by Mila Young
“So what you’re saying”—I sprinkled extra snark into my voice—“is that I’m good enough to ask for help when you’re in trouble, but otherwise, I’m a freak. Your words, not mine.”
Ryder’s shoulders slouched.
“You called her a freak?” Knox hissed. “Not cool, bro.”
“Fuck off, Father.” Ryder stepped toward me, his chin lifted with bravado, but Knox shoved a hand into his chest, sending him backward a few steps.
“The lady said she’s not interested. Leave.”
I appreciated the macho show. I mean, who wouldn’t? Of course, I could handle it myself, but still, that warm fuzzy sensation flooded me.
Ryder’s lips warped, and his body trembled with the knowing sign of his transformation. The problem with lion shifters was that they were alphas to the core and detonated the moment anyone challenged their masculinity. Knox had no problems holding his own, but this wasn’t the time or place to fight.
“We need to leave.” I took hold of Knox’s elbow and drew him away.
“Ryder, come see me later.” The decision might bite him in the ass, but it was a problem to deal with when I had time to think straight.
He gave one nod and seemed to settle down. Without waiting, I turned with Knox, and we hurried across the park. I took a quick scan behind us. Ryder didn’t follow.
“Can’t believe you still talk to him after what he did,” said Knox.
“Don’t judge. Doesn’t that go against your beliefs?” I smirked, but he replied with a cocked brow.
Ahead stood a long warehouse lining the shore. Out front stretched a pier and beyond that lay the river. We stopped near the third metal door in the building.
“Didn’t even know they’d opened this up for sale yet.” I stared down the dock, figuring the prices would be for pockets deeper than mine.
“Asher and his sister are the first to move in so far.”
Knox entered without a knock. Inside was a barren hallway with stairs up to my right and the rest of the hallway to the left. No personal artifacts or photos.
A sudden, piercing shriek ricocheted through the home, reminding me of twisting metal, and I froze, recognizing the pure terror that sounded wrong coming from anyone.
Anticipation curled in my gut like it did before every possession I faced. Yep, shit just got real. All the problems with Knox and my ex disappeared, replaced with my mom’s words: Death is coming for you.
3
My feet refused to move from the doorway of the upstairs bedroom. All I could do was curl my fingers around my onyx necklace, drowning in the terror icing my veins.
A young girl hung off the ceiling in the top, right-hand corner, crouched like a spider, defying gravity. Sweat drenched her brown hair, and rips covered her pajamas. A rope was looped across her waist, and she perched up there like a freaking balloon.
She twisted her head to face us in slow motion, and that creepy factor intensified, the one that insisted I bolt. Her mouth gaped open into a half-smirk, half-grimace like she recognized me. Something I’d noticed a few demons do in the past, and they’d been bitches to take down.
Wonderful. Sulfur strangled my nostrils, suffocating the room with only one enormous shut window.
The bed sat on its side while the mattress covered most of the floor along with shattered paintings. A lamp lay smashed nearby, and the light bulb must have exploded as all that remained was a stub of jagged glass. Then there was the cross on the wall, now upside down. All familiar happenings I’d seen at other exorcisms… oh, with an exception of a spider girl.
To my right stood two men, both gripping the other end of the cord tied to the victim.
“Father, what took so long?” The man with an Aussie accent asked, and that stopped me in my tracks as he sounded so familiar. I did a double take, recognizing the shoulder-length blond hair now that I was paying more attention. Detective Dean Rush! He wore a blue shirt and tailored pants with a thick belt adorned with his radio, taser, cuffs, and of course, his trusty gun.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, and my gaze fell to the bleeding gash across his cheek and neck. Authorities usually stayed away from paranormal activity like this, leaving it up to churchmen and people like me.
“Sephy Phoenix,” he responded matter-of-factly. He nodded once, as if that was all the reintroduction needed. Phoenix wasn’t my real name. Who knew what it was, so I’d picked my own, figuring the mythical fiery bird suited well.
