A Patch of Darkness

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  “Sierra, are you listening to me?”

  “Huh? Sorry.”

  “So, I guess I don’t have it, uh?”

  “Don’t say that, Ebony. I think the amulet’s negative foul energy affected you. We’ll give it time to leave your system and try again,” I said with a smile. “Now, let’s go and find out what this guy was hiding.”

  “What did he say to you?”

  “Not as much as I would’ve liked. Our connection ended too soon but I suspect he’s still here, somewhere.” I glared at the top of the stairs where I’d first seen Roger. “There’s definitely something interfering with the spooks and I think we need to find out what, sooner rather than later.”

  The puzzle pieces were starting to fall on the board. It was just a matter of putting them together.

  I had to take a look at a map of the local area.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “This is definitely the work of a demonic seed.” Lavie held Carleen’s exposed arm in one hand, pressing her other index finger against the infected skin without flinching. Ebony was another story. She stood on the other side of the room with her skinny arms over her stomach, trying not to look.

  “How can I get rid of it?” Carleen asked. She looked nervous, standing in front of her husband’s bulky desk while a complete stranger glared and poked the most vulnerable piece of her.

  Lavie avoided eye contact, narrowing her eyes as she followed the thing moving beneath Carleen’s skin. “I’m not sure there’s a way to cure this condition. I’ve been studying it for years and still haven’t come up with anything concrete.”

  “Are you saying she has to keep walking around with that under her skin for the rest of her life?” Ebony asked, collapsing onto the two-seater, antique leather couch pushed against the side wall.

  Ebony had an obnoxious way of pointing out the obvious, as if Carleen Hocking wasn’t vulnerable or disgusted enough already.

  I pressed back into Roger’s crisp leather chair with both arms pressed against the armrests, my feet barely touching the floor. I needed to get one like this for my office. “So you’ve seen this condition before?” I asked.

  Lavie’s hazel eyes were shiny when she looked up. “Sure have. It’s not a pretty sight and damn near horrifying to live with.”

  “You have no idea.” Carleen lowered the sleeves of her shirt when Lavie ended her inspection. “Sometimes, late at night, the movements keep me awake. It’s so awful, feels like a snake moving beneath my skin. During those times, I feel like grabbing a knife and cutting it out of me.”

  “Please, don’t ever let it get to that. Self-mutilation will not get the demonic seed out of you,” Lavie said with a shake of her head.

  “How do you know?” Ebony called. “Maybe it’s the best thing to do, to just cut it out and be free of it!”

  Lavie shook her head, frizzy red hair swaying wildly. “No, it won’t help. I’ve tried…” She exhaled loudly while lifting the burgundy sleeve of her dress, revealing skin irritations almost identical to Carleen’s. Except, both of Lavie’s arms were scarred with uneven long, silvery lines. “All I got for my troubles was so much blood loss I almost infected others with it.”

  “Oh my Goddess.” Ebony choked on her words. The couch squeaked beneath her as she wiggled uncomfortably.

  I took a deep breath. The same feeling of sickness that swept over me the first time I’d seen Carleen’s condition returned. This was twice as bad—the scars extended as the creature squirmed under the skin of Lavie’s arm, followed by another and another. I had to look away. It was horrifying.

  Carleen took a step closer. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry Mrs.—Carleen. I just wish no one else was forced to bear this burden. I know it’s a huge thing to deal with.”

  “How did you become infected?”

  They looked at each other. The connection seemed to draw the blonde closer to Lavie, like a moth to a flame. I thought it best to fade to the background and let them deal with this. I was glad when Ebony remained quiet.

  Lavie lowered her eyes. “I was stupid, that’s the only way to put it. I was barely out of high school and fell under the charms of a guy at a nightclub.” She paused, eyes still averted. “It was stupid. I waited so long to give away my virginity to someone special, only to get so drunk I let some jerk at a club have his way with me. It wasn’t rape, but he took advantage of the situation. Still, I should’ve known better, should’ve been more careful. I’ve never drunk another drop of alcohol since.”

