Dawn hadn't arrived yet, but Cassie was wide awake, her mind cluttered with questions about Charlotte's situation. After an hour of tossing and turning, she finally gave up on any hope of falling asleep. She glared at the clock in frustration as it silently mocked her with a soft, white glow, showing 4:18 a.m. Uncharacteristically angry, she flipped it off.
Rising like the undead, she shuffled into the kitchen and started brewing a strong pot of coffee. While waiting, she spread a generous layer of locally sourced strawberry-vanilla jam on a toasted bagel and took a bite. Once the coffee was ready, she poured herself a full cup and added cream and sugar. Breathing deeply, Cassie sighed softly. The aroma was soothing, making her feel more clear-headed already. Closing her eyes, she took a slow sip, careful not to scald her tongue. Then, licking her lips, she headed back to her bedroom. It was time to get to work.
Back in her room, she moved to the corner where she kept what she called "The Frequencies." This collection of somewhat eccentric equipment included a variety of ham radios, police scanners, and CB setups that she used to communicate with her many contacts. These connections had been established over the years, stemming from her extensive experience as a communications officer. The individuals she relied on were not ordinary friends; they were dedicated trackers and bounty hunters, united by a common goal. They worked with her not only to find missing children but also to help with any cases of missing persons they encountered.
While most of those in her network were mainly driven by financial gain, they willingly shared a wealth of valuable information about missing children. The truth was that although most trackers were willing to bend the rules to save a life, Angel had a unique reputation that compelled many to yield to him when he became involved in a case.
Yet, she relied on more than just this elaborate setup for her work. There was an aspect she had never shared, even with her own brother: sometimes, she received information not only from the voices over the radios but from more mystical and elusive sources. Her gaze drifted to an altar she had created shortly after her first experience with a vision. That extraordinary moment ultimately helped her brother uncover the hideout of a notorious serial rapist in Maine.
That first encounter had been scary and confusing, but over time, she grew to see the value in those visions. She balanced her newfound power by staying grounded and connected to the real world, utilizing radios and transmitters whenever possible. This helped her develop her abilities slowly and keep control. Still, knowing demons existed was one thing; actually facing one was another, and she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that her powers might not be enough to save Charlotte. If her thorough internet searches turned up nothing, she'd think about trying her altar and praying for answers.
Then there was her trusty laptop, an invaluable tool where she meticulously filed her reports in an effort to trace any links between the missions Angel had completed. This particular morning, however, her laptop would serve another purpose entirely. Her thoughts were consumed by a relentless nagging tug at the back of her mind regarding how Charlotte had originally arrived on Earth. If she truly intended to help Charlotte recover her fragmented memories, it seemed not only wise but also essential to unravel the mystery of that question first.
Flipping open her laptop, Cassie typed in her password, clicked the VPN icon, and changed her country of origin. Then, she opened a private browser and signed in to her secret research account, adopting the persona of Chatterbug, her call sign in the Army.
With her cover in place, Chatterbug launched Discord and browsed the witchcraft servers she had joined over the years. She scrolled through channels dedicated to discussing spirit summoning and other entities. For about twenty minutes, she read while sipping her coffee, occasionally checking the chats for any discussions about failed summonings, especially in Virginia.
With no success so far, she continued her search until she found a server dedicated to the East Coast. Hoping to connect with users online from Virginia, she typed a simple query about any known summonings that had occurred in March.
No responses. When she clicked on the 'Browse Channels' section, she noticed there had been a lot of recent activity, even just a minute before she entered the server and typed her query. Her question had silenced the channels.
Chatterbug raised an eyebrow, took a long sip of her coffee, and hummed. Minutes felt like they were dragging, frustrating her. With sleep tugging at her mind's edges, she yawned, leaned back, and stretched, briefly closing her eyes.
She had nearly drifted off to sleep when she heard her computer beep. Opening her tired eyes, Chatterbug leaned forward. A message request was waiting for her. Dragging her finger across the mouse pad, she moved the cursor to the Direct Messaging icon and clicked the "Pending" tab. An icon with the username "CosmicWicca" flashed, indicating a new message. She clicked it, and a message appeared.
CosmicWicca 5:23 AM
You're looking for information on a failed summoning in Virginia, correct?
Chatterbug straightened up, accepted the request, and typed back.
Chatterbug 5:23 AM
Yes. Around six months ago. I've been trying to find anything on Google with zero luck.
A moment's pause and a response appeared.
CosmicWicca 5:24 AM
You won't. Our local coven kept the details of the summoning out of the news and passed it off as a freak home accident.
Chatterbug 5:24 AM
Can you tell me what happened?
Silence. Chatterbug was about to follow up when a response appeared.
CosmicWicca 5:25 AM
Why do you want to know?
Chatterbug understood the caution and went for broke.
Chatterbug 5:25 AM
The summoning wasn't a failure.
A long pause, and now Chatterbug was worried she'd scared the person off, but finally, a new message.
CosmicWicca 5:27 AM
That isn't possible.
Chatterbug 5:27 AM
I know the demon that was summoned. I've seen it, and it's unlike any demon that's been written or tales told about. It has lost its memories. I don't know why or how, but whoever summoned this demon summoned something different. What was the summoner trying to call?
