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I actually felt a ton better than I had in weeks, I thought, as the nurse who had ripped out the tube down my throat unhooked me from all the IVs and monitors and prepared to let me go home. She was chattering inanely while she worked, and I wondered if she was a ditz or if this chatter made people feel better. It wasn’t making me feel better. It was annoying me. But I was pretty sure as I got older more things and people annoyed me. Miguel packed up my stuff. My mom showed up with clothes for me to put on, since mine were covered in blood with large holes from the slugs going through them. They also looked like they might have been cut off me. Miguel threw the bag they were in on the bed at the nurse. She glared at him but didn’t say anything. I got the impression she was annoying him, too. Mom took me to the small, private bathroom with the new clothes and asked if I needed help getting dressed. I didn’t, because I was 45 years old, and Michael had completely healed me. But she was my mom, so I didn’t say anything except thank you and no I didn’t need help, Michael had done a good job. As I took off the gown, I noticed I couldn’t tell where the slugs had entered me. I knew one was in my abdomen and one in my chest, but there was no redness, no scars, nothing to indicate I’d been shot.
I dressed and found Miguel Smith, Magda Red, my mom, Dad, and Jerome in the room when I came out and wondered how long I’d been in there. Remiel was also there, standing outside the room. Gabriel and the nurse were both gone. It definitely hadn’t seemed like it took that long for me to change.
“I’m going to stay with Michael,” Remiel said to us. “He may need assistance after healing both you and Penelope. I figure you have demons to talk to anyway.”
“I think so.” I nodded. Although, since there hadn’t been an attempt on Mr. Henry’s life, maybe I didn’t. No...I wanted to ask about the mass possession events, as well as Belial’s summoning at the police station. I hadn’t exactly figured out what I was going to ask or who I was going to summon to ask, but I’d get to that point eventually. The problem at the moment was that I suspected Michael was correct, and people were trying to get me and Penelope out of the way for whatever they were planning next, and yes, it probably involved demons or possession or both. Except that didn’t narrow down the prospects for what was being planned. If it was connected to the robberies, I felt it plausible they were planning to the hit the museum exhibition on cursed items. Curses were usually more powerful than regular magic; I felt that would hold true on artifacts as well. I considered suggesting that to Miguel Smith but didn’t. Not because I wanted to play it close to the vest and not feel stupid if I was wrong, that kind of stuff annoyed me, but because we were still at the hospital. I was ready to go home and see my dog.
I told Miguel the AESPCA needed to find Janet. She was involved in all of this somehow and finding her seemed key. Miguel informed me he actually did know how to do his job and didn’t need me to tell him and that it was already being done. Having accepted my rebuke gracefully, I got in my car with Jerome driving and headed home.
“We should do some research about that exhibit at the museum. I think that’s ultimately their target. If correct, I suspect these other possession events have been workups to possess the museum’s night guard staff so they can steal the cursed items,” I told Jerome. Then I texted the same to Miguel Smith and Magda Red. I got a response from Miguel almost instantly: I appreciate that you are thinking strategically, but we put extra security on the museum exhibit the first time you mentioned it. Also, I’m still not incompetent. The incompetent was followed by a laughing face emoji. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing because he thought I thought he was incompetent or if it was meant to take the sting out of the sentence. Either way, it did make me smile, so I guess it worked. I did not think Miguel was incompetent. I felt anytime demons or possession were involved, most people were out of their depth, and Miguel was no exception. Hell, I wasn’t sure Azrael, or my father would be exceptions, and they were dealing with demons long before I was even a thought. I took a moment to digest this and wondered if I ever came across as a condescending asshole, decided I probably did, and that might be why Miguel felt the urge to remind me twice in less than ten minutes that he wasn’t incompetent. I could identify this as a failing within myself and even admit I did it, but I didn’t think I would be able to change. Partly because I wouldn’t remember this self-evaluation in an hour and partly because how does one change that behavior? It was never my intent to be a condescending asshole, so stopping myself from doing it would require identification and effort of it in each situation and everyone was correct; I was incredibly lazy. For half a heartbeat, I considered telling Jerome he needed to tell me when I was doing it, but I could see that being annoying for him and me both.
