by Jamie Loeak
Then give to thee, eternal life.”
Donovan stepped closer to Kate when he was finished. He placed his hands on either side of her face, just like Cole had, his thumbs on her temples. Kate sat there for a moment. She could sense Rico’s taut muscles to her right, knowing that he would pounce on Donovan if need be. She could feel Adriana’s energy, a mix of disgust and understanding.
Kate allowed Donovan to get comfortable, and then lashed out, kicking his shin. When she made contact, he stumbled back and growled. He rushed toward Kate but she was too quick, too lucky this first time. She lunged to her left and fell on the floor. Donovan was upon her within seconds, though, his hands much firmer on her face. Kate could feel him pushing against her temples and she threw up cement walls with barbed wire on top of them. Men stood atop towers with machine guns. Donovan retreated at first, but pushed forward. He made it past the first set of defenses, and Kate tossed up a wide canyon with a dangerous river flowing between its walls. Donovan built a bridge with the trees that she so carelessly imagined.
Kate was growing tired. She could feel herself weakening, and she was drenched in sweat. She tossed up one last obstacle, knowing that if he moved past it, he would claim her soul. The idea came, quick as a flash. She threw out Erik with his dark magic.
Donovan flew across the room, slamming into wall opposite her. He opened his eyes, startled by her ferocity. A fierce smile broke across his face.
“You were absolutely perfect,” he said. “Erik. I would have never guessed you would use something like that. Remember it. It was beautiful.”
“You used Erik and his dark magic?” Rico asked.
“Donovan was so close. I didn’t know what else to do. It was a reaction. It was the only thing that I have seen hurt you. I knew it would hurt Donovan.”
Rico stood up and walked over to Kate. He lifted her up into an embrace and kissed her hard when he set her down. “You’re brilliant,” he said. “I must admit that I was afraid of what would happen, but I think you’ve got something up your sleeve. Do you mind if I try?”
Kate laughed. “Let me rest a moment first,” she said.
Chapter 26
An hour later, with sunrise breaking across the horizon, Kate was sitting in the pastel chair again. It’s hard, cool surface was comforting. It was concrete proof that Kate had been able to expel Donovan from her body. A question formed on her lips before she could think about it.
“Rico?” Kate asked.
“What is it, Kate? Are you nervous?”
“No, I was just curious about something.”
“What?” he prompted. Kate watched as Rico moved so that he was standing in front of her. The muscles in his shoulders seemed tense even though his mood had lifted. Kate could see that his cobalt eyes were clear but his mouth was tight, almost as if Rico was trying very hard not to frown.
“Why didn’t Donovan die? You said that if a human expels a demon, the demon dies. I don’t understand.”
“Donovan didn’t touch your soul. Entering the human’s body is only a part of the possession. The actual possession takes place when the demon begins to capture the human soul. Since Donovan didn’t reach your soul, it technically wasn’t a possession; it was an attempt at one, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. It is enough to harm a demon, but he must be grasping your soul before you expel him. That is the only way that he will die.”
“So I have to let Kern pass my barriers? Why do I throw them up then?”
“You need to weaken the demon, Kate. If you do not weaken the demon then you cannot expel him because you will be the one that is too weak.”
“But saving my soul from Donovan was hard enough. How am I supposed to protect it from someone like Kern, from someone like you?”
“You truly have to fight for it, Kate. You have to throw up defenses that you know will weaken the demon attempting to possess you. Use his weaknesses to your advantage. Do you understand?”
Kate nodded. She knew what she would have to do in order to push Rico from her mind, but she knew nothing about Kern. What would she throw up when he attempted to possess her soul?
Rico moved so that he was right in front of Kate; he lowered himself so that he could look into her eyes.
“We will find out Kern’s weaknesses, Kate. Right now we need to worry about Erik. He’s our immediate threat. We’ll worry about Kern when Erik is gone.”
“But Kern and Erik work together, Rico. How can you be sure that Kern isn’t here too? How do you know that I’m safe from Kern right now?”
