by Wendy Wang
"Maybe it's part of the ritual. To bind them to his master. It wouldn't be unheard of to defile the body. Perhaps as part of the girl’s death. Symbolic defilement of the soul," Tom said.
"What you are describing is just a whole other level of evil," she said.
"Typically, that is the motivation of the demon. Well, that and food. And nothing tastes better than a human soul. Why do you think I carry a scythe?" he asked.
"I thought it was to reap the soul," she said.
"Sometimes I use it for difficult souls. But it’s also a weapon against other supernatural creatures who would try to steal the soul away from me at the moment of reaping," Tom said.
"Who was supposed to reap her?" Charlie asked.
"I don't know. She wasn't in my book. She may not have been in anyone's book. It may not have been her time. It is been my experience that most murders are not written in the reaper’s book," Tom said.
Charlie sat back and looked him in the eye. "Just when I think I understand the supernatural world, I learn that really I don't have a clue."
"You have far more knowledge than most humans, Charlie." He took her hand in his again and kissed her knuckles. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You could kiss me again," she said. "Make me forget all this even if it's just for a little while."
"I can do that." He smiled and leaned in close. He pressed his warm lips against hers and Charlie let herself get lost in it. It had been a long time since Charlie had wanted someone the way she wanted Tom. After several minutes of kissing she gathered her courage.
"Tom," she whispered into his ear. He dotted her neck with gentle nibbles.
"Mmmm?" He didn't stop.
"Do you want to move this to the bedroom?"
Tom pushed himself up and looked her in the eyes. "You sure? It's a big step."
"I'm sure." A smile stretched across her face. She wiggled out from beneath him and rose to her feet then held out her hand for him. "Come on."
Charlie found herself walking through the woods again, headed toward the circle where she had seen the angel girl. Maybe it wasn't a fair representation. Angel girl. She was not really a girl, nor was she an angel. But someone had convinced her she was, and when her spirit manifested, she had wings.
Charlie looked to the sky trying to determine the time of day. Trying to remember how she got there. Trying to find the source of the goosebumps that had risen on her arms. Thick mist hovered above the ground giving the dense pine tree forest the sense that it was floating in the clouds. A chill skittered across her shoulders and she stopped on the path and glanced around. Someone was watching her. She could feel it. Feel someone’s eyes on her back. Why was she alone? Where was Lisa? Where was Jason? Or even Cameron. She would have settled for his skeptical presence no matter how annoying.
“I know you’re here,” Charlie called. “I can see you.” It was a lie meant to manipulate her watcher. She scanned the woods carefully for any movement. Something dark appeared in her peripheral vision and she turned toward it. A flutter of wings ruffled and settled behind the girl. Her name had been Bethany in life. Charlie let out a slow breath and turned to face her. She seemed more solid than she had the last in their last encounter.
But of course she would. This is just a dream, Charlie's mind interjected.
“I know you," Charlie said. "What I don’t know is why you’re here.”
The spirit tipped her head. The dark black holes in her face were gone. That had to be a good sign, didn't it? That even though this was a dream, the girl saw herself as she was in life. Well mostly. The wings attached to her fluttered just a little along the edges. “He’s watching you. Watching you all. Be careful. He’s hunting again.”
“For another girl?” Charlie asked.
“Be vigilant. He’s hunting again,” the angel girl said.
"I'm working on a way to free you," Charlie said.
The angel girl shifted her gaze to Charlie, her expression mournful, her lips curved into a weary smile. "It's too late for me. Be vigilant.”
"We will stop him. And I swear on all that’s holy to me, I will find a way to free you,” Charlie said.
"Be vigilant," The spirit whispered. Something rustled in the woods and Charlie looked toward the noise, searching for the source. She couldn’t see anything obvious, but her senses didn’t believe her eyes. The hair on her neck stood up. The sound of wings flapping drew her attention again and when she looked back the angel girl was gone.
Charlie scanned the sky but there was no sign of her. “Dammit,” she muttered. “Couldn’t you at least show me where he kept you?” She waited a beat.
A breeze rustled through the canopy of trees and something dark played at the corners of Charlie's eyes. She turned her head slightly to see if she could get whatever was teasing her, trying to frighten her, to come into focus. Her heart hammered its way into the back of her mouth. She could barely make out his features, and they were unlike anything human that she had ever seen. His eyes were as black and shiny as polished obsidian and his skin the palest of gray. Deep purple veins marbled the skin and if he had not blinked she might have thought him a statue. He moved closer, and placed a clawed hand upon her shoulder. Charlie couldn't move. He leaned in, his stinking hot breath puffed out hitting her cheek. She tried to move her head so she could look him in the eye but her neck would not cooperate.
"Charlie Payne," his voice slithered through her head. "As I live and breathe."
Charlie swallowed hard and tried to speak but the words clogged her throat.
"Who are you?" her mind cried.
"You know who I am. I think you know what I am." He said his words dying off into a low growl.
"How do you know my name?" She thought.
"You are legend. You and your whole family. Seekers of light and truth. Blah blah blah. How boring you all are," he said.
"You know my name, tell me yours," she said. "That's only fair."