My thoughts flew to months ago when I’d found my friend, Dana, murdered, and the detective, Dean, had worked the case. Yeah, the guy had freakin’ insinuated I might have been involved. Ass. Found out he’d joined the local precinct a year ago, so maybe he didn’t have many serial killers back in Australia. There was a reason many locals didn’t join the force, so authorities resorted to recruiting from overseas.
Knox’s hand grazed my lower back, distracting me from my staring match. “Sephy, we’ll bring her down, then you do your thing.”
Sounded easy, but these situations rarely went as planned. Still, I nodded and caught the third man’s attention as he looked my way with curiosity. Must have been the girl’s brother because the terror in his eyes was crammed with desperation. I’d seen that look too often on victims’ family members.
I shut the door behind me, closing us in the bedroom, and pulled out the pouch from my pocket, untangling the ribbon.
My approach of dealing with demonic spirits followed no specific religion and was instead a concoction of many. Then again, I had no clue why my touch affected demons so adversely. Maybe it was linked to the Ether or wherever they lingered. Either way, I considered it a gift and planned to use it to help others.
“Okay, better now than never,” I instructed Knox.
And at once, he broke into a prayer, sending the girl into a shuddering episode, shaking and screaming. The piercing sound deafened me.
The three men clasped the rope and with a great tug, hauled her from the ceiling.
My muscles flexed, and my knees softened, ready. Trepidation nagged me that this situation didn’t feel right. What had I missed?
The screeching child flayed her limbs and fell through the air, losing her balance. She hit the mattress, and the three strong men pounced. Each held her legs and arms, pinning her flat on her back.
I darted toward them, pushing between Knox and the detective, kneeling at the victim’s side.
“I command you by the name of our Lord…” Knox continued his prayer.
The girl’s tiny form bowed upward in an arch, bones cracking.
Taking a handful of powder in my hand, I blew it across her face and torso, blessing the magic with my energy and stunning the spirit.
She silenced at once. Her body eased to a peaceful rest, resembling an innocent, afflicted eleven year-old-girl.
“Now,” Knox demanded.
Bubbling fire churned in my chest and I concentrated on my next exhale. A blaze tore through me. Tiny orange flames burst to life across my palms, the fire stinging me as if I’d dunked my hands into boiling water. But my touch only hurt the possessed, not your average person.
“What are you?” Dean asked, but I didn’t have time for explanations.
The girl whimpered, and the brother seized my wrist, squeezing. “Stop. Don’t hurt her.”
“Asher, no,” Knox hissed. “Let her go.”
Dean nudged Asher, who released his hold. Despite Dean’s trembling arms and clear shock on his face, he wasn’t backing away.
The child bucked and screeched. I placed my flaming palms across her small chest.
She screamed, her body shuddering as the acrid smell of burned flesh assaulted my senses. Yeah, my touch left burn marks, but they healed completely with time. Funny thing was the flames did nothing to clothing or foreign objects. It only marred the skin of the possessed.
A sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere and ripped at my hair and clothes. Muscles taut, I held on, clenching my jawline.
Then an invisible force clutched the back of my T-shirt and yanked me backward, along with everyone else. Paralyzing fear spread through me as I pictured myself harpooned to death by an object behind me or slammed into the wall over and over until my skull cracked. I put nothing beyond evil spirits.
I grunted, my arms cartwheeling for balance until I hit the closed door. The air knocked out of my lungs, and I slid onto my ass with a thud.
The child lifted off the ground by an invisible force, and the cord unraveled itself from around her waist, dropping to the ground. She levitated above the mattress, glaring down at the four of us before unleashing her punishment.
My ability had never failed before. Each time I connected with monsters, they fought back, but I eventually destroyed them. What was different about this spirit?
The fiend’s face was morphing into a monster—a long, hooked nose appeared on her face, lips lengthening with fangs that slid over the lower lip, a wide forehead with no eyebrows or lashes. Just gaping black holes for eyes.
Holy fucking shit! I swallowed past my dried throat because this was new territory for me. But it didn’t change anything. I would still kick its ass all the way back to where it came from. I scrambled to my feet. This ended now.
