by Rachel Dylan
She hesitated for a moment before following him inside. “I told you on the phone that I was willing to talk. So here I am.”
“Coffee, wine, anything to drink?” Layton asked. “I’m having scotch myself.”
“Count me in.”
He poured them both a drink, and they sat down in his den—her on the couch and him in his favorite ivory armchair. He took a sip and then started talking. “You and I go way back, Morena. You’ve been there through thick and thin. Why now? Why would you turn on me after all we’ve been through? I thought of you like my sister.”
Morena took a sip and placed the drink down in front of her. “I’m listening to what members are telling me, Layton. Everyone is concerned with your antics of late. I’m doing what I think is best for our business and our group—for spreading our beliefs in this community.”
Layton didn’t believe that for a minute. “Morena, this is a power grab. Pure and simple.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s not. If you took a vote today of our members, I would win overwhelmingly to run the company, and Stacey would have a majority on the spiritual side.”
“And that’s your first mistake, my dear. Optimism is not a democracy. It never has been. It can’t function as one. The minute you start letting the people rule, you lose your grasp on power and the structure crumbles. The reason I rule with an iron fist is because it is absolutely necessary.”
“I believe there’s another way,” Morena said. “This is checkmate for you, Layton. Just accept it. You overplayed your hand this time, and it’s going to cost you.”
“No, it’s not. If you took over, you would fail, and I can’t sit by and watch the two of you destroy everything I’ve built.”
She threw up her hands. “What are you going to do about it? Stab me like you did Nina Marie?”
Layton had wanted to look Morena in the eyes to evaluate where her head was at. It was evident to him she would never be on his side again. She’d tasted a bit of power, and it had completely gone to her head. Now it was time to tell her what was really going on. “Morena, you’re the one who has overplayed your hand. Now you have two options.”
Morena laughed. “Okay, I’ll play along.”
“One, you leave town and never come back.” He paused.
“Yeah, not happening. What’s the second option?”
“You die from the poison you just ingested.”
She looked down at the drink. “But you drank it too,” her voice cracked.
“The poison was in your glass. I have an antidote that I’m more than willing to give you.” He looked down at his watch. “But you have less than three minutes to make that call.”
“Layton, I don’t want to die!” Morena cried.
“Then agree to leave.” He was giving her an out.
“You’re a beast.” She started to choke and her face turned pale.
“Yes, you should be feeling the effects right about now.” He pulled the syringe out of his jacket pocket. “It’s your call, Morena.”
Her blue eyes locked onto his. “You would really kill me? After all we’ve been through together? All I’ve done for you?”
She was overstating her importance to him, but he let that go. “I’m giving you a way out. It’s yours to take, but if you don’t, then yes, I’m willing to do what I need to do.”
“How would you explain my death?” she croaked.
“Do you want to sit around and try to figure that out? The clock is ticking.” In a way, he hoped she would refuse and just die because he was losing his patience with her antics, but that would be much harder for him to clean up.
“Okay, okay,” she whispered. “Give me the injection. I’ll leave town. I don’t care.”
Layton walked over to her and squatted down. “I have to give it to you in the thigh.” He plunged the syringe into her leg, taking pleasure in her pain.
After a minute, she looked much better, the color starting to return to her cheeks. She took a few deep breaths.
He looked her in the eyes. “Consider this a warning. If you go back on your word, I will kill you. I want you out of town tomorrow.”
Morena nodded. She grabbed her purse and, still shaking, stood up from the couch.
Layton rose and walked back over to his chair. He lifted his drink to his lips and turned, ready to escort Morena out of his house and his life once and for all. Her actions showed why he had to rule with an iron fist. That was the only way to keep his hold on power. He took a big drink of whiskey.
When he faced her, he saw the revolver in her slim, trembling hand. He dropped his glass. It shattered loudly as it hit the floor. He lifted his hands in the air. “Morena, what are you doing?”
“You left me no choice.”
Before he could make a move, she fired off a shot that hit him in the gut. A searing pain went through his body before his world turned black.
Chapter Twenty
“I shot him.” A wild-eyed Morena paced around Stacey’s apartment. “He had just tried to kill me, but then I saw him on the ground and bleeding, and I panicked. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t watch him die. I had to get him help.”
“You called 911? Have you lost your mind?” Stacey looked at Morena and wondered how this woman could be so stupid. What a weakling she had turned out to be. Stacey would’ve never made that same mistake.
“I said it was self-defense to the operator. Then I bolted, but I think he’ll make it. I called really quickly.”
Stacey thought about how to respond. “A claim of self-defense might work from a purely legal perspective of getting you off the hook, but you went after him and didn’t finish the job. He will come after you now.”
Morena’s hands shook and her face paled. “I want out. I’m leaving. Leaving this place. Going somewhere no one will ever find me. None of this is worth it.”
Stacey couldn’t believe her turn of fortune. Morena’s idiocy could be just what Stacey needed. “If you flee, though, it will make you look guilty.”
