by Amy Boyles
“Or maybe,” Cecil said, licking his lips, “just maybe I’ll enter someone else.” His gaze darted to Blake. “Perhaps I’ll enter the vampire’s body and suck the blood from everyone in this room.”
My breath hitched. This had been a bad idea—to provoke the demon with so many supernaturals around. He would out all of us and create chaos in town. Gary already looked nervous enough. If he believed any of what the demon said, he might bolt right on out that door and disappear.
Then we’d be without the piece of heart stone that Axel and Pepper had arrived for.
“Vampire?” Moira said. “What is he talking about?”
“Nothing,” I said. “He’s only trying to trick us, as demons do.”
“Okay, demon,” Roan said sharply, “time for you to come out. No more playing.”
“What about the portal?” I asked.
Roan thrust out his arm. An inky black spiral dropped from the ceiling. “That’s it. All I have to do is get the demon back inside and, with Axel’s help, close it for good. I just need him to come out.”
I held my bottle of holy water ready. In case the demon acted up, I would hit him with all the water I had. “Okay. I’m ready if you want to start pulling.”
“Creature,” Roan said through gritted teeth, “it’s time to send you back to where you belong. With my power, I demand that you leave the boy’s body and never return.”
“Never,” Cecil screamed.
“You asked for it,” Roan snarled. “Axel, you’re on.”
Roan flung out his hands. Cecil shrieked and Moira lurched forward.
“It’s working,” I said to her. “Roan is casting the demon out.”
I could see it, the demon’s shadow as it was pulled from Cecil’s body. It reached up to the ceiling, stretching its shadowy arms outward.
Sweat sprang on Roan’s forehead. He was working hard, giving this moment all his power. I prayed he had enough strength to draw the demon out and cast it back to the other side.
Suddenly Francine’s head slid through the wall. “Blissful. Where is Blissful? There you are.” Francine looked completely unaware that an exorcism was occurring right in front of her. “I’m so glad I caught you. I didn’t realize that I’d actually mistaken a priest for the man you had wanted me to find.”
“It’s okay,” I said in a low voice.
Francine’s eyes widened. “Is that a demon? Oh, that is a demon. Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one up close. Scary fellow, isn’t he?”
Sometimes when I’m around spirits, the spirits themselves grow stronger, and they become visible to regular people, folks who don’t normally see spirits.
Unfortunately, that’s what happened in that moment. Moira glanced over and saw Francine’s head sticking through the wall.
Then Moira did what most any normal person who can’t see spirits would do—she screamed bloody murder.
That caught Blake’s attention. He’d been standing in the back but stepped forward at her scream. My powers must have made it easier for him to see the demon as well, because his mouth fell and he said to Gary, “This is what I called you here for.”
Gary, bless his heart, was shivering in fear. He took one look at the demon and fell back.
Sweat poured down Roan’s head. “You are bound, demon,” he yelled.
Axel focused his power on the portal. He was moving it toward the dark shadow, trying to force it over the demon’s body so that it could be swallowed up more easily.
“Pepper, Betty,” he called. “Help me!”
The women moved to assist with the black portal. Moira was still shrieking at Francine’s floating head.
“Get out of here, Francine. You’re scaring people!”
Francine disappeared and I’d been so busy with her that I hadn’t noticed what was happening beside me.
Blake had Gary by the shoulders. “Do it,” he said. “Now is your time. Destroy the demon!”
What was Blake talking about? How could Gary destroy a demon? He wasn’t a demonologist.
Then another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Blake had to make sure that Gary was the gold man. He didn’t know if Gary had the heart stone on him, so he needed proof, proof of what Gary could do.
Gary’s lips trembled. “I don’t know if I can.”
At the same time Roan shouted to Axel, “I’ve almost got him all the way out. Just one more inch!” Cecil howled as Roan pulled the demon completely out of the boy. “Now, Axel! The portal!”
“Now, Gary,” Blake called. “Use your gift!”
Gary, his hand shaking, pointed it upward toward the demon.
