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I smile slightly but don't respond right away. I know I'll be seeing him again tomorrow for his mother's funeral, so really, what's the point in him visiting the shop. I set my phone down for a moment, just thinking.

Caden seems to think I can just drop the shield and be okay. It's not so easy for me. I sigh, feeling frustrated and pick my phone back up.

How's your dad? I ask. It seems the safer option right now.

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I chuckle at the comparison. It was a fair assessment. I was curious, but I didn't want to be rude. Instead, I pressed my leg to theirs and finished my meal. I picked my coffee back up after pushing my plate away and leaned back in the chair.

”I'm curious about the fact that you have demons under you that you tell what to do. You're a white-eyed demon, which I'm learning is a higher ranking demon. You're more powerful than any other I've met. I guess I just want to know how powerful and how you got to that point.”

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I furrow my brow at the text back, the change of subject a little sudden, but I shrug it off since it’ll segway. He’s doing okay. The two of us have been reaching out to friends today about the services. I sigh and run a hand through my hair, sad that the distraction is over.

It’s actually why I texted you, but I wanted to say hello first :) I add the emoji to make sure I didn’t come across as upset or anything.

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I finish off my pancake and patiently wait for his questions before I start answering. A lot of these are going to be hard to answer, but I want him to trust me. With a deep breath in and out, I start. “White-eyed demons are what’s considered to be the ‘Princes of Hell’, most of them have been with him since the fall such as Lilith. They’re the most powerful demons in hell. As old as time itself and all powerful along with it.” I stare at our touching thighs, mulling over how best to answer. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I continue.

”I’m not like them - I’m not as old as far as I know. Lucifer used to tell me he made me one because he liked my particular proclivity for pranking. So, he pulled the ultimate joke on his other princes by giving them an annoying kid sister - me. I start fidgeting a little, pulling on my fingers by this time to help my nerves.

After taking a moment, I finally continue. ”White-eyed demons come with a lot of abilities, like sedation or teleporting, but the joke’s on me cause I only get it right half the time.” I finally look up at Caden. ”That’s why I couldn’t keep the chimera asleep and why I ended up in your pool.” Not knowing what else to say, I give a little shrug.

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Oh… That must be difficult. Are you sure he’s okay? Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe it was a little guilt, and maybe it was a little genuine wanting to help out, but I felt like I should do something for them. Like, maybe get flowers or order those giant platters of meats and cheeses.

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I listen intently, leaning forward little by little as Nero talks on. It’s fascinating, the hierarchy of hell. Honestly, sometimes I thought it was better laid out than in heaven. Although, it really was the same.

”Hmm,” I said, pondering over it all when they finished. ”Do you think Lucifer pulled a prank on you by making you weaker?” I speculated. Either way, Nero was more powerful than any demon I had encountered, making me feel all tingly inside.

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I feel a pang of guild when she asks if she would be able to help - it’s not why I messaged her. No, no need to do anything! Like I said, he’ll just be happy if you show up to the service. I send a follow-up text with the details regarding the funeral.

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I tilt my head, pursing my lips as I mull that idea over. ”I just always assumed it was because I’m too young but… that would be on par for Lucifer to pull something like that.” I put my head on the table and groan. ”That would actually explain so much.” I mumble into the tabletop.

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Okay… If you’re sure. I’ll pass the information along to Caden.

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”Could be both,” I said honestly. ”I’m just speculating." I finish my coffee before taking my phone out and text Cassi that we are on our way.

”Regardless, I’m highly attracted to power. It’s a good thing you’re powerful then,” I tease. I stand up and button my jacket back up. I offer Nero my hand to help them stand.

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Thank you for the offer though, I really do appreciate it and I’ll pass it along to my dad, it’s just… I sigh as I try to find the best words to describe it.

I feel like it would be easier if we had any other family to lean on for support, then we could have the proper traditional Chinese traditions for my mom. I have it typed up, unsure if I should send it or not. It was a bit more revealing about myself than I would typically divulge even to close friends. I close my eyes and tap my phone screen in a small game of text message roulette. When I reopen them, I can see the message had sent.

Biting my lip, I get up from the table to pace anxiously.

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When he says he’s only speculating, I raise my head, choosing to just rest my chin on the table while he talks. It’s a good guess either way, it’s just unfortunate that I can’t really verify if it’s true or not. I can’t ask Lilith or Alastair as they’re both dead, Asmodeus is in the wind and quite possibly the reason for the beastie terrorization, and the other two princes went into hiding once Crowley became king.

Caden’s next words make me flush and I playfully glare at him before taking his hand, grabbing my own suit jacket with my other hand. ”You’re shameless.” I tell him with a smirk and a shake of my head.

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I sigh, looking over at my cats as they wake up and start to become more playful. All my plants survived yesterday, but I wasn’t sure how lucky I would get two days in a row. You would think animals tied to their sorcerers would be more considerate of such things.

Well, what do you need in order to do that?

