𝔸𝕧𝕒

The doorbell rings and Kieran gets up to answer it while I stay on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

"How are you doing?" Morgan asks, sitting in the chair next to me.

I don't even know how to answer that question. It's been about 24 hours since Zane was supposed to come home and we haven't been able to reach him or Kami. I haven't gotten any sleep—partially due to anxiety and partially because every time I close my eyes random memories from my past are playing on repeat.

"Tired," I say.

"I can imagine," he says, his eyes dropping to the floor. "The uh... memories haven't stopped?"

"No. They're kind of in the background at times but when I close my eyes and try to sleep they're more vivid."

"Are they bad? I mean, I know they target your worst memories, but..."

"They aren't my worst memories," I say. "I mean, some of them, maybe. They're not great memories, but they aren't necessarily the worst."

"Really? Wh-"

"Hello," Finn says, walking in with Kieran. "How are you, Ava?"

He takes off his coat and sets it on a nearby chair.

"Been better," I say. "Did you find anything?"

Finn shakes his head and frowns.

"My council contacts say they don't know anything more than we do. The whole team has been missing since the mission, including the helicopter pilot."

"Did... did they crash?" My chest clenches at the thought.

"No," he says. "That's the only thing I was able to learn. They found the helicopter landed safely on the island. Not sure how they got off the island without it, but they seem to have done."

Should I be relieved or even more worried? I can't even tell anymore.

"What do we do?" I ask. "We don't know where they are or what kind of trouble they're in. All we know is where they were last."

"We know a bit more than that," Morgan says. "We know Zane was attacked by a Shaytan. It could be classic torture, but I suspect that they're looking for information."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you said that the memories you were reliving weren't your worst ones. I'm thinking maybe they weren't looking for the worst."

"Or they weren't looking for your worst," Finn says.

Oh god, he's right. Those memories—of our breakup, of Mike, of my dad—they're precisely what would hurt Zane.

"Oh," Morgan says, biting his lip. "That could be. What do you think, Ava? Where are your memories now?"

"They seem to be looping now. They have been for several hours."

"What was the last one before they started looping?"

"Um... it was when I killed Asmodeus."

All eyes in the room are suddenly on me.

"Fuck," Finn says, placing his palm across his face.

"So they know," Morgan says with a scowl. "Excellent."

"That must have been what they were looking for. They wanted to know if Zane really did it."

"Why?" I ask. "What reason would they have to doubt him anyway?"

"It's a good question," Morgan says. "They should have just taken him at his word. It's not like they have any problems with executing an innocent man. There must be more to this than we understand. Can you think of any reason they may be curious about the details of Asmodeus's death? Anything you haven't shared?"

"No, it wasn't particularly impressive. I wheeled Kieran into him, it hurt like a bitch standing on my broken leg, and then I fell down and he went poof."

"I can't help on this front," Kieran says. "Unfortunately I was unconscious for all the fun parts."

"So you have no idea what they're looking for?" Morgan asks.

"No, how would I know? I'm not an expert in evil villains and their master plans."

"Actually, that's not a bad thought," Kieran says. "We should ask an expert."

"Who?"

"An expert in villains and their master plans of course," he says, lifting his phone. After a moment it begins to ring on speakerphone.

"Tell me you have good news," Jen's voice says on the other end of the line.

"Hey, everyone's here, you're on speaker. You've been getting my texts, right?"

"Yes, of course. I take it that means you have no news on Zane and Kami?"

"Not since my last text a minute ago," he says. "I thought you should be here to brainstorm."

"Okay. What do we know?"

"They've been looking into Asmodeus's death," Finn chimes in. "They probed Zane's memories, and through him, Ava's. They now know that Zane didn't kill Asmodeus. We can only imagine they'll be coming for Ava soon but we don't know why. They shouldn't be this concerned with the truth."

"Oh crap on toast!" she says.

"Yeah, that was our reaction," Kieran says.

"Ava, are you okay?"

"No," I say.

