by Terri Garey
“Only mundanes call me Miss Styx.” I was having way too much fun with this. “You can call me by my craft name—Helen Damnation.”
“Let’s go, Sally,” she said, tugging at her blotchy friend. “I’ll make you a poultice.”
One final dirty look from the gray-haired troll, and they left.
“Blessed be,” I called gaily, before the door shut behind them.
“What the hell was all that about?” Evan looked stunned, and more than a little confused. “The Silver Belles? Helen Damnation? Where did all that come from?”
“It just popped into my head,” I answered, grinning. “I was inspired.” I was so glad to see the last of Sally’s great big backside that I wasn’t going to question where the words came from. “Let’s send some flowers to Bijou’s hotel, okay? I think my luck has turned.”
CHAPTER 25
“Can I get an ‘amen’?” Jimmy Boyd shouted, and at least seventy-five people answered, in a full-throated roar.
“Amen!”
“Can I get a ‘hallelujah’?” He was striding back and forth on a raised stage area, microphone in hand. The other hand held a Bible, raised high.
“Hallelujah!”
Hearts on Fire Tabernacle was a ramshackle old building that looked like it had once been a barn or a big storage shed. It had been painted white, but outside the paint was peeling, and inside it smelled musty, like mildew or dirty laundry. Or maybe it was just the people who smelled—several of them had worked themselves into such a frenzy that they were sweating like pigs. One chubby guy near the front looked like somebody had dumped a bucket of water over his head.
“Today we’re going to talk about the anointing of the Holy Spirit,” Jimmy shouted, “and what it will mean to your lives.”
Shouts and moans came from the crowd around me. It was weird to see people behaving like this; hands upraised, bodies rocking back and forth as though they couldn’t stand still—Jimmy Boyd had apparently been preaching up a storm before I got there. I’d slipped in the door and taken a seat in the back without anyone noticing me. The pews were just hard wooden benches—no frills.
“The angel of healing is among us today—can you feel him?” Jimmy shook his Bible in the air as everyone shouted an affirmative.
“Oh, I do hope Raphael is here,” murmured a silky voice in my ear. “I haven’t seen him in several millennia. It would be such fun to catch up.”
I was beyond being startled by another surprise visit from Sammy. “You are unbelievable.” I turned my head to stare. “Have you no shame? Get out of here.”
He looked mildly offended. “It’s a free country. We all have the right to worship as we choose.”
“Black mass canceled?” I asked snippily.
A gleam of laughter lit his eyes.
He looked fabulously cool today, as usual. White button-down shirt that would’ve looked boring on anyone else, worn untucked over jeans. His blond hair looked like he’d just rolled out of bed and run his fingers through it, leaving it mussed in all the right places.
“I amuse you, is that it?” Nobody was paying the least attention to us, thankfully. Too much shouting and “holy rolling” going on. “Screwing with my life must be one big laugh riot.”
He widened his eyes, faking innocence. “You won’t let me screw with anything else.”
He got a dirty look for that, which he ignored.
Cocking his head, he remarked, “You’ve lost all fear of me for some reason. It’s quite intriguing. You know what I’m capable of—or have you forgotten our little rendezvous in the basement with Saundra?”
That got my attention, as he’d known it would. I swallowed hard, trying not to remember that night in Savannah—the sight of once-pretty Saundra turning into a three-week-old corpse before my eyes. Purplish green flesh falling from the bone, and the smell…
“I understand you’ve been talking to Crystal behind my back, trying to get her to go back on our deal. How very naughty of you.”
“I hate you,” I said quietly. Not that anyone could hear me over Jimmy Boyd’s shouting—he was whipping the crowd into a frenzy, the chorus of hallelujahs and amens louder than ever.
“No, you don’t,” he returned. “You want to, but you don’t.”
To my shock, he reached over and took my hand. Ignoring my attempt to snatch it back, he brought it to his knee and pressed it there, forcing me to feel the muscle and sinew beneath the fabric of his jeans.
