Black Magic Christmas

by Aline Riva

“Not the mermaid!” groaned Cherry.

  The mermaid flicked its tail and set itself upright, then flapped again and rose into the air.

  “Oh shit, it can fly, that's all we need!” Cherry said in alarm.

  But as it hovered in the air, its skull face grinning down at them, Drake hurried over to the door and opened it.

  “This way!” he called, beckoning.

  Cherry joined him.

  “The demoness is out there, why are we standing by the open door?”

  “Not you, her – it - whatever it is, the mermaid!”

  He indicated to the skeletal creature with the fishtail that hovered in the open doorway, then he pointed down the corridor.

  “Find Ezaroth. Off you go, kill!”

  It hovered mid air, regarding him with its death grin.

  “Kill!” he ordered again.

  The mermaid hesitated, then swooped heading straight for Drake, who ducked and swatted the creature, it collided with the back of his hand, bounced off a wall and landed on the floor, flapping its tail in a slapping motion as if it was having fun as it tried to get upright again.

  “Not me, you stupid curio!” he said angrily as he looked to the mermaid, “The demoness – go and get her!”

  The mermaid flapped its tail against the floor and let out a high pitched giggle. Across the room another jar was being smashed by the cackling doll.

  “What ever made you think using demonic powers was a good idea?” Cherry demanded.

  Another jar smashed. The mermaid was still giggling, her bony tail under tattered fabric slap-slapping on the floor.

  “I'll try something else.”

  “Please don't!”

  He looked at his palm, focussed, willed the sparks to rise – but nothing happened.

  “I think its gone, I've run out of magic!” he said in alarm.

  “Its not magic,” Cherry reminded him, “It's dark forces from hell. Speaking of which, why is it so quiet now? Where did the demoness go?”

  They exchanged a glance and suddenly both felt the same creeping sense of dread: It was quiet now, too quiet...

  In the darkened room where Raine stood in the circle with the book in his hands, he sensed a strange calm come over the atmosphere. It was carried through the air with the stink of sulphur. There was a sense of victory, he felt it sharply and it alarmed him. He stopped murmuring age old words to command the demon to do his bidding and cease her earthy reign of terror, knowing at once this victory was not his and felt bigger and stronger than any commands this book of dark arts could conjure.

  He closed the book and turned around.

  “You are fed now, are you satisfied, Ezaroth?” he asked in a hushed voice, looking into the eyes of the demoness who had been standing behind him.

  Her mouth curled into a smile, but her eyes glittered darkly as he sensed a need for more. Its hunger was not yet satisfied...

  “Keep that thing away from me.”

  As Owen's voice came loud and clear from the other side of the archway, Ezaroth turned her head, snarling at the sight of her prey.

  “I bind you to the realms of darkness, by the word and bond of your Lord Lucifer's command to return to his side!” said Raine sharply.

  The demoness turned her head from Owen and met his gaze, as darkness glittered within Raine knew he was looking at a reflection of the depths of Hell.

  “Some men,” said the demoness in a cracked and rasping voice, “Would go mad with one look into my eyes. But not you, occult master...” her lips turned into a faint smile, “Join me?”

  He said nothing, his human gaze meeting her sub human pitch dark glare, she placed long, elegant fingers with sharp nails softly against his shoulder and her touch burned through the fabric of his clothing like the suggestion of all pleasures he had ever dreamed of and more besides.

  “Your mortal women can not satisfy your hunger nor your lust,” she said, “But I can. Give me the humans – all three of them – and I shall show you the beauty of the depths of the darkest realm for ever.”

  Raine was breaking into a sweat, aware this was hell's darkest temptations and his body was screaming for it – her touch had aroused him like no other ever could, but he remembered the price she had demanded. The bitch was trying to buy him for the lives of innocents...

  “By the word and bond of your Lord Lucifer, return to his side!” he replied firmly, as she wavered, her hold on him weakening as she removed her hand from his shoulder and stepped back, aware that his words did indeed still have the power to command...