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”Completely,” I agree and escort them from my room and through the house. Once we walk outside, I don’t have to go get the car. Avery brought it around for me before leaving.

I open the passenger side door of the Audi for Nero and help them inside before closing the door and getting in on the driver's side. I pull away from my house and am quickly speeding down the road, the world flying by. I’ve never been the type to move about slowly.

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My phone vibrates and I smile sadly at Cass’ response. Well, a lot of it can’t be done since there was a whole police investigation involved and my dad was missing… I text her before grabbing my gardening tool to water and take care of the various plants in my apartment.

I think my father would like to at least do an overnight visitation with my mom, but I don’t know if they’ll let us do that since, you know… I send a witch, a wolf, and a sparkle emoji instead of saying ‘supernatural’

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I put on my blazer and buckle my seatbelt once inside Caden’s car. ”Do I want to know how many vehicles you own?” I ask with wide, curious eyes. Every vehicle of his that we’ve used has been immaculate and high quality. I place my hand lightly on his thigh, rubbing my thumb in circles like he usually does for me.

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Caden and I are going to the station to talk about what happened. Maybe we can talk to someone about allowing that for your dad. It was the least we could do, I mean really.

I pulled up the internet on my phone and started looking through other traditional religious practices. When I got to the flower section, I jotted down what flowers were appropriate and quickly called my usual florist. They may already have flowers going to the service, but more was better, right?

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Nero’s hand came to rest on my leg, and I smiled. The contact instantly helped me feel more relaxed — even though I already was. I glanced at Nero and chuckled.

”At this house or in general?” I ask him seriously. We cross the city limits into Chicago, and I speed around traffic to Cassiopeia’s house. I do have to slow down some, but I steal weave around slow drivers.

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I let out a deep breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding at Cass’ response. I would really appreciate that :) Thank you I send to her with a smile. If she were near me right now, I’d probably pull her into another bear hug. It’s probably a good thing she’s not then. My mother’s body was still in the morgue since my dad and I hadn’t had a chance until today to set up the services. My dad would be beyond grateful if we were able to have that tradition still.

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I remove my hand for a moment so that I can put my gloves on before returning it to Caden. Smirking, I shake my head. “I think that answers my question well enough.” I say with a laugh.
“Let’s start with your house here in Chicago though.” I tilt my head as I watch downtown Chicago fly by. If I were a fragile human, his insane speeding antics would scare me more, but it’s hard to be afraid of death when you’ve already died once.

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Ya, no problem. I’ll let you know what they say. I tucked my phone into my bag before topping off the cats’ food and water dishes.

”Alright my babies. Take care of the place for me. Leave the plants alone.” I look at them all pointedly before I go to the hall closet to grab my coat.

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”Four personal that I drive around. I have a couple of SUVs, but those are for the staff and Avery when I need drivers.” I pull onto Cassi’s street and park in front of her house. I lift Nero’s hand while I can and kiss the back of it. I rub my thumb over where I know the scar is.

”Your scars don’t frighten me,” I told them honestly. I look into Nero’s eyes for a moment before I hear Cassi’s front door close. I smile at Nero and release his hand before I get out of the car and open the back door for Cassi.

She pats my cheek before getting into the back. I smirk, amused by the way she mothers me sometimes.

”Hi Nero,” she greets. ”Caden, we need to go shopping.”

I close my door and pull away from the house. ”Before or after the station?”

”After is fine.” I nod. I reach over and take Nero's hand while I drive.

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Thank you. Be safe I know she can handle herself just fine, but that didn’t change the fact that I want any of my friends to stay safe. I stop my pacing at that though, concerned why describing Cass as a ‘friend’ rubbed me the wrong way. I shook my head to clear my mind before letting my dad know I’m going out for some errands. I emphasize to him that he needs to call me if anything strange happens or go over to Jane’s apartment. With his agreement, I head out.

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I blink, not expecting that from Caden. It’s out of habit that I hide the scars on my back and hand, but his reaction makes me feel something different. Like I could start to cry from what he said. I furrow my brow, trying to make sense of it, barely registering that Cass is in the car with us until Caden grabs my hand back. I blink a couple of more times to make sure that feeling is put away before I turn my head to smile widely at Cass. ”Good morning kleines Kätzchen.” I chirp.

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I frown at Nero when he calls me cat again. ”This is something I’m going to have to get used to, isn’t it? Being called a cat and… this.” I say, gesturing to Caden holding Nero’s hand.

Caden looks at me through the rearview mirror and smiles. ”Aye, mon amour.”

I sigh and look out the window. ”Oh, fine.”

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I grin when Cassiopeia finally concedes. ”Atta girl.” I look at Nero and wink before concentrating on the drive.

”So, what are we going to buy after?”

