The Reaping: Language of the Liar

by Angella Graff

  The other spells, the more important ones she could use against demons, there was no way to practice. She’d have to tap into her new training as best she could when they finally saw Grant.

  A few hours into her study, she heard a commotion upstairs. It either meant Dash was home, or the new Exorcist had arrived. Either way, Dorian couldn’t be bothered with niceties just yet. Briar was in on her little mission now, and she knew the sooner the better. They had only a handful of days before Markus gathered Exorcists from around the globe to free his son from the demon. Dorian wasn’t sure when she’d get another chance like this to question the monsters, so she had to jump on it while she could.

  As she was cleaning up, a knock interrupted her and she turned as the door opened and heavy feet sounded on the stairs. Lennox came in, looking around the room with an impressed expression.

  “I can feel the echoes of your spells. Much better.”

  Dorian shrugged as she shoved the last of the candles into the duffle bag. “Yeah. It’s getting easier to control the more I do it.”

  Lennox shuffled his feet a little as she finished up. “Dash is in his room now. Getting set up. He was hoping you might come say hi.”

  Dorian felt a familiar rush of guilt mixed with excitement, and she took a breath to control her emotions. It was not the time to lose grip on herself, to give in to the feelings of remorse about what happened to Dash. In fact, the best thing she could do for him was uncover this mystery. There would be no undoing his injury, but at least she could find some answers.

  “Yeah. Tell him I’ll be up in a few. Is the new one here yet?”

  Lennox shook his head. “Markus texted about half an hour ago. His flight touched down and he has to go through debrief, so he’ll be by right around supper.”

  Dorian turned. “Debrief? What’s that about?”

  “There’s a process the Exorcists have to go through. Precautions, tests, it’s to ensure the safety of everyone in the house before he’s allowed over.” Lennox helped her zip up the last of the spell supplies and he tossed the bag up on one of the basement shelves.

  “And Markus is going to oversee that?” She followed Lennox up the stairs and into the kitchen where Briar was leaning against the counter.

  “He should be. He and Matias are the only Praetoriani in the region.” Lennox glanced down the small corridor where Dash’s room was set up.

  “Is that going to be at the safe house?” When Lennox frowned at her, she shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure Grant is going to be safe and guarded.”

  “He won’t be left alone, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Dorian nodded, then caught Briar’s eye who was staring at her with a mixture of apprehension and frustration. “Let me go get cleaned up. Tell Dash I’ll be down in a few?” Without waiting for Lennox to respond, she headed for the stairs, smiling a little when she heard footsteps echoing her own.

  Sliding into her room, she left the door cracked, and shut it when Briar stepped in. “What are you up to?” her mentor asked.

  Dorian shrugged. “Was I being obvious?”

  “Girl, you might as well have been wearing a giant sign that said, ‘Breaking into Safe house tonight.’ There’s no way we’re going to get in there by ourselves.”

  “We have to try. I can’t do it with Markus staring over my shoulder, and you know even if he thinks I’m just there to visit with Grant, he’s going to be listening in.”

  Briar’s face fell a little, telling Dorian she was right. “You realize we have to do this fast, don’t you? There’s no time for idle chit-chat. If—and it’s a big goddamn if—we can make it through the front doors, we’ve got ten minutes max before someone figures you out.”

  “That’s plenty of time.” Dorian’s voice was more confident than she felt, but that was okay. If she had Briar with her, and a handful of spells, she was pretty sure she could make some headway with the demon inside her old friend. “You gather up the spells, and write down what I need to know. I’ll head down and visit with Dash for a bit, and we’ll try to head out right when the new guy’s plane is scheduled to land. I’ll tell Lennox we’re going out for a drink.”

  Briar’s lips thinned, her eyes narrow, but she nodded. “I still think this is reckless.”

  “Yeah, and you kind of like it,” Dorian replied with a wink. She smirked when Briar couldn’t suppress her smile, and she reached for the door. “I’ll meet you at the front door in fifteen.”

  ***

  The visit with Dash went as well as could be expected, and to Dorian’s great relief, Lennox was too caught up in being reunited with his boyfriend to ask a lot of questions. He didn’t bat an eye when Dorian said she was heading out for the evening, and would be back before the new Exorcist got in.

  He even offered information about the flight and the length of debriefing without hesitation. “Aye, couple hours at least.” He was nuzzled next to Dash on the bed, his eyes half-lidded. “You’ve got time to get a few drinks in you.”

  Dorian smiled, trying to look casual, but there was a strange glint in Dash’s eye that told her he wasn’t buying it. Not totally. She begged whatever God might be listening to give her a pass. They just needed a little bit of time. “Can we catch up later?” Dorian offered as she stood up from her chair.

  Dash frowned, but glanced over at Lennox before nodding. “Absolutely, love. In fact, maybe you and I might have a long chat just the two of us after everyone gets settled. I want to hear the unabridged version of your… excitement.”

  Dorian’s heart sped up, but it was clear he wasn’t going to sell her out. Not yet. She tried her best to convey her thanks with a look, and was rewarded with a nod from her injured friend. “I swear I’ll give you all the dirty details the moment I get back.” She leaned in for a quick hug, then slipped out the door to find Briar waiting for her, leaning against the open garage door.

  “Well, let’s do this.” Briar had a bag slung over the back of her shoulder, and she led the way through the garage and into the driveway where the car was parked.

