The shortest of the Elders approached her first, though at six feet tall, he still towered over her. "I am Beelzebub," His transparent wings rested flatly against his back. "We want you to feel at ease. I promise not to use my powers to hurt you." His faceted eyes hid his emotions well. He held out his hand, revealing iridescent green skin on the back of his arm, clashing with the stark black of the underside. Tiny sticky hairs tickled her as he took her forearm in his large hand. A small smile tugged at his lips as Keshiema clenched her teeth, trying not to react.

  Beelzebub stepped aside, and a severely malnourished man took his place. With his light silver eyes and chalky skin, he looked to be on the verge of death. "I am Merihim." his unexpectedly smooth voice made her feel sick. He gripped her arm with a surprising amount of strength. "I won't use my powers to hurt you, either. Not that I'd need to." Keshiema managed not to grimace at his snarky attitude.

  "I am Asmoday," The slender demon stretched out the "S" in his name. Small patches of scales decorated his face and arms in no distinct pattern. Like a true predator, he carefully observed her every move with his bright yellow eyes. As he took her arm, he smiled widely, revealing long, sharp fangs. "You have my word that I do not intend to hurt you." She saw genuine kindness in his snake-like eyes.

  The demon trading places with Asmoday surprised her. "Ipos?" She immediately understood why one of the voices sounded so familiar.

  "I can assure you; I am not." He grimaced, but quickly fixed his face and tone with a heavy sigh. "Though you're not the first to make this mistake." His dark eyes gave her chills. "I am Ayperos." His soft wings twitched. She took his offered arm and gave him an uneasy smile. "I will not use my powers against you."

  "I am Eurynome." The soft, kind voice belonged to an intimidating demon. His black leather jacket with matching pants and gloves, and heavy leather boots, reminded her of something she had seen in a textbook. She tried to remember, but the only word that came to mind was "motorcycle," and she had no clue what it meant. He smiled at her, and his many sharp teeth gave her pause. "Don't worry, I won't bite you. I give you my word, you are safe in my presence." Staring into his pale green eyes, she took his arm hesitantly. The iciness of his skin came through the thick leather glove. Holding back a shiver, she nodded respectfully.

  Her Demon Anatomy professor had touched on the subject of Reaper-Daemon. A rare class of demon, to be sure. The professor had barely touched on the subject, stating that very few medics would ever come into contact with a Reaper. The unit mainly focused on identifying them. A Reaper would have sharp teeth, marking them as true carnivores. The only other giveaway would be the cold aura constantly emanating from him.

  "Pyro." A bright-faced demon pushed Eurynome away. His hair started as a deep blue at the roots but abruptly changed to orange, fading to yellow at the ends. His burnt-umber eyes practically sparkled. He was a Fire-Daemon if ever she saw one. "I, too, promise you I will only use my powers to protect you." He bowed his head respectfully. "And maybe it is your beauty, but something makes me think I never could lie to you." His flawless skin held a warm glow. Looking into his eyes, she saw no hint of deceit or dishonesty but knew in her gut he was a silver-tongued deceiver. Instead of taking her arm, he took a deep bow. She bowed awkwardly in return before he stepped away.

  A giant demon with the wings and horns of a great dragon stepped in front of her. His yellow reptilian eyes glowed in the dim light. Dark green scales covered the backs of his arms, ending at his knuckles. "I am Gaap." he held out his arm. As Keshiema went to take it, he lightly grabbed her hand, kissing the top of it gently. "If ever you have a desire to be loved more passionately than you had ever thought possible, come to me." Her cheeks felt hot. Her hair and eyes went stark white for a moment before some of the others mocked him as he stepped aside, making her feel a little less flushed.

  "I am Samael." His white and purple toga gave him an ancient and elegant appearance. "I will not take arms with you, for we need you alive." She heard rumors of this demon through the years. Even through a cloth barrier, his touch would kill. "As the others have promised, so do I, not to use my powers against you. So please do not take offense when I keep my distance."

  As Samael spoke, she noted his teeth. Two Reaper-Daemons in one room. 'It must be my lucky day.' She reminded herself to keep her distance from them both.

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  Keshiema followed the Elders to a meeting room off to the side of the Council Chambers. When Pyro insisted on sitting next to her, Gaap gave him an unfriendly glare. Once everyone had settled into their seats, servants set a small breakfast in front of each of them. Samael cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Eat first, and we will start our discussion once everyone has finished."

