Quote Originally Posted by InTheMachine View Post
November 1st
John
“Correct,” Zylas hisses in response to John’s question about the unfamiliar word.

The demon’s expression softens as he thinks about his younger sister. “In human equivalents, she would be around six. When I left for my last diplomatic mission, she had just discovered the first traces of her magic. She was so excited to show me her first successful glowlight before I departed.”

He demonstrates the magic to John, creating a small orb of soft, pale light at the end of his index finger before it blinks out.

“I… don’t know what you could do for her. I suppose the first thing would be to figure out if Vrell even is alive,” he says as his tail flicks gently between his ankles. “While I’m contained here, I cannot cast a spell that might find her. It’s been over a year since the fall of my House. I don’t know how she could have survived, unless her Idaj’ha, her guardian, Shern, also made it out.”

Spoiler: Pierce Zylas’ Mask!
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Zylas understands that he is still currently trapped and isn’t planning on breaking out or anything to find his younger sister. He’s still in a holding pattern until the ka’yal is completed.
Vrell was a child—a little girl, John thought as another part of him countered that she was a demon child. And a greater demon child, at that—one who, at six, had surpassed the magical control and power of eleven twelfths of the would-be AEGIS practitioners. Of those that remained, such a spell would be difficult and taxing tot he point that they would be better served using a flashlight.

Montcrieff was considered competent in such circles and she had only some minor wards at her command. John doubted she would be able to conjure a glowlight.

“What would be involved in casting such a spell?” Dee asked. “Rizaska Kisharha‘s work reminded me that there are acts and spells that are outside the bounds of what my own oaths and commitments permit. And ka’yal or not, you won’t be turning over to me your sister’s or Shern’s True Names—which is information I really don’t want to have.

“Nevertheless, if there is a way I can help, I will do so.”

Even, he suspected, if his ka’yal obligated him. If helping his sister was the first step down one wide road to Hell, John felt fairly certain that not offering to help a child in such conditions was merely exchanging one kind of step for another.

And from a practical standpoint—the one he would remind Seraph and Harbinger of if they had any questions about his approach at this moment: If Jerek was willing to sell out or use his younger brother, would he be willing to do the same for his younger sister as well?