Rafe smelled a hint of sulfur as soon as the demon stepped into the church.
“Get behind me,” he ordered Nina while pushing her back.
The demon-in Julie’s body-was flanked by Wendy and Pamela.
Rafe caught Jackson’s eye and mouthed, Go! Now!
Jackson hesitated. Dammit, he knew the plan! He didn’t have time to panic.
Wendy said, “You lose, Raphael Cooper.”
“Where’s Moira?” He hadn’t expected them to bring her, but he prayed she was still alive. They wanted her for Fiona, not themselves.
“You think I’d bring her here? Give me Grant. He’s already marked. He’s ours.”
The demon growled, “He’s mine.”
Every door in the place slammed shut. They’d been sealed inside. No one could get in or out.
THIRTY-TWO
Another jolt of magically charged air hit Moira in the chest. Stunned, she stopped fighting against her restraints until she caught her breath. Nicole Donovan smirked down at Moira’s half-naked body.
“You are pathetic. From what your mother told me, you used to have power. Where is it, Moira? Where’s your magic? It’s there somewhere, weak, unused, but magic is in your blood. You can’t escape. Why don’t you find it? I would have more fun in a fair battle.”
Moira drew in a sharp breath, her lungs aching from having the wind knocked out of her repeatedly. “I can beat you without magic,” she whispered.
Nicole laughed. Not the half-insane hysterical laugh of her deranged sister, Wendy, but an I-have-a-secret laugh, low and full of humor.
The witch held up her hands and chanted a spell. Moira closed her eyes and used mental tricks Rico had taught her to battle the curse, repeating a Psalm in its original Hebrew. It must have been working, because Nicole stopped speaking. Moira slowly opened her eyes and was surprised that Nicole had knelt next to her, her asthame in hand.
Trapped, Moira was not going to let this bitch see her panic. She said, “You won’t kill me. You don’t have the courage.”
Nicole took the blade and broke the skin on Moira’s forearm, an inch long. Blood seeped quickly through the cut. Nicole grabbed her arm and squeezed. Moira bit back a cry as her arm exploded in pain. Nicole twisted her arm so Moira’s blood would drip into a small glass jar.
“Fucking bitch,” Moira ground out through clenched teeth.
“I already contacted Fiona. She’s waiting for you.”
Panic bubbled in her chest, but Moira forced it down and said, “Why doesn’t she come for me herself? Too scared?”
“I’ll tell her you said that.”
Her mother was the one person she feared more than anything. Even more than demons. Demons didn’t play around; they were just bad. They were, in fact, predictable, and could be dispatched with exorcism prayers that differed from witchcraft in one fundamental way: they didn’t ask for favors. Sure, demons were fearsome-and Moira didn’t enjoy battling them. But Moira would rather face down the demon Lust than her mother.
Because Fiona knew her greatest weakness. Fiona didn’t want to kill her. She wanted Moira to suffer for eternity.
Your fear will kill you.
Shut up! Moira wanted to strangle Rico for his pithy sayings and devout wisdom. Why shouldn’t she be afraid? Why shouldn’t she fear demons and her mother? Rico was a hunter; he’d never been hunted. Not the way she’d been. In life and in her nightmares, she’d been the prey. She’d died a thousand deaths in her mind, and still, she lived. She’d suffered the pain of others and still she survived. The mere mention of Fiona’s name, of what she was and what she’d done, was enough to grow panic in Moira’s soul.
When Fiona imprisoned her, she’d play with Moira because that’s what her mother enjoyed. But the best way to hurt Moira was to take what she loved. To kill that which made her feel human. To destroy the only thing that gave her hope for a future.
Rafe.
No!
She trusted that Rafe had a plan-though Lord knew she had no fucking idea what it was. She had to get out of here and get to the church before it was too late. She had far more important matters to concern herself with than when-or if-Nicole delivered her to Fiona.
She didn’t have her daggers. Wendy had stripped her of her jacket, with her other tools hidden inside. But she had her mind.