CosmicWicca 5:28 AM
If you're telling the truth, you need to get away from that thing as fast as you can!
Chatterbug 5:28 AM
Why!?
The words that appeared on her screen next sent chills down Chatterbug's spine.
CosmicWicca 5:29 AM
The summoner was the son of one of our senior Wiccans. He wanted to impress some goth girl and nearly lost his life in the process. He didn't just try to call up a demon. He tried summoning Lucifer himself.
Heart beating fast, Chatterbug's fingers spun out her next words frantically.
Chatterbug 5:29 AM
Wait! Are you saying that the demon that I saw, who has no memories of their past, is the Devil?
CosmicWicca 5:29 AM
Yes!
Chatterbug sat back in her chair and felt real fear for the first time since her military days in the field. It couldn't be. She felt no evil from Charlotte. She leaned forward and typed.
Chatterbug 5:30 AM
Lucifer was a fallen angel, right? Not a demon? Could that have affected the summoning?
CosmicWicca 5:31 AM
There's no precedent that I've heard of for summoning an angel. However, I do know that if you don't perform the summoning exactly right and don't call the demon's full name during the summoning to control it, it has the potential to escape into the real world. If this thing you've seen isn't a demon but something else, that fuck-up would have absolutely caused it to enter our world uncontrolled. If the entity didn't understand it was being summoned or if the ritual was not completed, maybe that could have affected its memory. I'm only guessing here. Sorry.
Chatterbug 5:31 AM
What happens if it recovers its memories?
CosmicWicca 5:32 AM
Again, there's nothing on record about summoning Lucifer or an angel. But what do you think it would mean if Lucifer, or something akin to Lucifer, were to regain its full power, free from the control of a summoner, and let loose on Earth?
Hands trembling, Chatterbug had to retype several times.
Chatterbug 5:32 AM
Can a loose demon be captured, controlled, or subdued?
CosmicWicca 5:33 AM
Actually, yes. First of all, you'd need to know the demon's full name, and when it comes to Lucifer and the stories, there are two names out there that our community has debated for decades. Magne and Morningstar.
Chatterbug 5:33 AM
What else?
CosmicWicca 5:34 AM
Human Blood. It doesn't need to be a virgin's blood, unlike in the stories, though virgin blood is strongest. You also don't need much, and certainly not enough to have to sacrifice anyone.
Chatterbug 5:34 AM
I've heard horror stories about that.
CosmicWicca 5:34 AM
Oh, yeah. Good thing most know better. Third, the demon's sigil narrows the energies of the summoning. It's not necessarily needed for smaller or less powerful demons, but for Lucifer, it's a must.
Chatterbug 5:35 AM
Would any kin to Lucifer happen to have one? A sigil?
CosmicWicca 5:35 AM
I'm sure you know there are no scriptures about him having any offspring, or if it were ever possible. I highly doubt it would have its own sigil.
Chatterbug 5:36 AM
Guess that makes sense. What else?
CosmicWicca 5:36 AM
Finally, you'd need a talisman of some sort. Something to focus your power as the summoner on to keep the demon in check, so it doesn't kill you.
Chatterbug 5:36 AM
If the demon hears its name without the other parts of the spell?
CosmicWicca 5:37 AM
You'll have its full, undivided attention, and you don't want that.
Chatterbug 5:37 AM
But could it trigger memory?
CosmicWicca 5:37 AM
I don't know. Maybe? But if you plan to test this against the demon you saw, I would not recommend trying without the blood, talisman, and summoning circle, or it could be your death.
Chatterbug couldn't think of any more questions, as she had already decided on a course of action.
Chatterbug 5:38 AM
Thank you so much for your help.
CosmicWicca 5:38 AM
Sure. Be careful, though. If it is Lucifer, it could mean the beginning of the end. I strongly suggest you subdue it and return it to Hell as quickly as you can.
Chatterbug acknowledged the concern.
Chatterbug 5:38 AM
I promise to be safe. Bye.
Powering down the laptop, Cassie leaned back in her chair, covered her face with her hand, and took a deep breath. So Charlotte wasn't a demon after all; she was something completely different—something much more powerful. A fallen angel? Lucifer? Lucifer's kin? Could Lucifer have had a daughter? And if she were summoned to Earth, being of Lucifer's blood would have definitely disrupted the summoning. Stupid kids messing with things they don't understand, and for what? A flex? Likes on social media?
That really upset Cassie. A lot! Still, she didn't know what to think except that she had a strong gut feeling that her first impression of Charlotte was right and true. The demon wasn't evil and wouldn't betray Angel if her memories came back.
Cassie had to believe this was the case. I encouraged them to fall in love, for God's sake! Or was it for the Devil's sake?
For decades, Cassie Collins prided herself on her wits, creativity, and caution. In the next few minutes, she would cast all that aside and take a leap of faith. She wasn't going to draw a circle, find human blood, any of that. She made a promise to Charlotte to help her recover her memories, and that is exactly what she was going to do.
Standing, she pushed the chair aside, and as she thought of both names, she whispered each one softly: "Charlotte Magne. Charlotte Morningstar."
Opening her bedroom door, Cassie headed down the hallway toward the spare bedroom. It was time to find out if she had Lucifer's daughter in her apartment, sleeping with her brother.