Summoning Trouble, page 15
“True, I wasn’t suggesting a wendigo per se. I was making sure you understood that not every possession was demonic.”
“I am definitely aware of that.”
“Wendigos are Earth-bound creatures who delight in making people into monsters. There were creatures deemed more dangerous than wendigos that could do similar things and were not left on Earth,” Leviathan said. “Unfortunately, they are not creatures I created from Stygian dust, so I can’t tell you if one of them is being used on your friend, but it seems possible something like a kitsune or lonenki could have been summoned to enter her. If she is acting out of character, I would presume it more likely to be a lonenki. The lonenki feeds off brainwaves created by distress and emotional turmoil. They make the sufferer act contrary to their nature. Simply put, they make good people do bad things and bad people do good things. A wealthy miser possessed by a lonenki will give away all his money to charitable causes or poor people in the street. Since the person possessed is your friend, I would predict they are making them do things that are criminal or something else bad, maybe hurting their friends or something similar.”
“I have never heard of a lonenki, how would someone become possessed by one?” I asked.
“Normally, possession is caused by being cursed,” Leviathan said. “However, that curse is very dark and ancient magic. Beyond Jerome, I can’t imagine there are many people alive who would remember it. Well, my brothers probably would.”
“Would Uriel?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Leviathan said. “Although, I can’t imagine any of my brothers cursing someone with a lonenki, even Uriel. I know he is not your favorite archangel. I also remember him being arrogant, entitled, and bearing a severe superiority complex, but part of that complex is that he can’t stoop to the levels of dark practitioners. Uriel is the only angel who truly believes angels are divine. If he were to summon a lonenki, it would be contrary to his divinity.”
“Okay,” I said.
“Could someone have summoned a lonenki into Uriel?” Jerome asked after a moment. “He’s been acting strange, but in that he’s been more of a jerk than normal.”
“If all it’s done is make him a bigger jerk, a lonenki is unlikely. In that case, it seems more likely Uriel is angry at himself, but is taking it out on others,” Leviathan said.
“Would Michael have experience with a lonenki?” I asked.
“Yes, but it would have been so long ago.”
“He may have forgotten, got it.” I nodded as I chewed the last bite of my sandwich. “Someone is using demonic possession to steal magical artifacts. Some demons I have spoken with told me the person wanted the artifacts because they lacked power. Yet, they have strong potions, and I think they summoned Belial to a police station in order to kill me, which is evidence to the contrary.”
“Ah, yes. Much like wendigos and demons are not the only things that can possess the human body, power comes in many forms. Also, how do you define too little or too much power? Do you have too much or too little?”
“Well....” I frowned at him.
“That is my point. Just because a person feels like they have too little power or too much, doesn’t mean that is how other people perceive them. Some people would kill to have as much power as you, others would feel it was too much, and some, like you, would just ignore it as much as possible. Demons pick up on perceptions, it helps them during possessions. Even if they have not possessed the person summoning them, they will feel that person’s perception of themself. If that person feels their magic is weak, a demon will pick up on that.”
“Huh, okay, that actually does clarify things. I have been thinking it must be a duo, one of whom had oodles of magic and one who didn’t. But if it is a single individual, then it could be that they have oodles of magic and just feel like they don’t have enough,” I said.
“I would agree with that assessment. Soleil, have you considered non-magical forms of control as well as magical ones? I mean, I think a lonenki is involved in controlling your friend but living proved to me that people are capable of terrible things on their own. If someone kidnapped Jerome, what wouldn’t you do to get him back?” Leviathan was silent for several moments. “I suspect you would even bargain your soul with Belial to get him back. I suspect you would stop short of bargaining Jerome’s soul, but everything else would be done. That is why I sent you one of my most devoted hellhounds. Your hound is capable of great love and dedication, and I sent it to ensure nothing would ever happen to Jerome to put you in a position to bargain away Earth to save him. Everyone who lives has a weakness like yours. I’m sure your friend has one, find it and you might find out how someone is controlling her.”
“Yes, but that wouldn’t alter her life force,” I said.
“Some trade-offs do alter life force,” Leviathan said to me, and stared at me pointedly.
“You think she bargained away her soul,” I said.
“I think it is something you should consider. Also, depending on the hell prince involved in the barter, it is possible she allowed someone else to barter away her soul in exchange for the safety of someone she loves.” I wanted to protest that Janet didn’t love anyone that much, but it had been more than a year since I had seen her. Did I know that for sure? She’d told me in one our few conversations immediately after she left that she was pregnant and never said another word about it. If someone were holding her newborn hostage, that would motivate her to move heaven and Earth to save it. “There is another point that needs to be considered. You are relying solely on the observations of Michael, who I know means well, and no doubt saw her magical signature and based his conclusion on that. But all the archangels have complimentary powers and work best as a team. Michael can assess there is something off about her life force, but not provide an explanation. He would need Remiel, Gabriel, or Azrael to do that. It seems possible to me that pregnancy would alter life force, and while Michael should be familiar with that, just as he should be with a wendigo, it is possible that for whatever reason, he can’t recognize it in your friend’s life force alteration. Azrael, like yourself, would recognize possession by another spirit, but not by something like pregnancy. You would need Gabriel and Remiel for that. Or me.” Leviathan grinned at this last comment.
