"We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?"
-Christina Rossetti

"What's taking him so long?" Anna sighed and checked her watch for the fifth time. Olivia was opening all kinds of cupboards and doors in the hallway and it was starting to annoy Lisa. Lisa was standing in front of the elevator door and tapping her foot on the floor, she hated waiting. Just as she was about to propose to check where he was, Jonathan appeared around the corner. He walked very calmly, hands in his pockets. "Finally, you're here!" Anna turned and pressed the elevator button.

"Finally?" he echoed. "I'm right on time, right? At a quarter past seven you said-"

"A quarter to seven!" They stepped into the elevator, Lisa pushed the button down. Jonathan sighed in frustration and Anna followed suit. All five wore their uniforms and weapons. Arthur - who had been sitting in a chair the whole time - carried a crossbow and Olivia a seraph blade and throwing knives.

Arthur looked nervous. "What are we actually going to do?" The elevator doors squeaked open and they got out.

"You," Anna pointed to Jonathan and Arthur, "are on patrol."

"And what are we going to do, if I may ask?" Olivia crossed her arms, clearly unhappy with the group division.

"We're going to the Shadow Market," Lisa said cheerfully.

"Er, what is a Shadow Market?" Arthur queried. Anna explained that it was a place where merchants sold goods and magic - sometimes illegally.

"Kind of like the black market," Arthur said thoughtfully.

"And we should see if they are not conducting illegal business?" Olivia huffed and glared at the floor. "Dull."

"I think it sounds like fun," Arthur pouted.

"Okay, then I'll go on patrol with Jonathan." Olivia threw the boy aside and stood next to Jonathan.

"No way." Jonathan pushed Olivia back in their direction. "Next time we'll switch," he said with a wink. Apparently, Olivia no longer wanted to argue, because she stood still next to Anna.

*

"And how exactly do we have to be "unobtrusive"? We stand out pretty hard," Olivia shouted. Anna tried to silence her, which was more difficult than it seemed. "We wear gear and armour and are covered in runes!" Lisa wished Jonathan would've taken her with him, but didn't show it.

They stood in the middle of the Groenplaats and shouting was anything but subtle. They were surrounded by all kinds of brightly colored stalls and tents. Anna gave up, she had already seen a few people point at them. Olivia had been looking around the whole time, as if she were afraid of something. Or as if she was looking for someone.

Anna pushed her elbow into Lisa's stomach. Before she could react angrily, she saw what was going on. There was a shabby-looking stall with all kinds of pluralia, behind the stall was a man they knew all too well. Lisa and Anna shuffled over to the stand as unobtrusively as possible, Olivia followed her on guard and asked what they were doing.

"That is Achiel, a young ifrit," Lisa whispered in response, "he is the servant of the High Warlock of Antwerp, Cassius Dioz."

"Well, well, if it isn't the young Nephilim! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Achiel had noticed them and looked at them conceitedly. All three were shocked, but Lisa took her friend's hand and walked to the stand. Achiel was a thin little man. Although that probably wasn't the first thing you would notice about him; two large bat wings were sticking out of his sweater.

"You're not selling black magic on behalf of your boss, are you?" Anna looked around the stall, there was nothing but rubbish.

Achiel glared at her for a moment and then said, "No, I'm selling Mr. Dioz's old furniture."

"Good cover," she heard Olivia whisper behind her. Although it seemed to be true, the table was full of old books, candlesticks, there was even a broken divan. Anna snorted, so she didn't quite believe him either.

"Do you see anything that interests you? Feel free to look around." He winked at them and then walked over to a vampire who seemed interested in the couch. Lisa couldn't contain her curiosity and began to look through the stack of books. Olivia also snooped through the pile of goods.

"You're not really going to buy anything from that madman, are you?" Anna folded her hands behind her back.

"You're right, everything is broken here." Olivia held up a candlestick, of which one arm had broken off, and a broken pocket watch.

Anna's mouth fell open, she reached for the pocket watch. "I've always wanted to have something like that!"

Olivia gave her a puzzled look and hesitated, "It's broken, and didn't you just tell that-"

"Lisa," Anna interrupted, turning away from the girl. "Can you fix it?" Anna handed her the watch, the silver hands had stopped at a quarter to twelve.

"I think so." Anna's face brightened, Olivia gave her a crooked grin. Lisa brushed the dust off an old-looking book, its title in some demon language. There was a large lock on the front, Lisa wanted to know the contents of the book. She turned it over, the cover was red velvet and felt soft in her hands.

"Is that Chthonian?" Olivia looked over her shoulder and she nodded. She could only translate a few words of it: shadowhunters, legends, and stories. Achiel had sold his couch and rubbed his hands together. Anna slid the pocket watch over to him.

He laughed: "Good choice, that's fifty-five euros." The three girls stared at him with their mouths open. He raised his shoulders. "Friends price." Anna glared at him, but took her wallet out of her waist bag.

Olivia put her hand on Anna's bag. "The watch is broken and has lost its shine, thirty euros," she intervened.

Achiel laughed: "A negotiator, eh? Fifty euros and you get that booklet with it." He pointed to the red book Lisa had under her arm. Anna glanced at her and turned back to Achiel.

"Agreed." She put the money on the table and the ifrit immediately snatched it. Olivia snorted but bit her tongue.

"You shouldn't have done that." Anna took the book from her and put it in her waist bag along with the watch.

"You seemed to find the book very interesting nonetheless." Lisa wanted to agree when her cell phone rang, Jonathan was calling her. She answered and turned away from Anna and Olivia's questioning looks.

"Hey Jonathan, we're here on the Shadow Market and-" But it wasn't Jonathan, Arthur's voice crackled out of the device. She could hardly hear him, it seemed as if he was running. "What do you say?" She pressed her hand to her free ear, as if that would help.

"Lisa," he gasped hard, "we...we...demon." She turned back and Anna realized that something was wrong. "Demon...elves...big Groot." She didn't understand his chatter.

"Where are you?" she called to the phone.

"I don't know-" he gasped. "You have to come as soon as possible!"

*

Jonathan strolled uncomfortably next to Arthur. He had never had a boy his age around. He always used to hang out with Anna and Lisa. Though that wasn't quite true, he reminded himself. He had friends in Idris, he just lost contact with them. Arthur seemed like a real nerd to him.

Jonathan was glad Arthur broke the silence. "So what exactly are we going to do?" He didn't seem to be having a good time with him.

"We're going on a demon hunt!" Arthur had brought his crossbow, which took up almost all of his back. Like a toddler with an oversized school bag.

"Nice." Arthur turned his nose. Jonathan touched the hilt of his sword, a comforting habit. "And how are we going to find those demons? Or are we just going to follow the stench?" Jonathan smiled and took the sensor out of his pocket.

"This sensor indicates where there are any demons." Arthur took a step back and held out his hands protectively.

"Hadn't they banned those things because they could explode?"

"This is the latest version!" Jonathan started to press a number of buttons. Suddenly the sensor glowed red. "We've got one!" he said, more enthusiastically than Arthur looked. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. Which was very difficult when Arthur kept asking questions.

"How do you know where the demon is?" Jonathan explained that the sensor worked like a tracking run. He closed his eyes and saw a familiar alley.

"Follow me, the demon is that way."

______________
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That doesn't look so good for Jonathan and Arthur...
The next chapter will be up tomorrow -->

Also remember: Don't trust anyone