“So, Wendy left you to babysit me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Nicole said smugly. “As soon as the demon takes Grant’s soul, she’ll take Wendy’s body-and her soul.”
“That’s your brilliant plan? Kill a cop, then your deal with the demon is to give her your sister?”
“Wendy thinks she and the demon have an understanding. She has no clue. Wendy will finally know what it feels like to be used and manipulated.”
“Poor little baby sister Nicole. Manipulated by Wendy, manipulated by Fiona, a fucking doormat for anyone and every-”
“Shut up, Moira. I know what you’re doing.”
“What? I’m half naked and you have me tied up in a spirit trap waiting for a demon to come get me and deliver me to Fiona. You think I’m manipulating you? Are you that pathetic?”
Moira continued to work at her binds and wished Nicole wasn’t so damn efficient with knots.
Nicole paced. “You don’t know me.”
“I know that you seduced Hank Santos to get information from the Sheriff’s Department and to keep an eye on Lily when her mother couldn’t. I know your mother was a bitch who killed two innocent people to get that damn chalice back. I-”
Nicole whipped around. “What? You-who-I knew it!”
“Knew that you’re a sociopath? No, that would be your sister. Hell, it runs in the entire Donovan family.”
“You’re still a witch. You hide it well.”
“No,” she said, “I’m not a witch; I don’t summon demons or cast spells. What I know comes from …” She looked pointedly at Nicole. “A higher authority.”
Nicole burst out in laughter. “Oh! Oh!” She couldn’t talk, hysterical that Moira would imply that God had something to do with her abilities.
At first, Moira was irritated at Nicole’s reaction-but then realized she could take advantage of Nicole’s funny bone. She wiggled around to sit up, her tied hands behind her. Tears ran down Nicole’s face, blurring her vision. Moira worked her binds frantically.
“That’s. So. Wrong.” Nicole giggled and wiped her eyes.
Moira was getting pissed. “Excuse me? You summon demons and you don’t believe in God?”
“Oh, I’m sure He’s around … somewhere. But like He cares? And even if He does, what does that matter to me? The power I get from my contacts down under, it more than makes up for anything that might happen because some distant God is oh so sad.”
Nicole stared at her, shaking her head, and added, “You can’t believe that anyone in the Heavens cares about you. After everything you’ve done.”
Moira inwardly grimaced, swallowing bile-filled guilt. She’d hurt so many people … how could anyone forgive her? How could anyone love her?
She closed her eyes and pictured Rafe, the man who had chiseled an opening into her hardened heart. The man who gave her the will to find a way to survive even after this battle was over. The man who gave her hope for tomorrow.
How could Rafe love her?
God has already forgiven you. But you haven’t forgiven yourself.
Moira’s eyes shot open. Father Philip’s voice as clear as a bell-but he wasn’t here. She’d heard him, but he wasn’t here! He’d died, because he’d come to Santa Louisa to save her, to give them all a chance at fighting the evil Fiona had unleashed. She would not let him down.
She worked her restraints.
Nicole sighed. “I see what you’re doing, Moira, and it’s not going to work.”
Nicole strode over to the spirit trap and reached down to tighten Moira’s binds.
Moira leaned back then kicked Nicole in the chest and jumped up, her balance off because her
hands were still bound. She twisted her arms as she stumbled back, the ropes falling to the floor.
“I don’t want to kill you-”
Nicole ran toward her, an asthame in hand. The ceremonial dagger was sharp as Nicole had proven when she cut Moira’s arm. Moira pivoted, but the tip of the dagger nicked her shoulder.
Moira leapt out of the way and ran over to her jacket in the far corner. She didn’t have her daggers, but she had something up her sleeve-the devil’s cuff, a thin lead chain usually used to protect the possessed from hurting themselves during an exorcism. Moira could use it in other ways.
Nicole hesitated, then laughed again, though a little less forcefully. “You think that can hurt me?”
Nicole began an incantation. Considering the spirit trap had been laid out, Moira didn’t know what would be brought forth.
“Where is Fiona?” Moira asked. She knew she should just run. Run and steal a car and hightail it to Jackson’s church. But she needed to know. “Where has she been hiding?”
