by Geri Glenn
I look to Father Martin. “What the fuck is this thing? Can it control our thoughts like that...make us do crazy shit?”
“I don’t know. From what I’ve been able to find, his control isn’t in the mind, but I can’t be positive. There’s not much more written on the Le Vieux. I’m afraid that in this situation, we’re going in practically blind. I’m sorry.”
Frustration courses through me. How am I supposed to keep Emersyn and Joey, or the world for that matter, safe, if I don’t even know what I’m up against? We don’t even know what this damn thing looks like. “Well what do you know about it, Father? Because at this point, I’m feeling like a doomed man.”
Joey and Father Martin exchange a look and my body instantly goes tight. What the fuck do they know that they haven’t shared with me? “Joey? Is there more you need to tell me?”
She huffs out a breath. “Only a little. It seems that there’s only one way to kill Le Vieux.” She indicates Father Martin. “Father had the scroll translated, or what was able to be translated. We still don’t know or understand everything that it says, but the scroll says that in order to defeat Le Vieux, you must destroy the key to which he came.”
I stare at her and wait for her to tell me the rest. When she blinks back at me, eyebrows raised, I feel the desperation building. “That’s it? That’s all we know?” Joey nods. “Well fuck me. Any ideas on what this key could be?” Her eyes slide to something just over my shoulder and I look behind me, my eyes falling on the frightened face of Emersyn. “Emersyn? You think we have to destroy my fucking reason for existing to kill this son of a bitch?”
“I don’t know,” she states matter of factly.
“Well I know! There’s no way in hell that’s going to happen. If Emersyn is the key to killing this fuckhead, I will kill anyone who dares to touch her, including any of you. I will watch the whole fucking world burn to protect her,” I growl. My shoulders heave with heavy pants as panic starts to consume me.
Feeling a soft touch on my arm, I look down and my breath catches. Emersyn is looking up at me, a soft smile on her face. “Cyrus, we don’t know that yet. Let’s not get worked up over something we’re not even sure about.” My panic settles only marginally, but it’s enough for my shoulders to relax before I reach out and wrap my arms around her, bringing her closer to me. Emersyn looks to Father Martin. “What can we do? How can we find out more about this scroll, or about Le Vieux?”
He stares at her a beat before walking to the shelf where he hid the scroll. He pulls it out and unrolls it, setting it on the table for all of us to see. The words are oddly shaped and faded, written in a language that contains letters I don’t even recognize.
He points to a section. “This paragraph here may give us a clue. The problem is, this scroll is written in a language that pre-dates even ancient Hebrew. I don’t know anyone who is an expert in languages that has been able to translate it.” He indicates Joey with a wave of his hand. “Joey has exhausted every research angle she can find. I’m out of ideas.”
“Father Gabriel is an expert at ancient languages,” Emersyn chimes in. All eyes swing in her direction. “Father Gabriel is the priest at the church I go to. He specializes in ancient biblical text.”
Merrick grins widely. “Well what are we still doing here? Let’s get our asses to church.”
Father Martin picks up the scroll and starts rolling it back up as we all move towards the door. “Wait!” Emersyn cries from where she still stands by the table. We all turn to her. “I want you all to know that if I am this key, I will do whatever it is that needs to be done.” I feel like I’ve been sucker punched. “Cy,” she says softly, “I mean it. This is the world we’re talking about. This is way bigger than all of us.”
“No,” I grind out.
Father Martin steps forward. “She’s right, Cyrus. But let’s not get ourselves worked up about it just yet. We don’t know for sure if Emersyn even is the key. Let’s go find Father Gabriel and see what he can tell us.”
I nod, but don’t take my eyes off of Emersyn. If she thinks I’m going to let her sacrifice herself, she’s crazy.
Everyone files out of the room and out to the truck. As Emersyn passes me, I grab her arm and spin her towards me. Tangling my hand into her long dark hair, I make a fist and yank her head back so I can look into her eyes. She looks back up at me with nothing but pure love and determination. Fuck.
