Dead Wrong

by H L Goodnight

  He shook his head. After a time he prayed in Latin. Then he said, "We'll save Alec." He pointed to the bag near my feet, "Food."

  I opened the bag. It was take out! Not looking up as I stuffed sushi in my mouth, I nodded. We didn't have a choice. Either we save Alec, or we doomed more than ourselves.

  After I ate the entire bag, I sat back. The world was in color again. And it was filled with the vision I'd gained after Kian had done whatever it was he had done to me.

  Once more every object and person seemed to be supersaturated colored versions. Dominick was surrounded by amber light. With this vision, his eyes looked like Beleth's and Kian's, irises glowing.

  Brad sat behind Dominick.

  "Brad!"

  He smiled. It was the kind that didn't fill up his ghost eyes. "Dianna. Thank goodness those demons didn't harm you."

  "Dianna, who are you talking to?" Dominick asked. He looked in the rearview mirror where I was staring.

  "Brad," I replied. "A friend's ghost." I reached out my hand to Brad.

  Brad touched his hand to mine. I felt like he had shocked me with a static shock.

  Dominick shivered. "What was that?"

  "Brad's energy."

  "And Brad's a ghost?" Dominick looked spooked.

  I nodded. "Yes."

  "I'll be around Dianna," Brad said as his body passed through the car and was left standing on the side of the two-way highway.

  Dominick said, "Ghosts must be put to rest, Dianna."

  "So says the almighty order?"

  "It is the way." He said it with a finality to his words.

  I said nothing. If Brad had chosen ghosthood over moving on, who was I to question that?

  I looked down at my hands, seeing my own aura. Dark crimson lines swirled around them. Two other colors permeated through and looked like glowing chains, or like an infection. The color of pale sea glass stained it like spilled ink, and an indigo danced around the red in a twisting pattern. And strange silver thread danced through the red. What the hell?

  The smells in the car became sharper.

  I closed my eyes. Bile filled my throat. I put my shirt up and over my nose and took shallow breaths. As nausea faded, I opened my eyes. The lines throughout my glow were still there.

  "What?" Dominick asked with his usual frown.

  I debated not telling him, but he should know. "A crazy man, or fallen angel, or whatever he is did something to me. Now I see auras. Yours is amber. Unfortunately, something is staining my aura."

  Dominick asked, "And?"

  I thought about it, "Whatever he did left a mark. I think it is from his aura, but I've never seen this stuff before. I'm not sure." I stopped looking it at it and the nausea faded. "I'll figure it out later. Right now, we need to go."

  "Where," he asked.

  "When the Shadowed Man took Alec, he told me to go to where my heart lies broken." I bit my lip. "This has something to do with the disc."

  "Disc?" Dominick's vein was bulging on his forehead.

  "They need it. It has something to do with the Music Man Murders and with bringing hell on earth."

  Dominick pulled off onto the shoulder of the old highway, parking off it and on the snow-covered grass. Dominick shook his head looking at me. He rubbed his hands on his face.

  "Perhaps you'd better start at the beginning," he said.

  "Before I explain, do you have any more blessed blades? Like big ones?"

  His eyes widened, "What?" Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the headrest. "Alec gave you the letter opener?"

  "Yes. If it is our only chance, we need something larger."

  Dominick said, "At home, in the basement. I haven't unpacked all the weapons yet. There is a sword in a black box." He sighed and put his hands through his hair. "I thought the home invasion and robberies case was complicated, but demons. What is going on, Dianna?"

  "I think the Shadowed Man is working with the demons and fallen angels to bring the Devil here. To Earth." I paused, "But they needed this old music disc.” I tried to put everything in order and said, “They went through so many people to find it, so I think those were the Music Man Murders. They weren't exactly sure what they were looking for. The disc is old, from the turn of the twentieth century. It has Firebird on it. Phoenix. As in resurrection. Maybe Satan is dead?"

  As I speculated, Dominick started cussing in Czech. "You have this disc?"

