by Michael Todd
Abraham leapt high and flipped over a mass of demons on the floor. When he landed, he spun and slashed his swords through the air. Anything missed by the first sword was decimated by the second. A large beast with long, dangling arms and a snout that extended like a bird’s beak charged at him, its teeth shimmering in the candlelight. The rogue fighter sliced at it but missed when he tripped over a body that had not yet turned to dust.
He sprawled on top of it, and the corpse erupted in a cloud of ash. The monster continued its charge. The man braced his hands against the dust-strewn floor and pushed up as hard as he could. He had forgotten his new strength and catapulted into the ceiling. Tiles broke, and he grabbed one of the rafters and shook his head to clear it.
The demon looked up at him and grimaced. With a defiant snarl, it launched itself upward and dangled in front of him by one long arm looped around the same rafter. Abraham swung his body, released his grip, and wrapped his legs around his adversary’s waist. He twisted his sword forward and to the side and shoved the sharp tip into the demon’s throat. The creature reached up with its large paw and gurgled as its other paw released the girder. They plummeted toward the floor, but the man managed to twist and land on top of it.
On impact, he gripped the handle of the sword tightly and pushed down, using the momentum to sever the head entirely. The demon turned to ash beneath him, and he stood to take in the gym and estimate the destruction and casualties.
From across the room, Damian glimpsed the look of desperation on his face. They needed to find Elizabeth, and they needed to do it now.
Chapter Nineteen
The dozen or so remaining demons dispersed and rushed from the gym into the school. Their claws scratched the floor with a sound much like a million rats scurrying. Damian had managed to exorcise nine of the infected, and the rest of them found their end by bullet or sword. Abraham had destroyed a fuck-ton of demons as he sliced heads off and blasted his guns into them. The gym was covered with dust and ash, and unconscious human bodies lay strewn throughout.
The priest put his cross away and approached Abraham to place his hand on his shoulder. The last of the demons jumped from behind the bleachers and ran out the door and down the hall. They let them go, too tired to give chase. Between them, they had done more than their fair share of killing and exorcising.
Abraham stared around the space, his expression hard and determined. “Now, how do we find Elizabeth? Does your demon still sense her?”
Ravi sniffed. Still here, but Damian, you have to hurry. Her human scent is diminishing fast.
The priest forced himself to meet his companion’s gaze. “She’s still here, but we have to find her. My guess would be upstairs.”
The rogue fighter narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, focused on a sudden movement behind the bleachers. He took one step forward and stopped as the last of the cult members from the inner circle stood up. The two men stared at each other for a moment before the infected darted toward the door and headed down the hall.
Abraham put his gun away and hurried after him. “Come on. He’ll lead us to her.”
Damian sighed and raced after them. He drew his pistol as he ran but had no time to even look around them as they scrambled through the school’s hallways. The cultist ahead of them made his way toward the stairs and leapt onto the middle landing. The older man followed and landed as the target climbed the rest of the way up. The priest took the stairs three at a time, using his increased speed from Ravi to catch up with the others. As they reached the top, he put his hand out to slow his companion.
The older man peeked around the corner. “He went into the fourth room on the right. That has to be where Elizabeth is.”
Damian understood, but he needed his companion to calm down. “You have to take this in stride. Don’t let these few feet be your last because you aren’t thinking straight.”
They crept down the hall and stood outside the room. A single voice chanted inside. Abraham holstered his gun and breathed deeply. Together, they stepped through the doorway into the room. The priest lifted his gun and shot the cultist they had followed in the head.
Abraham nodded in thanks and looked to the left. Elizabeth lay on a metal lab table and moaned slightly. Her red eyes indicated the presence of a demon inside her. The cult leader leaned over her as he tried desperately to finish the sacrificial spell. “Almighty Invictus, qota yiz zaeuh, ya aera esaeu called maen qae sabbi grave. Qota sabbi oz o sacrifice. Uza sabbi oq esaeun lizz. Zota sabbi iaiae ya chogabbi yoq la crave, yoq la raph qae fulfill esaeun wishes sabbia aer aony. L’ta iz naoges aes mighty zoedabbi.”