Knox was on his knees praying while the detective and Asher rushed toward the girl.
The broken lamp in my peripheral vision jerked upward, then whizzed across the room, straight for my face. I ducked, but the object collided into Asher’s shoulder, shoving him off his feet. Crap!
The hairs on my nape shifted. Instinct kicked in, and I threw myself into a forward roll. Scrambling upright, I grabbed for the girl’s leg, fire igniting across my palms, biting into her knee.
Dean was at my side, grappling with her other foot, but she wriggled midair and kicked me in the chest instead.
I gasped and choked for air, the impact stealing away my breaths. I coughed, filling my lungs as Dean flew across the room, his face ashen, his legs thrashing about before he landed on his side in a corner beside a chest of drawers.
Mother of hell!
“Keep her down.” My gaze fastened on the beast.
She glared at me, her nose creasing like an attacking hound.
Knox and Dean flanked the victim from either side, while her brother came in from behind.
The fiend hadn’t moved but offered me a warped grimace.
Loathing trickled through me.
Most monsters I battled, be it a demon, a shifter in heat mode, or an ancient spirit killing people, put me on edge. But none made me quiver like this. No trepidation lingered behind its expression. None of the previous demons I’d encountered carried the power of this one. Just knowing it could win shook me to the core.
“Sephy!” Knox yelled as the other men held on to the girl’s arms and head, stopping her from flying up the walls again. Her body convulsed, froth dribbling from her mouth. But I’d seen this show before.
With a lunge, I tackled the possessed girl, looping my arms around her neck. Fucker was coming down.
She chomped her teeth, inches from my nose, snarling and spitting.
I slapped my palms on her shoulders, and the explosion of my fire magic surged into her.
She arched her chest out and shook violently against me. A child’s cry sounded.
Lies. Pretenses.
“You’re hurting her!” Asher screamed out. “Trisha’s back with us. My sister is okay.”
“It’s a trick.” Knox’s response came fast and loud.
The girl bucked and jerked her arm free from her brother, slashing her nails at my head, pulling out hair. I gritted my teeth through the agony. But when she belched a river of blood into my face, I shuddered. Warm and sticky, the sludge dripped down to my neck and chest. Gross!
I wiped my eyes and mouth with a hand. “Are you fucking kidding me?” The sticky mess seeped through my hair, but it wouldn’t kill me, just freak me the hell out.
My grip slipped, but I re-clasped my hold over her back, my fingers knitted together.
Fire pumped into her, but my touch was nothing more than a nuisance.
For fuck’s sake! Work already!
At once, the girl flew backward, me attached to her as if I were a flag, my legs swinging out behind me. My stomach struck my throat from the speed, and I cried out.
Before I could respond, she hurled us through the broken window, her back and my forearms taking the brunt of the force. Glass shot out in every direction. Shards of miniature knives tore and shredded my skin.
I screamed, yet it all happened too fast.
All I managed was to tuck my chin into my chest to protect my face.
Next thing, we were out the window, rushing toward the wooden pier one floor below.
I shoved a knee into her stomach to push free and avoid landing on the small child. But in one move, the fiend spun us around until I was on the bottom.
Crash.
I hit the ground, my head knocking the hard surface. Breaths escaped me. I groaned, convinced I’d broken every bone. Of course it couldn’t be the case. I’d fallen one floor… Though that observation didn’t stop my tears, or the tormented agony shooting through my body.
The girl straddled my waist now and snatched my injured arm. Her mouth latched around my inner wrist, teeth sinking into flesh.
“Stop!” I writhed beneath the girl’s weight, hitting her, thrusting my hips, but she didn’t move and seemed impossibly heavy. Throwing a punch into her face didn’t dislodge her. The slurping sound had me gagging and a rough tongue licked me. I cringed and trembled nonstop.
It drank my blood. Fuck! Was it gaining my power or made it even more immune to my magic?
