“What?”

Joel hadn’t uttered the word alone. The demon Levi was now standing, his black, curving horns brushing against the ceiling of the small portable classroom. 

“This is ridiculous,” he huffed.

“I agree.” Joel knew there was no way a demon would be willing to track down two random humans. The fact Levi was equally shocked by Nan’s words was a testament to that.

Nan’s face was still serene and calm. “You both need to trust me. This is the best way to move forward.” 

Levi rolled his eyes. At least, Joel thought he rolled them. It was hard to tell when they were mostly black.

“I’ll go by myself,” Levi said flatly. “I can find these siblings on my own.” 

Joel bristled at his words. Yeah, right! He was probably saying that to get Nan off his back. The second he left Skyline he’d probably forget about the whole thing and go back to doing whatever it was demons did in their free time. 

Joel turned his head towards the demon, trying to tamp down his annoyance. “You don’t even know what they look like!” he snapped. “Don’t say you’ll find them if you can’t.” 

Levi blew out a long breath before gesturing vaguely in the air. “I have a general idea.” He now turned his attention towards Nan, completely ignoring Joel’s presence. “He is not going. It’s not safe for someone like him to travel. You know that.” 

‘Someone like him’! The nerve! 

“I may not be a biblical, but I’m not an invalid!” Joel knew yelling at a demon was probably unwise, but he couldn’t help himself. Levi was being a complete ass. “I’ve traveled with the twins once before. I know their route And, not to push the point too far, but I actually know what they look like.”

“No one is saying you're an invalid, Joel. We all know that you are very capable of doing whatever you set your mind to.” Nan spoke to him in her leveled voice. She then turned her attention to Levi. “Joel has decided that he is leaving whether or not you accompany him. He is an adult and can’t be held here against his will. He either goes with you, or he goes alone.”

Joel felt his jaw tighten as he clenched his teeth. “Has anyone considered that maybe I don’t want to travel with a demon?”

Nan shook her head. “You’d be hard pressed to find another person here willing to make that journey with you. Everyone loved the twins, but not enough to go out and blindly look for them.”

“Nikki might, if I asked her.” Joel knew that she wouldn’t, but couldn’t think of another person he could even reasonably ask. 

Rather than call him out on it, Nan just shook her head. “Leviathan here is much better suited than Nikki to help you find the twins. If you truly care about finding Maria and Luca, involving him is your best bet.”

“This is a bad idea.” The demon’s voice was nothing more than a growl. The sound sent shivers down Joel’s spine. The look he was giving Nan was nothing short of acerbic, but she didn’t cower under it. Her face remained as composed as ever.

“Trust me,” she said back simply. 

Levi ran his hands through his black hair. He glanced at Joel, giving him a worried look.

What does he have to be wary about? I’d be the one traveling with a literal demon! 

“When would we leave?” Levi asked. 

Joel could feel his eyes go wide. Levi was agreeing to go? He was actually willing to put in the time to find the twins? To let Joel tag along? 

“Today, I’m assuming,” Nan said while looking at Joel, who nodded back in surprise. 

Joel watched as the demon's black fingers twitched in annoyance. “Fine,” he said after a few moments of silence. “But I want to talk to Nan first. Alone.”

Joel felt his brow furrow as he looked at Nan, but she just nodded at him. Joel was surprised that Levi had changed his mind so quickly. He was expecting more protesting, or flat out refusal on the demon’s part. Maybe he was waiting to argue more once Joel left. 

“Go get your things, dear. We’ll just be a few minutes.” 

Joel was tempted to say more, but reluctantly stayed quiet. Instead, he went back to his classroom and grabbed the bag he’d packed the night before. He stared at his few meager possessions before locking and closing the door and heading back to Nan’s portable. Her and the demon were now standing outside, talking in animated whispers.

“I’m ready,” Joel said brusquely. He was trying his best to appear brave, but doubted he was successful. He’d already felt scared about leaving the settlement; traveling with a stranger wasn’t helping his nerves. 

Nan patted an annoyed looking Levi on the hand, effectively ending the conversation they’d been having. 

She turned to Joel, her arms open wide to beckon him for a hug. He reached forward, and she nearly squeezed all the air from his lungs. 

He felt the stone necklace he always wore shift around his neck. He glanced at Nan’s necklace, which was nearly identical to his own. He’d woken up wearing it three years ago. Nan had told him it was a special gift that he should keep hidden under his clothes.

