Kate and Apollyon teleported into the Hell side of the library. The chance of running into someone was too high in the border world. They shifted back into their human disguises and returned through the door.

  As expected, this part of the library was busy. Azazel and Eisheth were dealing with human w enforcement.

  “Are you sure you don’t want us to do anything? Normally people don’t just let shit like this happen.”

  Azazel shook her head. “We are considering this an internal matter and are dealing with it as such. I am grateful that you want to help, but this is something we have to do on our own. Speaking of internal… this is our head librarian.” She gestured towards Kate, who was just standing nearby.

  The human woman held out her hand. “Detective chief inspector Hodgins, good to meet you.”

  Kate shook her hand. “Kate Crowley, head librarian. It’s good to have you here.”

  “I’m sorry about what happened. Still, it baffles me that you aren’t demanding an investigation or anything.”

  “We know exactly who did it. Besides, technically all crimes against us here are handled by the Royal Institute for Complex Affairs, they already gave us the go ahead to handle this on our own. I thank you for your eagerness to help, but we have this under control.”

  Hodgins sighed. “Fine, but I would sleep better if you were to provide me with a report. Just something official that says how you handled it and that everything is fine again.”

  “Of course, it might take a day or two, but I can get you something.”

  “Thank you. This royal institute… I have heard of them for the first time today, your friend here mentioned them too. Care to point me in their direction?”

  Kate nodded. “Their superintendent is still here I believe.”

  Eisheth nodded. “She is. The door over there that says ‘staff only’ leads to our cafeteria, she will be there with several others.”

  Hodgins smiled appreciatively. “Good, thank you. Miss Crowley, I would be quite happy if you could deliver that report in person.”

  Kate understood what the detective wanted. “Of course.”

  “I will see about your superintendent then. Talk to you ter before I leave.”

  With that, DCI Hodgins walked off.

  Azazel made an exhausted noise. “I take it the FBC is no more?”

  “Yes.” Kate nodded. “We still need someone to deal with their bodies though.”

  “I’ll take care of that.” Azazel teleported away.

  Eisheth shook her head in exasperation. “I don’t envy her… this is going to be such a diplomatic disaster.”

  “I can imagine. How are things going here anyway?”

  “Sekhmet called in a few others, they sealed the office and are doing some analysis on the wreckage. Besides Sarah, who will arrive ter, pretty much everyone you know is here to talk to you. With the justiciars alerted and the explosion heard across the city, this has people spooked.”

  “Alright. I’ll better see to them.”

  Eisheth nodded towards the door to her right. “I asked them to wait in there. I wanted to keep the restaurant free for official stuff, for people like Hodgins.”

  “Good thinking. Okay then.” Kate reached to open the door.

  She was instantly pulled into a tight hug by Lizzy. “You are alright!”

  “I am, yes, hello to you too.”

  “Right, hello! We were worried when Nirrti told us that you and Apollyon were heading out to… well, kill people.”

  “Yea… never thought I would do that.”

  “So, you did kill someone?”

  “Eight people. Polly took one as well. I’m sorry…”

  “Kate, hey, Az and Malice insisted that we are not human. We are hunters who used to kill humans for souls as food. I don’t like the idea of killing someone and I don’t think you do either.”

  Kate tried half-heartedly to pull away from Lizzy. “No, after today I understand how and why to do it but I don’t want to.”

  “Will you be okay?”

  “I think so.”

  “We need to make sure of that.”

  “Let’s first make sure everyone gets a chance for a hug. There is a line forming.”

  Lizzy giggled. “Of course!” She finally let go of Kate.

  It took a while to hug everyone and assure Amelia, Michael and Adelina that things would be fine again and that everyone was safe now. Evelyn was more worried about the guilt that might haunt Kate in the future, which Monica and Laura agreed with. Their cat Missy didn’t. She had defended her shed against pigeons earlier. Clearly FBC spies. No one should feel guilty dispatching anyone who did bad to your home. That was the general sentiment of the older demons in the room too. Kate might feel guilty in the short term, but this was the right thing to do.

  One thing everyone, demons and humans alike, could agree on was dinner. It was getting te and now that everyone was here and safe, there would be no better time to share a good meal with everyone.