Not knowing what to even say to her in this situation, I slam my lips down onto hers and give her a quick, but deep kiss, praying that I’m not going to have to fight her and the others to keep them from sacrificing this brave woman that I’m quickly falling in love with.
We’ve been in this musty old church for hours, and Father Gabriel hasn’t even looked at us. He has poured over the scroll, periodically checking a stack of dusty old books, then back to the scroll again. My ass hurts from sitting in this creaky wooden chair. Emersyn is beside me, sound asleep, with her head resting on my shoulder.
In my mind, I’ve killed Le Vieux a thousand times. Joey and Merrick are looking through a pile of old books on the far side of the room, while Father Martin is in a chair beside me, waiting patiently for the elderly priest to finally translate that giant piece of scrap paper.
The silence in the room is shattered as Father Gabriel clears his throat and stands from where he’s been bent over the table. Looking around the room at all of us, he slowly removes his glasses and runs his fingers through his thinning gray hair. “I think I’ve figured some of this out. Most of it is written in ancient Hebrew, but there are a few paragraphs that are in Enochian. It’s the original language used by the Gods, and higher level demons.”
I stare at him, waiting for him to get on with it. Emersyn is instantly awake and sits forward, grabbing my hand in hers as she listens to Father Gabriel.
He indicates the scroll with a wave of his hand. “You’ve already told me much of what is written here, but the paragraph that you indicated does contain one sentence that you will definitely need to know.” He points to the paper and runs a finger along a strange looking sentence. “To destroy the key, pure love and goodness must overcome the evil in the soul of the beholder. Only then can the willful sacrifice be made.”
We continue to stare at him, waiting for him to elaborate, and when he doesn’t, Joey is the one who growls with frustration, arms flying out to her sides. “Perfect. Just fucking perfect! More ancient bullshit written in goddamn code.”
Merrick places a hand on her arm and I watch them together, my own mind racing. He says something softly in her ear and her shoulder’s seem to deflate, her body relaxing into his. Father Gabriel rolls up the scroll and hands it back to Father Martin.
“I am sorry that I couldn’t be of more help.”
“I have a feeling that you have helped us more than we realize.” Father Martin stands, turning to face us all as he holds up the scroll. “I know it’s frustrating, but this has answered one thing, and that is that Emersyn is most definitely not the key. She’s an Angel on Earth. There’s not an evil bone in her body, let alone her soul.”
Relief washes over me, and I barely resist the urge to kiss Father Martin. I settle for wrapping my arms around Emersyn and squeezing her tightly to my chest. Pressing my lips to the top of her head, I move my eyes to Joey as she starts speaking.
“Ok, so it’s not Emersyn. That’s the best fucking news I’ve heard all day, but what, or who, is it? That’s the question, and I have a feeling it’s not one we will be able to answer right away. So, what do we do about Le Vieux? Every second he’s out there, he gains power. We need to act, and we need to act fast.”
Father Martin nods. “I agree. We can’t afford to wait much longer. I still think the element of surprise is our best bet.” We all nod in agreement. He looks at his watch and rubs his hand down his tired face. “It’s getting late. We’re all exhausted. Let’s go home and get some rest. We’ll attack in the morning, bright and early. He won’t see us coming, a
nd with God on our side, maybe we can take him by surprise.”
“Do you really think going to war without knowing a sure way of killing the Old One is a good idea? If we don’t know who this key is, what are we really going to be able to do?” Merrick asks, and I have to agree with him. What’s the point in going after this piece of shit if we don’t know how to kill him? It would be suicide.
“I understand your concern, Merrick, but if we can’t kill him, maybe we will be able to trap him inside the earth like it was done before.” Father Martin answers.
“It took God and the Devil to be able to do that! How are we supposed to achieve that with two half-demons, half-angels, and a half-demon, half-human? It’ll never work.”
Sighing heavily, Father Martin walks up to Merrick and places his hand on his shoulder. “We have to try. Either way we cut this, it’s not ideal unless we can find out more about this key. But I do know this; if we do nothing, the world will be lost. Can you live without at least trying, even if we lose?”
