“Have been doing this a lot longer than you. And we already have the communal blessing.”
“Yeah well, you know what I think about those fucking morons,” Briar said.
“And you know our minds are made up. We can’t let that thing get any further into her. We’ve waited too long as it is.”
“Fine, but just remember whatever the hell happens tonight, it’s on your heads. Both of you.”
Dorian stumbled back when Briar came hurtling around the corner. The pair stopped, staring at each other, and it was obvious Briar knew Dorian overheard the entire conversation. With a sigh, Briar shook her head and brushed past Dorian, heading up the stairs.
Conflicted, Dorian headed into the kitchen to see Lennox sitting at the table with his face in his hands. When Dorian walked in, he snapped his head up and offered her a weak, watery smile. “Dash said you wanted to talk to us.”
Dorian nodded, pulling a chair back and sitting across from Lennox. “Is everything okay? I heard almost all of that.”
He let out a puff of air and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “It’s… she’s… being stubborn. Everything’s fine.”
“Except is it?” Dorian pressed. “She seems worried.”
Lennox bit down on his bottom lip, sitting back as he regarded her for a long moment. “Your exorcism is atypical. Normally a person who’s been possessed as long as you have been is barely human. You, however, are coherent and functional. It means the demon has vested interest in your life. I believe that will work for us, but Briar is concerned it won’t.”
“I still don’t understand,” Dorian said, shaking her head back and forth. “How does it affect the exorcism?”
“The longer the person is possessed, the harder it is to separate them from their demon entity. Because we want you to come out of this alive, normally we’d have more than two Exorcists on hand.”
Dorian’s eyes went wide. “So what happened with that guy the other night…”
“We didn’t expect him to live. We didn’t really try. The quality of life he would’ve been subjected to had he survived wouldn’t have been worth it.”
The thought struck her hard. It felt like a murder, in a way. Even a mercy killing was still a killing. But that wasn’t the point, at least not right now. “So what’s the big deal, then?”
“We don’t have time to wait for the others to get here. It would be days at best, and I don’t think we have that kind of time. The wards and the amulets will only hold him back for so long. If he’s as strong as I think he is, my guess is less than twenty-four hours before he can break through our warding spells and take you.”
Dorian felt a chill slide up her spine. “Okay. So what does that mean if just the two of you take me on?”
“It means there could be a very real danger to our lives,” came Dash’s voice from behind. Dorian turned her head as he walked into the kitchen and took a seat. “Exorcisms aren’t just dangerous for the possessed. They’re dangerous for us. We have to put pieces of ourselves inside you to slam that door shut. Briar as well. If he manages to take hold of you during the ritual, there could be consequences.”
“But if you don’t at least try,” Dorian finished for him, “I might be lost either way.”
“Exactly. The choice is yours, love,” Dash said, spreading his hands out.
She nibbled on her thumbnail for a moment, contemplating her choices. The truth was, it didn’t feel like she had any. If they sat back and waited, she’d be lost anyway, and the boys seemed willing to take the risk of her exorcism. They seemed confident at the very least.
“When I was possessed at the hospital,” she said, her voice low and even, “Nic was with me. He was asking for my help. He said that there’s a race of demons waging war on other demons, traveling to their worlds and destroying everything before they move on. He insisted the conversation I overheard about opening up the humans was for everyone’s benefit.”
Lennox scoffed, his head shaking. “He’s a damn liar.”
“I know,” Dorian said carefully, “but he said something else.” She paused, trying to find the right words. “He mentioned there’s a spell which could open up other humans to become doorways. He implied there were spells that could open up everyone.”
Lennox and Dash looked startled, glancing at each other before Lennox asked, “Everyone?”
“I’m not sure if I believe him,” Dorian said, “but it made me realize if that spell exists, if there is a spell which could open up humans en masse, couldn’t there be a counter spell? One massive exorcism which could close everyone?”
