Twenty-Two

“How the fuck have you talked me into this?” Lily growled as we approached Stewart’s apartment. Dawn still hadn’t broken and moonlight illuminated the sky. My phone buzzed in my pocket with Miriam’s too-frequent check-ins, but we were too close to risk being seen for checking a text message.

“Do you smell him?” I whispered, my voice quieter with the suffocation of the night.

Lily’s sniffs sounded through the air and when she didn’t answer, I knew she didn’t. We were quiet for the rest of the walk until we reached his building. Her unable to smell Stewart at this time of night was markedly more suspicious than him being home. Where was he?

“Something’s wrong,” Lily complained in front of the building’s outer doors.

I hesitated, watching her as well as I could in the darkness. “What?”

“I can’t smell anyone.”

My heart pounded as I searched the night for reason and found none. I hesitated but eventually gave the entry doors a push. If I didn’t start moving, I would talk myself into going home. We couldn’t keep avoiding this.

Lily bounded the stairs in front of me, her agility peaked with her anxiety. She was quiet, head held high, eyes and ears and nose constantly assessing our surroundings. I could have no better companion for this. I reluctantly followed, trying to come up with what I even wanted to find. Part of me really hoped we would have answers tonight; another part had no clue what the questions even were.

Lily’s frustrations grew the higher we ascended, until eventually she was snarling outside his door, music loud enough to be heard through the walls. “I still can’t fucking smell him,” she spat in a whisper. “But clearly he’s fucking home.”

“Do you smell Jinn?” I thought to ask, but Lily shook her head.

“I don’t smell anyone.”

I went to knock on the door but stopped myself short. What did I want out of this? Instead, I eyed Lily and, understanding my silent question, she nodded her permission. Immediately, I went to work on his doorknob as silently as I could until his door popped open effortlessly. He hadn’t used the chain; few did.

The music was blaring and my heart began to race, uncertain what it was attempting to mask. The apartment was too bright for this hour. The entire thing was lit though I saw few sources of light that justified the brightness.

I found my pace quick, almost careless, as I followed the source of the music. It didn’t occur to me until I saw the door to be cracked that I was an unwelcome intruder in someone’s home, and that someone inside probably wouldn’t be too excited to see me. I stalled next to the cracked door until a scream pierced the air and forced me from my spot.

When I pushed the door open, braced but defenseless, I felt my stomach drop. I had to shield my eyes at the blinding light that emitted from the room. Rather than the assault I was expecting, instead it was a bedroom, with that same, mysterious shapeshifter in the throes of passion atop who I assumed was Stewart, though he was far too tall to be an imp. They didn’t miss a beat at my entry and I knew, for now, our presence was still unknown to them. I quickly retracted down the hall, Lily’s wrist in my grip as I dragged her along.

Her objections were firm but silent as she tried to struggle against me but I didn’t stop for a breath until we were outside his closed apartment door. It was then that Lily pulled herself from me and shoved me against the stairwell railing in her frustration. “What was that?” she demanded hushedly. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Something’s wrong,” I emphasized, desperate for Lily to feel what I felt, though I didn’t have the words to describe it. “I’ve never seen that much Glow in one place. Jinn isn’t a succubus; lower demons can’t process Glow. There’s no reason for her to look like that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “But Stewart isn’t a fucking imp, that’s for sure. I’ve never seen an incubus with that much Glow either. We can’t process it. Even when I took that score from Lyca, I felt like I had too much, like I was going to burst.” I shook my head and realized I was pacing. “I have no idea what they are.”

“Who cares what they are?” Lily growled, impatient. “I want to know what the fuck is happening in my neighborhood. Where are they taking us?”

“Knock,” I insisted, suddenly composed as I found my question.

Lily’s brow raised from her narrowed eyes. “What?”

“Knock. You want to know what’s going on, knock. Ask Stewart.”

My companion, lost from my train of thought, rolled her eyes as she turned from the door. “But it isn’t locked,” she spoke to the door.

“Knock,” I insisted again, taking my place behind her. If Lily took the reins on this, I would have the chance to observe Stewart, maybe Jinn too, and perhaps could piece together what I saw.

Lily was bubbling with annoyance at me but she obeyed, banging on the door not unlike she had mine earlier. The music ceased almost immediately and after a few moments of scuffle, a short, nearly unrecognizable being, the one I knew had lay below Jinn, stood before us, and Lily sniffed quickly, seemingly satisfied with the smell of his new appearance, before pushing past him. “We need to talk, asshole,” she growled and I found myself slightly jealous hearing the term of affection used on this new demon.

