Chapter Five: Blind and Foolish

~ Marie ~

Her muscles protested as she stood up and leaned against the bookshelf. She took a shaky breath. It was just another nightmare. She really shouldn’t let them affect her like this anymore. Marie took another deep breath before she tried to come up with a way to get to the door without disturbing the piles of books surrounding her. Her body ached from sleeping on the hard floor. Stopping had crossed her mind but she wanted to find answers as soon as possible. Marie sighed. Not that things had gone according to plan. She gradually worked her way to the door. Marie trudged through the living room and up the stairs. More of her aches were felt as she climbed the stairs. A shower would hopefully ease some of the aches. She still had another long day of reading through books.

After her shower and her usual breakfast, Marie took her coffee and headed back to the study. She needed more information. Even a little bit more information on the victim might give her the hint she needed to narrow the search.

Old script, or script for short, was what magic users used in spells as well as in summoning. There were over two thousand script that were used for general magic. Demon summoning commonly used about five hundred of those. Not all of them were used at once but with that many choices the variations were limitless. If this was a standard summoning of a low level demon then the choices would be narrowed down to about a hundred. Sometimes it was as low as fifty. Unfortunately, this was a specialized circle for a specific demon which made the circle much more complicated. Whoever did the summoning wanted to summon this specific demon and only this demon. They didn’t want just any demon with similar abilities coming through the circle, which was something that would happen with a standard circle. Marie sighed. Going through all those script would not be pleasant or efficient.

If she knew who summoned the demon and why, she could narrow it down based on that. Experience told her that there were three reasons why someone might summon a demon: power, revenge, or immortality. Since it looked like this was orchestrated by vampires, immortality was out. Vampires lived a long time as it was, they wouldn’t be worried about dying like humans would be. That left revenge and power. If she considered power, then the possibilities were strength, wealth and knowledge but without knowing anything more about the summoner there was no way to narrow it further.

And with the last choice revenge, the question becomes revenge against who? Adrian was the most obvious choice. Mark was being accused of murder but Bel Meade did lose their Master. It was also possible someone was getting revenge on both clans. Either way, revenge seemed to be the most obvious choice. She would start there and identify demons that specialized in revenge, which were normally demons who had the ability to curse. She would go as high as lower mid-tier demons. They were the only ones that might be satisfied with the amount of death that had been in the room.

The larger the amount of death, the stronger the demon that could be summoned but with only one death, the demon that could be summoned should be a low tier demon. Unfortunately, that didn’t rule out lower mid-tier demons. Anything higher than that and the demon wouldn’t have enough death to manifest. Energy from death was needed in order for a demon to show up. If there wasn’t enough death then a demon would need to use their own energy and no demon would do that. Marie moved around the room pulling out any books concerning demons that were known for revenge or known for their power. Time passed this way for several hours before her focus started to waver. She checked the time. Seven-thirty. Marie sighed and leaned forward to rub her eyes. Even after all this time, she was no closer to an answer.

It was better to take a break and refill her coffee. Marie took her mug into the living room. Two pairs of eyes immediately focused on her. Adrian had kept his word and was here for another visit. Great. What was she supposed to do in this type of situation?

“Um, did you want some? There’s still a lot left.” Mark lifted his plate to show some kind of pasta covered in white sauce. It smelled good, whatever it was, but it was unlikely Adrian would want to share. Not that she was hungry. She still had stuff to make sandwiches if she wanted to eat.

“No, thank you.” She should be fine to act however she wanted in her own house. Overthinking it, when they wouldn’t even be here that long, was a waste of time. Marie walked past them and into the kitchen. She looked around but couldn’t find her coffee maker. Tsk. Where did he put it? Her eyes swept the kitchen but she didn’t see it anywhere. Maybe the cabinet. She put her mug on the counter while she started searching each of the cabinets.

“I put it over here.” She turned around. Adrian was opening another cabinet on the other side. He pulled out the coffee maker and set it up for her. Mark entered the kitchen and went straight to the stove. He served himself from a pan on the stove before he replaced the lid and left, leaving the two of them alone. Adrian dumped his empty plate into the sink before leaning against the opposite counter. “Did you find anything?”

“I’m still researching.” She hoped he wouldn’t ask her questions every time they met. Marie turned her mind back to her research. Maybe she needed to look at this from a different angle.

“How long until you find something?”

