Greykin Valley

| 72 | Demon Name

He didn't know. He'd never seen this man before...unless....

"I could have had you," he said as he buried his hand in his robes again. "I could have...grabbed you."

Jackson tensed up and stifled another breath. Was this the man who was calling 'Salvator' out of the darkness by the cadejo pit? "W-what do you want?" he asked shakily.

The man laughed. "You, creature. I want you." He burst forward and snatched Jackson's collar, and he glared into his soul with his bright purple eyes as Jackson panicked and tried to escape, but the man was so much stronger than he was. "You're the key to everything!" he growled, lifting Jackson up off his feet. "And we won't lose you again—"

"Jackson!" came Damon's panicked voice.

Jackson opened his eyes, finding himself in the bedroom in Reiner Manor surrounded by everyone.

And standing over him was Lord Caedis. He took his clawed hand off Jackson's head and stepped back to where Raphael and Sebastien were standing.

The pack looked horrified, and Damon pulled Jackson into a tight hug before he had a chance to ask what the hell was going on. A flurry of concerned questions came from his packmates, but it was what Lord Caedis, Sebastien, and Raphael were mumbling which had Jackson's attention.

"Is it bad?" Raphael asked.

"Zhey vere trying to pull 'im into a soul prison. Zhey knew 'is zemon name, vhich gives zhem a lot more power over 'im," Caedis replied.

"How did they find his demon name?" Sebastien questioned.

"I zon't know," Caedis replied. "But ve can't visk zhem getting 'im like zhat again."

"Jackson?" Damon asked worriedly.

Jackson shook his head and pulled out of Damon's hug so that he could see his mate's face.

The Alpha frowned. "Are you okay?"

He exhaled deeply and nodded.

"What the hell was that?" Julian asked as if they and nobody else had understood what Caedis was just talking to Raphael and Sebastien about.

Before anyone could answer, though, Jackson set his eyes on Caedis and asked him, "What's a demon name?"

"Every demon has one," Raphael answered.

"Demon names are our true names," Sebastien added. "And our other names—mine, for example: Sebastien—are the names we go by in this world, names that other Caeleste use for us."

"Like Alucard," Cyrus said, nodding at Lord Caedis. "Caedis is his demon name."

Sebastien continued, "Our demon names are only used in official cases...say you were going to Daevor or something...or addressing someone of higher ranking, like Lord Caedis."

"So...Lucian's demon name is Lucian?" Julian muttered.

Raphael scoffed. "No, he just prefers to be difficult. It makes him feel special."

Jackson was still confused and horrified. "What the hell was going on? Where was I?"

This time, Lord Caedis answered, "Zhe 'oly Grail vere trying to lure you into a soul prison; zhey vould trap your aura and later recover your body, vhich is much easier zhan capturing you vhile you're conscious. Zhey vere using a very dark ethos vhich vequires zhem to know your zemon name—Salvator. I zon't know vhere zhey vound out, but now zhat zhey know, ve're going to 'ave to take even 'igher precautions to ensure zhis mission is a success and zhat zhe 'oly Grail zon't get zheir 'ands on you."