Panic squeezed my lungs, and I thrashed, fighting the iron-grasp, picturing myself dying here on the pier.
Instinct took over, and I pooled my energy into a fiery explosion. I shoved fire through every inch of my body and jammed my palm against the beast’s brow. Flames licked the edges of my hand, turning her flesh red and blistery.
The demon flinched, but instead of recoiling, she seized both my hands and pinned them above my shoulders. I grunted, twisting and turning for purchase.
My confidence waned. For too long I’d believed I could take down anything, but I’d been a fool. An idiot not to dig into my past and uncover exactly who I was. Now I faced something I didn’t understand—something more powerful than me.
Blood dripped from the girl’s gaping mouth onto my chin, and black eyes pierced through my soul. She leaned closer still, her icy cheek grazing mine.
She whispered in my ear with a deep scratchy voice, “I’m taking what has always been mine, even if you go by a different name now.”
But in a flash, the fiend’s eyes widened, and it was flung backward.
I dragged myself up to my butt and my heart raced.
The demonic girl lay curled at her side, and beside her stood a lion. My ex, Ryder, in his animal form watched over the child and let out a roar, a deep sound projected into the air. His shaggy, golden mane ruffled in the wind blowing behind him, and his rib cage expanded and fell with each heaved breath. Eyes of polished, amber stone locked onto the prey at his feet.
Shifters had extraordinary strength, and warmth flooded me to have Ryder join our battle.
The others from the room rounded the warehouse and darted toward us.
Then, the girl got up, her bloody teeth bared. She was at least ten feet away. Behind her the lion blocked her escape along the pier that lead to residential homes.
I got onto my wobbly legs. Fire flared through me, and I lunged toward the her. The men were at my side, and Ryder snatched the girl’s pajama top to hold her in place. We had this.
The once calm river now crashed against the dock in rebellion. A storm rolled overhead and thunder trembled nearby.
My spiritual beads would intensify my power and help cleanse whatever lay in
side the innocent. I grasped the dangling beaded necklace bouncing against my chest and shoved the beads into her mouth. I pressed my lips to hers.
Fire shot from my mouth and into hers.
The girl bucked beneath me, her fingers clawing at my neck, my face, but I held the fiend tight until she slacked against me. I moved to break free, but a snap of energy sparked outward from every inch of her body like electricity rays.
I gasped for air, unsure what was happening now.
An electric charge struck me in the chest like sharpened spikes. I dropped. Spasms wracked my muscles as I curled in on myself, shaking. All the men, including Ryder who was now in his human form, were on the ground convulsing.
Panic squeezed me until breathing was an impossibility, and the corners of my eyes darkened. Was this how I’d finally meet my maker? And with my last vision, I watched the girl stagger to her feet.
4
“Sephy, can you hear me?”
The words streamed through my head. Definitely male, yet grogginess fogged my brain like I’d drunk a whole whiskey bottle and now waking up hurt too much.
“Let’s take her to the hospital,” another man suggested, and that prompted me to peel open my eyes. Sunlight stung my vision and looking down at me were two men. Detective Dean Rush with his hypnotic crystal-blue pupils, and my ex, Ryder, offering me one of his flirty grins that used to melt my knees. Who was I kidding? They still did, but every time I fell for his charm, our past smacked me in the face. How he’d betrayed me, and how I might forgive him, but forgetting seemed an impossibility. Was that the best foundation for a relationship?
As I lay there, reality returned. My mouth tasted like copper, and I stared up at a smashed window in the nearby building.
“Fuckin’ demon’s ass,” I groaned as I pushed myself up. Dean took my elbow and drew me to my feet with care.
“Yep, she’s back to her normal self.” Ryder chuckled and wiped something off my cheek with a thumb. I was soaked in slimy blood. Damn, I must resemble a resurrected swamp monster who just gorged on a camper.
Ryder wore only Knox’s coat around his waist, buttoned up the front and fashioned as a kilt. I suspected it might have been at someone else’s suggestion since Ryder had grown up a nudist and had zero issues with flashing his wares.