Evil Librarian

by Michelle Knudsen

  “Your John Gabriel is preparing to fight for the demon throne. I . . . have just decided to do the same. When the fight begins, you will let me draw upon your resistance, which will give me the advantage I need to defeat my rivals.”

  “But how are you going to ‘draw upon’ it exactly? Will I get it back?”

  “Think of it like . . . sharing an umbrella with me in a storm. You will have a little less of it for yourself, but only while you’re holding it so that I can benefit from its protection along with you.”

  That doesn’t sound so bad.

  “How would you help me save my friend?”

  She thinks for a moment. “I will give you two powerful items to use at the time of the battle. One will sever the demon’s hold on your friend. The other will be a kind of shield to help protect you. It will deflect the demon’s power back at him, but only once.”

  Aaaand now I am not following this at all.

  “But — his power doesn’t work on me. If I’m only, uh, sharing the umbrella, why wouldn’t I still have enough —?”

  She shakes her head. “It’s . . . a small umbrella. And it will be raining very hard.”

  “Cyn,” I hear Ryan say from behind me. “This isn’t sounding like such a good idea.”

  I make shushing motions at him with my hand without turning around. Of course it’s not a good idea. None of this is a good idea. There’s just no better choice available.

  Anyway, I’m still trying to understand. “But he won’t even be here — he’ll be wherever you are, fighting, won’t he?”

  “You will need to be present, in our realm, at the time of the battle.”

  “Cyn, no!” Ryan shouts, at the same time that Aaron cries, “What? You’ll take her but not me?”

  The demoness’s face tightens in annoyance. She flicks her claws and I whip around to see Ryan and Aaron both slump over.

  “What did you just do?” I say in a carefully controlled voice.

  “They’re fine,” she says. “I just needed them to shut up and let the ladies finish their chat.”

  “Okay,” I say, although it’s totally not okay. I am suddenly aware that I am now, for all practical purposes, alone with her in Aaron’s creepy demon room. “So get on with it.”

  “At the time of the battle, I will bring you here. Your demon will be bringing your friend along with him, too. He’ll have to. You will use the items I give you to sever their connection and protect yourself from his power while I am borrowing your resistance. Then, once I destroy the others and win the battle, I will send you back to your own world.”

  “Me and Annie.”

  “Yes.”

  “Alive and unharmed.”

  “Not killed or harmed by me. I cannot make any promises for anyone else.”

  “And if you don’t win?”

  “I will win.”

  “Okay, but if you don’t?”

  “Then we both lose. And your friend, too.”

  “You’re not giving me much in the way of guarantees, here, lady.”

  She smiles coldly at me. “There are never any guarantees. For any of us. I will keep my bargain, assuming I am alive and able to do so. If I’m dead, you will likely be, too. Or will wish you were. Your friend will be lost. If I win, you will get what you are asking for. Make your choice.”

  I suddenly remember something else. “Can you stop Mr. Gabriel from killing everyone else in the school? He’s planning to do that at the end, before the fight.”

  “I can try to force his hand sooner than he’s expecting. That’s the best I can do. I can’t stop him from draining your schoolmates between now and then. I can’t stop him from killing in general. But I might be able to stop him from getting his last deep drink at the end.” She tilts her head, considering. “That’s extra, though.”

  I squint my eyes at her. “Extra?”

  “Not part of the original bargain. It raises the price.”

  “To what?”

  “You must return to the demon realm twice more, at times of my choosing, to assist me.”

  “No.”

  “That is not negotiable.”

  There is no way I’m going to agree to that. I’m sure once will be bad enough.

  “Fine. Forget it. I’ll find some other way to stop him from killing everyone. We’ll stick with the original deal.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no?”

  “The original deal is off the table. New deal or no deal. Take it or leave it.”

  “You can’t do that!”

  She smiles her disturbing pointy smile and says nothing.

  I feel very strongly that I should not agree to this new addition. But I need her help. Annie needs her help. The whole damn(ed) school needs her help.

  “Once. Once more, at a time of your choosing.”

  “Twice.”

  “What if I’m busy?”

  Silence.

  “What if I’m not able to come?”

  “You will be.”

  “What if I say yes but then I just don’t come when you try to make me come back?” I realize I should probably not be saying everything that pops into my head right now, but I’m genuinely curious about this point.

  “You will not be able to refuse. It will be part of the deal.”

  “Like, I’ll be magically compelled to obey?”

  “Something like that.”

  I shake my head. “Oh, no. You spell it out. Clearly and completely. I want to know exactly what I am agreeing to before I agree to anything. Spell out all the terms, right now.”

  She sighs, but does it anyway. “You agree to be transported to the demon realm for the coming battle for the throne and to lend me the power of your resistance to aid me in my fight for demon rule. This will be a temporary lending of power, and I will release it back to you upon my victory or my death, whichever comes first. You further agree to return twice more, at times of my choosing, to lend me your resistance again. In return for all of this, I will give you the tools you will need to free your friend from her demon master and to protect you from one direct assault of his power, provide you and your friend safe passage back from the demon realm following the battle, and do my best to prevent your demon librarian from killing everyone in the school before he departs.”

