said, still not meeting Joey¡¯s eyes. ¡°I told you, I just need a little break, that¡¯s all. Besides, we need to focus on our next plan. We need to give Lucifer something good and actually make better progress with this whole thing.¡± Dorian called for the others to join them as Jack sat at the table, watching Joey look at him sadly. There was no doubt in Jack¡¯s mind that Dorian¡¯s reason was more than just for planning, but he decided to ask anyway. Making sure Joey was still looking at him, he thought, Is it because of what you know? Joey nodded. Once Miles and Cameron had joined them at the table, Dorian said, ¡°Jack, I know you¡¯re technically the leader, but I hope you¡¯ll allow me to outline a proposal for what we can do next.¡± ¡°Sure, if it keeps me from getting slaughtered on Sunday.¡± ¡°Good. So, Cameron has a full tour booked with us opening for a much larger band. This is going to give us a massive boost, as many more people will hear our music and spread the word, hopefully eventually reaching Buriel, and hopefully tempting him as well as it did Joey. That won¡¯t start for a few weeks though. In the meantime, we should consider having all of us learn to drive and have Cameron make us a car.¡± ¡°You want us to drive the bus now?¡± Miles asked. ¡°No. I suggest you shut up and listen. I have plotted a potential route that traces everything within a three-hour radius of Buriel¡¯s summoning point. Much of that is rural areas or smaller cities where doing shows is not feasible. I propose we conduct our own road trip. If we infiltrate enough systems along the route, we¡¯re bound to find the identities of the other two human hosts.¡± Dorian looked at Jack, pleased with himself. ¡°Well, leader?¡± ¡°Sounds cool and all,¡± Jack said, ¡°but Lucifer is already asking how the identities of the hosts are going to help us. I had to bullshit my way out of that question once already.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? How are we supposed to find them if we don¡¯t know their human form?¡± ¡°I know what they look like.¡± ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t. We should all be equally in the know about what we¡¯re searching for. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Yeah, but it doesn¡¯t matter what I think. If Lucifer doesn¡¯t like it, then I¡¯m the one who pays the price. Though if things go on too long, he¡¯ll probably bring you all back for a taste too. He already threatened it last time.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s not ideal,¡± Dorian said, and Jack saw something in his eyes that was different. A lack of the typical disdain, perhaps. ¡°But unless anyone has any other ideas, that¡¯s all we can do right now.¡± Miles leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. ¡°My only idea is Luc needs to get his head out of his ass and help us out a little here. Maybe he¡¯s just playing a game with us. Don¡¯t you think if he really wanted to catch Buriel, he¡¯d have put a lot more effort into it years ago?¡± ¡°I can assure you this is no game,¡± Jack said. ¡°I am reminded of that fact every week. He might take pleasure in torturing me, but he definitely only does it when he¡¯s pissed. He leaves me alone when I have good news.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Dorian said. ¡°As ridiculous as I¡¯ve always thought this whole scheme was, Lucifer does not play games. Perhaps he is having a bit of fun with the whole music thing and that has clouded his judgment on this, but I¡¯m willing to bet his fear of Buriel having more power than him by having free reign on Earth is what is driving him to want this done. And making him angrier when it doesn¡¯t go well.¡± He looked at Jack again. ¡°Do you think you can present this well enough to come back unscathed?¡± Jack pondered the words for a moment. The last part of his sentence seemed out of character. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he said. There was silence at the table for a while before Joey finally spoke. ¡°So¡­do I get to go on this road trip too? If Annie lets me, of course, which she probably won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Dorian said, avoiding eye contact. ¡°I¡¯m hoping Jack¡¯s unacceptable relationship with the angel will actually prove useful in convincing her to allow you to join us. Ideally without her tagging along.¡± He glared at Jack. ¡°I can most likely do that, yes,¡± Jack said. ¡°Good. Now, I¡¯m sure there are demon rulers, particularly in the north, that would be able to give us the knowledge of driving, but I think it¡¯s safe to say that none of us are interested in the agony of that process, so I propose we learn on our own. We technically already have the license that humans use for it. Those cards we got. And plenty of stupid humans can do it, why not us?¡± ¡°I can help with that,¡± Joey said. ¡°I can¡¯t drive yet, but I know how a car works. I watch Annie drive every day.¡± ¡°Works for me,¡± Dorian said, though his voice hinted that he wasn¡¯t keen on working too closely with Joey. ¡°So here¡¯s the plan, with your blessing of course,¡± he continued while looking at Jack. ¡°First, Cameron gets to work on making a car.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but how the fuck do I make a car?¡± Cameron was leaning forward. ¡°How did you make that guitar?¡± ¡°I had Jack¡¯s to copy from.¡± ¡°Fair. I¡¯ll find some schematics and I¡¯ll help you analyze it so you can build it. All of us can help by finding or buying materials to use.¡± ¡°We have a ton of money,¡± Cameron said. ¡°Can¡¯t we just buy one?¡± ¡°Buying a car requires a paper trail. We¡¯ve already risked a lot of paper trail with our touring and royalty payments.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Yeah, and when I spend days or weeks building something I know nothing about and it ends up not working, we¡¯ve wasted more time and I get tortured by Lucifer.¡± ¡°We were provided with a bunch of stuff when we first got here,¡± Jack said. ¡°They got us this whole house and studio and everything. Maybe they can get us a car.¡± Dorian raised his eyebrows. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re willing to ask Lucifer for that favor, go for it. That would make things easier indeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see how the rest of the conversation goes first. Might not even get that far.¡± ¡°True. But we should still plan for everything. I¡¯ll show you my route and all the places I¡¯m thinking of infiltrating. Perhaps the more details you can give Lucifer, the more likely he¡¯ll agree to our idea.¡± ¡°Nice of you to consider this ¡®our¡¯ idea,¡± Miles said, smirking. Dorian shrugged. ¡°Yes, it is technically my idea. But we¡¯re supposed to be a team, may as well act like it.¡± ¡°Something¡¯s up with you, man.¡± Miles¡¯s smirk became a smile. ¡°It¡¯s almost like¡­you¡¯re being nice or something.¡± ¡°Call it what you will. We all have the same goal here and we¡¯ve made it this far with very few issues. Might as well embrace what we have together.¡± * * * ¡°He wants to know so badly. It¡¯s eating him up inside.¡± Joey stood in the center of the studio, blurting out the words as soon as he and Jack reached the bottom of the stairs. ¡°He looks more scared than interested,¡± Jack said. He was concerned about the change in Dorian¡¯s behavior. As the day had gone on, he¡¯d become even more uncomfortable around Joey while at the same time not hiding from him despite the opportunity. ¡°He is,¡± Joey said. ¡°He¡¯s arguing with himself, trying to convince himself he can handle the truth, that he should take advantage of gaining knowledge that no other demon servants get to have. But yeah, he¡¯s scared. He¡¯s actually really afraid of finding out he was a bad person. He might seem like a real jerk right now, but deep down I think he has the ability to be nice. That¡¯s why he¡¯s scared. He doesn¡¯t want to see himself as bad.¡± ¡°Of course not. He thinks he¡¯s the best demon servant in existence. The truth would scar that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not convinced that¡¯s how he truly feels. At least not entirely. There¡¯s something more to him.¡± Joey stepped closer. ¡°You¡¯re a Soul Reacher. You can connect to him, right? Maybe you can figure out what it is.¡± Jack shook his head. ¡°Any time I¡¯ve ever tried to connect like that, he electrocutes me. Maybe he¡¯ll come around eventually. Just give him time.¡± As they sat in their stools with their guitars, Jack said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re going on about that instead of how mad you are at me and Annie.¡± Joey sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. Well, kinda. I know what you guys did last night.¡± To Jack¡¯s surprise, Joey looked more sad than angry. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what you are, but you know what she is, yet you still do¡­that. I¡¯m not saying you should tell her, but don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little unfair? And just wrong? An angel and a demon?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s wrong in that context. But you need to understand that I¡¯m not an ordinary demon. I¡¯m not taking advantage of her. I care about her as if I were a hundred percent human.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not. And she doesn¡¯t know that. She doesn¡¯t know that this dream fantasy she has in her head is all for nothing.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She asked me if I¡¯d like it if you were my uncle one day. Think about that, what that means.¡± Jack raised his eyebrows. That was certainly a twist he did not expect. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Joey¡¯s eyes began to tear up. ¡°She¡¯s crazy in love with you and she¡¯s gonna end up with her heart super broken in the end. Even if she never finds out what you are and you just quietly disappear after this is all over, she¡¯s gonna be so hurt. I don¡¯t want to see that happen. If you really were human, I¡¯d be happy. But you¡¯re going along with this knowing full well that it¡¯s going to end. Do you want to hurt her like that?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± It came out more like a whisper. He was ashamed to admit he had not thought about that, how the end would affect her. How could he claim to care about her, to love her, and not think of that? But to end it now and witness her sorrow every day sounded more painful than what the end might hold. ¡°I can¡¯t change how I feel, Joey. I can¡¯t explain to you why I won¡¯t end things now. It won¡¯t change your mind. All I can promise is that I will give her all the happiness I can give, so that when I leave¡ªand I¡¯ll do my best to make it as painless as possible¡ªshe¡¯ll have positive memories to hold on to. I know how precious memories are. I just hope I won¡¯t have them taken away again.¡± Jack knew Joey was reading his thoughts. There was a very good possibility that he would be wiped clean after this if he were to resume his usual work on Earth. Even more reason to enjoy every single moment of happiness now, even if he never remembered it again. ¡°I understand,¡± Joey said, though he clearly wasn¡¯t happy about conceding. ¡°Just¡­try not to hurt her too much, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. And you know, my feelings include you. I¡¯m going to take advantage of every moment we have, you and me. As long as you stop being mad at me.¡± Joey smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you. I¡¯m mad that you can¡¯t be real.¡± ¡°I¡¯m real in your heart, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± * * * It was late in the evening when a very exhausted Annabelle arrived to pick up Joey. Jack gave her a long, tight hug and felt all her tension slip away. ¡°You¡¯re a strong woman, you know that?¡± he whispered in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t ever forget that. And don¡¯t ever change.¡± She reluctantly pulled away, and Jack watched them from the front steps until they had driven out of sight. Back in the living room he was met by Miles and Cameron. Expecting a lecture of some sort based on their concerned faces, he braced himself. But Miles pointed a thumb behind him toward the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s up with him, do you know?¡± Miles asked. Jack knew he was referring to Dorian, whom he had passed on his way from the basement to lead Joey out. He had been sitting at the table, head in his hands, not moving at the sound of their passing, and when Jack looked to Joey for possible mind reading news, the boy had mouthed, ¡°See? I told you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually a little scary,¡± Cameron said. ¡°The guy who seemed to always have the answers and know what to do now looks like he¡¯s falling apart.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because he is. It¡¯s about the truth. His past. Joey found out who he was as a human and what he did. Why he went to Hell.¡± Both Miles and Cameron gaped. ¡°How did he find that out?¡± the drummer asked. ¡°The internet I guess. And some memory he dug out of Dorian¡¯s brain. And now he¡¯s torn apart because he¡¯s afraid of the truth. I¡¯m going to try to talk to him.