This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Text Copyright ©2015
All rights reserved
Published by
CHBB Publishing, LLC.
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
Cover art by Melissa Stevens
Edited by CLS Editing Services
Book design by Inkstain Interior Book Designing
In everything, I give thanks to God!
I’m eternally grateful and indebted to Sarah Davis Brandon, who said ‘YES,’ to this novel. Her patience and endless encouragement is outstanding!! I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Sarah is always there for her author’s at CHBB. Sarah not only helps her writer’s in getting their books published and promoted, she’s a lovey friend who cherishes those around her. Catherine Stovall edited Wickedly They Come and she’s brilliant! This is my first time working with Catherine and she’s made WTC shiny and pristine and her expertise amazes me!! And to CHBB and all the Fantastic Author’s!!
To my beta readers and fellow Authors, Nana Prah and Debbie Christiana! They are always there for me, and I’m a very lucky person to have them.
A Big Hug to my cover artist, Melissa Stevens for repeatedly going over the top in creating my phenomenal covers!!! I Love It!! And thanks to my daughter, Noelle for agreeing to the photo shoot. She graces the cover beautifully!!
Bless my daughter, Niki who inspired and aided in scripting the opening and closing poems. Niki is an amazing writer, and someday I hope to be reading her novel!! To my sister, Jody for her unfailing love, enthusiasm, and support. To my family who suffers through my endless hours of my morphing into a computer zombie. I realize, at times they get quite upset with me, but love me still.
As I venture into my imagination, I can get lost in another world for hours. It’s fun, exciting, adventurous, and it’s also arduous, long, and time consuming. Every author has his or her ups and downs, doubts, and basically I can be quite a neurotic-nilly. Particularly when it comes time to let my book babies into the world for all to read. I’d like to personally thank all those readers who’ve purchased my books and liked what they’ve read. And especially to those readers who’ve gone out of their way to write wonderful reviews!! Thank you for your support!!!
To Jim, my greatest love.
To my children, whom I cherish with all my heart: Niki, Robert, Jenna Mae, Noelle, and Jordan.
To my mom, Frances, you are loved beyond measure.
To my mother-in-law, Suzanne, you are also loved beyond measure.
Eyes like embers burn into my soul
As gnarled fingers stretch to sow seeds of terror
Weaving a realm of pandemonium
Nightmares pour poison upon sleep’s tangled web
And on and on the vision’s dance:
I saw the world blind and hollow
Floating in the void of space
Feeding upon the vapors of some
Translucent suspended beast
Disjointed bodies then did appear
Sprinkling death and devouring life
Coaxing Earth into silent slumber
Blazing eyes again emerged
Red brightness true to hellish fire
Fixed upon my wandering eye
Flames burst upon the scene
Wild and wily, leaving not one piece to fix upon
Except for those eyes of ember…
WHY DO YOU GLORY IN EVIL,
YOU SCANDALOUS LIAR
SEELEY PEERED OUT of the window at the gothic monstrosity of a mansion erected on elevated property. Adding to its wretched exterior, a blood moon hung in an ill-omened sky, painting a grim picture.
“Jordan,” she said softly. “Jordan, we’re here.”
The girl stirred, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
Seeley inched the car under a portico, letting it idle. “This isn’t a good idea. I think we should leave.”
“We’re going in, Mom.” Confident beyond her years, Jordan gave her a look of pure determination. “We’ll be fine. I know it. We have help.”
Throughout the day, Jordan had been wheedling on her father’s behalf. “We have to go. I’m not scared. Dad needs us. And besides,” she said with grit, “Markus and Ezekiel will be there, right?”
Seeley’s ten-year-old daughter had already become a warrior. She counted on Ezekiel and Markus, their ever-present, inexplicable angels. Ezekiel, whom Seeley had nicknamed Zeke, had been with her as long as she could remember. After Jordan’s birth, Markus had appeared. Two glorious angels to assist them in their unpredictable lives.
