Chapter 1
Looking up from my book, I take in the coffee shop that I’m sat in. the place is still exactly the same as it had been a moment ago. Dark wooden benches with matching dark wooden chairs with dark red pillows on all of them. The chatter is still the same of everyday humans going about there lunchtime business. Reaching for my mug I take a huge sip of my mint hot chocolate. My eyes scan the humans about. I pull open one of the pepper sachets on my table and throw it over my shoulder. Superstitions have kept me alive this long. Cant change a habit of a lifetime, from little things to always having mints on me, to having a ring of salt around my house, to washing my floors with vinegar. Superstitions have kept me safe all my life after I was brought up to realize that its not just the Fae that came through when the veils between realms faded 100 years ago. But this café should be safe. Should be doesn’t keep you alive though. Should be didn’t keep my sisters alive. I quickly look at the post it I wrote this morning and stuck on the front page of my book.
Name – Jessica Monurettie
Species- Human?
Meeting – 1.45pm Costa tues the 4th
I look at it memorizing it, even though I had it memorized since I arranged it two hours ago. Once it was over I would burn the post it so no evidence that I attended. But Jessica had reached out to me. She claims her husband has been processed by a demon. I doubt it, the last 10 cases I have worked on have either been affairs drugs and one that liked to dress up in dresses and wear makeup himself. That one stuck with me, I asked him for help with my makeup bag and still chat to him on a regular. If I could claim anyone as a friend I would like to be able to claim him. I look at my watch. 1.30pm. I still have 15 minutes to wait, but I had walked into the café 25 minutes after hanging up the phone at 10am this morning so I could scope it out, make sure it wasn’t a trap for me. I’m not exactly sweet and innocent. A lot would like to get a hold of me. Its why I don’t stay in the same place long. I should be moving on town soon, but here seems to be a hub of demon activity. So why do I stay here? that’s something I constantly ask myself. I think deep down I think its my duty to protect the everyday humans. Because I can tell if someone’s possessed. because I can see the demons walking around in stolen skins. Because I know how to help, its my duty to. That’s what my farther raised me to believe at least. I open up my purse and look in it for a little mirror, finding it right at the bottom which is so typical I pull it out. Pulling out my makeup bag at the same time. People around can think what they want about me. I don’t care. I deal with to much shit to care what anyone thinks of me. But I make sure im always unforgettable. As average as I can be in the clothes I wear. The way I move. I make sure people don’t have a reason to look at me more than once, which is harder than you would expect when you have Heterochromia. Looking in my little mirror at myself I check to make sure my lipstick hasn’t got on my teeth. My reactive glasses cover my eyes as best as they can when its not exactly light in here so they have no reasons to be sunglasses. I have debated colored contacts a few times, but if one fell out and gave anyone a chance to use my DNA I would be screwed its bad enough with my hair. Although that thankfully is a forgettable brown. Once I have checked to make sure I’m presentable I put the mirror open on the table for its real purpose and the real reason I got it out my bag. I put it where I can look at the reflection of the person who sits opposite me. This isn’t my first shady meeting. It won’t be my last, it kind of comes with my job description. A job that really ought to pay a bit better. I look around the café again. It’s a good thing its not busy and they haven’t made a fuss about me taking up a table for so many hours. To be honest if I had better prepared I could have brought my laptop and then I could of got more done in my wait time. It don’t matter. I will start from fresh the moment I decide if I’m taking the case or not. My money situation needs me to take it, my ability to deal with bullshit the rest of this month says don’t take it. I look up the time again. 5 minutes to go. Why arrange a set time and then not turn up early. That’s just rude. She better not be one of these people that thinks times a suggestion and as long as your close to it your fine. We said 1.45 so I would expect her here and ordering her drink for the meeting by 1.40 at the latest. Not turning up at 1.45 and then getting a drink. Or even worse if she comes to a café and doesn’t order a drink at all! That’s just rudeness. You cant take up a table and not give the business any money. Its why I charge $100 in cash before I will even listen to her, even if she talks at me I’m good at blocking out anything absorbing. My father assured that was a skill me and my sisters learnt young. Looking at the door I hope I haven’t wasted my day. I got my day job the one that actually will pay my food later today. Even if its barely, its still better than being homeless and starving. I watch a lady who is way to put together to come in here. Alright I’m stereotyping but she looks like she has a private chef and not a need to come in here. I bet she’s for me. Most demons like to go for people who have a slight bit of power. What’s the point on hijacking the everyday tom dick or harry. She lifts up her designer sunglasses that I possibly should ask as collateral because I’d look cool in them. No, they would make me stand out. Bad thought bad. She scans the whole café as if looking for that demon hunter that she possibly believes me to be. Her eyes settle on me. Well more importantly the white sweatshirt I said I would be wearing. She walks over to me as if a woman on a mission. Her eyes settle a moment to long on my neck. Well more importantly the cross at my neck, with the crossed spears and the eye of Horus. She looks up a moment later and our eyes meet. Her gasp of shock registers above the sound of the busyish café.