¡± Sitting at the table, Jack fully expected to be snapped at, to be told to go away and mind his own business, but Dorian did not move from his motionless, desolate state. He had collapsed so drastically in only one day. But the soul connection with Jack, though weaker than what he had with the others, was still intact. ¡°Hey,¡± Jack said. Dorian said nothing. ¡°I know you probably think you don¡¯t want to talk about it, but you actually do. And I know you probably think some loser from the west doesn¡¯t know shit and isn¡¯t worth talking to, but¡ª¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± Dorian had not looked up. ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°He talks to you. Did he tell you? About me? What he knows?¡± Jack pondered telling him that he knew only one thing, but decided against it. ¡°No. I told him it wouldn¡¯t be fair for me to know and not you.¡± Dorian looked up slightly, surprised. For a demon with no need for sleep, he looked exhausted. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s worried about you, though. We all are. It¡¯s tearing you apart.¡± Dorian covered his face again. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like to know my past, give you something more to judge me about.¡± He¡¯s afraid of being judged? ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of guy that¡¯s going to hunt for reasons to put you down despite how much you do it to me. I¡¯m only here to say that maybe knowing the truth will hurt less than you¡¯re hurting now. We can¡¯t afford to have you crumbling like this.¡± Dorian leaned his head on one hand. ¡°Tell me, Jack. If you had this opportunity, would you take it? Would you let him tell you?¡± Jack took a deep breath. He had been leaning toward declining such an offer if ever presented, but seeing the crumbling man next to him at the table made him rethink. ¡°I think this time we¡¯ve been given on Earth, all this additional free will, free reign, has been a gift we can¡¯t ignore. It will all be gone one day. We¡¯ll be back to our normal duties or doing something else but with the same restrictions we used to have. We might even have all these new memories removed in the end. So I¡¯ve been living every day in the best way I can, to take in as much opportunity and happiness as possible, even if I end up not remembering it forever. We have to live in the moment while we do this mission. So I think if Joey found out my past, something about my life as a human, I¡¯d accept it.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t scared of what monster you might have been?¡± ¡°Of course I am. But the fact that you¡¯re actually scared of knowing that says a lot about who you are right now. I feel so human now, and I think maybe you do too. Because what kind of demon would be afraid of being evil if there wasn¡¯t a human element inside?¡± They met eyes and Jack saw a Dorian he had never seen before. He took the risk of gently connecting like he¡¯d had before, that maybe by some chance it would comfort him. Sad-scared-why-should I?-maybe-no-yes-should Dorian pulled the connection apart, leaving their continuous one intact as he looked away. ¡°I hate when you do that.¡± ¡°Thanks for not electrocuting me.¡± He shrugged, looking at the table again. ¡°At least with you it doesn¡¯t hurt, like when Joey digs through my brain. That really hurts.¡± ¡°I know. He tried it with me.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t find anything?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I so lucky.¡± Dorian sighed and stood. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to lay down. Thanks for the talk.¡± Once Dorian was out of the room, Jack stayed in his chair, staring at the wall. Did Dorian actually respect him now? He wouldn¡¯t hold on to that prospect, but he smiled anyway. He just hoped he would make the right decision. Chapter 35: The Truth About Dorian ¡°I want to know the truth. Tell me everything you know.¡± Dorian hadn¡¯t even greeted Joey when he entered the kitchen the next day. He looked frazzled as if he¡¯d been pacing for hours, his hands trembling, biting his lip. Joey read the desperation in the demon¡¯s mind and smiled. ¡°Okay. If you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°Tell me now before I change my mind.¡± ¡°I need a computer so I can show you a picture.¡± They went to the basement, the three other band members following anxiously. ¡°I told them they can listen,¡± Dorian said. ¡°No use hiding anything.¡± At the recording computer, Joey searched up the article he had previously found, letting them all see the headline and the picture. Dorian sat in his chair, staring silently at his former human self as Joey spoke. ¡°Your name was Paul Mason. You died on November 30th, 1992 at age thirty-seven. You were a biology teacher at a Catholic high school in Houston. Supposedly you taught your classes evolution despite strict rules against it, and you were immediately fired. In retaliation, you set off an explosion in your classroom that killed you and three others, all students. That¡¯s why you went to Hell. You murdered people.¡± The room was painfully silent. As much as Joey had wanted to tell Dorian this, it now hurt. Dorian was frozen in his chair, staring at his picture. He swallowed hard, his breathing shaky. Finally he spoke, his voice cracking in a whisper. ¡°You¡¯re sure that¡¯s me?¡± ¡°Yes. And I might be able to prove it more if you let me see that memory again.¡± While Dorian pondered the opportunity, Joey pulled his mind away from the demon¡¯s flashing thoughts to look up at the other three, also frozen in silence. Their expressions were of shock as they looked at their companion. It hurt them as well. Even though Dorian had often been cruel to them, they still seemed to care. ¡°Okay,¡± Dorian said at last, sitting up straight, his face now full of determination. ¡°Do it.¡± Joey nodded. ¡°I think you should lay down. And I want you to think about chemistry or something. You obviously knew a lot about it if you knew what would make a massive explosion on the spot.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Dorian stumbled as he got on the floor, laying on his back. ¡°I think I know of some combinations I could have used, so I¡¯ll think of those.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Joey knelt beside Dorian and leaned over him, his hands on his shoulders. ¡°Ready?¡± Dorian nodded. Joey dove in, quickly entering the open door made by Dorian¡¯s thoughts and digging through to search for more of the memory. He tried to dig fast to hopefully shorten the amount of time Dorian would be in pain. Then he found it, clearer than ever before, and he grabbed it tight. He felt Dorian twitch hard under his hands and groan, but he did not fight back like he used to. This was going to hurt him terribly in more ways than one. * * * The teacher leaned forward on his desk at the front of the classroom, looking out at his silent students. It was hard to hide his devious smirk; twenty still-malleable minds sat before him. They had no idea what was coming. ¡°My name is Mr. Mason,¡± he said, standing up straight. ¡°You are all here to learn biology of course, but there is a lot more to the subject than just our current physical being, our current bodies, and that of animals. Those are all important of course, and I will teach you this, but the more important topic and the one that should be the first you learn in my class, is how we got to our current state. What you have been taught your whole life has been a lie, and I am about to explain why.¡± Curiosity filled the faces of the room, many students fidgeting in their seats, some looking at each other in concern. But no one spoke. ¡°Intelligent design, which you have likely been hearing about for as long as you can remember, has been disproven in countless ways by scientists for decades upon decades. Now, I¡¯m not going to go into things like the Big Bang or details on how the world came to be. Instead, I¡¯m going to show you and explain to you how our human race came to be over billions of years.¡± A boy slowly raised his hand. ¡°Are you talking about evolution?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± There were a handful of gasps around the room. ¡°Calm down, calm down. I can¡¯t force you to believe in what I¡¯m going to be teaching you. But I plan to give you the evidence you need to ask your own questions, to think more broadly about your world. Consider what else is in our world and our lives besides God.¡± For the entire hour of class, Paul Mason enthusiastically explained the evolution of mankind, using pictures on an overhead projector, walking among the desks to get closer to his students, to help them feel immersed in his lesson. None of them dared speak, but a few showed interest, and he strived to speak to them more. There was so much potential in their eyes. Finally, the brainwashed will see. Twice more during the day he did this, finding the two or three that reluctantly grasped onto his words and encouraged their eagerness. He felt invigorated, so much so that he pushed it harder and harder, giving no care to the fact that high school students were the best gossipers. He taught no classes during the last period of the day, so Paul spent his time in his classroom preparing the next day¡¯s lessons, excitedly formulating ways to integrate what he had taught into the topics he was required to teach. He jumped at the loud knock on the door. His smile was met with the furious glare of the principal. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Mr. Harlowe,¡± Paul greeted the tall, thin older man. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°We must talk.¡± The principal entered the room and briskly closed the door behind him. ¡°Is it true you have been teaching evolution to our students?¡± Paul sat still, staring. Though he had hoped the news wouldn¡¯t spread that quickly, there was no denying it. Enough minds had been opened to have made one day worth it. ¡°I am teaching biology, sir.¡± Mr. Harlowe narrowed his eyes, standing tall over the teacher. ¡°You know very well what our biology curriculum includes. You even showed me your lesson plans that excellently tied the subject in to our faith teachings.¡± Yes, the ones I threw away immediately after. ¡°Does this mean that the faithfulness you¡¯ve shown over the years as our physics and chemistry instructor was a lie? That you accepted this opening in biology to spread your hidden agenda?¡± The principal was much more intelligent than Paul had given him credit for. ¡°I do not need to believe in God to be a good science teacher.¡± ¡°You do if you want to teach in any Catholic school. Effective immediately, you are no longer a member of our faculty.¡± Paul¡¯s mouth fell open slightly, though he had started to expect what had just happened. He had just hoped he could get one more chance, one more lesson. ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± Mr. Harlowe continued. ¡°The students have always talked about how great you were, how much you knew, how fun your classes were. I¡¯d say I wish I¡¯d kept you in chemistry, but now that I know your intentions, the school is far better off without you. Gather your things and leave now.¡± There was no use arguing. But as he stared into the eyes of his boss, he thought of the students he¡¯d had in the palm of his hand that day. The ones who were ready to accept the truth. They would likely be lost now, brainwashed back to what they were before, pawns to their school and their elders. Paul bit back his anger, though it didn¡¯t dissipate. He stood and began to stack his papers. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I must return to my office, but I expect you to be gone right away. Understood?¡± Paul nodded and watched Mr. Harlowe walk out of the room, leaving the door open behind him. His anger boiled more, so much more that he thought he would burst. Anger at losing what he had worked hard for, but also anger that he had been careless and got caught so quickly. He looked around the classroom, the same one he had used when he taught chemistry the previous year and that was used by a fellow teacher who had taken his place. His devious smirk returning, Paul rushed to the closet to search for the items he needed, returning with a small plastic bottle, a bucket, and protective gloves. After filling the bucket about three quarters full with water, Paul put on the gloves and opened the plastic bottle. His heart fluttered with excitement. It would be one of his favorite experiments to show his class, but on a grand scale. One that would destroy the classroom. Removing him as teacher was a destruction that no one would appreciate, but a violent symbol would do the trick. He would have time to escape unharmed, at least get far enough down the hall that he would be out of range. He removed the dark gray chunks of potassium from the bottle and held them in his gloved hand. It was a hundred times more than he would normally use in class. His grin widened. The bell rang and he paused. He didn¡¯t realize how close to the end of the period it was. He looked at the open door. The hall isn¡¯t busy. Quickly, he stepped toward the bucket, dropped the metal in, and ran toward the door. ¡°Mr. Mason?