"What makes you think I care about fair?" he growled. "We are legion. That is all you need to know."
Every hair on her body stood at attention. But this was exactly what he wanted. He wanted her afraid. He wanted her cowering in a corner. Just like the spirit of every girl he had ever defiled. "That's pretty chicken-shit if you ask me."
He growled again, this time deeper. She had struck a nerve. Good. She could use that. "You know what I think? I think you're too scared to tell me your name. Too scared to show me your face. All that makes you is a coward."
His growl gave way to a roar. It filled her head hot and angry and reminded her of a lion and alligator. Something hard struck her across her cheek. Her vision exploded with a burst of pain and white light, and she fell to the ground.
"You will say my name one day, Charlie. They all say my name right before I eat them. I cannot wait."
Charlie held her cheek and blinked until her vision cleared. She heard the rustle of the nearby underbrush and turned her head trying to catch a glimpse of him, but he was gone.
Chapter 15
Charlie awoke with a start, sat up straight in bed and grabbed her phone off of her nightstand.
"Bad dream, love?" Tom asked.
Her breath caught in her throat and she turned her gaze toward his voice. Tom was next to her, propped up by pillows with one of her books resting across his lap. In her bed.
The memory of his arms around her, stroking her hair after their love-making flooded her mind. She’d drifted off to sleep and had been sure he’d be gone when she awoke. Why would he stay? He didn’t need sleep. “You're still here."
"Of course I am. Where else would I be?" Tom asked.
“I thought you’d be gone.”
“Do you want me to go?” he asked.
“No. No, that’s not why I said that. I …” she struggled to find the right words.
“Are you all right?” He placed her hand over hers.
“Yes.” She smiled, trying not to be distracted by his nakedness. “I�
��m fine.” She fought the urge to run her hands across his well-muscled chest, push the book off his lap, and wrap herself around him, skin to skin. But the demon’s voice echoed through her head. They all say my name, right before I eat them. The girl’s voice echoed through her head. He’s hunting again. She faced forward, focusing on the phone in her hands. Who was she going to call? It wasn’t as if Jason could help her with this. Maybe Evangeline or Jen, or even Lisa might know more about what she was dealing with. “Shit,” she muttered. “I don’t know who call.”
“What happened?”
“I saw the spirit again. The girl that was killed. But…” She put the phone back on the nightstand and stared down at her hands. “There was someone else there too.”
Tom edged closer and put an arm around her shoulders. “Who?”
“He wouldn’t tell me his name and he wouldn’t let me look at him either. Not directly anyway,” she said.
“What were you able to see?” Tom asked, his voice full of steady seriousness. A pang filled her chest. She loved that there was not one ounce of disbelief in his voice.
“Pale gray skin. Veins. Dark purple veins. And black eyes. Not a lick of white in them,” she said. “I could only see him from my peripheral vision though.”
“A demon.” Tom said the word absently.
Charlie peered into his face. A deep line formed between his eyes.
“What else did he say?”
“He knew my name. Said he knew my whole family. He wouldn’t tell me his name though.”
“No, I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Tom said.
“Why?” Charlie asked.
“If you know his name then it gives you power over him. You could control him, or banish him, or even kill him. If you don’t know his name the best you could ever hope for is to send him back to the netherworld,” Tom said.
“So there is a hell?” Charlie asked.
“Only for creatures like him. As I told you, he’s a supernatural spirit. They live separately from humans, and that includes their souls. But they’re attracted to both your lightness and your darkness. He can feed off the energy of both,” Tom said.
“He said I would say his name, right before he ate me,” Charlie’s voice shook. “Is that why he killed those girls? To eat their souls?”
“I don’t know,” Tom said. “Maybe.”
“I have to text Jason.” Charlie grabbed for her phone again.
“Why?” Tom asked. “What does he know of demons?” Did she detect hurt in his voice?
“He needs to know what he’s dealing with isn’t human,” Charlie said.
“Will he accept that?” Tom asked.
“I sure hope so,” she said. She jotted off a text. She stared at the screen, waiting for any response.
"Your chicken stuck her head in here briefly, by the way," he said.
Charlie chuckled. "She's not really my chicken."
"Oh, she’s your chicken all right. I think I must scare her. Because she appeared and perched on the footboard for barely five seconds before she disappeared again.”
"Maybe so. Are you sure there’s not a reaper for animals?” Charlie asked.
"If there is, I've never met one.” He laughed as if he hadn’t taken the question seriously.
Charlie glanced down at the screen again, then looked at the clock on her nightstand. The red digital numbers read two forty-five a.m.
"He must be sleeping pretty heavy." Charlie sighed.
"It’s very early, or very late depending on your point of view," Tom said. "Would you like me to go wake him?"
Charlie imagined that scene unfolding — Tom appearing in Jason's bedroom in full reaper form before transforming into his human glamour; Tom tapping Jason on the arm to wake him; Jason pulling a gun from beneath his pillow. Charlie shook her head.
"I don't think that would be a good idea. I really don’t want you to get shot today."
"Fair point," Tom said. “Maybe I’ll just wake Lisa instead. She’s with him most nights now, right?”