It was covered in small sigils that mirrored those on the camp wall. “It’ll keep you safe,” she’d told him when he’d first woken up. “Promise me that you’ll never take it off.” He’d promised her easily. It had taken nearly a year of grueling recovery to heal the wounds he’d had when he arrived at Skyline. He’d be willing to try anything if it kept him from repeating the experience. 

She kissed him on each cheek, before turning to whisper in his ear. “You can trust Levi,” she said softly. “I promise he’ll keep you safe.”

Joel was surprised by how confident she sounded. Obviously, she wouldn’t suggest having Levi join if she considered him a threat, but he doubted the demon would go out of his way to protect a random human like him.

She gave him another kind pat on the cheek. “Tell the twins I send my love when you find them.”

When, the word made him smile softly. It was nice to know that Nan had some faith in him.  

“I will.”

She turned around and pulled something from her purse. “And promise me you’ll use this if you need to.”

He flinched at the sight of a revolver in her hands. He knew it’d be safer to bring it along, but he didn’t think he’d have the stomach to actually shoot someone. Even if his life was in danger, the thought made him feel physically ill. Rather than protest, he just nodded. Joel checked that the safety was on before shoving the weapon into his overstuffed backpack. 

“One more thing,” she said, staring deep into my eyes. “Don’t forget that I love you.”

He flushed at the words. “Thanks,” he whispered. “I love you too.”

Nan gave him a final pat on the head before she turned to look at Levi. She gave him a single nod, which he returned in kind. She turned and went back inside her office, leaving Joel and Levi alone for the first time. 

Joel had to tilt his head slightly upwards to stare at the demon’s angular face. He’d never spent much time looking at him before. He’d always managed to catch glimpses of Levi during his visits, but the demon never stayed at the settlement for very long. 

 Now, Joel finally had the opportunity to drink in his unique appearance. Levi’s body was long, lithe, and muscular underneath his clothing. His toned legs were covered in tight black pants, and a low cut shirt showed off the top of his pecs. His skin was mostly a grayish white color, with black patches over his hands and up his forearms. His wavy black hair barely reached his shoulders, drawing Joel’s attention to how wide they were. 

What transfixed Joel most were Levi's eyes. The sclera were coal black, without even a hint of white, even when he glanced from side to side. Only the center, where his pupils and irises would be, had any color. Each was a drop of golden honey that clashed magnificently with the surrounding tissue.They were unlike anything Joel had ever seen. He knew that their strangeness should frighten him, but they didn’t. If anything, they made him feel relaxed. Staring at them was familiar, like looking at a full yellow moon, so bright it blocked out all of the stars in the sky. 

Levi seemed to be staring back at him just as intensely. Joel knew his own appearance was far less impressive, and he shifted his weight uncomfortably as the demon's gaze burned into him. 

He self-consciously traced his fingers along the edge of his scar. “Um–,” Joel said, trying to fill the heavy silence that had befallen them. “Hi, my name is Joel. It’s nice to meet you.” Levi already knew his name, they had just talked together with Nan, but it felt rude not to address him directly. He reached out a slightly trembling hand to the demon.

Another unreadable expression flickered over Levi’s sharp features before he reached out a long fingered hand. Joel could have sworn he felt a spark of electricity as his fingers wrapped around his own. “Levi,” he said as they shook hands. He cleared his throat before adding, “We should go. We’re wasting sunlight.” 

Without another word, he began making his way toward the twisting metal gate that sat behind Nan’s residence. 

Joel tightened the straps of his heavy backpack before following behind him. There was more he wanted to say, but decided it could wait. Joel didn’t want to be too annoying, or Levi might turn around and dump him back off at the camp. He still didn’t know why Levi had agreed to accompany him in the first place, so it was best not to push it.

Joel broke into a short jog to try and catch up with Levi as they left the gate that surrounded Skyline. The demon’s long legs took much larger strides than his own. As he eventually got closer, he realized he could see the muscles of Levi’s back tense and flex as he adjusted the leather satchel that hung around his body. 

What really drew Joel’s attention was the massive sword that sat between his shoulder blades. It was wider than any weapon he’d ever seen. It almost reminded Joel of a huge, double sided butcher’s knife. He stared at the curious script that had been engraved in the deathly sharp metal. He felt sorry for anyone that had ever been on the other end of that blade.

