As Stolas stomped into the room, Dásos sat up in his hospital bed. "You're highness, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Dásos smiled sarcastically, doing his best to hide his pain.

  Stolas clenched his fists, resisting the urge to attack the weakened beast in front of him. "You've screwed everything up. Because of you my sister, and our only hope for killing the king, ran off."

  "Can't you ask the Guardian to track her?" Stolas raised a brow, but Dásos gave him no further explanation, further aggravating the prince.

  Gritting his teeth to maintain self-control, Stolas spoke slowly. "We haven't seen Ipos since we released him. Adramelech knows nothing of his summoning."

  "That's rather inconvenient for you." Dásos knew where this conversation led, but he was not planning to make it easy for Stolas.

  "What the hell do you mean? She gave you her blood, didn't she? You can find her!"

  "In case you weren't aware, I'm here," he gestured to the room, "because I was shot. Even with Keshiema's healing, I'm out for a few days at least. Not much more useful than a human at the moment."

  "I've never known your kind to be taken out by a bullet." Stolas's eyes hid nothing. He doubted Dásos's every word.

  "That doesn't change anything. My abilities are weakened whether you believe me or not." 'Not that the bullet is what did that.' He thought back to the burst of energy Keshiema released into the room just before running away. The princes passed out faster than he did, and by the looks on their faces, they were in just as much pain.

  "I know you can't lie, but you have a way of walking around the truth that would make my father proud."

  Dásos growled at the comparison. He wanted to lunge at the high prince, but he could barely manage sitting upright. His eyes took on an eerie brightness as his temper grew hot. "Would you be so bold to make that statement if I was in any better condition?"

  "A monster is a monster, no matter what skin it wears. You stay away from Keshiema or I will find a way to kill you."

  "Better demons have died trying." Dásos spat out. The men stared each other down. Stolas's crimson aura sparked around him as he fought to remain calm.

  They broke their glares as a figure standing in the door caught their attention. Ayperos leaned against the frame, trying to hide his fear of his brother's temper. "Alex, I come with a message. Samael and Merihim would like to speak to you in the Great Temple. I have been sent to stand guard in your place."

  Dásos smirked as Stolas stomped out of the room without a word. After a few moments, he cleared his throat to get Ayperos's attention. The demon looked nervous as he pulled up a chair and sat backwards on it. "That's some smooth lying. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

  "I believe Ipos has been taken hostage." Ayperos said slowly.

  "Anything to back up that claim?"

  "I spoke with the king about the messenger who came to retrieve Ipos while we were interrogating him. From what I gather he was one of Nergal's men."

  "That seems a bit convenient. Nergal's messenger shows up hours after the mist fades saying the king needs to speak to your only suspect."

  "I thought the same. On top of that the mist demon Sonneillon is one of Nergal's men. He was returned to Nergal the day after the attack. He was also one of the few who befriended Keshiema during her time attending the Academy."

  Dásos remembered the entries from the dream journal he had accidentally consumed. He also thought about the world he found Keshiema in after Stolas attacked her. Her memories of loved ones from the life she should have lived. A Mist-Daemon killed that family; he had no doubt. "That woman is too trusting." Dásos shook his head.

  "She knows what it's like to be judged, hated, and unwanted for nothing more than race." Ayperos reminded him. "She doesn't want to hurt anyone the way she's been hurt."

  "Nergal is after Keshiema's blood. He's probably the one who's been targeting hell-children and had her family killed. What do you think of the possibility that Ipos might be working for Nergal?" His past experiences with the royal families left him suspicious.

  "I doubt it would be by choice. Ipos has a long history with the snow priestess. As her guardian, he spent several centuries protecting her. He was sent to protect Keshiema just six years after his reset."

  "He abandoned Snow Lily. He should have been there to protect her. If he had, Adramelech would never have g#otten her. What makes you think he wouldn't betray Keshiema?"

  "Everyone makes mistakes, Phorest. If I am to believe the legends, you should know that as well as anyone."

  "I suppose you're right." As much as he disliked Ipos, the Guardian spent many years protecting Keshiema. "Nergal has his own dungeon and a team dedicated to specialized cells. If he's taken Ipos prisoner, that's where he'll be."

  ***

  Her sensitive ears relaxed as the settlement quieted down. The late morning sun was already unbearably hot, but the large tent provided ample protection. The heatwave had persisted for weeks, with no end in sight. Gaap, or Paga as his human followers seemed to know him, sat across from her, sipping his tea. Both remained quiet since entering the settlement.

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  "So, Paga, was it?" She raised an eyebrow. "Not very creative."

  "Better that Beelzy's name in his settlements."

  "Yeah? What do they know him as?" she asked the obligatory question he was waiting for.

  Doing his best to hold back a smile, Gaap blurted out, "Buzz."

  Keshiema giggled at the pun. "Did he pick that?"

  "No! Alex ordered him to use it when he couldn't decide on a name!"

  At the mention of their half-brother, Keshiema fell silent. A flood of emotions filled her. She felt happy knowing she had family, but she also felt angry and depressed from his recent betrayal.

  "So tell me," Gaap clumsily tried to change the subject, "what brings you to my settlement? I'm surprised the others actually allowed you to leave the campus."

  "Who exactly could have stopped me? Lilith? If she comes anywhere near again -"

  Holding up his hands, Gaap interrupted her. "I get it. No need to explain. So why are you here?"

  "Tobias Davis. He caught Cresil. I want to find Tobias, or anything that will help me locate him. I found your settlement by chance."

