by CC Dragon
“The amazing guy will show up. Mine did.” I hugged her tighter. “It’s so weird to hug you without your fake boobs.”
Ivy laughed and pulled away, wiping her face. “It is a miracle and Paul is good.”
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes.
My phone beeped.
Greg: I’m here. Ivy okay?
“Greg is here. He’s concerned. If you want to hibernate, I understand. I need to get back on the case stuff, if you’re okay,” I said.
She checked her phone shook her head. “Greg isn’t here just for me. I’m fine. Let’s go down.”
Greg stood there talking to Paul.
“Hi,” I said.
Greg nodded to me and hugged Ivy.
They followed me into the dining room. “Anyone need drinks?”
No one seemed interested in anything from the kitchen. We all sat down.
“Sorry,” Ivy said to Paul.
“It’s fine, I just wish you’d told us. Pretending things are okay only makes it harder. Professionally, you need to handle the bar. Brody is moving out, I told my landlord to cancel the lease,” Paul said.
I nodded. “No reason to keep it.”
“I’m sorry if this is rude but I need to get to why I came over,” Greg said.
“It wasn’t about Brody and Ivy?” I asked.
Greg shook his head. “Eli is back in the States.”
“Matt didn’t say anything,” I replied.
Greg leaned against the wall. “I just got a text that his plane landed. I’m guessing Matt will find out sometime during the day. Eli has been put into seclusion by the church.”
“Seclusion here, not say, the Vatican basement—where I assume there is a secret torture chamber?” I asked.
Greg smiled. “Be nice. He tried to access the Vatican, actually. He was sent back to his parish and is under observation.”
“He’s going to be exorcised?” I asked.
Greg frowned.
“What? He needs a proper one. I’m not qualified.” I pressed.
“You have the powers that instruction can’t give. Eli will undergo mental health and overall health clearance first. The church doesn’t want liability or lawsuits,” Greg reminded me.
“He won’t pass mental clearance. At least he won’t have access to parishioners anymore. Or the public. Hopefully, they get him fixed,” Paul said.
“Can you make sure he gets a good psych consult?” I asked Paul.
“You want me to volunteer?” he asked.
“No, absolutely not. That’d be way too dangerous,” I warned.
“We have someone,” Greg said.
Ivy rolled her eyes. “The church is so flawless.”
“Nothing and no one are flawless,” Greg defended.
“Stop, everyone. Eli is contained at least, that’s good. Ivy, the bar needs your attention. Your personal life is yours and we’re all here for you. Girls night, get drunk, new guys, or whatever you need—but I need you to handle the bar stuff. Paul has the rehab. Greg, please keep me posted on Eli. Anything else?” I asked.
“I thought you’d be relieved. Eli isn’t your problem anymore,” Greg said.
I sighed. “If he escapes or becomes a public danger again, it’s my problem. I’m glad he’s not out there circling like a vulture but it was nice when he was Europe’s problem. Now I can’t ignore him. He’s too clever and his demons aren’t limited by him being under the church’s control.”
Greg nodded. “I’ll go.”
“Don’t, you don’t need to leave,” I said as he turned for the door.
Greg left silently and I felt like there was no right answer.
“He’s deep in religious mode,” Ivy said.
“Good for him. That doesn’t mean Eli can’t be infected by demons or infect others from where he is. Greg thinks it’s all contained but the supernatural doesn’t work that way.” I rubbed my temples.
“He knows. He’s got so much guilt, it’s like he wants to hide. I’ve told him there’s no blame. We’re all human, like he said. We all screw up sometimes but he thinks he should be better,” Ivy explained.
I groaned. “That’s all we need. Pride and arrogance working on him.”
“You think their exorcism won’t work?” Paul asked.
I shrugged. “It can. It can also fail and others become vulnerable to demons. If they even perform one but with the liability, I doubt it gets that far. Every religion thinks they can harness the power of God. It’s so easy for people to let the gifts go to their heads.”