“But you were capable of creating life,” I said in response, also smiling.
“Indeed, and still am. I might be able to recognize any sort of life in your friend’s magical signature, be it pregnancy or possession.”
“Last thing, I think. Ashtaroth, through Dantalian, told me I needed to speak with you about the robberies where the homeowners are controlled by possession,” I said, unsure what to ask.
“Possession is not a great form of control; they would need to use demons too small to have their own willpower and abilities.” Leviathan said. “But you probably already know that. More likely he sent you to me because of the objects being taken.”
“Each item has had magic imbued into it. I think they are working up to hit an exhibit full of cursed objects,” I said.
“That wouldn’t make sense. Curses don’t work like other types of magic.” Leviathan looked at Jerome.
“No, if an item has magic, the magic can be used on others, but curses work on the person possessing the object, don’t they?” Jerome responded. “I haven’t had a lot of experience with curses.”
“Yes.” Leviathan nodded. “If an item has a love spell in it, the love spell can be used to influence others. But if an object is cursed with a love spell, then the person in possession of the object would be cursed to continually fall in love with anyone and everyone they meet.”
“Oh,” I said. “Well then....” I shrugged. “I don’t know what they are planning at all. Because not only do we have the individual possessions, but there’s been two attempts at mass possession, one far more successful than the other. I wouldn’t think a mass possession spell would be necessary to reach Remiel’s vault. But his is the most insecure; there’s only one Remiel, while the others are in places crawling with people all the time.”
“Uh, his is probably the most secure,” Leviathan said, sweeping his hand toward the end of the room. I had to look very closely to see that there was a door set in the wall. It didn’t have a handle or anything. “Remiel sends the objects he recovers to me for safe-keeping. We’ve been discussing how to tell you for the last few years, because Remiel says eventually, when he loses his will to live, the collection will become yours and Jerome’s.”
“I didn’t know Remiel had that kind of connection to the Stygian,” I said.
“He didn’t until you were born,” Leviathan said. “Jerome is a much more powerful mimic, but he isn’t the only one in your family to have the ability. Remiel’s power to mimic is much weaker, unless the magic he is mimicking is very powerful. Azrael’s Stygian magic wasn’t powerful enough, but yours is. Remiel’s vault was raided a few times in the past, so once you were born and he discovered he could do things here, we struck a bargain and I keep the magical items he recovers. However, telling you about this has proved difficult. We are both very concerned about your feelings, and since you’ve tried to ignore your magic most of your life, we weren’t sure how to tell you about any of it.”
“Why would the hell prince Leviathan care about my feelings?” I asked.
“Because your ability to make demons remember is also very strong, and Remiel can mimic it to some degree. When we struck the arrangement, I was Zadkiel, not Leviathan.” Leviathan nodded. “Although with the addition of Jerome to your life, I am both Zadkiel and Leviathan all the time. Did you know he is constantly mimicking your ability to send things across the Stygian? And what he sends is your magic.”
“No, I’m not,” Jerome said, and looked down at the table where his chicken salad sandwich sat with a single bite out of it.
“I think you are,” I said, looking at him. “But I don’t think it’s intentional, and I’m not sure you should try to stop it. My relationship with demons was adversarial until you came along and moved in with me. In the years since, it has become far more friendly. You consistently mimic some powers, whether you’re aware of it or not. I suspect because you are around me so much, mine is one of them. Coupled with your own Stygian magic, I have thought a few times before now that you are a big part of the reason my relationship with Demonation has improved. Between your mimicry and my decision to better understand Demonation, I think...essentially, I consider this improvement to be beneficial to both Demonation and humans alike. We will never be capable of co-existence in the same plane, but a working relationship such as we have created for the AESPCA and me is good.”
“The food helps, too. Stygian food is bland and awful,” Leviathan said, as he ate one of the apple turnovers. “I love apples.”
“That means the only possible target they could be planning to hit is the AESPCA vault. But it’s a fortress,” I said. “I can’t see how they would get in.”
“You are thinking on a very grand scale. What if they don’t need in the vault to loot everything. What if they want a single magical artifact?” Leviathan said.
“A single object could be walked out by an AESPCA agent, if they manage things correctly.”
“Yes.” Leviathan nodded and finished off the turnover. “I would like an entire apple pie at some point. Apple pie hadn’t been invented before my death, but I have seen it in the dreams of my relatives, and it looks delicious. Could you manage that or is it a rare and expensive thing?”
“It is neither rare nor expensive and if you would like to try an apple pie, I will make a point of sending one to you very soon,” I told him.
“We should ask your mom to make one. She makes the best apple pies,” Jerome said.