“Ada Sillis?” she asks me. Yes but no. Not my real name, but a safe name. an extremely safe name as even backwards it is the same name. That way the name can’t be used against me in any way.
“Jessica.” I say as greeting back. Not one for pleasantries. Especially with someone who I don’t know how she found out about me. I indicate the chair.
“Please sit.” I say calmly. She looks at the chair like she wants to clean it before she dares dirties her outfit by sitting on it. But the reason she's here obviously takes more of her attention as she takes the seat.
“Miss Sillis.” She starts. Hey do I have a sign above my head saying I'm single? Or has she judged that on my job? Or is it my age?
“Please for the sake of today call me Ada. Have you got the money?” I ask her, looking her up and down. I have no doubt she hasn’t got it. She pulls it straight out her purse and puts it on the table in front of me. I don’t touch it. I just look at her reflection in the mirror. Human by all appearances.
“My husband.” She starts. I put my hand up to silence her.
“Who gave you my contact details?” I ask her.
“I, I went to the priest at my local church.” She starts. Still doesn’t explain how she got in contact with me out of anyone.
“the priests name?” I ask. Not dealing with many. I have no respect for them. I possibly should have but its so hard to.
“Farther Richards.” She says. The name is vague enough that it could be false, it could also be one.
“And he said I could help?” I ask her, most refuse to even acknowledge demon possession.
“He. He died.” She admits. I sit forward in my chair, interested.
“My husband he.” She starts.
“if he killed him why are the police not involved?” I interrupt. Looking at my nails, trying not to appear as interested as I am.
“the hospital said it was a heart attack. But he, he looked at my husband and then fell down dying. My husband he just stepped over him and walked out the house, like it wasn't happening and that he didn't care.” She says.
“then how did you find out about me if the priest died?” I ask, fanning boredom.
“it was the priests last words. Find the twin daggers.” She tells me. I think about it, interested.
“that was his exact words?” I ask, no one would call our order that.
“no.” she says, she looks like she wants to scream, she's bitten of her nail vanish. She is frightened or nervous. She isn’t as put together as she wants to be or made me believe when she came.
“he said Dyad Saltatoria Athame.” She says. Okay I really am listening and that is the correct name of the order.
“that is a lot for a person to say as he was dying.” I say calmly.
“it still doesn’t explain how you found me.” I say.
“I searched it up online.” She says.
“I found a blog where it talks about an ancient group of warriors whos soul purpose is to protect this world from demons.” She says.
“a load of bull.” I say, knowing the blog in question as having seen it myself.
“They mention you.” She says.
“Me in person?” I ask, maybe I should have paid more attention to them.
“a girl, a girl who can save my husband.” She says. Um most likely not, I'm more likely going to end up killing her husband if he is really possessed. I take a sip of my hot chocolate faking boredom.
“Ada I haven’t come here to debate the existence of demons or of an ancient group set up to protect people. I came to you because I need you to save my husband. He's a good man, a senator.” She says. I choke on my hot chocolate when she said the last bit.
“someone in politics is never a good man.” I say. I sigh.
“What makes you so sure he is processed?” I ask her.
“it started little over two years ago.” She starts.
“two years is to long, the human being possessed would just be a husk by the end of the first year.” I say seriously. Not wanting my mind to go there, but an image of my sister Miriam when I finally found her four years later flashes across my mind. Her skin had been peeling off the demons body, rotted from the inside out. The only reason the demon had hung on so long I think was to torment myself and my farther.
“He started to change, start doing things out of character.” She starts.
“Then when our son was born.” She starts tears in her eyes. For fuck sake I can’t deal with waterworks. Just give me the facts dudette.
“he started to disappear for long periods of times, come home smelling strange.” She says.
“most likely an affair why has your mind gone to demon?” I ask. Aware of the people on the table next to me giving us funny looks.
“Yes that’s what I thought at first too.” She admits.
“then.” She says.
“can you just spit it out, I have not got time to waste.” I say seriously.
“I was sat playing with our son, he has this playmatt mirror thing.” She says. Okay now she really has my attention again.
“His reflection made no sense.” She says seriously.
“How did he look?” I ask her.
“his skin was all black was almost like a blacky green scales over it. His eyes were black as if.” She starts, I see the fear in her eyes.
