Age of Demons

Chapter 25 - Leyla

Detroit Safe House

There were people everywhere.

Leyla was a social butterfly. But today all the noise and chatter and clinking of utensils in the cafeteria were driving her mad. She couldn't think. So she took her food to one of the tables on the other side of the floor. A couple of the rooms were taken, but she finally found an empty one where she ate in silence. Very unusual for her. But it was a new place, a new change. A new start, she guessed. Besides, seeing all those people together and laughing, it saddened her, made her miss Carter even more. Just thinking of him produced prickles of pain behind her eyes. She shook her head to clear the sticky thoughts in her head and subsided at a vacant table.

She thought back to that morning, when she woke up with no sign of Ashlyn. She knew Ash started her new job that morning, which was dangerous. A trickle of worry entwined with the sadness eating away at her heart.

Leyla picked at the remaining blackberries on her plate. She felt useless. Ash was out there, putting her life on the line, just like Carter did when he went scavenging. And what was she doing? Hiding away from everyone. Drowning in misery. At least this place wanted her to contribute; soon she'd be doing something. So she could take her mind off of Carter... She breathed in sharp, desperately trying to hold back the tears.

Leyla heard voices nearing. They grew louder with each step. She hoped they wouldn't sit in this room with her. Her ears perked up when she heard the word demons.

"You think it's because of her?" a higher-pitched male voice asked.

"Its just gossip!" a girl replied.

"No, listen, I heard that she's the reason for the demons. She was here... before us." A different guy said. His voice was lower, and Ley strained to hear what he was saying. "...haunts... and she's out for vengeance."

"That's not why there are more demons here now," the same girl said disdainfully.

"Then what?"

The small crowd had almost reached the room. They walked slowly, which Leyla was glad for. More demons? Can they reproduce? She never thought about that. Or are they coming from somewhere else?

"Just go to the lib. They have books from before," the girl said.

"Ew, no, who reads?" the high-pitched guy sneered.

Ley rolled her eyes. They sounded younger. She assumed lib meant library. And what did the girl mean by "books from before"? By now the bunch had come into view. Young teenagers, probably under sixteen years. They glanced at her but then continued on their way.

Well, Leyla knew what she was doing that day. She quickly ate the last pieces of fruit on her plate, put the tray away, and headed toward Simmons Hall that housed the large library.

But first: the underground tunnels. Coming to the cafeteria, she had waited for a couple of people to head down there first so she could follow them. She didn't want to admit she was scared of the tunnels... but she was. They were dark, creepy, and dimly lit. And underground. And this was an asylum. All those things spelled haunted and dangerous. So, again, she trailed a pack of people who were going the same direction as her into the tunnels.

The tunnel was dark, the dim red lighting barely illuminating the ground. Luckily, the people in front of her were talkers, and it made the trek less scary. When she came up to light, the tension in her shoulders loosened.

She headed for the library, dodging around the assemblage in front of her. Once she entered, the bookshelves greeted her. She smiled. She wasn't much of a reader, but she had her own mission now.

There was only one problem: she had no idea how this library's books were organized. She peered at the bookshelves but could spot no labeling. Only numbers. She didn't understand what they meant. She glanced around. There were some people sitting at the tables, all invested in the books they were reading. Was there someone there who knew how to navigate all the bookshelves? She strode past them to the back, where she perceived more tables, but fewer people. And Niko. That's right, he said he was some sort of librarian, didn't he? She treaded over to the table he was occupying and slid into the chair across from him.

Niko's eyes darted up. His lips formed a half smile. "Leyla," he said. "What brings you to my library?"

She surveyed the space. Back there it was a little darker than up front, fewer windows to let in the light. "You look after all of this?"

He clasped the book he was reading and sat back, regarding her carefully. The chair creaked slightly under his weight. "Well, no, but I like to say so. I've read almost all the books here, more than anyone else has—so I believe I have the authority."

"Really? All these books? There must be hundreds."

"All right, maybe not all. But I can say I've read more of these books than anyone else. And I've brought in the most."

"You brought in some of your own?"

"I'm one of the scavengers. Some of us go to nearby abandoned buildings to loot."

She twitched at the word scavenger. Of course he was. At Deliverance, nearly all the men were, why wouldn't this place be any different? She shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand, but already, Niko had left her vulnerable. "I was wondering if you could help me out."

He leaned forward, his teeth flashing under the light. "You came to the right guy."

"I wanted to learn more about the demons."

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Great! I know just what to get you." He rose up from his chair rather quickly. She stumbled to her feet in response. He waved her after him as he headed toward the bookshelves.

In one aisle and then another, he picked out books. He was like a tornado, whipping through the aisles and snatching as many books as possible. When they returned to the table they'd occupied twenty minutes earlier, he plopped the pile of books down. He must have grabbed a dozen.

"So, I got a couple different topics, since I'm not sure what specifically about demons you're looking for." He picked out two hardbound books. "These are accounts about demons, but from the time before the Demon Age." He glanced up before continuing, some of his brown curls falling in front of eyes. "Obviously, they're not full-proof accounts since we didn't actually have demons living on our earth at that time. But they might give you some kind of insight and background information." He picked up five matching books—those looked more like journals. "Here are actual primary sources about the demons: handwritten accounts from people today. In which, I'm assuming, you'll find the most of what you're looking for. And the rest—I've got a bible here, just for comparison, and other nonfiction texts about under and otherworld topics from the time before." He gazed at her, expectant.

"Wow. Well, I guess I'll just get to it then." She slowly sank down to the chair and pulled one of the journals toward her.

"I... could help out if you want," Niko said.

She peered at him. "Oh. I mean, if you want."

He quickly sat down. "So, what exactly do you want to know?" Light glinted in his golden eyes.

She observed the journal before her. It was leather-bound with a clasp to keep it locked. She stroked the cover, its roughness grazing her fingertips.

"I want to know... their weaknesses, their strengths, where they came from, why they're here, the rumors, the what ifs, the unknowns..." Leyla glanced back up at Niko. He was grinning now, the light dancing in his eyes. "Basically," she said, "I want to know everything."