by Jessi Gage
The prince eyed him.
Inwardly cringing, he said, I know when to cut my losses. Give me my favored essence and the blonde woman below, and I will restore my power then find a suitable male body to petition. True possession was by invitation only, and only demon lords could petition for a vessel and earn an invitation from their prince. What he’d done with Joshua had been a witch-assisted pseudo possession, a ballsy move for a tempter class, to use modern vernacular. That had to count for something.
The prince laughed. A sound like scorpions on glass magnified itself in his head until he shuddered with the effort not to throw himself from the roof. You’re a failure as a tempter and you ask to be made a lord. How adorable.
He ruffled his feathers and glared at the blood-red iris fixed on him.
The amusement in that glassy eye died. Your favored essence is behind a blessing. Forget her. As for this one. He angled his sleek head to study the woman on the doorstep. I will make you a bargain. If you can tempt her into committing adultery before dawn, I will make you a lord.
I accept your bargain, my fair prince. It was never wise to think too long on a bargain offered by The Prince of Air. It gave him opportunity to add caveats.
So be it. Lucifer took flight and disappeared into the darkness.
Draonius felt himself pulled from the carcass of the blackbird. The physical plane tore at him as he strived toward the blonde woman. Her essence sang with but a fraction of the passion Jade had possessed. Pity. Jade was special. But she was lost to him now. As was Mercy.
The losses stung, but he resolved to lick his wounds later. Lucifer had granted him a chance to become a lord. He refused to squander it.
He sank into the woman’s aura, nestling in from the storm of the physical plane, just as the door opened and Emmett yanked her inside.
He braced himself, expecting the blessing to force him out of the woman’s body, but nothing happened. He was inside the blessing! He could help Mercy!
But wait. What if this was a test?
Yes, of course. It was exactly the kind of thing his prince would do. Present him with a distraction to test his commitment to the bargain. His prince was giving him a choice. Rescue Mercy or become a lord.
The decision was easier than he would have expected. There was bound to be another essence as devoted and pliable as Mercy somewhere in the wide world. But Lucifer would never again grant him the opportunity to become a lord. He hugged close to the blond woman’s aura. Not for any woman would he waste the chance he’d been given.
* * * *
Emmett threw open the door, grabbed Lisa’s arm, and pulled her inside, scanning the night-lit driveway for danger before slamming the door.
“What the hell?” she said, and wrenched her arm out of his grip. “You’re lucky I don’t have my piece on me.”
“Sorry. Just a little tense, I guess.” He shoved his hands in his pockets while his brain spun like a hard drive trying to figure out how he was going to get out of this. Obviously, he didn’t need Lisa any more. In fact, he needed to get rid of her. Just having his sister under the same roof as something evil was making his skin tight with worry.
She tossed her gym bag on the floor and put her hands on her hips. “Why is Nick’s car here? Did he decide to stay after all?”
“Yes! Nick. He’s here. And he’s staying.” Picking up her bag, he arranged it on her shoulder and spun her around to face the door. “Sorry about that, sis. I should have called to let you know there was a change in plans.” All true. Every last word. If he could get her safely back in her car without scaring or lying to her, that would be awesome.
She huffed and resisted his pushing. When he reached for the doorknob, she swatted his hand away. “Where’s this new girlfriend of yours. It would be rude to leave without meeting her. Is she hot?”
His chest contracted. A sharp pain of remorse kicked through him. Why wouldn’t Lisa just go?
He shoved his hand through his hair and pulled out his wallet. “Here’s a twenty for a pizza. Sorry to drag you all the way out here, but turns out your chaperoning services aren’t needed.”
She ignored the twenty. “What aren’t you telling me?” Her blue gaze narrowed into the expression he called her “cop eye.” “You only do that hair thing when you’re super uncomfortable. And you’re avoiding the question. What gives?”
He almost ran his hand through his hair again, but stopped himself. He decided to tell part of the truth, because Lisa was like a dog with a bone. If she smelled anything fishy, she’d gnaw at it until she knew everything. “Well, Jade and I... No, I got a little out of control, and Nick kind of caught us. I was a dick and...she deserves better from me.”