No! If Gary used his gold power, that could ruin everything. I didn’t think it was possible to turn a demon into a metal. The creature wasn’t flesh and blood—it was spirit, and the spirit worked differently from flesh.
I reached for Gary, trying to stop him, as Gary’s finger aimed for the demon. But his hand was shaking so much, his fingers were quivering so hard that Gary’s aim was off.
“Stop,” I yelled at him. “Don’t do it!”
I grabbed Gary, but it was too late. A stream of gold filtered from his finger, but it wasn’t aimed toward the demon.
No, it was aimed at Cecil.
In a flash the boy turned from flesh to gold. I gasped. Moira yelled. She raced across the room to her son.
Gary cupped his face. “No,” he cried. Then he reached for Cecil. He extended a hand to the boy as if to console the statue. When his palm landed on Cecil, Moira pushed him away.
“Leave him—”
But those were her last words. When she touched Gary, she too transformed.
I gasped.
Gary fell onto the floor. He scrambled back as Blake and I approached. “Stay back,” Gary said, his voice full of fear. “Stay back! Don’t touch me. I don’t know what I’ll do.”
I saw hesitation on Blake’s face, and I knew that even though he was a vampire, even he feared Gary’s power. If only I hadn’t sent Francine away. She could’ve helped, could have grabbed Gary and held him for me.
But there wasn’t time to focus on that because Roan shouted, “Everyone hit the deck!”
I glanced up to see what was going on. The vortex sank down toward the ground as the demon was being sucked inside.
“You will all come with me,” the demon shouted. “None of you will get out of this alive!”
“Get down,” Roan shouted. “Everyone! I’ve got this!”
We all dropped to the floor, and I had to believe that Cecil and Moira weighed enough, now that they were gold, that they wouldn’t be sucked in.
I fell to the ground alongside Axel, Pepper and Betty. The air swirled to a dangerous gale. Lightning and thunder shot from the portal. I grabbed the leg of a couch and clung to it for dear life.
Debris flew about the room, and I glanced up to see Roan motioning for the portal to close. The demon was half sucked into it; the only thing showing was his grotesque face.
The demon reached for Roan and wrapped its hand around Roan’s wrist.
Oh, heck no. This demon wasn’t taking my boyfriend to the other side. An idea shot through my mind. I called on the light, the only thing that might be able to push the demon back, for demons hated anything to do with goodness.
The celestial light cracked through the sky. The demon saw the power of it, the goodness and shrank back. He released his grip on Roan and was sucked into the hole.
The portal zipped shut as the demon’s screams faded from my ears. The hurricane-like winds died, and I heard all of us exhale audibly.
Roan stood, his legs quivering. Our gazes locked, and I bolted from my spot on the floor and flung myself into his arms.
“Forever,” I said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you…forever.”
Roan pulled away. He smiled and brushed strands of hair from my face. He gently touched his lips to mine. “Now that’s something to talk about.”
Betty cleared her throat. “A
ll right, y’all. Looks like we’ve got a mess on our hands.”
My gaze skimmed the room, and my heart nearly stopped. Axel, Pepper and Betty were accounted for.
Blake and Gary were not. They were gone, both of them.
Blissful
“If Blake has the heart, we’re lost,” Pepper said.
I shook my head. “I think he’s afraid to take it. Did you see what happened to Moira? It was an accident. Gary can’t control the heart anymore. Even though Blake is a vampire, I’m betting he’s scared to touch Gary. I don’t think even his vampire powers could save him from a fate of turning into gold.”
Axel pointed to Moira and Cecil. “For their sakes, we need to find Gary and take the heart from him.” He glanced at Betty. “You can contain it, right, so that none of us will be affected by its power?”
Betty nodded. “I’ve got a little something with me that will do the trick.”
Roan clapped his hands. “Great, let’s go. There’s no time to waste.”
“Let’s split up,” I said.
We spilled outside as Ruth and Alice rode up in the ATV. Alice piloted the vehicle, which had me a little worried.
