Elvira made a beeline for the library down the street, and I struggled to keep up. She had a longer stride for one, and was practically in a sprint. So by the time we reached the massive wooden doors to the library, I was out of breath.

Gosh why did the library have so many stairs?

I was about to vocalize this question, but Elvire had already begun to open the doors. Wheezing, and clutching my side a little, I sauntered after. At least we’d be sitting soon. 

Elvira was already making for the front service desk at the center of the first floor, where the daytime librarian, a young sphinx. He slowly lifted his head and looked down on Elvira from his glasses. “If you wish for my assistance, you must answer my riddle. What-”

“Man.” She cut him off, crossing her arms.

His eyes narrowed at her, and sighed. “No one ever lets me have any fun. Fine, what do you want?” 

I winced a little, feeling a little bad, and wondering if asking to hear the whole riddle would be condescending. Elvira didn’t seem concerned, though. “Catalogs of Demonic Criminals, or demonic works by Professor Blair.”

The librarian sighed, shifting to very carefully go through the catalog. “Mmm...Third floor. Section F-5.”

Goody. More stairs.

I sighed as I followed Elvira up the stairs, side eyeing the necromancy section on the second floor as we based it, mostly out of habit. “So uh...how’d you find out your professor was...evil? I guess?”

Elvira looked down at me, over her shoulder, as we climbed, and sighed, turning back. Oh we were about to get deep and/or personal, me thinks. “She was my favorite teacher, to be honest, and my tutor at the Witches Coven.” 

Called it. 

“Then one day, when I was waiting in her office, I noticed some loose notes on her desk.” we had finally reached the third floor, and she shifted about looking for the labeled section we needed. “They were on rituals for summoning demons and devils, and like I know that’s not immediately suspicious.”

It isn’t?

“Sometimes you just summon a devil if your mom didn’t show up for your diamond ball game again, or you need the answers to the mathematics final or if you want takeout but don’t want to walk...” She rambled off.

This seemed like really inappropriate uses for summoning demons...maybe since she was a demon it was okay? Or was it worse? Oh she was still talking, heck.

“...And that is specifically for breaking people out of seals, which are effectively just gaols in the infernus plains, and you generally don’t do that when you’re up to good. Right?” She spun towards me.

“Uhm....” I muttered, eyes darting, trying to process or find a way to stall whichever came first. “How bout I find us a table, while you look for those books.” 

She put her fist in her hand and nodded. “Good thinking.” Turning off into an aisle before I could take a breath.

Boy, she was...intense. Like Hildr when she did...anything, but more serious. 

Finding a table was easy enough, and as I laid out the snacks she had got, and started chewing on an energy bar I considered what I could pull from my brain about summonings. Unfortunately, though unsurprising, all that sprung to mind was how to bring forth various undead from the afterlife. Not really helpful for demons.

This was more a Witch Coven thing, which did bring a thought to mind.

When she returned with an armful of books that might have been made of skin, one or two still had hair on them I think, I asked her, “Have you told Councilman Lynnwood about all this already?”

Layton Lynnwood was the Head Witch and one of...my coworkers? I guess? Though judging from the way her eyes sparked, I think I knew her answer before she gave it. “Yes, and he just chuckled and was like ‘Oh that does sound like old Morticia.’ And told me to just leave it alone! Can you imagine?”

Kind of. I never really got help from any of the other council members so...

“Let’s uhm get started.” I offered, taking one of the books. It seemed to be one of the catalogs of known or registered devils imprisoned. “Did you by chance catch the sigil of the demon she was looking for?”

“Yes, one second...” She muttered, taking a sip from an energy drink, I didn’t catch how, and going through her bag, pulling out a notebook and opening it. “This one here.” She pointed to what seemed to be quickly drawn at the center of the page, along with what I guessed were quickly scrawled copies of Morticia's notes.

I looked closer at it and judging from the layers of the sigil, and the original markings of the design, whatever she wanted to summon was powerful. However something deep within me, usually where Necromantic knowledge I shouldn’t know, but definitely needed in the moment, came from, made me really really want to laugh at the sight of this.

Strange.

As I scanned for the sigil in the catalog books, Elvira looked deeper into her professor's background and practices. Her flames flickered in intensity as she scanned, and her shoulders would tense, drop then tense again. It sort of made it distracting to search. “This doesn’t make any sense...” She muttered. I paused wondering if I was supposed to answer, but she looked up at me and pointed at the text, continuing. “If this is true then she is very ancient. Older than even Mayor Doggs or...” she paused, stopping herself every time anyone did when they mentioned...my past life, before clearing her throat and continuing, “The magic she practiced seems to pull from a very dark and powerful force, as well. Maybe she’s some sort of...cultist or something for...whatever this Devourer is?”

“Well...I don’t think this sigil is going to be in any of these catalogs. It's far more detailed than anything here.” I sighed, shutting the book in front of me. “Are there any books on demons with stricter contaminants?”

She stared at the books with frustration, and grunted, shaking her head. “Those are as high up as they go.”

I paused, looking down at the books. That didn’t seem right at all. Looking back up I asked, “Even from the Dimlight Shelves?”

“The...what?” She asked, eyeing me suspiciously. I pointed behind her and she turned to where we could see a floor before, just past the Necromancy section, a door with eight chains over it, ten locks and covered in several seals in blood from at least four different species.

“The Dimlight Shelves.” I repeated, helpfully. 

“Isaac I...I’m pretty sure that’s a restricted section.” She said to me carefully. 

“Oh...” I muttered, putting down my hand. Looking at the door, that made a lot more sense. “Yeah...well I mean...I can go in there. Want me to check for you?”

“I...” She seemed blown away, but finally deflated a little. “Yes I’d...appreciate that. Also we kind of need the world to not end.”

“Oh yeah, true.” I muttered, standing up. “That’d be a real bummer and a half.”

And without another word, I walked down the stairs, so many stairs, and towards the sealed door. As I approached,the chains naturally unraveled, the locks fell to the floor, and with a loud creaking, the door slowly opened, releasing a rush of musty air. 

Door closing behind me, I stepped inside the low red glow lit room...of the Dimlight Shelves.