“Hey.” Charlie sat up straight. “Good idea."
She jotted off another text.
“Really? You want me to go wake her?” He closed his book and placed it on the nightstand.
“No, you stay put.” Charlie placed her hand on his thigh. She stared at the screen. Within a minute, three dots appeared on the screen. Lisa was typing. Charlie grinned.
What's up? You okay? Lisa's text read.
I had a dream. I need to talk to Jason and he’s not answering.
I'll wake him up.
Thank you. :)
Less than a minute later Charlie’s phone buzzed in her hand with a text from Jason.
What’s up?
The killer isn’t human.
What? You don’t think it’s a ghost do you?
Not exactly. More like a human that’s been possessed.
Three dots appeared and disappeared then reappeared a few minutes later.
“I think I broke him,” Charlie said.
“What do you mean?” Tom said.
Finally another text appeared.
All right. I don’t know what to do with that. Lisa tells me that human possession is a real thing.
Lisa would be right.
So, what? He’s possessed by a demon?
“Do demons have magic?” Charlie asked. “Could they cast a glamour, like you?”
“Yes and no. The have their own sort of magic. All supernatural beings do, but as far as I know they cannot cast a glamour. They aren’t truly corporeal on this plane. He would have to possess someone,” Tom said.
Charlie pursed her lips and gave him a quick nod. “Right.”
Yes. He’s being possessed by a demon.
Well that’s just great. Fan-freaking-tastic.
It doesn’t mean he can’t be stopped. But I do know he’s not done. He threatened to come after me.
Shit! What can I do?
Nothing you can do. I’ve got it handled on my end. I do know what he’s after though. Why he’s killing.
Why?
He wants their souls.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
You kiss your mama with that mouth?!
An eyeroll emoji appeared and Charlie snickered.
Sorry mom.
LOL. It’s okay. I feel exactly the same way. Go back to sleep. We’ll deal with this in the morning.
Ok
Charlie put the phone down on the nightstand and turned her attention to Tom.
“Now, what should we do?” She gave him a sly smile.
“I’m sure we can think of something,” he said reaching for her.
Charlie crawled onto his lap, straddling him. She brushed her lips across his. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. She deepened the kiss. “I’m sure your right Mr. Sharon. ”
Chapter 16
Charlie walked in to the small satellite office for the sheriff's department and greeted the deputy at the front desk.
“Hey, Darren,” Charlie said, handing him a cup from the tray of four coffees in her hand.
“Hey, Charlie.” He grabbed the coffee without hesitation, opened the lid, and took a long sniff. “Thank you. You always bring us the best coffee.” He reached into the middle drawer and pulled out two packs of sugar, ripped them open, and poured them into the rich black liquid. “What can I do for you this morning?”
“Is Lieutenant Tate here?” she asked.
A strange smile spread across the deputy’s thick lips. His gaze shifted over her shoulder. “Uh, I believe he is.”
“Great,” she said. “Any chance I could get a visitor’s pass? There’s something I need to tell him about a case he's working on.”
The deputy eyed the box in her hand. “Are those muffins?”
“Yes they are.” She smiled and set down the tray of coffees, then opened the box for the deputy to see the confections her cousin had made. “Would you like one?”
“I would.
Thank you,” he said plucking a blueberry lemon muffin from the box and peeling the paper away. “You know I would love to help you out. But Lieutenant Tate said that if you came by to give him a call before I let you back.” He broke off a piece of the muffin and popped it into his mouth. A little moan started in the back of his throat and he closed his eyes. “My God, this is so good.”
Charlie resisted the urge to scold him for talking with his mouth full. She really needed to remember to ask Evangeline to show her how to use a suggestibility spell. Charlie forced a smile. “I'll let my cousin know that you like them. Would you mind giving Lieutenant Tate a call for me to let him know I'm here?”
The deputy took another bite of the muffin and nodded his head. “Sure thing.” The words came out a little garbled.
Charlie gritted her teeth but kept a smile painted on her face. She closed the box of muffins and picked up the tray of coffees again placing them on top.
A large round clock kept time and Charlie glanced at it every thirty seconds or so. As she waited, she paced. By the time Jason poked his head out into the lobby ten minutes later, Charlie's face was hot and her impatience hovered close to the surface.
“Hey, Charlie,” Jason said, giving her a wary smile. His eyes were drawn to the box. “Whatcha got there?”
Honey, Charlie, not vinegar. She took a deep breath.
“I brought y’all some muffins and coffee from the café. Although I'm not sure the coffee is still warm at this point, since I had to wait so long.”
“Yeah,” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. We were in the middle of something when the deputy let me know you were here.”
“I thought we were gonna meet this morning and discuss what I told you last night,” she said, giving the deputy at the desk a sideways glance.
“Yeah,” Jason nodded.
There was something about his demeanor that set Charlie on edge. She narrowed her eyes. “What's going on Jason?”
“Nothing,” he said.
The little bell that often went off in Charlie's head when someone lied to her rang wildly in her ears. Charlie stepped closer and lowered her voice. “You know better than that. Please answer my question.”