The rogue fighter snarled and leapt over the desks. He grabbed the man around the waist and dragged him to the floor, but his opponent was stronger than he expected. The cultist kicked him hard in the stomach, and Abraham flew back and crashed into the wall. Without even a slight pause, he pushed upright and shook the dust off his shoulders. His eyes burned brightly.
Damian stood back, ready to go to Elizabeth’s side as soon as the leader was incapacitated. Ravi could sense the man’s demon. He has a medium demon in him and won’t be easy to defeat.
The priest grabbed a knife from his belt. Then I guess I’ll have to help.
He ran forward as Abraham tried to wrestle the man’s arms down and stabbed their adversary in the side of the neck. The cultist’s eyes grew wide, but he didn’t stop. Unbelievably, it was as if the metal barely fazed him. Damian yanked the knife out and grabbed his cross as his colleague held the cultist at arm’s length.
He repeated the prayer over and over, determined to force the demon out. “Domine perpetua Divino Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti per unionem cum Divino, quod per Foederatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae, obsecro te perdere the Power of vestri maximum hostium—malis Angelis. Projiceret eos concatenata intima gehennae aeternum Ut possessio tua, quæ tu creatus est regnum tuum, et qui admodum est alicui licentiam. Pater caelestis det nobis divi Augusti temporibus Sacratissimi Cordis Iesu et Immaculatae Cordis Mariae dicatum.”
The older man flashed him an inquiring look, but he shook his head. “He’s latched on to this human. I can’t exorcise him.”
Abraham smiled and pulled one of his pistols. “No bother. I’m more than happy to put two bullets in this motherfucker’s head. You want to mess with my wife? You want to come into my home and fuck with me? You met the wrong guy.”
The cultist laughed. “You stupid sack of meat. You are the one who brought this on your wife. You killed my master’s body ten years ago in a battle. Then you pissed on him as he died.”
The man thought back and started to chuckle. “Oh…him. That was fun. He didn’t really like the golden shower.”
His adversary screamed and swiped his hand low to slash Abraham’s thigh. The man winced and gritted his teeth before he threw him down and aimed his gun. “Tell your boss that I got more if he wants it, but this time there’s a price.”
He pulled the trigger twice, and two bullets impacted the man’s forehead only seconds apart. The demon emerged immediately, and the body turned slowly to ash on the floor. Abraham spat into the ashes and turned to race to his wife’s side. Damian was already there and gave him a moment.
“Hey, baby, I came for you. Hold on, okay? I brought my friend Damian. He’ll help you.” It was like watching a complete stranger. He had lost his aggression, and his voice had become kind and full of love.
The priest had a knot in the pit of his stomach. He looked at the twisted skin on her body and the way the demon pulsated through her. Abraham looked at him. “Go ahead.”
He took a deep breath and began the prayer but couldn’t get far. “Domine perpetua Divino Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti per unionem cum Divino—”
The demon whipped her rigid body from side to side in her husband’s arms. Damian swallowed hard and started again. “Domine perpetua Divino Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti per unionem cum Divino, quod per Foederatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae—”
The monster’s claws raked her skin from the inside, and a dribble of blood issued from the corner of her mouth as she gasped and moaned. Her eyes rolled back in her head. The other man held her tightly, yelling, “Don’t stop. Save her!”
The priest knew it wouldn’t work, but summoned the courage to try one last time. “Domine perpetua Divino Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti per unionem cum Divino—”
She shrieked, and her body flailed wildly. Abraham looked at Damian with tears in his eyes. “What is happening?”
He shook his head. “The demon inside her is strong. It’s decimating her insides with every word of the prayer that I say. He is killing her from the inside out as he tries to hold on. She won’t survive this, and there is a good chance her demon will take over before she dies. Trust me, that’s not a good thing.”
