The Demon Inside Me

by Christopher Nelson

  "Of course," she snapped.

  "Julian," I said. He looked toward me, anger twisting his face. "Call Hikari. Quickly. Tell her what happened. Tell her that when she gets back, she'll need to come on Sunday morning for services."

  "What about Chrissy?" he demanded. "What about her, demon?"

  I held my breath for a count of three. "Call Hikari. Now."

  "You heartless bas-"

  "Shut up," I said. "Hate me all you want after you make the phone call. House Lucifer is going to take down all the cell towers around here. They're not stupid, people. I give it about five, maybe ten minutes before we get no signal. We need to get word out before it's too late."

  Julian's eyes widened, then he turned his back on me. I thought he was going to ignore me, but then he reached into his pocket. I glanced over at Jase. He was already looking for his own phone. "I'll call our prayer chain," he said when he noticed my look. "My congregation will be glad to bring some food and drink for our guests."

  Becky was already on her own phone. "Letting Lionel know," she said as our eyes met.

  I turned to Tink who had her own phone out. "Who do you want me to call?" she asked.

  I gave her the number. "Ask for Prince Opheran."

  "Seriously?"

  "He won't talk to me, I'm sure," I said. "But just identify yourself when they ask, tell them it's a Code Delilah emergency relating to a member of the House."

  She shrugged and made the call. I composed a text message from my phone while she waited to get through to Opheran. If Tink couldn't get word through to the House, I had a roundabout method. Mom wouldn't get the text right away, but I was sure that she'd round up some family and friends for Sunday. I hit send just as Tink was looking over to me. "They're putting me through," she said. "What the hell do I tell him?"

  "Tell him you're my contract partner, that we're under siege here, and that I'll exchange the information he wants for assistance breaking the siege. Tell him that even if he doesn't want to help, to be here Sunday morning."

  She relayed the message. "He wants to know why Sunday morning?"

  "Because that's when I predict that House Lucifer will make their move," I said.

  "He says you're full of shit."

  I chuckled. "He can just watch if he's too afraid."

  "I'm not going to tell him that!"

  "Why not?"

  She flushed. "He's a Prince! Even I have some limits!"

  I rolled my eyes and held my hand out. She slapped the phone into my hand and muttered something under her breath. "My Prince?"

  "Isaiah. I hear there will be some excitement on Sunday morning. I find this difficult to believe."

  "My Prince, you may attend the festivities or not, as you wish. I'm sure you're busy. However, I assure you, you'll be missing some fireworks. If fireworks scare you though, you could always send a representative."

  There was a long moment of silence on the other end of the phone. I wondered offhandedly if I had crossed the line. "Isaiah Bright, you presume much for a worthless halfbreed. Especially one who has brought the Host to the brink of civil war."

  "You wouldn't be talking with me right now if you thought it wouldn't be worth it."

  Another moment of silence. "She said you would give us the secret. True?"

  "Here's an advance payment." I explained the use of human magic and using it in conjunction with hellfire, describing how it had worked at the trial. "House Lucifer knows of it as well. If we spread it first, that might get a few favors owed to Asmodeus, right? Favors we could call in? I think that might make us even for earlier, right?"

  "Perhaps. That isn't the secret you're hiding though, is it?"

  "No, that'll be delivered upon arrival."

  "Your back is up against the wall, isn't it?" he surmised. "We'll be there. Until this secret is revealed, we won't take a single step to preserve your life. Under-"

  The phone line went dead. I checked the signal. No surprise, it blinked out, then back on, then back out. The landline, if there was one here, was probably already cut. I pocketed my phone and looked around our little group. "Everyone get their calls made?"

  Nods met my question. "Hikari's at the Regional Conclave," Julian said. His voice was rough. "She said she'll make it back by Sunday."

  "Good. Jase?"

  "The chain has begun," he assured me. "They love to feed guests."

  "You're assuming everything's going to be resolved on Sunday," Tink challenged me. "What are you planning, demon?"

  "That's just a backup plan," I said. "Makes Azzy think we're settling in for the long haul."