  No one seemed to pay her any mind, but she still watched her table manners carefully. The eggs were a perfect over-medium, and the rich taste of the thick red yolk paired well with the garlic rice flour flatbread. The maple sausage links were juicy without being overly greasy, and the mix of deadly nightshade and blueberries tasted so sweet she could cry. Once she finished, a servant whisked away her plate. She was relieved to see everyone else had finished at about the same time.

  "Keshiema, you may speak freely at this table," Samael said after the servants cleared the room.

  "What am I needed for, why am I here?" Getting straight to the point felt like the best option, so she chose not to walk around the issue.

  "We will be direct with you," Asmoday looked her in the eyes as he spoke. "Our prophet, Uvall, predicted a great battle between you and the king."

  "Uvall has been meditating for weeks, looking for solid details," Ayperos continued. "But he has found nothing."

  "He believes that Adramelech has not yet discovered that you exist, so the time and place of the battle is constantly changing. " Eurynome spoke softly, eyeing her carefully.

  "So why do you care?" Keshiema asked bluntly. "I am sure Adramelech has had thousands killed, human and demon alike. I may be Stolas' sister, but none of you strike me as the type to interfere with Adramelech, no matter who might be in danger."

  "Beautiful Keshiema," Pyro took her hand in his, "you must be patient with us."

  After stealing her hand back from Pyro, Keshiema spoke directly to Samael. "I want to know why you care." She looked him right in his eyes, hiding none of her defiance.

  Samael looked to Merihim, and Keshiema followed his gaze. "Uvall has no idea who will win." Merihim's voice still made her sick, but she did her best to keep a straight face. "He has seen many possible outcomes. including a poddible future where Adramelech falls... that you will be the one to kill him."

  "Wait, what?" Her mind went numb, and her heart raced so fast it might have exploded out of her chest if she did not clutch it so tightly. Her hair and eyes turned white. "I-I-I think...I misheard you."

  "It's possible that you may be the one to bring an end to Adramelech's reign, allowing Stolas to attain the throne."

  Her ears rang loudly, and her stomach threatened to evacuate. "I'm barely an adult, and you think I can kill the Beast? Why can't any of you fight him? Hell, why can't all of you fight him?!"

  "We have thought of that." Asmoday assured her, "However, through many an hour of meditation, Uvall tried to predict the fall of Adramelech. No matter which Elder he meditated on – or any combination there of – every outcome remained identical; The rebellion would fail, the king would no longer believe in our faelty. We would be put to death, our academy terminated, and the world would be far more chaotic going forward."

  "Keshiema, Adramelech is heartless and wicked." Beelzebub pleaded for her to hear him. "His rule over the earth has been a terror for the humans for a thousand years. And many demons have been suffering under him since The Second Fall of Lucifer."

  "Exactly!" Red streaks formed in her white hair, and scarlet specks dotted her eyes like glitter. "He's thousands of years old. A battle-hardened warrior. I haven't even graduated from your glorified boot camp."

  "The battle will take place." Samael's deep voice unnerved her even more. "The only thing we have the power to change is how prepared you are."

  "You have a strong bloodline, Keshiema." Ayperos tried to give her a comforting smile, but his resemblance to Ipos made her shiver. "The spell cast upon you at birth will break when your demon blood fully awakens. Your powers should grow exponentially once it does."

  "Don't sugarcoat it." Eurynome looked annoyed. "Keshiema, your blood awakening could kill you. It's the only thing Uvall has seen that might prevent the encounter."

  "So, what, then? I just wait until Adramelech comes to kill me while hoping my own magic doesn't do it first?" No white remained in her palette; Her crimson hair and eyes displayed her anger.

  "We are taking over your training." Asmoday locked eyes with her, "The general curriculum within the Academy would probably be enough to help with awakening, but will not to prepare you to win in a fight with Adramelech. We can wuicken your training, and help you attain your true potential."

  Leaning back in her chair, Keshiema tried to clear her mind. Grounding herself, she regained control of her emotions. As she let the calmness wash over her, her hair and eyes returned to their neutral blue state. "I guess if the battle is inevitable – barring my demon blood killing me before then – then I might as well be as prepared as possible."

  The room relaxed, and the Elders breathed easier. "Demon and humankind alike have a more hopeful future thanks to you." Eurynome gave her a small smile, without baring his teeth.

  "I suggest you rest," Merihim gave her a solemn look, "your training begins at midnight." Keshiema opened her mouth to argue that she was not tired, but Merihim cut her off. "Seer." The word came out just louder than a whisper, but it seemed to echo throughout the crowded room. Suddenly, she barely had the strength to keep her head up. "Don't fight it. You're going to need the rest."