The large older man was sitting next to a cot on which rested a small form of a girl. Her clothing was ruined with drying blood his hands moved like they were attempting to wash them. She stirred fitfully as she dozed. “How is she, Erasmus.” A hushed voice asked from the doorway into the station's first aid area. The old man looked up and he sighed. Then he brushed his hand through his hair.

“She lives.” He said as he stood up and stretched. “It was a Mazakeen.” He said with a long look at Sunny Becket, the woman he had assigned to train the newbie hunter. “If that jackass had delayed me any longer I don’t think he would have been, oh come in, come in Saundra.” He motioned the woman into the room.

“Which officer?” She asked.

“Does that matter?” Re asked in his deep rumbling voice. “I thought I had it all figured out, only I nearly got her killed.”

“She volunteered,” Sunny said as she reached up to put a hand on the big man's shoulder. “But you said a Mazakeen? How—”

“How do I know? Or How is there one?”

“I guess both,” Sunny said as she looked down at her trainee. “Wait are those scars?” She said leaning down and tracing while lines that lay on the girl's skin. “What the hell Erasmus. You used a potion?”

“I did. And to answer your first questions she fought for consciousness after she had taken some of the potions. She told me before going unconscious.” The man's head bent down to his chest. “I’ve been thinking about the Mazakeen and library only knows where it came from. Is it natural? Did the system spawn it and if so for what reason?”

“What about the teams?” The blond-haired woman asked.

“Two teams.” The man said as he once more sat next to the girl. Then he looked at sunny. “I have to wonder…” He started to ask.

“Not likely.” The woman said with a bitter smile. “Oh, Tommy would have loved this as a prank but I don’t think even he could pull this off from being twenty years dead.” At her words Erasmus smiled up at the young woman once more she rested her hand on his shoulder.

The old man reached up with his opposite hand and placed it over hers. “I Know. And still.”

“We have a descendant of a fallen angel to hunt down and kill,” Saundra said. “And one hell of a weird mystery to put together.”

“A mystery that seems to be focused on that young woman,” Osgood said acerbically.

“Maybe I could help with that,” Sunny said.

“What do you know so far?”

“Born in Odessa Texas seventeen years ago. Her brother was born two years later, the same year the family moved to San Antonio. From the school's records a good student, few discipline problems. Quiet. Her best friend Caroline Fawles was unmemorable--” She was interrupted by Osgood.

“Yes, we can now assume we know why on that score.” He said musing. “Could we be dealing with the law of substitution?” He asked aloud.

Sunny paused re recitation. “For what reason? Who would she be replacing?”

“I don’t know. But the laws do give me an idea.”

“Better than using her as bait.” The woman's words were like acid. The old man's head drooped at them.

“I should hope so. I was just thinking about the law of contagion.” He said musingly.

“Wouldn’t work,” Sunny said. “She has already had contact with the guild and then the added complication is what if she has had a blessing or cleansing.” She said shaking her head.

“I just have the feeling if we knew where she came from who her people were…”

“What do you mean who my people were?” Came a week voice. Both of the adults stopped speaking startled they looked down at the young girl.

Erasmus cleared his throat. “Well, you see we are divided up into clans. Usually, there are several clans in each hunters guild hall.” He started to explain.

Sunny place a hand on his arm and gave him the look most women know to quell a man from speaking. “It’s a long and complicated thing. We can talk about it later.” She said giving her commander a glare. “How are you feeling?” Victoria tried to sit up a bit, Sunny pushed her back down. “Take your time.”

The girl gave a sheepish shrug. “Sorry. I feel tired and maybe sore.” The teen replied looking up. “I can’t believe Caroline was… what was she?” She asked not seeming to have the words to express herself.

“She was a Mazakeen.” Osgood supplied.

“What exactly are they,” Victoria asked. “Because the way I’m feeling right now I’m going to kill her and I need to know how.”

Sunny and Osgood shared a look with a quirked of Sunny’s eyebrow and an imperceptible nod they had decided Osgood should speak. “The Mazakeen are the descendants of fallen angels. They seem to be blessed with power and while they often use the powers destructively you can not say that all of the Mazakeen are the same.”

“So some are good and some are bad?” Victoria mused.

“Yes, they are mercurial at best. They can shape change and often do to foment chaos.” The older man said. “They seem to feed off chaos and death. Anyway, what we know is very little.”

“Does the library know about them?” The teen asked reasonably.

“Probably,” Sunny said and sit down on the cot so she could more easily see the teenager. “The problem is most of the hunters have never been in contact with the library. We get notifications, skill upgrades, and quests.” She said with a sigh. “But no real information.”

“You are the first of us to have actually spoken to the library in decades. Your companion Lacey is the first I have heard of in a generation. All though—” He said musingly.

“Did you think of something?” Victoria asked excitedly.

“Maybe…” Osgood said and he nodded his head and he got a faraway look in his eyes. “Maybe. That is for later ruminations.” He looked down at the teenager as raised a hand to massage his beard and lower jaw. “Victoria I owe you an apology. I hadn’t realized that you might have an enemy as powerful as yours is. At best I thought it was some form of mimic.”

“It’s alright Osgood. The past few days have been a whirlwind I wish I had thought to mention it Lacey has called it a Mazakeen but it seemed to have slipped my mind with everything else going on.”

“Well, I promise not to use you as bait again.” The old man said. At his words, Sunny nodded her agreement.

“No,” Victoria replied. “I appreciate that.” She said giving the old man a brilliant smile. “Did anyone think to bring me some spare clothes?” She said looking down at herself. “And maybe a shower.”