A shudder ran across my shoulders. I didn't want anything controlling me, especially a demon. "So the human host becomes a demon?"
"Not exactly. A host is still human, with memories, feelings, passions, and all that, but the demon controls what the human does. The host is like a puppet. The demon can never own the body, so the human can't be turned into a demon."
"You still haven't told me where I fit in to all this." I adjusted my position on the couch.
"I'm not sure yet. But I know you have a bright aura, which means you have enough Light to be able to disrupt the connection whenever you're near a demon and its host. At least, until the demon adapts."
"Adapts?"
"The demon can learn to use stronger force to keep the host from regaining control, usually by threatening the host. They can adapt easily and quickly if they need to."
I nodded, thinking back to Nate and how he'd suddenly had twitchy body movements. Same with Ms. Neal.
Even Erin. Oh no. She's possessed too.
The realization kicked me in the chest, practically knocking the breath out of me. I rubbed my forehead, trying to take it all in. "Disrupting this connection—what would that look like?"
"Like the host was trying to regain control. Maybe like they were fighting inside. Jerks and other movements, like facial tics. Saying stuff that doesn't make sense."
That explained some things. Ms. Neal, Nate, Erin. They had all acted like that, which had to mean they were all inhabited. A pit settled in my stomach. "Can the human ever get the demon out?"
"I've heard rumors that it can happen, but I'm not sure. In my experience, the demon has to be forcibly removed from the host."
I hated the thought that Nate and Erin might be stuck sharing their bodies with a demon forever. I had to believe there was some way to free them.
"Crystal?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry this is so overwhelming."
I didn't say anything. I just picked off the last traces of red polish from my fingernails—a sharp reminder of prom. Should I tell him about freezing Nate? Was that part of disrupting the connection? Or was it something else? I wanted to ask, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer—wasn't sure I was prepared for the answer.
Everything Alec said sounded so bizarre, but then everything was bizarre. Demons. Hosts. Demon armies. Light. Auras. All of it was strange. Unbelievable.
And yet it made terrifying sense.
As if reading my mind, Alec said softly, "Something else you want to ask?" He placed his hand on mine and instead of the electricity I had expected, a ribbon of peace floated up my arm and settled in my heart.
I cleared my throat. "It's about something that happened on prom night."
"Yeah?"
"After Nate attacked me . . ." I tried to find the right words as the couch cushions grew more and more uncomfortable underneath me.
"I picked you up and took you home."
I shook my head. "Before that."
"What do you mean?"
"Nate was . . ."
"What?" His voice rose.
"It was like he was frozen. That's when I ran."
"Frozen?" He didn't hide his surprise.
"You know, paralyzed. Like he couldn't move at all." An image of Nate at the cabin flashed through my mind and made my hands tremble.
Alec sat back against the couch. "Huh."
"You think I'm crazy." Actually, I thought I was crazy. But if I was, Alec was on the crazy train with me. Unfortunately, that didn't bring me much comfort.
"No, you're not crazy."
"Then what? Is paralysis part of this disruption thing?"
He shook his head. "I don't think so."
I waited for him to say more, to explain what had happened that night.
"So that's why your aura is especially bright. It not only represents your choices, but also your gift of controlling demons, maybe even of casting them out. That's why it's so strong. So bright." I tried to ignore the intensity of his gaze. "You may be the one."
"The 'one'?"
An odd expression raced across his face. "I mean, you could be someone very helpful to The Covenant." I didn't buy his attempt to cover what he'd said, but didn't want to press it at the moment—too many other questions to ask.
"And The Covenant is the group you and your mom are in?"
"Yes. It tracks the demons, hoping to stop them."
"Is that why you showed up at my school?"
He nodded.
"To watch me?"
"Demons have been infiltrating Silver City and the surrounding areas so they can control this region. I was sent to evaluate the situation, to see if anyone in the area had a strong enough aura to help us. I was drawn to you because yours is so bright." He laced his fingers together. "When I reported back, we knew it wouldn't be long before the demons found you and attempted to destroy your Light before you even knew what it was."
I shook my head, a prickling sensation enveloping me. "I never knew any of this was going on. Here I was worried about school, theater, prom, college. I had no idea . . ."
"The demons know that those with Light pose a threat to their power, so they want to eliminate all Light. Since yours is so strong, they're very eager to destroy you and your Light. That's why they're out looking for you. Why they took your parents. And why we need to protect you."
Melinda walked into the room with her long red hair in a single braid. "Let's have some breakfast. We have a lot to do today."
Thankful for the momentary interruption, I stood. Food might help settle my stomach and give me enough nourishment to face what's ahead. Or at least think about facing what's ahead.
We both went over to the small wooden table.
After we finished eating cold cereal and toast with strawberry jam, an older man with graying hair and a moustache entered the cabin. "The perimeter patrols are done. The area is secure."
"Thank you, Luke." Melinda handed him a cup of steaming coffee, which he drank while glaring at me.
"What about my parents?" I wasn't interested in joining their group. Or going to war with demons, even if they were after me. I only wanted to find my parents—especially since it appeared to be my fault that they'd been kidnapped.