“Come on, Blissful. That man ran out of the house like a bat out of you know where,” Ruth said. “Hop in and we’ll get him.”
I shot a look to Roan and the rest of them. “Go,” Roan said. “Go, and we’ll catch up.”
I glanced at the side-by-side and knew exactly where I was going to sit—the back, and when I say back, I don’t mean the back seat. I mean the cargo bed. It was small with ruts running across that dug into my rear end something awful, but right now there was no time to argue.
I hopped in, and Alice hit the accelerator. I lost my balance and fell back, my spine banging against the edge of the bed, sending pain shooting to my neck.
I cursed and rubbed at the ache. “Try not to throw me out, Alice.”
“Blissful, we are on the trail of that little gold man. There’s no time for niceties,” Alice argued.
“Did you see which way he went?” I said.
Ruth pointed to a row of houses. “Behind them.”
“What are you going to do—cut through their yards? Can we do that?”
Ruth turned around and eyed me with disbelief. “Of course we can do that. We’re chasing a criminal.”
Well, she had a point. “And what about the other man? Did you see where he went?”
“He was chasing the gold man, too, but the gold man had a good head start,” Alice answered.
She drove up onto the curb and gunned it through a backyard.
“Watch the clothesline,” Alice yelled.
I ducked just as a pair of men’s boxer shorts got caught on the roof of the cab. The red-hearted shorts flapped in the wind, looking like a flag atop the ATV.
The vehicle exited one backyard and entered another. A German shepherd darted out from under the house, barking. The dog bit at the rear tire and snapped at my face.
“Speed up, Alice! Cujo is trying to kill me,” I yelled.
Alice mashed the peddle harder, and the ATV shot forward. This time I didn’t get thrown back. I was smart and held tight to the side rails.
“Is that him up there?” Ruth said, pointing.
Sure enough, there was Gary, running ahead of us. I glanced around, looking for Blake. Vampires were known for speed, surely he could have caught up to Gary by now.
But what if he didn’t want to? From the way Pepper and Axel described Blake, he didn’t seem like the sort of person to let go of his goals just because of a little gold malfunction. No, I had the feeling that Blake was nearby, but where?
No time to wonder about that because Gary glanced over his shoulder, saw us and sped up.
“Go,” I shouted. “Catch up to him!”
I had no idea what would happen when we caught him. I couldn’t hold him for fear of changing to gold, but maybe a spirit could.
I started to shout Francine’s name, trying to call her to my side, when Alice turned the wheel hard to the left. I lost my grip and arms flailing, fell halfway over the side of the ATV.
A hand grabbed my shirt and dragged me back in. “We can’t lose you, Blissful,” Ruth said. “Be careful, Alice. You almost threw Blissful out.”
“I couldn’t help it,” Alice said. “That man went thataway.”
Thataway wound up being the main drag. As we slid onto the road, I saw about a dozen ATVs surrounding us.
“We’re in the middle of the race,” I said. “Don’t get us all tangled up in here.”
“Don’t worry,” Alice shouted. “I know what I’m doing!”
ATV’s shot all around as we zipped down the road. Alice swerved right and left, sending me jostling from side to side. We slowed down in the mess of vehicles, and I lost sight of Gary.
“Where’d he go?” I said. “Ruth, do you see the gold man?”
“Too many ATV’s.” She waved her hand. “All I can see are fumes.”
She wasn’t lying. We were surrounded by exhaust and men in ATV’s staring hatred at us. I couldn’t blame them. We had basically hijacked their race.
“Alice, you’ve got to go faster. I can’t see him,” Ruth griped.
I swiveled my head this way and that, trying to figure out where he had gone. A mess of people lined the street, watching the race. Gary wasn’t among them. Then all of a sudden, he stepped from the crowd, heading down the street.
“There he is,” I yelled. “Go, Alice.”
“Hang on!”
The ATV darted forward, and this time I held tight. Alice hit the gas so hard we passed every single side-by-side and approached the finish line.
