Zeph was sitting down next to Ashley while she lay in bed. After finding her and Jasper in the alley, Eli and Zeph took them to the nearest hospital to make sure they were okay. They called Bernard while they drove. It was amazing how fast they got a room in the hospital. Apparently, they didn't need to fill out paperwork because of Zeph's status.

Bernard arrived around the time Jasper and Ashley were finished with their checkups. Ashley was fine. She had a few small cuts and a couple of bruises, but the healers fixed that up in a matter of minutes. Jasper was in far worse condition. He was suffering from magic exhaustion, one of his ribs was fractured, and there was some internal bruising around his abdomen. Zeph had to admit, the boy was tough. In fact, Jasper was surprised. His assailant only hit him a couple of times. Sure, he hurt like hell, but he didn't think the damage was that bad.

A bit of healing magic and a dose of medicine later, and Jasper was sleeping soundly on the hospital bed next to Ashley. His parents were called and were expected to arrive within the hour. That left Ashley to be questioned by Bernard. She was intimidated by his presence when he entered the room, so Zeph stayed to help ease her mind. He was a familiar presence and hoped that would help in some way, even if the two never got along. At the very least, it helped calm Bernard down. Zeph noticed that his grandfather was quite perturbed after discovering that the Avery mansion was attacked. Ashley managed to give a brief summary of what happened while they were on their way to the hospital. Bernard was here to get a more detailed report.

So, she talked. Ashley spoke about the weird behavior around the mansion. How her extended family was coming to visit less often. Her father said that they were busy with their own things. The mansion only housed her and her father officially, but her cousins, uncles, and aunts would often stay with them. They stopped several months ago and kept to their own homes on the Avery grounds. Then she spoke about the influx of odd servants, her increasingly distant father, and the dark feeling that permeated the property. Finally, she told them about the demon that led a small horde of people into her mansion to kill her father and probably what was left of her extended family.

Zeph watched and listened while Ashley struggled through her tale, taking breaks to cry or gather herself. It was heart-wrenching. There was nothing of the cocky self-entitled brat left sitting before him. There was only a sad girl with a broken heart. His hatred of demons grew deeper, and he started to imagine what would happen if it was Lili or Ivy in her place. He didn't notice he was gripping his hands tightly until Bernard tapped his shoulder and asked him if he was alright.

Zeph wasn't alright, but he nodded anyway. He started thinking. What would he do if the demon came for him and his friends? They didn't have enough power to defend themselves. Sure, he could take a lot of punishment, but Lili and the rest didn't have the luxury of being made of Aether. Lost in his own thoughts, Zeph missed what Bernard was saying to Ashley.

Jasper's parents ran into the room, catching everyone's attention. Zeph was finally pulled from his worries and saw the couple. The family resemblance was uncanny, and so was the worry. They ran to the boy and held his hand. Bernard watched the scene with a smile, glad that the family could be reunited. If Eli hadn't been wearing the demonic energy detector, this night could have been the worse night of their lives.

The old mage turned to Ashley and his grandson. "Why don't you two head out of the room while I tell Mr. and Mrs. Stevens what happened.

"Okay, we'll be right outside," Zeph said as he held his hand out for Ashley to grab. She followed him out of the room and into the hallway. The two waited for Bernard. It was awkward for Zeph. He didn't really know what to say or do for the girl standing next to him. Ashley just stared at the floor with a hollow look, trying to fight back the tears. An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she heard a gentle voice. "It's okay to cry. You can be sad. You can be weak. You can let it out. Your safe now, and grandpa and I won't let anything happen to you." A child's wail sounded throughout the hospital as Ashley buried herself in Zeph's chest. Her sobs and cries were muffled by his embrace as the young lord did his best to comfort the poor girl.

__________________________

Eli and his investigative team were at the Avery mansion. The building was burnt, but still standing. There might not be much left, but his team of scryers might be able to get something. They made their way through the home using divination magic to glean whatever information they could from the wreckage.

As they made their way through the remains of the once lavish building, Eli maintained communications with the other groups that were investigating the rest of the Avery property. "What have you got on the servants quarters?" he asked the designated Blue team.

"It's been burned down as well. There's not much here, and the scryer isn't picking anything of use up." The blue leader said.

"Okay, well keep at it, we might get lucky." Eli sighed. It wasn't looking good in the mansion either. "What about you Green?" he asked the team searching the homes of the other members of the Avery family.

"Well, it's not burnt, but it also doesn't look like anyone has been here in a long time. There are signs of struggle, so I don't think they went willingly." The green leader said.

"Sir! We found a body upstairs. We think its Jonathan Avery in what could have been his office." A member of Eli's team announced.