  "Hm, there's supposed to be warding in place to prevent that. I'll have to check the spells." He mumbled quietly. "You're free to stay as long as you like. I won't go out of my way to tell the others you're here, but I'm not going to lie to them either."

  ***

  After a quick meal, Keshiema wandered through the bazaar. Aside from the occasional untrusting glares, everyone in the settlement seemed friendly. A bit on edge and wary of strangers, but friendly nonetheless. These were not a people who trusted newcomers, but they did trust their founder. When she started asking for information about Tobias, however, all semblance of hospitality was replaced with fearful whispers and pleas for her to leave.

  "We don't want any trouble, miss. I think it's best if you ask your questions somewhere else." The first shopkeeper shooed her away from his stall.

  "I...I...I don't know nothin'," a slender woman with wide, scared eyes stammered. "I have a shop to run, y-y-you can leave if you're not gonna buy nothin'."

  "Not my kind of people, not anyone I care to know the whereabouts of. I gotta close up for the day." Another slammed the shutter closed.

  'Humans are a fearful lot,' she thought as she turned away from another shop. 'Not that I blame them.' She thought of the demons she had known over the years. While Sonneillon and Cresil had become close allies, there were plenty who went out of their way to pick on or challenge her. As a half-demon, she at least had some defense against them. The humans had nothing.

  She approached the last stand, hoping the owner might have some sort of answer for her. She peered over the cluttered counter to spot a grayed gentleman leaning over a work table, tinkering with a wooden toy.

  "Excuse me, sir?" she asked after a moment.

  He looked up at her and touched the brim of his hat. "How can I help you, little lady?" his kind smile reached his eyes.

  "I was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction. I've been looking for a couple of childhood friends of mine."

  "Well, I can try. What're their names?"

  "Mia and Tobias Davis."

  The man raised one bold eyebrow in surprise. "Those are some dangerous people to go looking for; especially for someone like you."

  "What do you mean, someone like me?" she asked suspiciously.

  "I think you know what I mean."

  "Are there a lot of people who can tell? You're the second one I've met." She asked, absently scratching her head where her left horn should have been.

  "I'm not sure, but all of the few I've met have been very open-minded folk. Maybe that's a part of it. As for the Davis siblings, the three of them usually meet every New Moon."

  'They found their brother?' "Do you know where they meet?"

  The man opened a drawer and pulled out a tattered scroll. Her eyes widened as he unrolled it to reveal a map. After marking it, he rolled it up and handed it to her. As she took it, he glared at her and spoke ominously before letting it go. "The Davis siblings are not to be underestimated. The girl is a master of trickery, her twin is the best shot I've ever seen, and the eldest is less than stable." He pointed to his temple as he released the scroll.

  Thank you, erm, what was your name?" her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

  "Sam."

  "Thank you, Sam." She held out her hand for a handshake.

  "Don't mention it little lady." He took her hand in both of his and firmly grasped it, giving her a kind smile before letting her go.

  She smiled back as best she could and left with a heavy heart. 'Cresil, I'll find you. I promise. I just hope I'm not too late to save you.'

  ***

  Cresil awoke to a dull headache. Feeling another presence, he decided against testing his restraints. Looking down, he found a thick line of salt encircling him. "Salt, Tobias? You're not holding any punches this time."

  "The salt is nothing compared to the powdered silver inside of the pipes you're chained to. Go ahead and break free now."

  Cresil rattled his chains against the pipes. They sounded dense. "I'm impressed. You certainly know your stuff." Trying hard not to think of the consequences of breaking the pipes, he changed the subject. "So Tobias, tell me how you plan on getting our little half-demon here? I hope you're not banking on using me as a lure."

  "You want me to tell you my plan? That doesn't seem like a smart move on my part."

  "Look, the way I see it, we're a team whether we like it or not. You want Kesh here. She wants to meet with the leaders of the resistance, and I want her to get what she wants."

  "If she's so keen on meeting with me, why send someone else?" Tobias started tapping his foot anxiously. His posture remained rigid, and his hand never left his pistol.

  Cresil thought about his answer carefully. If Tobias found out the Elders held too much power over her, he might snap. He had to come up with a good reason Keshiema would not be here besides the Elders keeping her on campus. "Honestly, she doesn't even know I'm here. The Elders wanted me to scout ahead and make sure it's safe."

  "Does she know I'm one of the leaders?" Cresil caught a glimmer of hope in Tobias's eyes; The slight twinkle of lingering emotions towards the half-demon.

  Cresil bit his lip in contemplation, pondering the many possible reasons for that small spark. 'What do you want, Tobi? Do you want her to know it's you, to know that she wants to see you? Or do you want her to be surprised when she sees you? Is it so you can ambush her? Maybe you don't want her to know because you're ashamed of what you've become?' "I don't believe she's been informed." He prayed on his stars.

  "I'd best be going." Tobias stretched after rising from the sturdy wooden chair.

  "Yeah. You've probably got a lot of cleaning up to do after those explosions. I'm judging by the lack of lights, the watermill was damaged? At least all of your men are okay. Not so fond of people taking my stuff, but that's not a very good reason to hurt anyone. Tell you what, if you take these shackles off, I'll make you a few Impure Crystals to more than substitute the power that mill generated."

  Tobias left the cabin without another word, shaking his head as he quietly shut the door.

  Closing his eyes, Cresil meditated on his Telepath lessons. Although he never passed a single exam in the three years he took Professor Naberius's courses, he refused to give up. 'If he knows her well at all, I'm sure Dásos made sure Kesh found out I'm here. Kesh, if you're on your way, please be careful.'