  Carleen laid a hand on Lavie’s infected arm, never flinching when the demonic seed writhed beneath her grip. I had to suck in a shallow breath to keep the sickness at bay.

  “Anyway, it would’ve been great to walk away from the incident with nothing more than regret for losing my virginity in such a pathetic way, but instead, he left me with this seed. I thought I was pregnant and miscarrying at first, but I learned the truth soon enough.”

  “What do you mean?” Ebony looked so small on the couch, pressed against one of the armrests.

  “I found someone who helped me, someone able to answer some of my questions. By that time the doctors had no idea what was wrong with me, and I had something crawling around under my skin.” Lavie took a breath. This time, it looked like the memories were taking a toll on her. “I’m sorry. I haven’t spoken about this for so long. My parents died when I was a kid. They didn’t have a chance to tell me all about the things that go bump in the night. My aunt told me about demons and how I possessed an uncanny power to stand up to them.”

  The cat was out of the bag, so to speak.

  “So you’re like Sierra, but with demons?” Ebony didn’t waste any time.

  Lavie shrugged, meeting my gaze. “Yeah, I suppose, except I’m not connected to a recognized council. I find ’em, kill ’em and hand over the heads to my clients as proof.”

  “That’s so damn gross,” Ebony said.

  “And there’s nothing we can do to get rid of this thing?” Carleen removed her hand from Lavie’s arm.

  “My aunt reckons there’s got to be a way. Maybe I’ll have to track down a shaman or a healer who specializes in demons, see what they’ve got to say.”

  “But you’ve got…there is more than one.”

  “Carleen, I don’t want you to freak out, but they breed inside you. So in time there’ll be more than just the one. I’ve had this thing for over a decade and have lost count of how many I’ve got now.”

  Carleen’s shimmery tears slid down in two identical lines. “How could he do this to me?”

  “Your husband probably didn’t even know he was a carrier. I don’t think they ever do. All it takes is one time of unprotected sex and they pass it on. Males carry the demonic seed, but it can’t survive in their bodies—it only regenerates inside females. Somehow, we always manage to get slugged with all the best things,” Lavie said, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

  “But how did he contract it?” Carleen asked.

  “He must have had some sort of demonic physical contact at one point in his life. It’s how they infect the males.”

  Carleen started to lose the control she’d kept in place so meticulously since we’d met her. Her hushed tears were now loud sobs. She collapsed, and Lavie held and patted her while glancing first at Ebony then over at me.

  I offered a sympathetic smile. It was all I could do. There was nothing left to say. No words left to soothe either of them. This problem was way out of my league.

  Ebony jumped off the couch and said, “Oh, it all makes sense now. That’s why you were down in the sewers, because you’re a demon hunter!”

  Lavie grinned. “Yes, I am.”

  “Wow, I’ve never met a demon hunter before. You’ve got to tell me all about it.”

  “Maybe another time,” Lavie said, turning to survey the office. “First, I’ve got to check out some of these wonderful things.”

  I had to agree with her. We might have gotten sidetracked
by the demonic seeds, but we had work to do. So far, my search of this office consisted of most of the desk drawers, which were stuffed with what appeared to be some pretty dangerous items. I’d found an impressive collection of ouija boards, another of rune stones, and more crystals than I could name. Not to mention the mixture of good omen amulets and evil-intentioned pieces.

  I’d also skimmed and flipped through a thick leather journal sitting on top of Roger’s desk. I hadn’t found any clues or mention of demons, but Roger sounded like a fascinating individual, one obsessed with occult items. There were plenty of sketches and pictures of many artifacts, statues, and weapons.

  Whatever Roger Hocking had been into, I had no intention of following in his footsteps. I had enough negatively charged items on my plate as it was, especially with the amulet sitting inside my car. I hoped the engine didn’t conk out because of it.