"Alright, Green team, Blue team, contact me if you find anything." Eli turned to the man near the staircase. "Take us to him."

The rest of Eli's team followed the man up into what used to be Jonathan Avery's office. A burnt body lay on the floor. There were several wounds on the corpse and it was obvious that he didn't die quickly and definitely not painlessly. One of the men on Eli's team used his magic to look for any signs of traps. There weren't any. Another, a scryer, used divination magic to try and peer back into the past, looking to see the events of what transpired earlier in the day. Something blocked her sight.

"Sir, there's something preventing my divination magic from working," she told the elf.

"Probably the demon that led the attack." Eli pulled out his little detector and it was giving off a steady red light. "This place is laced with demonic energy." He looked at the body of Jonathan Avery. "See if you can get a reading off of him. The man was a Valir, so he might have left a message that could make it through the demons interference."

The scryer nodded and knelt down over Jonathan. A small white magic circle appeared and she touched the dead man's forehead. Eli watched as the scryer's body stiffened for a moment before her eyes opened up. A memory preserved by magic and hidden away was transmitted. Jonathan knew he was about to die, but the attack happened too suddenly and he didn't have time to entrust the information to his daughter. Before his final moments, he sealed away a memory for the investigative team to find.

"Anything?" the elf asked.

"Yes, sir." The scryer walked over to a bookshelf on the far end of the room and placed her hand on the wall. She poured magic into a hidden rune and the bookshelf split vertically down the middle and spread apart. There was a safe behind it. Then the scryer went to the safe and looked at the keypad that was covered in symbols instead of numbers. After inputting the correct code, the safe opened revealing a lockbox. Eli went forward and picked it up. Engraved where the lock should be was the symbol of the Malston family.

_____________

Two figures met on a tower overlooking the city of Andros. One cloaked in shadow, the murderer of one Jonathan Avery, kneeled. The other was a tall man of regal bearing with ash grey hair and red eyes. He wore black robes with crimson trim. He spoke, "Is it done Kelbraga?"

"Yes Lord Resdin. Jonathan Avery is no more." Kelbraga answered. He revered the Demon Lord before him. His master had a magnificent plan for the country of Andronath, but it was ruined by a small band of humans. Instead of killing him outright, Lord Resdin saw fit to spare Kelbraga. That cemented the demon underling's loyalty. "What am I to do now, my lord?"

Resdin smirked. "The Lord of Asperitus seeks to remove the taint that we have set into the ley-lines. See that he fails."

"Yes my lord. Though I lack the numbers to assault him directly, I am sure I can keep his attention away from fulfilling his task."

"I want you to guard the lock that keeps the ley-line from purifying itself. Let your pawns worry about distracting the lord and his men. If you were to participate, it would make it easier for them to find and eliminate you. Malston has proven himself to be quite vexing."

"I understand my lord. What of corrupting the ley-line further with fear?"

"There is no need. There won't be enough negative energy by the new year. I've adjusted the ritual. Instead of targeting all of Andronath, I'll just have to settle for Andros and its surrounding area." Lord Resdin smirked. "You may leave now, you have your orders."

"As you wish my lord." Kelbraga disappeared into the night.

Moments after the servant left for Asperitus, another man appeared next to Lord Resdin. "You know that Malston will kill him, yes?"

Resdin glanced at the new arrival. "Of course."

"Why not do it yourself then?"

"Because it wouldn't sit well with my soldiers if I were to kill a subordinate because of failure. By showing him mercy, I've gained support. He'll die for his failure either way, so I might as well make use of him."

"Interesting, I'll need to remember that trick." The moon peeked from behind a cloud illuminating the young man speaking to the demon lord. He had the build of a warrior with brown hair and hazel eyes. "Does our deal still stand, or has the setback in Asperitus changed things?"

"It changes little Prince Thannin. Andronath will be too busy to assist her allies, and your father will be free to start his war once again without interference. I do find these long-term plans and conspiracies quite entertaining though. They're so much more fun than the direct warfare that demons usually participate in."

"I'm glad you find the slow corruption of a country amusing. I just hope you don't turn to my kingdom for your.. entertainment."

"Worry not, young prince. Our bargain is satisfactory. You help me increase my power in the ethereal plane by providing the resources needed to grow my army, and I'll help you grow your power in this world. I care not for the lands and people on Ern. I'm only interested in the energy they provide."

"Is that why your plan to distract Andronath includes the ley-line?"

"You do know how demonic spirits are born?"

"Negative emotion or energy combined with magic and spiritual energy. Most spirits formed by negative energy turn into some type of demon once they gather enough power."

"Yes, and imagine how many demons could be born with the power of a ley-line at my disposal."