Magda texted back, I know, I’ve been added to the night guard roster for the duration of the exhibit. I was considering hiring you as a consultant to do the same, because I suspect it would be tricky to possess you. Huh, it would require more than a potion to possess me; even a really strong potion wouldn’t do it. I could even perform self-exorcisms, so hiring me as a night guard for the duration of the exhibit definitely wasn’t a bad idea. I texted back that I would be willing. The little dots appeared on my phone indicating she was sending back a reply, and they moved for several moments before disappearing. Then they reappeared and continued their little flashy bit for several more moments. I decided against it in case we’re wrong and they have another target in mind. The problem with that logic was there weren’t that many targets. Remiel, the exhibit, and the AESPCA vault. The only one I considered vulnerable was the exhibit. Even if by some miracle they managed to cause a mass possession at the AESPCA, the building goes into lockdown when it detects demonic spirits, and the vault would be impenetrable. Remiel might have a hell of a collection, but in my forty-plus years of life, I’d never noticed he had a vault full of magical items. I felt that if it was easy to find, it would be insecure, but it wasn’t. Plus, they wouldn’t need to cause a mass possession to access Remiel’s vault, they’d just need to possess Remiel to know the location of the vault, how to get in, and then it could be looted. So, he didn’t make sense as the target. Unless there was another stockpile that no one was admitting to, that left the museum. I texted her back my thoughts and got the shrug emoji in response. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I didn’t.
“I don’t suppose there’s any way for you to track Janet,” I said to Jerome after a few minutes of silence. “I feel like she’s the key and if we sort out whatever is wrong with her, we can prevent what is supposed to happen.”
“Maybe. I can track magic, so if I could track Janet’s magic, at like the hospital, I might be able to track it to her current location. But Michael said there was something wonky with her life force, and that may interfere. Also, the idea of tracking someone who isn’t doing magic at that moment of tracking is completely theoretical and might not work.” The teen frowned.
“Okay, let’s talk to a demon and see if she’s possessed. I was told to talk to Leviathan anyway. We’ll start with him. I may have other questions for him, too. Although I don’t know what yet,” I said. I turned my attention out the window. Jerome was a surprisingly good driver, especially for a sixteen-year-old. I was free to let my mind wander while he drove. How would I ask Leviathan if Janet was possessed? Demons didn’t really keep track of the living, whether human or supernatural. Having said that, they were usually aware of which demons had possession of a person at any given time, so he might be able to provide enough clues based on the number of demons in possession of a host. Maybe. Or maybe not. I tried not to let out an audible sigh and failed. Jerome didn’t say anything, but I saw him glance at me out of the corner of his eye. Okay, whether it got me answers that were useful or not, I’d ask Leviathan about the possibility Janet was possessed. I also needed to ask him about the robberies and maybe the magical artifacts. And cursed artifacts. Oh, and the mass possession events. I felt like there was something else too, but I couldn’t remember it at this exact moment. Oh shit, Belial’s summoning. This was significant because it is hard to summon a hell prince, even if it was in spirit form. That required serious oomph, yet Dantalian and the other demon were positive the person committing the robberies was doing it to gain power. To me the two felt mutually exclusive, but maybe Leviathan would have a different point of view. Demons often did, especially demons who could get glimpses of the future and knew things most demons didn’t and could also make bad things from Stygian dust and bargained souls. Yeah, it was time to talk to Leviathan. I’d been so busy I hadn’t gotten around to it, but realistically, he was always a great source of information. I was sure he’d be able to provide me with something that might help. Of course, I was setting myself up, because if he couldn’t I would be disappointed.
“Run through Arby’s, we’re going to see Leviathan,” I told Jerome. Of all the foods I’d offered Leviathan, Arby’s was his favorite. “Get at least five sandwiches and two fries and maybe dessert and a soda for him. We should probably eat, too. You know what I like.” I thought for a moment. “Shit, when did you eat last? Where did you sleep last night? Are you okay? Oh my, I am such a terrible guardian.”
“I was worried. You left the hospital and then suddenly you were coming back, and the police were telling us you’d been repeatedly shot. But they didn’t give us any details of who shot you or with what until early this morning. Remiel, Raphael, and I slept at the hospital. Miguel and Magda made sure we had dinner last night as well as breakfast this morning. I was considering lunch options when your dad came out of your room and told me to wait. Now, here we are.”
“I am so sorry. I fucked up again.”
“Someone had you arrested and tried to kill you using Belial. I don’t know how you would prevent that. Also, from the explanation we finally got this morning, you were in your cell when you were shot. So, I’m not sure how you would have prevented that, either,” Jerome said as he turned into an Arby’s.
