What Lies In Me

Chapter 21

Vvvvvvvvdttt! Vvvvvvvvdttt!

Groggily, I reach for the buzzing phone on the bedside stand. Through my cracked eyes, I can see that it's seven in the morning. I wouldn't normally be this tired, but I probably didn't get in bed until one. I didn't realize just how competitive my friends all were.

The phone number is hidden on the number that is trying to call me, but I answer it anyways. "Hello?"

"Good morning. I have an assignment for you."

"Asarualim?" I ask, still slightly sleepy.

"The one and only."

"What sort of assignment?"

"We've been tracking a certain disruptive demon nearby. He's been following you. Unfortunately, we've been unable to catch him, but since he's after you..."

"I understand." I yawn. "Where should we meet you?"

"I will not be there. I am merely your employer. I have sent the co-ordinates to Malah. Get to that location as soon as possible and try not to die or get captured. The demon will come to you alone, and then my agents will converge. Got it?"

"Uh, yeah..." The phone clicks, signaling the end of the call.

Disoriented, I sit up and stretch. Tony probably has a way to pinpoint coordinates on his phone. If not, maybe he can download one. I hop out of bed, put on my clothes, and head to my friends' rooms to wake them all and explain the situation. Malah, of course, is already awake and ready to set off. Do demons even need sleep at all?

By the time everyone is awake and ready to leave, it's already eight o' clock. Malah knows where we're going, so we're letting her drive.

"It should only take about forty-five minutes to get there!" Malah is as chipper as always. It's hard not to be energized by her enthusiasm. "Everybody's got their weapons?" We all nod. "Then let's go!"

On the way to our destination, which is in the middle of nowhere according to Tony's phone, Malah briefs us on the mission. "Like with most missions that will involve you," she begins, "The reason we are going here is because a law-breaking demon has been sensed or spotted nearby. This particular demon knows Namtillaku, and will probably come with the intent to kill, capture, or interrogate if we are nearby. Note that all three of these things are an unlawful offense, since you all are, in fact, human."

"So am I going to be bait in all of my missions?" I ask, frustrated.

"For the time being. Once you get some experience, we can send you to track down demons or settle issues with other realms."

"Other realms?"

"Yes, of course. You didn't think that the fifty-one demons that were unsealed thousands of years ago were the only occurrence of supernatural or mythical beings in this world, did you?"

"I had hoped." I'm surprised, but less so than before. If anything, I'm getting accustomed to being surprised.

"What else is out there?" Tony asks, intrigued.

"Well, there are spirits of the departed that refuse to rest in peace. There are aberrations of nature itself, abominations that walk about the earth. There are even other beings that bleed over from other dimensions, parallel universes, and planes. Again, the reason we demons are allowed to stay here is because we keep from interfering with the humans, and it's the same with those types."

"So you're saying there are ghosts, monsters, and aliens?" Tony replies, excited.

"Not in the traditional sense, no. But you can think of it that way." Malah answers, smiling at Tony's enthusiasm. "In any case, you're unlikely to see one at all."