  I reached for the bottom drawer, keen to see what else I could find.

  “What did Roger say to you?”

  I looked up and met blue eyes rimmed red and a pale face consumed by grief. The internal struggle was obviously tearing Carleen apart. She probably missed her husband, but had to be as mad as hell for what he’d impregnated her with. I certainly didn’t envy her.

  She looked like a small, helpless child—innocent, delicate and frightened. And there wasn’t a damn thing any of us could do to make it better.

  “He…” I paused for a second. Would it be a good idea to tell her the truth?

  “Make sure you try, please, Catcher… I have to talk to her, if only one more time!” His words still echoed inside my head. He’d sounded so desperate, as if there was something he regretted not telling his wife before being ripped away from her a second time.

  “Yes?” Carleen asked in a raspy voice. Her hands were shaking as she nibbled on her thumb nail. Her narrow shoulders hunched in defeat. There was no fight left in her. Her body language gave it away.

  I sighed. “Your husband said you should burn everything he ever collected.”

  “Burn? Why would I burn the only reminders I have left of our time together?” Her eyes widened in surprise.

  “I don’t think he was talking about personal belongings. I think he meant all of the stuff in here.” I spread my arms, motioning the vast room full of shelving units, cupboards and cabinets of varying sizes.

  Her thumb fell from her mouth. Carleen craned her neck to look around the room, still shaky. “But this was all his, it’s what he was. I don’t think I can get rid of anything. That would be like pretending he never existed.”

  “So, you’re not willing to perform a dead man’s wish?” Why did I have to sound so unsympathetic? It never sounded so bad inside my head, only when spoken out loud.

  Her head snapped back towards me, her eyes filled with anger, and without an ounce of helplessness left. “And how do I know he actually said such a thing to you? You could be making it up, trying to find a way to take all of this into your possession.”

  I stood, pressing my hands against the desk. “Excuse me, Mrs. Hocking, but I don’t make a habit of taking possessions away from clients. And I never lie about anything spoken by a ghost. So, if you’ve got a problem with my being here, it might be a good idea if Ebony and I leave your home right now.”

  This wasn’t how clients usually behaved. Most of the time they were so distraught with grief, that any message relayed from their loved ones was enough to satisfy their curiosity. I’d never had anyone question me, let alone accuse me of passing on a message so I could somehow benefit.

  The anger slid from her eyes as we faced off. Tears glazed them over as shadows obscured her face. “No, please.” Carleen’s voice was a mere whisper. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you, or take it out on you. It’s Roger I’m angry with. This doesn’t get any easier. I’m not doubting your talent—if you say you spoke to Roger, I believe you. It just sounds so odd for him to suggest something as extreme as burning all of these things. He cherished everything in his office while he was alive. This is the room I found him in when he returned.”

  I looked over at Ebony. She was standing next to Lavie, pretending to be interested in the shelves lining the walls in front of them. She offered me a small smile.

  “It’s all right, I understand how hard this must be, but he specifically mentioned his belongings. Something here probably caused his demise.”

  She bit down on her bottom lip. “No. I’m sure it had something to do with that cult—”

  “Carleen, we have no evidence he was involved with a cult,” I interrupted.

  “But those people, I’m sure they were up to no good and brainwashed him somehow! He would withdraw money from our account all the time. Large amounts he never wanted to discuss. I’m positive they’re responsible, not this room.” She was clutching at straws.

  It looked like Ebony was telling the truth earlier. She’d mentioned Roger’s financial support of the church. “Then why are we here? Why did you want us to check the contents of this room if you don’t think anything in his office is to blame for what happened to your husband?”

  “I just thought…”

  “Don’t worry about the church. If there’s anything strange going on there, I’ll find out soon enough. I’m actually going to check it out for myself,” I added as an afterthought.

  Carleen’s eyes widened. “Really? How will you get in? It all seemed so secretive and primitive.”