“If you’re that worried about Eli, have one of the angels babysit him. Like you want to do for that ghost,” Paul suggested.
“Not a bad idea.” Why hadn’t I thought of that?
“Angels are perfect?” Ivy asked.
“They can’t disobey the man upstairs, so more or less, yep.” I shrugged.
“Okay, well, if I’ve caused enough trouble—I’ll head to the bar and whip it back into shape,” Ivy said.
“Thanks,” I said. “Wait. Dressed like that?”
Ivy nodded. “I need to work on me and the bar, not keep up an image right now. It doesn’t feel genuine to be so put together and flashy just now.”
“I get that. If you need anything, call,” I said.
“Yes, boss.” Ivy was gone in a flash.
“Let’s get some lunch after I chat with the group of angels,” I suggested to Paul.
He smiled. “You’ll be back out the door in minutes after that ghost.”
“Probably.” I headed upstairs.
Twenty minutes later I was in the bayou near where the accident happened. The gators didn’t bother me, I found my angel and the banshee was up in a tree, weeping. Gunner stood by the car. Backup was good but sometimes I needed to handle stuff solo.
“You know you’re dead, right, LeeAnn?” I asked.
The banshee snapped her head and looked in my direction. There was something slightly more solid about her than a normal ghost but I didn’t feel any special powers in her.
But something behind her eyes. A slight tinge of red. Was she working with more than just free will?
“You can go to Heaven and watch over your family from there. You can visit. Your warnings are scaring the children. They want you to stop,” I said.
The banshee looked up and shrieked.
Putting my hands over my ears, I waited for the vibrant pain to stop.
“You were cheated out of a long life. Sorry, you can take that up with God. Not me. Death!” I shouted.
The banshee shook her head.
“Death! I have a soul for you,” I said.
“It’s not pure,” the angel said.
“Vengeful or vengeance demon?” I asked. A ghost could pull the free will to stay but it had to dodge Death.
If there was a demon involved it got much more complicated.
“Demon.” I nodded.
The banshee flew at me and the angel darted in front of me.
I looked away as sparks and a fiery streak rippled in the air.
Just then, Death appeared as a little old nun. Not scary at all.
“The soul?” Death demanded.
“Angel is wrestling with a demon in the soul right now. Tricky one,” I said.
“I can’t take it that way. You know this.” The nun wagged a finger at me and vanished.
I marched back to the car.
“You don’t look happy. What’s with the fireworks?” Gunner asked.
“There’s a demon in the ghost. Can’t make Death take it. My angel is fighting it since the banshee tried to attack me.” I leaned on the passenger door. “That explains why Death couldn’t take them but that’s a lot of vengeance. I mean, her contemporaries who wronged her are long dead. She’s going after her descendants now.” I got in the car, frustrated by the fight.
“Pain and death are confusing. Justice looks different to everyone,” Gunner commented.
I nodded. “It’s not my job to judge but I ha
ve to help. Is the demon new? Or old?”
Gunner started the car. “Asking me or the angel?”
“The angel is still fighting. We have to go. Amy?” I asked.
My angel appeared in the backseat.
“The demon-is it new or old?”
“All demons are old,” she replied.
“The attachment to LeeAnn, new or old?” I clarified.
“Yes.” The angel vanished.
“When angels are pissing me off, it’s time to take a break. Lunch. I need a burger and a lot of fries,” I said.
Gunner nodded. “You are human. You need fuel and rest.”
It was a good reminder that the angels and demons and even ghosts didn’t—they could haunt, shriek, and fight non-stop. I had to stay strong and not let cracks appear that would compromise me or my family.
Chapter Ten
That night I found myself tossing and turning. Not normal at all. When sleep finally clicked, I saw why I’d been resisting. My vision took me to wherever Eli was being held.
Eli sat in a room with the bare essentials. He stared into the room blankly; he was in a straitjacket but not struggling in the least.
I was there with him and met his gaze.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Eli smiled. “I am complying fully. I made a mistake. They’ll think they succeeded.”
