“Fury’s Furies Catering Service.”

  Fury grinned and nodded. “Fun, isn’t it?”

  Kate let out an amused sigh. “Yes, it is. So, who are your furies today?”

  “Anyone I wanted, really.” Fury shrugged. “We have the best chefs Dis has to offer here. We’ll be rotating tomorrow, so everyone gets a chance. I was surprised to see so many so eager to make such limited food. But hey, new recipes and new people are exciting, I can’t bme them. It’s what got me here too.”

  “Among others. Uttu and her helpers said basically the same thing. Even Sariel is drowning in volunteer guards for this weekend.”

  Fury giggled. “I hope we’ll do this every year for a while. This is fun.”

  “I can’t make promises, but the way things are going… even if the city doesn’t do another festival every year, we might do something.”

  “Good. Very good. I should get back to work, there are many mouths to feed. But before I let you get back inside, what’s your pn for us tonight? The library will be open, but most people are likely to leave. Want us to pack up as well?”

  “Your choice, but we are expecting trick-or-treaters for a while tonight, and maybe some te visitors. It would be nice to have at least someone here to get a snack going if needed. Maybe put up a little bell so you can rex with us inside until someone needs something.”

  “That’s a good pn. Will Uttu be here tonight as well?”

  Kate nodded. “I already spoke to her about it, and she even offered to run the food if you wanted to take a break for the night.”

  “I’ll be here. I’ll let anyone stay who wants to and the others can take a bit to rest.”

  “Awesome, thank you.”

  “My pleasure, as always.”

  “Trick or treat!” The first group had arrived. Six primary school children, supervised by an elder sibling, arrived at exactly six in the afternoon.

  Apollyon had been waiting for this moment. She jumped out of her chair, eager pulling a bowl of treats from under the reception desk. “There shall be treats for everyone! And a little extra fun, if you dare.”

  “Fun sounds good.”

  “Indeed. Between the shelves on either side of us, we have set up riddles. Choose one path tonight, solve the riddle, and be rewarded with more treats.”

  “Miiiiike, can we do the riddles?”

  The older brother sighed. “Sure, might be fun.”

  Apollyon smiled. “Pick one path you travel together and return to me with the solution to its riddle.”

  “Hm… what do you guys think of the vampire shelf?”

  The younger brother was already on his way, dragging his friend with him. “There is no other choice! Vampires!”

  “Vampires.” The older brother chuckled and followed.

  The mood for the evening had been set and the other groups of children kept it up. Not a single one decided to forgo the riddle. The only one who even considered it was the oldest group to enter the library. These kids, actually adults now, had been here the very first time the library had offered sweets on this night and came here every year since. They had almost declined the treats altogether, but Apollyon managed to convince them that age is unimportant in the enjoyment of fun rituals like this, even if they used this occasion just as an excuse to meet up again.

  Their next visitor also didn't come here for the sweets.

  Sarah opened the door. Her costume consisted of a short dress, bck stockings, a pair of high-heeled boots, a hairband with little velvet horns, a pair of little velvet wings and a fake tail.

  “H-hey.”

  “I didn’t think you would come by so early.” Kate got up and approached the cutely dressed reporter.

  “The ter it gets the higher the chance something gets in the way.”

  “Indeed. Shall we begin with treats?”

  “Oh, sure.”

  The other disguised demons looked at Sarah with amusement. The human carefully picked out a small chocote bar.

  Kate nodded approvingly. “This where we would offer you to choose a riddle to solve for more treats, but I think I have better idea. A better riddle. And you’ll get more than just a treat from it.”

  “Okay, yea. Sounds good.”

  “Let’s head to the mystery door then.”

  Sarah looked at the door. “I was thinking about what you said. Both answers are the truth, aren’t they?”

  “Break room and Hell? Why don’t you find out.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I wouldn’t have asked you here if I wasn’t. Open the door and find out.”

  “Okay.” Sarah cautiously pulled it open, only to step into a rather lovingly decorated break room. “I don’t know what I expected.”

  “Let’s open some more doors, shall we?”

  The human stepped carefully through the room, making sure not to touch anything. “Okay, sure. It is a beautiful break room though…”

  “I spend more time in the cafeteria, but that’s mostly just habit. This is a nice pce to rex.”

