He was quiet. December motioned her hands quickly, urging me to keep talking.
“I know it can’t be easy…getting these types of calls after what happened.” My voice lost its bass, wobbling on the tightrope of uncertainty.
Daylan chuckled. “That’s the understatement of the century.”
“But if you don’t help us and we leave this town, who knows what will happen. This thing is strong, and it’s only a matter of time before it decides it wants to jump into someone. And then, their world would be forever altered, too. Except they won’t be like you. They don’t know half of what you know. They probably won’t even realize what’s happening. And they damn sure wouldn’t survive it.”
The quiet returned; the only sign that Daylan was still there was his low, steady breathing.
“You got into this for a reason. Whether it was to help or to get answers. I do it for both…but to be honest, I’m losing faith that any reason truly matters.”
The gazes of my team studied me, looking for what angle I may be trying to play. I kept my eyes on the phone, unwilling to confirm the words were the simple truth.
“But none of that really matters because at some point, we decided to be the people who helped. And it’s wholly unfair and infinitely selfish to drop that responsibility just because we’re not sure we can or if it matters. We owe it to them to try.”
I closed my eyes for a second, anticipating the call to disconnect.
“I’ll consult,” Daylan said finally. “There’s no way I can get within spitting distance of whatever town you’re in, but I can…try. Try to help from here.”
Nico came over to squeeze my shoulder, rocking me back and forth in celebration. Jonah even looked a bit pleased, resting his feet on the ground, his body opening again.
I pressed my lips together, trying to tame my tone of excitement before offering him a “Thank you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Daylan dismissed. “Just catch me up to speed. Don’t skimp on any of the details. And grab a pen and paper. I’m going to need your undivided attention.”
December was already prepared. She slipped into the seat opposite me, leaning closer to the phone to wait for his wisdom. It took almost an hour to catch Daylan up. He kept asking me to backtrack, probing for the smallest of details. A scratch of a pen on his end revealed he kept written records as well.
“I think I understand enough,” he decided after we told him about what happened tonight for the fifth time. “Now, on to the next step: what do you guys know about demons?”
“They’re the only supernatural beings who can successfully feign the appearance of another supernatural being,”Nico spoke up. “We have a Chaos category. They’re cocky enough to reveal themselves. Vengeful enough to always resort to murder.”
“Good. What else?” When he was met with quiet, Daylan continued, “Fine. That’s fine. To be expected. Now, here’s what needs to happen next. It’s imperative that we figure out what classification this demon is. There are five. The only recorded ones in the Guild’s database are Chaos and Archdemons because they’re the only ones we’ve been in prolonged contact with.Butthat doesn’t mean we should assume it’s going to be Chaos. Hunters are explorers after all, finding new corners of hell every day.”
I understood the world was far larger than my eyes would ever witness. I’d made peace with not being able to understand even a small percentage of existence. But Daylan’s reminder made me feel trapped in a room with no oxygen. I tugged at my collar, taking small, quick breaths. New corners had been thrilling even a year ago. Now, all I wanted to think about was how nice the familiarity of a living room couch could be. How comforting the creak of the same door opening was when one came home. Or saying goodnight to the same beautiful woman and holding her until we both fell asleep.
“Archdemons are the most straightforward,” Daylan continued. “Buttoned-up.”
Nico laughed humorlessly. “How so?”
“They’ll introduce themselves by name because there’s nothing for them to hide,” Daylan said. “They’re some of the most powerful supernatural beings that walk the planet. If you came across one, you’d know it. They don’t gatekeep their names, considering the pain they could receive from someone knowing them is equivalent to a pinch?—”
“Pain?” December asked.
“If you learn a demon’s name, you can wield some power over it,” Daylan said simply. “Use it in a ritual that will weaken it to the point where you’ll have an easier time sending it to a prison of your choice.”
“So like the other side?” I asked.
“No, not exactly. Don’t get caught in the other side fallacy.” Daylan sighed. “Ghosts get peace. Demons don’t.”
“And why not?” December wrote in barely legible cursive.
“They don’t really deserve, now, do they?” he snapped and then paused for a second to take a deep breath. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” I frowned at December and mouthed,Slow down.
December’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t provide any protest.
“Archdemons are powerful enough not to care because our rituals can’t send them anywhere. They offer their names willingly to assert power,” Daylan explained slowly, as if he spoke any faster he’d knock over a Jenga tower. “They love reminding you where you stand. I’m assuming you all didn’t get a name?”