  Ezaroth's face creased into a snarl.

  “You came for a murderer,” he reminded her, “I sense you have devoured one. The other is over there.”

  He indicated to Owen, who looked horrified as the demoness set her sights on him.

  “No!” yelled Owen as Raine stayed in the circle, looking on as Ezaroth lunged.

  Then the plan went wrong, disastrously so – as Cherry and Drake ran into the room and saw the demon lunge for Owen.

  “Don't!” screamed Cherry, but her words went unheard as Drake pushed past her and slammed against Owen, knocking him from the path of the demon.

  “No more of this!” he said as his back hit the wall and her hand closed softly about his throat,”You took Melody – no more deaths! Go back to hell!”

  Owen was shaking, terrified and still on the floor and struggling to get up but on seeing Drake pinned to the wall by the demoness he froze, looking on in fear.

  “I forgive him,” Drake said as he felt the hand begin to tighten at his throat and the eyes of Ezaroth seemed to be tugging at his soul, painfully as she stared into his frightened gaze. It was like being clutched by living ice, cold and hard with a touch that froze to the bone.

  “I forgive Owen,” he gasped, “And you, Ezaroth...I bear you no malice. Your power gave me life. I thank you for that. You gave me more time, enough time to be with the one I love!”

  His eyes filled with tears as he looked to Cherry.

  “Sorry,” he whispered, “But it ends with me, right now... She can take me instead,” then he closed his eyes tightly preparing to die again, this time with no hope of ever returning.

  Over in the circle where Raine stood protected, he turned the page of the spell book, then paused as he realised there was another page, it was stuck and he licked his thumb and fore finger and cautiously began to separate the ages old paper. As the yellowed page peeled back and he saw the writing within, a look of surprise registered on his face.

  Drake shivered, pinned against the wall as the cold hand of Ezaroth rested against his throat gently, allowing him to speak, he took another breath knowing it would be his last.

  “I love Cherry,” he stated, “Thank you for giving me time to love her as I needed to. That's what I'm taking with me, even hell can't take the love from my heart. That love goes where I go!”

  Ezaroth let go of his throat, her dark eyes burned with pure evil as she leaned in closer and her mouth yawned wide and then she screamed. The scream shook the walls, shattered the glass in the windows and the display case that had once housed his dead body exploded as the demon dissolved into a shimmering flame and vanished as the room trembled and he slid to the floor, putting his arms up to his face as the last of the shards fell through the air, scattering, showering the room and the occupants, until the last slivers dropped and the room fell silent as cold, salt air blew in through broken windows and the last glimmer of daylight escaped in.

  As silence fell and the stunned mortals began to cautiously move, getting up from the floor, shaking glass from their clothing and hair, Drake got to his feet and saw Cherry was still standing, her face to the wall, her hands up as if still afraid of the flying glass. He caught her wrist and turned her around, she looked into his eyes and tears filled her gaze as she started to smile.

  “You're still alive!”

  He felt a stinging wetness trickle down his brow and brushed away blood where a small shard had glanced his fles
h.

  “Definitely!”

  He started to laugh and so did she, then as they embraced, Cherry looked about the room. The demon was certainly gone...

  “What happened to Ezaroth?” she asked.

  “I can explain that,” said Raine, finally stepping out of the circle and walking over to them, pausing to shake glass from his hair, then he opened up the book.

  “There was another page. To banish a demanding soul trader for ever more, love is the ultimate weapon when all else fails. At least, that's what this page of old English in very grand phrasing basically means. You didn't need my help in the end. You banished her yourself, Drake.”

  There was a scratch of glass on wooden boards as Owen staggered to his feet. He was pale and shaken and tearful as he looked to Drake.

  “You saved my life!”

  “Yes I did,” he replied.

  “Can we still be friends? You said you forgive me!”