  I try to channel my favorite fictional lawyers from TV — kicking ass and taking names, etc. “You will also do your best to see that Annie and I survive to be returned to our own world. And when you do your best to prevent Mr. Gabriel from killing everyone, your top priority will be making sure that Ryan Halsey survives.” I indicate his attractive yet unconscious form behind me. I feel a little guilty as I say that part, since I know Ryan would probably not agree to being put first over everyone else that needs saving. But I don’t care. If I have to go to the goddamn demon world, not once but three times, I’m going to get whatever I can out of it. And if that means I can make sure he survives this thing, I’m going to do it.

  I hurry on with the rest. “Also, when you summon me those two more times in the future, the specific terms of the assistance I will be giving you will be negotiated at that time, my approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. And you can’t whisk me away on the day of my future wedding, while I’m giving birth or about to give birth or have just given birth to a child, while I’m operating a motor vehicle or heavy machinery, or while I’m having sex. Or if I’m in the bathroom. And you have to do it in such a way that won’t be suspicious to any normal people who happen to be around who don’t know about demons and stuff. And you have to return me safely, alive and unharmed, if you can, both times. And then after the second time you have to leave me alone forever.”

  “Agreed.”

  I’m startled by the swiftness of her reply, and quickly try to review everything that’s been said to make sure I’m not overlooking anything important. I can’t think of anything, and I don’t know what else to do other than agree. I don’t want to. I really, rea
lly don’t want to. But getting her help seems like the best chance — probably the only chance — of getting me and Ryan and Annie and as many other people as possible out of this alive.

  “Agreed.”

  I feel another tingly sensation, this one a little painful, like all those insects stabbed me just for a second with their many tiny stingers. Then it’s gone.

  The demoness makes another gesture and I hear groans behind me.

  “Worm,” she says, addressing Aaron. He snaps to as much attention as he can, half lying on the floor.

  She looks at him a moment more, then favors him with a small smile.

  “You have done well. With your friend’s assistance, I will now be in a position to move forward with my plans for the demon throne. I will therefore be in need of a human consort from which to create my future mate. You will be ready when I call you.”

  Aaron can barely speak from what appears to be overwhelming joy. “Y-yes, my mistress,” he manages in a hoarse whisper.

  She blinks and disappears.

  “Cyn?” Ryan asks softly. “What happened?”

  “I’ll explain on the way home,” I say. “Right now I just want to get out of here.” I go over to help him up. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” he says, but he lets me help him. “I’ll live.”

  Yes, you will, I think but don’t say. And I realize that while I’m prepared to tell him the other terms of the deal, I’m not going to say anything about the going back twice more, or about making his life the demoness’s top priority.

  There’s really no reason he needs to know.

  When I get home, it is all I can do to drag myself up the stairs. My parents are asleep, of course; there’s a note on my door telling me that there are (surprise!) takeout leftovers in the fridge if I haven’t eaten yet. I suppose it’s a good thing that my parents don’t seem at all concerned when I stay out all hours on a school night. Or at least a convenient thing. I crumple up the note and toss it on the floor. I can feel myself moving very slowly as I go into my room and drop my bag. I don’t think very much about anything as I get changed and wash my face and brush my teeth.

  And then I go back to my room and close the door and sink slowly down onto the edge of my bed and start to freak out.

  I’m going to hell.

  I am literally going to hell. Because where else do demons live when they’re at home? It’s either hell or something like it, right? Some other place that’s not here that is filled with demons. A place where they steal young, innocent human people and take them away forever and turn them into something they are not. And I’m going to go there. On purpose.

  In the moment, earlier, when everything was happening, I didn’t really have that much time to be scared. But now, apparently, the time for being scared has arrived. Because I am absolutely terrified.

  I don’t want to do this. Oh, God. I’m sorry, Annie, but I don’t want to do this.

  Too late, my brain reminds me.

  I snatch at that idea. Is it? Is it really too late? She didn’t say that this first visit to the demon world was set in stone, exactly. Just the second two, once she had fulfilled her part of the bargain. I mean, what if I just didn’t go? Didn’t let her borrow my resistance? Then she would just be free of her part of the deal, right? Well, and also she would be pissed, and would probably kill us all. But I could not go. Maybe.

  I should have gotten more clarity on that point.

  I make myself back away from this line of thought. It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to back out. I have to do this. For Annie, and Ryan, and everyone else, too.

  I lie back on my bed, willing myself to breathe. Deep breaths, in and out. It’s okay, I tell myself. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.

  Probably not, if you really think about it, my brain says.

  Shut up! I shout at my brain. (I really hate my brain sometimes.) It will be okay. It has to be okay.

  I get under the covers and close my eyes and try to make myself go to sleep. I’m so tired that it should be easy, but behind my eyelids I can see the burning red flames of my hazy imagined idea of the demon world. I wonder if it will hurt, going there. If it will be hot, if I will be on fire, if everything will be on fire. I didn’t ask her if it will hurt. I didn’t ask her what it will be like.

  Because it doesn’t matter. I have to go. I have to save Annie.