¡± Paul recognized the girl as a student from his first class that day. One of the ones who had shown such interest in his teaching. She had the same expression on her face at that moment: curious, questioning, eager. But in those seconds that he looked into the innocent face of a girl who had such potential, her whole life ahead of her, the metal in the bucket had time to reach the surface of the water. He knew it was coming. He gave up on himself. But he knew the life in front of him was leaving with him. His heart hurt more than the explosion behind him. * * * Joey pulled away, falling backwards. The flashes of memories he had seen still hung in his mind. He had heard no words, but the tone of the voice was there, identical to what he heard every day. The teaching, the expressions of the students, the feelings of elation had all flashed by like a damaged movie film, interrupted by static, parts that had successfully been removed. A view of the angry principal, the brief flash of the experiment preparation, the devious power that filled his heart had gone by, but it all slowed at the view of the girl in the doorway. It was clearer than any other part of the memory. But nothing was stronger than the terror, the sadness, the regret that had flowed through at the very last moment. Dorian lay on his side, his hands over his eyes. He was shaking terribly and crying. Joey couldn¡¯t help but wonder what brought the tears¡ªthe physical pain from the entry into his mind, or what he had witnessed. The others stood over them, staring, frozen and seeming to be holding their breath. Joey could read in their minds that they didn¡¯t know what to do, whether to comfort or leave him alone. Slowly, Joey crawled back toward Dorian and knelt cautiously beside him. There he could read what was going on in his mind. It was full of agony. It hurts, it hurts. So much pain that very few other thoughts could go through. Those that did made Joey smile a very tiny smile. The girl¡­why¡­I did that¡­I killed¡­young life gone. Joey looked up at the others and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s not going to be able to get up for a while. But when he does, we might have a different Dorian.¡± Cameron rushed upstairs and grabbed a pillow for him, but instead of laying on it, Dorian covered his head with it. Jack offered water but got no response. Miles sat on the floor behind Dorian, staring at the back of his head. It was an intense stare, and Joey smiled at the thoughts he was trying to send to the suffering demon. He was trying to use his power to help. Whatever it was that happened, it¡¯s over. You can¡¯t bring back who you killed, but you have an eternity to do better. To be strong enough to stop the real evil out there. ¡°Miles, I know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Dorian croaked. Miles raised his eyebrows as if surprised that what he had done had worked. ¡°Just trying to help. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have assumed you feel guilty about whatever you did.¡± Dorian pushed himself up and turned to face Miles. ¡°You have no idea. Imagine looking into the eyes of someone moments before dying. Moments before they die because selfishness and greed and pointless anger drove you to do something unthinkable. An innocent person who held nothing against me, nor me toward them. Gone. If I could have stopped it, I would. If I could have saved her and whoever else went with us, I would. That remorse wasn¡¯t enough. I got sent to where I belong. I might not be Buriel¡¯s level of evil, but I¡¯m evil nonetheless.¡± Jack sat down beside him. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a demon. I¡¯m evil whether I want to be or not.¡± ¡°Then explain why you don¡¯t want to be.¡± Dorian stared, but only Joey would know his answer. Because of your power. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Dorian said. ¡°It won¡¯t change anything.¡± He looked at Joey. ¡°You are terrifyingly powerful. At least you¡¯re on our side.¡± Joey knew it was Dorian¡¯s version of a compliment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you.¡± Dorian shook his head and slowly stood. ¡°Thanks, kid.¡± He stumbled up the stairs without a word. Once the door had been closed, Miles looked at Joey and asked, ¡°How bad was it?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t kill on purpose. It wasn¡¯t cold blood. And he legitimately felt bad in his last moment alive. We felt what he felt then. And the fact that he feels it again now, still, means that a lot of who he was as a human carried over and remains. Maybe becoming a demon doesn¡¯t change you. Maybe that means you guys weren¡¯t so bad in life either. Just bad enough to not go to Heaven.¡± He looked at Jack in particular. Joey had yet to see a single bit of evil from him, only kindness. Actual kindness. He shared the same thought that he read from Jack¡¯s mind. What could he have possibly done to land himself in Hell? Chapter 36: Caught in a Lie Saturday had been packed with patients, more than Annabelle felt she could handle. She asked her boss if someone else could take some, but was rudely denied. No one wanted to work on a Saturday, so all the work was dumped on the newest employee, the one they claimed had no power against the others. It was like her two years of dedication were worth nothing. Between every patient she texted Jack, and he always responded within seconds. She imagined him sitting by his phone waiting for her messages, as excited to hear from her as she was to hear from him. He begged her to meet with him that night instead of waiting until Sunday, and many times she almost agreed. But as the day went along¡ªdragged along¡ªshe became even more exhausted and wanted nothing more than to crash in bed. He offered to come over and be with her while she relaxed, promised they didn¡¯t have to do anything, and as much as she liked the idea, lying in bed with him was too close to what they had done days before. As strange as it was, texting with him as she lay in bed made it feel like he was there. It was only eight o¡¯clock when she bid him goodnight, and after gazing at the photo of Jack and Joey together that he had sent when they were away, focusing on the man¡¯s handsome face, she slept with her phone under her pillow. She dreaded church on Sunday. As guilty as she felt about that, she knew she would have to face Simon, to officially decline his offer. She tried to get backstage as quickly as possible in hopes of getting lucky and avoiding him, but to her surprise he was waiting along with her parents. Her surprise faded, however. Of course they would let him backstage. Of course they would know that he was pursuing her harder. And as they all turned to see her, Simon¡¯s smile said it all: it was like a hawk waiting for his prey. ¡°Hi, Annabelle,¡± he said as she reluctantly stepped closer to the group. ¡°You look beautiful today.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She looked at her parents, both smiling, her mother quite excitedly. ¡°Simon was just telling us that you¡¯ll be getting together this week,¡± Sandra said. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± Annabelle tried to hide her glare at Simon. But the news gave her fuel to tell them what she¡¯d previously been afraid to say. She stood tall, hands gripping the strap of her purse. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m seeing someone else.¡± She was surrounded by three different reactions. She looked from her father¡¯s concerned frown, her mother¡¯s heavy disappointment, and Simon¡¯s dejected anger. Sandra spoke first. ¡°You are? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°It was just a few days ago. I planned to tell you today.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± Robert demanded. ¡°Someone here?¡± ¡°No. He goes to a different church in the city. An Evangelical one on the northwest side. He¡¯s very loyal to it, but I hope to have him join us one day.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Sandra said. ¡°Well, does he have a name? What does he do? How old is he? How did you meet?¡± ¡°His name is Jack. He¡¯s thirty-five, and he¡¯s an accountant. He¡¯s actually a neighbor of one of my patients and we just hit it off.¡± All of the lies she was piling on were agony. The truth would come out eventually; she just hoped they would accept Jack well enough to not let those lies affect that acceptance. ¡°Well, I think we need to meet him before you get too far into this,¡± Robert said. ¡°It¡¯s important we find the right person for you to spend your life with. Simon here is a perfectly capable candidate.¡± Annabelle was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m a grown woman, Daddy. I can choose my own mate.¡± ¡°Marriage is forever, Annabelle. It is not a decision to be made lightly. If he does not fit into our family, if he is not appropriate for you, then it cannot happen.¡± She had not expected this pushback. But she had also never had a boyfriend before, and therefore had no experience with her parents¡¯ reaction to such a situation. ¡°Well, you will get to meet him, and you¡¯ll see how great he is.¡± Annabelle spent the entire sermon stewing over her father¡¯s words. Even at her age he wanted to control her future. She felt Simon¡¯s eyes on her from two rows back the entire time, only feeling slightly sorry for him. She was certain his intentions were nothing more than furthering his own future, to be the son-in-law of a rich and powerful man. Surely no love would occur between them. What kind of life would that be? Wouldn¡¯t God want her to be happy? To be with someone who loved her? The afternoon couldn¡¯t come fast enough. * * * ¡°Jack, you need to cancel. This might be the stupidest thing you could do.¡± Dorian didn¡¯t seem to have changed too drastically after his experience with Joey. Perhaps he had already gotten over it. He was standing in the kitchen, hands on his hips, watching Jack pace nervously. ¡°You don¡¯t get it,¡± he said. ¡°And you never will. I need to see her.¡± It was two o¡¯clock and Lucifer still hadn¡¯t called him back. Never had he been late like this. Had he forgotten what day it was? Did he simply not feel the need for an update? Of course he would. So little had happened to appease him; he would need some news. ¡°Just head back on your own,¡± Miles suggested. ¡°Tell him we have some sort of event and can¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°You want me to lie to Lucifer? Last time I did that he gave me lava for blood!¡± ¡°Oh, shit. Well, I¡¯m just trying to help. Otherwise, Dorian¡¯s right. You gotta cancel.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, and you can¡¯t stop me.¡± ¡°Maybe just push it back till tonight,¡± Cameron suggested. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Lucifer not contacting you before that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already pushed it back once. She¡¯s going to think I¡¯m blowing her off or something.¡± Dorian rolled his eyes. ¡°There are more important things than impressing an angel you shouldn¡¯t even be with. Besides, if she finds out the truth, it¡¯s all over anyway.¡± Jack sighed and closed his eyes, still pacing. He could never convince any of them to understand. None of them were as human as him. None of them were capable of comprehending love. All he wanted was at least a small bit of time with her, alone. Enough to tide him over until a safer time. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I¡¯ll do this,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her I have to meet with some executive or something, but that I can stop by for just a few minutes. I¡¯ll walk there and take alleys in case I get called on the way. Then I can hide. Then I see her quick for a few minutes alone, then come back.¡± ¡°You see her for a few minutes every day,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Yes, in front of people watching. It¡¯s not the same. This is what I¡¯m going to do. It will be fine. I¡¯ll give Lucifer another hour, then I¡¯m leaving.¡± Dorian growled and mumbled to himself as he went down to the basement. ¡°You know,¡± Cameron said as he stood, ¡°as weird as it is that you¡¯re going out with this angel, I don¡¯t really mind it. But you¡¯re stressing me out with this.¡± He went to the sink and filled his cup with wine. ¡°I¡¯ll be visiting the sink a lot today I think.¡± An hour passed and Jack still hadn¡¯t been called. Dorian had not come back from the basement and Cameron had already finished three cups of wine. ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Jack said. ¡°I need to see her.¡± It was a long walk, especially with having to take a more hidden route through alleys and quiet neighborhoods. Annabelle texted him multiple times asking about his whereabouts, begging to come pick him up, and Jack was running out of excuses. And still his pendant did not call him. He reached her apartment, heart pounding from both walking fast and the fear that he¡¯d be called at the most inopportune time. Just a few minutes. Just a few. But seeing her grin as she opened the door made him consider staying a little longer than planned. After closing the door she wrapped herself around him tighter than ever. ¡°I really can only stay a few minutes,¡± Jack said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You can make an excuse to be late.