  “I have a… I know someone who can get me in,” I answered. “But that’s not important right now. What is important is that your husband mentioned you suffered because he summoned something he thought he could control. I’m no expert, but my guess is he was messing with some demonic texts to help him do that. Now he wants us to destroy everything linking it back to you.” She might not think she knew anything, but from experience, I’d found most people knew plenty about a seemingly confusing situation. One person’s boring outlook was another’s puzzle answer.

  “Summoned?” Lavie echoed, turning away from the shelf. “Did you say summoned?”

  “That’s what he said. Something about being sure he could control what he summoned but it all went wrong.”

  “He must’ve conjured a demon!” Lavie shook her head, eyes staring into space. “I can’t believe he would attempt something so stupid. Not even a demon hunter is able to control anything demonic. Our job is to keep the demons out of this world, not welcome them in.”

  “This is all getting worse by the minute,” Ebony said with a roll of her eyes. “I think I need a drink.”

  Lavie turned around and stepped away from the shelf. “Okay, we’re going to have to search this room from top to bottom. No more sightseeing. Carleen, are you sure this is the only place he kept things stashed?”

  “This room was usually locked, so yes.”

  “What’re we searching for? And by the way, you might be sightseeing but I’m definitely searching for something odd. He’s even got a bunch of weird notations in his journal. Some of the writing is so messy I can’t understand it. Why couldn’t he just keep a damn blog like most people do nowadays?” I added.

  A small smile touched Lavie’s lips. “Okay, hint taken. So I was sightseeing, but the amount of things he’s got in here…” Lavie whistled. “Honestly, some of these relics aren’t even supposed to exist. If anyone’s interested in taking possession of this stuff, it’s me.”

  Carleen’s tears still shimmered inside her eyes when she said, “That could be arranged.”

  Lavie’s face lit up at the prospect. “We’ll have to talk later. Right now we need to find out exactly how he summoned this demon or demons. A name would help.” She looked around the room. “I sure hope it was a lesser demon, because if he offered passageway into this patch to a Dark Lord of any of the known legions, we’re in deep trouble. Your husband could be responsible for the problems tearing away at the very fibers of our world and all of the others surrounding it.”

  “I don’t know wh
at you’re talking about,” Carleen said softly.

  “We’re not the only place in existence. There are many other patches—”

  “Patches?” Carleen interrupted.

  “Yes, patches that are supposed to stay within their own parameters. Each was given a place, almost like a patchwork quilt—sewn together tight, none blending into the other.” Lavie stared at the wall. “But if someone who knows nothing about the dangers and the intricacy of this setup decides to interfere and starts inviting other beings into our existence it causes a tear in the fibers and throws off the delicate balance. My aunt has told me stories about all of this before.”

  “So the quilt is being unstitched?” Ebony asked, still in front of the shelving units. Her arms were crossed. She wasn’t enjoying this, especially now that she knew so many pieces were missing. Pieces I’d failed to mention.

  “We’ve got a huge problem. At least we may be stumbling on to an answer to give Burr.” Lavie headed for the only bare wall inside this office, spreading her right hand over it. “Interesting…”

  I didn’t want the conversation to go there right now. And what the hell was she doing to the wall?

  “Who’s Burr?” Ebony called, turning to face me.

  “Okay, we need to tear this place apart—” Lavie stopped abruptly, spinning around to face us in an unnatural way. Her eyes rolled back so far there were no irises left, just white. Her arms fell to her sides, limp, before they lifted as if she were being controlled with strings.

  A squeal escaped Carleen.

  Ebony was glued to the spot, facing the bizarre show in the middle of the room.

  Lavie’s head snapped back with a horrible crack.

  “Oh my Goddess,” Ebony whispered, stepping away.

  Her feet levitated off the floor, dangling as her toes skimmed the plush red carpet and her body spun anti-clockwise. Her long dress, covering the entire length of her body, expanded around her like a balloon. Each movement made her look more like an eerie doll.