”Oh! Nic and his father don’t have the availability to have a traditional Chinese funeral. Nic hopes Mr. Wu can sit with his wife for the night, so I’d like to ask Detective Costa if that is possible. I’ve already ordered the proper flowers; they’ll be sent to the service location two hours before the ceremony starts. But we need to get these white envelopes in Chinatown for donations, oh, and we have to wear white, not black and no colour, and… hold on.” Cassi pauses in her speed delivery of information to pull out her phone. She pauses for a moment, and I catch the slight smile in the rearview and smirk before she starts talking again. ”Do you know a feng shui Master?”

”I could make a phone call,” I offer.

”Oh, good. They’ll let us know how much we can actually do in a short amount of time.” She starts typing on her phone in a flurry. We reach the police station, and she only pauses to look out the window. ”Oh, good. We’re here.” She unbuckles and piles out of the car before I can get out and open the door for her. I momentarily watch her walk along the sidewalk before shaking my head and laughing.

”My best friend,” I say fondly before looking at Nero. ”What can you do.” I shrug and wink at Nero before I get out and open their car door to help them out.

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I laugh at the whole exchange, impressed at the speed her thoughts were going. “Vielleicht sollte ich sie den Energizer-Hasen nennen.” I tell Caden as I exit his car with a wide grin. As we start to walk towards the entrance of the police station, I tell Caden, “Ich werde vielleicht nicht viel reden, während wir da drin sind. Ich habe keine Antworten darauf, was oder wie die Chimäre entstanden ist, aber ich habe zumindest Lakaien, die das untersuchen.”

I throw him a wink. ”Just so you don’t worry.” I really do have my peons looking into it, but so far it’s starting to become wasteful as they keep turning up dead. That would definitely be a conversation to have in private later.

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”Business as usual then.” I squeeze their hand before releasing it. I take in the police station and Cassi’s impatient ‘hurry up’ call from nearly the front door. I smirk and look at Nero. ”Los geht's.”

I led the way into the police station. We don’t wait long to be led back to the detective’s office. Which is for the best since the three of us draw some attention. We aren’t typical faces seen in the station. What with my hands covered in tattoos, Nero’s small statue, and Cassiopeia’s European look.

”Detective,” I greet. We shake hands before sitting down.

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Somehow in a happy mood now, I traipse behind Caden as we go inside and are taken to Costa’s office. I hop onto his desk to take a seat like I did last time we were here. “Hello.” I say to the detective with a little wave, opting not to add pig to my greeting.

“Nice to see you again.” He says, but I can clearly see he doesn’t mean it towards me. I just grin and wave. He moves on to say hello to Cass before he finally asks for an update on everything he and the police had missed out on the last couple of days.

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I rub my hand over my mouth and face to keep the smile from showing when Nero sits on Costa’s desk. After keeping my composure, Cassiopeia and I dive into everything, well mostly everything, that happened to locate the Chimera.

“So the kid knows, and you’re leaving it that way?”

”Yes. He can be trusted. I’ll vouch for him,” Cassi stated.

”We both do.”

“Right. So, do you know where the Chimera came from? Do we need to worry about more coming?”

”We’re trying to narrow it down, but I don’t believe another will be coming. Chimera are rare as it is. When they do appear, they are usually concentrated in Europe.” Of course, I knew the hell connection, but I wasn’t going to tell the detective that. Nero could if they deemed it necessary. If not, no harm done.

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“If we find that there’s a connection to anything heaven or hell-related though, I‘ll be sure to let you know.” I tell Costa with my my ‘bestest behavior’ grin.

Costa gives me a deadpan expression, clearly already over my shit, but that could be a reflection of other demons he’s interacted with, not necessarily me. At least I hope it’s the case. “Thanks, that makes me feel much better.” I bite down on my lips to keep myself from laughing in his face. I glance over at Caden to see if caught the sarcasm or not.

“Well, if you’re taking responsibility for the kid and the chimera is dead, I suppose that’s everything.” He starts to put his notes away in the file’s folder. “Unless there’s anything else?” He has to tug a paper out from underneath me, so I decide to jump off his desk at the very least.

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”Actually, there is something,” I pause a moment, glancing at Caden before I just launch in. ”Mr. Wu wants to hold an all-night vigil for his late wife. It’s part of a traditional Chinese funeral. I was wondering if we could move his wife to this location to allow him the opportunity to do so.”

”I can have a security detail placed outside to keep an eye out for anything,” Caden offers to sweeten the deal.

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Costa sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m assuming you won’t let me say no to this, will you?”
He stands up and starts to leave his office. “Let me just double check with the night captain.” He says before leaving.

”You know, I get the feeling he doesn’t like me.” I observe with a head tilt. Since I was kicked off the desk, I’m tempted to take Caden’s lap as my next seat, but I resist on Cass’ behalf. I don’t need to push my luck with her further. I take this time to tumble into a handstand and walk around on my hands a little to distract myself.

When Costa finally walks back in, I can tell he’s just trying to avoid even acknowledging whatever I’m doing. With a grin, I tumble back to stand on my feet as Costa says, “You can let the Wu’s know they can hold the vigil here,” He says before pointing to Caden. “As long as you provide that security detail.”