  "Will he attack my congregation?" Jase asked.

  "That's not likely," I said. "I can't say that it's completely out of the question, but it would attract the attention of the Choir, which no one wants."

  Jase's lined face turned pale. "So I've put my congregation into danger? Lord, protect them. I can't even warn them now."

  "Don't get too worked up about it," I said. "They'd only do that if they were completely desperate. They aren't ready for war with the Choir, and they don't know we're at war with them yet."

  "What about Chrissy?" Julian stepped forward, phone clenched in his left hand, his right hand jabbing into my chest. "Is she just the first casualty of this war? Are you going to tell me that she knew the risks? She knew what she was getting into? Lay some bullshit on me, demon. Tell me what happened."

  I shook my head. She had tripped. Tripped! I couldn't have foreseen that. "What else could we have done?"

  "You could have let me try to save her!"

  I exchanged looks with Caleb. He shook his head. "And then we'd have two dead mages and no way to get in touch with Hikari, right?"

  "But-"

  "Shut up, Julian," I said. His face purpled. "I didn't want to lose her either. But I'm not going to lose you along with her."

  Julian threw off the hand Caleb put on his shoulder and stomped into the sanctuary. Jase followed him and Becky wandered after them both, leaving me with Caleb and Tink. Both of them regarded me with wary expressions. I could imagine what they were thinking: what an asshole. I couldn't disagree.

  "So why do you think Sunday will be the day?" Tink asked. I was surprised she wasn't yelling at me. "I've been thinking about it ever since you mentioned it and I don't get it. Why won't they just assault us now? Couldn't their forces break the sanctuary?"

  I let Caleb handle that one. "They could, but that would attract the Choir's attention. Like Isaiah said, that's the last thing they want."

  "So why Sunday?"

  "They'll move to break the faith of the congregation," I said. "If the congregation breaks, the sanctuary breaks. That won't be as obvious to the Choir. What do you think, Caleb?"

  He shrugged. "It's possible. I think our congregation is strong in their faith."

  "How will they try to break their faith?" Tink asked.

  I looked toward the sanctuary. The others were probably out of earshot. "They'll sacrifice someone right in front of the church. A very public, very graphic murder, causing terror and hysteria." The sacrifice would probably be Chrissy. Julian would lose it. The best I could hope for would be for him to distract them enough for the rest of us to do something. If I pointed him at Azriphel, maybe he'd provide enough cover for the rest of us to take action.

  Caleb grimaced. "We have our work cut out for us. I assume that you're actually going to reveal the secret, then?"

  "Reveal it? Use it," I said, looking at Tink. "You know why we're going to use it? Azzy's a Lucifer. Pride. What will they do? They'll bait us. How will they bait us? They'll sacrifice someone to enrage us, and to further their own goals at the same time. Efficient. Show us they're fearless, that they're in control."

  "Their mage," Tink said.

  "They'll use the blood," Caleb said, just a beat later. They exchanged glances. "How did you figure that out?"

  "I'm a halfblood," I reminded them. "I know a little bit about how demons think. In fact, I bet he
'll have multiple sacrifices on hand. Who's going to stop him from collecting people and bringing them here to sacrifice every Sunday until we break down? The Regional Conclave isn't going to be able to do anything. Even if we hold out, eventually they'll collect enough blood to breach the Gates like they were originally planning."

  "It's too bad the mage wasn't at the trial," Caleb mused. "I was looking for him while holding Anna back. Not a single human in the room aside from ours."

  "Which doesn't mean he wasn't hiding his presence," I pointed out. "Besides, killing him there would just have gotten us killed, and then Lucifer would get another mage and continue unopposed."

  "Fair enough," Caleb said. "But at least we could have seen him."

  "So you're going to take the bait," Tink said. "You keep doing that, demon. Keep breaking the trap. Think we can pull it off this time?"

