Nirrti managed to walk a few steps the next day, but it took her nearly a week to be well enough to attend Kate’s celebration. Apollyon and Kate didn’t want to admit it, but they both needed that week as well.

Kate took the time to talk and think about everything that happened and how drastically her life would change now.

And Apollyon finally managed to let go of her worry about Kate. Seeing her friend stay with her here in Hell alleviated those feelings and slowly replaced them with excitement for the upcoming celebration. No longer was it just something to make sure Kate would be around for a long time, it had become eager anticipation of what she would be afterwards. Of course, no one would be able to control what she would turn into, but everyone had their hopes. While Apollyon just wanted her to be happy, Nirrti expressed her desire for another Nightmare to join the library. Eisheth, on the other hand, figured being a Reaper would fit Kate more. As she arrived for the celebration, Lucifer also gave her input, reminding the librarians that Kate was already almost a Devil, bringing joy to the library by simply existing.

 

Uttu and Fury had set up everything on the meadow behind Apollyon’s home. All the invited demons and humans had arrived, even Nirrti was up and walking around, even if she had to take a break every so often.

Kate expected to be far more nervous than she was, but everyone’s reassurances seemed to help quite a bit. She had retreated into the house now, ready for the transformation.

“I think I am ready now. Time to stop being human.”

“Good.” Apollyon put a wooden box on the table beside them. “Open this.”

Kate complied, finding a dagger in the box. Ornate with a narrow channel running from the split tip to the hilt.

“That is very pretty. What shall I do with it?”

“You draw your own blood with it and let it fill the runes on the blade and handle. It will be a reminder of what you once were. One last piece of your old self.”

“That is quite neat. I am not sure I can stab myself though…”

“If you wish, I can.”

“Please. I kind of ran out of energy to self-stab when I put my sword through my hand.”

Apollyon smiled. “Truly understandable.” She picked up the dagger. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

The demon was gentle, as gentle as one can be piercing the wrist of a friend with a knife. Kate watched her blood slowly fill the runes. It took a few minutes to settle before Apollyon withdrew the blade and healed the wound.

“That was the ceremonial part I wanted to do with you.”

“Okay. I see why you wanted it, I would have regretted not doing this I think. But is that really it? No oaths or other rituals?”

“No oaths. You are becoming just more of yourself, there is no need to swear anything besides living your best life.”

Kate grinned. “Then I will swear to do that. To be me.”

“I will hold you to that.”

“You better. I am ready to be more me now.”

“I do not know what you will feel or how exactly this will go. I have never done this before.”

“That’s okay, I haven’t done this either.”

“I would be worried if you had. Are you truly ready?”

“Yes. I am.”

Kate looked at Apollyon, who didn’t seem to do anything. Nothing seemed to be happening at all. Until the strangest feeling hit her. She wanted to describe it, but it was almost like her words were falling out of her mind. For a brief moment she felt her own blood flow through her veins, turning ever thicker until her heart stopped. She wanted to speak, to exclaim something, but there were no words, no language in her mind, just emotions. Stronger and stronger emotions and a sense of, well, everything. She could feel the world around her, the way it slightly bent around Apollyon and the demons outside. She could reach out and touch every strand of reality and feel its intricacies. As she let it all into her mind, there was something she noticed. Not all the emotions she could touch with her thoughts were her own. She only felt her own, but there were more here. Kate reached to touch them. She touched worry, excitement, relief and friendship with a very thoroughly buried hint of pain.

Apollyon tilted her head but did not speak.

Kate wanted to say something. The urge to speak was getting stronger, she had to tell her demon friend what she just felt. But she still couldn’t muster even a single word in her own mind. With enough force, a word came and then a hundred and then all of them. New words, foreign words, yet intimately familiar. Not English words though, no, her thoughts were demonic now. And so, she spoke.

“Polly?”

“I felt you.”

“I did too. I am sorry, I just… I felt you and I touched you… your mind.”

“Yes, you did. Do you know what you speak now?”

“Demonic. My thoughts have changed to it too, I couldn’t even speak for a moment, not even think properly. This is really weird, I can feel you.”

“Touch me again, like you did before.”

Kate tried. It almost effortless, like reaching with her hand. The main emotions she touched now were relief and joy, but that deeply hidden hint of pain remained.

“Yes.” Apollyon smiled warmly. “You are a Nightmare, Kate.”

“I am?”

“You are. I cannot reach into your mind like that, it would take a long time to train that ability, even at a rudimentary level. You have already reached deep into me, that is more than rudimentary.”

“Wow… So, I am a demon now.”

“Yes, you are. How do you feel?”

“Amazing. It felt weird at first, but now it’s all great. My heart doesn’t beat, that’s funky. But I feel great.”

“That’s good. Do you want to show everyone what you have become or would like to take a moment longer?”

“Let’s go talk to the others and have some food. I don’t feel hungry, but I feel the desire to enjoy food if that makes sense?”

“You may want to get used to that sensation. There is a good chance you will develop this version of hunger when you spend time with humans who have enticing souls.”

Kate stared for a moment. “Okay, actually, yea. That makes sense. I need souls now and that would be the natural source. Like getting hungry when you see someone else having a good meal.”

“Pretty much.”

“Time to have my friends make me hungry then.” Kate giggled.

 

Every head turned when Kate stepped out of the house. She still looked like her old human self, and without the knowledge of what was supposed to have happened, only the demons would have been able to tell if anything had changed at all.

Much to Kate’s surprise, even the scarier demons were all in their real forms, Yumi lacking a face and Uttu and Jorogumo fully showing their spider parts. Only Azazel showed herself as human, which Kate understood now.

Lucifer took the initiative to speak. “Hello, young demon.”

“Hey. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

“Not at all. Have you figured out what you have become? If you are okay with telling us.”

Kate smiled. “I’m a Nightmare.”

Adelina couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “I wouldn’t describe you that harshly.”

“It is what I am now.”

“So, you can read minds, if I remember correctly.”

Kate nodded. Lucifer clarified. “She can, but that is not all a Nightmare can do. Many forms of mental observation and manipulation are part of their toolkit.”

“So just like Nirrti, right?”

“Yea, just like me.” Nirrti returned a smile before turning to Kate. “What did you feel first? Thoughts or emotions?”

“Emotions.” Kate answered.

“Fascinating. I was able to read surface thoughts as a child, emotions were always difficult to pick up for me.”

“I honestly prefer it this way. Not being able to control picking up actual thoughts feels a lot more intrusive somehow.”

“I suppose you are right.”

“Anyway, shall we have some food now? I am actually a bit hungry, in a new way. And I want to indulge that.”