“I can’t be sure, Kate. But I have this feeling that Erik isn’t just working for Kern. I feel as though he has a hidden agenda; I just don’t know what that is. I can’t figure out why he would be here. He can’t use you to control the other demons. Your soul is important but not in the way that he would want to use it.”
Kate nodded, still afraid of what would happen in the future. Kern might not be an immediate threat, but the idea of Kern still scared Kate. She shuddered involuntarily.
“I will always protect you,” Rico whispered before stepping away from Kate.
Kate watched as Rico began to circle her. She tensed up, immediately afraid of what would happen to her when he attempted to push his way inside her mind. When Rico spoke the Rite of Control, it was in French:
“Je vous en prie, mon âme, d'accorder ta seule demande.
Laissez-toi plaisir tu partager.
Permettez-toi souhaite rencontré.
La chaleur Tu concède - le feu et la glace mélange.
Puis donner à toi, la vie éternelle.”
Kate was mesmerized by the sound of his voice speaking another language. It was richly romantic and beautiful. She almost forgot that he was trying to take her soul, and when he placed his hands on her face, she was almost too late.
Kate threw up a mental defense first, tossing out Adriana and Donovan. Rico pulled back, shocked that she would do such a thing. When he pulled back Kate lashed out, kicking Rico hard in the stomach. Rico fell to his knees and Kate got up to run. Rico stood up quickly, grabbed Kate’s wrist, and spun her around. He pulled Kate toward him and shoved her back into the seat. Rico’s fingers were pressing against Kate’s shoulders, holding her there. She gasped in pain; Rico’s strength was almost unbearable, and Kate knew that she would develop bruises soon. She looked into Rico’s blue eyes, now tinged with the swirling grey of storm clouds. She watched as he murmured the incantation again before resuming the possession.
When Rico’s presence entered her mind, Kate tossed out a beautiful garden with deadly flowers, and plants that emitted poisonous gases instead of oxygen. Kate felt his presence choke because of the lack of oxygen, but it didn’t take long for Rico to break down this defense. Kate threw up a room with no windows or doors. Quotes from Pride and Prejudice littered the walls along with rusty nails and other sharp objects. Rico pushed at the weakest points, breaking the walls down with his physical strength. The last defense that Kate pushed up was an image of herself. Rico stopped there, and she felt him retreat.
They stayed there, looking into each other’s eyes for a moment, breathing hard.
“You were perfect,” he said. “I think you can handle yourself. I trust you with my heart.”
“What did she throw up?” asked Adriana. “What made you retreat?”
“Kate projected an image of herself,” Rico said. “She played against my weaknesses. She knew that I would never harm her on purpose. It was a surprise but it also worked.” He turned back to face Kate before speaking again. “You aren’t bad, Kate. I truly think you have what it takes to beat Kern.”
Kate saw Adriana smile out of the corner of her eye.
“The only problem,” Kate said, “Is that I knew your weaknesses, Rico. I knew what would hurt you. Even though you broke through my first two defenses I felt your reluctance. You didn’t really want to because those memories were special to you. What do I do with Kern or Erik? I don’t know them as well as I know
you, or even Donovan for that matter. I know that you said that we would figure it out, Rico. I understand, but it still scares me.”
“The only thing you can do is try,” Donovan interjected.
“I agree,” Rico said. “You successfully threw both of us out of your mind. I think you’ll come up with something to harm Erik and Kern.”
Kate nodded reluctantly. She was still damp with sweat and wanted to shower badly. Her nerves were tingling with anticipation mixed with anxiety. Kate almost felt sick with the knowledge that she would have to fight Erik or Kern next. She wanted to feel as confident as those around her were, but it was nearly impossible. Kate knew her limitations much more than the others did, and she was afraid that she would not be as successful when the time came to win or lose.