Lennox blinked slowly, staring at her for a long time. “I…hadn’t thought.”
Spreading her hands, Dorian gave a shrug. “I don’t know a lot about your world. How it works, the science behind it. Or magic. Or whatever it is. But I don’t think there could be something which could open up every human without a counter point.”
“She’s right,” Dash said, slapping his hand on the table. “She’s bloody right. If this exists, if there’s some Exorcist working with the demons to find a way to open up all humans, we need to counter that. We need to be on this.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Lennox said. “Demons lie. It’s what they do.”
“But they also tell bits of the truth,” Dorian reminded him. “To hook you, to get you to believe in them. To make you question what’s real and what isn’t. We don’t have to trust him, but isn’t it worth investigating? I mean it wasn’t just him who said it. Those other demons in the park mentioned it too.”
Dash’s eyebrows dipped. “True, but they could have been planted there for your benefit.”
Dorian shrugged one shoulder up and down. “But we won’t know until we look into it, right?”
“Yes, but we can’t do an investigation if your creature still has his claws in you,” Lennox pointed out.
Dorian held up her hands in surrender. “I know. Believe me, and I’m not telling you this so you’ll delay what you need to do. I get the risk. I know I might not walk away from this. But even if I die, the least you can do is use this information.”
Chapter Eighteen
In spite of knowing it could be her very last day on earth, Dorian spent most of it in and out of sleep. Her nerves got the best of her, and to combat her very real, very pressing desire to bolt, she spent the day in bed curled up in the comforters with a long string of movies playing on the TV in the corner of the room.
Briar was still in the house, but refused to come out of the back bedroom. Though Lennox and Dash checked on Dorian a few times, they spent most of their day either on the phone with other Exorcists, or prepping the basement with the necessary symbols, spells, and chains to bind her to the floor. She could hear them working, even on the top floor, and the whole thing was overwhelming.
Nic was nearby, too. She could feel him restless and nervous, and it was affecting her mood. The sleep helped, and the amulets and warding spells kept him out of her dreams, but as the hours ticked closer to night, her fears became real and palpable.
She didn’t want to die. She was prepared to take the risk, to make the sacrifice, but it didn’t change her desire to live through it. It should have given her strength, but instead she found herself a scared little girl in the hands of people who could save her or kill her.
“Love?” The soft voice roused her from a doze, and Dorian’s eyes blinked against the pressing shadows in the bedroom. The TV was on the DVD menu, casting a blueish glow over everything, and she could just barely make out the silhouette of Dash standing in the doorway.
“Is it time?”
He stepped into the room, taking a seat at the edge of the bed near her feet. He had a vial of clear liquid in his hands, and he was rubbing it back and forth like he was trying to warm the liquid. “I need you to drink this. It’s not going to knock you out, not like it did with the boy, but it might make you feel a bit woozy.”
Dorian reached for it, snatching
her hand back when she realized her fingers were shaking. She sat up more, rubbing them together, and tried to get a handle on her fear. “I’m sorry. I’m…”
“You’re allowed to be petrified. The ones we prep for Reaping know more than the others. And sometimes knowing is worse.” He reached out, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. “But we’re here. We’ve got you.”
She took a breath, and her hands were a little more calm when she took the liquid and popped the top. The tiny cork fell on her lap, and she sniffed the contents. It was like the little boy had said. Like sweet, flat soda. She tipped the glass jar to her mouth, taking it all in with one gulp. It was too sweet, giving it a bitter quality, and the moment the liquid was down, her head gave a spin.
“Jesus. That didn’t take long.” Her tongue felt thick and everything felt surreal, like she was floating.
“Nope. Magic works a lot quicker than modern science.” Though Dash sounded far off, she was able to focus on his voice with a clarity she didn’t have before. He took the vial from her and slipped it into his pocket. “It’s going to need a few minutes. Len’s preparing everything downstairs.”