"Aww honey, I'm so sorry. Okay, okay... I'm on it. So we've got creepy nightmare-causing demons, they've kidnapped our peeps somewhere in the Mediterranean, and they're working for the Demon King guys and they want to know who really killed Asmodeus because... why?

"That just about sums it up, yeah," Kieran says.

"Because... maybe they can bring Asmodeus back from the dead by sacrificing the person who killed him or something?"

"Except the Demon Kings all hate each other," Morgan says. "In some ways, they're probably glad he's dead. They just feel obligated to avenge him out of pride."

"Okay then... maybe they want to make sure he's really dead or maybe... Wait, Ava, is it possible you absorbed his powers when you killed him?"

"I'm pretty sure not," I say.

"Easy to test," Kieran says. "Give me a command."

"Um... tell us something embarrassing about yourself."

"Yeah, no, sorry Ava. I don't think you have Demon King powers."

"Damn," Jen says.

"It doesn't even matter if it's a conspiracy or not," I say. "The real problem is that we don't even know where they're keeping Zane and Kami."

"Can't any of your guys' superpowers help with that?" Jen asks.

"Yeah, wait... Finn, you can contact him telepathically, can't you?"

"Sorry, love," he says, shaking his head. "I can only communicate with people who are in the immediate vicinity."

"I don't know of anyone who can reach people over long distances," Morgan says.

"None of you have some kind of magical mojo that will let you talk with Zane?" Jen asks.

"Actually," Morgan says with a slight smirk, "that's not entirely true."

ℤ𝕒𝕟𝕖

I collapse to the floor beside Ava's hospital bed.

I need to do something. Need to help her. Somehow.

"Z-Man?" a voice calls.

I turn around to see Kieran standing behind me.

"Wha- what are you doing here?" I ask. "Did Jen tell you we were here? Ava, she's not doing great. They sa-"

"Dude, it's okay," he says, giving me a pat on the back. "None of this is real."

"What are you talking about? Are you high?"

"No, I... Uggh, listen Z-Man, this is a memory. You got hit by a Shaytan's touch. Ava is at your house with the rest of us."

This doesn't make any sense. What is he saying?

I search my mind for some kind of logic to what he has said, but I find nothing. The edges of my consciousness are blurry and I can't seem to remember much outside of this moment.

"No," I say, shaking my head. "I'm dreaming. I've got to be dreaming. Maybe I fell asleep at Ava's bedside."

"God damn it, Zane, you stubborn mother fucker," he curses.

Before I can respond, he smacks me across the face. The shock snaps my mind into focus.

"You better snap out of it," he says, "or next time, it'll be a kiss."

"Bloody hell, mate, calm down."

"Are you with me, now?"

"What do you want, Kieran?" I ask.

"I need you to see that none of this is real. This is a memory."

"If this is a memory then why are you here?"

"Well, the memories that are triggered by the Shayatin are kind of like dreams. Morgan realized I might be able to talk to you through them. I guess he was right. Honestly, I'm pretty impressed with myself that I was able to target you from so far away. I've never done it before, but apparently I'm just that good."

"So you're visiting my dream, or... memory? Why?"

"Ava needs your help."

Now he has my attention.

"Wha-... how?"

"A Shaytan is probing your memories and they've gotten into Ava's too through the bond. You were kidnapped after your mission on the island. Do you remember?"

I nod as the memories slowly work their way back into my mind.

"Do you know where you are?" he asks. "Where did they take you?"

"Fuck, I don't know."

I try to tune into my senses. There's a musty, earthy scent in the air and I feel hard stone against my skin.

Memories come back to me in tiny scraps.

"Underground...Catacombs maybe?" I say. "I'm not sure where. Must be relatively close to the island because it couldn't have taken us long to get here. I'd say forty minutes, maximum."

"How is Kami? Is she with you?"

"I... I don't know. She was fine when I last saw her. I don't know where she is now."

"She's probably alright. They haven't killed you, so that's a good sign."

"What about Ava? Is she okay?" I ask.

"She's uh... yeah she's okay. She's worried, we all are."

"But she's safe."

"She's safe. Just stay put. We're coming for you soon."