  Detective Hodgins had left by the time Kate and her friends and family moved into the restaurant. The mood was far from the usual celebratory fun that normally permeated these gatherings, but it was comforting. There was nothing to celebrate. This was a time to hold each other close and reassure each other that things will actually be alright. That this path, despite a few hiccups, is a good one.

  After an enjoyable dinner, Amaterasu had decided to open a snack buffet for everyone. That turned out to be a great way to get everyone out of their chairs and to make people talk with others they didn’t sit close to this evening. With the rge group split up like this, Ama found herself talking to Oliver about aliens for some reason. Kate had gotten cozy in a corner of the restaurant with Mochi, Sarah and Adelina.

  “How is your vacation with Lilith treating you?”

  Sarah made an amused noise. “I have never been so sore while doing so little. I also never had this much… uhm, you know… action in bed before. I was told this was a friends thing, right? Friendship sex?”

  Kate chuckled. “It is. We admittedly hesitated to tell you. Didn’t want you to get too excited in case Lilith wasn’t as open as she turned out to be.”

  “Yea, I don’t think I would have told myself either, knowing about my little demon kink… Still, this is just too good. How can this be real?”

  “I have no idea, but I am gd it is.”

  “Lilith said something about turning me. I know you insinuated something in that direction too. I just don’t know if I should get my hopes up?”

  “If Lilith wants to turn you, no one is going to stop her. I, for one, agree that you would make a good demon.”

  Adelina jumped in as well. “It would be a shame not having you around for the long run. Dealing with the demons became normal for me and your enthusiasm is infectious. Even if Lilith wasn’t already on the path to turn you, I would certainly lobby for it.”

  Sarah looked a little thoughtful. “Wasn’t there a thing about being able to withstand immortality? Am I able to do that?”

  “There is A LOT more to it, but a good start to weed out most people already is to put someone into a safe but unknown environment alone and see what they do. Curiosity, creativity and imagination are good first checks. If you were to just sit down bored and compined, there is no way you will keep your sanity in a few billion years. But if you follow your own curiosity, or make your own fun, then there is a good chance that you might enjoy staying around for a very long time. Still, there is more to it that I don’t quite understand but I was only really told about the basics by Malice. It’s not really a checklist, but a feeling you get when looking at someone’s soul or something like that. Not entirely sure, but creativity, curiosity and imagination are big parts of it.”

  “And you think I have all of that?”

  Adelina scoffed pyfully. “You doubt yourself? After spending nearly seven years hunting down the truth about a single moment of your life? After confessing to me that you wrote hundreds of pages of demon smut as a teen?”

  “Right… You’re turning into a demon too, aren’t you?”

  Adelina nodded. “Slowly but surely, yes. A fun side effect of nipping from Kate’s neck every so often.”

  “If you had the choice, would you agree to be turned? You didn’t know when you started feeding on her, right?”

  “I didn’t know, no. I think I would hesitate but after a few years, yea, I guess I would accept.”

  “Might be for a totally different reason, but I don’t want it right now either. I want savour the anticipation a bit.”

  Kate nodded. “A good pn. What about the pn to visit the raptor kittens in Gehenna tomorrow?”

  “Wait, raptor kittens?”

  “Migrating herds of cats who will love anyone who surrenders to their demand for snuggles. Want to join us?”

  Sarah nodded eagerly. “Absolutely!”

  “Adelina?”

  “Count me in too. Not going to miss raptor kittens for anything.”

  “Good. The pn will be to meet up here with several of our favourite demons just after lunch, spend as much time with the kittens as we want, then get dinner and end the day with a nice bath in the geyser fields.”

  “Bath in the geyser fields?” Sarah raised an eyebrow.

  “Yea, there is a bathhouse there and some really nice hot springs.”

  “I don’t have a swimsuit right now.”

  “And?”

  “I mean…”

  Kate merely grinned.

  “Oh, you mean… without the swimsuit…with all of you?”

  “What else could I mean? Swimwear isn’t a thing in Hell.”

  Sarah started to blush heavily. “That…uh… yes… please?”

  “That will be loads of fun.”