The man sighed and clenched his teeth as he looked down at her still-perfect face. He traced his hand across her cheek and shook his head. Sobbing softly, he leaned down and kissed her soft cheek. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you, my love. I tried so hard. I promise I will end this. You won’t become a demon. You will be at peace.”
Damian drew his weapon and stepped forward but his companion shook his head and pushed his hand down. “No, you did your best, Damian. I need to be the one to do this. She needs to die with love, not pity or anger. I need to give her soul the best chance I possibly can. The exorcism won’t work. I see that.”
“Are you sure?”
Abraham took in a ragged breath and tilted his head back as he wiped the tears from his cheeks. “She is the love of my life. She is my soul and my heart, and I won’t let her die by someone else’s hand. I won’t let this war be the thing that takes her. She is one of the few remaining true warriors.”
The priest reached over and squeezed the man’s shoulder tightly. “I’m sorry, old friend. We weren’t quick enough to save her. To be already so far turned, they had to have Damned her as soon as they took her from your house. I think they did this on purpose as some kind of ritual.”
The rogue fighter looked at his wife’s face. “They did it as revenge. They wanted to get back at me, to make her what I hate most—a demon. To do this, they stole her life force and snuffed all but an inch of it out and left her for me to take care of. No matter. This is my duty.”
Damian reversed his gun and handed it to him. Abraham took it and set it down on the table before he pulled her shaking body close and held her tightly in his arms. His eyes squeezed tightly closed, he rubbed his nose over her ear as he whispered, “My sweet Elizabeth, you gave me more in this life than I ever deserved. You were my soul-catcher, my tamer. Somehow, you held the beast in me down and brought out everything that makes a man human. You were my sweet and strong flower, my everything. With your love, you gave me the world, and I am so sorry I couldn’t give you anything of value in return. I failed you, sweetheart. I failed you, and now I have to rectify that.”
He tilted his head back and sobbed as he held her close. “Oh, God, if you are out there, forgive me for this. Please forgive me for what I have to do.”
Abraham swallowed, leaned forward, and kissed her bloody lips for the last time. For a moment, she went still, the warmth of her body already dissipating. Slowly, he lowered her body onto the table and picked up the gun. As if on auto-pilot, he checked the chamber. He glanced at Damian with tears streaming down his face and pressed the barrel of the gun to her forehead.
He closed his eyes and sat perfectly still. “I love you, Elizabeth. I always have, and I always will. Wherever you end up, I will find you. Wait for me there, in that place we always dreamed of going together.”
The sound of the gun going off echoed through the room. Her body stopped shaking and laid perfectly still. He dropped the gun to the floor, snatched her up once again, and pulled her tightly to him. Light shimmered around her as he held her in the tight circle of his embrace. He closed his eyes, and her body crumbled slowly to ash in his arms. He was left holding nothing but the scarf that had been tied around her neck.
Damian sat in the chair behind him and shook his head as he whispered a fervent prayer.
“God, our Father, Your power brings us to birth, Your providence guides our lives, and by Your command, we return to dust. Lord, those who die still live in Your presence. Their lives change but do not end. I pray in faith for my family, relatives, and friends, and for all the dead known to You alone.
“In company with Christ, Who died and now lives, may they rejoice in Your kingdom, where all our tears are wiped away. Unite us again together in one family, to sing Your praise forever and ever. Amen.”
The entirety of everything in both their worlds stopped for those moments, frozen in time. The pain that radiated from Abraham was so strong that even Ravi could feel it from her place deep within the priest. He wanted to help his friend, reach out and make it better, but he knew there was nothing in the world that would remove the pain. They had been too late. They had missed even the slightest chance to save her, but Damian was certain that once that demon had entered her, it was already too late.