¡± ¡°I really¡ª¡± She kissed him, holding his head still in both hands. When she finally released him, he tried to speak but she said, ¡°Shh. Come with me.¡± Jack waved to Joey as they passed his bedroom where he was met with a disapproving raised eyebrow. He was pulled into Annabelle¡¯s bedroom, and she quickly shut the door before immediately kissing him again. He refused to pull away. A few minutes of this would be okay. But those few minutes passed, and he knew he had to end it. ¡°I seriously need to go.¡± ¡°No!¡± She had her arms tightly around his neck. ¡°We haven¡¯t even talked. I wanted to tell you that I told my parents about you today.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Yeah. I needed to. They keep trying to hook me up with that other guy at church.¡± Jack laughed. ¡°So I¡¯m just convenient then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± ¡°What did you say about me?¡± Annabelle frowned. ¡°A bunch of lies. It was awful. Lying in church! But I had to. You¡¯ll need to meet them next, impress them. My dad thinks he can control me and my future, but if he sees how great you are, he just might give you a chance.¡± Jack winced at the thought. ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°Yes, you have to. You¡¯ll need to pretend you¡¯re an accountant again and that you go to a different church, but I think you can handle that. We can plan beforehand.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that right now. I need to go.¡± ¡°No you won¡¯t.¡± She kissed him again, and Jack couldn¡¯t help but wish that she would allow herself to enjoy him the way she had only a few days ago. But even if she did, that would take too much time. As much as he didn¡¯t want to, he tried to pull away again, but she held him tight and kissed him harder. Then he felt the pulse under his shirt. A pulse that seemed to transfer to his body and pump fear through him. He pushed Annabelle away and tried to cover the pendant, hoping she didn¡¯t see the glow through his shirt. ¡°Shit!¡± he hissed. ¡°I need to go.¡± He burst out of the room, but only made it as far as the kitchen before he the vacuum took him to the seal of Gaap. He stood there for a moment, covering his face, breathing hard. I am so fucked. He was shaking and tried to control it before stepping through the portal. Any sign of a problem would surely be sensed. With a deep breath that he slowly let out, he calmed only slightly and stepped through the portal. He barely had time to hand over his pendant to Gaap before he was whisked away by guards. They were in Lucifer¡¯s throne room faster than they¡¯d ever gotten there before. Something was wrong. Lucifer¡¯s face did not hide it. He paced frantically in front of his throne, barely looking at Jack who was now kneeling before him. ¡°We have a big problem, Soul Reacher.¡± For a moment Jack wondered if Lucifer somehow knew of what just happened, but the anger and anxiety didn¡¯t seem directed at him. ¡°Oh?¡± was all he could muster. ¡°It¡¯s why I called you late. I was busy working with Malphas and Beelzebub to figure out how to clean up a disaster. But I still want to hear news from you. It better be good.¡± Jack was fumbling with his fingers, still shaking. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Lucifer said. ¡°Nothing, my lord. Just concerned about the disaster you speak of, though perhaps it¡¯s not my business.¡± ¡°It is very much your business, as you and your companions will be cleaning it up. But I want your news first. Has 1301 scheduled a tour?¡± ¡°Yes. We will be touring with a much larger band. It will give us a lot of exposure, a much better chance at reaching Buriel.¡± ¡°Fine. What else?¡± ¡°Dor¡ªI mean 0192 has a plan to search for the identities of the other human hosts. He suggested we do our own road trip within the radius we know they were in and infiltrate police stations like we did before. But we need a car for that, and¡ª¡± ¡°Never mind that. No need to search for that anymore. We know exactly where they are.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Buriel and his companions have attacked a Christian retreat in a place called Florida. My geography knowledge of Earth is not detailed, but that doesn¡¯t matter, I have people for that. Buriel¡¯s demonic attacks have been undetectable for all this time until now. I know it wasn¡¯t any of you four or the cambion, so I allowed Malphas to send a few crow scouts to gather information.¡± Lucifer stepped closer to Jack, his face grim. ¡°We are on the brink of a holy war, Soul Reacher. He is attacking Christians directly. Many humans died today, and it appears the ones who lived are calling it demonic activity. We don¡¯t know what happened, but just the fact they believe it¡¯s demons means we need to act now.¡± Jack swallowed hard. Though he knew he would have to face Buriel eventually, he did not expect the time to come so suddenly and without preparation. ¡°You will quickly go back to Earth to brief the others. I wish you could bring the cambion as well for additional power, but since you decided not to bring him to me for control¡­¡± Lucifer snarled before continuing. ¡°You will need to do this without him. Once you have briefed the others, return here using your pendants. Gaap will open a portal to this Florida place and you will search, you will attack, you will bring me the souls of those three bastards. Understood?¡± There was no hiding the intense fear that flowed through him. He could only nod. ¡°You don¡¯t seem so confident.¡± Lucifer was right in front of him, looking down menacingly. ¡°What happened to the power you showed me before?¡± ¡°I still have it. We can do this.¡± ¡°You need to. Because if this happens again, if he attacks again, we will have much more than three demons to battle.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. It will be done.¡± Once dismissed, Jack was swiftly led back to Gaap, and once receiving his pendant back, he rushed through the portal. He stood on the seal, back in his Earth clothes, his pendant between thumb and forefinger. He wished more than anything that he could choose where to appear, to make himself go home instead of the place he last was. He was going to land in Annabelle¡¯s kitchen and have a lot of explaining to do. ¡°Abiego.¡± He was greeted by a scream, Annabelle pressing herself backwards against the wall. Her eyes were wide. Her aura had so much purple in it. Jack froze, waiting for her to say something because he didn¡¯t know how to begin. ¡°How did you¡­¡± she squeaked. ¡°Where did you¡­¡± Jack said nothing. Anything that came to mind was wrong. Her eyes drifted down to his hand that still held his pendant. ¡°What is that?¡± When he tried to hide it back under his shirt, she rushed forward and reached for it. He turned away to block her. ¡°You¡¯re always hiding it,¡± she said. ¡°What is it? I saw it glow. Show me!¡± Reluctantly, he pulled it out of his shirt again and let her touch it. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t recognize what it was. Maybe he could just say he had magic powers, nothing demonic. She ran her thumb over Gaap¡¯s sigil, studying it, then flipped it over to see the ID number on the back. But after another look at the front, she released it as if it burned her and backed away, her expression filled with fear. So much purple surrounded her. ¡°What are you?¡± There was no doubt she knew what the sigil meant. Trying to pretend he was just a satanist with magic powers was a ridiculous idea she would surely destroy immediately. He gave up. ¡°I¡¯m a demon.¡± Chapter 37: Sentenced If he hadn¡¯t had vanished and reappeared before her very eyes, she would not have believed it. Even with a satanic symbol around his neck, she wouldn¡¯t have believed it. But that satanic symbol had allowed him to travel somewhere and back. Only a demon could do such a thing. She had a demon in her kitchen. A real one. The only other time she had felt such fear was when she watched the demons attack her sister. She had been sent a mystery power to fight back then, but it wasn¡¯t coming now. There was no time to pray for it. There was a demon in her home and she needed to defeat him immediately. Annabelle reached deep within her, anger now flooding through to mix with the fear. She had trusted a demon with Joey. She had given up her body to him. She had believed every lie. The power she remembered came to her all on her own. She didn¡¯t need God¡¯s help this time. Like throwing a ball, she launched an invisible blast at Jack, sending him across the room and into the wall. He slid to the floor and tried to get up, but Annabelle rushed over and threw another blast down at him. He cried out and clutched his chest where he¡¯d been hit. ¡°Annie, please!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± she screamed. ¡°You monster. You took advantage of me. You tricked me. I had sex with you, you sick monster!¡± Fury overflowed and she hit him with blasts over and over. He curled up and tried to protect himself. He wasn¡¯t fighting back. Why wasn¡¯t a demon fighting back? She ignored his pleading for her to stop, to listen. It was only when the electricity went out with a loud blast, sparks coming out of every outlet and appliance and shattering every lightbulb in the entire apartment, that she stopped and turned around. Joey stood in the hall glaring at her. ¡°Stop hurting him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a demon, Joey!¡± ¡°So am I!¡± Then a realization came to her. The reason why Jack and Joey had been so drawn to each other, why Jack and his friends weren¡¯t scared of the boy¡¯s powers, why they had insisted on having him at their house every day. She looked back at the demon huddled on the floor and used a blast to roll him onto his back, then put a foot on his chest. He cried out in pain. She had broken his ribs. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she demanded. ¡°Did you come to take Joey?¡± When he didn¡¯t answer, she pushed harder on his chest. He tried to wriggle free and she hit him in the stomach, ignoring Joey¡¯s demands for her to stop. ¡°Answer me or I hit you again. Did you come to take Joey?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± She stepped harder on his chest and watched him cry out again. ¡°Tell me your plans. All of them. What were you going to do to him?¡± ¡°Okay, okay! Just stop hurting me, please.¡± A demon begging for mercy. Begging her. It brought an inner strength she never imagined. She removed her foot but still stood over him. ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°We were supposed to take Joey to Hell with us. Lure him and capture him. But I didn¡¯t want to. I changed the plan. Convinced Lucifer to let him help us find the demon he came from. The one that attacked your sister. I wasn¡¯t going to hurt him. Or you. I swear.¡± Annabelle stared at him, taking in his words. He had lied about everything before; she was not about to believe him now. ¡°Lucifer,¡± she said. ¡°You mean Satan?¡± ¡°He prefers Lucifer, but technically yes.¡± ¡°Technically. You work directly for Satan. Everything¡­everything about you was a lie.¡± Tears began to fall but she held her strength. ¡°I gave my heart to you. I loved you. I thought you loved me. But it was all a trick. You have mind control powers, don¡¯t you.¡± ¡°No. I did¡ªI mean, I do love you¡ª¡± ¡°Liar! I will believe nothing you say.¡± They stared at each other for a moment; the connection they¡¯d had was shattered, gone the moment she knew it was a demonic power over her. She felt it trying to reconnect. He was trying to take her over again. Instead, she threw a blast at his head to stop him. ¡°As much as I want to destroy you, I refuse to kill. You will get out of my home, you will never come near me or Joey ever again, you will go back to Hell where you belong.¡± She stepped back to let him up. ¡°Go!¡± Jack struggled to get up, holding an arm over his chest. Without a word and without looking at anyone, Jack stumbled out of the apartment, Annabelle slamming the door behind him. She leaned back against the door feeling all the strength and anger drain from her. Tears flowed freely. All that was left was heartbreak. There was movement at the entrance to the kitchen and she looked up to see Joey standing there, arms at his sides, tears streaking his cheeks. ¡°You knew,¡± Annabelle said. Joey nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the real reason you didn¡¯t want us together. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. But he really did love you. He lied about a lot of things, but not that.¡± Annabelle shook her head vigorously. Love and demons did not belong in the same sentence. ¡°You heard what he said. They were going to take you. They lured you. They wanted to hurt you.¡± ¡°But they didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yet.