"We need to think through this carefully so we don't make any mistakes," Melinda said. She sipped from a white coffee mug.
"Bringing her here was a mistake," Luke said gruffly.
"I had to keep her safe," Alec said as he stood and walked over to the window.
"Your impulsiveness put us, and our plans, in jeopardy. If the demons find us here, we'll all be at risk," Luke said, his gray eyes hard. "We need to stay on the offensive."
Alec's voice took on an edge. "Was I supposed to leave her there? She has no—"
"They want her and now they know we're involved because you brought her here." Luke scowled at Alec and then at me.
"They already know we're involved. That's not news." Melinda's even tone was a stark contrast to Luke's rough, accusatory one.
"But we've lost the element of surprise," Luke said.
"We merely need to outsmart them." Melinda placed her cup softly on the table.
"How?" Luke asked.
"What if I go back?" I said, my heart pounding. The idea terrified me—sent torrential downpours of fear down my back—but I'd do it if it helped find my parents.
"No, it isn't safe," Alec said without even glancing at me.
Melinda studied me for several moments. "That may be the answer." She tapped her chin with her long, pale finger.
"What? Put her at risk?" Alec shook his head.
"We want to find her parents and we want to keep her safe, of course." Melinda stood and walked over to Alec.
"Then we shouldn't take her back," Alec said forcefully. He shoved is hands into his pockets.
"I think your mom is right," I said.
Alec looked at me.
"They took my parents for a reason. That's what you said. If I don't
go back, they can't contact me, and we won't find my parents." I had to concentrate on them so the idea of facing demons didn't petrify me.
"We can find your parents without putting you at risk," Alec said.
An idea suddenly formed. "What if I can beat them at their own game?"
"What do you mean?" Melinda asked. Her determined eyes focused on me.
Now that I had everyone's attention, I said, "What if I can convince them that I have no idea what's going on, and I pretend to play into their plan? Set them up."
"You could do that?" Melinda watched me. "How?"
"Acting is kind of my thing." I pushed disappointment away. I'd left without saying anything to Mr. Jordan so my part in the play was gone for sure, but I had more important things to worry about.
"Too risky." Alec faced his mother, his voice full of conviction.
"No. I can totally pull it off. Then I get my parents back and you two can do whatever you want with the demons. It's a win-win." My lips were moving faster than my brain, making me say things I wasn't sure I could back up.
"This is much bigger than simply finding your parents," Luke said. "Many, many lives are on the line here."
"Luke's right. We need to consider the ripple effects," Melinda said. She placed her cup in the small metal sink. "He's using her parents to flush her out."
"She isn't prepared to face them," Alec said.
Melinda pursed her lips, seemingly deep in thought. After a minute she said, "Perhaps we could train her."
"To do what?" Luke said. He eyed me up and down. For some reason, he didn't like me. Or maybe he just didn't think I could really pull this off.
"I can freeze people," I blurted out.
"Excuse me?" Melinda stared at me.
"I can paralyze people who are inhabited by demons." The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth, but I had to face the fact that I was in the middle of Strangeville.
"Is that true?" Melinda turned to Alec, waiting for him to answer.
"Yes," he said hesitantly.
Melinda tilted her head. "Why didn't you say anything about it? This could—"
Luke cut in. "We can't trust him when it comes to her. We know—"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alec said, facing Luke with a defiant expression.
"Ever since you started watching her you've been distracted." Luke narrowed his eyes at Alec.
Alec stood straighter, as if trying to match Luke's taller frame. "That isn't true."
In a tight voice, Melinda said, "Joshua, Luke, please, let's not get sidetracked here." Melinda took my hand in hers and led me back to the couch. "Tell me about freezing people."
I cleared my throat, willing myself to not let my emotions get in the way while I recounted what happened. "When the jerk formerly known as my boyfriend tried to attack me at prom, I focused on stopping him, and all of a sudden, he couldn't move. Not a muscle. I didn't know what it meant at the time—just that Nate couldn't move—so I took off. A few days later, he tried to grab me behind the school, and the same thing happened." A tinge of sadness passed through me.
Melinda stroked my hand. "You're sure you incapacitated him?"
"At first I thought it was my imagination, but, yeah, I think so."
"Then you must have the gift of controlling demons." She tenderly brushed some stray hairs from my face, reminding me of my mother and igniting the anxiety to find my parents. "With proper training, you can manage your power and use it to help us fight the demons. If you have the ability to control them, you may also have the gift to sever the connection between demon and host long enough to cast the demon out. You're exactly what they fear most—someone with great Light and with the gift to undo host possessions . . . You could be an immense force for good."
As much as I wanted to please Melinda, I had to be honest. "I just want to find my parents."
Melinda held my hand tightly. "Yes, of course. We want to find your parents and keep you safe. But we mustn't lose sight of our larger goal—to rid this area, and eventually the world, of demons. We must fight them, and we must win. You may be the key to all of this—"
"But she doesn't know how to use any of it. It's too dangerous," Alec said.
"With proper training—" Melinda started.
Alec cut in. "We don't have time. We're better off—"
"Training begins immediately." Melinda gazed at me with hope in her eyes.