“Just wait a few hours and I’ll take you to see her, up close and personal.”
The offer was tempting. Moira didn’t know where Fiona was hiding out, but Nicole did, or would find out. If Moira could figure out a plan that would enable her to get close to Fiona, close enough to put an end to this insanity-
But now was not the time. Lives were at stake, and Rafe needed her.
“Ominae ominae de-” Nicole began a summoning spell.
Moira rushed Nicole, then faked right, spun around, the devil’s cuff extended like a whip. The thin wire sliced Nicole deep in the arm.
The witch grabbed her bleeding wrist and cried out.
“Fiona!” Moira shouted, cracking the devil’s cuff in the air. “Where is she?”
“Fuck you!”
Moira backhanded Nicole so hard she fell backward and hit the wall. She wanted to kill this woman. Nicole had stood there only feet from Father Philip, watched him suffer, watched him die. Father didn’t deserve it, but Nicole did. Dammit, she deserved to die!
Moira couldn’t do it. Dear Lord, she wanted to, but to kill Nicole Donovan in cold blood would make her no better than any of them.
Before she changed her mind, or Nicole recovered enough to work up a spell to stop her, Moira grabbed her things and ran out.
Rafe watched as Wendy led the way down the aisle. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Jackson round the corner behind the sanctuary. How was he going to get out of the church to finish sealing the trap?
Grant stared at Julie as she sauntered over to him, her red gown swirling around her obviously naked body. “Julie! Thank God you’re okay.”
“God?” Wendy sounded bemused. “How about thanking me?”
Grant ignored her and said, “Julie, are you okay?”
The demon in Julie’s body approached Rafe with long, languid strides. He could stop this now by stabbing the body with his blessed dagger, but Julie would die and he didn’t know if the demon Lust would be dragged back to Hell. Weaker demons, yes, but Lust? The Seven didn’t play by the same rules.
But more important, the Order was forbidden to kill people, whether possessed or evil. Only God should have the power to decide who lives and who dies. Their charge, their sacred duty, was to stop the spread of demons on Earth-not to kill those who summoned them. Perhaps it would be more expedient to slaughter witches like Fiona and Wendy, but it would relegate St. Michael’s Order to the same Hell they were fighting.
Everyone deserved the chance to repent.
“Raphael,” the demon hissed in a low voice. She touched his cheek, her manicured nail drawing blood. Rafe showed no reaction to the pain. “Someday,” she added ominously.
The demon then approached the spirit trap and frowned.
“You put a barrier between me and mine,” she said. “Remove it!”
Wendy strode down the aisle. Rafe stepped in front of her. “The demon can’t pass through the sacred chrism.”
Grant pleaded, “Julie, I’m so sorry about last night; I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I need help. Please forgive me.”
Rafe! Julie cried in his head. Help him! He’s in pain.
“You forget who I am!” Wendy said. “As it is above, it is below, I call on the power of Sammael for strength over my foes!”
The demon said to Grant, “Of course I forgive you. All you need to say is you want me.”
Rafe shouted, “Grant, don’t!” If he said yes, he was giving her his soul. The other men-they’d had sex with her. She’d asked and they agreed, not knowing what they were agreeing to. “Grant, say no!”
The demon turned to face Rafe and raised her hand, palm out. She pushed her palm forward, and Rafe flew across the aisle until he was pinned against the wall.
Screaming, Nina ran forward to help Rafe. Pam stepped in her path and scowled. “You bitch. I suspected it was you who seduced George. You will pay for sleeping with mine!”
“You hypocritical slut!” Nina shouted.
Rafe shouted, “Nina, you need to find a hiding place. Now!”
She disregarded him and said to Pam, “You seduced him with your magic and spells. You forced him to marry you.”
Pam laughed. “Hardly. George liked our sex games. But they were our games. He wasn’t allowed to play with anyone else.”
“You killed him!” Nina cried, stepping toward her.
“Nina!” Rafe called out, trying to pull himself off the wall. The demon’s power was too strong. He began an exorcism, but it was difficult pulling the words out of his chest as the demon’s force had him frozen several feet off the ground.