“I could get a different job,” I said with a sigh.
“You could, but we would both be miserable,” Jerome answered. I checked my phone. It was almost two in the afternoon and Arby’s was relatively slow. Only two cars were in line ahead of us. Neither seemed to order much, and soon Jerome pulled up to the speaker. He ordered two big beef and cheddar sandwiches, a chicken salad sandwich, then five more big beef and cheddars, four large orders of fries, cheese sticks, a handful of apple turnovers, and three large Mtn Dew sodas.
“Who orders chicken salad at Arby’s?” I asked him. He smiled.
“Tara likes them, and I promised to try one,” he replied, grinning wider.
“I bet it doesn’t come with an onion bun,” I quipped. “So, the big beef and cheddar you ordered for yourself is the standby in case you don’t like the chicken salad?”
“Yes.” Jerome gave a curt nod. “I also intend for us to split the cheese sticks.”
“With each other or with the three of us? Because I had intended to take all the food to Leviathan and eat there.”
“I was hoping the cheese sticks could be eaten in the car.” Jerome grinned. We got our food and I dug out the cheese sticks and gave Jerome one, even though he was driving. So not only was I terrible as a guardian, but I was also a bad influence, encouraging my teenager to drive distracted because I gave him a cheese stick. Thankfully, we got the entire box of cheese sticks eaten without wrecking and before we got home. Neither of us required marinara to dip them in, so it was only a little messy. I got out and wiped my greasy fingers on a napkin and then brushed crumbs off my clothes. I then gathered all the bags and sodas and started into the house. Jerome followed me and we headed for his game room. Technically, since we were translocating to the Stygian, we didn’t need to be in his game room, which doubled as a safe room, but I liked to be careful.
There is a strange sensation when traveling to the Stygian, as if one is being gently tugged through space by the belly button. The sensation only lasts a second, maybe two. Just long enough to register it’s happening and then it’s gone, and we were in the Stygian. I am convinced the Stygian is what would happen if people lived on Mars. The soil is a reddish brown and it’s very loose. However, there is a sun that is definitely not our sun, and multiple moons. No one knows exactly where the Stygian is, but I am convinced it is a planet in another galaxy. I think Jophiel somehow bent the space/time fabric to transport everything here. Since I am not an astrophysicist, nor do I truly understand space travel and that sort of stuff, I can’t explain it. I just know it exists and I suspect it is somewhere far away from Earth. When the tethered feeling stopped, we were at the gates of Leviathan’s palace. The hell princes live in territories, which consist of a palace or castle-like structure with a city around it, plus some agriculture. It turns out demons, like the living, need calories to fuel their magic even here, but they do not have anything even remotely recognizable to people as food. Yet they enjoy our food, which is why I can bribe them to be extremely helpful, especially with pizza and fast food. They enjoy burgers from fast food restaurants nearly as much as pizza, or like Leviathan, who enjoys roast beef, cheddar sauce, and onion buns a great deal. I can’t blame him; I also really like those things. Some small demons went to alert their master of our arrival, while some slightly larger demons worked the mechanism to open the gates for us. Sometimes when I come over I short-cut it and just arrive inside the gates. But today I wanted to make sure Leviathan knew I’d brought an offering and give him time to salivate over it, because I was going to ask him some weird questions that I really wanted answers for.
The gates opened and Jerome and I entered, each of us carrying bags and drink carriers. At the last minute Jerome had ordered a fifth soda, giving Leviathan two of them. Apparently, demons enjoy empty calories, too. Then again, the only fat demon in the Stygian was the hell prince Mammon, who was too lazy to even have an adequate force of demons to send forth to possess people. It was why he was the least powerful hell prince. Even Leviathan had demons meant to be used in possessions, and that wasn’t his forte. He was way more interested in creation than possession.
We walked through the gates and up the walkway to the doors of the palace, which were thrown wide open for us. Because the ground is red, most of the rocks in the Stygian are also red, which means everything built out of them is red. It’s a bit disconcerting; I never get used to it.
The palace doors opened and Leviathan himself stood there waiting for us. We walked in with the food.
“I knew you would be coming soon, although I expected it a few days ago,” Leviathan said.
“Things became chaotic. I did actually mean to come a few days ago, but there were shootings, and mass possessions, and...” I shrugged at him.
“I understand,” Leviathan said. “You are here now, and I see you want something from me.”