¡± ¡°No. They¡¯re trying to find Buriel. My dad. The monster that made me. That hurt my mom. They want to stop him.¡± Buriel. Annabelle remembered her sister sobbing as she said that word many times after her attack. It never occurred to her that it was a name. She stood up straight and walked past him toward her room. ¡°I can¡¯t think about this right now. I can¡¯t believe¡­I can¡¯t.¡± With the door closed she collapsed on her bed and sobbed into her pillow. Everything was making sense now, everything about the demon named Jack. The fact he was always so warm, that his beard and hair never changed, that he believed in God but insisted he was Hell bound and accepted it, that strange but admittedly amazing feeling of him touching her soul. For her whole life she had been taught about demons and their goal of tempting people away from God. Yet she had fallen prey to one so easily. Fallen in love, dreamt of spending the rest of her life with him. All of her dreams were crushed by three words: I¡¯m a demon. She prayed hard, once again begging for forgiveness. Pleading for it with all her heart. Promising to give Simon a chance, admitting her parents were right. Suddenly she felt extremely sleepy even though it was early evening. Perhaps using all that power had caught up to her, or the crushing of her dreams had drained her too much. She decided a nap would be good for calming down. She was asleep in seconds. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. * * * Jack sat in an alleyway not far from Annabelle¡¯s apartment. He was curled up against a dumpster, shivering since his coat had been left behind. His body throbbed; every invisible blast she¡¯d hit him with had felt like a massive cinderblock had been shot from a cannon at him. Lesson learned: do not piss off angels. He knew he was supposed to be going back to brief his companions about Buriel¡¯s supposed attack and report back to Lucifer, but he did not want to face them. They would question his injuries and there would be no point in lying about it. He would need to be healed by Os¨¦ and there was no option to lie about why. It was over. They pain he felt now was nothing compared to what awaited him. He wished he could run away, to take his pendant off and throw it in the dumpster and run. He had always been told that taking the pendant off was forbidden, that it was actually impossible while on Earth. Curious, he tried to lift the chain over his head, but a sudden painful shock like a fist grabbing something in his chest and squeezing stopped him. It really was attached to him somehow. There was no escape. Then the pendant pulsed and glowed again. Lucifer would likely demand to know why he hadn¡¯t returned. Before he could come up with the best way to tell him, he was dragged through the vacuum and collapsed on the seal. Dorian, Miles, and Cameron stood around him, shocked that they were there, but even more so that Jack was lying on his back, groaning in pain. ¡°Jack!¡± Miles knelt beside him. ¡°What happened?¡± Jack said nothing. However much Miles cared about him, it would all be gone soon. ¡°Did you get mugged or something?¡± Cameron asked. That would be one excuse to go with. But Lucifer would see through it, especially if he was analyzed. ¡°Annabelle did it. She beat the shit out of me.¡± Dorian scrutinized him from above. ¡°Lucifer called you while you were with her. That¡¯s what happened, isn¡¯t it.¡± Jack closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°She saw it?¡± He nodded again. Gripping his hair, Dorian said, ¡°And what did you tell her?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± The word was barely a whisper. ¡°Fuck!¡± Dorian screamed. ¡°You idiot! You fucking¡ªhow could you? You ruined everything.¡± Miles sighed and looked away, while Cameron stumbled backward into the wall, shaking and covering his face. He had obviously drunk many more glasses of wine, but it clearly was not helping his anxiety. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jack croaked. ¡°Sorry?¡± Dorian¡¯s yell echoed off the stone walls of the transportation chamber. ¡°You just ruined this entire mission, all because you couldn¡¯t control yourself. Now we will all be punished. All because of you.¡± The swirling portal that led to the hallway to Hell vanished, Lucifer standing in its place. ¡°What in the fuck is going on?¡± he boomed. Looking down at Jack, he furrowed his brow. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Then he caught a glimpse of Cameron swaying against the wall. ¡°And you?¡± Dorian stood up straight and pointed down at Jack. ¡°He told the angel everything. Ruined everything. He was obsessed with her, fornicated with her, and gave us all away. And these two¡ª¡± he pointed at Miles and Cameron¡ª¡±did nothing. They supported him. I¡¯m the only one who stayed loyal.¡± ¡°Dorian, you bastard¡­¡± Jack looked up at the demon who had just thrown them all to the violent hands of the Dark Lord. Miles stood and clenched his fists, ready to pounce, while Cameron stared in sadness. But Lucifer only looked at Jack, stepping closer, seemingly speechless with his mouth agape. His face became curious. ¡°You fornicated with the angel?¡± Jack swallowed, then nodded. ¡°And she survived?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lucifer shook the curiosity from his head, anger roaring back. ¡°You told her what you are? Just¡­said it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Swiftly Lucifer reached down and pulled Jack to his feet by his shirt. Jack cried out from the pain of his broken ribs and stumbled, but Lucifer held him upright. ¡°She attacked you. Malphas detected it. And you dared to attack her back? Is she injured?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t attack her. I didn¡¯t fight back at all.¡± ¡°Then explain the demonic energy Malphas detected.¡± ¡°Joey did it. The cambion. He tried to stop her.¡± Curiosity came to Lucifer¡¯s face once more, but only for a moment. He released Jack but grabbed him by the back of the neck. Jack felt as if a steel grip had tightened around his entire neck, unable to move it at all. Then the portal came back and Lucifer led everyone through it. ¡°No clothes for any of you,¡± he shouted, snapping his fingers. Jack heard the gasps of his companions, unable to turn his head to look at them, but he felt the air rushing freely between his legs, knowing he was now as low as the lowest disobedient servant. The walk to Lucifer¡¯s castle seemed like ages, Jack¡¯s neck aching terribly by the time they arrived at the throne room and he was thrown to the floor. The other three naked men knelt beside him, Miles to his left, Dorian and Cameron to his right. ¡°So,¡± Lucifer said, ¡°I was already worried about a holy war starting this morning, but now it is a guarantee!¡± He looked at the other three, then addressed their confused expressions. ¡°Oh, I assume the Soul Reacher didn¡¯t get a chance to tell you because he was busy ruining my plan. Buriel may have attacked a large Christian event this morning, and didn¡¯t hide it very well, so the humans suspect demons. No doubt God noticed that. And now an angel, a direct link to God, knows there really are demons roaming Earth.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know she¡¯s an angel, my lord,¡± Jack said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely she¡¯ll report¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, fool! Whether she tells them directly or not, they surely know. She beat the shit out of you with her powers, and the entire supernatural world knows about it. They will send reinforcements to find Buriel, which will start a massive battle, and they will likely destroy the cambion as well since he seems to be fighting against them.¡± Lucifer paced, clenching and unclenching his fists. ¡°We need to get the cambion immediately. He is too powerful to be uncontrolled. He will make the battle worse. I will assign a new Soul Reacher to lead you. Os¨¦ will change his body to match this one, and he will be given the powers of Amdusias and the memories of your current songs. It is possible that after you capture the cambion, you will need to continue with music to capture Buriel. He will escape once again now that we are delayed. Though a new Soul Reacher won¡¯t be as powerful as this one, he¡¯ll at least be obedient and get this job done. And he will keep the three of you from straying. I need at least some of the original team to be out there.¡± ¡°My lord,¡± Dorian said, ¡°I think perhaps if you simply made me leader, I could¡ª¡± ¡°Silence! A Soul Reacher must lead, and you will follow or suffer the consequences.¡± Lucifer walked closer to Jack, who didn¡¯t even try to hide his terror. If he was being replaced, there was only one thing that would be happening to him. ¡°You¡­¡± Lucifer growled. ¡°You disappoint me. I believed you to be one of the strongest demons in all of Hell. But you are nothing but weak. You are sentenced to eternal torment in my castle.¡± Blood roared in his ears, but he still heard Miles whimper, ¡°No!¡± and Cameron gasp. Dorian shifted beside him, and Jack glanced over, wishing he could connect and tear his soul out. One last bit of revenge before entering an eternal world of agony. Dorian did not meet his eyes, but rather stared at the floor. At least there was no satisfaction anywhere on his face. He was expressionless. ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± Lucifer said, his voice soft, and Jack looked up at him again. ¡°I really did enjoy the music you made. No other Soul Reacher will be able to play and write songs like you do. I hoped to have you in my personal entourage after this was over. But I will have to settle with watching you suffer instead. And I will enjoy that.¡± He instructed his guards to take Dorian, Miles, and Cameron to separate cells in the dungeon while he himself escorted Jack to an office. It was a massive room, one side occupied by a large stone desk and bookshelves filled with dusty volumes, all the covers black. The long wall was one giant window overlooking a steaming pool of lava, a lavafall pouring into it. On the other half of the room were couches and chairs covered in black silk, all facing a stage. Jack assumed this was where musicians would perform for the Dark Lord, a stage where Buriel and his dukes likely spent time at quite often. Lucifer instructed his guards to chain Jack, and called for Duke Vapula to come and install a large glass box on the stage. The same glass box that Jack often saw outside the castles of leaders, showcasing the tormented. But he would not be showcased to the general population. He would be Lucifer¡¯s personal entertainment for eternity. While waiting for the torture chamber to be finished, Lucifer removed copies of memories from Jack, tons of them he was sure as it lasted so long and hurt so much that he thought he was going to pull his entire brain from his skull. Lucifer smiled at the sphere he had and placed it on a stand on his desk. Vapula finished the box, and two servants of Os¨¦ arrived soon after, kneeling before the Dark Lord, clearly shocked to be in his presence. Then two more servants entered. The sigils tattooed on their backs were ones that Jack had not seen before, but as they dragged Jack into the box and hung him by his wrists, he got a closer look at the name that surrounded the symbol: Beleth, the leader of the evil hierarchy of the east. The one that Duke Valefor served under. The one that Miles was a part of. Jack did not listen as Lucifer explained the torture he wanted him to endure. It didn¡¯t matter. It would be brutal agony no matter what. And he would be healed then tortured again, over and over. Never to end. Beleth¡¯s servants approached him and Jack closed his eyes. A flash of Annabelle and Joey crossed his mind, erased by the pain that began. Chapter 38: A Heavenly Meeting ¡°Annabelle. Come.¡± The sound of the voice only barely roused her, and she ignored it. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Come, now.¡± Then she recognized the voice. It was one she hadn¡¯t heard in a while. The guide voice. ¡°Huh?¡± she said. She had a small jolt that perhaps something was wrong with Joey, that he needed her, but her eyelids were so heavy, like anvils were holding them down. Then there was a grip on her arm, pulling her. ¡°We must go.¡± The voice sounded irritated. ¡°Where?¡± Annabelle grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°We must talk.¡± The body the guide voice was attached to yanked her so hard she felt like she was falling out of bed, but instead she landed on her feet. She was suddenly wide awake and she saw she was no longer in her bedroom. She was in a massive, wide-open room that reminded her of an airport customs checkpoint. There were endless lines of people snaked around roped-off lanes, surrounded by tall beefy men in a bright white version of a security suit. They all had white, feathery wings. The crowd of people was restlessly waiting for their turn at a long row of desks where more people in white with wings addressed them one by one. On the desk was an old-fashioned scale that balanced silver cylinders on either side to compare their weight. Each desk was also flanked by two portals, and a guard would escort the person to one or the other after their apparent analysis. Someone beside her cleared his throat and Annabelle jumped at the sight of the tall man standing there. He had shoulder-length, wavy, dark brown hair and wore a white collared shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows and white pants and boots. His wings were folded neatly behind him. It was obviously a dream. ¡°What is this place?