Rico and Adriana walked Kate back home. They talked about Kate’s success the entire time. Kate stayed quiet, hoping that they wouldn’t jinx any progress she had made. Kate knew that she would have to continue practicing; she wouldn’t truly be able to expel an elder demon with just a couple lessons. There was so much more that she needed to know, and she wanted to gain as much of an advantage as she could muster before Erik appeared.
Kate walked up the front lawn after saying goodbye to her friends a block before the beach house. She hoped that her parents hadn’t found out that she was missing yet; she hoped that her father was still tucked in bed, and that he would be feeling better this morning. Kate was wrong to hope.
Aaron sat on the front porch with a cup of coffee, waiting for Kate. He stood up when she came in to view, but waited to speak to her until she was close enough to hear him speak at a normal volume.
“Where have you been?” he asked. He looked so genuinely concerned and worried that Kate felt horrible.
“I’m so sorry, Dad. I was out with Adriana and Rico. I lost track of the time, and before we knew it the sun was rising. I’m sorry,” she said.
Aaron sighed. “As long as you’re safe,” he said lovingly. “Your safety is all that matters to me.”
“Thank you for understanding, Dad. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, honey. Now come inside. Breakfast is on the table.”
Kate followed her father inside. The house smelled wonderful. There were eggs and bacon, along with biscuits and honey, on the table. Kate poured herself a glass of milk before sitting in between her mother and father. She watched as the two interacted, pleased to see that things were getting easier between them. She noted that her father must have been feeling better because he was laughing and joking with Blaire today. Blaire was genuinely happy, and Kate was surprised to see that her mother was dressed for work.
“What are you doing, Mom? Today is Sunday.”
“I was called in to work this morning,” Blaire grumbled. “There’s an emergency at the office and they need my help.”
“What? Why do they need your help? Can’t the workers who were hired to work weekends deal with it?”
“No, baby, they can’t. They need a marine biologist to do this one. I’m sorry, baby. I guess that means that you can have your father, daughter day in peace, though.”
“How long are you going to be gone?”
“I could have to stay overnight if this issue is as big as they’re claiming. I’m hoping they’re being overdramatic. Cross your fingers for me,” Blaire said as she stood up. She pulled down her grey shirt and pushed her curls behind her ears. Kate saw that she wore long silver earrings that almost reached her shoulders.
“What? You’re leaving right now?”
“I’m sorry, Kate,” she said. Blaire leaned down and kissed the top of Kate’s head before she left, her silver earrings chiming as the individual strands tangled and untangled themselves. Kate watched her disappear, anxious for some reason.
Kate ate her breakfast in silence, upset that her mother had to work. Afterwards, she went upstairs to shower and get dressed for her day with her dad.
Kate walked downstairs in jean shorts and a black t-shirt. Her necklace rested against her skin, on the inside of the shirt. She was afraid that it would catch the light in the small living room and shine; she told her dad everything, but she wasn’t willing to share this secret. He wasn’t ready to learn about demons and possessions; Kate wasn’t ready to expose him to it.
Kate sat down next to her father and snuggled in to watch a movie. The pair picked an action flick, and settled down. Aaron was excited by the movie; Kate couldn’t truly enjoy the film because she was so tired, but she loved seeing her father back to the way he was. Kate watched most of it, but soon her eyes began to flutter, and she ended up falling into a deep sleep. She didn’t even hear the sounds that took place around her.
Kate was in her familiar ivory gown. She was standing in her parents’ bedroom, watching her sick father cough. She couldn’t understand, for the life of her, why she was standing here. She grew more upset as she watched, wondering how this was going to help her conscience. Eventually, after getting sick of watching her father suffer, she turned to leave.
“You are mine,” said a familiar voice. It was deep and rough, as if the speaker used it too much.
Kate jerked around, seeing only her father in the room.
“You cannot take me,” her father said. “I won’t let you take me.”
Kate stepped back, confused. Was her father going crazy? Was he insane? A million worries fluttered through Kate’s head; a million diagnoses, including schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, followed them. What she learned next paralyzed her with fear. She had been so unprepared.
