Chapter 151 - An Unexpected Meeting

I took in a deep breath and began talking, all the same stuff I already told Elena. I had almost settled down and prepared for people to ask questions, when something else popped into my memory now that my mind was more awake than at the time I originally reported.

"Actually, while I and other helping personnel worked, we found a pattern in the mutations caused by the demon. It appears that the people who already had health problems suffered much less than the ones who were healthy when they met the demon." I bit my lip as I remembered again the people I've met in Eternalroot. "There was a woman who became able to see in infrared and ultraviolet spectre, and she mentioned that before the demon she had severe night blindness. There were other examples, too, which I can recall if you want."

"Thank you for the report, Diana. I think this will be enough, unless other Elders present want to ask you questions," Elena said. She gave me a long, studying stare before turning back to the camera.

Another unfamiliar face stared back at her from the screen. "Elena, why is this Ghost character isn't present for a report, too? His perspective could be valuable as well, as he was, according to Diana's report, the chief medic."

"Ghost was exhausted by his efforts in helping the afflicted, and currently isn't in a state to give public reports. He gave his report to me, though, and he hadn't anything to add that hadn't already been said."

The witch on the screen gave Elena unimpressed look that Elena shot right back. I just huffed as I watched that ego contest. I knew the real reason Elena didn't bring Ghost over—she just didn't want him to give everyone in other covens a wrong impression. He'd be like a lemon in the throats of all these old hags with his unshakable cheer.

I didn't miss their subtle attempts at one-upping each other. By now, I was pretty sure that Elena brought me over just to show me off one more time. But I came up with something useful to say that hadn't been said before and felt pretty good about this by now.

There were no questions asked that Elena didn't answer for me, so I thought more about this idea that came to me just now. The demon's pattern… Actually, the book Ghost and I tried to restore referred to him as an angel. A benevolent creature, ultimately. A bringer of, quote, 'forgiveness and healing'. Could it be that all this time, the demon was actually trying to help the people it met?

A far-fetched theory, but there was a ring to it. My intuition liked it, though it couldn't explain why then many of the mutations were as unpleasant as they were. But it would make sense if the creature from other dimensions that looked like Sauron with all his rings, had very little idea about how to help humans. Magically, it mostly operated on pure ideas, too. From what I learnt from Ghost, it was the simplest from a technical standpoint way to do something with someone—you didn't have to know the intricate workings of the human body, you just had to have enough power to give said ideas.

It was something witches were hard-pressed with, since powerful ideas didn't just lie around. The demon, though, didn't seem to have this problem—but he was a demon, not a witch. There was no saying what he could and couldn't do.

I sighed. Much help that knowledge was, though. Benevolent or not, the demon Malakbel was still a major pain in the ass purely by existing. But knowing his name, someone, somewhere, MUST find something about him. As for my job, it was helping the ones he 'helped'.

"Thank you for your help, Diana. Your presence isn't necessary anymore." Elena's words pulled me out of my thoughts. Considering that there was nothing much more to be said, I was glad to go. The last thing I wanted was to sit at a boring meeting where a half of what was said were questions about whose fault was this or that.

I slithered away without more than a nod of goodbye and went back to the quietness of my room to call JJ. I wasn't yet sent away to do anything (and won't be for a while if my luck held), but I wanted to hear his velvety voice nonetheless.

He picked up on the second ring. "Ma chèrie! What a coincidence, I just wanted to call you myself." I could hear his grin in his voice. Why was he so cheerful? One possibility sprang to my mind, making my stomach flutter and my cheeks feel a little hotter.

"Yeah? So you aren't caught up in anything anymore?"

"Well, I wouldn't say so exactly. The thing is… ah, I will just pass the phone."

After a brief pause, during which I had time to grow absolutely confused, someone else spoke from the other end of the call.

"Diana! Hello," Panda sounded uncharacteristically agitated, but considering the overall situation, I wasn't surprised. What surprised me is hearing her at all at that moment. "I've come to see you and Jean-Jacques at the store, but found only him, so we are going to your current place now."

"What? You… Panda, hadn't you heard warnings from literally everyone to sit at home or, better yet, evacuate entirely?"

"The government doesn't know everything," Panda said grimly. "I had to check on you and Rita personally. We are almost at where you are."

"And I think it would be better if you came out and met us, ma chèrie, if you are able to." The phone was in JJ's hands again. His voice sounded calmer, but there were still plenty of smiles in it. "It would be much easier to explain outside… and less traumatic. I hope we aren't distracting you from anything important by that."

"No, no, you aren't. Alright, I will be there. Just… I hope these explanations are good."

"Oh, ma chèrie, you can't even imagine."