¡± she asked. ¡°The Hall of Judgment,¡± the angel said in the voice of the guide she¡¯d heard her entire life. ¡°Everyone who dies comes here, and their eternal fate is decided.¡± ¡°You mean, like, if they go to Heaven or Hell?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Annabelle looked out at the people again, almost all of them so nervous, some asking the guards what was happening, where they were, why they were there. She had the same questions. ¡°Am I dead?¡± she asked, terror rising up. The angel chuckled a little and shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡± Then his voice became serious. ¡°But it¡¯s very important that we talk. That¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re here before it actually is your time to return.¡± Return? ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°I know. This is the first time a live guardian angel has had to be recalled, so it¡¯s a bit of a big deal. Don¡¯t be embarrassed if you get a lot of stares. I¡¯ll show you around a bit while we talk, but I¡¯ll need to get you up to Verchiel pretty quick. Follow me.¡± This is the strangest dream ever. ¡°I¡¯ve heard your voice my whole life. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Raphael. An archangel.¡± Annabelle had read about archangels in the Bible, but only Michael and Gabriel had been mentioned. ¡°There are more archangels than what¡¯s in the Bible?¡± Raphael smiled. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s rare for Protestants to know who I am. Catholics do. They call me a saint, which is kind of nice, but I like to just think of myself as an angel. Think about it: do saints have wings?¡± He pointed to the feathery appendages on his back. Looking behind her, she tried to see if she had them too. ¡°You said I¡¯m an angel, but I don¡¯t have wings.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been granted them yet since you live on Earth. Once you return after your assignment is complete, you¡¯ll get them.¡± ¡°My assignment?¡± They arrived at a glowing cloud of smoke next to a small, white marble pillar with a golden switch on it. It could be slid up and down to three different choices, numbers one through three. Raphael chose three and motioned for Annabelle to follow him into the cloud of smoke. She felt like she was being carried upwards for a few seconds, then back on her feet. A light push on her back made her step forward and out of the smoke. Before her looked like an endless sea of desks, a massive office that had no walls other than one giant window with no end on either side. The window looked out onto a sunny meadow full of flowers. Each desk was occupied by an angel, both men and women dressed in white casual clothes, each with a smaller set of wings on their back. On one side of their desk was a printer of sorts, not electronic but more of a delivery system that spit out white parchment. The angel would read it, then put it into a small box, choose something on a slider similar to what operated the elevator, and the parchment disappeared. ¡°What is this place?¡± Annabelle whispered, afraid that the working angels might hear her, even though they chatted with each other quite a bit, giving the office a cheery din. ¡°The prayer center. Every prayer comes here first, and these angels direct them to the correct angel in the higher levels.¡± ¡°So these angels are the ones that hear my prayers? Or read them it seems.¡± ¡°Not yours, no. They come directly to me.¡± Annabelle looked at him, surprised. Her prayers went directly to an archangel. ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised,¡± Raphael said. ¡°Think of me as your direct supervisor. Your job on Earth is very important, so it¡¯s crucial your prayers get to me immediately.¡± She took in the scene more. Every prayer really was heard. ¡°It seems like a tedious job,¡± she said. ¡°I guess I always thought of Heaven as a paradise where you didn¡¯t have to do any work.¡± Raphael chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. These are angels created here for this purpose, and we take care of them. They have shifts, they¡¯re allowed to talk and be friendly with each other, and they get to enjoy different scenery out the window. They are quite efficient that way.¡± ¡°Makes me hate my job even more.¡± ¡°That is one of the things I want to talk to you about.¡± His voice sounded suddenly serious, and Annabelle was certain she was about to be reprimanded for using her powers on her patients. Raphael led her down one side of the office, and the movement caught the eyes of angels they passed. They all stopped and gaped at Annabelle. She blushed and forced a smile. She did not belong here no matter what Raphael said. There was a wall of separated offices that she hadn¡¯t seen before. Each room was large and labeled with a name. She saw Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, until arriving at Raphael. There were more rooms farther down as well. ¡°How many archangels are there?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°There are seven of us. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve read the book of Revelation, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a verse in there that mentions the seven angels that stand before God. That¡¯s us. Come in.¡± Raphael motioned for Annabelle to enter his office and she did so slowly. It was just as white as everything else she¡¯d seen. She realized her purple shirt and blue jeans made her stand out more than her lack of wings. There was a marble desk similar to the ones the worker angels used, but much larger, and another part of the room had white couches and chairs. The walls were adorned with paintings of Jesus appearing to be healing people. ¡°Those paintings are beautiful,¡± she said. ¡°Showing Jesus¡¯s wonderful work.¡± ¡°Yep. They all symbolize and inspire me for my own work. I¡¯m the archangel of healing, if you haven¡¯t figured that out yet. Hence why you have direct contact with me.¡± ¡°My powers come from you?¡± Raphael nodded and motioned to the couches. ¡°Sit with me.¡± Annabelle did as told, sitting on the most luxurious couch she¡¯d ever sat upon. The archangel sat at one across from her, his expression impossible to read. ¡°I¡¯m in trouble, aren¡¯t I,¡± she said. This brought a tiny smile. ¡°Not exactly. There are¡­issues that are problematic enough that you needed to be brought here to discuss them. You know, it¡¯s extremely rare that we ever have to send a guardian angel in the flesh. Usually they are all invisible, but sometimes heavy-duty work needs to be done, and an angel must be created in human form.¡± ¡°So¡­I really am an angel. I¡¯m not dreaming this.¡± ¡°Nope. You purposely were placed on Earth with no knowledge of your actual origin. With the guidance of an archangel, your discovery of your powers are kept secret, and you live your life like any human would while completing your assignment. Usually this goes fine, no issues. This time, though¡­¡± ¡°Is it because I sinned? A really big sin? I prayed so hard for forgiveness, I¡¯m really sorry. I know it was wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because of that. That¡­was definitely not expected from you, but it seems you have taken a bit more advantage of your free will than any of your predecessors. But there are much more important things to worry about.¡± Annabelle remained tense. ¡°It¡¯s because of my sister, isn¡¯t it. I remember you telling me she was my purpose. I failed her.¡± Her eyes began to well with tears. ¡°That was one thing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more? Is it because I let Joey be with those demons? You said he was my new purpose and I ruined that too.¡± Raphael held up his hands. ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re here to be reprimanded or punished. Allow me to explain everything first.¡± Annabelle nodded, sitting back on the couch. ¡°Your purpose on Earth has changed many times over your life. That¡¯s very rare, and usually only one change is necessary, but you have needed three. Well, technically four after you meet with Verchiel.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Verchiel?¡± ¡°One of the Angels of Powers. Anyway, your original purpose thirty years ago was to share wisdom and be a guide for your adoptive father. And mother by proxy. Cerviel, one of the Angels of Principalities¡ªthey guide groups of people, nations, institutions such as the church¡ªbecame aware of your father¡¯s steps toward fame along with his gradual straying off the true path of faith. The path that God intends people to follow. It became clear that if he was not guided properly, he might become out of control and teach people the wrong things, to lead them down a path that, though supposedly in good faith, would actually send them the wrong way, if you get what I mean. A simple, invisible guardian angel would not be enough. So, you were created and sent to him.¡± Annabelle thought about her childhood, her teenage years, how she always had Bible verses and wise words spill into her head to tell her father whenever he seemed to stray. Now it all made sense. Except it had stopped working. ¡°I failed that,¡± she said. ¡°He stopped listening to me. I tried so hard, I really did.¡± ¡°I know. You did so well in the beginning. You made us all very proud.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Raphael¡¯s smile seemed forced. ¡°Your purpose changed for the first time before that, however. When your sister began to stray, getting into trouble while you were both young, your healing powers were needed. All guardian angels naturally have those powers, they just aren¡¯t always necessary. I ¡®turned them on,¡¯ so to speak, and that along with your wisdom helped keep her safe.¡± ¡°Until it didn¡¯t.¡± Raphael nodded. Annabelle covered her face, unable to stop her tears. ¡°I am the worst angel ever.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°My dad has gone crazy telling people to kill in the name of God, and my sister is dead. I am the worst.¡± ¡°You simply weren¡¯t prepared for there to be interference. That was a mistake on our part. But to be fair, we really didn¡¯t expect a powerful demon to appear and basically ruin everything.¡± This only gave Annabelle a slight comfort. It wasn¡¯t entirely her fault. ¡°The one that attacked Miranda?¡± Raphael nodded. ¡°But she only got attacked because I couldn¡¯t protect her like I should have. I tried to convince her to stay away from that guy, but she didn¡¯t listen. Then she got dragged into something awful and now¡­¡± ¡°I know. It is considered a failure. Your assignment with your father had already been considered a failure by that time, or at least had very little hope of succeeding, leaving only your sister as your assignment. At her passing, naturally you were to pass on as well. That assignment was over.¡± Annabelle gasped. ¡°That¡¯s why I almost died too. But then you told me¡ª¡± ¡°You were given an emergency reassignment. To protect the boy. We knew that he was a demon, and would likely be extremely powerful, so if we could keep him subdued and away from the rogue demon, Earth would have one less dangerous creature roaming around.¡± She thought about how hard she had tried to keep Joey on the righteous path, so certain that she could get him passage to Heaven with strong faith. Now that was looking less likely simply because of what he was. ¡°I failed that too,¡± she said. ¡°I let him be alone with a group of demons that wanted to take him. They tricked him and lured him and I just let it happen.¡± ¡°No. This assignment is not considered a failure, and is still ongoing. You have actually done excellently with it.¡± Annabelle stared at the archangel. ¡°Seriously? Leaving him with a team of demons on the daily is not considered failing?¡± Raphael shook his head. ¡°Verchiel will discuss that in more detail. He has a lot more intel on all of that. Though I¡¯ll still be your main contact, as those angels in the second sphere of Heaven don¡¯t usually have direct contact with Earth, he will be the one to give you your new assignment. Concurrent and related to your current one. I only do the healing stuff. Which, by the way, you need to cut it out with using them on people other than your direct assignment.¡± ¡°But it helps my patients feel comfortable. I don¡¯t actually heal them with it, just ease their pain. And I keep it hidden.¡± ¡°Regardless of that, you need to stop. It¡¯s actually surprising that you are able to control your powers on your own. That¡¯s never happened before. I could cut you off from it, but that might hamper things if you¡¯re in a pinch. Also, I highly suggest you quit your job.¡± Annabelle gaped. ¡°But why? I need a job and nursing is so natural to me.