Unbound Spirits
Page 24
Very slowly, Michael spoke the words of the Lord’s Prayer again. Or rather, he began, and Ariel and Audrey chimed in once more, their voices growing stronger with each syllable. And Michael bent and dabbed holy water on Kayla’s brow, and her eyes opened.
“What happened?” she asked.
Ariel broke into relieved laughter — although that laughter had a tinge of hysteria to it, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She moved toward the bed, but Michael raised a hand.
“One last thing,” he said. “I need to bless the room and everyone in it, so we know the demon is truly gone. Then it should be safe to untie your daughter.”
A nod. “Of course,” Ariel whispered. “Whatever you need to do.”
He gave her a reassuring smile, then sprinkled holy water on the bed again, and touched a few drops to Ariel’s forehead, just as he’d done to her daughter. She let out a relieved breath, as if she’d been worried that the demon had decided to jump to her next.
And, to be honest, Audrey couldn’t help but experience some of that same relief when Michael came to her and placed a finger on her forehead, smearing some holy water there. He stood very close, and more than anything, she wished she could reach out to him, even though she knew this was not the place or time. For now, she’d have to be content that he was all right, that he had come out okay on the other side of this, just as Kayla Vargas had.
Michael went over to Colin, who rolled his eyes but submitted to the same ritual placement of the holy water. Then he turned to Susan, who sent him a rueful smile.
“I really don’t think that’s necessary,” she said.
“But it is,” he told her. “Even if you don’t think so.”
Her smile grew a little tight. “Is that purified water? Because I have really sensitive skin — almost everything makes me break out in a rash.”
“Susan, it’s just a dab. Here.” And before she could utter another protest, he reached over to her and touched his fore- and middle finger to her forehead.
Her response was immediate. A terrible scream tore itself from her lips, too like the ones Kayla had been uttering just a short time earlier to be a coincidence. Even as Michael took a step back in shock, Susan hurled the boom mike at him, catching him full in the chest with such force that he staggered backward and fell to the floor.
And then she fled the room.
Audrey had stood there for a few seconds, frozen in shock, before she realized what must have happened. The demon had left Kayla’s body…only to take up residence in Susan’s.
Without thinking, she grasped the remaining vial of holy water and ran after the possessed woman. There she was, pounding down the hall toward the staircase. Her foot was already on the top step.
“Stop!” Audrey shouted.
Just for a second, Susan paused. Or rather, the thing that had taken control of Susan paused. Her mouth twisted in a snarl, and a terrible reddish light glowed from her hazel eyes. “You can’t stop us, fool. We always win.”
Instinct drove Audrey forward. She didn’t even know exactly what she planned to do. From behind her, she heard a jumble of voices — Colin shouting, Michael calling out for her to wait. But she couldn’t wait. Even now the Susan-thing had turned away and resumed its flight down the stairs. There was no way they’d be able to catch up with her before she reached the bottom of the steps and freedom.
Audrey had only this one chance.
With shaking fingers, she pulled the stopper from the vial, then leaned over the banister and flung the holy water downward at their possessed sound operator. The thing inside Susan shrieked in pain, clawing at her eyes, then stumbled and went down, tumbling over and over until her body hit the floor at the bottom of the steps and was still.
No…oh, no….
Audrey pounded down the stairs, vaguely aware that Michael and Colin were now in the hallway and coming toward the staircase as well. When she got to the bottom, she knelt next to Susan. With icy fingers, she reached toward Susan’s throat to see if she could feel a pulse, even though her neck was twisted at such a terrible angle, there was no way…there was no way….
Suddenly, Michael was crouching beside her. “Wait,” he said. From an inner pocket, he drew out yet another vial of holy water. Hand shaking, he sprinkled some of the vial’s contents on Susan’s body. She didn’t move, didn’t stir.
It was hard to breathe. Tears blurred Audrey’s eyes, and then Michael was helping her stand, pulling her away so she could sit down on an antique bench placed up against the wall next to the stairwell. Colin was there as well, leaning down to close Susan’s eyes, which stared sightlessly up at the chandelier that hung in the foyer. When he stood back up, his expression was curiously blank, as if he didn’t quite know how he was supposed to react to all this.
“Bloody hell,” he said at last. “She’s dead.”
Audrey and Michael’s story concludes in Unholy Ground, releasing in April 2019.
Also by Christine Pope
PROJECT DEMON HUNTERS
(Paranormal Romance)
Unquiet Souls
Unbound Spirits
Unholy Ground
Unseen Voices
Unmarked Graves
Unbroken Vows (March 2020)
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
(Paranormal Romance)
Sympathy for the Devil
Charmed, I’m Sure
A Wing and a Prayer (February 2020)
THE WITCHES OF CANYON ROAD
(Paranormal Romance)
Hidden Gifts
Darker Paths
Mysterious Ways
A Canyon Road Christmas
Demon Born
An Ill Wind
Higher Ground
Haunted Hearts
THE WITCHES OF CLEOPATRA HILL*
(Paranormal Romance)
Darkangel
Darknight
Darkmoon
Sympathetic Magic
Protector
Spellbound
A Cleopatra Hill Christmas
Impractical Magic
Strange Magic
The Arrangement
Defender
Bad Blood
Deep Magic
Darktide
Books 1-3 and Books 4-6 of this series are also available in two separate omnibus editions at special boxed set prices. Chronicles of Cleopatra Hill includes the series’ two “back in time” novellas, Bad Blood and The Arrangement.
Or get the entire series in one enormous, specially priced boxed set! (Not available on Amazon.)
THE DJINN WARS*
(Paranormal Romance)
Chosen
Taken
Fallen
Broken
Forsaken
Forbidden
Awoken
Illuminated
Stolen
Forgotten
Driven
Unspoken
Books 1-3 and Books 4-6 of this series are also available in two separate omnibus editions at special boxed set prices!
THE WATCHERS TRILOGY*
(Paranormal Romance)
Falling Dark
Dead of Night
Rising Dawn
The Watchers Trilogy is also available in a specially priced boxed set!
THE SEDONA FILES*
(Paranormal Romance)
Bad Vibrations
Desert Hearts
Angel Fire
Star Crossed
Falling Angels
Enemy Mine
Get the first three books of this series in an omnibus edition, or read the complete six-book series in one super-low-priced boxed set!
TALES OF THE LATTER KINGDOMS*
(Fantasy Romance)
All Fall Down
Dragon Rose
Binding Spell
Ashes of Roses
One Thousand Nights
Threads of Gold
The Wolf of Harrow Hall
Moon Dance
The Song o
f the Thrush
Books 1-3 and Books 4-6 of this series are also available in two separate omnibus editions at special boxed set prices.
THE GAIAN CONSORTIUM SERIES*
(Science Fiction Romance)
Beast (free prequel novella)
Blood Will Tell
Breath of Life
The Gaia Gambit
The Mandala Maneuver
The Titan Trap
The Zhore Deception
The Refugee Ruse
Books 1-3 of this series are also available in an omnibus edition at a special boxed set price!
STANDALONE TITLES
Hearts on Fire
Taking Dictation
Night Music
Golden Heart
* Indicates a completed series
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in grade school. Her work includes paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and science fiction/space opera romance. She makes her home in Sedona, Arizona.
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Christine Pope on the Web:
www.christinepope.com