He eyed me when he regained his footing, finally gesturing me to enter. “A friend of Lily’s?” he asked as if he didn’t know and despite the answer in his eyes, I feigned ignorance.

“Collin,” I offered my hand and he reached up to accept it as we moved inside the apartment once more.

“I’m Stewart,” he offered and the corner of my mouth turned up in a smile, as if the introduction were necessary. I needed him to believe I wasn’t onto him, at least for the moment.

Lily was on the couch as if she hadn’t been anxious about the trip at all. I moved to join her as Stewart took his place in the chair across from us, his stature so meager that he was forced to nearly climb into the normal-height armchair. “Lily, my dear, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. Aren’t you pleased with your new camouflage?”

She sat straighter, calming as her new beauty teased her ego. “He hates it,” she mocked, as if the three of us were old friends.

“Is that why you’re here? Would you like to downgrade to your regular?”

Stewart spoke like a true businessman, his eyes constantly flitting between us, sizing us up. I searched his eyes for anything even remotely revealing as to his intentions or what he knew, but I saw nothing but normalcy, with a hint of greed that reminded me of the snake oil salesmen I had worked under for years.

“Fuck off, you know why I’m here,” she suddenly snapped at him and Stewart sat straighter as he crossed his ankles where they dangled from the chair.

“Do I?” he teased and the lilt in his voice gave everything away. “I must say, I wasn’t expecting a customer at this time of morning.”

“The lycans, asshole. What’s going on?”

“What’s wrong?” that intense voice called from the hallway and suddenly Jinn joined us, resting on the arm of Stewart’s chair as she eyed Lily too intently. “What’s happened?”

Lily seemed less comfortable in Jinn’s presence but her composure didn’t falter. “Someone’s rounding everyone the fuck up.”

Jinn’s eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked to Stewart. “That’s awful,” she cooed, as if it were news to her, but I wasn’t buying it. Both appeared normal in the current context, though they had each glowed so vehemently in the bedroom moments earlier. Similarly, whatever trickery Stewart was employing made him an imp for Lily, though he was clearly taller beneath Jinn.

Stewart shrugged. “That’s tragic, but what’s it got to do with me?”

I’d love to know, I didn’t say, but instead watched as his body language lied.

“It’s your people,” she growled like she had to me earlier. “Fucking imps. Lead by a psychotic fucking succubus, asshole. You can’t tell me you don’t know what’s going on.”

Stewart’s face twitched at Charlotte’s mention but otherwise tried to remain straight. When he didn’t answer, Lily’s frustrations turned to Jinn.

“And you!” she growled, suddenly standing. “You’re bitching all the fucking time about injustices to us, but we’re being rounded up in the fucking streets and you don’t know shit about it?”

I started to panic where I sat on the couch. I didn’t need Lily yelling at them. I needed to observe them. As I went to reach for Lily, Jinn stood and approached her. I sank back into the couch, intimidated by this mystery woman, and Lily’s claws silently emerged as she came nearly nose to nose with the demon.

“Where the fuck are you when we need you the most?”

Though Jinn’s eyes were boring, they seemed to break at Lily’s question. “I’ll help you,” she promised. “I’ll find out what’s happening and I’ll stop it.” I almost believed the words from her lips, and if I hadn’t seen her in her alternate, luminous state, I might have.

“And the poor fucks they’ve already taken?”

“We’ll rescue them, Lily. I promise you. You don’t deserve this.” Jinn’s hand rose to stroke Lily’s cheek then and my friend snarled at the contact.

“Then fucking fix it,” she demanded and Jinn nodded as she stepped back from her.

“I will,” she insisted and her gaze turned to Stewart. “We will, won’t we?”

Stewart seemed dumbfounded watching the two and it occurred to me then that he couldn’t be the one pulling the strings. Jinn didn’t seem concerned about staying in line or being secretive. She didn’t answer to him.

“I don’t know anything about it,” Stewart dismissed as he too stood, quickly exiting the room. “See you in a few weeks, Lily. Please never show up at my door again.”

Jinn was flawless in her act, not missing a beat as she returned her solemn gaze to us. “I’m surprised you aren’t behind it.” Her eyes pierced mine as she realized my alibi. “Be careful,” she spoke to Lily again, her eyes convincingly concerned. “You remember what we talked about.”

Lily nodded and for a moment, I felt as she must have when she smelled the imps in my home, as if I were being set up. Seeing the propaganda against me in action was terrifying, even more when I saw how convinced Lily looked. I prayed my friend was indulging in the act.