That is the real question we need to ask ourselves. Could I live with myself knowing I did nothing? No...no I couldn’t.
Everyone must come to the same conclusion because we all share the same look. We’re all in, no matter the outcome. I just hope we can find this key and destroy it in time.
-
Joey
-
Once back at the house, everyone goes their separate ways; Father Martin heads into the living room and engrosses himself in books, while Emersyn and Cyrus head upstairs to Cy’s room. I hesitate at the door, watching the people that mean more to me than life itself—who are in danger because of me—before I too head to my room with Merrick following close behind.
Neither of us say anything as we make our way up the stairs, and we’re still quiet once we’re locked away in privacy. I can’t even look at him, ashamed of the way I acted on campus. When Cyrus asked Father Martin if Le Vieux could control us, I knew instantly that it wasn’t where his powers lied. Sure, there’s an unbelievable amount of evil that soaks into the air, so tangible that you can taste it. But, that’s all it is—a temptation of sorts. A test. My brother, who shares the same gene pool as me, was able to overcome it and stay true to who he is. I’m the one who failed.
All my life I’ve been told that it doesn’t matter that I have demon blood running through my veins. It’s what I did with it that truly decided if I was evil or not. I’ve worked my ass off to hone my body and make it into the perfect weapon to slay demons, doing my part in the battle of good vs. evil. I’ve immersed myself in books so I’d know all there was to know about demonic activity and powers so I could beat them. And it’s helped me do a lot of good; I’ve saved people and kept the world from falling under Satan’s rule.
But all that means nothing now. All the good I’ve done, or the people I’ve saved, the years of work and training I put into this cause...none of it matters. Today proved that when faced with the temptation of evil, I lost. And what’s worse, I liked it. I’d enjoyed the power I’d felt running through my veins, the high that overtook me when I had Merrick underneath me, his life in my hands. I’d wanted his blood to smear on my face, like a trophy of my kill. In that moment, I was just as evil as Le Vieux. I still am, because if I succumbed to it once, I have no doubt it will happen again.
“Look at me.” Merrick interrupts my thoughts, but as much as I want to look at him—need to see his face to see if there is forgiveness in his eyes—I can’t.
Needing to put space between us, I take a few steps towards the bathroom. “I need to take a shower.”
As my hand touches the door knob, Merrick’s commanding voice echoes from the other side of the room. “Stop.” My body locks tight. “Turn around and look at me. Now.” The last part is spoken almost harshly, but I can’t fault him for it. I tried to kill him today. I deserve his hatred.
Slowly turning, I keep my eyes aimed at the floor, still unable to look at him. “I’m sorry for what happened today. I wish I could say I don’t know what came over me, or that Le Vieux was controlling me, but that would be a lie.” My voice trembles with emotion and despair. “It wasn’t a spell or corruption. It was me. I guess the big question has finally been answered after all these years, huh?”
He takes two big strides and suddenly he’s right in front of me, his teeth clenched, his face hard. “And what answer is it you think you got?”
I hate that I need to spell it out for him. Shit, he’d witnessed it first-hand. But maybe he needs to hear it from my lips. “Deep down at the very heart of who I am, I’m not good. I’m evil.”
Growling, he pushes me so my back is against the wall, grabbing my chin roughly in his hand. “You. Are. Not. Evil. What happened today was fucked up, yeah, but you are not evil. I better not hear that shit come out of your mouth again or I will paint that pretty ass of yours red.”
“Bu—” I try to argue, but he kisses me. It’s a rough kiss, causing my teeth to scrape the inside of my mouth and has me tasting blood, but I can’t stop him—I don’t want to. Reaching my hands up, I try to grab his face or pull him closer to me, but he doesn’t allow it. Capturing both of my hands in one of his, he raises them high above my head, pinning them to the wall.
“You want to argue with me again?” he asks, his lips brushing mine, he’s so close. Our chests heave against each other as our eyes lock. His determination is almost enough to undo me. I want more than anything to believe in myself as much as he believes in me, even if it is a lie. I wish I could be that girl for him. And tonight, I will be.