His shoulders hunched. She really did deserve better. While her soul was who knows where maybe fighting for her life, he’d been fooling around with the thing that was hurting her.
He felt sick.
Lisa’s eyebrows climbed her forehead. “So, Nick’s been lecturing you, I guess.”
He shrugged. “I deserve a good lecture.”
“Are you still a virgin?”
He nodded. “Thanks to Nick.”
“Oh, wow, did he like barge in while you were slipping on the condom or something?”
“Okay, Lis.” He wrenched the door open and ushered her out. “Thanks for stopping by. I’m really sorry I forgot to call you. And thanks for being willing to stay the night. But Rob can have you tonight after all.” He marched her to her car, one hand on her arm, the other ready to snatch any murderous-looking crows out of the air.
“Sorry,” she said as he settled her into the bucket seat. “That was kind of rude, I guess. Forgive me?”
He sighed with relief once the metal roof was over her head. He wanted her to shut the door and take off, but she was still talking. “Of course. You take care. Tell Rob I said hi. Drive safe.” He was leaning down, blocking the open door with his body.
She surprised him with a peck on the cheek. “I always do. Keep it in your pants, big bro.”
“I always do,” he said with a pained smile.
She pulled the door shut, and he patted the roof of her car as she put it in reverse and backed down the driveway.
Scanning the sky and treetops, he jogged back inside. Just before closing the door, he peered out one more time, searching for any sign of the crow that had attacked Nick. Everything was quiet. He sighed with relief.
Lisa had gotten away unscathed. Finally, he was catching a break.
Chapter 25
At 12:59, Emmett opened the door to a short black man with salt-and-pepper hair, a pink oxford shirt, a backpack over one shoulder, and a solemn expression pulling his wide lips into a frown. Dr. Chiboza Owusu.
“Where is the girl?” he asked in a deep, accented voice that brought to mind drums and tribal ceremonies.
“Upstairs. You must be Dr. Owusu. Thank you for coming at such short notice.”
Nick’s mentor was a former shaman who had become a minister. Now, he was a theology professor at Go-Crom. Nick phoned him a little while ago to warn him about the crow, but the small man didn’t seem the least bit worried about an air attack as he stepped calmly inside.
After a furtive scan of the trees, Emmett shut the door and offered his hand.
Chiboza shook it. “I’d hold onto that gratitude if I were you. I have no guarantees to offer. And did you know there is a dead bird on your roof? Nicholas mentioned being attacked.”
“Really? It’s dead?” Emmett pulled open the door and looked up from the doorstep. There it was, a feathery black lump in the V of his eaves, right by the window over his upstairs desk. “That’s good, right?”
Chiboza shrugged one shoulder. “Who is to know?”
The guy couldn’t guarantee anything with Jade; he didn’t know what to make of the crow. Emmett was beginning to wonder why he’d let Nick talk him into this.
His buddy had spent the last couple of hours assuring him Chiboza was their best bet for helping Jade
, but Emmett had his doubts. He and Nick had debated the compatibility of shamanism and Christianity dozens of times in the past and again tonight. The dire circumstances didn’t soften Emmett’s stance one bit.
He associated shamanism with witchcraft and demon worship, things that were antithetical to Christianity. Therefore, he’d always been suspicious of Chiboza’s credentials. But Nick insisted Chiboza didn’t practice shamanism anymore, that he had put his faith in God. He also insisted shamanism wasn’t technically a religion, but a family of beliefs centered around communication with the spirit world, not necessarily manipulation of it, as in witchcraft. So even if Chiboza still used shamanistic techniques from time to time, it didn’t conflict with his belief in and devotion to God. Emmett remained doubtful.
But he was willing to give Chiboza a chance, for Jade’s sake. If anything felt off or contradicted what the Bible said, he’d put a stop to it right away.
Uneasy, he led Chiboza upstairs, hoping and praying he was doing the right thing. When they emerged into his bedroom, Nick rose from his seat beside the bed.