“Be safe,” she urged again as she gestured us to the door, her eyes on me for the duration of our stay. Once we were again in the hallway and Jinn stood in the doorway, I was grateful for the draft of the stairwell. The shapeshifter stared into me as if she could read every word of my soul before finally, “See you soon, Collin.”

See you soon. I had assumed the card was from Charlotte, but was it from Jinn? Goosebumps covered my arms as the hair on the back of my neck stood, her words ominous where they hovered near my ear.

Before I could assess the allegiance of my friend, she grabbed my arm, insistent on our immediate departure from the building. She didn’t speak until we were outside, and when she did, her voice was filled with panic.

“They’re really going to act like they’ve got no fucking clue what’s going on,” she exhaled, her step quick as she began retracing our steps. “What do we do, asshole? I thought you’d go all demon on them or something. What the fuck was the point of that?”

“Go all demon?” I mocked, keeping pace with my friend, grateful that that’s still what she was. “Lil, he’s not an imp. And he’s not an incubus. I don’t know what he is, but it’s bad.”

“What could he be?” she asked genuinely and I exhaled while I thought.

“He’s nothing I’ve ever come across. He’s something new.” I thought about that bright flash of light Stewart and Jinn had made together and tried to think of an explanation, but had none. The scene had felt familiar somehow but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. I had seen it before, but not in our kind.

“What about her?”

I could almost hear Lily’s eyes roll. “Jinn? Not a clue.” I shook my head as I shoved my hands in my pockets and against one, I felt that familiar poke of the corner of an envelope. Miriam’s letter. The picture. Peggy.

“Come on,” I urged, a fresh quickness in my step as I retrieved my phone from my pocket. Miriam had messaged incessantly but I couldn’t respond now. I had something so much more important to give her in person.


When I handed Miriam the envelope in the comfort of Sophie’s living room, she immediately realized what it held. Her eyes welled as she carefully untucked the fold and she choked back a sob at that picture, the one that had mirrored Sophie’s picture, as she retrieved it and held it to her chest. Her face held a grateful desperation I had never seen as she clutched it, careful with the photo but with a grip that would ensure it didn’t part from her again.

“I love you,” she praised as her voice broke. Or was it ‘thank you?’ Her words were so sudden, I wasn’t quite sure. Before I could ask, her arms were around my neck, and I was engrossed in the most passionate embrace I had ever felt.

As Lily returned from the bathroom, Miriam broke from me, and she again thanked me with her eyes as they returned to those adoring eyes I thought I had lost. I was heartbroken to part from her but simultaneously eager to return to the matter at hand. Still, I eyed her, even as Lily mocked a retch.

“Come on, asshole, can we get back to it?” Lily chided but I was afraid if I looked from Miriam for even an instant, the look would disappear, and I so loved that look.

Miriam straightened, offering a smile as she held the photograph to her abdomen. “So you were saying?”

“It was just so bright,” I obeyed, eager to interact with her in any capacity. “It was familiar but I can’t place why.”

“Like Glow bright, or…?” Miriam offered, attempting to grasp what I couldn’t convey.

“More than that,” I emphasized. “Like a blinding brightness. It was almost like they were producing energy within themselves, but when they came out, the luminescence was gone. It was so bright that they didn’t notice me and I could barely see them. Like the sun.”

“Like Hell?” Miriam offered hesitantly and suddenly I was transported centuries earlier, where my position was eventually granted me in the depths of Hell, at that point ruled by Satan. I couldn’t remember much from the encounter other than the heat, the screaming, and the unbearable brightness.

“Holy shit,” I whispered under my breath as the pieces fell into place. When I looked at Miriam again, her eyes pleaded me to lie, but I couldn’t, not now. “Do you think she’s…?”

Her face fell with the realization, as if it were obvious the whole time. “Holy fuck, Collin.”

“Uhh,” Lily interrupted and suddenly my attention turned to her. “What are we ‘holy fuck’ing?”

“Demon spawn,” I offered and her disinterested look begged me to keep my explanation short. “Satan was in charge when I started.”

“Lucifer for me,” Miriam offered. “Because there isn’t just one supreme demon, like people tend to think,” she continued and I remembered Lily’s humanity probably had her far more lost in the conversation than I had accounted for. “Instead it’s sort of a revolving door between these children of those that came before, that were always demons.”

