by Sara Snow
The entry in his notebook was recent. The page was neat, the ink clean, and it hadn’t yet been scribbled over with my dad’s various marginal notes that his other notebooks seemed to be full of, no doubt added after he’d spent some time thinking about them. Everything on these few pages must have been written within a week or so of his death, judging by the dates. The page was filled with a detailed explanation of the banishing process, explaining that the power was made more powerful by love. Not just any love, though. A powerful, deep love that the user would do anything for, even at risk to themself.
There was a note next to this entry that explained that my dad had felt this deep sort of love when he met my human mother, which then later increased when I was born. There was nothing that I could imagine that would be able to match that sort of love in my own life and I couldn’t help but be discouraged. If I had it my way, I’d be able to share that love with Georgia, but instead I was left on my own with a lonely heart that would have to wait to be joined by someone else.
I had to wonder, though, if the love had to be requited. I was pretty sure by that point that I’d do anything for Georgia whether she returned my feelings or not. An idea began to form at the thought—maybe she could still return my feelings. I had to assume based on everything my dad had written in the notebook that the more love was shared, the stronger the banishing would be, and if Georgia loved me back, I knew I could get even stronger.
But how?
She was so preoccupied at the moment with Carter and with this new mission of finding the other pieces of the dagger that I didn’t think she’d even have time to consider me in that way if I didn’t do something dramatic.
That was when it occurred to me.
Georgia had already done so much. She was probably tired and completely over this whole thing. The prospect of going back into Paimon’s palace was probably daunting, and I was positive that she would love to never go back there. If I could just make my way back in and bring back the other pieces, she would definitely be reconsidering her lack of interest. She’d be impressed by my willingness to put myself in danger so she didn’t have to suffer anymore and it would finally show her just how much I care. In the process, I’d be making a huge sacrifice for the woman I have feelings for and would be sure to increase my banishing powers. That had to be it, and if things worked out and Georgia fell for me, I’d only get stronger. I’d become even more capable of protecting her in the future.
The plan wasn’t perfect. Sure, I knew how to get there and get in, since Olympia had figured out the palace magic’s weakness. I didn’t know as much as I wanted to about the blade, but that was ok. I was smart and capable, and I knew that if I got to look around the castle, I’d be able to figure it out. If I had to banish some demons and use my power of veracity along the way, it wouldn’t matter.
There would be a lot more winging-it involved this time, but I was half angel. I had an advantage over the demon realm, and if anything, it would give me a bit more banishing practice to increase my powers.
I was a bit startled when I heard the door open to the library, spotting Olympia’s blonde head poke in, apparently just as surprised to see me as I was to see her.
“Oh! Sorry, Jacob, I didn’t expect anyone to be here so late,” she said, stepping in and closing the door behind her. “I just wanted to look for some things, will I be too distracting?”
“No, don’t worry,” I said, jumping up from my seat. “I was actually just leaving. It’s finally bedtime.”
I tried to control my energy, but I was feeling nervous and excited and all sorts of things at the same time and it was making it tough to seem ready for bed. I did a long lawn, hoping that would sell her. She didn’t seem to be paying me too much attention, so I took the opportunity to quickly gather my dad’s notebooks. With only a weak “goodnight,” I headed off to pack a bag in my room, mulling over my plan. Olympia’s invisibility spell hadn’t worked so well last time when we tried going under the radar, and since I couldn’t turn into smoke, getting in was going to be the weak spot in my plan.
That was when I remembered the potion Olympia had mentioned earlier. She said that it was boiling, but wouldn’t be finished cooking until the middle of the night. Well, it was nearing 4:30 now and I could only assume that it would be finished, or at least close enough for it to get me into the palace.
Knowing that she’d be in the library for a while, I took my chance, sneaking through the warehouse as quietly as I could, heading to her crafting room, which I’d once or twice heard her affectionately call her “estrogen shelter.” I’d passed it many times but had never actually seen inside it before, surprised by the amount of clutter that was sheltered there. It was decked out with all sorts of hippy-looking herb jars and wooden drawers full of dry supplies with glass bottles of various liquids and things that I didn’t dare investigate too closely littering any available surface.
There was a hot plate, probably the most modern thing in the room, on the only semi-clear surface with a clear cooking beaker sitting on it. I was a bit surprised to see a lack of cauldrons, though I was sure if I asked her she’d have a few dozen stored somewhere beneath the rest of this junk. I took a peek at a beaker full of an excessive volume of clear liquid, the glass fogged with condensation, though the coils on the hot plate weren’t glowing their usual red. I assumed it’d recently finished cooking, taking that as a good sign.
I grabbed one of the small bottles she’d been storing her more travel-oriented potions in and poured a bit of the clear liquid into it, guessing that if I filled it to the top it would be enough to safely get me through the castle. I corked the bottle and reset everything just as it was. I concealed the potion in my hand to the best of my ability, casually stepping out into the hallway and making my way back through the warehouse and up to my room.