“I actually want multiple things from you.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Demons in my presence within the Stygian remember their Earthly lives. It’s very weird. It doesn’t seem to work as well when we are on Earth, and I’m not sure why. But here, with me in the room, Leviathan remembers every aspect of his life as the archangel Zadkiel, one of my father’s many brothers. Zadkiel eventually lost the will to live and died as a result. One day I will be visiting my Uncle Michael in the Stygian as a demon, because Michael has been battling with himself my entire life to keep his will to live. “There is a person on Earth, one of my friends, and she is acting out of character. Michael referred to her life force as wonky. I don’t quite know what he meant by that, but I don’t know that he understood why it was weird either, so I’m hoping you can help,” I said, as we followed the massive demon to his dining area. Jerome and I sat down our goods and began opening bags and pulling stuff out.
“You know, demons are not the only creatures capable of possession,” Leviathan said, as Jerome began handing him sandwiches and fries and apple turnovers. Leviathan is very powerful and seeing him with the sandwiches and fries emphasized his massive stature. I can in fact stand in Leviathan’s hands. However, he has some pretty neat parlor tricks in the Stygian. As he observed the feast before him, he shrank to a more human size. To be fair, he shrank down to roughly the size of my father, who is unusually tall. Unfortunately, he does not have these powers on Earth, or he wouldn’t damage my house when I summoned him. Since he couldn’t do it on Earth, I came to him to talk instead of summoning him to me. Although occasionally, if the weather was exceptionally nice, I would summon him outdoors in my back yard.
“Yes, wendigos can take possession of a person, even though they themselves are living beings. They can send their spirit out into the world. However, I think if she were possessed by a wendigo, Michael would have been able to identify it. I’m sure he’s dealt with wendigos in the past.”
“True, I wasn’t suggesting a wendigo per se. I was making sure you understood that not every possession was demonic.”
“I am definitely aware of that.”
“Wendigos are Earth-bound creatures who delight in making people into monsters. There were creatures deemed more dangerous than wendigos that could do similar things and were not left on Earth,” Leviathan said. “Unfortunately, they are not creatures I created from Stygian dust, so I can’t tell you if one of them is being used on your friend, but it seems possible something like a kitsune or lonenki could have been summoned to enter her. If she is acting out of character, I would presume it more likely to be a lonenki. The lonenki feeds off brainwaves created by distress and emotional turmoil. They make the sufferer act contrary to their nature. Simply put, they make good people do bad things and bad people do good things. A wealthy miser possessed by a lonenki will give away all his money to charitable causes or poor people in the street. Since the person possessed is your friend, I would predict they are making them do things that are criminal or something else bad, maybe hurting their friends or something similar.”
“I have never heard of a lonenki, how would someone become possessed by one?” I asked.
“Normally, possession is caused by being cursed,” Leviathan said. “However, that curse is very dark and ancient magic. Beyond Jerome, I can’t imagine there are many people alive who would remember it. Well, my brothers probably would.”
“Would Uriel?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Leviathan said. “Although, I can’t imagine any of my brothers cursing someone with a lonenki, even Uriel. I know he is not your favorite archangel. I also remember him being arrogant, entitled, and bearing a severe superiority complex, but part of that complex is that he can’t stoop to the levels of dark practitioners. Uriel is the only angel who truly believes angels are divine. If he were to summon a lonenki, it would be contrary to his divinity.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Could someone have summoned a lonenki into Uriel?” Jerome asked after a moment. “He’s been acting strange, but in that he’s been more of a jerk than normal.”
“If all it’s done is make him a bigger jerk, a lonenki is unlikely. In that case, it seems more likely Uriel is angry at himself, but is taking it out on others,” Leviathan said.
“Would Michael have experience with a lonenki?” I asked.
“Yes, but it would have been so long ago.”
“He may have forgotten, got it.” I nodded as I chewed the last bite of my sandwich. “Someone is using demonic possession to steal magical artifacts. Some demons I have spoken with told me the person wanted the artifacts because they lacked power. Yet, they have strong potions, and I think they summoned Belial to a police station in order to kill me, which is evidence to the contrary.”
“Ah, yes. Much like wendigos and demons are not the only things that can possess the human body, power comes in many forms. Also, how do you define too little or too much power? Do you have too much or too little?”
“Well....” I frowned at him.