A uniformed attendant marched in front of the vehicle and wordlessly opened Seeley’s car door. He outstretched a hand, indicating a set of gates. The place was built like a fortress. Seeley steered her daughter with a hand on her shoulder. The girl reached up to hold her other hand as well. She gazed back at the uniformed man, and wondered if he knew about the ritual taking place inside. He was busy thumping the tires with his shoe, as if sizing up the car for sale.
The grand foyer, besides being dim, appeared markedly bare, as if it’d been vacant for years. Claw-footed side tables held vases of rotting bouquets. Spindly stems, long ago denuded, speckled the floor with shriveled petals, turning to dust. The lofty sandstone walls felt as if they were closing in on them and appeared to be weeping—blood? Porous stone oozed thick crimson fluid, pooling on the floor. The house’s core felt alive.
A stooped, elderly man hobbled towards them, wearing a shroud and holding a candelabrum. Flitting candlelight swayed over colorless eyes and a lipless mouth. “Follow me.
Asa Trebane has to be kidding with this horror flick entrance. If she weren’t so petrified, she’d laugh. Trailing the man, who reminded her of Uncle Fester from the Addams Family, their steps echoed off the weeping walls and shadows followed. They bypassed an exquisite staircase to a concealed door, and descended a flight of steps to a room beneath the main building.
The man flicked a switch, stood aside, and waved them into a tiny paneled room. A dilapidated sofa, two wooden chairs, and a dusty cobwebbed lamp rested on a small end table. I guess the cleaning staff isn’t allowed in this room. She inspected for any signs of the crawly bugs she so hated. Lowering into a chair, she extended her arms to her daughter, who burrowed into her secure lap.
“Something’s wrong with Dad,” Jordan said.
“Why do you say that?” Seeley’s voice shook because she also felt the presence of death.
Jordan nestled her head into her mother’s neck. “I just know.”
Seeley froze—listening to words being spoken internally. ‘Seeley, you are called into battle,’ Zeke said. ‘Lucifer’s use of demons to possess unsuspecting humans has caused inexpressible loss of life. Use your talents well.’
Her eyebrows knit together, seeking clarity. ‘I don’t understand, what are you telling me?’
‘Remember—you are never alone.’
As the door flung wide, Jordan jumped in readiness. A cloaked figure filled the doorway and nodded. I guess that’s our cue. Interlacing their fingers, Seeley and her daughter headed toward the figure. Someone waiting outside the door
fell in behind them, barring any notions of escape.
“Where’s my husband?” Seeley asked. “Asa Trebane promised me he’d be here.” She nearly bumped into the cloaked figure as it stopped abruptly and swished to face her. Talon-like fingernails slid back the hood, revealing the malicious woman whose earlier threats had lured them to Satan’s coven.
AS USUAL, THEY’D strolled to the neighborhood park. Jordan hopped onto a swing, winding her fingers around the chain. Seeley pushed, and all the while, she urged her to push harder and higher. A few minutes passed before someone sidled up beside her.
“Cute kid.”
Seeley looked at the gorgeous stranger and noticed her eyes—liquid black pupils, outlined in red. She wondered if the woman might be an addict—a wealthy addict. Dressed in a plum chiffon Prada blouse and tailored pants, she gave the outward appearance of stylish sophistication, except for her feral eyes.
At first, Seeley had thought she might be the mother of one of the children on the playground. Her thoughts were promptly quashed.
“Seeley, we’ve been watching you and Jordan.”
She knows our names!
She assumed the worst—a member of The Black Order, an organization her husband, Jack was well acquainted.
An involuntary shiver coiled down her spine.
Seeley held the chain, bringing the swing to a standstill. Attempting to disguise the tension in both her face and voice, she said, “Jordan, why don’t you go play with the other kids for a while?”