I grabbed my backpack, dropping the potion in with a few stakes I’d had laying around and a bottle of water as well as a few other things I thought may come in handy. I saw a notebook on my desk and considered for a moment writing a note, but I was more inclined to let my return with the Telum be a surprise. I thought it might make for a better gift for Georgia that way. Besides, I didn’t want them to worry about me being in the castle alone. Better to let them think I’d just gone off somewhere and would be back soon.
I headed out from my room, and as I walked through the lounge toward the front door, I noticed the scroll and the dagger still laying on the table where they’d been left from earlier. I wasn’t exactly sure how, since I didn’t know yet how the dagger would work, but I wondered if maybe it would help me find the other pieces somehow. I’d seen magical items glow when their companion pieces were nearby in movies and it seemed silly not to at least bring the dagger with me just in case.
I hurried to the front door, excited by the prospect of coming back to the group with some actual results to show. Maybe then Carter would finally leave me alone and respect me as the group leader.
I headed out to my car feeling optimistic. Maybe things were finally going to go my way after all.
22
Georgia
I woke up early in the morning feeling off. I had had dreams of Paimon’s palace, seeing flames roaring through the banquet hall, the sound of Paimon’s pained cry echoing over the inferno. It was all still so vivid in my brain. It confused me though—we indisputably won that battle, so why was I feeling so anxious?
I woke up feeling so cold without Carter next to me. But when I decided that I didn’t want to risk anyone seeing either of us leaving the other’s room and throwing it in our faces, Carter and I slept separately for the night. I wanted to stay in bed and catch up on some more sleep, but after the palace escape yesterday, I couldn’t relax enough for that. I decided to go make some coffee and maybe catch up on some reading while I waited for everyone else to wake up.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I could already hear some activity in the kitchen. If it were any other day, I would have been sur
prised, but I could tell that everyone was feeling a bit on edge.
“Good morning, Eli,” I said, stepping into the kitchen as he was fiddling with the coffee maker.
“Morning,” he said. “You’re up early.”
“I could say the same about you,” I told him, leaning against the counter while I watched him get his pot started.
“Lots to think about,” he noted, leaning next to me as the machine hummed to life, spitting a slow trickle of coffee into the empty pot. “Been brainstorming about this dagger all night. I tried to sleep, but I just can’t stop trying to figure out how we’re going to get back into that castle after everything that happened.”
“Yeah, same here. Sorry about that. That was kind of my bad,” I said.
“Don’t be, it’s not your fault. It went down like it did because it was the best option we had,” Eli assured me. A bit of a sarcastic grin crossed his face. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re at a bit of a disadvantage here going up against an entire demon army.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I did sort of notice.”
“We kind of have to take whatever shots we can get. I just keep thinking about the dagger, though. I didn’t get a good look at it before, but maybe there’s something else it can tell us.” Eli pushed himself up from the counter and headed out toward the lounge, calling back to me as he continued to walk. “I’m just thinking that maybe if we can get a better look at it, maybe there’s some writing or some—hey Georgia, where did you put the dagger?”
A bit confused, I followed Eli out to the lounge. “I left it in here, right on the table where it was last night. I didn’t move it.”
When I got to the table in question, the book was still sitting exactly where I’d remembered it, but the blade was conspicuously missing.
“Maybe Olympia grabbed it to work some weird witch magic on it? Or maybe Jacob took it to the library to get a better look?” I suggested.
“Yeah, probably. Well, I’ll get it from one of them after breakfast,” he said, returning to the kitchen. “You want some coffee?”
“Sure,” I answered, following him.
For the time being, I decided to sit down with Eli and enjoy a cup of coffee while we waited for everyone else to join us for breakfast. Carter was the first up, beating the sunrise by half an hour. Jose was second, seeming to still be brimming with energy. When Olympia finally came to join the rest of us, it was already half past ten.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” I teased.
“Morning,” she replied with a yawn. “That’s not an insult, it’s just a fact.”
“Hey, did you by chance grab the dagger from the lounge? Eli and I were looking for it this morning,” I asked her as she poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot.
“No, I was going to take a look today, but I was so beat last night I didn’t even feel like it,” she said, taking a sip.
“Hmm. Neither of you guys took it, did you?” Eli gestured to Carter and Jose, both of whom shook their heads. “Must’ve been Jacob. I wonder what he’s up to with it. Hopefully that’s a sign that he’s got some idea for it. Or at least, maybe he’s thinking of one.”
“Hopefully he’ll think of something,” I said.
Eli and Jose cooked pancakes and eggs for everyone, even making a batch with chocolate chips for Jose after he mentioned liking them earlier on in the morning as another congratulations on his first real demon battle. Olympia jumped in to chop some fruit, and it began to turn into a mini feast. The smell of food started to fill the warehouse, and I took the time to wake Jacob so he could enjoy it hot and fresh with the rest of us.
As I walked down the hall toward his room, it was silent, save for the residual chatter and kitchen noise I could hear from downstairs. I guessed by that that he was still asleep, which was pretty unusual for him—he was usually up early to get in some time in the training room and beat us all there by a longshot, but he must have still been asleep if his room was still quiet. I knocked on the door, waiting a few moments but got no response.
