Of Light And Shadows

Chapter Forty Three...

"What about Hannah?" Jia asked as they walked. The group stuck to shadows and alleys, avoiding the patrols as best they could with the curfew in effect. The sun had sunk below the horizon and the city had closed its doors.

"I can't handle seeing her tonight. I don't know if I'll ever be able to see my parents again without needing a mask to stop me from tearing out their throats." Beneath his hood, Evan cast his silver eyes downwards. "I know I won't be seeing them again for a while, possibly forever. I can't take having the same conversation with Hannah, not yet."

"What if they tell her themselves?"

"At least when I do go to see her she'll know what to expect." Jia swallowed, struck by the utter heartbreak in his tone.

"I'm so sorry, Ev. I wish there was something I could do to make this easier for you."

"You're already doing everything you can. Don't worry about me, Jia. I'll be okay in time. Right now I'm itching for a fight and really hoping this Demon gives us trouble." He looked ahead to where Lucifer and his brothers talked. "Looks like we're getting close."

Sure enough, Lucifer stopped and looked across the street. Jia followed his gaze to find the address they were after sitting right in front of them. It was a quaint suburban street, the kind where a developer created a floor plan and regurgitated it until they had an entire estate of identical houses. The house they were after looked like every other house on the road. Only the number on the door told them they were in the right place.

"It doesn't look like a Demon lives here," Evander commented.

"Did my father look like a Demon to you?" Jia asked.

"Fair point." They drew level with the others, staying concealed behind a low wall while a police patrol car drove down a neighbouring street. When the sound of its tires on the tarmac faded they ran across the road, not stopping until they were hidden between a fence and a parked car.

"What's the plan?" Jia asked.

"We go in and talk to him, you work your magic and hopefully we leave without a fuss. If not, we kill him," Mammon shrugged.

"He's awake," Evander murmured, listening intently to the sounds inside the house. "He's alone in one of the rooms at the back now."

"Good. Let's go," Lucifer said. Jia's stomach flipped nervously as they snuck round the car and down the side of the house, staying low as they made their way towards the french doors that opened out onto Killian's garden.

She'd had plenty of training with Lucifer while he was bed ridden. He'd taught her how to better access and control the powers she'd originally believed made her Lotura. Understanding herself had opened doors to abilities she never knew she had, but she still doubted herself.

The lock on the french doors clicked quietly as Mammon placed his palm over it and whispered an incantation under his breath. It swung open silently and they crept into the house, listening for any sounds of alarm at their entry.

They were in a dark room that looked like some sort of brick conservatory. It was neatly laid out with matching furniture, hardwood floors and expensive blinds. She followed Lucifer through it and into the kitchen beyond, listening out for any sign of the Demon.

Evander signalled that he'd moved back towards the sitting room and Jia nodded, taking point as they moved further into the house. They'd settled on her trying to influence him before they confronted him in the hope that it could be done quietly. If she failed then they'd try talking face to face, and then the last resort was to kill him.

Jia stopped in the hallway and held out a hand, thankful that the TV was blaring in the living room to mask any sounds they made. She took a deep, steadying breath and closed her eyes, imagining her consciousness expanding outwards like a creeping mist. As it reached her companions they lit up like beacons in her mind, illuminating one by one in brilliant hues of silver, red, green, and yellow.