  "I did. The Shadowed Man took it. Taking Alec near me. Maybe I'm need for the ritual too?" Panic started to fill me. "The Shadowed Man is a monster, Dominick. It might eat Alec out of boredom." A tremor wracked me, "It’s always hungry."

  My stomach chose then to grumble. The food helped, but as always it only took off the edge of hunger.

  Dominick snorted, "Something you have in common."

  “Har, har,” I replied.

  He said, "So where are we going?"

  "To Regina Grant's grave."

  "What," he said loudly.

  "My heart lies with my family. We need to hurry. It is about an hour outside Fort Augustine. Near the lake houses."

  "So why didn't the monster or fallen angel kill you?" Dominick put a hand on my knee. "I am grateful you are still alive, but why?"

  I shook my head. "I don't know. Beleth could have killed me when they first took the disc. My brain felt like he was turning it to goo. And until recently, I thought the Shadowed Man was immortal. Or at least impervious to harm. But it isn't. That beast is capable of being harmed, and that means it can die." Fear and adrenaline pressed down. "We need to go now, Dominick. Alec needs us."

  "Dianna. I raised Alec." He turned his head away, looking out the driver’s window at a car going by. "I can't lose him." His voice was faint and hard to hear.

  "We'll save him." I wouldn't let his family end up in graves next to mine.

  He said nothing, and pulled up the van's navigation system. After putting in the coordinates, he pulled back on the road. "We don't have time to get the weapon, Dianna. But I always carry some in the van." He pointed a thumb at the back of the van. "Dufflebag."

  I undid my seatbelt and went to the bag. Next to it were a group of bottles of water still in the clear plastic wrapping. Unzipping it, there were guns and long daggers.

  "The case under the seats has the swords."

  "How many? Are they like the letter opener?"

  "Two and no. Holy blessings that last for any time on an object are rare."

  I sat next to the bag of weapons. "I was afraid of that." Things could be worse. "Well, if it hadn't been for whatever Kian had shoved down my throat, I wouldn't be supercharged." The memory was already like a movie that happened long ago, to someone else.

  "Say that again?" Dominick's voice turned hard.

  I sat back in the front passenger seat, putting on my seatbelt. "Kian was at my apartment, and then. Dominick, there is too much." I shook my head still watching Alec, "Let me sum up. Kian shoved some medicine down me. It supercharged my abilities."

  "Kian? I don't recognize that name. Did he hurt you?" His voice was low and his words unrushed.

  "Kian was Max." My throat didn't close up or burn. Whatever magic had stopped me from speaking before was gone. "Now he is Kian. I'm not certain how whatever he is works. I think he may be like Beleth because Kian is too flawless." I didn't add that being in the same room with Kian was like handing over my willpower. "Beleth used some form of psychic attack. He can really hurt your head; the inside physically. If I didn't regenerate, my brain would be pudding."

  Dominick inhaled sharply. "And Kian?"

  I couldn't keep eye contact. "I know, deep in my bones, if I say yes to Kian the only way I'd resurface and be fully myself is if he let me."

  I was so ashamed. What if the thing with Kian was just my desire and not some supernatural mojo? Me being loose?

  Dominick said, "It isn't your fault, Dianna." He sighed, "It sounds like magical bullshit." He slammed his hands against the steering wheel. "Don't go near h
im again, okay?" He did a quick glance at me as he drove.

  A warmth came from my back pocket. I felt it and pulled out the tiny blade. "The letter opener? But how?"

  Dominick said a prayer. "And at least we have the letter opener."

  I nodded but still couldn't look at him.

  I was so frustrated. Whatever Kian did, it made me want to give him anything and everything he asked for. I wanted to please him. The world could burn, and all I would think of is how to please Kian.

  Dominick said some words in Latin. I didn't know what it was, but I'd been raised by a once devout Catholic and recognized some and the cadence.

  After minutes of silence ticked by, Dominick said, "Let's send them all back to hell.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  The drive seemed longer with the snowstorm starting to get worse. Pale yellow lightning underlit by violet accompanied the snow storm. The rumbles of thunder at odds with the falling white powder. Visibility was low, so the trip was taking longer than planned.