  I shook my head. "We won't break the trap this time. We just need to survive it until our own trap springs. That's why I had everyone make those calls. We're going to have humans of faith here. We're going to have mages here. We're going to have my own House show up. We make our statement. We use the amplification to kill that son of a bitch. We hope that everyone else backs us. One shot, one kill, in front of an audience."

  I looked back and forth between them. Both seemed to be considering the plan, but neither seemed to be convinced. They both started to say something at the same time, then fell silent. Caleb gestured at Tink. "What are you going to do about the imps?" she asked. "As soon as I use it, they're going to take our heads."

  "Well, there's one more thing we need to do." I led them to the kitchen. Caleb and Tink watched as I pulled the back door open. Two Lucifer bruisers glared at me with dull red eyes, but I ignored them. They couldn't touch me as long as I stayed inside. "Kibs?"

  Two imps phased in, hanging in midair between the bruisers. "What do you want, Isaiah Bright?" the raspy voiced one asked.

  "I was wondering if you'd like to have a chat."

  "No," one of the bruisers growled.

  "Wasn't asking you, meathead."

  The raspy imp frowned. "Is sanctuary granted?"

  Caleb inclined his head. "Be at peace, and enter."

  The imps fluttered through the door. The bruisers growled. I flipped them off and slammed the door shut. "Someone call the others," I said. Kibs fluttered off without a word and I walked over to the table and took a seat at the head. The raspy imp sat on the tabletop. Tink drifted around the room, her normal scowl in place. Caleb rummaged through the fridge for drinks. No one spoke until Julian, Jase, and Becky walked in, followed by Kibs. "Have a seat," I said quietly.

  Julian and Jase sat across from me while Tink sat next to me. Becky started going through the fridge. I bet the poor girl hadn't eaten much over the past couple of days. Caleb leaned against the door and watched me. "What do you want to discuss?" the raspy imp asked.

  "Your name, first," I said. "I'd like to have something to address you by."

  "I embody the Consortium," he rasped. "You may address me as the Chairman."

  The head of the Consortium. Why was I not surprised? "Chairman, something's been bothering me ever since this all shook out. Why is the Consortium so vehement about keeping this secret? I've been curious about it for a while. There's something in Purgatory that the Consortium wants to keep hidden. Something dangerous, or something important, right? You don't want the Gates opened, do you?"

  Kibs and the Chairman exchanged looks, then burst out laughing. "You are not entirely correct," the Chairman said. "Nor entirely incorrect."

  "Then what's the story?"

  "We want the Gates open as well. Where do you think we call home? We are cast out from Hell as much as any demon. Archons feel the same way about Heaven. Even though we can still phase through layers of this reality, our ancestral home remains inaccessible. We want to return home as much as you do. However, breaching the Gates, as you know, will cause destruction throughout the layers. Where do you think its fury will be concentrated?" The Chairman's eyes narrowed. "Which layers do you think lie closest to Purgatory?"

  "Heaven and Hell," I said.

  "Close. But not closest."

  "Your homes," Tink said.

  The Chairman nodded. "We thought being close was good enough, far better than living here. We couldn't integrate into life on Earth like you. Is it so selfish? If you reveal the secret, allowing those Lucifer fools to assault the Gates, they will lay waste to our homes. The blast that hits Heaven and Hell will be a tenth of the force. The blast that strikes this world, a tenth of a tenth. Even so, it will obliterate untold numbers. But our home will be destroyed."

  "And that's not all, is it?" I asked. The Chairman regarded me, eyes narrowed. I nodded toward Kibs. "Something he mentioned in passing."

  "There are things residing within Purgatory," the Chairman said. "Things sleeping, things better left alone. They will eventually awaken, regardless of what we do. Opening the Gates will awaken them sooner. Breaching the Gates will awaken them immediately."

  I nodded. "That's not an option."

  "Then you understand why we cannot allow you to reveal that secret."

  "But I will reveal it," I said. The Chairman's eyes narrowed. I could suddenly smell sulfur. "I'll reveal it to both House Lucifer and House Asmodeus at the same time, Chairman. And I'll reveal it to a group of mages who can spread knowledge of it all over the world. And I'm sure he'll reveal it to the Choir," I said, jerking my thumb at Caleb. "But that's something that the archons will deal with, right?"