“That is my point. Just because a person feels like they have too little power or too much, doesn’t mean that is how other people perceive them. Some people would kill to have as much power as you, others would feel it was too much, and some, like you, would just ignore it as much as possible. Demons pick up on perceptions, it helps them during possessions. Even if they have not possessed the person summoning them, they will feel that person’s perception of themself. If that person feels their magic is weak, a demon will pick up on that.”
“Huh, okay, that actually does clarify things. I have been thinking it must be a duo, one of whom had oodles of magic and one who didn’t. But if it is a single individual, then it could be that they have oodles of magic and just feel like they don’t have enough,” I said.
“I would agree with that assessment. Soleil, have you considered non-magical forms of control as well as magical ones? I mean, I think a lonenki is involved in controlling your friend but living proved to me that people are capable of terrible things on their own. If someone kidnapped Jerome, what wouldn’t you do to get him back?” Leviathan was silent for several moments. “I suspect you would even bargain your soul with Belial to get him back. I suspect you would stop short of bargaining Jerome’s soul, but everything else would be done. That is why I sent you one of my most devoted hellhounds. Your hound is capable of great love and dedication, and I sent it to ensure nothing would ever happen to Jerome to put you in a position to bargain away Earth to save him. Everyone who lives has a weakness like yours. I’m sure your friend has one, find it and you might find out how someone is controlling her.”
“Yes, but that wouldn’t alter her life force,” I said.
“Some trade-offs do alter life force,” Leviathan said to me, and stared at me pointedly.
“You think she bargained away her soul,” I said.
“I think it is something you should consider. Also, depending on the hell prince involved in the barter, it is possible she allowed someone else to barter away her soul in exchange for the safety of someone she loves.” I wanted to protest that Janet didn’t love anyone that much, but it had been more than a year since I had seen her. Did I know that for sure? She’d told me in one our few conversations immediately after she left that she was pregnant and never said another word about it. If someone were holding her newborn hostage, that would motivate her to move heaven and Earth to save it. “There is another point that needs to be considered. You are relying solely on the observations of Michael, who I know means well, and no doubt saw her magical signature and based his conclusion on that. But all the archangels have complimentary powers and work best as a team. Michael can assess there is something off about her life force, but not provide an explanation. He would need Remiel, Gabriel, or Azrael to do that. It seems possible to me that pregnancy would alter life force, and while Michael should be familiar with that, just as he should be with a wendigo, it is possible that for whatever reason, he can’t recognize it in your friend’s life force alteration. Azrael, like yourself, would recognize possession by another spirit, but not by something like pregnancy. You would need Gabriel and Remiel for that. Or me.” Leviathan grinned at this last comment.
“But you were capable of creating life,” I said in response, also smiling.
“Indeed, and still am. I might be able to recognize any sort of life in your friend’s magical signature, be it pregnancy or possession.”
“Last thing, I think. Ashtaroth, through Dantalian, told me I needed to speak with you about the robberies where the homeowners are controlled by possession,” I said, unsure what to ask.
“Possession is not a great form of control; they would need to use demons too small to have their own willpower and abilities.” Leviathan said. “But you probably already know that. More likely he sent you to me because of the objects being taken.”
“Each item has had magic imbued into it. I think they are working up to hit an exhibit full of cursed objects,” I said.
“That wouldn’t make sense. Curses don’t work like other types of magic.” Leviathan looked at Jerome.
“No, if an item has magic, the magic can be used on others, but curses work on the person possessing the object, don’t they?” Jerome responded. “I haven’t had a lot of experience with curses.”
“Yes.” Leviathan nodded. “If an item has a love spell in it, the love spell can be used to influence others. But if an object is cursed with a love spell, then the person in possession of the object would be cursed to continually fall in love with anyone and everyone they meet.”
“Oh,” I said. “Well then....” I shrugged. “I don’t know what they are planning at all. Because not only do we have the individual possessions, but there’s been two attempts at mass possession, one far more successful than the other. I wouldn’t think a mass possession spell would be necessary to reach Remiel’s vault. But his is the most insecure; there’s only one Remiel, while the others are in places crawling with people all the time.”
“Uh, his is probably the most secure,” Leviathan said, sweeping his hand toward the end of the room. I had to look very closely to see that there was a door set in the wall. It didn’t have a handle or anything. “Remiel sends the objects he recovers to me for safe-keeping. We’ve been discussing how to tell you for the last few years, because Remiel says eventually, when he loses his will to live, the collection will become yours and Jerome’s.”
“I didn’t know Remiel had that kind of connection to the Stygian,” I said.