  “I wish I had an office with a break room like this.”

  “That might be arranged, but that’s something to talk about ter.”

  Sarah wrapped her fingers around the doorknob of the next door. “So, if this was the break room, the next one is Hell.”

  “Let’s find out, shall we?”

  “I must admit I’m a little scared. Usually, people don’t come back from Hell.”

  “Most people I know intend to move there anyway. If they aren’t natives already.”

  “Uh… okay. Let’s see then.”

  Sarah took a few steps and then just stood there.

  “Not what you expected, is it?”

  “No…?”

  “Sorry to disappoint, but even outside these walls, the pits of fire and brimstone are a rarity.”

  “This is just more of the library, but inaccessible to the public.”

  “One public.” Kate nodded towards a demon on the far end of the hall, browsing the shelves.

  Sarah just stared for a while. “This can’t be real.”

  “You saw reality six years ago.” Kate waved at the demon who returned a nod and made her way over to the head librarian.

  “Kate, a pleasure to see you.”

  “Likewise, Lilith.”

  Sarah stammered out a few words. “I saw you during the festival. You were human.”

  Lilith smiled warmly. “I did appear human, yes.”

  “So, you’re… you’re… really…”

  “I am what I am, young human.”

  “You’re really a demon.”

  “As is the one who brought you here.”

  Sarah stared at Kate. “Wha-“

  “She’s right and you were too when you said that I was born in Engnd. I was human, now I’m not.” Kate spread her wings.

  Sarah stumbled backwards into the arms of Lilith, who caught her and kept her from falling over. “We really are in Hell.”

  “Yes. And back through the door we came lies your world. You can go back whenever you want, but there is one more thing I want you to see. And, of course, tell you the truth about what you saw, now that you know that demons and angels are real.”

  “Just leave the door open, okay? I don’t know if I feel safe with it closed.”

  “Understandable.”

  Lilith nodded. “I will make sure no one accidentally closes it. We do mean you no harm, after all.”

  “Still feels like I sold my soul for this…”

  “Your soul will remain your own. No one is brought here for us to do anything bad to them. That would be pointless.”

  Kate put on her warmest smile. “A very powerful being, far beyond what we demons are, once told me that hatred and indifference are tied to mortality. We are immortal, we have the time to care, to be kind. It would have been easy to wipe your memory of that day, but I chose not to. To me, knowledge of Hell was a gift, something that changed my life for the better. That you remembered couldn’t have been a coincidence. The high inquisitor does not make mistakes like that. If there is something irregur in her actions, that is deliberate. You were meant to remember and I had the chance to be kind to you because of that.”

  Sarah took a deep breath and stared at the floor. “But why? Why let me remember?”

  “I don’t know. What I do know is that something like that is usually in service of the best path, the best future, be it just yours or the world’s.”

  “I have much to think about… you wanted to show another thing, but I want to know what happened that day first.”

  “Of course. I was still human, still mortal, and an angel named Arakiel tried to use that to get his revenge on my closest friend. You know her as Pauline, her real name is Apollyon.”

  “And she fought him?”

  “Yes, until he was disarmed and used his magic to stab me.”

  “That’s when the other two showed up, the one with the fire wings and that shadow person.”

  “Sariel, a fallen angel, and high inquisitor Azazel. The tter is far more eldritch and horrific than anyone else, with maybe two exceptions. She erased Arakiel from existence.”

  “Then they teleported away, taking you here?”

  “More or less here, actually to a home on the edge of the city we are in right now. I was healed and turned into a demon before I returned to your world. We call that one the border world, by the way, as you have to cross it to move between the Heavens and Hell.”

  “Hm… And this Azazel was the one who wiped everyone’s memories of that day?”

  “Yes. We normal demons make mistakes, someone like her does not. That’s why I’m so certain that you remember for a reason.”

  “I see. You know, looking at some real demons I almost feel a bit offensive…”

  “Why? Oh, the outfit? I think it’s quite cute.”

  Lilith nodded in agreement. “It would be offensive if it was mean spirited, but I agree with Kate, your outfit is quite cute.”

  “Well, uhm, thank you. I would rather keep it just a costume for now, not get turned already.”

  “Wouldn’t want to rush into things anyway.”

  “Good, good… So, I was told there was a price to pay for showing me all this?”