  “I do forgive you. Go to the office and wait for me, I'll speak to you in a minute.”

  Owen nodded, blinked away tears and hurried from the room. Cherry watched him leave, expecting him to head for the door and make a run for it, but instead he went down the corridor and in the direction of the office, where he really did intend to wait for Drake.

  “He tried to kill you!” Cherry reminded him as she stepped back and looked at him in disbelief, all warmth had gone from her gaze as she silently questioned his sanity.

  “Drake, he poisoned you. He killed you and he got away with it! And you let him live, so what now?”

  Then she caught a look in his eyes, it was a look that said he had a plan, and she instantly understood this was something he did not care to share in front of Raine, because no one else needed to know...

  Raine closed the book and set it down on the floor, then he looked about the glass littered room and gave a shiver as winter air blasted through broken windows.

  “I'm glad it ended well. Now I really should be on my way home. I told a lady I know to pick me up in an hour and she should be here any minute now. I'll be in touch next time I'm in need of a function room. Take care, Drake – and Cherry, no more messing with black magic, please!”

  As he shook hands with Drake, he looked to Cherry and she smiled, shaking her head.

  “It was worth it but never again,” she vowed.

  “Glad to hear it!” Raine exclaimed, “Now if you'll excuse me, I must be off – I intend to catch up with some good company enjoy the festive season to its fullest!”

  “I take it that means you're getting laid?” Drake replied as he and Cherry walked with Raine through the main hall and up to the doors of the museum.

  Raine paused to put on his coat and button it, then he looked back at Drake and gave him a knowing look.

  “I'm always getting laid,” he chuckled, “Why do you think I call myself a male witch?”

  “I don't know, why do you do that?” Drake asked.

  Raine smirked.

  “Because hot bitches love witches,” he said smugly, then he turned away and opened up the door and left the museum, where outside a car had pulled into the parking area and Tatiana was at the wheel. She gave him a wave and blew him a kiss and he raised his hand as if to catch it, then went over to the car and got in.

  After the car had driven away, as the last of the dusk faded and the first stars came out in a clear sky, Cherry and Drake stood for a moment in the open doorway of the museum, neither caring about the cold at that moment as they both took a pause to simply appreciate being alive and together.

  “It's really over,” she said, but as she looked at him Cherry caught a saddened expression in his eyes.

  “Not quite, I still have Owen to deal with,” he told her, “And we need to get that out of the way, right now.”

  Cherry said nothing in reply, she stepped back and once again Drake closed up the doors of the museum, then he turned away and headed for the corridor that led to the office and she walked beside him as he said nothing and she silently wondered exactly how he planned to deal with the man who had murdered him and got away with it...

  When they entered the office, Owen was standing by the desk, his eyes were tearful and he looked to Drake and was about to speak but sensing more grovelling, Drake held up his hand requesting silence and then went over to the wall, shifted a landscape painting aside and swiftly opened up the safe. Cherry watched as he took out a fat wad of bank notes and then he closed the safe, locked it and put the painting back in place and turned to Owen.

  “Where's my car?” Drake demanded.

  “I'm really sorry -”

  “Where's my car?” he repeated sharply.

  “I took it, I parked it two streets away... in the car park by the Cliffside Inn.”

  “Keys.”

  Owen handed the keys over with a shaking hand.

  “What are you going to say to me now? Are we still friends? I'm waiting for an answer, please!”

  He blinked away more tears as Drake stood there emotionless and handed him the money.

  “I said I forgive you,” he said darkly, “I didn't say I'll ever forget. Take the money and fuck off far away from me, and stay away because when Christmas is over I'm going to the police and proving I'm still alive and you faked my death to steal the business. You'll be a wanted man on the run. Good luck with that. Now get out of my sight!”

  Owen was shaking as he looked down at the money in his hand. He opened his mouth to speak but a look from Drake silenced him instantly, it was there in his eyes – he had no more to say.