Chiboza frowned as he took in Nick’s bandaged head. “Interesting,” he said. “Tell me what happened.” He studied Jade with his hands behind his back as Nick recounted the attack. When Nick got to the part about the freak wind that blew the crow off him, Chiboza turned an appraising look on Emmett. “Interesting. Now tell me about the girl.”
They all watched Jade while Nick told his mentor everything he knew. Her eyes were closed now. Her lips quivered as though she were holding back tears. She’d been like that since around the time Lisa stopped by. If his heart hadn’t been broken before, it was smashed to bits now. It killed him to see Jade in so much pain.
“Up until about ten thirty, she’d been...I don’t know, praying or something,” Nick said. “To the demon the text told us about—Draonius. But since then, she’s been like this. Sometimes she says, ‘Where are you, my love?’ but mostly, she just lays there and whimpers.”
“Interesting.”
If he said that effing word again with that effing unruffled demeanor, Emmett was going to smash something against the wall.
Nick put a hand on his shoulder while Chiboza unzipped his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water and a Bible. Emmett had been expecting some kind of tribal drum or dream catcher or something.
“Easy, bud,” Nick said.
Chiboza took over Nick’s chair and cracked off the top of the water.
“What are you going to do?” Emmett asked.
“I don’t sense demonic energy in this house,” he answered after taking a sip and replacing the cap. “What I do sense is a powerful blessing that remains intact. That begs the question, what has control of Ms. Alderwood? It is not a demon. But it is clearly some entity that does not belong on this plane. I plan to ask God to open my eyes so I might see what it is that holds her body captive. And then, if God permits it, I will attempt to purge the entity from her body.”
Hope was a small seed inside him. But he didn’t like Chiboza “sensing” things. That sounded mystical. He’d never seen Pastor Tim sense anything or talk about other planes.
On the other hand, he could think of many instances in the Bible where God had opened the eyes of men to things beyond the ordinary. “How do you sense these things?” He was curious, but concerned for Jade too. Despite Nick’s faith in this man, Emmett wasn’t going to let him call on any power except that of God.
Chiboza eyed him impatiently. “I have always been gifted in sensing what lies beyond this plane. It is a gift I have entrusted to the Lord, and that I gladly use to serve Him. Now, would you like to see my resume, or shall I attempt to help Ms. Alderwood?”
Emmett bristled at the man’s challenge. This was his house. Jade was his girl. He had every right to question him.
“Let him work,” Nick said quietly.
Emmett bit his tongue to keep from arguing. “Okay. Help her. Please.”
With a look at Nick, Chiboza closed his eyes and became very still.
“What’s he doing?” Emmet asked Nick in a whisper.
“Praying,” Nick answered. “Then I think he’ll try to determine what’s inside Jade. And…if she’s still in there with it.”
Emmett studied his buddy’s face. It was pale, worried.
“What happens if she’s not?”
Nick looked at him and the look was enough. It said if Jade wasn’t in her body, there was nothing they could do for her.
He shook his head. “No. No, man. I refuse to believe that.”
“Shhh,” Nick said. “Let him work.”
Emmett ground his molars. He was scared out of his mind. The emotional blow when his parents had told him and Lisa they were getting a divorce paled in comparison to the turmoil churning in his gut.
Long minutes passed while Chiboza sat with his eyes closed and his lips moving with silent prayer. Emmett shifted on his feet. His fists clenched and unclenched with the need to do something. He added his prayers to the mix, imploring God to let Jade still be in her body.
Into the silence, Chiboza said, “Her spirit has moved on.” He stood to face them. “There is nothing to be done for her. I am sorry.”
The air rushed out of Emmett’s lungs like he’d been punched in the solar plexus. He turned Chiboza’s words over in his mind, searching for something to nurture that tiny seed of hope, finding nothing.
“What?” he asked, needing to hear it again, needing to know he’d heard wrong. “What did you say?”