“Okay, Mom.” The young girl with bouncy auburn hair, so like her mother’s, skipped energetically toward the slide, her yellow sandals snapping at her heels.
Seeley kept an eye on Jordan as the woman spoke.
“Jack’s not cooperating. He knows better, and yet he continues to deceive the Order.”
The woman moved closer and sniffed as if she was holding back tears. “Jack and I were bonded at an early age…until—” She never finished her sentence. Her lips formed a definite pout. “Your mystical powers were to blend with those of our Master, Asa Trebane, and Jack. But you ruined him with your holier than thou morality.” Her elegant veneer cracked as her face contorted. “I wish I could kill you right now.”
Seeley backpedaled, not from the death threat, but from the shadowy ghoul perched on the woman’s shoulder. Beady eyes overlooked a pruned, gourd-like snout. Its encrusted hide looked as if it’d been salted and cured in the sun, and it had claws like needles.
“You have company.” Undaunted, Seeley jerked her chin in the direction of the ghoul.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Exactly,” she said. “A minion from hell is on your shoulder.”
The woman fanned at her shoulder. The creature was unmoved as it bared a mouth full of thorny shards.
Had Jack once again succumbed into Asa’s dark clutches? He’d been missing for a week. Though, it wasn’t unusual for him to be gone for days on his writing assignments.
“What do you want?” she asked the woman, whose ornate nails brushed at her blonde bangs.
The ghoul slithered through the woman’s parted cherry lips. She coughed, clearing her throat while foraging in her shoulder bag. She handed Seeley a square piece of paper. “Bring Jordan to this address. Be there tonight by two-thirty in the morning. The ritual begins at three.”
“I would never bring my daughter anywhere near your kind.”
“You and your daughter have Mr. Trebane’s assurance that both of you, in fact, all three of you, will be able to walk away alive and well.”
“I don’t trust the devil.”
Cherry lips opened, and not one, but two ghouls resurfaced and crept under her clothing. “A sacrificial offering will be made tonight at three. We can slaughter the goat or your husband. You decide. If you’re not at that address by two-thirty, Jack will suffer the consequences.”
“Why does Trebane want to see us? How can I be sure my husband is there, or even alive?”
The woman cackled and the ghouls popped from her clothing like scary jacks-in-the-boxes. “We know about your, shall we say, spiritualism, and Jack’s daughter has been called the warrior. And there’s the prophecy: ‘The warrior will be one with Lucifer and God will weep.’
“Mr. Trebane is somewhat curious. You see, Jack was raised as a son of Satan, and you, a daughter of your deity. Now, to set the record straight, Jordan must be consecrated to our lord. Disciples are assembling as we speak.”
“No,” Seeley gasped. “I won’t allow it.”
“Mr. Trebane expected your reluctance.” She withdrew a small wooden box and offered it to her.
Seeley looked at the item, leery of the contents, and the long sharp nails.
“Take it.” She jiggled the box as the shadowy ghouls scuttled back into her mouth.
Under duress, Seeley opened her hand. The woman slapped the box into her palm, scratching her wrist in the process. The box teetered as if it were alive.
Tentative, she raised the lid.
She gaped at Jack’s bloody finger, his wedding ring still attached. Repulsed, and triggering her gag reflex, she snapped the lid shut. Envisioning the finger lopping, tears welled, and she covered her mouth to smother her cry.
“I hope you don’t come. I’ll take pleasure in snipping off every appendage on his body and rejoice in his howling. Then I’ll slice the throat of the bastard who turned his back on us.” Appearing gratified with Seeley’s cavalcade of emotions, the woman tossed her head and let loose a high-pitched cackle.
FERAL RED AND swollen eyes leered at her. “You bitch,” said the woman from the park. “This is all your fault.” She snuffled.
Seeley reeled from her verbal abuse, only to bump into the guard behind them. Steadying herself, she wrapped a protective arm around Jordan.