“I looked at him, it was my husband, but the reflection showed different.” She says seriously. I nod understanding.
“$500 to take the case.” I say.
“I thought it was $100 to take the case?” she asks me, looking at me seriously.
“that’s to hear you out. The $500 is to take it. Then an additional $500 after its completed.” I say calmly.
“Do you take bank transfer?” she asks me.
“nope cash only.” I say.
“I can go get it right now, will you start straight away. He's a good man.” She says.
“or at least he was.” She says her waterworks back.
“Why are you still with him?” I ask. She looks me over, taking in my shoes that yeah are on there last legs.
“You would never understand.” She says.
“I understand money.” I sigh.
“I need the basics about your husband. Name, date of birth. Where he was born. Weather he wears socks whilst having sex.” I start.
“why the hell do you need to know that?” she asks me. I raise my eyebrows.
“it may be important in the future.” I say, remembering with a little shudder having to sneak in and steal a demons toenails in the past.
“when do you need the information by?” she asks me.
“the moment I start, if it truly has been two years. The chances are if he really is possessed that he will not live once the demon vacates his body.” I say. She swallows.
“I think that may be better. I don’t think he could live with some of the things he's done.” She admits.
“I also need to know if you were pregnant with your son prior to you believing he was possessed?” I ask her. Never having dealt with a case like that and not wanting to if the child was half demon.
“yes, I was about 3 months before he started acting funny.” She admits. I nod preying it to be the case.
“I also need your word that if I say to leave or get out. You will take your son and go.” I say.
“yes. I just want to keep Benji safe.” She says Benji really. But then I couldn’t comment my real name wasn’t the best either. Alila. The perfect palindrome name. my parents unfortunately didn’t discover the tid bit about names until Mom was pregnant with my elder sister Hannah by which point it was to late to rename Eliora and Mariam. The seven of us had once been so close. But Mariam’s and Elorias possession had changed that. When a demon decided to make my father pay by taking all his kids from him. He almost succeeded. Well the two of them did. One took possession of Mariam and the other Eliora. I look at the woman trying not to get side-tracked by the life that I could have lived if my father hadn’t been who he was. My father wasn’t gifted in the sight. Neither had my mother been. Neither any of us at that age been. Mariam had been 20 almost 21, she had been fighting against dads rules as he was trying to marry her off even before she got possessed. Eliora had been 18 almost 19 and was the same. Fighting against dads rules, she had wanted to explore the real world. Wanting more than our secluded life being told that the only future we had as girls was to birth warriors for the Dyad Saltatoria Athame. Because it wasn’t a girls place to do the fighting. A mere girl could never win against a demon. Which was why my father had been cursed by a dark magic practicers as he killed her to only ever be able to have girls. Hannah had been 16 and I 14 when it all went down. Only my dad, Arora and I survived. I feel guilty for leaving my sister in my dads guardianship, especially as he was never the same, even though he wasn’t exactly a normal dad prior. But the moment I hit 16 and he informed me that a few members of the Dyad would be visiting to see whom would take my hand in marriage. I left. I Did tell Arora she could come with me. But I think it would have been kidnap to take an 8 year old with me, especially as I had no clue where I was going to go. Or the money to do anything when I got there. Arora is the only person I have contact with. Moment she even gives me a hint that she wants out. I will get her out. I’m trying to make myself steady enough to do just that. She’s 12 now so by the laws of normal everyday people she can leave dads at 18. So 6 more years. Its why I save every penny and only buy things when I need to. I want to be on my feet enough to be able to help her to have a normal life if its what she wants. Dad once accused me of turning my back on my duty, but then I took back Mariam’s remains to bury with respect at home in our family mausoleum. He changed his tune. He Still thinks it’s a mans duty and my duty should be to open my legs and breed, but he can’t deny that I am gifted and he can’t deny that I’m actually helping keep the demon population down. More than he is at least in his little farmhouse hidden away from the rest of civilization. The closest family living 5 miles away. Me and Hannah used to race it to keep ourselves busy. 10 miles there and back home. who ever arrived home last had to milk the cow. If I could go back and just race her again. I would let her win. I would let all my sisters win just to have them back.
“Do I need to get the money now?” Jessica asks me. Oh yeah was in a conversation. Faning bordom isn’t an excuse to drift off.
“Yes. I will wait here.” I start, I look at my watch.
“20 miniutes. Any longer and I shall leave.” I say.
“Please wait.” She says. She gets to her feet.
“Please Ada, I need your help.” She says. She then leaves the way she came. I look at my hot chocolate and let out a sigh. I hope this isn’t a demon, this is just an easy hes having an affair case. But everything she said hit the right notes. Even down to seeing the demons real form in a mirror.