“He didn’t until you were born,” Leviathan said. “Jerome is a much more powerful mimic, but he isn’t the only one in your family to have the ability. Remiel’s power to mimic is much weaker, unless the magic he is mimicking is very powerful. Azrael’s Stygian magic wasn’t powerful enough, but yours is. Remiel’s vault was raided a few times in the past, so once you were born and he discovered he could do things here, we struck a bargain and I keep the magical items he recovers. However, telling you about this has proved difficult. We are both very concerned about your feelings, and since you’ve tried to ignore your magic most of your life, we weren’t sure how to tell you about any of it.”
“Why would the hell prince Leviathan care about my feelings?” I asked.
“Because your ability to make demons remember is also very strong, and Remiel can mimic it to some degree. When we struck the arrangement, I was Zadkiel, not Leviathan.” Leviathan nodded. “Although with the addition of Jerome to your life, I am both Zadkiel and Leviathan all the time. Did you know he is constantly mimicking your ability to send things across the Stygian? And what he sends is your magic.”
“No, I’m not,” Jerome said, and looked down at the table where his chicken salad sandwich sat with a single bite out of it.
“I think you are,” I said, looking at him. “But I don’t think it’s intentional, and I’m not sure you should try to stop it. My relationship with demons was adversarial until you came along and moved in with me. In the years since, it has become far more friendly. You consistently mimic some powers, whether you’re aware of it or not. I suspect because you are around me so much, mine is one of them. Coupled with your own Stygian magic, I have thought a few times before now that you are a big part of the reason my relationship with Demonation has improved. Between your mimicry and my decision to better understand Demonation, I think...essentially, I consider this improvement to be beneficial to both Demonation and humans alike. We will never be capable of co-existence in the same plane, but a working relationship such as we have created for the AESPCA and me is good.”
“The food helps, too. Stygian food is bland and awful,” Leviathan said, as he ate one of the apple turnovers. “I love apples.”
“That means the only possible target they could be planning to hit is the AESPCA vault. But it’s a fortress,” I said. “I can’t see how they would get in.”
“You are thinking on a very grand scale. What if they don’t need in the vault to loot everything. What if they want a single magical artifact?” Leviathan said.
“A single object could be walked out by an AESPCA agent, if they manage things correctly.”
“Yes.” Leviathan nodded and finished off the turnover. “I would like an entire apple pie at some point. Apple pie hadn’t been invented before my death, but I have seen it in the dreams of my relatives, and it looks delicious. Could you manage that or is it a rare and expensive thing?”
“It is neither rare nor expensive and if you would like to try an apple pie, I will make a point of sending one to you very soon,” I told him.
“We should ask your mom to make one. She makes the best apple pies,” Jerome said.
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“Yes, it was your mother who first dreamed of an apple pie, a long time ago. A very long time ago. I have wanted to try one since,” Leviathan told me. “When I began dream walking among my family, I began to long for food again. Demons do not have the appetites of the living, but of the things I lost by dying, I miss food the most. Things like this are a blessing.” He pointed at the wrapper from one of the beef and cheddar sandwiches.
“Did you know when you lost the will to live that you would become a demon?” Jerome asked, and I blinked at him.
“Yes, we all knew, back then. I gather it is knowledge that was lost or misplaced somehow,” Leviathan said. “I realized that because you and Soleil both seemed very surprised when you learned demons were the reincarnation of the souls of supernaturals. Souls are incapable of dying—even when Soleil kills a demon, she does not actually destroy their souls, although she thinks she does. It just reincarnates as a different being.”
“Do you know what being?” I asked.
“Wendigos.” Leviathan answered without hesitation. “It is what drives their hunger, revenge upon the living for dying twice.”
“Oh shit.” I muttered.
“Everything has a place in the universe, be it here or on Earth or somewhere else entirely,” Leviathan said. “I did not find out what became of wendigos at their death before I died, but I’m sure they become something else, too. Souls cannot be destroyed. Being a demon is not ideal, to be sure, but being something like a wendigo would be worse. I imagine whatever comes after wendigos is worse yet. Perhaps that is where bennu birds come from.” He said this last with a shrug.
“Well, you have given me a lot to think about. I need to correct two inaccurate assumptions.” I stood up. Jerome also stood. The traditional name for a phoenix was a Bennu Bird, but only the archangels used it anymore.