I stared down at where our bodies touched, noting the strength in his fingers, the silver thumb ring, the faint blond hairs on the back of his hand.
“I’ve never put this much effort into seducing a woman before,” he said, “nor shown this much patience with anyone who defied me. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
Raising my head, I looked into his eyes. Pale blue, like the sky. Deceptively beautiful, just like the rest of him.
“Let me go,” I whispered, but I wasn’t talking about my hand, and he knew it.
“So stubborn,” he said. “So sexy. I want to lick every one of your secret places, taste your juices on my tongue.”
Somehow, the fact he was saying these things to me in church should’ve shocked me to my core, but my core seemed to have a mind of its own. Right now, it was heating up, becoming molten.
“Psalms 6, verse 1,” Jimmy shouted. “Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak.”
Wasn’t that the truth. If Sammy didn’t back off soon, I was very much afraid that I’d eventually succumb. He managed to ignite a flare of lust in my belly every time I saw him. Despite knowing who he was, despite knowing what he was capable of, despite my love for Joe. Like Evan had said, I’d hardly lived my life as a saint, and faced with temptation like this, it was incredibly difficult to start now.
But I was trying, dammit. I was trying.
“I came here to deal with Jimmy Boyd,” I said, forcing myself to focus my thoughts where they belonged, instead of the feel of Sammy’s leg beneath my palm. “Not with you.”
“I’m much better-looking.” He gave me a naughty wink. “And much better in bed.”
Thankfully, that comment worked against him, because it made me think about what Jimmy had done to Crystal, and would very likely do to Amber Marie unless I did something to stop it.
“Don’t you care about anything?” I glanced at the people around us, keeping my voice lowered. “That guy up there is using religion as a shield, taking advantage of innocent little children. He ruined Crystal’s life, and maybe others. There’s a little girl in the front row who could be next. You could help me stop it.” I’d seen Amber Marie when I came in—her blond head was hard to miss, and she was the only kid here.
“Why would I want to do that?” Sammy sounded genuinely curious. “He’s doing all the work for me—misleading the sheep, lying to them, ultimately turning them from good people into bitter, disillusioned souls. Fewer souls for Jesus, more souls for me.”
“Please,” I whispered, hating to beg, but running out of options.
Sammy sighed heavily, eyes roving my face and hair. “Strangely enough, I’m actually tempted to give you what you want.” He grinned, a quick flash of white teeth. “Not a normal thing for me, I assure you. But still…I’m not used to denying myself, my love.”
My love. I closed my eyes, seeking strength from within. What was it about him that drew me so strongly? Was my dark side really that dark?
“Tell me you don’t feel something between us, Nicki.” His fingers tightened on my hand. “Tell me.”
“The Devil will try and tempt you!” Jimmy Boyd shouted in the background. “He will fill your head with lies and blind your eyes to the truth! Do not be deceived, my friends—do not be deceived!”
I wasn’t deceived. I knew the truth, and that’s what allowed me to slowly turn my hand in his, and lace our fingers together. Opening my eyes, I looked at him, noting the gleam of triumph in his eyes.
“I’m sorry you’re lonely.”
His face went u
tterly blank.
“I’m sorry about what happened in the garden.” The fingers that gripped mine so tightly a moment ago were slack. “I’m sorry you’ve been denied the Light.”
“Sympathy for the Devil, little Nicki?” He blinked, and looked away. “How very rock and roll of you. Mick Jagger would be so proud.”
Despite the flip answer, I knew I’d drawn blood. Some scabs never healed, no matter how many millennia were involved.
I squeezed his hand, willing him to look at me. “Just because you’re damned doesn’t mean you have to be a bastard.”
He pulled his hand from mine abruptly. “I disagree.”
And that’s when all hell broke loose.
“I feel the presence of evil in this room,” bellowed Jimmy Boyd. A chorus of shouted “No!”s and groans of fear followed this pronouncement. “It is here, my friends—it walks among us, and we must call it out! Be not afraid, for the Lord is with us! Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil.” He shook the Bible in the air, as though it were a weapon. “Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me!” And then, with unerring accuracy, he pointed the big leather book directly at me. “There is one among us in need of spiritual healing, my brothers and sisters. The Lord has brought her to us, and we must not shirk our duty! We must not turn our faces from the face of evil, but deal with it head-on!”