We crossed the tape first. “I did it,” Alice shouted.
“Don’t lose him,” I shouted.
Gary turned and saw us. Fear flooded his face, and he darted inside a building.
“Stop,” I yelled. Alice came to a screeching halt, and I jumped out. “Call Roan. Let him know where I am.” My gaze drifted to the top of the building. It was the old theater, the one Tam Nugget was supposed to haunt.
Without waiting for Alice or Ruth to reply, I ran inside, into the theater, to find Gary and put an end to his gold touch once and for all.
The inside was pitch, dark as night. A chill swept up my arms, and I stood for a moment, letting my sight adjust to the darkness.
I could hear my breathing and felt the gentle sway of my body as my heart thumped in my chest. I listened for any sound, any indication of which direction Gary had fled, but couldn’t hear anything.
I would give my location away if I moved, but there was no other choice.
What I really needed was for a shiny ghost to appear and throw some light my way.
Then, as if by magic, it happened. Tam Nugget, because it could only have been her in a red sequined dress, appeared onstage and started singing. The doors from the hallway into the theater were wide open, and I slowly made my way inside.
My guess was that Gary couldn’t see Tam, but thank the heavens for her presence. I had the feeling that as long as I didn’t disturb her performance, she would leave me alone.
I started down the aisle, my gaze sweeping right and left. There was no sign of Gary. Where could he have gone? Then a glint near the stage caught my attention.
I peered closer and saw that Gary’s watch reflected off Tam’s light. Aha! I had him. I crossed through a row of seats and made my way toward him.
Though I tried to be quieter than a cockroach, Gary turned and saw me. His eyes shining with fright, he scrambled up the steps and onto the stage, right beside Tam.
“How dare you interrupt me,” she yelled.
Then Tam Nugget, who had been a small woman in life, probably not more than five feet tall, grabbed ahold of Gary.
“What? What’s going on?” he yelled. “Let me go!”
“Tam,” I started, but then the house lights snapped to life. Relieved, I turned to welcome Roan and the gang but was met with the sight of
Blake Calhoun sprinting down the aisle and onto the stage with inhuman speed.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention. In a flash Blake stood beside Gary.
“Thank you for catching him,” Blake said. “He’s a squirrelly fellow. But most importantly, thank you for holding him so that I can grab what I need.”
“What are you talking about?” Gary said, struggling to free himself from Tam, who had no interest in letting him go.
Tam glowered at us. “What are the three of you doing here, interrupting me?”
“I only need something in his pocket. This other guy wants him,” I said to her.
“Hand over the heart,” Blake commanded of Gary. “In fact, place it on the floor. I’m not keen on turning into gold today. I don’t think I would like that very much.”
“What are you talking about?” Gary argued.
Blake scoffed. “If I start breaking your arms—through your jacket, mind you, so that I don’t become a statue—do you think you’ll know what I’m talking about then?”
“You won’t be able to control it,” Gary cried. “The power will become too much for you.”
Blake leaned over and stared into Gary’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m a vampire. I’m sure that I will be able to control it.” He rubbed his hands. “Now, where are you keeping the stone?”
While Blake argued with Gary, I wove myself over to Tam and spoke to her. “I can see you. I want to leave you alone and I will. But I need your help.”
“No,” she said. “I won’t help anyone.”
Gary pulled the stone from his pocket. It was a bumpy gray lump, about the size of a small muffin—the really small kind you get from the grocery store.
“That’s right,” Blake said, nearly salivating. “Drop it gently to the floor. That’s good.”
What was I supposed to do? I didn’t have the power to stop a vampire.
As I pondered this, Blake clapped his hands. “It’s mine. I’ve got it.” He grinned at me. “You can tell your friends that they’ve lost. Now I’ll just be going.”
“Think again,” Roan said from the audience.
Blake turned and with relief I saw that Axel, Pepper and Betty had arrived.
“You can’t catch me,” Blake said. “Without this stone, you’re not as powerful as you used to be.”