Shaking her head, enjoying the feeling a bit, she sat up all the way and stretched her arms. “You two are funny, you know that?”
His face stretched into a smile. “Oh yeah?”
“I mean, you have this weird life. This fucked up life where you’re saving people and sometimes killing them, and you’re eyeballs deep in demon crap. But you still fell in love.”
Dash snorted. “Love is a strong word when it comes to that cranky fucker. But yeah. I suppose we did find each other.”
“Must be nice. I never got that, never caught feelings.” She swung her legs over the bed but didn’t get up, enjoying the fuzzy tingles running up and down her limbs. “It was alright. Saved me from a lot of crap. Who needs the agony of love when you got mean foster parents smacking you around, right?”
Dash’s face fell. “I’m sorry.”
Dorian waved her hand. “Look, it was my lot in life. I guess you can’t be some demon queen or whatever the hell Nic wants me to be, without being a little fucked up first. And I’m still here, right?”
Dash put his arm around her and squeezed it. “You got us now, kid.”
There was a thumping sound from downstairs and Dorian stiffened. “That’s the signal?” The tingly, far-off feeling was absent from her, and she felt her fear reignite.
“I promise, we’re going to take care of you,” Dash said, taking her hand as he got up from the bed. “I’m using everything I’ve got.”
Dorian let out a small, nervous laugh as they headed for the stairs. She wanted to ask why they were so invested. Their reasoning didn’t make sense. They didn’t know her, not really. She was some strange girl with a rocky past and a connection to the demon world. She knew it was probably strategic, and they must have a low supply of Reapers on their team. But Dash made it seem so personal and while that should have comforted her, it just made her feel vulnerable.
They reached the basement and by the time they entered the dark, warm room, the floating feeling was back. She was barely aware of her surroundings, the flickering, floating candles distracting her from the fact that Lennox was walking toward her with an armful of silver chains.
She barely noticed as Dash lifted her arms and metal cuffs were locked onto her wrists. She didn’t miss the apprehensive stares the two men gave each other, and she could all-but feel Briar’s frustration with the entire situation as she stared at Dorian from the shadows.
“Go ahead and lie down,” Lennox said, pointing to the center of the massive pentagram.
As she stepped into the circle, a burning sensation raced up her arms, and Dorian realized that as the boys had chained her, they took off her amulets. Nic was there, suddenly and violently, and she could hear him screaming in the back of her head. She tried to reach up to cover her ears, but the chains were locked down tight.
“What’s happening?” she hissed as she fell to her knees.
Dash made a move to help her, but Lennox held him back, shaking his head. “Don’t. We’re not warded yet.”
With a pained look, Dash stopped just outside the circle. “We had to take off your protections. He has to come through. Just breathe, okay? It’ll be okay. He doesn’t want to hurt you.”
“But I will,” came a voice from the back of her mind. She could feel sharp claws digging into her hips, and blood trickled down from the puncture wounds. “I will hurt you unless you tell them to stop.”
“I can’t,” she said, her jaw tense. Everything around her was black except the flickering glow of the candles, and she could feel Nic nearby, but she couldn’t see him. She felt like her brain was imploding, pressure so intense her eyes started to water, and the door in the back of her mind began to crack open. “Stop, Nic. Let them do this.”
“I can’t let you go. Dorian I told you, I need you.”
Dorian wasn’t aware of how much time was passing. In the distance she heard chanting, she could feel Briar’s powers nearby, pushing against Nic, but he had her tight. Everything swam, and then she was on the floor, chained, blackness closing in on her, and Nic was there. He was kneeling beside her, holding her face, his claws pulling blood from her cheeks.
“I can’t let them take you away from me. I need you, Dorian. I love you.”
“This isn’t love,” she said, her voice broken and raw. She’d been screaming, but didn’t realize it until she tasted blood in her mouth. “Please, Nic. If you love me…”
“No.” He gave her a shake, her head smacking against the hard floor, and she cried out.