  Dominick's phone rang. It was an unknown number.

  I looked at Dominick, he said, "I'll put it on speakerphone." Putting it through the car, he said, "Hello."

  Beleth's voice came through the speakers and asked, "Is the storm slowing you down?"

  "Who is this," Dominick asked.

  Beleth laughed. "Your precious brother is holding up, knight." He spat the last word with venom. "Come and join the party."

  A text message came in lighting up Dominick's phone as the call disconnected. It contained the address of the cemetery with the GPS location of my mother's grave.

  "Who was it?"

  "That demented fallen angel, Beleth," I said.

  Dominick said, "They want me there too."

  I rubbed my hands on my face, trying to focus. I kept picturing punching Beleth in his perfect fucking face. "Yeah."

  Dominick made a noise, "I think Alec isn't the only planned fatted calf."

  Another text message came in on the phone. It was a picture of Alec. He was tied up with chains to a gravestone. The snow in the picture burred some of the details. Alec had no shirt on and was covered in cuts, blood, and bruises. The message said, "That bright shining soul. I hope it doesn't get eaten."

  The small photo of Alec made him look half dead. He was tied to a headstone that was the shape of a cross. It had carved roses and lilies on it. Engraved under the carving was too distorted to read in the small photo, but I knew it said: Here lies beloved daughter, wife, and mother, Regina Grant.

  It was my mother's headstone. The cemetery was right outside the city limits towards the small suburb where large houses sat by lakes.

  Dominick's sped up, driving faster. He didn't say anything and stayed focused on the road.

  The snow-storm grew worse, with flurries turning to a full-on blizzard. All at once the van started to skid, hydroplaning.

  Dominick stayed calm, steering into the skid. It wasn't enough, and the van smashed into the oncoming traffic's ditch.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  For once this week, I didn't pass out. The airbag had knocked me for a loop, but whatever Kian had shoved down me and the food Dominick fed me had me healing almost as fast as the injuries happened. Dominick didn't fare as well.

  Thankfully, he'd stayed calm and had done exactly what you should do when hydroplaning. However, his head had hit the steering wheel seconds before the airbag went off. It made a horrible crunching noise.

  As the car stopped, I shoved the airbag out of my way.

  Dominick was pale, and a large gash on the front left of his forehead bled everywhere. I put my hand over it.

  We didn't have time to turn around and take Dominick to the hospital. Alec was in grave danger from the Shadowed Man. The minivan was too old to have assisted help.

  I took off my shirt and used it to stop the blood coming out of Dominick's wound.

  "Dominick, you can't die. Okay." I pressed the tee harder. "We have to save Alec."

  Dominick's color started to look really bad, and I thought about everything. I tied the shirt tightly. We were so close.

  "Hold on. I'll call the cavalry once we are there."

  It was awkward moving Dominick out of the driver’s seat. His weight wasn't an issue, but his size was cumbersome for someone so much smaller. I moved him to the passenger seat and buckled him in. I zipped up my jacket tightly. It was cold.

  I started back up the van.

  I'd save Dominick and Alec. And I'd stop hell on earth. The way I always did things.

  Alone.

  Chapter Forty

  Dominick's bleeding slowed and stopped within the first five minutes of driving. He remained unconscious.

  I debated. Beleth had used blood to heal me. I wasn't sure if it worked because of my powers or if it was magical fallen angel blood. My aura still had that indigo lancing around it.

  Deciding to take the risk that whatever was still in my blood from Beleth and Kian could help Dominick, I made a small cut on my finger with the letter opener and removed the makeshift bandage on Dominick. I rubbed the blood on the wound. Nothing seemed to happen for a couple minutes, and then he breathed in deeply, opening his eyes.

  Dominick looked over at me, and I watch the wound knit together. I smiled at him. He looked around confused. Then held his head with one hand.

  I started us back on the highway to the cemetery. Dominick looked around. He still seemed too big even in the minivan. My stomach rumbled, and Dominick snorted.

  "You wouldn't happen to have some jerky in the minivan here, would you?"