“It is always a pleasure to see you and help you out, even if you don’t bring me food.” Leviathan also stood and we watched as he began to return to his normal size. “But I think you have one more thing you want to ask me about. Belial’s summoning.”
“Summoning a hell prince, even as a spirit, is tough. We know they used a potion, is it possible Belial was just the closest demon when the summoning occurred and wasn’t the specific target?” I asked.
“You of all people know that summoning a hell prince is not a matter of accident or chance. They specifically intended to summon Belial, which means whoever is involved knows Belial wants your soul.”
“My friend who is acting weird knew that,” I replied. His comment wasn’t particularly enlightening, and I had known it was impossible to summon a hell prince just because they happened to be in the right place at the right time.
“Then I suspect you were just looking for confirmation that you needed to start there,” Leviathan said with a nod, as he reached his full size again. “I know you are struggling to understand how your friend could be involved, but people often disguise their real intentions; it is what makes your father’s exclusive power necessary. Perhaps you just weren’t aware of this side of your friend’s personality.”
“My father met her and never said anything about her having different intentions than the ones she showed,” I told him. “No, I think somehow she’s being forced into this. I’m just not sure how, and I’m not entirely sure why.”
“Well, I can’t help you with those, my gift of sight only works on my family.” Leviathan gave a pointed look to Jerome. “Which is how I knew you were my family before you did.” This made Jerome smile.
“I’ve been hearing about small suns coming into my life since I was five. The moment I met Soleil, I knew she was the small sun. But I can remember you being in my dreams before meeting her. So. I think I had some sort of understanding that you and I were related before I came here the first time.”
“Like Remiel, I was cursed to be barren, but I helped make both of you, so to some degree, I consider you my children,” Leviathan said, and the hell prince looked like he might cry, which made me tear up. I took a deep breath.
“Does Remiel know?” I asked.
“Yes,” Leviathan said. “I have worried about him because of it. My brothers and I always had a biological imperative to reproduce. Some of mine was quenched by my ability to create, but Remiel... Over the years, Remiel has slaked his imperative by taking our nieces or nephews under his wing, but when Nicholas was lost, I expected we would lose Remiel too. I’m glad he held on, and I’m glad you both came along. He may not feel as biologically invested in you as I do, after all he didn’t manipulate your genes for your creation, but both of you are good surrogates for him. You are both capable of great unconditional love, whether it be for an actual parent or an adopted one. Remiel needs you, both of you, because you provide him with the unconditional love a child would provide. None of your cousins have ever done that for him. I know the brothers have worried about him a great deal over the millennia, but I think they all breathe a little easier knowing you two have grown so close to him.”
“I don’t consider myself capable of great unconditional love,” I admitted.
“That is because you lack confidence and understanding in yourself. A moment ago, I watched your eyes fill with tears because of me and I am not just dead, I am a hell prince, yet you do not think of me as a demon. You think of me as Zadkiel, even though I died before you were born. You do not think of Lucifer as the ruler of the Stygian either, you think of him as Jophiel, and despite our status in the Stygian, you love us as a niece would. That is great unconditional love, Soleil, even if you do not think so; we feel it and understand it. In our own ways, we try to reciprocate that love. Sadly, we cannot do the job that Remiel can because of who and what we are, but you don’t care about that. If that is not great love, I do not know what is,” Leviathan said, and gently touched my head. I think he was aiming for my hair or face, but his hand was so massive he ended up touching my hair, my face, and my shoulders and it sort of felt like a heavy pat.
“You loved my mom unconditionally,” Jerome said. “And me.”
“Your mom felt like my sister.”
“Yes, but she wasn’t, not really. I see you are capable of great love; it is one of the reasons I love you,” Jerome said, and I did start to cry. “It is also why my mom loved you.”
“Okay, you both have to stop. We have bad guys to catch and a damsel to rescue, and I can’t do either if I can’t stop crying,” I told them. Leviathan chuckled softly.
“That is proof of your heart, Soleil. You need to rescue your friend from whatever monster has her, be it human or supernatural or spirit, and you don’t think you can do it, especially if we are pointing out your greatness. But I know you will, not because of any gift of sight, but because I know your heart and soul. You will let no obstacle stop you from saving someone you love. Even if that loved one is just a friend.”
“Thanks, we have to go,” I said. “I do have a friend to rescue, and I sent everyone to the museum. I need to get them back.”
“We will see each other soon, I think,” Leviathan said. “I look forward to it.”
A moment later we were in Jerome’s game room.