Her body had been returned to the earth like all the rest, and he could only pray that someone as pure and good as she was had made her way to heaven. He couldn’t believe that his God, the one he served, wouldn’t search out and fight for her soul. She didn’t deserve that kind of death. None of them did. The innocent were taken, and Damian could feel a renewed desire to save them burning in his chest.
Chapter Twenty
Nearly ten minutes passed before Damian heard a sound from outside the room. The demons who were left were restless. Their leader had been killed, and their future queen eviscerated. They had no one to lead them, but their hunger grew stronger with the smell of the two humans still in the building.
The priest reached over and touched his friend’s shoulder. “We have to go. There are demons out there.”
His companion lifted his head and looked at him, and his eyes flashed bright red. The priest immediately jumped up to restrain him, but Abraham used the full extent of his demon’s powers and was out the door before Damian could stop him. The man was angrier than hell, ready to take out his grief on anything in his path.
He raced after the rogue fighter and watched him snatch any infected or demon who got in his way. The man didn’t use his weapons, just his bare hands. His fingers dug into their flesh, and he ripped their bodies apart and threw them against the walls. Black blood splattered the paintwork and lockers, and he left a trail of innards behind him on the floor.
The priest watched as his companion reached up to snatch a demon from the ceiling. He held it in front of him by its throat and stared at it as the creature clawed at his hands and left long scratches down his arms. He felt nothing, too pumped with adrenaline and full of his demon rage to care. With an eerie growl, he grabbed his adversary’s hand, twisted it back, and listened with a satisfied smirk as the bones snapped and popped. The demon shrieked and he released it momentarily, then snatched an arm, ripped it from the socket, and threw it hard into an adjacent room.
The beast squealed and squirmed as black blood squirted from its shoulder. Nothing fazed Abraham at that moment, though. All he could of think of was revenge and he had a burning thirst for the death of every demon in the place. He grabbed the creature’s other arm and yanked it off. The sound of flesh tearing sent shivers up Damian’s spine. The man snarled and looked into the demon’s eyes. All he could see was hate. He just wanted to watch it suffer. The priest stood back in horror and watched as his companion ripped the demon to pieces. Somehow, he kept him alive long enough to feel the pain.
When there was barely anything left, he turned the torso on its side and pulled hard. Intestines splattered on the floor at Abraham’s feet. He dropped the two halves and moved on, not even waiting for them to turn to ash. When he reached the top of the stairs, a demon hurtled down another corridor. He raced after it, caught up quickly, and tackled it to the floor.
He held it
down with his legs and ripped its arms off to keep the claws away. Relentless, he yanked his knife out and stabbed the beast over and over in the chest and neck. He aimed everywhere he could that wouldn’t kill it outright.
Damian walked toward him and saw the blood that ran down the man’s face. It wasn’t his. Rather, it was dark and evil. He drew his gun, aimed at the demon’s head, and pulled the trigger.
Abraham glared at him, and his eyes flashed. “He was mine!”
The priest couldn’t allow him to continue the slaughter. He rushed forward and grabbed the man by the shirt collar, lifted him to his feet, and slammed his back against the wall. They stared at each other for several minutes until Abraham froze.
Damian swallowed hard and shook his friend before forcing eye contact. “That’s enough! Enough! I think you’ve forgotten how much your wife loved you. You were her savior. You took her out of that world and gave her life. Without you, she would have died as a mercenary long before now. She saw the kindness and sweetness in you that no one else even believed existed. Elizabeth saw the spirit in you that no one else really understood. You aren’t this monster. She proved that to you the first time you knew you’d fallen in love with her.”
His companion stared intently at him, and his facial expression eased slightly. The priest loosened his grip on his collar and continued, “I know that right now you want something—anything—to soothe the pain in your chest. You want anything that will stop the tears and take away the agony and suffering you feel on the inside. But this? It’s not the way, Abraham. The display of hellfire you manifested is not the way to do it. You can kill ten demons or a million, and you will never feel the satisfaction or release you’re searching for right now.”