¡± ¡°This job is too stressful and will hinder your ability to complete your new mission, or so Verchiel tells me. Quit the job. And if you follow Verchiel¡¯s orders, which¡­I warned him you will likely argue, money will not be an issue.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just magically get money and be able to pay my bills and support Joey?¡± ¡°It is technically magic. Be open to it. And I am under orders to monitor you much closer and be more insistent in my communications. You need to listen to me when I speak to you. Understood?¡± Annabelle nodded. She didn¡¯t like any of this. She¡¯d ignored Raphael quite a few times, and she was tempted to do it again. But now that she knew what she really was, she truly had no choice. ¡°Can I ask something?¡± she said. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°My entire life you¡¯ve always warned me of danger. You told me when Miranda needed help, and when Joey needed me. Like when he was thrown into the pool at Yellowstone. But why didn¡¯t you tell me not to let him be with those demons? Did you not know they were demons? That they intended to hurt him? Is it only danger that is occurring that I get warned about?¡± Raphael smiled. ¡°Verchiel was not concerned, therefore neither was I. Instead, I assured you that he was safe. You felt that, didn¡¯t you?¡± She remembered the strange feeling she got about wanting Joey to always be with Jack, that he was safe with him. ¡°You mean that wasn¡¯t me being controlled by demon powers? That was you?¡± This time Raphael laughed. ¡°You were never controlled by demons. Neither was Joey.¡± He stood. ¡°Come with me. Based on these questions, you need to talk to Verchiel now. He will have all the answers.¡± Annabelle took that to mean she should shut up now and followed Raphael in silence back to the smoky portal, ignoring the curious stares of the angels they passed. Raphael chose option two on the pillar and once in the portal they were in another location within seconds. This area seemed much smaller at first, though what seemed to be a foyer was quite large, again made of bright white marble. There were three corridors that led from the foyer: the one to the left was labeled Powers in gold lettering, the one straight ahead was Dominations, and the one to the right was Virtues. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to ask what this place is,¡± Raphael said. ¡°In short, this is the second sphere of Heaven. My supervisors, in a way. Have you ever heard of the nine choirs of Heaven?¡± Annabelle shook her head. ¡°Well, the angels we saw working on prayers are the ninth choir, the lowest and closest to Earth. Us archangels are in the eighth, and the Principalities, like Cerviel who assigned you to your father, are the seventh. Here are the next three, and the one we¡¯re going to, Angels of Powers, are the sixth.¡± ¡°I never imagined Heaven to have such a hierarchy. I¡¯ve always been taught that it¡¯s simply a paradise for eternal life. But it¡¯s so much more than that.¡± ¡°Yep. Let¡¯s go. Verchiel is waiting.¡± Chapter 39: Heavenly Orders The angels took the wide hallway to the left and passed many rooms similar to Raphael¡¯s office. They had windows that looked out into the hallway, and the angels inside them looked up and smiled excitedly at the guest. The rooms were labeled with names she had never heard before. It felt like all the things she¡¯d been taught were nothing. There was so much more and she wanted to know it all. The very last door at the end of the hall was labeled Verchiel, and at the desk reading a parchment was as angel with long, blond, curly hair wearing a T-shirt under a silk vest. His wings were no different than Raphael¡¯s, neatly folded behind him. She was almost jealous that she didn¡¯t have such a beautiful feature too. ¡°Well!¡± Verchiel said, putting the parchment down and sitting up straight. ¡°It¡¯s about time. As much as I appreciate Raphael¡¯s desire to spend time with you, we have some extremely important things to discuss.¡± He looked at Raphael. ¡°Thank you for bringing her. We¡¯ll speak later.¡± Raphael nodded and left the room, leaving Annabelle standing awkwardly near the door. Just when she had gotten accustomed to one stranger she was now faced with another. ¡°Sit, please,¡± Verchiel said, indicating a chair across from his desk. Once she was seated, the angel continued. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been inundated with information, and I¡¯m sorry to say I¡¯m about to dump a ton more on you, but you have to understand how crucial you are. It is far too late to replace you, so it¡¯s important you embrace your true purpose and follow our direction.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I failed,¡± she squeaked. ¡°Well, there was a very large wrench thrown into the machine that messed things up. I assume Raphael filled you in on your history, the assignments you had and currently have?¡± She nodded. ¡°I do feel sorry that you had to go through recent events, particularly today, without having any information. Today was a really big wrench in the machine, no fault of your own.¡± He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Strange demon, that one.¡± ¡°You mean Jack? Or Joey?¡± ¡°The one named Jack.¡± Verchiel gave a half smile. ¡°He¡¯s been entertaining to watch, actually.¡± Annabelle raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching him? You knew he was a demon the whole time?¡± ¡°Of course. See, the Angels of Powers, whom I lead, have the job of monitoring evil powers on Earth. This may come as a surprise to you, but millions and millions of demons wander the Earth every day. Well, they haven¡¯t since Buriel was summoned. Lucifer actually held them back!¡± Verchiel laughed. ¡°Smart move, though.¡± Annabelle hung on only one thing. ¡°Millions of demons?¡± she whispered. ¡°Oh, yes. For centuries. Sent to Earth to try to tempt humans to stray from a righteous path. Some much more evil than others. Keeps us quite busy.¡± ¡°You¡­you just let them wander Earth? You know they¡¯re out there tempting and taking people and just let them do it?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t as successful as they think they are. Some of them are very powerful, yes, but results aren¡¯t instant so they don¡¯t realize how weak many of them are. It¡¯s a blow to us sometimes, where righteous souls are taken when they had a chance at Heaven, but it¡¯s better to let them go and focus on the good souls. No use in having a holy war over this. Interestingly enough, it seems Lucifer feels the same.¡± Annabelle sat back in her chair and blinked. It was awful to hear a heavenly angel talk about letting potentially good souls go to Hell like it was nothing. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± Verchiel continued. ¡°But that¡¯s not your concern. Like I said, most of those demons aren¡¯t as successful as they think they are. But the ones that are powerful enough to succeed every time, well, you¡¯ve met four of them.¡± She thought about Jack and his friends, how the time spent with them seemed so normal, so natural, as if she were in a room with four regular men. ¡°They really fooled me,¡± she said. ¡°They were so human. Especially Jack. He was like any other human. In hindsight there were things that stood out as strange, but¡­he was so kind and gentle and sweet and I thought I was in love with him and that he was the one for me. Raphael said I was never controlled by him, but how could I have been in love with a demon if he didn¡¯t control me?¡± ¡°There is a lot you must understand about him. He is a type of demon called a Soul Reacher. Very rare but extremely powerful and immensely dangerous.¡± Annabelle gasped. ¡°But if he¡¯s so dangerous, why didn¡¯t Raphael tell me? I got closer to him than I¡¯ve ever been to anyone.¡± ¡°You were in no danger at any time. Other than being tempted to sin, but that¡¯s not important right now. The average Soul Reacher is assigned to Earth to hunt for humans that have sinned but are close to redemption. They physically take the soul from the human and bring it directly to Hell. They are the one type of demon that always succeeds at their goal, and are the ones we monitor the closest. They are the one weapon Lucifer has that would require a holy war to defeat.¡± ¡°Yet I was in no danger? He murders people, steals their souls, and you let me and Joey be around him?¡± ¡°I can assure you with utmost confidence that there was no chance whatsoever that you were in danger. He knew you were an angel from the moment he first saw you. And considering how close he did get to you, he could have destroyed you in less than a second. But he didn¡¯t. I¡¯m sure he was under orders to leave you alone, but even if he weren¡¯t, there was still no danger to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that if he was told to destroy me, he wouldn¡¯t do it?¡± Verchiel nodded. ¡°I told you, he¡¯s a strange one.¡± ¡°Okay. But what about Joey? Jack admitted he had been sent to lure him and take him to Hell. If I was meant to protect Joey from demons, why was it considered safe to have him with them?¡± ¡°For the same reason he wouldn¡¯t harm you. You have to understand that he has disobeyed orders multiple times since being sent to Earth on this special mission. At least from what we can assume. We can¡¯t listen in to their conversations, but we monitor their movements, analyze their actions. We¡¯re guessing he disobeyed Lucifer at least three times, including spilling the beans to you today.¡± Verchiel chuckled. ¡°Any demon with the guts to do that is quite impressive. He¡¯ll very likely be paying the price for that choice. And it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he had no regrets about it.¡± Annabelle looked down at her hands, furrowing her brow. Nothing made any sense. There was so much to process. It was almost as if Verchiel was saying Jack the demon was doing something¡­nice. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t understand. What would he have to gain by disobeying? I¡¯d think demons were naturally evil and worshipped Satan. That¡¯s what they¡¯re created for, right? Doing the evil things you talked about.¡± Verchiel sighed, tilted his chair back, and put his feet on his desk. ¡°Let me tell you something very important about how Hell works. It is not all fire and burning and torture and chaos. Well, there is some of that, but there¡¯s so much more to it. It¡¯s actually quite organized. But the most important thing to know is that demons are not ¡®made¡¯ like angels are. They are the actual souls that were denied entrance to Heaven. They were once living. Those four demons you met were once human. They looked a little different then, and their souls are a little different now from the demonization process in order to bring the evil to the forefront, but what you see in their actions, their personalities¡­that is all carried over from their human lives. Their memories are removed to keep any desires to go rogue at bay. Interestingly, that didn¡¯t work too well with the Soul Reacher.¡± Annabelle thought back on the personality she had fallen in love with. All his kindness, the sweet things he said, maybe even the love she thought he felt for her, might actually be real. ¡°Are you saying that Jack was actually nice?¡± ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯ve been fascinated by him for decades. See, Soul Reachers get their powers naturally when they arrive in Hell. They have a semblance of empathy that carries over from their human life, and once they¡¯re demonized, that empathy becomes powerful. It¡¯s odd to think that something positive like empathy could be used for evil, but in almost every case it does. Soul Reachers use that empathic power to connect to the souls of humans, actually read their soul, then reach in physically to grab it. Almost all Soul Reachers feel empathy toward Lucifer, which drives them to do their job. But this one, the one named Jack, feels empathy toward humans, to his fellow demon servants, all the ones he is forbidden to care about. He killed because he felt he had no choice. But the number of times he prevented collateral damage, actually saved people while doing his job¡­well, that¡¯s why we¡¯ve been watching him so much. It¡¯s quite lucky that Lucifer chose him for this mission. Lucky for everyone. If he had chosen a different Soul Reacher, we likely would not be having this conversation right now. We need to hope he won¡¯t be replaced.¡± ¡°He might be replaced?¡± ¡°Possibly, though Lucifer would be an absolute fool to do that. He¡¯s not stupid, though his methods of carrying out this mission are, to say the least, ridiculous. It worked, though, so we give him credit for that. But to send a Soul Reacher even slightly less powerful to take out three extremely strong demons would be stupid. So we¡¯re going to move forward as if the one named Jack sticks around.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you mean my fourth assignment.¡± Verchiel nodded. ¡°You need to work with the demons to assist them in finding and defeating Buriel and his dukes.