All I could do was think of the atrocious acts that she would commit with total control of my body. The first thing she would do would be to kill Finn, and then she would move on to the rest of my friends. They had already suffered enough on account of my weakness. I couldn’t let them down ever again.
She was far too strong to beat the way we were now. There was only one way to fight her and come out on top, and I just hoped I was strong enough to do it. Death hadn’t slowed her down; it had increased her powers and made her untouchable. Maybe it will do the same thing for me. In an instant, I let my power fade away from me. Without any opposition, Tabitha regained full control of my body for a split second—just long enough for the knife to slide across my throat, just beneath my jaw. The cut wasn’t as deep as I would have liked but it would have to do.
In the first seconds after the cut, there was nothing except for a sense of pressure as the knife sliced through the skin as easily as passing through nothing but air. Then it gave way to the burning pain as warm blood seeped from the jagged wound, drenching my shirt in seconds. Blood dribbled down my chin as Finn screamed my name, but I blocked him out, trying to focus on my goal before it was too late.
What have you done? Tabitha shrieked. Are you insane?
I swayed to the side, trying not to laugh as I nearly fell over. “I put us on equal footing. When I die, I’ll become even more powerful than I am now, just like you did. I can finish you for good, Tabitha. I’ll banish you from the afterlife, and then I can rest knowing you won’t harm anyone ever again.”
Finn continued to scream my name as the blackness crept up on me at an alarming rate. My vision began to fade. It was like I was in a darkened tunnel. The only thing I could see was Finn’s face. Everything else around me was disappearing except for the sound of my slowing heartbeat that pounded in my ears and the cold feeling spreading through my body.
As I struggled with my last few precious breaths, my body slumped forward, collapsing over Finn’s broad chest. I couldn’t force myself to move or speak. All I could do was listen to Finn’s desperate pleas. I tried to answer him, to apologize for what had to be done, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make my lips move. I was too tired.
Finally, my eyes closed, and I began to slip away.
Chapter Fifteen
Everything slowly came back into focus. I could hear different sounds around me, and it took me a minute to place the various voices. I could just make out Finn’s deep voice, but I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Someone who sounded like Annie answered him back, and their hushed conversation continued. Instead of listening in on them, I decided to worry about myself instead.
I didn’t feel any different than I had before, and it only took me a second to realize why. I’m still here.
And so am I, Tabitha said gleefully. Your plan didn’t work as well as you thought it would. That witch was able to save your life, and since you didn’t die, your power didn’t grow, and now I have control of your body again. You and I are together forever, Ronnie. Not even death can separate us.
I don’t know why you’re so happy about this, I said. Look at where we are right now. You’re in the infirmary, strapped down to a bed, with no way out. Annie will get rid of you and I’ll be free. Enjoy the last few minutes you have with my body, because it’ll be the last thing you ever do.
Tabitha laughed, getting the attention of everyone in the room. “Ronnie, you don’t know much about exorcism, do you? Why do you think they haven’t started yet? Annie knows what can happen, and she’s scared. If she doesn’t push hard enough, you’ll be stuck with me forever, but if she pushes too hard…it could kill you. She’s not strong enough to do this, and she knows it.”
Annie narrowed her eyes. “I have more experience with my powers than either of you. I know what I have to do to save Ronnie, and I know she’ll help me however she can. You don’t scare me,” she said slowly, deliberately stepping closer with each word. “You’re just a little girl, and I’m about to show you how us big girls do things.”
Annie wasn’t much older than I was, but she seemed so much wiser and stronger, especially in this moment. I felt an immediate sense of relief after looking at her. She was going to take charge and everything would be okay in the end. She was going to fix this in a way that I hadn’t been able to. All I had to do was believe in her, and this nightmare would finally be over.