As they left the grounds of the school, Joel took a moment to appreciate the landscape he’d soon be exploring. Despite his anxieties, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of freedom as he took in the sprawling, green countryside. The air was warm and the views vast. Jagged mountains could be seen in the distance and, despite it being summer, their peaks were still capped with snow. 

He and Levi walked in silence along the asphalt road that led away from Skyline. It took half an hour for them to reach the highway that would take them to Moose, the closest settlement. They passed the rusted skeletons of cars, and Joel desperately wished gasoline had a longer shelf life. A working car would make the trip considerably shorter.  Sure, he didn’t know how to drive, but he was certain he could figure it out given enough time. He had probably been a teenager when the torments had started. There was even a chance he’d had a drivers license before the bibs had appeared. 

Despite the weather not being overly hot, Joel could feel himself sweating through his clothes. There wasn’t a single cloud to shield him from the sun’s rays and he wiped his hand across his brow to remove the moisture that had accumulated there. He rummaged through his backpack for his water bottle and took a long sip. 

“Uh, hey,” he said, addressing the demon for the first time since leaving Skyline. “Do you want some?” he asked, shaking the container. 

“No, I don’t.”

Joel nodded awkwardly “Do you..” he started slowly. He was still somewhat nervous about addressing the demon directly, but he wanted them to be friendly. They would be stuck traveling together for a while. “Does your kind need water?” 

“Yes, but not as much as you. Regardless, you shouldn’t waste your resources by offering them to others.” 

Joel didn’t think that sharing water with anyone that needed it was a ‘waste’, but rather than argue, he just screwed on the lid and stuffed the bottle back in his bag. 

The pair traveled in silence for another two hours and Joel could feel himself getting bored. He longingly ran his fingers over the mp3 player in his pocket, but didn’t take it out. Even if Levi didn’t want to talk to him, it still felt rude to completely ignore him. He supposed he could offer an earbud to the demon, but the player was his most precious possession. What if Levi accidentally broke it? Joel didn’t know if he could recover from losing his music.

Eventually, they came to a large, green overturned tractor which sat at a fork in the road. It was a guide point Maria and Luca had shown him the last time they traveled to Moose.

“This way to Moose,” Joel said, gesturing to the right, but Levi had already started moving to the left. 

He shook his horned head. “I know a shortcut. It’ll save us at least eight hours of walking.”

Joel felt his anxiety flare. “Shouldn’t we be taking the exact route Maria and Luca did? We might find clues about them along the way.”

Levi raised a skeptical brow at him. “You really think this is where they got lost? That they didn’t make it to Moose?” 

No, Joel didn’t think that. Moose was the closest camp to Skyline and the easiest to find. Still, he was reluctant to deviate from the only path he’d taken out here. “You never know,” he said weakly. 

The demon crossed his toned arms, flexing his muscles in the process. They showcased a myriad of faded scars. None were as large as Joel’s own, but they still added to his intimidating aura. 

“My way is faster and safer. We’re less likely to come across anyone or anything.”

Joel hesitated. He let his fingers fidget nervously with the hem of his shirt. 

“If we do travel this way,” he started slowly, still unconvinced by Levi’s insistence, “Will we find a place to stay for the night? I don’t feel like camping outside.” Wyoming was home to black and grizzly bears, as well as moose and cougars. Joel had seen enough pelts to know there were plenty of critters out there that could tear him limb from limb. 

Yes, the demon he was traveling with could probably kill any animal they came across, but Joel doubted Levi would sacrifice his own safety or comfort if that actually happened. 

“Yes, there are intact homes this way,” Levi assured. “We can camp in one of them when it gets dark.”

Joel reluctantly started to move towards Levi as he longingly eyed the green tractor. “How do you know where you’re going? Do you have a map? Or a compass?”

“I can feel it.” 

“That sounds…” Joel struggled for the right words. Unreliable, made up, like an easy way to get lost– all sat on his tongue.  

But Nan said that Levi was trustworthy. The demon had spent much more time than Joel navigating the countryside. “That sounds… cool,” Joel finished lamely. He gave the tractor one more anxious glance before heading in the direction Levi had already started in. 

Nikki’s words still rung loudly in his ears. You shouldn’t let your guard down; we’re nothing more than ants to them. He tried to shoo her words away. Heading them would make for a very long journey.