“And they’re constantly vying for the throne. Charlotte said Stewart wanted Lucifer’s position,” I said aloud, kicking myself for not putting the pieces into place. “What if it isn’t him that wants it. What if it’s Jinn? She’s certainly the one in control between the two of them.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it,” Miriam complained as she sat on the couch. “Holy shit, Collin. Are we involved in the next coup?”

“We better fucking not be,” I argued as I moved to stand against the wall behind me. “What would that have to do with the lycanthropes?”

“Glow?” Lily offered and we both turned to her, startled she was still here. “Nobody gave a shit when you drained Lyca. We had a bartender drained a few days ago too and nobody batted a fucking eye.”

I swallowed, grateful when Miriam didn’t look at me.

“We won’t be missed. Nobody cares. If they needed the Glow for something, they could get plenty of it from us without being noticed.”

“She’s right,” Miriam interjected, eyes on me. “You saw them at the meeting. The demons don’t care about the lycanthropes.”

“But what about the humans?” I argued before Lily interrupted me again.

“Dude, nobody gives a shit,” Lily reminded me, sharper than before. “We’re the dregs of fucking society. We keep to ourselves. Nobody will miss us.”

“If Jinn is a spawn, what is Stewart?” Miriam prodded and I thought carefully, replaying the apartment encounter in my mind.

“What if he is too?” I bit the inside of my lip as I thought, regretting my initial entry into the apartment. “They were fucking blinding in that bed, what if they’re trying to combine power or something? Can Glow do that?”

“Collin, we know so little about what this energy thing is that we just call it Glow. It could do anything. There has to be something that lets the spawn overthrow whoever is throned.”

“What if they are?” Lily grumbled. “What does that mean?”

“It means the lycanthropes are as good as dead,” I leaned my head back against the wall. What did it matter? Coups were a standard practice in Hell and it was expected that Lucifer would be overthrown eventually, but now? In our own backyard? With Lily’s people serving as the fuel? “Why are they after me, though?”

“I made some phone calls,” Miriam admitted, her face flushing with her extraneous information. “You’re next up for promotion to archdemon of our district.”

“You got Terry killed?” Lily demanded, dejected more by that statement than my dismissal of her species. “What the fuck?”

“I don’t want it,” I insisted immediately, shaking my head at my friend. “Lily, come on. I wouldn’t do that.”

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” Miriam offered. “If the archdemon were a former lycanthrope, they would have to get him out of the way to target the lycanthropes. The more the demons hate them, the fewer people asking questions about their disappearances. It’s all sound,” Miriam exhaled at her statement. “Horrible, but sound.”

That was it. We had our answers. “Now what?”

Miriam’s nose scrunched at my question and Lily crossed her arms. None of us wanted to answer the question. Instead, Lily approached me, and I tensed as she reached into my jacket, exhaling only as she withdrew my cigarettes.

She lit one without asking, exhaling the smoke through her nose as she stared at me.

“Me too, please,” Miriam piped and Lily and I turned to her in unison, the request foreign to us both.

“You smoke?” I asked incredulously of my beautiful succubus.

“I’ve raided your cabinets already. All you have is Black Velvet and I’m not drinking that. Now’s as good a time as any to pick up a new vice, right?”

Lily furrowed her brow but handed off her cigarette to Miriam before lighting another for each of us. With the three of us, the living room quickly filled with smoke and I never felt more or less at home. Everything was different now, but some things were always the same.

“How the fuck have you talked me into this?” Lily growled as we approached Stewart’s apartment. Dawn still hadn’t broken and moonlight illuminated the sky. My phone buzzed in my pocket with Miriam’s too-frequent check-ins, but we were too close to risk being seen for checking a text message. ----Love. Already tense. Scene already beautifully set. This is starting off on a great foot, despite it not coming so easily at first.

“Do you smell him?” I whispered, my voice quieter with the suffocation of the night. ----<3 <3

Lily’s frustrations grew the higher we ascended, until eventually she was snarling outside his door, music loud enough to be heard through the walls. “I still can’t fucking smell him,” she spat in a whisper. “But clearly he’s fucking home.” ---Oh Lily, you're awesome. You always be you girl.

When I pushed the door open, braced but defenseless, I felt my stomach drop. I had to shield my eyes at the blinding light that emitted from the room. Rather than the assault I was expecting, instead it was a bedroom, with that same, mysterious shapeshifter in the throes of passion atop who I assumed was Stewart. They didn’t miss a beat at my entry and I knew, for now, our presence was still unknown to them. I quickly retracted down the hall, Lily’s wrist in my grip as I dragged her along. -----OMG I WAS TOTALLY GOING TO SAY THAT THERE MIGHT BE SEX GOING ON BECAUSE I KNOW SOMEONE WHO DID THIS TO COVER UP SEX ONE TIME. OMG! Stupid freaks.

