Even Though I Knew the End is a fantasy detective noir novella by C.L. Polk.
It's 1941, Elena "Helen" Brandt is a magical PI in Chicago with only a few days left to live. Ten years ago she sold her soul to a demon to save her brother's life with the condition that in exactly ten years the demon will come to collect her soul and due date is only three days away now.
Only now Helen has a new opportunity, as Chicago is being haunted by a serial killer known as the White City Vampire and another demon is offering Helen a second chance: if she discovers the identity of the White City Vampire she can have her soul back, so she can spend the rest of her days with the love of her life, Edith Jarosky.
Even Though I Knew the End contains examples of:
- Back from the Dead:
- People making deals with a demon can have someone brought back from the dead, with Helen selling her soul ten years to bring back her brother Ted after he died in an accident.
- At the end of the story after Helen gets her soul back she immediately sells it back again to bring Edith, who had just been killed by Zashiel back. Haraniel thinks Helen is being selfish to call Edith back out of paradise and tries to persuade her not to go, but she agrees.
- Blood Magic: The reason why the White City Vampire is called such is because all of their murders have painted the nearby walls in blood to perform a magic ritual to steal the victim's soul.
- Cure Your Gays: Homosexuality is widely considered a disease and when investigating at Dunning asylum it's shown that people found to be gay are sent there to be "cured" through electroshock therapy.
- Deal with the Devil:
- People can make deals with demons in exchange for various things, such as wealth, fame or bringing dead loved ones back to life, with the knowledge that they only have ten years to enjoy it as the demon will come and kill them to get their soul.
- Helen made a deal with a demon to bring her brother Ted back to life after he died and with her time almost up she makes a deal with another demon to get her soul back in exchange for tracking the White City Vampire. At the end of the story after she gets her soul back she immediately sells it again to bring Edith back to life.
- Demonic Possession:
- Demons are capable of possessing people if they desire.
- Angels are also capable of possessing people as well, though they usually use Willing Channelers instead, living with their host and only taking control when their hosts allows it. The angel Zashiel however deliberately possesses women that are too weak to handle channeling an angel to commit the murders necessary for their ritual.
- Fantastic Noir: The story is about a PI with magic powers investigating a serial killer using their victim's blood for Blood Magic.
- Our Angels Are Different: There was an order of angels known as the Grigori, angels sent to watch over humanity, but some become too attached to certain humans and were ordered by Heaven to abandon Earth and return to Heaven, with any who refused trapped on Earth with their powers diminishing over time. They believe the way back to Heaven is to live with a Willing Channeler as a host and that they will return to Heaven when their host dies, or at least most of them do. Helen accidentally gets proof this is true when she re-sells her soul to resurrect Edith, and Edith comes back with full memory of her few minutes in Heaven (which mostly consisted of her arguing with Haraniel about her not staying).
- Serial Killer: Chicago is being stalked by the "White City Vampire", a killer that has murdered four people by the beginning of the story and literally painted the nearby walls with their victims blood.The killer is the angel Zashiel, who is using their souls to power a ritual in an attempt to return to Heaven.
- Willing Channeler: Angels banished on Earth find humans capable and willing to let an angel live inside and occasionally let the angel take over when needed. Edith is one such individual, being the host to the angel Haraniel.
- You Are Worth Hell:
- Helen sold her soul to a demon to save Ted's life ten years ago, knowing that she would be damned to Hell for it but she decided it was worth it.
- At the end after Helen gets her soul back she immediately sells it again to bring Edith back to life, again knowing she'll be damned to Hell in ten years.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Anyone who makes a deal with a demon has exactly ten years to live before the demon comes to collect their soul. The story begins with Helen having only three days left before her due date, with her agreeing to track the White City Vampire to free herself from the deal.
- Your Soul Is Mine!:
- All deals with demons involve selling the bargainer's soul to the demon knowing that in ten years the demon will come back and kill them to get their soul.
- The White City Vampire, actually the angel Zashiel is stealing their victim's souls in order to restore their lost magical power to perform a ritual to try to get to back Heaven.