  "Your life is forfeit if you step beyond your sanctuary here," the imp growled.

  I held my hand up. "And you'll let me reveal it."

  "What?"

  "Because we will defend the Gates."

  "Who will?"

  "We all will." I gestured all around me. "Humans. Demons. Angels."

  "Explain!"

  "You've heard of mutually assured destruction, haven't you?" I asked. "Revealing the secret will mean that no one can use it without risking it being used on them. So add it to the Pact! Any use of it, against each other, against the Gate, for any reason you want – kill the offenders. Force us to maintain an honor guard at the Gate. You are the arbiters of the Pact. Do something about it!"

  "What advantage does this have over the current situation?" the Chairman asked. "Why shouldn't we refuse and simply kill you before you can take action?"

  "It may already be too late. There is a mage contracted to House Lucifer who may have witnessed us use the magic amplification against Duke Deshavin."

  The Chairman bared his teeth and claws. "You dare-"

  "It's not like I said how to perform it," I said. If he took a swipe at me and broke sanctuary, it'd all be over. "Relax, Chairman. The information's potentially out in the wild. It's going to spread, regardless of what I do. Take control of it. Consider the benefits. It would mean increased peaceful interaction. Isn't that something that you'd be interested in promoting?"

  "You ask much," he hissed.

  "I think it's a good idea," Caleb said. The imps turned to look at him. "No one's going to launch an offensive when the other side has such a weapon available. Besides, you're all overestimating the power. I'm sure that Anna will grow more powerful with time and practice, but there's no telling how it actually scales. Unless you know something we don't, Chairman."

  The Chairman growled something in a dialect I couldn't quite understand. The only words I caught were terribly uncomplimentary toward the angel. "I have grave misgivings toward this course of action," he said in English.

  "Isn't it easier than policing us all the time?" I asked. "You don't want to kill me unless you have to. Bad for business. I'd be dead already otherwise, wouldn't I?"

  The Chairman abruptly flapped up into the air. "We shall meet to discuss your idea. If the Malefic Consortium and the Celestial Syndicate can agree to amend the Pact, we will bring it to vote. You are aware it will need to be ratified by both Host and Choir?"

>   "We need a response by Sunday morning," I said. "Think you can do it in two days?"

  "We work quickly," the Chairman said. He fluttered away, phasing through the door.

  I looked at Kibs, who had stayed behind. He didn't meet my gaze, just let his wings droop. "Sorry about all the trouble I got you into," he said.

  "That's my line, Kibs," I said. "We'll have a beer when this is all over. I owe you a keg for all the trouble I've put you through."

  He looked up, grinned, and followed the Chairman. I leaned back in my chair and let out a sigh. Everyone's eyes were on me once again. "Don't tell me you've been planning this sort of thing all along," Tink snapped at me. "You're not that smart."

  "What, you can't believe that this is all part of my master plan?"

  "No," she said in chorus with Caleb.

  "You're right," I said. "But I'm doing a good job pretending, aren't I?"

  "What if they don't agree?" Tink asked.

  "We'll just have to wing it."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sunday morning services started at nine. I listened from the kitchen to the sermon, which was about spiritual warfare. Jase was preparing his flock for the shearing, so to speak. Azriphel and his merry men hadn't shown before the service. I didn't know what he was planning, but it had to happen soon.

  The door creaked and I glanced over to see Julian. He stopped when he saw me, but then continued toward the fridge. "Not surprised to see you here," he said, back turned to me. He had avoided me for the past two days, as best he could while we were all holed up in here. I couldn't blame him. He'd known me for all of three days and I was the cause of all his problems. He'd hate me more later.

  I shrugged. "I didn't think it was appropriate for me to be in there listening to the sermon. He tried to get me to act as a greeter, but I turned him down. What about you?"

  Julian helped himself to something from the fridge. "I'm a dirty pagan. Same deal."