“What was that?” she demanded hushedly. “What the fuck are you doing?” ----I love how Lily opposes him. I mean, bitch, he's probably dragging you out for good reason! You don't know! WHy are you being so difficult?! Oh yeah, because you're Lilailen. Love you. And also, love the word "hushedly." I love how you use it. You always have such clever language.

“We need to talk, asshole,” she growled and I found myself slightly jealous hearing the term of affection used on this new demon. ----LOL, yes me too, Lil. And also, why couldn't she smell them? That's interesting. Intriguing. And ew, Stewart doesn't sound the least bit enticing.

----Gah, their being so calm and it's killing me!

I moved to join her as Stewart took his place in the chair across from us, his stature so meager that he was forced to nearly climb into the normal-height armchair. -----Ewwwwww, I don't even want to imagine what Collin seen. Weird!

with a hint of greed that reminded me of the snake oil salesmen I had worked under for years.----Omg, I love this. I want to hear more about it. Nice detail drop without using a flashback, although!!!!!!! I wouldn't mind hearing about this! Something about old school shit like this excites me!

Jinn’s eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked to Stewart. “That’s awful,” she cooed, as if it were news to her, but I wasn’t buying it. Both appeared normal in the current context, though they had each glowed so vehemently in the bedroom moments earlier. Similarly, whatever trickery Stewart was employing made him an imp for Lily, though he was clearly taller beneath Jinn. ----Yeah!!!! I'm totally not buying this bitch either! These two are way to calm to not be hiding something. I mean, come on, they're both snakes in the grass. And also, thank god he was taller during. That's so hawkward.

“We’ll rescue them, Lily. I promise you. You don’t deserve this.” Jinn’s hand rose to stroke Lily’s cheek then and my friend snarled at the contact.----Uhhh, yeah, no. Do not fucking touch Lily you cunt licker. This bitch is such a liar. She better not be the reason Lily was so put off by Collin's appearance at her door, then why they fought. This bitch is certainly leading with her words.

Jinn was flawless in her act, not missing a beat as she returned her solemn gaze to us. “I’m surprised you aren’t behind it.” Her eyes pierced mine as she realized my alibi. “Be careful,” she spoke to Lily again, her eyes convincingly concerned. “You remember what we talked about.”----OMGF i KNEW IT! SHE'S TOTALLY TRIED TO PIN LIL AGAINST COLLIN BEFORE. SOMETHING IS GOING ON HERE. THIS BITCH IS SO MANIPULATIVE AND IT SHOWS. SHE'S FUCKING USING STEWART OR SOMETHING AND HE'S TOO LAME TO CARE! OMG NO!!!

The shapeshifter stared into me as if she could read every word of my soul before finally, “See you soon, Collin.” ----- <3 <3 <3

See you soon. I had assumed the card was from Charlotte, but was it from Jinn? Goosebumps covered my arms as the hair on the back of my neck stood, her words ominous where they hovered near my ear. ----OMGF WHAT DID THE CARD SAY!? I DON'T REMEMBER! I'M FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!!! . . . . OMG OKAY YOU JUST TOLD ME WHAT IT SAID! AND THIS BITCH TOTALLY WROTE THAT CARD AND I WANT TO KILL HER! Wtf is she and why does she hate Collin (demons) so much? Though she is somewhat like them? Idk. She's a shape-shifter, but aren't they all with the help of Glow?

“I love you,” she praised as her voice broke. Or was it ‘thank you?’ Her words were so sudden, I wasn’t quite sure. Before I could ask, her arms were around my neck, and I was engrossed in the most passionate embrace I had ever felt. ---No, Collin. That was a real 'I love you.' And tears. Fucking Mir. You always tug my heart strings.

“Uhh,” Lily interrupted and suddenly my attention turned to her. “The same word we’ve repeated a dozen times finally has a fucking meaning?” -----Thank you so much, Lil. Thank you for voicing my thoughts. Because I thought for a moment that everyone but me knew what they were talking about. Thank you. You my home girl. Thanks for always being you.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it,” Miriam complained as she sat on the couch. “Holy shit, Collin. Are we involved in the next coup?” -----OMG, coups are so dangerous. Wtf. A coup. Okay. So there was Satan then Lucifer, and now stupid Jinn wants to hold the reigns? No, she's not cool enough. But I'm still not connecting the idea to the machine.

