Page 67 of Immortal Unveiled

Manus pulled out his flashlight and switched it on. “Thanks.” He ran the light over Kilgore’s body.

Kim stepped around him from the other side, where the chair had been pushed against the wall, and put her hand on the armrest for support as she bent down. Surprised that she didn’t recoil from the dead body, Manus looked up at her.

“He looks scared.”

Manus cast a glance at Kilgore’s face. His eyes were open, and Kim was right: there was fear in his eyes. “He knew what was coming.”

“Demon?”

“Would be my guess. He was stabbed. Demons always carry daggers with them.”

“But my mother wasn’t stabbed.”

“No. There’s another way a demon kills. One that leaves no outside trace.”

“How did he do it? The demon that killed my mother. What did she feel?”

Surprised at the question, Manus sat back on his haunches and sighed. “Kim, it doesn’t help you to—”

“No, please, tell me. I need to know. What did she feel? Did she suffer?”

Manus let out a long, deep breath. “Are you sure you want to know?”

She nodded wordlessly.

“Okay… A demon has to feed. We know they eat human food to nourish their bodies, but they need something else to feed their demon existence. They take a human’s lifeforce, their essence, by sucking it out of their mouth or nose. I’ve seen it once. It’s like a mist, like a fine fog that emanates from the human. The demon takes it in. It strengthens him, gives him power.”

“How do they get to the lifeforce? How can it just leave a human’s body?”

“By fear alone. They aren’t called the Demons of Fear for nothing. They frighten the human so they can take their lifeforce.”

“And the pain? Is there pain?”

“Physical pain?” Manus paused for a moment. “Not in the true sense of the word. Physically, your mother wouldn’t have felt much. It’s mostly psychological. The body itself doesn’t experience true pain as the lifeforce is extracted.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because we’ve encountered people who’ve had it done to them.”

“They survived?”

Manus nodded. “Because we got to them before the demon took all of their lifeforce. Sometimes, they only take enough to feed and leave the human alive.” He reached for Kim’s hand and squeezed it. “Your mother was frightened of him, but she wasn’t in pain when she died. I promise you that.”

Kim sniffled. “Thank you.” She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, then pointed to Kilgore. “So, you think this wasn’t a demon kill?”

Manus didn’t answer immediately. He illuminated the area around the body with his flashlight. Papers were scattered on the floor, a water bottle had spilled and soaked the carpet, writing utensils lay under the desk. Something was peeking out from underneath Kilgore’s right hip. With his free hand, Manus rolled the body toward the window, just enough so he could see what was underneath the dead man.

“A letter opener,” Kim said.

Manus took it and let the light shine on the blade. “With green demon blood on its tip.” He looked up at Kim. “He injured the demon who killed him.”

“Why would the demons want to kill the translator?” Kim asked.

Manus rose. “Because he knew what your mother had given him to translate. And they didn’t want us to find out.”

“But why now? I thought you said we weren’t followed.”

“We weren’t.” He pointed at Kilgore’s body. “Which means Simon Kilgore told them that we came looking for it. He warned them that we’re onto them.”