“Fight him,” came a firm voice. It was Briar, and she was nearby. Dorian could feel her pushing her power toward the door, toward Nic, giving him a shove backward. “Fight him!”
Struggling to rise, Dorian gathered her strength and pushed against him, but he laughed, his head falling back, hair floating around his face. “You aren’t strong enough, little girl. They have no power here. Not over you. Not over me. You have no idea who I am.”
Dorian opened her mouth to fight, to curse at him, to rebuke him, but no sound came out. He advanced on her, like a tiger, his claws out, digging into her shoulders. His face was inches away from hers, and she could smell rot on his breath as he grinned. “You belong to me, Dorian. You are mine. I created you and I can destroy you. These children can’t take you from me.”
His head dipped, mouth closing on hers, and then she knew nothing but darkness.
Chapter Nineteen
She came to, her limbs burning like they were on fire. Her head was spinning, and she could feel something brushing cold liquid across her naked skin. With a groan, her head turned and she saw Lennox leaning over her with a brush covered in violent red. The symbols cascaded across her neck, chest, arms, and the exposed skin on her legs where her leggings had torn.
Her hands were unbound, but silver chains covered in amulets wound around them so tight, they were almost cutting off her circulation. As she peered down, she saw blood everywhere, the air thick and putrid with the smell.
“What…” Her throat felt torn and raw, and she started coughing the more she tried to talk.
“Shh.” Lennox held up a hand, and when she looked at him, she saw his face was pale, drawn, tear tracks smearing the dirt on his face. He was muttering as he painted her arms, a low, furious incantation.
When he finished, Dorian felt her head spinning, then it cleared and she blinked both eyes wide. Sitting up, she stared down around at the basement, or what was left of it. Gaping holes littered the stone, the floor cracked from end to end. The symbols on the walls had been torn to gravel bits, and most of the candles were nothing more than melted balls of wax smeared across the blood-stained concrete. The two windows at the top of the wall were smashed, letting in a breeze from the outside. Lennox was limping, his clothing filthy and ragged, and there were several gashes across his face.
“Did
it… did I…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “Was I exorcised?” Dorian’s voice was hoarse, tired, and scared.
“No. Your exorcism was not successful.” His voice was trembling as he grabbed a few pieces of busted furniture and piled them into a pyre. He poured what was left of the oil from his bag and lit a flame from a match. It wavered, then caught, flooding the room with an eerie, yellow glow.
Dorian’s eyes flared wide, her hands going around her middle. “But… how? How am I still alive?”
“We didn’t complete the ritual. He got a hold of you and…” He trailed off, looking over to a dark corner where Dorian noticed a limp body.
Staring harder, she recognized the thatch of hair and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh God. Is he…?”
“No. He’s not dead. He’s still breathing for now. Briar’s gone out for help.”
“Should you call an ambulance? He needs a hospital!” Dorian shrieked. She scrambled to her feet, but Lennox held out a hand to stop her.
“He needs someone from the Community. We can’t take him to hospital in this condition. I don’t know what’s wrong with him and how many of his injuries are related to your demon. Medicine can’t help him, he needs magic.”
Dorian started shaking, sinking to the floor, and she hugged her knees to her chest. She noticed then the blood caked under her fingernails, the smears of it up and down her arms dried brown and vicious. “I did this. Oh my God. I did this.”
“You didn’t,” Lennox said, his voice hard. He crossed the distance between them, stopping just short of her, and he crouched down. “The demon did this. Briar was right. We were foolish for trying this without an entire team. This was our fault.”
“But I…” She held out her bloodied hands and shook her head. “You can’t say it wasn’t me when it was.”
Lennox reached out, his grip harder than he meant it, and he grabbed her by the sides of her face. “We are getting this thing out of you, Dorian. I don’t care who he is, or how powerful. We are taking you back.”
The Reaping: Language of the Liar Page 14