  Dominick grabbed a small plastic bag from the back of the driver's seat pocket. He got up and grabbed a plastic bag from the back. He returned to the passenger's seat and opened the bag, handing me some jerky as he buckled back up.

  Biting into it, my stomach stopped raging at me.

  He put one of the waters on my side’s drink holder and looked at me with his usual expression.

  I looked away concentrating on the road. "You okay, Dominick? Or should I take you to the next ER?"

  He said, "No." Dominick lifted his hand to his head. "I can't really see anything. Tell me what is going on. My eyes aren't working right." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

  We only had a short time before we got to the cemetery.

  Dominick asked, "Do you really think the disc can somehow bring the Devil here?"

  You could feel the capital D when Dominick said it. "Yeah. I think if they have the machine it plays on." I paused. I still wasn't sure of the how. “Maybe that was part of the murders too. Searching for the disc and the old-timey machine to use it.”

  Dominick opened his eyes and looked out the window at the snow falling. "Do you think Alec is alive?"

  The strain in his voice reminded me of what I had to do. "Dominick, if that creature touched your brother, I will go to Heaven or Hell and get Alec back." I'd figure it out. Even if I had to barter with Beleth or Kian, Alec would live.

  Even if it was just so I could slap him.

  Dominick remained silent. He probably thought I was giving him lip service. But I meant it. My fear was what Beleth had said. Bright shining soul, hope it isn't eaten. Implying that the Shadowed Man ate souls. That sounded like a type of never coming back that even a jaunt to hades couldn't fix.

  Dominick's voice sounded odd, "Why are these demon's so obsessed with you?"

  I thought about it. "You know, I have no idea." I shrugged, "My healing amuses them?"

  Dominick asked, "What about Kian?"

  "I have a hundred questions for him." My voice was small when I said, "I'm not brave enough to face him and get those answers." I didn't want to be hurt anymore. "Right now, we need to focus less on Alec and how to get him out alive. And stop the apocalypse."

  "How do we defeat demons and this shadow monster," his tone was serious.

  We sat planning hurriedly as the last few miles were ticking by.

  "Dominick, take the letter opener
."

  "What?" His voice rose in anger, "No, Dianna. You might need it."

  "Dominick, I don't know much at all about dagger or knife fighting or technique. What I do know is tonfas, and hand to hand."

  "Hang on, pull over."

  I stopped the car on the side of the highway. Dominick went to the back and lifted up the rearmost seats. He took out a bag of what looked like herbs. Pulling out a sheathed dagger from the duffle bag, he sat back in the passenger seat.

  "Do you have a holy item on you?"

  I took off my father's saint necklace with one hand and put it in his outstretched palm.

  Dominick pulled the dagger out of its sheath. He held the necklace and the dagger in one hand. Taking a lighter out of his jacket pocket he pressed the herbs into my hand and said, "Hold this and wave it."

  Before I could ask questions, Dominick lit the herbs. He closed his eyes in prayer and started speaking in some strange language. It didn't sound like monks chanting, but it was actually kind of beautiful in the same way. Rhythmic and full of faith.

  I waved the herbs around. They stunk.

  The light from the pendant grew bright, and it faded as a bright light surrounded the dagger. The necklace was gone as Dominick opened his eyes. The dagger had a soft halo of pale blue light around it.

  "I thought it was too hard to bless objects like weapons?"

  Dominick gave me a harrumph. "This will only last for a short time. A couple of hours tops. A half hour worst case."

  It figured. But maybe this could give us the edge we needed.

  This man was the most difficult person I'd ever met. I bet he probably thought the same about me. He held up the dagger and sheathed it.

  "It seems to have worked." Dominick stopped and grabbed his head. A red line appeared on his forehead. The wound had come back. He was bleeding worse than ever.

  I pulled the van over.

  "Dominick!"

  I slapped his face, but he didn't respond. I grabbed the dagger and cut my wrist. I lowered his head to my lap and put my wrist on his mouth. He started drinking. This had to work. We were too far from help, and his bleeding was too much for him to make it to the nearest hospital.