If training would help me find my parents then I was all for it—whatever it took.
"I agree with Joshua," Luke said. "You don't have time to train her. The demons are moving too quickly." He stepped over to the couch. "We have to take action, now, while we have the chance. We have enough manpower to take them down if we do it right away."
Melinda stood and faced Luke. "But now we have another option—one that may allow us to save the hosts." She gestured toward me.
"I still don't like this," Luke said.
Melinda looked at me. "You have the power to save your parents and make a difference for many people. The residents in Silver City have no idea that their city will soon be controlled by demons. This city is one of the last links before the demons control the whole area. You can stop it if you choose to trust me."
Blood whooshed through my head, making me dizzy. I couldn't turn my back on my parents, but I wasn't some sort of superhero destined to save Silver City either.
Melinda motioned to Luke, and together they left the cabin.
"We've thrown a lot at you. I know," Alec said. He walked over and reached his hand out for mine. When I placed my hand in his a jolt of energy sliced through me. "Let's go for a walk."
Deciding that some fresh air might help, I followed him. At the door, he handed me a large, dark brown coat. The cabin was still shaded by the tall mountains, so I pulled the coat around me to shield myself from the cold morning air.
We headed toward a grove of pine trees. "I never knew any of this was going on." Of course, looking back, I could see bits and pieces that I'd never put together. I'd been worried about clothes, grades, finding friends, theater, fitting in. Meanwhile The Covenant was in a full-out war, trying to save the world from demon domination. How could I have been so self-absorbed that I didn't notice any of it or pick up on the clues? Why didn't I question the reason my parents sheltered me so much?
Alec put his hands in his pockets and kept walking. "Most people don't know. Truth is, demons are all around us, waiting to be invited in. As long as we don't let them in, we're okay, but once they get an invitation, they want to stay forever. They're like the annoying relatives who come for a visit, eat all your food, make a big mess, and never leave." He laughed, but it came out strangled.
"What about Nate?"
"The demons found a way to entice him." He kicked some dead leaves on the ground.
"I think Erin is inhabited too," I said. "She had the same jerky movements and she tried to pressure me to sleep with Nate. It wasn't like her." Twigs crunched under my feet, and a bird sounded in the distance.
"Their demons are probably working together."
"Awesome. My best friend and boyfriend working together to destroy me."
"I'm sorry," he said in a soft voice.
"If I really have this gift your mom talked about, can I get rid of their demons?" A tiny bit of hope seemed within my grasp.
"Yes, but . . ."
I steeled myself. "Go ahead."
"There's no guarantee Nate or Erin will survive afterwards. When a demon takes complete control of the host's soul, the soul goes with the demon if it's cast out."
"They haven't been possessed for that long. Maybe their souls are still okay?"
"Maybe, but the demons inhabiting your friends are probably some of the strongest. Their leader would have sent demons who could give him the result he wanted quickly. Their strength will make getting rid of them more difficult."
"I don't understand why either of them would . . ."
"Demons promise all sorts of things
in exchange for renting a body—the more a demon offers, the more control a host must be willing to give up." He paused. "Nate probably got something he really wanted."
My mind replayed the conversation with Nate when he'd been denied his scholarship, and how at the restaurant the night of prom, he suddenly had it back. Things that hadn't made sense before now made horrifying sense. What about Erin? What had they offered her?
"The demons know how to get what they want, and they usually do. They're very skilled." Alec reached down to move a fallen branch out of our way. "We'll do what we can to save your friends, but we have to focus on stopping the demons."
"And on finding my parents."
"Yes." He nodded.
A wind gust whistled through the trees so I pulled the coat tighter around me, reminding me of my dad, and all the times he'd given me his favorite, old-fashioned, tattered jacket to wear, because I never seemed to have one. My mom always shook her head at his jacket, promising she'd give it to the thrift store one of these days. Other memories of my parents started rushing into my mind—Mom laying next to me in bed and holding my hand all night after my hamster, Patches, died, Dad making his caramel popcorn for Halloween, Mom singing off-key in church every Sunday, Dad trying to fix the sink last month and instead flooding the entire bathroom. I missed them more than I ever thought I could.
I had to act, to do something to find them. "I want your mother to train me."
Alec smiled, and my heart instantly reacted to it. "My mom will help you learn to harness your Light and use it to defeat the demons."
I studied him, looking beyond his mesmerizing eyes, slightly crooked front teeth, and tiny scar that hid behind a dimple when he smiled. Though he was only a few years older than me, his face showed worry lines, and he wore an expression that carried a heavy weight. "This must be a hard life for you. And your mom."
Alec said nothing, but his eyes agreed.
"Why did she choose it?"
He looked at the ground. "It chose her. Kinda like you." He gazed at me. "You wouldn't be in this situation, getting ready to fight demons, if they hadn't come after you and kidnapped your parents."
He was right. I'd be practicing for my play, worrying about finals, and graduating from high school. Oblivious, like normal girls my age. Normal? The idea of being normal seemed to haunt me—it was almost within my grasp, yet too far away to hold.
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