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The room became silent, the shifting of clothes rubbing against each other being the only sound.

“The Gods care for no soul. Am I wrong?” Florica said.

Paxon shook his head, his jaw tight. “He cared too much. That was the issue. It hurt him a lot to see his Demons slaughtered like pigs.”

“So? You haven't been successful at contacting Phobus. What then?” Silias asked.

“It's odd, is all,” Paxon admitted. “Phobus usually gives some sort of sign at the very least when we contact him, but he's been silent for twelve years.”

“More like seventy,” Ignatius said.

“No,” Paxon said. “Do you remember what the Book of Ice said?” The original religious text belonging to Stygians was located in the Ice Kingdom, deep in Stygia territory, but there were several copies in Soulesity.

I also had one, given to me by Niko, who got it as a gift from his best friend Ender.

Ignatius waved his hand in the air. “Yes, yes, we all know. Phobus has a child.”

My brows furrowed from the sure and casual statement. Phobus has a child? I don't remember reading that. I checked the reactions of the others in the room, but none were phased, not even Reaper–I locked eyes with her.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

My heart raced against my chest, knowing I'd have to run as fast as I could and reap the consequences later or fight them all now. I felt for my butterfly knife in my pocket, checking it was there, even though I never go anywhere without it.

She turned her focus back to the table in front of her, giving no indication to anyone that there was someone unwelcome in the room. She didn't snitch on me, at least not yet .

“And this child is what is needed to win this next war.” Paxon glanced around the room. “Because he's the only person that can control her.”

Silias opened his mouth to speak, but Florica beat him to it. “Just say Bernadette.” Florica stuck up her nose and Bernadette straightened her back. “We already know it's her.”

“We can't rule out other possibilities, Florica,” Paxon said, Ignatius nodding in agreement.

Silias let out a gruff, looking towards Paxon and Ignatius. “And what is your progress with finding Phobus's child?”

“It could be anyone,” Ignatius sighed. “We're not even sure what signs to look for or if the child even knows who they are.”

“Someone who acts like a Demon, but isn't?” Silias took a sip of his drink to ponder.

“I've been attempting to narrow down children without fathers, but this child could have even been born long before the Reckoning,” Paxon said.

“Then someone who has stayed twenty-five for generations?” Florica tapped her finger on the table.

“Or he may not even be born yet.” Ignatius expelled another tired breath. “It's an impossible search.”

“Not impossible,” Paxon said. “We already have one half of the equation. All we need to do is wait. The child will eventually reveal himself.”

Florica turned her head back to look at Bernadette. “Arlo is quite attracted to you, perhaps—”

“No,” Bernadette said. “Arlo does not control me.” She let out a small laugh. “If anything it's the other way around.”

“Is there anyone else that you suspect could be them?” Florica asked her.

Bernadette shook her head. “No. ”

Ignatius leaned towards Paxon and asked in a low voice, “And what about—”

“I've been watching him closely,” Paxon replied, quickly. “No signs of any powers, but definitely a powerful human. Silias is dealing with it from now on.”

Silias nodded. “We'll see soon enough.”

The clans chatted a bit more, nothing important or revealing, before concluding the meeting.

Honestly, I only ever understood half of what they said.

They hardly ever go into depth with names and places or times, as if they've already had meetings between these.

It's irritating to have to try to put the pieces of the conversation together.

The only thing I want them to talk about, they never do, or maybe they do, but not in these meetings.

I have to figure out a way to get closer…

Eventually, the leaders stood up from their seats, giving each other polite nods as they made their way out.

Silias stayed in his seat, all but his inner circle now gone. “You can all go.” He waved his hand. “Cel, stay.”

The others closed the door behind them, leaving just the two of them. Reaper made her way towards the table, taking a seat on top of it across Silias.

“You've been watching Bernadette,” he started, switching languages back to Souic.

Reaper nodded. “Every night after she finishes her shift at the Underworld Bar.”

“Has there been any signs of Angels lurking nearby?”

She shook her head, boredly playing with her nails.

Silias leaned forward on the table, his hands intertwined together as he pressed his lips to his thumb. “After ten years, you'd think it would be fine.”

Ten years ago, Bernadette lost control of her emotions and revealed herself as a Demon in front of several witnesses.

Luckily, the footage was easy to erase as Paxon was notified immediately, but because Bernadette doesn't have it in her to kill a soul, the witnesses ran and rumours spread of her existence.

They were soon hunted down by the Kokkino clan, but the damage was already done.

Ever since, Bernadette has lived in constant fear that Angels would come for her at any moment.

Though Bernadette has her fifty brothers and the entire Mov clan protecting her. Not to mention the Grim Reaper was also assigned to personally protect her.

“Why haven't they come for her?” Reaper asked. “Surely they must know.”

Silias shook his head. “I believe they're waiting for Phobus's son to reveal themselves.”

Reaper lifted her eyes to his. “And then what? Gods can't be killed.”

“No, but Angels will do anything in their power to stop Demons from thriving again. They might imprison him for all eternity.”

Reaper laid her back on the table, staring up at me with a slight smile. “That sounds a bit dramatic.”

Silias stared at her for a long moment. “I forget you're just a child,” he spat at her.

“You need to take this more seriously. They could kill you too if you're not careful.” Silias cupped her cheek in his hand, making her face him again.

The sudden shift in his personality to something more gentle was quick.

“I will not lose you, Celestine, do you understand?”

She didn't respond.

“And your progress at school?” he asked, taking his hand back, “is Vulture becoming a problem?”

“No,” she said. “I've not talked to him yet.”

He raised a brow. “Is that so?”

She nodded.

Silias knew she was lying; it wouldn't be hard for him to get intel on the situation at school from the few other students who were a part of the Stygian clans. Though, it seemed Silias was giving her a pass this time. “ Let's go home, Cel.”

***

When I got home, I immediately pulled out the Book of Ice. Flipping through the pages, I stepped around the room while Niko sat on the sofa, finishing the last sudoku puzzle in today's newspaper.

“Have they changed this?” I asked.

Niko glanced up at me above his reading glasses. “Obviously.”

I whipped my head towards him. “Why?”

“Before releasing their sacred text to the public, they removed crucial details.” He waved his hand in the air, staring back at his puzzle. “You know, female Demons, weaknesses and such.”

I felt so stupid. I hadn’t even noticed there was absolutely no mention of female Demons at all and I had read it several times. What else have they removed from the original? “Does the original exist in Soulesity?”

He nodded, not as interested as I was. “It’s with Mica.” Paxon’s only living son.