Every person in the room turned to look at me. I shot Sammy a startled glance, only to see him rise, and shout, “It’s true! This poor girl is possessed of demons!” Shocked gasps filled the air around me. “Save her, Reverend Boyd! Lift this curse from her, so she may walk in righteousness once again!”
“Oh, you—” The foul names I was about to call him were lost in a sea of shouts. I jumped to my feet, ready to bolt for the door, but he grabbed me by the arm.
“Fear not to lay hands upon her,” shouted Jimmy Boyd, from his place on the stage. “God will protect you!”
And before I knew it, a woman had grabbed my other arm, and I was being propelled toward the front of the church.
“These signs shall follow those who believe; in My name thou shalt cast out devils!”
“I know a devil you can cast out!” I shouted back. “He’s right here, holding on to my arm!” But nobody was listening to me, and when I twisted toward Sammy, writhing in his hold, it was another man who gripped me—a red-faced, potbellied man I didn’t know. “You sorry-ass bastard,” I shrieked at Sammy, craning my neck to see where he’d gone. “I’ll get you for this!”
“Ignore the foul words that come from her mouth,” shouted Jimmy Boyd. “For she is consumed by forces beyond her control! Oh yes, I have personal knowledge of this woman, brothers and sisters! She has been on television claiming the ability to channel spirits!” His voice got louder and louder, which it had to in order to be heard over the shocked gasps and murmurings all around me. “I sought her out, seeking to help her, but she rejected my aid—the demons within even drove her to raise her hand against me! She has opened herself up to the forces of darkness, but God has brought her here for cleansing! We must drive the devils from body and free her soul from the iron chains wrought by Satan himself!”
Shocked faces, excited murmurings, shouting and crying; everything became a blur of sound and motion as many hands lifted me bodily onto the stage. I hadn’t been this disoriented since my last rave party, years ago, when I’d bodysurfed under the influence.
“Let go of me!” The whole scene was like something from a nightmare—I twisted and struggled, but whoever these people were, they were in the grip of a religious frenzy or something.
Jimmy Boyd was right in front of me now, waving his Bible in my face. “Look upon the Word, evil demon,” he shouted. “For here is the Way and the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free!”
A chorus of brayed hallelujahs made me cringe. The woman holding my left arm had obviously eaten onions for lunch, and the guy on the right reeked of cigarettes.
“See how she recoils from the Holy Scripture?” shouted Boyd, directing his voice toward the crowd. “Devils cannot stand the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. We must call the angel of healing to our aid, and have faith that God will save her!”
What the hell was I supposed to do? I was seriously worried about getting hurt; there’d be bruises on my upper arms tomorrow as it was. Panicking wasn’t working, so I did my best to calm down.
“I’m not possessed of evil spirits,” I said to the woman holding my arm. At least not right now, I added silently. Ironically enough, Crystal Cowart was nowhere around. “I swear I’m not. This is all a big mistake.”
“Peace, child,” she said to me, barely even glancing in my direction. “Be still. Trust in the Lord. Reverend Boyd will save you.”
“Do not converse with her,” bellowed Boyd, having heard this exchange. “For you speak to the demon within, not the girl. To speak to them is to give them power.”
The woman’s grip tightened on my arm, and she refused to look at me again.
“I’m not possessed.” I tried again with the guy on the other side of me. “I swear to God I’m not.”
“Blasphemy!” roared Boyd. “Speak not the name of the Lord, demon! You will be driven out, and she who you inhabit shall be baptized in the raging fire of the Holy Spirit.” He tried to put his hand on my head, which made me start struggling again—I did not want his creepy hands touching me. Held as I was, though, there was little I could do. I tried to kick him, but he jumped back, out of reach.