“No, Merrick,” I gasp. “I just want you. I need you to make me believe how good I am.” My words are both a plea and a demand. When I’m in his arms, I feel complete, like I have my place in this world. It doesn’t matter if I was born evil or good, as long as I have this man beside me, I don’t need anything else. He is my goodness. He is my salvation. He is my everything.
His eyes search mine before they fall closed. His lips descend on mine once more, and he releases my hands, finally letting me touch him. “Hands up, Joey. Don’t fucking move them.”
As soon as my hands are back in position, high above my head, he reaches for my shirt, pulling it up my body and over my arms. His eyes move rapidly, heating even more as he stares at my naked skin.
Standing before him in nothing but a bra and cargos, I try desperately to control my breathing.
“Are you sure?” he rasps.
“Yes,” I plead, still staring into his beautiful eyes. “Please, Merrick. I need you.”
He answers me by lifting his own shirt over and his head and tossing it to the floor. I reach for his pants at the same time he reaches for me. Together, we rid each other of the rest of our clothes. His fingers trail down my skin, skimming slowly across my nipples. “I know you’re not evil, baby, and the reason I know this is because you’ve shown me what it means to be truly good. You’d risk your life to save the world, of that I have no doubt. I love you, Joey.”
I gasp at his admission, and emotion clogs my throat, even as I smile. “I love you too.”
There are no other words spoken. I wrap my legs around his hips and stare up at his face as he positions himself at my entrance. His eyes never leave mine as he drags the head of his cock through my wetness. And then, slowly, he pushes his way inside. His breath hitches as he moves deeper inside me with every thrust. I feel a pinching sensation, but it’s soon overshadowed by pleasure, and it feels perfect. He feels perfect.
Keeping a slow, steady pace, he thrusts into me while alternating between staring deeply into my eyes and kissing me softly. It’s in this moment that I finally believe him—I may have evil in my blood, but that’s all it is. I have overcome so much in my life, and have proven time and time again that I am good. No matter the obstacles or the temptation, I will rise above it all with Merrick by my side.
Feeling full with him inside me and my pleasure rising, I dig my fingers into his ass and urge him on. “Faster, Merrick. I’m so cl
ose.”
Thrusting harder, he breathes heavily, feeling exactly what I’m feeling—pure love and pleasure. “Like this?” he asks, his voice hoarse.
I can’t even answer him. Heat builds deep in my belly and I need something...something more. Grinding my hips back into his, I meet him thrust for thrust. The heat builds faster, almost overwhelming me. “Harder, baby,” I gasp, “faster.” I’m so close to the edge, I want nothing more than to fall over it with him.
“Joey, you’re so tight. You feel so fucking good,” he grinds out between clenched teeth. His body shakes and trembles. Sweat forms on his brows as he captures my lips in a hard, urgent kiss.
He thrusts inside me once more, harder than any other time, and hits a spot deep inside of me. It has me closing my eyes, and finally falling over that cliff. “Yes!”
“Open your eyes, baby,” he says, the strain in his voice evident of his impending release. “I want to see you when you come on my cock.”
I force my eyes open. When I look at him, the moment is so intense, I come even harder. My body quakes and pleasure washes over me, stealing my voice as I open my mouth and thrust my hips harder against him.
“Fuck yes. I’m gonna come, Joey.”
“Yes,” I cry, reaching up with my lips to kiss him. Dragging my fingernails up his back, I pull back and watch as he shivers and looks down at where we’re joined. “Come inside me, Merrick. Please.”
He pushes inside me once, then two more times. I feel his cock swell just as he roars with his release, spilling himself deep inside of me. His eyes never leave mine, allowing me to see the love and pleasure deep inside his soul. And it’s there I see myself, really see myself. The real me. The good me.
We try to catch our breaths, sweat rolling down our bodies as we come down from the high of being together. Slowly, my breathing returns to normal and emotion for this man threatens to carry me away.