“You are mine. I will take you, I swear it,” the familiar voice said again. The voice came from her father’s mouth.
Kate stepped back, her heart pounding. The voice, the voice was Erik’s. He was inside her father. Erik had possessed her father.
That was why her father had been sick. He’d been fighting so hard to yank Erik from his body, to push him out. There had been no one to save him. No one knew what was wrong. No one saw what was happening right in front of them. And now, Kate was alone in the living room with Erik. This was what she was meant to see through the telescope; she understood all of it now.
Kate stepped forward, trying to ease her father’s pain, knowing that he couldn’t see her or sense her presence. No wonder why he had been acting weird, snapping at her mother for no reason; it hadn’t been her father at all. Why did he want to spend a day with Kate when he wasn’t her father? And then the worst question of all: Why had he gotten rid of Blaire?
Chapter 27
Kate was jolted awake when water soaked her shirt and hair. She began to move but realized that she was stuck. She looked down, and saw that she was tied to a metal chair. Rough twine and heavy metal chains cut into her arms, clawing at her skin. The metal was cold against Kate’s bare skin, and she began shivering because of the temperature and the fear that was crawling through her veins. She sat for a moment, confused and afraid, before she thought to look up. Her father sat in front of her, an empty bucket in his hands, a sneer spreading across his features.
Kate looked around. She was in her living room. All of the furniture was pushed against the walls, leaving a huge space in the middle of the dark, mahogany floor. Her father, no Erik, was circling her like a wild beast closing in on his prey. His smile was that of a maniac’s, his eyes no different than those of a rabid dog.
Kate stared at her father; she was afraid of him. She was afraid of him more than she would ever be of Erik alone. She looked down, afraid of looking him in the eyes, afraid of looking into her father’s eyes, knowing that he wasn’t the one staring back at her, knowing that he would never stare back at her. Kate knew that she had to be brave, though. She knew that she had to face her father, no Erik, and she had to appear strong and unafraid of him. She couldn’t let him know her weaknesses; she couldn’t let him know how much power he had over her.
Erik began laughing Aaron’s laugh, and Kate looked up into her father’s eyes. She wasn�
��t certain how she would pull it off, how she would convince him that she was brave, but she couldn’t do it if they didn’t speak at all.
“Erik,” she spat.
“When did you figure it out, Kate? Did your little dreams tell you?”
“I should have known,” she admitted. “You treated my mother so badly. My father would never say those things to her.”
“Darling, your father isn’t here anymore. He’s dying. His body and soul will be useless to me in a couple more days. He’s not as strong as he looks, is he?” Erik laughed her father’s laugh again. The sound burned in Kate’s throat and stung her eyes. She felt angry tears threaten to tumble down her cheeks, but she forced them back, knowing that she needed to keep pretending.
“Aren’t you the least bit curious about what I’m doing here?” Erik probed. “I can’t tell you unless you ask, my dear.”
Kate saw no other choice. “Why are you here, Erik?” she mumbled angrily.
“I am here because you made me angry. You had to send your boyfriend here to check me out. You had to spy on me. Your father annoyed me. I could tell he was catching on to my plan. He thought it was weird that I asked you so many questions. Your mother is a much nicer person, my dear. However, it was more fun to take your father’s soul. He was such a fighter, that is, until I broke him.” Erik laughed maniacally. The sound was high pitched and hurt Kate’s ears.
Kate grew angry and defensive. She lifted up her barricades, knowing now that she would never let Erik harm her. He had done this out of anger and revenge. He had done this because he could, because Aaron was just collateral damage; Kern may not be angry at Erik for taking his rage out on Kate’s human father. For all intensive purposes, he was still keeping Kate’s body and soul safe or keeping an eye on Rico and Adriana; whatever his purpose was, Kate was certain that it was not to keep Aaron safe also. “Who did you have to pay to weaken his body before you got in?” she spat.