“Why tell me otherwise?” I asked.
“Because you’ll never believe I’m clean or safe.” He grinned.
“You like it. Perfect possession, you enjoy the power. To be in the church yet evil. How do you not burst into flames?” I smirked.
Eli changed suddenly from a sinister man to a sobbing mess. The human shook in pain and fear.
“Help me,” the man said.
“You have to reject the demons. Reject Satan. I can’t do it for you,” I said.
“Heal me,” he said.
I walked forward and reached out my hand. If I could restore his strength, maybe he could resist.
Then I remembered this wasn’t real. I wasn’t here. I was in bed. Perhaps I could channel my powers like I channeled my conscience.
As I was about to touch the shaken human, the demon tried to jump me. I deflected it easily but it leapt straight back into Eli. The screams were almost as bad as the sound of the banshee.
“What’s your name?” I demanded.
“Eli,” he said.
“Demon, what’s your name?” I wasn’t playing games.
“There are too many and we come and go. You’ll never know. I rule them all but we are many,” he said.
I had nothing. No Holy Water or salt. Nothing to try to contain it.
I tried to touch Eli again but he screamed in terror. “No, no. Don’t you touch me!”
“You’re only helping us sell his insanity. Killing him would be more kind,” the demon whispered in my ear.
“Release his soul for you to snatch up? No, I’m not new to this. Death!” I called.
“No one is dead. I can block your summons,” the demons warned.
“This man gave his soul to God, you can’t take it,” I argued.
Eli manically giggled. “Perfect possession. He’ll always choose the demons because they make him feel good. Safe. Powerful.”
I summoned an angel. “Keep him alive. No one can claim his soul if they can’t take his life.”
The angel stood by calmly in the room as Eli cursed and spat at the force of good.
“Get out now,” Amy whispered to me.
I woke up and found myself in a cold sweat.
“De,” Paul said. “Bad dream?”
I shook my head. “That was no dream.”
He hugged me.
Looking around, I knew the room was part of the problem. Not the religious stuff, but Greg’s connection to Eli gave that locked up man more access to me.
“I need to sleep in the library. The big recliner in there is as good as a bed. Neither of us should be sleeping here. Greg is too vulnerable and his stuff is not helping,” I said.
“I’ll take the couch. Brody is moving out tonight so we can always crash at the apartment starting tomorrow night. I have to go through to make sure his stuff is all gone and remove some furniture before the landlord takes it over,” Paul suggested.
I gathered my pillow and blanket. Another good key to marriage on top of separate bathrooms was having your own blankets.
“I don’t know about leaving the house. I hate sleeping apart but the sofa in the library doesn’t pull out. I need to be there for some reason.” I headed down the stairs.
“It’s fine. One night won’t hurt. If I get spooked, I’ll sleep in the recliner and you can sleep on me.” Paul laughed. “Sleeping.”
“Men, always wanting to sleep,” I teased.
“You need it. You look like you haven’t gotten a wink,” he said.
“That’s how I feel, too,” I confessed.
With a quick kiss, he went his way and I went into the library.
Ivy was already in the recliner, cuddled up with Tish and Pearl.
But Tish saw me before I could quietly back out.
Ivy sat up. “What’s wrong?” she yawned.
“Greg’s room is creepy. I had a weird dream that connected me to Eli. I need to sleep elsewhere. I can join Paul on the pullout sofa,” I said. “Why aren’t you in your room?”
She shrugged. “Brody stayed there so many times. His stuff is all gone. He went through it thoroughly. I feel like I failed you, him, and my life.”
“Stop.” I sat down on a padded chair that was nice but not nice enough to sleep in.
Ivy smiled. “I know. It’s just a hard break up. Gotta grieve it. He wanted to be so traditional and that’s not me. I feel like I led him on somehow, but a dog is one thing. Kids? No, thanks. I like running the bar and that’s bar hours. Brody took up a lot of time so I wasn’t helping on your cases.”
