I had his use name. Unfortunately, I had probably lost the element of surprise, depending on how his servants worked. I headed over to the church as soon as I could. This time, there were no angels hanging out in the sanctuary. I thought that was both a good thing and a bad.

No angels, but a very harried Father Will. “I won’t bug you right now, but can I raid your library?”

“What are you looking for?”

“Liquid hellfire,” I whispered.

“Ugh. I think you might find something helpful in the red book on the top side, labeled Incoendo. Don’t worry, the Latin’s translated.”

I ducked into his office. Incoendo probably was some version of fire, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t really care, as long as it wasn’t all in Latin. I should pay somebody to teach me Latin, I decided. It seemed useful if I was going to keep bumping into demons. Which, it seemed, I was.

I started to rummage through it. I was looking for entities that might be inclined to use liquid hellfire, and who used or were known by names beginning with M.

The first thing I found out was that the stuff wasn’t that popular. It was tricky to make and inclined to have a mind of its own. Not at the sentient level, but at the animal level.

At the animal level. I thought of the fyrhund. If I could find it…but wouldn’t that be embracing fire?

Maybe. Only if I summoned it or something. I shook my head. Could this thing be in league with Surtur to…

…no. I knew that it wasn’t. I knew, too, who I needed to talk to. But I was able to put together a list of names.

Very short names, and none true names. For that we’d need to borrow the Book again, and I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be as easy this time.

I glanced through a couple more books to see what more I could find on those on my list, then slipped out through the back door. That door was generally locked from the outside, but it was an easy route to the outside.

I promptly started to shiver a little. It had to have dropped thirty degrees in the time I was in there. A promised cold front, or Thor. I glanced at the sky and decided it was most likely just the promised cold front hitting. Still, I wished I’d brought a heavier jacket…briefly.

Then I seemed to adapt to it. Just the surprise, I thought. The sudden drop. Winter closing in around us. When was Christmas?

In a couple of weeks. I had a feeling they would be a very long couple of weeks.