Midnight

Chapter Two

"Why do you need help?" Lexie asked. "Why does a mighty angel of death need assistance from us lower lifeforms?"

"You should work on that inferiority complex." Cassius said. "I could introduce you to someone."

"I could introduce your face to my fists." Lexie said.

"Anyway." Cassius said. "The psychological problems of a tsundere succubus aren't what's important here. This city has been my jurisdiction for a very long time and I've been able to handle the occasional necromancer and misbehaving ghost here and there but this is different. This phantom has eluded me. I can't track it. I haven't been able to capture it. It's like it knows everything that I'm going to do before I do it. I need the assistance of local experts in supernatural things."

"What does it look like?" Cora asked.

"It doesn't appear to have a fixed form." Cassius replied. "Every time that I've seen it the phantom has a different appearance. The only things that distinguish it from the living are that it has no corporeal form and the aura of wrongness it exudes. I've never encountered anything else that feels so utterly alien."

"How can you tell that there's one and not several of them?" Aldrich asked.

"I can't be entirely certain." Cassius said. "I've seen it change shape and it feels like the same creature but I could be wrong."

"Why aren't you seeking help from other angels of death?" Cora asked.

"They're busy and don't consider this important enough currently to warrant their attention." Cassius said.

"Do you have a plan?" Aldrich asked.

"Yes." Cassius said. "I need people to go talk to the people who have returned from the other side. Someone also needs to talk to people who knew the ones who have died. This isn't a simple case of a necromancer bringing people back. This is something else and I need more information. I need to know what connects these events before things get worse. I need prove that this is as serious as I believe it is. If I can do that then this creature could be easily stopped. The combined might of my brothers and sisters would be unstoppable."

"We should split into teams then." Aldrich said.

"I know people I can send to ask some questions." Mary said. "You meet a lot of people when you own a bar. Especially a bar like mine."

Cora ended up being teamed up with the succubus, Cassius went with Aldrich and Mary stayed to look after her bar and to contact her people. Aldrich had objected to leaving Cora with Lexie but Cassius had insisted that it was a good idea. Lexie had agreed and said something about girl power that Cora didn't understand. Was that some kind of a type of sorcery?

Cora and Lexie went to see one of the people who Cassius said had returned to life. The area that he lived in was quite nice. Not the kind of area that the rich lived in but more of a middle class neighbourhood. Monolithic buildings and greenery and right next to them was a beach and a long bridge. It was getting pretty warm and Cora wanted to go to the beach. She gazed at the water longingly.

"I know." Lexie said. "But first we have a job to do."

"But after?" Cora asked.

"Nothing and no one will be able to stop me." Lexie said.

"Sweet." Cora said. "I'mma gonna get muh beach on fam."

Lexie looked at her for a long moment.

"What?" Cora asked. "I'm not used to the terminology of this era. I'm experimenting."

"Ok." Lexie said. "As long as you're experimenting..."

"What?" Cora asked.

"I'll tell you later."

Eventually they found the guy's apartment. Cora knocked on the door. A man who appeared to be in his twenties, with short black hair and sunglasses hiding his eyes, opened the door. He was wearing a white top, blue jeans and black socks. In his right hand was a black cane.

"Hey." Cora said. "You're Desmond Gray right?"

"Yes." Desmond said and turned his gaze to Cora. "I am." He then looked at Lexie. "Come in."

Well that was easy. Maybe too easy.

His apartment was quite nice. The furniture was all sleek and modern. There were a few bookshelves. His book collection was rather impressive.

"So." Desmond said. "Would you like to tell me why I'm being visited by a succubus and a demon?"

Cora and Lexie looked at each other.

"Yes I know." Desmond said. "When I came back from the other side I discovered that I had been given a gift. A new kind of vision to replace my more mundane sight. While I can't see this world I can see the other side. I can see your true forms. Your spiritual forms. So why are you here?"

"You're not afraid?" Lexie asked.

"Why would he be?" Cora asked.

"No." Desmond said. "I died and came back from beyond the veil. I know that I'm not supposed to be here. I also know how and when I will return to the other side. Don't ask me how I know. I just do. I know that I have no reason to fear you."

"That's what we came to ask you about." Cora said.

She explained to Desmond what Cassius had told them.

"I see." Desmond said. "Let me think... I died two days ago, I have no idea how, and I woke up on the coroner's table just before they started cutting into me. That was fun. They said that I must have been stung by an insect of some kind. Something with a toxin that makes you appear dead. I think I once saw a story like that on TV. I know they're wrong. I saw the other side. I experienced it. I think that they know that they're wrong as well. They just wanted an easy explanation so they could move on. At least they paid me for the coroner's supposed negligence so I can't really complain. Actually I'm not legally allowed to since I signed an NDA. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"How long have you..." Lexie started.

"Been blind?" Desmond asked. "It's fine. I don't mind being asked about it. I lost my sight a year ago. The doctors say that it was because of a genetic disorder but according to my parents our family has no history of anything like that."

"What do you think?" Cora asked.

"I now believe that my blindness is not natural and that I was brought back for a reason. It must be connected. I'd like to know why. Could you take me to meet the angel of death that you mentioned?"