“However long it takes.” His eyes narrowed at her but she didn’t know what he expected her to say. The coffee maker beeped and she filled her cup. She took her coffee and went back to the study but she wasn’t alone. Adrian entered her study right after her. “Why are you following me?”

“Is there something you don’t want me to see?” She was more worried he would knock her piles over.

“What do you want?”

“To help. Wouldn’t this go faster if you had more than one person look?” It would go faster if he knew how to read script and was able to differentiate between each of them. She didn’t have the time to explain script to him as well as research. Her time would be better spent researching on her own. Marie crossed her arms. If that was all he came for then he should leave her to her research. “How much do you know about vampires?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Mark won’t be able to stay here for long. As a new vampire, his control is very weak. At the safehouse, he only had to deal with other vampires. Now you’ve forced him to be in close proximity to a human. He won’t be able to retain control for long. It would be better for him if you let him come home.” So he just wanted to try a different tactic to get her to release Mark.

“He’s staying here.”

“Just because there’s only one human here, it doesn’t mean the amount of stress is less.”

“You can tell how he’s feeling?” Adrian frowned at her as his eyes narrowed.

“Don’t take this lightly. His first instinct, after losing control, will be to attack you.”

“He’s going to stay here until the investigation is over.”

“I’ve already warned you. If he gets harmed, I will be holding you responsible.” They stared each other down as quiet descended. The silence was interrupted by her phone ringing. Tsk. Who could that be? Marie moved her books around as she tried to reach the phone. Adrian reached around and picked up her phone. He held it out to her and she took it.

“Hello?” It was one of the informants she paid to search for signs of demon summonings. Usually, the most they were able to tell her were rumors. On occasion, they were able to give her more concrete information like a time and place. This was one of those times. She held the phone with her shoulder as she pulled out a piece of paper and wrote the information down. Marie also wrote down which informant it was since she gave extra money to any information that led her to an actual demon summoning. Marie hung up. She folded the paper and put it in her pocket before turning to Adrian.

“Is that all?”

“You’re taking on another case while working on this one?” Demons didn’t care if she was already working on another case.

“This is Guardian business. If you have nothing else to say, I would like to get back to my research.” Marie opened a book and began flipping through it. The door slammed shut, startling her for a moment. She sighed. Getting this case finished would give her back her peace and quiet.

*~*~*~*~*

Once the clock struck midnight, Marie stood up and stretched. According to the informant, the summoning should take place at twelve-thirty at the Lona China Cemetery. Despite being a private cemetery, it was frequented by people looking for a thrill, hoping to see ghosts. Unfortunately, it was also a popular place to summon demons. Marie made sure her hands weren’t touching anything before she closed her eyes and teleported herself over. Teleporting was incredibly useful but it was something she preferred not to use around other people since it wasn’t a common ability.

The spot she had chosen to teleport to was towards the back of the cemetery behind some brush. Marie had to be careful of the nearby cacti as she checked the area for any magic. Nothing yet. She sat down and got comfortable as she waited for the supposed time. Information on possible summonings wasn’t always credible and there had been instances where no one ever showed. The informant had found the information on a private forum for demon summoners, which made the information even more suspicious. Unfortunately, she couldn’t just ignore it. She sighed. If nothing happened in the next thirty minutes then she would just put down a spell that would let her know if any magic was used in the area. If something did turn up, she could always come back and take care of it.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to do that. Several cars came up the path and stopped a foot away from where she was hiding. Marie peeked out, careful not to make any sounds. Three people got out of one car and two got out of the other. Two of them went to the trunk of one of the cars and opened it to reveal a sixth person. They appeared to be drugged or wounded as they stumbled around and had to be held up. They were blindfolded and their arms were tied behind their back so they were dragged around by their arms. Once the circle was completed, they would be killed to summon the demon. The sacrifice was dragged over to a tree and left on the ground. One of the people was already drawing a circle nearby, while the others stood around waiting. Should she go out now or wait?

It was better to wait. It would be easier to take them out if they were focused on the circle and not their surroundings. Marie waited as they finished up the circle and took their places. They raised their hands and she took that chance to run out. She put the two closest to her to sleep before she ran towards a third and put him to sleep before he was able to do anything. That left two. One of them had scrambled towards the sacrifice. He shook as he held a knife up to their throat.