It was then I looked to the left and saw Amber Marie staring at me from the front row. Tina stood next to her, hands clasped in front of her, watching intently. Amber’s mouth was slightly open, eyes big.
I forced myself to stop fighting. Maybe the whole horrible experience would get over quicker that way, and I really wasn’t into traumatizing children, thank you very much.
“That’s right, my brothers and sisters! You see how the power of the Holy Spirit is overcoming the evil within? We must sow the seeds of revival wherever we go, my children, so that many can be saved! As the deacons pass the baskets and collect the offering, reach deep into your hearts and in your pockets, and give so the tree of salvation may spread its fruit over the land!”
I couldn’t believe it—Boyd was actually collecting money in the middle of this nightmare freak show!
“The more you give, the more shall be returned to you,” he shouted, striding back and forth as the crowd swayed and moaned. “The stronger your faith, the more chance this poor girl has to be redeemed!”
My jaw dropped. He was using me to drag money from these people’s pockets!
“Look upon her, my friends! See how she gasps for the precious Spirit itself, for even now it begins to fill her! The healing has begun!”
“Thank you, Jesus,” screamed a woman from the pews. “Oh, thank you!”
I couldn’t help myself. “Don’t believe him,” I yelled, beginning to struggle again. “He’s a liar—he’s a child molester! Don’t listen to him.”
Boyd’s head swung my way like it had been jerked by a chain. I’m sure nobody but me saw the quick flash of worry on his face, because he covered it well. “Like a beast backed into a corner, the creature within this poor girl knows its power has begun to weaken, so it will fight harder than ever to be heard! Close your ears to its foulness, my friends! Do not heed the spewings of Satan!”
Furious, I had to give the creep credit—he was good. No matter what I said, no matter what I did, I’d only make myself look and sound crazier than he was. Coming to Hearts on Fire Tabernacle had been a very bad idea.
Through a sea of waving arms and shouting faces, I could see the one person in the room who seemed unaffected by the mania going on around him. Sammy stood in the back row, eyes intent on my face. I would’ve expected to see a smirk of enjoyment, but his expression was blank.
“How could you do this to me?” I asked him silently, and to my surprise, he answered, inside my hea
d.
You’re doing it to yourself, Nicki. Stop fighting me. Give in to the dark side of your nature. You know it’s there. You hear it calling.
I looked away from him, letting my gaze take in the openmouthed faces in front of me, hearing the shouts and screams of total strangers who were even now digging into their pockets and tossing money into the baskets being passed through the crowd.
“Sheep,” said Sammy, inside my mind, echoing my thoughts exactly. “Witless fools, willing to believe anything they’re told. Why should people like Boyd have all the power and you have none? Take control of your gift, Nicki. Give in to me, and embrace the darkness. Embrace ME.”
I couldn’t do it. Yes, they were witless fools for following a charlatan like Jimmy Boyd, but power was never something I’d sought, and I wasn’t going to start now. Particularly when the price was my eternal soul. Choosing Sammy would make me as witless as they were, no matter how much I was tempted.
Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and forced myself to go completely limp against the people who held me. Let them do with me whatever they wanted; they’d have to let me go eventually. I’d find another way to get Amber Marie out of Boyd’s sphere of influence—I’d find another way to put Crystal Cowart’s soul to rest. And if I couldn’t, I’d live with a bony, angry ghost the rest of my life, and just be grateful that I still had a life.
I heard a roar inside my head like that of an angry lion. It made me gasp, wincing.
“Praise God,” shouted Boyd, somewhere to my right. “She has submitted! Resist the Devil, and he shall flee from you! Resist…resist…”
A choking sound made me open my eyes. Jimmy Boyd was two feet away, still clutching his Bible. The expression on his face was one of total shock.
And then I saw why—Crystal Cowart was standing on the stage, staring at him with such hate on her face that my blood ran cold. He could obviously see her, and he was scared shitless.
“The Spirit has come upon Reverend Boyd,” shouted the man holding my right arm. “Speak to us, brother, speak to us with the tongue of angels!”