  I’m not sure if that’s my brain talking or some other part of me, but it makes me realize that under the fear, I am really, really mad. Why? Why does it have to be me? I just want to build the set for the show and be secretly in love with Ryan and not have to fight demons or save people or deal with any of this!

  But it doesn’t matter what I want, and I know it.

  And it does have to be me. Because there’s no one else who can give the demoness what she wants and make her help us.

  I lie there, and try to breathe, and try not to think. I lie there and will myself to fall into oblivion, to get what few hours I can of not being here and present and awake and scared.

  Eventually, I do fall asleep. I know this because at some point the nightmares begin. Nightmares involving Mr. Gabriel and Annie sucking out Ryan’s soul together while I watch and he screams and Aaron and the demoness laugh and laugh and laugh. Nightmares of formless demon shapes reaching for me from every direction, trying to rip me apart into a stringy mess of blood and bones and tatters of dull gray brain tissue. Nightmares of pain and fear and hopeless struggle and knowing that I cannot win, and that all of it will be for nothing in the end. And permeating everything, the glowing red pulsing fires of hell, waiting to consume us all.

  I gasp awake, sitting up in bed.

  I know what to do for Sweeney’s chair.

  The next day at school, they announce that we have a new principal.

  They have preempted our usual first-period classes for a special assembly and herded us all into the auditorium. I sit with Diane and Leticia, who have saved me a seat. Annie is nowhere to be seen. Ryan is toward the back with his usual crew.

  I am barely functioning. I think I got about an hour of tormented sleep before I woke up with the chair idea, and then I was at my desk until I had to leave for school, making notes and sketches and plans. I was tired then, and I am even more tired now. My five-second cold shower only revived me temporarily, and my continued efforts at remaining conscious are not going very well so far. Diane keeps poking me awake.

  Assistant Principal Jensen finally walks up to the podium and waits for us to quiet down. He thanks us all for our attention and our strength and courage in getting through what has been and continues to be such a difficult time, and he thanks Assistant Principal Levine for serving as acting principal for the past few days, and then he introduces us to Principal Morse’s replacement.

  The new guy vaults up onto the stage to say hello. His name is Kingston. He looks like an off-duty army general but without the crew cut. Tall and maybe somewhere in his late forties or early fifties and super fit looking and kind of handsome in an older-man kind of way. He grips the podium with both hands and gives a short little speech with just the right blend of sorry we have to meet under these circumstances and we are going to get through this together and this is clearly the best student body ever and hey, isn’t it exciting to be young and in high school?

  I don’t like him. But that’s probably just because of what happened to lead to him being here. Not his fault.

  But I still don’t like him.

  For no real reason I turn around to look at Ryan and he’s looking back at me across the auditorium. He doesn’t like the new guy, either, I can tell.

  We go through the motions of the day. Everything feels even less real than usual to me, thanks to my lack of sleep. I show up in classrooms and force my eyes to stay open and my head to stay upright. English, AP Physics, lunch, math, health, history. I can barely remember which class I’m in when. I write things down; I pretend to pay attention; I think about Annie and Ryan and Aa
ron and his demoness ladyfriend and above all Mr. Gabriel and what he will do if he finds out we are trying again to stop him. I try to seem cowed and beaten and exhausted, none of which is super hard right now. In the back of my mind, I gently cradle my plans for the Sweeney chair that I am going to start working on at rehearsal today. I exchange texts with Ryan between classes to confirm that we are both still alive.

  When the bell finally rings at the end of history, I am relieved beyond all sense. I can sleep in study hall and then I can go to rehearsal and see Ryan and think about the play and the chair and not about demons or best friends who have gone crazy or anything else besides murderous barbers and pie shop proprietors and dead people being cooked into meat pies. Fun things. Just for a little while.

  I turn the corner, heading toward study hall. Leticia and Diane had better let me sleep, or I will have to hurt them. I am thinking of possible ways I will need to reason with them when I suddenly realize that someone is standing in front of me.

  I stop walking just in time to avoid a collision. Looking up, I see that the someone is our new principal.

  “Well, hello!” he says in just the kind of booming voice you would imagine.

  I try to muster up some kind of energy for a reply, but before I can even try to say hello back, he grabs my hand to give me an enthusiastic handshake.

  The electric-shock feeling hits me as soon as his fingers close around mine.

  Suddenly, I am very awake.

  “Oh, crap,” I say, staring up at him. His eyes, just for a second, flash with twiny black flames.

  Principal Kingston raises his eyebrows at me. He does not release my hand.

  “Well,” he says. “That explains a few things.”

  He starts to say something else, then stiffens, glancing behind me. I feel a crawly tingly awfulness at the base of my spine, and sure as anything I know that what Principal Kingston is looking at is Mr. Gabriel.

  There is a moment of silence.

  I try to pull my hand free from Principal Kingston’s grasp, but he won’t let go. I twist around to look over my shoulder at Mr. Gabriel.

  He smiles.

  “I see you’ve met my friend Cynthia,” he says. “She’s a pain in the ass. Super-roach, you know.” Except he doesn’t say super-roach, he says that incomprehensible nonword with the pointy jagged syllables that hurt my ears, but I know what he means.