“S-Stay away or I’ll kill him.” It would have been a smart strategy if the person on the outside hadn’t begun to chant the spell to summon the demon. The one with the knife pushed the sacrifice away as they rushed to get out of the circle. Marie took that chance to teleport behind the summoner and put them to sleep before teleporting behind the last person and putting them to sleep as well. She exhaled as she raised her eyes and searched the area for any signs of other people. The cars were empty and there wasn’t anyone else in the area.

The circle was checked, just in case, but it hadn’t been activated. She stood and examined the circle. It was a standard circle for summoning a demon of strength. The demon itself was also a low tier demon by the name of Noegoleth. The demon wasn’t the best, just the most known and because of that he was the most summoned. She ran across people trying to summon him several times a year. Well, at least this had been an easy one. Marie didn’t need to worry about another demon when she hadn’t even figured out the first one. She breathed a sigh of relief. Marie froze at the sensation of someone watching her.

She turned and peered out into the dark but couldn't see anything. Marie tried to sense if there was any magic in the area but she felt nothing. Hmm. Maybe it was her imagination. She frowned. Marie wrote out her obscure spell and activated it. If someone was out there spying, they wouldn’t be able to see or hear anything happening in a twenty foot radius around her.

With that done, Marie touched each of the would-be summoners to make sure that they were under her sleep spell and to erase the last five minutes of their memories. Keeping her abilities a secret was the highest priority for her. Marie knelt by the sacrifice and put him to sleep before she untied his arms. She made sure that the sacrifice wasn’t wounded before standing back up and pulling out a white piece of paper with script written on it. Marie pushed her magic into the talisman. It turned into ash and disappeared. This was the only way to contact the Black Division. She didn’t like to use talismans since she didn’t like relying on paper that could be damaged or destroyed but it had its uses. Marie just preferred to stick to other methods since they were more reliable.

They were a part of the same organization she was and would take the summoners into custody. The Black Division arrived about five minutes after she had used the talisman. They asked for basic information and she told them everything she knew before leaving the area to them. They would check everyone here and make sure none of them were on a wanted list somewhere. Afterwards, any information pertaining to demons would be erased from their minds and they would be let go. The sacrifice would also get their memories wiped of anything pertaining to demons. Didn’t need the victim to go and try to summon demons in order to get revenge.

Marie walked towards the road, careful to keep herself hidden from anyone trying to look for ghosts in the cemetery. She encountered no one. When she was sure no one was in the area, she teleported back to her study. She sighed as she took in the sight of several stacks of books waiting for her. Marie picked one from the pile and sat down to read. She needed to make back the time she lost taking care of that other demon. There was no telling how much time she had left.

*~*~*~*~*

Around eleven-thirty the next day, Marie made a call to a business associate, someone she used on occasion. This wasn’t his area of expertise but she hoped his particular set of skills would work in her favor and gain her some new information. They agreed to meet up for lunch at the usual place. With that out of the way, Marie went to the bookstore near her house.

Bookends and Beginnings was a small place tucked between two other businesses on a small strip. Occasionally, they would get books dealing with the occult that were more than just the usual myths and legends. She shopped there so often that the staff had started placing the occult books to one side for her. If she was lucky, they might have some in stock. She had exhausted most of her options in relation to low tier demons.

Marie headed to the back. Normally, their occult books were placed towards the front in their new age section. The only exception was the very old and rare books. Those were kept in the back in a glass display case. She skimmed over the covers and labels but nothing stood out to her. Not every old occult book had relevant information. Since she bought so many, she had begun to figure out which authors actually knew what they were talking about and which authors made things up.

The recent new age books almost never had anything worth buying. They had a lot of errors and false information when it came to magic and paranormal creatures. Most likely the authors were normal humans who took one real truth and buried it under a bunch of lies. Not that she was complaining. It was actually better that normal humans never got their hands on any real spells. She didn’t want to have to clean up after a spell went wrong and someone lost an arm or caused an explosion. It just made finding information more difficult. Since there was nothing here, she went back to the front to check. She asked the person behind the counter and they found two books on hold for her. Marie didn’t want to be late for her appointment so she just bought them on the spot without checking them. One errand down, one to go.

Blue Jack was a small cafe located near downtown. Since it was halfway between her house and his, it was the place they usually used for meetings. Burgers and fries were their specialty but they also served several breakfast items no matter the time. At this time of day, it was already starting to fill up. Marie picked a booth towards the back and ordered a coffee while she waited. She picked up one of her books and started flipping through it. She scanned the contents. It was over werewolves but some of the information seemed to be based on myths. Whether all of it was myth based, she would have to check later.