Annie approached the bed. Her hand reached out, and her fingertips brushed against my forehead. “She’s got a pretty high fever, and it’s only going to get worse. If we don’t get Tabitha out soon, Ronnie is going to get very sick. There’s already likely going to be some long term damage due to the possession—sickness will just make it harder for her to get better.”
Tabitha tried to pull away from Annie’s touch, but the straps didn’t allow her to go far. So she pulled her head back, lips curling above her teeth, reminding me of a cobra about to strike. Before Annie could even react, Tabitha worked up a mouthful of saliva and spit, hitting Annie squarely on the cheek. She recoiled, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand, but she didn’t look all that fazed about it.
“What kind of long term damage are we talking about here?” Holly asked, sneering at Tabitha as if she were nothing but a dirty cockroach under her expensive leather boots. I noticed that she looked much better than she had the last time I saw her, and the burns were almost fully gone from her body. She was nearly back to her normal, gorgeous self. “Tabitha’s influence can’t be good for her, but it’s nothing a little time and love won’t fix, right?”
“There’s no way to tell until we get her out of there. Ronnie could have been brought closer to the dark because of Tabitha’s hold on her. She may have a mental break that leaves her fractured for life. No matter what happens, this isn’t going to have a perfect happily ever after. Ronnie’s going to need our love and support to help her through this. And Finn, you have to be prepared to face the fact that she might not ever be the same girl she was before all of this happened.”
“She’s gonna be alright,” Finn said, eyeing the bed anxiously. “She’s so strong, even stronger than she knows. She’ll pull through this if she knows we’re all here for her.” He took a step closer, putting himself within sitting range, but he didn’t seem to care. “You hear me, Ronnie? It’ll be alright. We’re gonna make it through this together. Just come back to us.”
Tabitha smiled at him. “She’s not going anywhere. She’s too weak, and she knows it.”
“She’s stronger than you,” Tanya said breathlessly. She was standing in the back, leaning heavily on Ezra for support. Her pale skin was flushed and sweat beaded her forehead, making her unwashed platinum blonde hair stick to her face and neck. She looked even thinner than she usually did, more like a corpse now than a girl. Her translucent blue wings looked crumpled, wilted, and lifeless. They most likely wouldn’t have even lifted her off the ground.
“How do you figure?” Tabitha asked, sounding curious.
“After everything she’s been through, she’s still the same girl she always has been. She’s still nice, and caring, and brave, and honest, and good. Ronnie has never let that evil in and she never will. She’ll beat it, and then she’ll beat you. Just you wait and see.”
Tabitha started to laugh, and I saw Tanya and Finn trade unnerved looks. “She’s not as strong as you all think she is, and she knows it. Our time together hasn’t been a walk in the park for her. She’s been battling her inner demons, and she’s losing. I can feel that darkness creeping up on her and it won’t be long until she’s gone for good.”
That’s not true. That will never happen. I won’t let it, and neither will my friends.
“Oh, Ronnie. The cracks are already in your armor. You’re too close to the darkness to ever go back to the way you were. You got a taste of it when you broke through my walls, and you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering what it would be like to just give in to the temptation. And we live a very, very long
time. Can you fight yourself for all eternity? It’s only a matter of time before you give in. Just in case you forgot, it runs in our family…”
Her ominous words gave me chills. I couldn’t deny the truth in them. I had gotten a taste of that power, and it had been a rush, like a high. All of my fear and trepidation about using that forbidden power had vanished, and it had helped me accomplish my goals. Being so powerful was an amazing feeling, and I could see myself craving it again down the road during any weaker moments in my life.
And she was right about it running in our family. Both my father and my sister were monsters, and I had that same darkness inside of me. My mother had been the most kind and loving woman, and part of her was always going to be with me. And she was as much a part of me as Andrew and Tabitha were. Even more so, because she had raised me to be like her—good.
All I had to do was remember that in my moments of doubt. There was good inside of me where there was none in Tabitha. I had a chance to live a good life, and I sure as hell was not going to waste it. I was going to beat this, and I was going to do it with the help of my friends. I didn’t know what I could do to help Annie, but I was going to do my best. I would beat this. I would come out on top. I would be happy.
