Megan looked on in confusion. "What's a Shadow Charmer?"

After the initial shock, Ramon composed himself. "A Shadow Charmer is someone with dark powers - a friend to the night. There hasn't been one for over a century. Some even consider them to be a myth."

Megan glared up at Thranus. "And you're sure this is the only way."

The demon nodded. "Unless you wish to die."

She took a deep breath. "Fine. Do it."

Ramon jumped in front of her. "Wait! We don't know what he's going to do to you."

Megan placed her hands reassuringly on his shoulders. "We don't have a choice. Trust me."

He clenched his jaw, but let go after giving her arms a quick squeeze.

Thranus sighed loudly, annoyed. "Are you ready? Or do you wish to talk yourself to death?"

Megan nodded curtly.

"Finally," He stretched out his hands toward Megan and started chanting in a garbled language. Part way through, the voice switched to English. "... consoler of phantoms, comrade to trolls, councilor of demons, hereby and henceforth recognized and acknowledged as a Shadow Charmer."

Megan felt the monster inside settle as if lulled to sleep.

Thranus toppled backwards, heaving and panting. "It is done." Fresh blood flowed from the wound in his abdomen. "Be warned. There was more power than I had anticipated. I could not appease it all." He coughed wetly. "There is a chance that it will resurge. At best I have bought you some time."

Ramon made a sound like a growl. "You mean you lied to us."

Thranus pushed himself against the wall. "I didn't lie. I simply misread the situation."

Ramon turned to Megan. She stood motionless, her mind swirling with too many thoughts. A thousand voices screamed in her head, begging for relief, for freedom, for rest. Tears welled up in her eyes as the voices grew more desperate.

Ramon shook her. "Megan. Megan!"

She snapped out of her trance, tuning out the voices. "I'm sorry."

He sighed. "Let's go. It seems we've only accomplished half of our mission." He led her out of the cave where they met the others.

They rode back to the main house in silence. Megan tried to block out the many voices vying for her attention. If this was what a Shadow Charmer had to deal with everyday, she wondered how they managed to stay sane, or if they just gave into the madness. She rubbed her temples, feeling the imminent headache. It was going to be a long night.