Nick put a steadying hand on his shoulder, and he realized he’d swayed a little, his knees gone rubbery.
Chiboza said, “Her body lives, but her spirit is gone. I cannot help her.”
“Then we’ll call Pastor Tim,” he said through numb lips. “Or we’ll call in a priest. Someone will be able to help her.”
The shaman’s watery eyes held his with grave resignation. “There is no help for Ms. Alderwood. She is gone from this plane. There is no bringing her back. The entity can be cast out, but the body will die immediately. As it is, she will waste away as the entity loses power. Whatever source it once drew strength from is also gone. I’m afraid it may be a matter of minutes to hours. I am sorry. I will stay until the end and handle the death certificate. Nick, you should call the authorities. They will insist on medical care, futile as it will be. But if we do not call, we all could be considered culpable for her death.”
The first hot tears seared down Emmett’s cheeks. “She’s not dead. She’s not dying. You’re wrong. Or you’re lying. For all I know, you’re the one who’s possessed.”
“Emmett,” Nick gasped. “He doesn’t mean that,” he said to Chiboza. “He’s just—we’re all upset,” he said half to him and half to Chiboza.
“The fuck I don’t mean it!” he yelled, shoving Nick’s hand off his shoulder and going to Jade. He crawled on the bed to hold her warm face in his hands. “You’re in there, aren’t you, hon? I know you are. Talk to me. Please.”
There was no response. She was breathing, warm, alive. She had to be in there.
“Get out,” he growled, slapping at his tears. “Both of you. Get the hell out of my house. I’ll call Pastor Tim. We’ll handle this without you.”
“Em.” Nick came forward, and there were tears on his cheeks, too. “I swear to you. If there’s—” His voice hitched. He swallowed and started again. “If there’s anything that could possibly be done to help Jade, Chiboza would do it.”
“I would,” Chiboza said. “But she is gone. Moved on.”
He cradled Jade’s hands in his. He gazed at her beautiful face, the face of a sleeping angel fighting off nightmares.
He shook his head. “I can’t give up on her. She’s not a Christian. I won’t give up on her soul. I’ll do whatever I have to, to save her.”
“Hush,” Chiboza said suddenly, urgently. “Do you see that?” He was talking to Nick. Emmett followed their gazes toward the bedside table.
There was a shadow st
anding near the bed. A shadow in a fluttering cloak and a top hat.
“Mr. Shadow,” he whispered as a wash of ice settled in his gut and froze in his bones. “That’s Jade’s shadow. The one haunting her house. She told me about him.”
He wanted to rub his arms to ward off the cold bite of evil he sensed but kept his hands on Jade’s instead. As he massaged her hands and wrists, he wondered if it was evil he felt or just...otherness. He didn’t feel threatened by the shadow. In fact, he had the strangest feeling it might have some water for that parched seed of hope.
“I see it,” Nick said. “And I feel it.” He hugged himself and backed away from the shadow, putting himself near the opening of the stairs. His face showed the confusion Emmett felt.
“Hush,” Chiboza said, waving a hand at Nick. “Speak,” he commanded the shadow, then he sat down and closed his eyes again.
The shadow was still except for the eerie fluttering of its cape, as though an unfelt wind rushed through the room. Though there were no outward signs Chiboza and the shadow were communicating, he could tell something was happening. The temperature in the room dropped, and his gut became as cold and heavy as if he’d swallowed a gallon of ice water.
He prayed like his life depended on it.
After a minute, Chiboza said, “He calls himself Joshua. Says he is an angel. God has shown me the truth in his claim. He requests a conference with me.”
“A conference?” Nick asked.
“An angel?” Emmett asked.
Chiboza addressed Nick. “He would like me to trance so we may speak freely about the girl in the spirit plane.”
“Do it,” Emmett said.
Chiboza glared at him, but the look didn’t cow him.
“Do it,” he repeated, rubbing his thumbs over the soft skin of Jade’s hands.
“I will not admonish you because I understand how upset you are. But you will show me respect from here on out. I am about to expend a great deal of energy to help your friend.”