Tabitha was not going to stand in my way.
Annie frowned. “Ronnie, if you can hear me, I need you to do anything you can to help. Try and push Tabitha’s soul from your body while I pull. Together, we’ll get her out before she does any more damage.”
Annie reached into her shirt and pulled out her pendant. It hung from a golden chain, and she lifted it over her head, grasping the chain tightly in her hands. The pendant swung back and forth beneath her palm, glowing radiantly. She stepped up to the left side of the bed and Tabitha cringed, trying to pull away from the bright light.
“Finn, come over here and comfort her. This isn’t going to be pleasant.”
Finn obeyed, coming up on my right side. He took my hand in his and squeezed tightly, letting me know that he was going to be by my side through this whole ordeal. Looking at him, there was no trace of hurt or betrayal in his eyes. Even after everything Tabitha had put him through, he was still here for me, and he wasn’t going anywhere. I would have to be an idiot to doubt that he loved me after all of this. It was as clear as day to me now, and the second I had my body back, I was going to tell Finn that I loved him, really and truly loved him.
Turning in on myself, I examined the power that lingered there. For days, it had been darkening until it was nothing but darkness, but today, with my newfound sense of self, it had lightened until it was back to its normal dark emerald green color. It wasn’t free from the darkness—and it probably never would be as long as I lived—but I was feeling light and happy for the first time in forever. The burden that normally weighed down on me was gone, and I didn’t miss it.
I can do this…
Completely blocking out Tabitha’s taunts, I dug down deep inside of myself, calling out to the power at my center. It responded quickly, exploding into a burst of blinding light. It filled me with strength, flooding my veins with power and energy. Tabitha’s unease grew and I could feel her gathering power in an attempt to ward off our dual attack, but it wouldn’t do her any good. Together, Annie and I were unstoppable.
“Here we go,” Annie said, dangling her pendant over Tabitha’s chest.
My body jerked in response, and I could feel Annie’s pull, calling to Tabitha’s soul. Tabitha dug her heels in and brought up a shield around herself, refusing to go without one hell of a fight. Annie began to whisper some words I didn’t know, and I could almost swear it was a prayer. As her lips moved faster and faster, I could feel the pull she had tighten over us.
Tabitha retreated inside herself in preparation for the oncoming attack, giving me control over my body once again. She pulled inside of herself and erected a shield of pure energy for protection. She was going to hunker down and dig in like a starving tick, refusing to move until she was forcibly pried out. The only question left was how much damage Tabitha was going to do before we expelled her.
My power still waited for me to give it a command. It flowed to my fingertips, and I turned toward Tabitha’s shield, pressing myself against it. Her shield was the color of muddy water, and it pulsed with raw energy, like a tidal wave waiting to be unleashed. Power left my fingertips, leaking into her shield and spreading like wildfire. Once it was inside her shield, I began to push, bearing down on it like a bulldozer.
Tabitha tore her attention away from fighting Annie and split her power, weakening herself against Annie’s attack and sending some to defend herself from mine. With her power split and her focus in two different places, there was no way she was going to be able to fight us for long. She would tire eventually, or she would grow desperate and tap into her life energy like Andrew had, and she would go out with a bang. It was only a matter of waiting to see what she did next.
*****
It was nearly four hours into the exorcism, and both Annie and I were beginning to grow tired. Tabitha was weakening, but it was slow going, and every time we thought she was close to breaking, she managed to pull herself back together and keep going. The only thing that could possibly be fueling her at this point was her hatred and rage. She had to be exhausted physically and mentally, but she showed little signs of stopping.