¡± Annabelle stared in silence. Working with demons in any capacity seemed insane, but as an angel it was beyond comprehension. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Annabelle, for the first time in the history of the world, God and Lucifer have the same goal. There are three demons on Earth that are no doubt planning to do massive destruction. But Lucifer only sent four of his top demons to take them down, not an army. He wants this done as quietly as possible. As do we. Therefore you must help them. Work with them. Allow Joey to help at all costs, because they will need him even more.¡± ¡°I¡­I really don¡¯t think I can do that.¡± ¡°You must.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t.¡± Verchiel sat up and leaned forward on his desk. ¡°You do not have a choice.¡± ¡°But¡­demons¡ª¡± ¡°Listen. I understand your concern. It¡¯s a strange request, I know. And I will tell you to still be careful. As long as Jack is around, you and Joey are perfectly safe. The one with glasses, he seems okay too. The long-haired one, it¡¯s hard to say since we haven¡¯t seen much of him, which could be either good or bad. The fourth one though¡­do watch out for him. He seems to show a lot of loyalty to Lucifer, thus making him more dangerous.¡± ¡°I did always have an uncomfortable vibe about Dorian.¡± ¡°Because I made sure Raphael expressed our concern to you. Make sure Jack is with Joey at all times and we will have nothing to worry about. Besides, you were close friends with Jack. Use that to your advantage.¡± Annabelle sighed and crossed her arms. ¡°More than friends,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I really thought he was the one.¡± Verchiel smiled. ¡°Perhaps in life, if he lived in your time, he would have been. Now, don¡¯t let that distract you. Your heart is in many places right now. Your parents, your job, your nephew, your dreams of a future family of your own. But your heart must be directed in only one place right now.¡± ¡°Working with demons?¡± ¡°More than that. Saving the world.¡± Annabelle held his gaze for a moment. Verchiel¡¯s smile was not contagious. If she had failed assignments already, how did they possibly believe she could save the world? Verchiel stood. ¡°Now, if you promise to follow your orders from now on, I¡¯d like to reward you with something.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Do you promise?¡± She hesitated. She hated every single part of this and wanted nothing more than to decline it all and have nothing to do with it. I¡¯m an angel. I was created for this. ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± Verchiel didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced, but motioned for her to follow him out of the office. They walked in silence back down the hall and to the portal. When Verchiel made the selection for number three, Annabelle asked, ¡°What¡¯s on level one?¡± ¡°Ah, the first sphere? Only the Angles of Thrones are allowed to pass between there and the other spheres. They¡¯re the ones that pass on messages directly to and from God.¡± ¡°Wait. God is there? I¡¯m only one level underneath the Lord right now?¡± Verchiel laughed. ¡°Yes, you can think of it that way. But not even I have been up there, so don¡¯t get any ideas.¡± The leader of the Angels of Powers led Annabelle through the portal and down the hall of the third sphere to Raphael¡¯s office. ¡°You really frazzled her,¡± Raphael said after a glance at Annabelle. ¡°I suppose the demand to work with demons to save the world might cause that. But she¡¯s promised to obey, so I¡¯m allowing her the reward we discussed. Will you escort her there?¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± As soon as Verchiel had left, Raphael said, ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t know what to do, how I¡¯m going to do this. It seems all wrong and I¡¯m scared and I¡¯ve already failed things and now I¡¯m going to fail this and¡ª¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Raphael held up a finger. ¡°I will be with you. Verchiel will be watching. And keep in mind that these orders, this new assignment, was made in cooperation with God himself. And you don¡¯t want to disobey him, do you?¡± ¡°Goodness no.¡± ¡°All right then. Follow me. I think you¡¯ll feel better after what you¡¯re about to see.¡± Annabelle followed Raphael back to the Hall of Judgment and to the desks where the humans were having their deeds weighed. ¡°Pardon us,¡± Raphael said, pushing Annabelle by the shoulders through one of the portals by the nearest desk while everyone stared at them. The portal led to a garden. Perfectly trimmed flowered hedges surrounded an open area with an ornate fountain in the center. A handful of people milled about, some walking along the path, some sitting on benches chatting. They all wore white and none had wings. ¡°This is the realm of eternal life,¡± Raphael said. ¡°Or one part of it, I should specify.¡± Annabelle breathed, ¡°Wow,¡± as she looked around at the beauty, the peaceful feeling, the happiness on everyone¡¯s faces. ¡°So Heaven is a garden? It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Heaven is many things. Many places. When human souls come here they arrive in different areas when they walk through the portal. They are reunited with family if they¡¯re here, they¡¯re put in areas where there are people they can befriend, to do activities they enjoy. This particular place is where someone very important to you spends a lot of time.¡± Raphael pointed to a woman standing near one of the hedges, sniffing a beautiful pink flower. At first Annabelle didn¡¯t recognize her, but as she looked closer it became obvious. ¡°Miranda!¡± The blonde woman stood up straight and her face brightened at the sight of her visitor. They rushed to each other and hugged tightly, Annabelle sobbing into her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she begged. ¡°I failed you. I¡¯m so sorry. Please forgive me.¡± Miranda pulled away and looked her sister in the eye. ¡°You stop that. I don¡¯t care what they say about failure. You¡¯re no failure. The end of the world starting was what killed me. But apparently I wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought I was. They let me in here.¡± ¡°Of course they did! I knew Jesus was always in your heart. There was no doubt you¡¯d come here.¡± ¡°Oh, trust me, it was close. They weigh your deeds at the gates. I was sure I was doomed. But I did enough good, I guess. Thanks to you. Proof you were no failure.¡± ¡°I failed with Daddy too.¡± Miranda sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t really think you can fix crazy. Not even a powerful angel. Plus, the end of the world starting really set him off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to save the world now. Me. Little me, one angel working with four demons, well five, technically if you count Joey. Oh, Miranda, your son may technically be a demon but he really is wonderful. He has so much of you in him.¡± Miranda shook her head. ¡°No, Annie. It¡¯s you he has in him. I was just the host. A vessel.¡± A look of disgust came over her for a moment, but then she shook it off. ¡°All the good things in him, they all came from you. Your powers that kept me alive, they went into him. That¡¯s why he¡¯s good. Who knew a demon could be good, huh? But it¡¯s because of you. If anyone has to be called his mother, it¡¯s you. Keep loving him. He¡¯s a little scary, not gonna lie, but good trumps evil in the end. So keep loving him. He needs you.¡± ¡°I will. I have to. They want me to willingly continue giving him up to demons. Like that¡¯s supposed to help save the world. Demons, Miranda. Daddy always said¡ª¡± ¡°Forget what Daddy said. He¡¯s clueless. I¡¯ve been checking on you all this time; they let me check in once in a while, it¡¯s so nice! I just wish I could talk to you, tell you what a great job you¡¯re doing.¡± She stepped closer, a devious smile on her face. ¡°I have to say I¡¯m a little jealous of you, hanging out with four good-looking guys.¡± Annabelle gasped. ¡°They¡¯re demons, Miranda!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be nice to look at. And the one you went for, girl you have better taste in men than I thought you ever would.¡± She fanned her hand at her face as if she were hot. ¡°He¡¯s not a man, he¡¯s a demon.¡± ¡°Sure acted like Prince Charming in my eyes.¡± ¡°Just stop. Mom and Daddy want me to go out with Simon. I¡¯m gonna give him a chance.¡± Miranda scoffed. ¡°That prick? Seriously? He¡¯s only going after you because I turned him down. He likes Daddy¡¯s money. Don¡¯t waste your time. And I know you don¡¯t want to.¡± Annabelle tried to hide any hint of agreement. ¡°I know you¡¯re heartbroken because you think you can¡¯t have Prince Charming the Rockstar Demon Hottie¡ª¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, Miranda, stop.¡± Miranda giggled. ¡°It would probably be against some rules if I told you to go for him anyway because they probably think that¡¯s bad, but hey, you¡¯re supposed to help him or something, right? May as well have a good time.¡± Annabelle decided to try to change the subject. ¡°You know about me helping them?¡± ¡°Yeah. That Raphael guy came and talked to me, said he was gonna let you see me. Now that I¡¯m in my right mind, not controlled by a demon, I can give you the information I couldn¡¯t tell you before. You¡¯re gonna need to give it to the demon hotties.¡± Growling at her sister¡¯s repeated mention of her attraction to forbidden creatures, she said, ¡°Never mind. Just tell me.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s the names of the three guys that those demons possessed. I only got their first names and where they¡¯re from, but it might help. Chris from Wisconsin and Ben and Aaron from Indiana. Some friends that Derek met online.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Annabelle had no idea how that information would help, but she repeated it to help her remember. She sighed. ¡°I really miss you.¡± ¡°I miss you too. But I¡¯m with you in spirit. Literally. I¡¯ll be checking on you whenever they let me. You got this, girl. You¡¯re the strongest person I¡¯ve ever known. Go save the world like the awesome angel you are.¡± Annabelle didn¡¯t want to leave. She wanted to stay in the garden with her sister for eternity, no worries about anything, only happiness. She hugged her tight and cried into her shoulder again. ¡°I love you, Annie. Always and forever.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± Raphael finally came over and coaxed Annabelle to leave with him. She wanted to fight him, let her stay, but fighting an archangel would not go well. Still in tears, she followed him out of the portal and back into the Hall of Judgment, away from the desks. ¡°I¡¯m sending you back now,¡± Raphael said. ¡°Remember all that we¡¯ve told you. You have one goal, and the world depends on it.¡± Annabelle nodded, closed her eyes, and within moments she was back in her bed. Her eyelids were no longer heavy, but the sorrow remained, the tears remained. It was nearly pitch dark in the room, and when she tried to turn on the lamp beside her, it failed, reminding her of Joey¡¯s outburst. After grumbling about the number of lightbulbs she now had to replace, she got up and went to the kitchen for a drink. She passed Joey¡¯s room, his door closed, only silence behind it. He was just as sad as she was, just for the wrong reasons. She got a cup of water and walked toward the door to the patio, the only place where the moonlight poured in enough to allow her to see. There was so much to contemplate. The prospect of helping demons still mortified her, regardless of their shared goal. Was it really a shared goal? What if the demons had other plans that Verchiel didn¡¯t know about? She would find the courage to tell them Miranda¡¯s information, as there was no harm in that. She could just text it and avoid seeing them in person. Then leave it at that. She was not ready to offer further help. And Joey¡­she was expected to allow him to be with the demons. A rush of discomfort came over her and she decided to refuse that, but then calm came, just as it had before when she¡¯d worried. Raphael was telling her to calm down. To allow it. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she whispered, and the calming affect became stronger. But it wasn¡¯t enough for her to readily agree to it. After finishing her water she decided to go back to her room. On the way, she caught a shadow of something on a chair in the living room. Reaching for it, she felt Jack¡¯s coat. He had left it behind when she¡¯d thrown him out, and she had no regrets. Curious, she went through the pockets and found a wallet, and used the moonlight to view what was inside. All she found was a large amount of cash and a driver¡¯s license. She stared at the picture and the name, the fake name Jack Harper, and felt a pang of missing him. He could have destroyed you in less than a second. But he didn¡¯t. The thought of being in the arms of someone so deadly made her shiver. She may not have been under his control, but he sure was good at tricking her into falling in love. But she did miss him. The Jack Harper she had thought existed.