Discover L (Book 2) | Editing |

~~ Ready, Set, No ~~

L wondered if this Demon was making them do it, the thought angered her and she wanted to storm the place immediately. She couldn't help pondering further as to whether this was similar to what Bryce had witnessed. Not that he was in the mood for questions, he was studying the house with a scowl of disgust, muttering under his breath about strategy and surprise.

They were across the road from the house but L had no doubts that this Demon would be aware of anything that got too close. Surprise may be out of the question, but they always had force and speed they could rely on. When she suggested this to Bryce however, he shut her idea down immediately.

"That's exactly what I thought last time, but there were too many of them inside. It surrounds itself with people, uses them as shields, it doesn't care what happens to them as long as its protected. No, we have to be careful about this one, we need a real plan."

He went back to scouting the house, muttering to himself. L was starting to worry, she'd never seen him like this before; in the time she'd known him, his behaviour had always been a little unpredictable but nothing so dark and on edge. She wished she could speak to Emilia, get her advice on how to talk to Bryce like this. Being a Keeper didn't help when it came to feelings and advice, it was just facts and figures, historical accounts and abilities- she was on her own.

She sighed and searched her mind for some scrap of information about a Demon with the power to control, hoping she could help end this quickly. There were Demons who could drain life from other living things, Demons who could shapeshift and mimic people- they'd met one like that before. But there was nothing about a control Demon, despite the disappointment she felt she knew it had been worth one last try. She rubbed her temple and moved over to where Bryce was kneeling by the fence.

"We need to do something soon, Bryce. Those people need our help and we need to be getting back on the road."

"Don't you think I know that?" Bryce spoke quietly. "I want to save them, I don't want to lose a single one of them and I also wish we weren't even here right now. But we are, and I don't want to make a mistake so please, just give me a moment."

He didn't take his eyes off the house, through a gap in the fence, and L could tell he was in pain.

"Alright, but when we're done here, I want to know what happened last time."

Bryce didn't respond but she knew he heard her.

She and Nyla stepped back to give him some space. They couldn't be seen from the windows of the house, but just knowing that archway of people was there made the hairs on the back of L's neck stand on end.

"Can't you just take this thing out?" Nyla whispered, glancing to Bryce to make sure he wasn't listening. "I mean, you're the Keeper, you can literally do anything. We could storm in, knock out the traumatised people and kill the Demon, piece of cake."

L had been staring at one of Nyla's forearm tattoos, a tabby cat with one eye closed, while she spoke. She could have sworn the eyes had switched, until she was distracted by Nyla's words.

"I've thought about that, but we run the risk of alerting the Demon before we get there and it making its getaway before we can do anything." L whispered back, glancing from Nyla's face to Bryce's.

He hadn't moved or spoken, he didn't seem any closer to a solution than they did. Time was ticking on, they needed to make a decision and soon.

"What we need is the advantage, to know how to hit it and destroy it." Nyla said, staring at the fence in front of her.

L's brow knitted together, she knew more about Demons than almost any other living being. Some were generic, killed by a well placed sword or claw, while others required more skill and power. Each was made of the same shadowy substance, died in generally the same way although it took more effort with some. But L couldn't see this one being much different, if they could nullify its ability to control then they'd be facing a Demon just like any other.

"Do we know how it controls its victims?" L asked suddenly, keeping her voice down once she'd led Nyla back to where Bryce was kneeling.

"Not exactly, I assume it's some kind of dark magic. It doesn't control thoughts, just the body, but it can make anyone do anything it wants them to do, no matter how much you try to resist..." Bryce trailed off, his fists clenched on the hilt of his sword again.

L nodded but didn't press him, something was stirring in the recesses of her mind she couldn't quite grasp yet. She recalled Bryce naming the creature the Puppeteer, how it controls the body but not the mind.

"We need to cut the Demon's strings." L said aloud, she felt the conviction of her words the moment they left her mouth.

"What?" Bryce and Nyla asked in unison.

"A Puppeteer is only able to work his puppets using the strings that hold them. If we cut the strings, metaphorically, from the Demon to the people then it won't have an army of puppets to help it or hide behind. They'll all run away and we'll be able to face it head on."

Neither Bryce, nor Nyla, answered her straight away, both seemed to be mulling over her explanation. It was risky but she knew it would work, and it was the only idea they had.

"We'd still need to find a way to do that, and getting in there in the first place without being spotted is going to be near impossible. We need more time." Bryce insisted but L could tell he was stalling.

He didn't have a better idea and she had a feeling he wasn't ready to go in and face the Demon- not that he'd admit it.

"Well we don't have anymore time, these people will die from exhaustion if we don't help them, now. Magic might be our answer, I think I have something that could work but I'd need to be... close."

Bryce whirled on her, "No, don't even think it. You are not getting yourself caught on purpose."

"Since when were you telepathic," L smirked but Bryce was in no mood. "Look, it's the only way and we have no better options. Purposely getting caught gives the illusion that we failed, the Demon will be smug and distracted. That's when I'll use the spell and we can end this."

"We?" Nyla asked with raised eyebrows.

"You don't have to come inside, in fact it would be better if you stayed out here and helped the townspeople when they come round." L instructed her, "But I know for certain that Bryce isn't going to let me be taken alone. I don't want to stand here arguing and I don't want to knock him out in order to do it, so yes, we."

L peered up at Bryce, his expression was weary and his eyes kept darting towards the house. Usually she wouldn't be told what she could do or where she could go, but she didn't want to cause Bryce anymore pain than he was already enduring.

It took a few more seconds before Bryce finally nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Okay, let's go get caught on purpose."