  Owen turned and dashed for the door, wrenched it open and ran off down the corridor. Moments later the door of the museum closed heavily.

  Drake breathed a relieved sigh as he turned to Cherry.

  “Now it's finished.”

  She smiled.

  “Yes it is – and we have Christmas to look forward to.”

  She kissed him and he pulled her closer.

  “And New Year,”he added, kissing her in return, “And beyond that – we've got the rest of our lives to be happy now.”

  As he said those words he heard the patter of small doll feet, and as the china doll tottered into the room it giggled and smashed another jar.

  “Oh no you don't!” said Drake and he snatched up the doll as it squealed and kicked its legs in vain.

  As he hurriedly took the struggling doll down the corridor and out through the entrance hall, Cherry gave a gasp as the mermaid flew through the air, tail swishing as it gathered speed, aiming right at them in a blur of old bones and tattered rags. Drake wrenched open the door and the mermaid sailed out and off into the darkening skies, zooming towards the sea, rapidly becoming a speck in the distance.

  “Problem solved!” he said.

  Then the doll dug its fingers into his hands sharply and kicked out again.

  “Get out of here!” Drake said, and set the doll on the step in the open doorway and gave it a solid kick. The doll flew through the air with a giggle.

  “Whee!” it shrieked as it landed somewhere beyond the parking area with a thump, then he closed the door of the museum and turned back to Cherry.

  “Now it's over!” he said, and gave her another kiss, but let go quickly as he checked his watch.

  “Security will be here soon – I'll leave a note to say the windows in gallery two need boarding up and there's glass to be cleared.”

  “And then what?” she asked.

  He had turned for the office, but swiftly looked back, in his eyes was that same sparkle she had fallen in love with at first glance.

  “And then we leave this place, fetch the car and drive back to my house,” he told her, “There's still time for decorations and Christmas shopping and then, I'm going to spend a long time alone with you, this is going to be the best Christmas ever!”

  In the town centre, as late night shoppers grabbed last minute gifts, at the grotto the man in the Santa suit was closing up for the night. The crowds were long gone and the
chill in the air had sharpened as the Christmas lights shone brightly in a rainbow of colour. As the nearby Christmas tree began to shake and shudder as something passed through its boughs and wobbled the lights, his back was turned as he bent over to lock the door of the grotto.

  Something swooped from a shop rooftop, butting his round backside. He turned around. The gargoyle grinned as it hovered, concrete wings flapping. The man in the Santa suit gave a yell and ran as the gargoyle flew off in pursuit through the darkened town centre.

  The Christmas tree had stopped shaking. But now a little girl wrapped in a thick winter coat had looked up and frowned and then tugged on her mother's sleeve.

  “I don't like the fairy, its ugly,” she said.

  The tired mother who had spent four hours grabbing last minute shopping glanced at the tree, saw only the lights and something in a red dress sat on top of it high up.

  “Don't be silly, fairies are pretty. Now let's go home, it's getting late.”

  And she led her away as the child looked back, looking up and wondering why the fairy on the tree was a one eyed china doll with a cracked face – who was laughing and looking about the view of the town centre excitedly, almost as if she was really alive...

  Drake's house soon warmed up when they got back and he turned on the heating. Suddenly life seemed to have returned to normal and they were both glad of it. The next day was spent putting up the tree, the decorations and then doing some Christmas food shopping.

  It was soon Christmas Eve, and ever since the demon had been banished, this new sense of nothing to fear was something that was settling nicely between Cherry and Drake, who stayed awake until midnight on Christmas Eve, wrapped in a warm embrace beneath a thick quilt and as the clock chimed the hour and the final strike rang out, tears filled his eyes as he held her tighter and for a moment neither said a word as they both reflected on what might have been if the ending had been different – it was now Christmas Day and Drake was very much alive, the final confirmation the Demoness and her bargain had been banished forever more.