The Second Summoning

“He’s probably bleeding in the basement,” Diana decided, wincing as the cat dropped to the floor with an emphatic double thud. “The blood of the lineage is the fastest way to open a dark hole.”

“At least we know she hasn’t got it open yet.”

“Actually, we don’t know that for sure because my brilliant sister never bothered to remove the dampening field around the furnace room.” Leading the way to the basement door, Diana zipped her jacket back up, wondering why it was so cold.

“Okay, full stealth mode until we see how far things have got. We don’t want to spook her into destroying herself.”

“Or the world.”

“Yeah, that too.”

Having hit every possible red light since they got off the highway, Claire was considerably less than happy as she reached into the possibilities to change the light at Division and Queen. “It’s almost as though something was trying to prevent us from reaching the guesthouse in time.”

“Gee, I wonder what that could be,” Austin said dryly. “Or maybe we just should’ve left the highway at Sir John A. MacDonald Boulevard like I suggested, thereby missing the downtown traffic.”

“Nothing personal,” Dean told him, accelerating through the intersection and not even slowing as Claire changed the light at Princess Street, “but it’s some hard to take driving suggestions from a cat.”

“Why?”

“You don’t drive.”

NOW GO RIGHT.

“My right or your right?”

YOUR RIGHT.

“There?”

OH, BABY . . .

“Oh, stop it,” she muttered, unamused. She’d been pouring all the darkness she had left in her into the stupidly convoluted pattern that sealed the hole, and although she’d thinned it to a thread, it was nearly gone. There might not be enough, even though she could now feel Hell trying to force its way to her from the other side.

“They’ll be sorry.” It was meant to be a snarl. It sounded more like a whine.

“They’ll all be sorry.”

“Who’ll be sorry?” Samuel asked, whiskers tickling the edge of Diana’s ear.

“Standard teenage riff when attempting to destroy the world,” she explained, crouched down and peering around the edge of the furnace room door. “So what happens if you two touch? Do you blow up? Like matter and antimatter?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t know?”

His tail lashed. “Hey, I just got here four days ago. You’re the one maintaining metaphysical balances in the world, not me.”

“Well, since this is my first angel/demon crossover, you’d better wait here.

We’re trying to save her, not lose you both.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Convince her that there’s another way.” She straightened, pushed the turquoise door completely open, and stepped over the threshold.

There was no reaction. Not from the demon. Not from Hell.

Must be really concentrating.

One step. Two.

Maybe I should just try and knock her off the site.

Three steps. Four.

Then I sit on her until she listens to me.

Five steps. Six.

Just wish I knew what to say.

Seven.

The black-haired girl kneeling in the center of the bedrock floor, palms pressed against the stone, looked up, onyx eyes locking on Diana’s.

Say something, you idiot. Claire can’t be far behind you.

“Whassup?”

Byleth stared at the girl on the stairs in disbelief. “Oh, like that is so over.

Take one more step, Keeper, and I punch right through to Hell.” Which was total bluff; she’d gone as far as she could, it was up to the other side now.

WORK TOGETHER, GUYS! TOGETH . . . STOP THAT!

Clearly, she’d have to stall.

“Send me back now, Keeper, and this is the path I’ll take. You’ll be opening the hole for me.”

“Diana.”

“What?”

“My name is Diana, after a great-aunt my mother was sucking up to. I think she was angling for this totally ugly soup tureen. Got a 1915 chamber pot instead.

Frankly, I didn’t see much difference. Old ugly is still ugly.” Two quick steps and Diana was standing on the floor, thankful for the thick-soled winter boots that partially blocked the emanations from Hell.

WHAT PART OF TOGETHER DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?

“Hardly your real name,” Byleth snorted. “You wouldn’t give me that kind of power over you.”

“Why not?”

“Duh. Because I’m what I am and you’re what you . . .” The onyx eyes blinked. “You did. Are you terminally stupid?”

“No. I hate being called Keeper, like I’m an earring or something. And you are?”

“Busy.”

“Yeah, and rude. Do you have a name or what?”

“Byleth.” She hadn’t intended to tell but there was power in trust as well. “Not that it matters!” she snorted, fully aware that the Keeper had been able to read the thought from her face, ”only Demon Princes actually have names, I just borrowed this one.”

Diana shrugged. “Seems solidly yours now.”

“No way!”

“Way. You must’ve noticed how the form you’re in has changed you. If all you were was darkness, you’d have had this hole open by now and I’d be talking to you with my head up my ass.”

“I’m not sure you aren’t,” Byleth snarled.