“Jacob?” I called gently, so as not to startle him.
There was still nothing. I knocked again, but when I was met with even more silence, I decided to get a bit bold.
“Cover up, Jacob, I’m coming in,” I shouted a bit more loudly as I slowly opened his door, giving him a bit of buffer room if he needed time to get decent.
I pushed the door open the rest of the way and was surprised to see his room completely empty. It was weird, I didn’t think I’d heard him come downstairs, and the kitchen was reasonably within earshot of the stairs. Maybe he was feeling moody and decided to avoid socializing earlier by heading straight for the training room. I decided to head down there, noting that on my path I did, in fact, have to walk close enough to the kitchen that it would’ve been hard to miss him if he passed by.
I found the training room empty as well, and by that point, I was a bit stumped. I thought that maybe he’d gone to Kingston’s library, maybe to see what he could find on that dagger. That seemed like something he’d do. When I got to the library, though, I saw a few books laying around on a table, but no Jacob in sight. That stumped me. I tried to think of anywhere else he’d be in the warehouse, but everywhere I checked was a dead end.
Returning to the kitchen, everyone had already sat down and dished out food. Carter had been nice enough to make a plate for me, waving me over to the seat next to him, but I lingered in the doorway, unwilling to let Jacob miss breakfast after he worked so hard yesterday.
“Hey, has anyone seen Jacob? I can’t find him, and I don’t want him to miss breakfast,” I said.
Everyone murmured a varying “no,” shaking their heads.
“He’s a big boy, Georgia, he’ll come when he’s hungry.” Carter patted the chair next to him invitingly. “You should get your food while it’s hot, he can heat some up later.”
Carter was probably right, but it seemed wrong to have such a nice breakfast without someone who was so integral to the success of their mission. I hesitated, my conscience reluctant to let me enjoy the meal until everyone was there.
“I’m going to go check outside and see if he maybe went out to relax out there. You guys feel free to start eating without me,” I told them, turning to go, though not before I caught Carter rolling his eyes.
The air outside was brisk. I hugged my arms to my chest, hoping to keep at least some part of me warm. It didn’t seem like a very pleasant day for a walk, and as I walked past the cars to head off to the nearby street, I noticed that one of the cars was missing—Jacob’s.
So he’s not here, but where the hell is he?
I headed back inside, sure then that he wasn’t at the warehouse, but where would he have gone? There were no errands to be run, and just following a major battle like yesterday, I was sure even Jacob knew that leaving the warehouse on his own seemed like a bad idea. Regardless of the reason, I pulled out my phone to send him a quick text as I made my way back to the kitchen.
“Breakfast is ready. Where’d you go?”
I rejoined the others, finally sitting down at the seat next to Carter. He watched me with a cocked eyebrow.
“Where’s Jacob?” he asked.
“I don’t know. His car isn’t here,” I said with a shrug.
“He left?” Eli asked, surprised. “Are we sure he didn’t take the blade with him?”
I had forgotten about the dagger for the moment, so preoccupied by finding him. “I’m not sure. I don’t know why he would’ve, though. It wouldn’t be much good to him anywhere but here for right now.”
Carter seemed to freeze beside me, and he wasn’t the only one who seemed a bit worried. Even Olympia’s eyebrows were drawn together like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
“Now that you mention it, he was acting a bit weird when I ran into him last night. Or, this morning, I guess,” Olympia said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean he just seemed… off? I don’t k
now. I chalked it up to post-fight weirdness, but he seemed a little jumpy. Like he couldn’t get out of there fast enough when I showed up in the library.”
“I mean, we did have a major fight against a bunch of demons yesterday, it stands to reason that he’d be a little on edge,” I tried to rationalize, pulling out my phone to find he hadn’t texted me back yet.
“Try calling him, Georgia. It’ll probably be faster to get ahold of him that way,” Olympia suggested, noticing my disappointment.
I nodded, grabbing my phone again and dialing his number. I waited through at most half a ring before I got the standard “Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system” message. That was even weirder. I started to worry.
“It seems strange that he’d just leave after yesterday, right?” I asked, surveying the group’s reaction. They seemed a bit grave. “You guys don’t think that Paimon could have done something to him, do you?”
“Why go for Jacob, though?” Carter asked. “He’s the newest here, so you’re not as close with him as you are with everyone else and besides, now that they know I’m alive, they’ll probably be pissed as hell that their little plot to kill me didn’t work out and I’m still running around. Besides, if Paimon came for him, why is his car gone? Demons aren’t just going to make him get in the car and drive back to his palace, they’re just going to fly him or poof him or whatever to wherever they’re going. Wherever he went, he went on his own.”
It was a good point. It wouldn’t make sense for Paimon to target Jacob in all of this, especially if the goal was retaliation. If Carter had disappeared, I absolutely would have believed that Paimon was behind it. He was the obvious choice to get back at both Carter for escaping his death and me for destroying his banquet hall and torching half of his army.
“So what do you think happened, then?” I asked him.