“I can handle that, I want you to be happy,” I said.
“The cases made me happy. Brody helped but he didn’t love it. He didn’t want to do it. He liked the rehab work or the bar stuff. Brody was good but too normal for me,” Ivy said.
“Nothing wrong with normal. Paul is,” I pointed out.
Ivy rolled her eyes. “He has gifts, he can tune them out or down. Some people can. But he knows when something is wrong or can’t be ignored. He’s great. Between Brody and Greg, I feel like the balance of my life is upside down or spinning into the atmosphere."
“Sorry. I wish I could help. You deserve a life. Greg isn’t your child. He got off track all on his own.” I tugged my blanket around me more. Heating a two-story old library was tricky.
“De, you can’t dabble in saving souls. We all need to stay strong if we’re going to live here and be in this life. I think Greg moved out because it spooked him. He couldn’t tell Eli was possessed, even though Greg trained for that,” Ivy said.
“Demons study us. Their whole job is to claim souls, destroy humans, and kill us. If they can’t kill us, they want to steal our joy or destroy our happiness. It’s exhausting to fight them. They’ll try anything to distract or throw us off our game. Eli is such a wild card,” I said.
Ivy sighed. “It could’ve been Greg.”
I nodded. “We would’ve seen it. I worry about him isolating himself now. That seems like just what the demons want.”
“I won’t go visit him. Or Eli. I need to stay here and get stronger. Or maybe go to Mary Lou’s and stay there. Girl time. Get stronger by helping others but not as many demon attacks,” Ivy said.
“That’s up to you. You’re welcome to stay but I’m sure Mary Lou could use the help. Greg breaking up with her is so weird to me.” I yawned.
“I want to help on your cases. I’ll go back to my room. It’s safe, I just missed Pearl. I hope Frankie is done with the construction soon,” Ivy said.
“Me too. But the animals have plenty of room to play and run, toys, food, litter box, and we come in to play
with them. They can’t get hurt with tools or trip any of the construction workers. It’s just safer for now,” I said.
“Very smart. The recliner is all yours.” Ivy exited in dramatic fashion, as usual.
The second I sat in the recliner, Tish hopped in my lap and began to purr.
“I know. I missed you, too. I had a very bad dream. Can you chase the demons away?” I reclined the chair and snuggled in.
Amy showed up like a weird angelic nightlight.
“What?” I asked.
“You are safe for now. The worlds will collide,” she said.
I closed my eyes in an attempt to block her out, but her bright aura penetrated my eyelids anyway. “Thanks, advice and clues when I’m dead tired.”
“You know deep down what I say without me saying anything,” Amy replied.
“I shouldn’t have endangered Paul by marrying him,” I muttered.
“That’s the self-doubt talking. He makes you stronger and he’s safer with you. Now sleep,” Amy said.
I grumbled and found a comfortable position. Part of me was tempted to visit Heaven and ask Gran about Paul. Check in about Eli. But Gran wanted me to do things without her as a net. As I drifted off, I realized I wanted her approval on Paul, not her input. Someday I’d have the time for friendly visits.
Chapter Eleven
The next afternoon, I was trying to find a way to trap the banshee when I saw the Katrina Marie go under. The vision made me close my eyes and rewind.
The boat got flipped by something.
“Gunner!” I shouted.
He ran into the parlor where I’d set up a makeshift office.
“What’s wrong?” Gunner asked.
“We need to go get on the water and find the gator hunters on their boat,” I said.
Gunner nodded. “I’ll call Matt and meet you in the car.”
“Matt?” I asked.
“Police boat is probably the fastest. I don’t have a boat,” Gunner said.
I shrugged. “Didn’t want to make a big fuss, I’m just trying to avoid dead bodies.”
It took time to get there in the rush hour traffic but the boat was waiting for us when we did arrive.
Matt nodded. “Officer Travis will take you out. He’s familiar with the bayou patrol. Wildlife regulations and all that.”