“I don’t care. I’ll get out of the country if I have to.” Morena stopped pacing for a second. “Can you cover for me? If the police come to you, say that you haven’t seen me.”
“Absolutely. That’s the least I could do.” Stacey held back a smile.
Morena walked over and gave her a big hug. “I wish you all the best, Stace. I hate that things have ended this way. Maybe one day we’ll see each other again, but don’t plan on it anytime soon.”
“I understand.” And she did appreciate what Morena had done for her, but she had far outgrown what Morena could offer.
Morena grabbed her bag and rushed out the door. Immediately, Stacey grabbed her cell and called Eliza. “Layton’s been shot.”
“What?” Eliza asked. “Is he dead?”
“No. From what I hear he might make it. The less you know the better, but it wasn’t me. I need you now though. We have the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. How quickly can you gather your coven?”
“Pretty quickly. We have an emergency signal.”
“As does Optimism. It’s time that we do this thing, Eliza. Are you with me?”
Eliza paused. “Yes. I’m in. I’ll text you a meeting place.”
Stacey hung up and knew what her next move had to be. She needed all the power she could harness to make this happen, and there was only one source to go to. The Prince of Darkness would provide everything she needed. There was no turning back.
Ben and Micah hovered over Stacey’s apartment and watched as a flood of demons descended on the place. “This is worse than we expected,” Ben said. “We haven’t seen this level of demonic activity since last year.”
Micah nodded. “We thought Layton was the strongest adversary yet, but Stacey is young and power hungry. She’s shown that she will go to any length to reach her goal.”
“Layton’s still alive, though. His will to live is strong, and the doctors got to him in time. Do you really think he’s going to let her be? Let he
r take over his kingdom?” Ben asked.
Micah shook his head. “No. But I don’t want us to get into the middle of their power struggle if we can avoid it. Olivia and Grant have already been through so much. Whoever is the leader of Optimism, we’ll have to deal with them, but it’s not our job to determine that. All we can do is pray.”
Othan flew over to where they were, his brilliant blue eyes shining in the night. “You two have no idea what you’re in for. New blood, a new fight, a new day is about to dawn in Windy Ridge. And our first order of business is Olivia Murray.” Othan laughed. “And you two fools are here. Wrong place, wrong time. If I were you, I’d be more concerned about being at Olivia’s house tonight. Not Stacey’s.”
The warning rang true to Micah and Ben as they exchanged uneasy glances and immediately flew off to Olivia’s house. They could only pray that they weren’t too late.
A loud boom of thunder startled Olivia as she sat lounging on the couch with Grant watching a movie. Her light mood turned darker as a cool breeze blew through the living room. The lights started to flicker.
“Grant?”
He looked at her. “Yeah.”
“Do you feel that?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Something isn’t right.”
Thunder shook the room again, this time even stronger. “Grant, this isn’t just a bad thunderstorm.”
Grant squeezed her hand. “I know.” The lights flickered again and then went out. They were surrounded by darkness. “We need to pray.”
Grant gripped tightly onto her hand and started to pray. She didn’t understand why this was happening now, but they were under attack. An attack that had been completely unprovoked. A nice, relaxing evening and respite from everything had now become something sinister.
The room turned from cool to unbearably hot as beads of sweat formed on her brow. She moved even closer to Grant. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Olivia started praying aloud using scripture because the Word of the Lord was their greatest weapon.
“Olivia, are you still all right?” Grant asked.
“Yes.”
“Let’s keep praying.” Grant then took the lead in prayer.
As he started praying, tears rolled down her cheeks. This man who had his doubts was in this moment stepping up and stepping out in faith. Thank you, Jesus, for answering my prayers. For your faithfulness in times of doubt.
The rain pounded down, and the thunder boomed again loudly. She opened her eyes and gasped at the bright, fiery yellow eyes that were staring at her. They hovered in the darkness, but there was no mistaking the fact that they were locked onto her.
Grant opened his eyes too when he heard her reaction.
“Do you see that?” Olivia asked him.
“No. I don’t see anything. Just the darkness. Complete darkness. It shouldn’t be that dark in here.”
But it wasn’t only the darkness she saw. The yellow eyes were still there. She’d experienced these forces of evil before. Most of the times the demons were invisible, but they would show themselves in different forms when it helped their cause. They were trying to scare her. Trying to shake her. Trying to make her question everything she believed in and held dear.
Doubts started to bombard her. Awful thoughts about Grant, her life, her work. Her inadequacies. Her lack of faith. Her fears. Loneliness.
“Olivia?” Grant asked.
She couldn’t respond, feeling paralyzed by fear and doubt. The yellow eyes moved closer and bore down on her.
The cackles of loud laughter sounded in her ears. The whispers of accusation hit against her. The pain brewed inside of her. It was all too much.