Connor Mathews ambled into the cafe just as she pulled out the second book. He was wearing a pair of worn out jeans with a faded t-shirt. His long blond hair was tied into a loose ponytail while his hazel eyes searched the restaurant. He finally spotted her and made his way over before sliding into the seat across from her. The waitress came over and took his order. Marie put her book away and waited. Once he was done he turned his attention back to her.

“So how’s it going? Haven’t seen you in— ”

“Two weeks.” The sooner the meeting was done, the sooner she could go back and research some more.

“Right. And?” Connor grinned. They had known each other for a long time and he was already used to the way she was.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re always fine.” He leaned back with a chuckle. “I’m well. Thanks for asking. So what’s the job?”

“There’s a place I need purified.”

“Purification? Lara wasn’t available?” Their conversation was interrupted by the waitress returning with Connor’s drink. Marie took that chance to trace out a spell on the table in order to keep their conversation private. Connor whistled in surprise before leaning in closer. “There’s a special reason you’re coming to me.”

“A demon was recently summoned.”

“What was summoned?” The waitress returned again, this time bringing Connor his burger and fries.

“I’m still investigating.” His eyes widened but he didn’t ask why it took her so long to figure it out. Connor knew that her mentor, the previous Guardian, specialized in demons. He understood how frustrating this was for her. She was lucky Adrian didn’t know. Marie didn’t need him breathing down her neck anymore then he was now.

“Do you think it’s related to what I’m looking for?” For four years, Connor had spent his time searching for the demon that might have had a hand in the disappearance of his childhood friend. All he had was the demon’s name inscribed on a necklace he wore around his neck.

“Maybe.” She didn’t want to get his hopes up over something that probably had nothing to do with his search but if he was able to find out more information for her than she couldn’t pass this chance up.

“Count me in.” They went over the rest of the details, like location and payment, while they ate. Soon after, they parted ways. Marie went back to her house feeling a little more hopeful. This might give her the information she needed.

*~*~*~*~*

She had finished off another pile of books before she remembered her earlier purchase. Marie flipped through it, glancing at the pages. Out of the two books she bought, one of them actually contained relevant information. The book was a journal written by somebody who was very interested in demon summoning. Small, neat writing filled every page along with the occasional diagram and circle. There were even a couple of drawings of demons. She took the book to her study. Marie sat down with a cup of coffee and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. The journal was flipped open to the first page as she leaned forward and took another sip of coffee. Maybe she would actually get somewhere today.

Ten pages later and she needed a break. The journal had a wealth of information crammed within its pages, unfortunately, nothing was separated into anything resembling sections. One moment the author was talking about the characteristics of a specific demon and on the next page they were talking about the phases of the moon and how it related to demon summoning. She sighed as she stretched. A quick coffee break would help her focus. Marie took her empty cup and left the study. Mark was sitting on the sofa reading a book. He was completely absorbed in whatever he was reading. That was when she remembered that she had left the werewolf book on the sofa.

Normally, when a case wasn’t going on she would read through any new purchases to check if they actually held any worthwhile information. If they didn’t have anything new or were based purely on myths and rumors, she got rid of them. Her study was already filled to the brim with books. She didn’t need duplicates or useless information taking up valuable shelf space. Marie had left the book in the living room to keep it separate until she could get to it. Whenever she got the chance, she was going to go through it but if it was keeping the boy occupied then that was even better. Mark glanced up and quickly closed the book.

“Did you need this?”

“No.” She walked past him and made it as far as the kitchen doorway before he spoke again.

“Um. Is..” He cleared his throat before he continued. “Are there any books on Guardians?” His question caught her off guard for a moment. Were there any books on Guardians? It was something to look into later.

“Not an official one. I don’t know where any unofficial ones are either.”

“Are you really just an observer?”

“Observer?”

“Uh….” He snapped his mouth shut and grimaced but he must have realized it was too late because he continued. “Master said that you’re looking for information to give to your superiors.”

“No, I’m looking for information in order to solve this case.” And any other cases she might have concerning vampires. Whether she would ever get another chance to take on a case involving vampires was something else entirely.

“You won’t tell your superiors?”

“I might.” His face fell. She had the urge to sigh but she stopped herself. “If you found anything out about me, would you tell Adrian?”

“I would.”

“And how is that different?”