From the corner of his eye, Rafe saw Jeff moving toward the demon. Rafe tried to call him off, but the demon turned slowly to face him just as Jeff pulled his Taser out. Rafe saw that the demon wanted to kill him-and it would once Grant gave it the answer it wanted. But right now, the demon needed Grant’s positive response. Killing his partner wouldn’t help that cause.
Instead of breaking his neck, the demon used a pulse of energy to force Jeff to Taser himself. He fell to the floor in convulsions, hitting his head on the end of the pew. When he stopped convulsing, he wasn’t moving.
Grant stared at him, stunned. The demon said, “He’s fine. And he’ll remain fine as long as you tell me you want me.”
“Don’t!” Rafe shouted with as much force as he could muster.
The demon ignored Rafe and knelt in front of the circle. She spoke in a seductive voice. “You’re in pain, Grant. I can see it. I can help you. You love this body.” She moved her hands down the front of the filmy dress. “You crave release. I see the sweat pouring from your body. Why deny yourself ecstasy? Why deny yourself anything? You want me. You need me.”
“Julie-” Grant said, his voice low and pained, sweat soaking his clothes, his eyes glassy and intoxicated. Grant had been fighting his urges, the same primal urge that had pushed Kent Galion into raping and killing one woman and attacking another, but he was losing. Rafe tried to warn him, but his throat constricted and he could barely breathe.
“I want you!” Grant cried out.
Wendy laughed.
Nina pushed past Pam and screamed, “No, Grant!”
Without looking, the demon pushed Nina up against the wall next to Rafe.
“I guess this means I win.” Wendy continued to laugh as she walked around the church. She approached the altar, mumbling something inaudible.
Then she smiled. “It’s here. I knew it would be.”
She picked up the chalice and approached Grant. She placed the Satanic bowl on the ground in front of him and held her hands up.
“Let the games begin!”
THIRTY-THREE
When Moira arrived at Grace Harvest she found the doors sealed shut. Not locked, but sealed by supernatural force. A faint, warm stench of demonic sulphur seeped from every crevice in the old church.
“Dammit!” She glanced up into the sky, the sunset tinting the blue with red, pink, orange, and
purple. For a moment, just a split second, she was awestruck by the magnificent, serene beauty of the atmosphere above. So vibrant and hopeful. She said, “I could use some help down here.”
She squeezed back her frustration and fear, and focused on the evil within these walls. Rafe was inside, and she wasn’t going to let him die. Nor anyone else, for that matter. She ran around the entire perimeter, looking for a way in, and ran right into Jackson Moreno who was wet and muddy.
You took something from me last night. I want it back.
At Galion’s house Moira had thought Wendy was talking about the chalice, but hadn’t she mentioned the chalice separately? Jackson had been alone for several minutes while she and Rafe were breaking into Wendy’s altar. What had he done?
“Jackson-” But she stopped herself. Now wasn’t the time.
“They sealed the doors. I broke a window in the basement.”
“I need to get in that way. Show me.”
“I haven’t finished the reverse trap-”
“Show me the way, then finish. They’re in trouble. Nicole is double-crossing her sister. If the demon succeeds in killing Grant, everyone in there dies. I have to stop it.” Not to mention that the demon Lust would be free-again.
Jackson led her around to the back of the church to the narrow basement window. “Careful,” he said. “I tried to push the glass away, but it’s all over the basement floor. It’s a six-foot drop.”
“Finish the trap, Jackson,” she said. “And don’t come back in.”
“But-”
“It’s too dangerous, and I can’t worry about innocents.”
“Nina Hardwick is inside. She arrived right before Wendy. Told Rafe something about Wendy and mental institutions and killing her mother-I don’t have the details.”
That didn’t help Moira now. She started through the window on her stomach, then realized she was going in unarmed. Stupid! She had to think, be smart. Her fear for Rafe and the others had propelled her to act without planning.
She pulled herself back out and called out to Jackson as he poured a thick line of rock salt along the base of the church.
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