Yes, she’d faced spiritual attack before, but this one was so acute and focused. They were coming after her directly and doing it in the most hurtful way by targeting all her fears and insecurities. “Lord, please help me,” she cried out.
Grant jumped up from the couch. She tried to call out after him, but no words came out of her mouth.
Why was he leaving her? Where would he go? Would he really abandon her now?
She heard lots of commotion but wasn’t sure what was happening in her house.
“See,” a deep voice said in her ear. “We told you that he’d leave you.” She could feel the demon’s warm breath on her cheek. “Now you’re all alone. It’s just us. Grant will always leave you. He won’t stick by you. You’ll be alone.”
“No,” she whispered.
But the accusations and threats still came at her. Her head pounded as if it were being squeezed from each side.
“You’re alone, Olivia,” the accusatory voice said.
Stop it. She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t make the voices stop.
“Olivia, look at me!” Grant grabbed onto her shoulders.
She opened up her eyes.
Grant sat beside her with her Bible in his hands. Using the flashlight on his cell phone, he flipped it open and started reading. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
As Grant spoke the words, Olivia watched the yellow eyes start to flicker as their strength was no match for the truth.
But the pain was still there. The fiery darts of the evil one were being hurled at her. Jesus, help me. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” She repeated the verse a second time.
A great flash of light spread throughout the room. Not from the lightning but from the angelic beings bringing the power of the Lord with them.
“Now that I see!” Grant looked up in amazement.
The yellow eyes blinked and flickered and then faded away. The pain in her head stopped.
The room was illuminated with such a brilliant light she had to shield her eyes. The power of the Lord surrounded them, and she was no longer afraid.
“Thank you, Jesus,” she said.
The two of them sat in awe and praised God for what He had done for them, but after a moment, the bright light was extinguished.
The electricity came back on, and the TV flickered back to life.
Grant wrapped his arms around her. “Olivia, are you all right? Are you hurt?”
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself and stop shaking. “I’m okay.” As the words came out, she still wasn’t certain, but she didn’t want to alarm him any further.
“That was a direct spiritual attack,” Grant said flatly.
“Did you see anything?” she asked.
“Yes.” Grant took a deep breath. “I saw two angels. Larger than life and so bright. I can’t even put into words how majestic and mighty they were, but before that, the room was pitch black except for the light I had on my phone. I think I knocked over some stuff trying to get to your Bible. I couldn’t see anything.”
Wow. The enormity of everything was starting to hit her. “I didn’t see the angels, just a bright light. Before that I saw awful demonic eyes. They were taunting me. I couldn’t stop them.”
Grant frowned. “They were targeting you specifically, Olivia.”
“But thank God you were here to help pray with me. For a minute, I couldn’t do anything. The pain and the thoughts running through my head were indescribable.”
“I believe you. I’m so sorry you had to experience that.” He paused. “Why do you think I saw the angels?”
She thought for a moment. “After all you’ve been through, Grant, you demonstrated great faith and courage here tonight. Maybe that’s why.”
“I didn’t know what to do, so the first thing that came to me was getting your Bible. I don’t have as many verses committed to memory as you do. It’s one
thing I know I need to work on.”
She squeezed his hand. “You did great. We put our faith in God and He sustained us. We can’t fight this battle ourselves.”
Grant wrapped his arm tightly around her, and they sat in silence for a few minutes.
When her cell started to ring, she saw it was Pastor Dan calling. “It’s late. Something else must’ve happened.” She picked up. “Hey. I’ve got you on speaker. Grant’s with me.”
“Olivia, Grant, have you heard?” Dan asked.
“No, what is it?” Olivia asked.
“Layton was shot tonight. He’s in ICU. It’s touch and go.”
“Who shot him?” she asked.
“I don’t know. One of the church members who works at the hospital heard about it and called me.”
“I’m not sure what emotion I should be feeling right now, but I guess the right thing to do is pray for him, although I’ll be honest, it’s hard to do.” She paused. “Also, tonight something happened at my house. A spiritual attack. It ended a few minutes before you called.”
“Maybe Layton’s attack set off the demonic forces and they came after you,” Pastor Dan said.
“I’m not sure, but it’s over now.” Olivia looked over at Grant.
“If I hear anything, I’ll let you know. If Layton doesn’t make it, who knows what will happen to Optimism. I know Morena and Stacey made a power play.”
“Stacey is proving to be a bit of an upstart,” Grant said.
“Yeah,” Dan said. “We all realize that now. After what she did to Layton at trial, she’s willing to play hardball. I have to believe that the police will be questioning her given how that all unfolded.”
“You don’t think she would actually try to kill Layton, do you?” Olivia asked.
Dan sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know anymore. She’s no longer the young woman I knew.”
Olivia’s heart broke at that statement. “Thanks for calling.”
They ended the call and Olivia looked over at Grant. “Do you think Stacey did it?”
Grant shrugged. “I don’t know. Seems a bit against her strategy given she was already mounting a coup. I guess the police will figure it out.”