She may not have been close to stopping, but I was. I could feel myself straining to keep up with Tabitha’s power, but I was slowing down. My power was beginning to fade away and I was beginning to feel the effects of this ordeal. My heart was racing in my chest and the blood pounded between my ears. My head ached and light spots danced in my vision. My muscles burned and were prone to spasms, jerking from side to side against the restraints.
I turned my head and looked at Finn. “I’m so tired.”
He brushed a strand of hair out of my face and leaned in and kissed my forehead, his lips lingering against the skin there. “You’ll be alright, Ronnie. We’re here for you. Don’t give up.”
My body trembled, so I took a deep breath, gasping for air. I dove back into myself, refusing to come back out until Tabitha was expelled from my body for good. I shoved against her shield, refusing to back down again. She shoved back, but her shield flickered for a split second. It wasn’t much, but it gave me hope.
I hammered away at her, trying to knock down what was left of her walls. I knew we almost had her. The walls were beginning to close in on her. She was panicking and looking for any last minute savior, but nothing could spare her now. She was on her way out, and she would be banished before long. Her reign of terror would be over, and my life could go back to the way it was before her and Andrew ruined it.
Suddenly, her resistance faded away completely, and she switched gears. Instead of fighting to stay, she was fighting to take me with her. Before any of us could react, she latched on to me, intertwining our powers and locking us together.
I struggled to break away from her, to pull free and get out of there, but she tightened her hold, refusing to let go of me. I told you, Ronnie, if I go, I’m taking you with me…
I couldn’t move or even react. As Tabitha began to fade away, I felt myself being sucked away with her. Annie was banishing Tabitha, but she wasn’t going out alone. What would happen to my body if my soul was gone? Would I walk around like a zombie for the rest of my life? Or would I just burn out and die?
“Annie, something’s wrong.” Finn’s voice was fast and urgent, but I couldn’t see his face or feel his touch. I couldn’t see anything except for Tabitha and the energy we shared. Everything else around me was being blocked out, and the voices began to fade away, leaving me alone in the quiet and the dark, tired and afraid.
Tabitha cackled. Don’t worry, Ronnie. Dying isn’t so bad…
The two of us were being pulled away into the darkness. Where we would end up, I had no clue, but I knew it couldn’t be good. Was there really an afterlife for those that passed over? Or was it just not
hing? One miserable, hole of darkness like purgatory? The thought of being in a place like that was terrifying. I would never be able to see any of my friends or family again. I would be absolutely nothing—just a wandering, lost soul with nothing to keep me sane.
My heart pounded in my chest like a jackhammer as the panic began to set it. I furiously tried to break away from Tabitha, refusing to just fade away like her. I wouldn’t go! I had far too much to live for—friends, Finn, new experiences that I had to look forward to—it couldn’t end like this. I wouldn’t let it, even if I had to claw and kick and bite. Tabitha was not going to take me with her.
I gathered my remaining power and brought up a shield, trying to separate myself from Tabitha. Her hold on me tightened, and I could feel her power bearing down on me like a hundred pound weight, crushing and suffocating me. My shield started to flicker and fade away as she continued to pull at me, trying to drag me down with her. Her time was up, and if she was going to get her revenge on me, it was now or never.
And this would be the ultimate revenge—taking away my chance to live a happy life without her.
Just like my shield, I was beginning to fade away into nothing. Tabitha was almost free of my body, and I was starting to go with her. She was too powerful for me to fight. I had used too much of my power trying to help Annie banish her, and now I was nearly tapped out. I was weak as a newborn, and nothing I did seemed to work. Could Annie help me? If I called out to her, would she be able to hear? Would she be able to save me before I went down with Tabitha?
Annie! Help me!
I could feel Annie’s focus shift from Tabitha to me. She called my name in a sweet, sing-song voice, urging me to stay with her. Her power gripped me, anchoring me in place, refusing to let me go. A strong sense of calm and peace washed over me, filling me from head to toe. I was safe; Annie had me. She wouldn’t let go of me no matter what, because she would do anything for me.
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