“You could use the information against us and— ”

“You wouldn't?” He dropped his gaze as he twisted his hands in his lap. “I don’t plan on sharing anything that would be specifically harmful to you or your clan. I’d only share information about vampires in general. There are other Guardians out there that might need the information to deal with their own cases.” At the meeting held every three years, each of the Guardians shared any new information they had gathered with the others. That reminded her. The next meeting would be coming up soon. Well, it wasn’t like she had to share all the information she acquired and considering how many cases she went through a year, she was able to pick and choose which information she shared. “Why did you want a book on Guardians?”

“That’s because I never heard about you and I wanted to know more.” He glanced at her.

“What did you want to know?” He blinked several times before he opened his mouth.

“Uh. W-What do you do?”

“Help people.”

“How?”

“Depends.” He sighed in frustration as he leaned forward. “Each person is different. Their needs are different.” Mark sighed again as he leaned back and frowned.

“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?” She smiled.

“Why would I?” Mark looked at her, his eyes wide. She took that chance to go into the kitchen. Marie refilled her cup and headed back into the living room but Mark was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, the book would keep him occupied for a while.

After another two hours, she took another break. She wanted another cup of coffee to help her keep going now that she felt that she was getting somewhere. One script had finally been deciphered. It didn’t give her very much information to go on but it looked like buying the book was proving to be a good decision.

Marie opened the door and the smell of food filled her study. This morning she had noticed more groceries in the fridge than she had bought and new kitchen utensils were cluttering up her cabinets as well. She didn’t understand why Adrian was going to so much trouble but if it kept him from complaining then she wasn’t going to say anything. The kitchen was empty when she entered. They were probably eating in Mark’s room. The coffee maker was turned off and put up again. At least this time she knew where it was. She took it out and placed it on the counter but now she was missing the coffee pot. Why did he feel the need to move her things? She went back to the cabinet the coffee maker had been but it wasn’t there. Marie opened up the cabinet next to it but it wasn’t in there either. Where was it?

“What are you looking for?” Adrian stepped into the kitchen, carrying a stack of plates. He placed them in the sink before turning towards her.

“The coffee pot. Where did you put it?” He smirked at her as he went to a cabinet on the other side and pulled out the coffee pot. She took it and started up the coffee maker as he leaned against the counter next to her. “Don’t move my things.”

“Find anything new?” She thought about not telling him but she did say she would tell him any information she gained regarding the circle. And he did ask.

“I deciphered one of the script used in the spell. Blind.”

“What does that mean?”

“All summoning circles have restrictions in place within the ritual itself to protect the summoner. With this circle, they added something extra. Making the demon blind.”

“Why would they make the demon blind?”

“My guess would be that the demon has special abilities related to their eyes and the summoner didn’t want it used against them.”

“Can this be used to figure out which demon they summoned?”

“Not really. It narrows it by a little but not enough.” It was a common ability for a demon to have. The coffee maker beeped, signaling it was ready. She turned around and poured herself a cup. Dishes clattered behind her and she assumed he was putting things away. Whatever he had been cooking smelled good. Her stomach growled in agreement. It had been a while since she had eaten. When she turned around, he held a plate of food out to her. It held pieces of sliced chicken with macaroni on the side.

“Here.” Marie took it but was confused as to why he was giving it to her. “It’s not poisoned.” She frowned. Poison wasn’t something she ever worried about.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Not hungry?”

“I’m fine.” Her stomach betrayed her by growling again. An amused smile crossed his face.

“Really?” Might as well taste it.

“Thank you.” Marie picked up the fork and speared a piece of chicken. She gingerly took a bite and was surprised. It was good. Like something she would have eaten in a restaurant. She tried the macaroni next. Not as good as the chicken but still good. Marie glanced at Adrian to find him staring at her. Did he need something else? He wasn’t talking so she ignored him as she ate. When she was done, she put the plate in the sink. Marie could clean up using magic but she didn’t want him to react to her use of magic. It was better to just put the plate in the sink for now. She could always clean up later. He was still staring at her as she turned around. “Did you need something else?”

“Have you gone back to the apartment?”

“No.” Why was he asking? Was he worried she was investigating behind his back?

“I want to go back tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I want to see if I missed anything.” His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t go back?” Connor would check the building out tomorrow morning. After that, it wouldn’t matter if Adrian went back.

“We can go tomorrow.” He left it at that but she could tell there was something on his mind. She turned to refill her cup but when she turned back, he was gone. With any luck, she would gain some new information tomorrow and quickly put an end to this case.