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“Yes, it was your mother who first dreamed of an apple pie, a long time ago. A very long time ago. I have wanted to try one since,” Leviathan told me. “When I began dream walking among my family, I began to long for food again. Demons do not have the appetites of the living, but of the things I lost by dying, I miss food the most. Things like this are a blessing.” He pointed at the wrapper from one of the beef and cheddar sandwiches.
“Did you know when you lost the will to live that you would become a demon?” Jerome asked, and I blinked at him.
“Yes, we all knew, back then. I gather it is knowledge that was lost or misplaced somehow,” Leviathan said. “I realized that because you and Soleil both seemed very surprised when you learned demons were the reincarnation of the souls of supernaturals. Souls are incapable of dying—even when Soleil kills a demon, she does not actually destroy their souls, although she thinks she does. It just reincarnates as a different being.”
“Do you know what being?” I asked.
“Wendigos.” Leviathan answered without hesitation. “It is what drives their hunger, revenge upon the living for dying twice.”
“Oh shit.” I muttered.
“Everything has a place in the universe, be it here or on Earth or somewhere else entirely,” Leviathan said. “I did not find out what became of wendigos at their death before I died, but I’m sure they become something else, too. Souls cannot be destroyed. Being a demon is not ideal, to be sure, but being something like a wendigo would be worse. I imagine whatever comes after wendigos is worse yet. Perhaps that is where bennu birds come from.” He said this last with a shrug.
“Well, you have given me a lot to think about. I need to correct two inaccurate assumptions.” I stood up. Jerome also stood. The traditional name for a phoenix was a Bennu Bird, but only the archangels used it anymore.
“It is always a pleasure to see you and help you out, even if you don’t bring me food.” Leviathan also stood and we watched as he began to return to his normal size. “But I think you have one more thing you want to ask me about. Belial’s summoning.”
“Summoning a hell prince, even as a spirit, is tough. We know they used a potion, is it possible Belial was just the closest demon when the summoning occurred and wasn’t the specific target?” I asked.
“You of all people know that summoning a hell prince is not a matter of accident or chance. They specifically intended to summon Belial, which means whoever is involved knows Belial wants your soul.”
“My friend who is acting weird knew that,” I replied. His comment wasn’t particularly enlightening, and I had known it was impossible to summon a hell prince just because they happened to be in the right place at the right time.
“Then I suspect you were just looking for confirmation that you needed to start there,” Leviathan said with a nod, as he reached his full size again. “I know you are struggling to understand how your friend could be involved, but people often disguise their real intentions; it is what makes your father’s exclusive power necessary. Perhaps you just weren’t aware of this side of your friend’s personality.”
“My father met her and never said anything about her having different intentions than the ones she showed,” I told him. “No, I think somehow she’s being forced into this. I’m just not sure how, and I’m not entirely sure why.”
“Well, I can’t help you with those, my gift of sight only works on my family.” Leviathan gave a pointed look to Jerome. “Which is how I knew you were my family before you did.” This made Jerome smile.
“I’ve been hearing about small suns coming into my life since I was five. The moment I met Soleil, I knew she was the small sun. But I can remember you being in my dreams before meeting her. So. I think I had some sort of understanding that you and I were related before I came here the first time.”
“Like Remiel, I was cursed to be barren, but I helped make both of you, so to some degree, I consider you my children,” Leviathan said, and the hell prince looked like he might cry, which made me tear up. I took a deep breath.
“Does Remiel know?” I asked.
“Yes,” Leviathan said. “I have worried about him because of it. My brothers and I always had a biological imperative to reproduce. Some of mine was quenched by my ability to create, but Remiel... Over the years, Remiel has slaked his imperative by taking our nieces or nephews under his wing, but when Nicholas was lost, I expected we would lose Remiel too. I’m glad he held on, and I’m glad you both came along. He may not feel as biologically invested in you as I do, after all he didn’t manipulate your genes for your creation, but both of you are good surrogates for him. You are both capable of great unconditional love, whether it be for an actual parent or an adopted one. Remiel needs you, both of you, because you provide him with the unconditional love a child would provide. None of your cousins have ever done that for him. I know the brothers have worried about him a great deal over the millennia, but I think they all breathe a little easier knowing you two have grown so close to him.”
“I don’t consider myself capable of great unconditional love,” I admitted.
“That is because you lack confidence and understanding in yourself. A moment ago, I watched your eyes fill with tears because of me and I am not just dead, I am a hell prince, yet you do not think of me as a demon. You think of me as Zadkiel, even though I died before you were born. You do not think of Lucifer as the ruler of the Stygian either, you think of him as Jophiel, and despite our status in the Stygian, you love us as a niece would. That is great unconditional love, Soleil, even if you do not think so; we feel it and understand it. In our own ways, we try to reciprocate that love. Sadly, we cannot do the job that Remiel can because of who and what we are, but you don’t care about that. If that is not great love, I do not know what is,” Leviathan said, and gently touched my head. I think he was aiming for my hair or face, but his hand was so massive he ended up touching my hair, my face, and my shoulders and it sort of felt like a heavy pat.
“You loved my mom unconditionally,” Jerome said. “And me.”
“Your mom felt like my sister.”
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