Toll strode up to our table. Peal looked sheepish. I was a bit nervous too, but I tried not to show it.

This was the man whose voice I first heard in that video. The one who had stood at that podium and announced his bold plans for humankind, angel-kind, and demon-kind alike.

He looked at the two of us with amusement, as if we were children. “Well, Peal. I see you’ve found the hunter,” he said. “So where is his prey?”

“If you mean Knell, just follow the condescending laughter,” I replied. “And for the record, if any one of us is “preying” on him, it’s you.”

Peal jumped up. “He didn’t mean that!”

I meant it.

Toll smirked. But before he could say anything in reply, the guest of honor returned.

“Hi, Mr. Saint Toll,” said Knell. “Boy, have I heard a lot about you. That’s all anyone wants to talk about; me…and you.”

His act was still solid, but I could see his fingers oozing slightly out of shape. It was something he always did when he was nervous.

Toll knelt down to Knell’s eye level. “Well, well…just look at you. Up close. I wasn’t sure you would even show up here.”

“Well…I’m not scared or anything.”

“Of course you aren’t. I’m glad you could make it, Herald.”

“…What??”

Knell’s composure fell to pieces. “M-my name is Knell,” he said with a puzzled look on his face. “What’s a Herald?”

“Why, that’s the name your parents told me. Do you want to see them? They’re just over there.”

He pointed to a sandy-haired couple across the room. They were standing with some angels, looking anxiously in our direction.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Knell just stared, frozen.

This was bad. I hadn’t prepared him for this at all.

Of course, Knell’s parents would definitely have noticed that the son they thought they’d killed was suddenly all over the news; that made sense. But I never thought they would actually do anything about it, let alone track him down at an upscale party.

I was so preoccupied with danger in the future that I hadn’t stopped to think about danger from the past.

“You wouldn’t believe all the trouble they went through just to get here,” Toll continued. “They brought your birth certificate, childhood photos, all kinds of evidence to prove to me that you were their son.

“I told them that I didn’t know where to find you specifically, but that I did know where to find a certain demon hunter who had you at his beck and call. And so, I decided to invite all of you to this gala, and hope for the best.”

In the time it took for Toll to explain that, Knell had managed to pull himself together. But his “life of the party” expression had been replaced by something cold and bitter. “Let me talk to them,” he said in a husky voice.

Toll led the way, and off they went. I followed at a safe distance, with Peal on my heels. Heads all over the room were turning towards us. This family reunion was going to be one for the history books.

When Knell’s parents saw him approaching, they began to rush towards him. But as soon as they moved, Knell stopped. “Stay over there,” he commanded.

The ensuing silence was deafening. Even Toll began to edge away from the scene.

The mother spoke first. “Herald, sweetheart…do you remember us?”

“My name is Knell.”

“No, no it isn’t; now try to remember. Please…”

“I remember plenty,” said Knell, his voice rising. “I remember silver handcuffs, and fire and pain. I remember you calling me ‘that thing’, not ‘sweetheart’!”

“We admit, we made a mistake,” said the father. “Possibly the biggest mistake of our lives. But Mr. Toll explained everything to us, and now we realize we were wrong. Now, we just want you to come home.”

“Why?!”

“Why else?” said the mother, with tears in her eyes. “Because you’re our son!”

“Am I??”

Knell began to change his shape to that of a true demon, as terrifying as he could make it. He grew foot-long spikes from his back and several extra arms, all tipped with razor sharp claws. His jaw slackened to reveal hundreds of needle-like teeth, and his growls shook the glasses on tables across the room.

Chaos ensued. The partygoers began shrieking and running for the exits. Knell’s parents flattened themselves against the wall, cornered by their now monstrous son.

“AM I YOUR SON?! AM I REALLY?!” He screamed at them in a demonic voice. “TELL ME I’M YOUR SON NOW, YOU LYING WASTES OF FLESH!!”

This had to stop. “KNELL!” I shouted.

He paused. He then wailed and punched the wall. He started throwing tables and chairs; he even ripped a chandelier out of the ceiling and smashed it on the floor.

Then he changed back to his human disguise and ran away, sobbing.