“She’d definitely be able to overthrow Lucifer with that,” I leaned my head back against the wall. What did it matter? Coups were a standard practice in Hell and it was expected that Lucifer would be overthrown eventually, but now? In our own backyard? “Why are they after me, though?” -----Okay, I'm just going to take a moment here to realign myself. I want to ask how Mir didn't know Glow was what the Lycan camo was made out of? Does that imply that there is something else that could, or that there are other creatures who have power to do this without Glow? Also, this stuff going on with demon hierarchy. I was partial to it until you said this. That's very interesting. It's so ingrained in our minds that Lucifer is the ultimate power of Hell. But when you said this, you completely thew that all of kilter for me, and I needed that. I know you're getting to the end here, but this is such a large dynamic of what's going here. If you plant the idea in my head that 'Hell' is not 'Hell,' then it's easier for me to accept your premise. I love this idea that coups are a thing in Hell. It really breaks the mold. Now, speaking of these two becoming one to overthrow Lucifer, that's interesting. If we know there are demons, there is a hell, there is a Satan, than we have to assume there is a hierarchy. That's just a given. I would like to hear about this concept earlier (though talk of archdemons does allude to it), but I know this is not something you had just overly planned. But it works, even though it's just being introduced and the characters are somewhat ignorant of it. It does work because of logic. I love the idea, but now I'm ultra curious about the inner-workings of Hell and the demons. Super, uber intrigued.

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” Miriam offered. “If the archdemon were a former lycanthrope, they would have to get him out of the way to target the lycanthropes. The more the demons hate them, the fewer people asking questions about their disappearances. It’s all sound,” Miriam exhaled at her statement. “Horrible, but sound.” ----Oooooo, love this. Love. Can't believe you pulled this one on the reader. It makes total since why they would be on Collin's case. It makes total sense they would need to eliminate the Lycan archdemon, just interesting that he was an archdemon AND a Lycan. But you said that was because the people basically 'voted' him into that position. But wow, way to string this plot together. This is coming together rather sensically, and I'm uber impressed. No joke. Like wow.

Lily furrowed her brow but handed off her cigarette to Miriam before lighting another for each of us. With the three of us, the living room quickly filled with smoke and I never felt more or less at home. Everything was different now, but some things were always the same. ----Fucking Love. Because reality, after tragedies end, life goes on. That's basically what you said here, and I fucking love it. Realistic. Even in this crazy universe you've created, you're realistic, and that's what I enjoy so much about your writing.

---Okay, so they have their answers. Now you have what is likely a much larger problem: how the fuck are you gonna end this thing?! And I'm not going to assume you do or do not know, I'm just going to speak about what is in front of me.

So we know Stew and Jinn aren't 'demons', 'lycans', or 'imps." We know that. We know if they anything like these three, they are most like demons. And Col says they are likely higher on the demon hierarchy (which technically makes them demons, just way more badasser ones ). SOOOooo we have more questions here, but that's okay. This is such a large universe. They are in one physical plane (Earth), but there is also Hell. And in Hell, there are coups lits 24/7. So, with that being said, I feel the focus is now shifting off of their reality and more onto this alternate reality, Hell. I feel like you are asking me to think about what happens after selling your soul. How long do you get to live a 'noraml' life on 'Earth?' There has to be a time you go back to Hell, whether that's eternally or not. They obvs went there when they became demons. And I'm not saying hell is all fire and shit, it could be the same kind of place as the place they are now, just with more creatures. I'm not sure, but I can certainly tell you I want to know more about it. And that just might be focus for another book *wink.

Anyhow, if I'm getting this right, the thing here is this: Jinn wants to be the new 'Lucifer,' and she's basically using Stew (who is Baphomet) to help her reach that goal. She, more or less, is playing and extorting the Lycans to harvest their Glow, because bitch needs all of that she can get. Stew is just a stupid party to this. Lily didn't know about it but was manipulated by Jinn into believing the demons were no good to the Lycans. Charlotte was also party to this, to get someone to keep eyes on Col. Henry was killed "in favor of" the Lycans." This was all executed by Jinn, and the reason she is after Collin is because he is up for archdemon. But what can he do as archdemon? I really love how this is unfolding, and I'm so goddamn excited for the next chapter. You have given me so many answers, yet there is so much mystery still. And goddamn, congratulations on filling in your plot. You're doing amazing.

Love, Bf
!!!!!!!11!!!!!!