“Oh, you’ll see Jack all right.” She rearranged the hood and proceeded down the passageway.
They tramped farther below the earth than Seeley had thought possible in the upscale neighborhood. Evidently, a wealthy member of the Black Order could make anything possible.
They headed into a commodious murky cave where torches mounted on rocky columns stank of creosote. Rivulets of water tunneled the rock and produced pockets of festering puddles, adding to the musty odor. Jordan plugged her nose against the nasty fumes.
Standing on a platform, a man’s silky voice appeared to fascinate a forest of black clad people in ankle length robes. Seeley continued to follow the woman, and Jordan gripped her hand tighter as hooded figures turned to look at them.
The Master of The Black Order, Asa, commanded the room and its occupants. Seeley only wanted to find one person—Jack.
Her heart clanged out of her chest, making it hard to breathe as she scanned the area, keeping a wary eye out for the demon-possessed humans foreseen in her mystical visions. Distinguishing them in the cloaks would be difficult.
Her interest cut back to the podium as Asa spoke of a sacrificial offering and a consecration.
“We, your disciples, pledge our souls to you and offer appeasement for the lost soul of Jack Chase—with his own sacrifice.” He paused for effect. “And now the time draws near for the consecration of the warrior, a dynamic spirit to be one with you.”
Something dripped on Seeley’s shoulder. Then another wet dribble skimmed her cheek and landed on Jordan’s arm. The wetness was bright red. She gazed up at a mammoth pentagram embedded into the rocky dome. The five-pointed star sparkled in the flickering light, and a planked balcony bordered the elevated fortification.
As she craned her head and peered directly upward, her bloodcurdling scream split the air. “Ohmigod! Ohmigod! What have they done?” Her knees buckled.
Visibly tortured, Jack hung from a crossbeam, lifeless and practically naked. His head drooped on his chest, and coils of hair veiled his face. His arms were spread lengthwise on the beam, with spikes driven into his palms and feet. Blood filigreed his long, juxtaposed legs and drained from gaping wounds tha
t stripped his pale skin.
Seeley rose, not knowing if her trembling legs would support her. Be strong for Jordan. She tried to shield her daughter from the gruesome sight.
Yet, Jordan’s eyes were fixed on his tortured body. “Daddy. Dad?” she sobbed. She remained steady, bearing witness to the sight before her.
A commotion of black robes surrounded them. Pushing and shoving, they tried to take Jordan from her unyielding embrace.
“You lied, Trebane,” Seeley howled. “You lied!”
Asa raised a hand, quieting the tumult. “We belong to the Great Deceiver. The three of you will be welcome to leave after the consecration of your daughter.” His pretense was audible, and his lips curled in a malevolent smile. “Though, I fear Jack is feeling somewhat out of sorts, shall we say. My condolences, Mrs. Chase.”
Her arms and legs felt like jelly. Don’t lose it now, Seeley. Somehow, she managed to unearth an inner calm. Bracing her shoulders, an enigmatic power flowed into her veins within seconds. Outwardly, she sizzled.
“You are the devil’s spawn.”
“Why, thank you, my dear.” Asa sounded more than despicable. “Bring the child forward.”
“No, Seeley.” A burdened wheeze came from above, and all heads shot heavenward. Jack was alive and speaking. “Do not let them do it. Seeley. Stop this… now.”
Tears bathed her face as she gazed at the man she so desperately loved. How can I, Jack?
“Why, Jack, you’re still with us, I see,” Asa’s oily voice wavered. “Have you explained to Seeley why you’re in such a predicament? My prodigal son has deserted me.” Black masses parted like the red sea as he paced toward Seeley and Jordan, his baleful eyes judging Jack.
“Jack, Jack, Jack. You became a holy thorn in my side. Let’s see.” His head veered to Jordan, gray eyes darkening. “About ten years ago. Yes, I believe that’s right.”
Wickedly They Come (The Wickedly Series Book 1) Page 1