  Dorian slipped into the passenger seat, and Briar slammed her door, her face drawn and nervous. Turning the car on, she reached for the GPS and scrolled through the history, letting out a small puff of air when the coordinates for the safe house popped up on the screen.

  “That is lucky as hell,” Briar muttered under her breath. She hit the navigate button and sped on down the road.

  The pair were uncharacteristically quiet as they made the drive. The tension in the car was palpable and Dorian spent the entire time focusing on her breathing. She listened to the quiet hum of her powers, feeling it speeding through her limbs, along her veins, and swirling around in the center of her chest. If she could feel it, she could focus it, and she would need that focus when she confronted the demon. It would be chaos, she had no doubt about that, and this was the ultimate test to see if she could manage herself. If she couldn’t do this, there was no way she could trust herself during an exorcism.

  As Briar pulled onto the dirt road, she slowed the car down and turned to Dorian. “You really really sure you want to do this?”

  “I’m really really sure we need to,” Dorian replied with a shrug. “Something’s going on with the demons and these guys are too caught up in the semantics of the Community.”

  Briar let out another sharp puff of air, but nodded. She knew Dorian was right, and she also had to know there wasn’t another way to do this. She hit the gas harder, paying no mind to the dips and bumps in the road, and within a few minutes, they were sitting in the driveway.

  It was getting dark now, almost sunset, and the entire house was quiet. Briar had her eyes closed, her breath coming in short gasps, and when she looked up, she gave Dorian a sharp nod. “I think they’re gone. The place has a ton of protection spells on it, so I might be wrong but…”

  “No,” Dorian said as she attempted to see past the spellwork woven around the house, “I think you’re right.” She did he
r best to sense the others and someone was inside, someone besides Grant, but it wasn’t Markus or his brother.

  Getting out of the car, Dorian closed her door as quietly as she could manage as Briar grabbed the bag, and they crept up to the porch. Flipping open the entrance pad, Briar scanned her wrist and they waited, holding their breath to see if they would be allowed in.

  The machine gave a few clicks, and just as Dorian thought they’d be rejected, the lock on the door slid back and Briar pushed it open. The foyer, kitchen, and living room were dark. It was clear no one had been around in a while. A few dishes sat by the sink, and the faucet was dripping into a half-full measuring cup, but otherwise the place was dead silent.

  “We need to take advantage of this,” Briar hissed, nodding to the stairs.

  Dorian nodded and followed the Reaper on her tip-toes, trying to make as little noise as possible. They reached the landing, and Dorian’s eyes immediately focused on Grant’s door. She could feel the powerful spell. No demon which meant the spells were working, so she was going to have to draw it out.

  Just as she took a step toward the door, a quiet voice sounded from the shadows. “I should have known.”

  Briar and Dorian spun on their heel, and Dorian let out a heavy breath when Adelaide stepped out of dark. “Oh my God, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

  Adelaide’s right eyebrow quirked up, and a smirk played on her lips. “I could say the same thing about you. Markus didn’t tell me to expect anyone. Especially two Reapers with a loaded spell bag.”

  Dorian felt her cheeks pink, and she shook her head when Briar went tense. “You know what we’re doing here, don’t you.” It wasn’t meant as a question, and she felt her heart stammer in her chest when Adelaide nodded her head up and down just once. “And you know why?”

  Crossing her arms, the young teen leaned against the wall. “I figured as much. But I have to agree with Lennox, this entire plan is half-cocked and really stupid.”

  “Lennox doesn’t know we’re here,” Briar defended.

  Adelaide let out a small laugh. “Yeah, he does. You seriously think he’s that dense? I mean Dorian’s about a subtle as a hot-pink elephant.”

  Feeling her face flush again, Dorian crossed her arms in a defensive motion. “Well he didn’t stop us.”

  “No, because he knows as well as I do this is probably the only way you can get the demon to talk.”

  Briar’s eyes narrowed and she took a step toward the Seeker. “So you know what we’re after.”

  Adelaide stared at them for a moment, then she let out an exasperated breath. “I’ve been telling the Praetoriani for years. Something isn’t sitting right, hasn’t been since… well forever. Only whatever’s going on, it’s getting worse. They don’t want to listen to me, of course. Never mind they infused me with the entire fucking database of knowledge the Community possesses. Never mind I’m one of the only ones who can see the patterns. Never mind that’s what they made me for.”

  Dorian made a mental note to get to know Adelaide a little better after this. She wasn’t just a Seeker, and if they had her on their side, they could make some serious progress.

  “I am on your side,” Adelaide said, answering Dorian’s thoughts. A wave of cold fear hit the Reaper at the thought that her mind was being read, and Adelaide laughed. “I don’t do it a lot. Anyway, you’re running out of time here. It’s going to take some massive power to pull that demon through the wards then push it back again. So I suggest you get started.”

  Dorian looked over at Briar whose face was unreadable. After a long pause, Briar handed the bag over to the new Reaper and nodded her head. “You’ve got this. And the kid and I will be standing watch. You need anything at all…”

  “And I’ll scream,” Dorian said, half-joking. When no one laughed, she sighed and turned away, heading for Grant’s door. Hand on the knob, she took a few breaths, and pushed her way in.

  Chapter Thirty

  The small lamp in the corner was still on, and Grant’s even breathing on the bed said he was deep in REM. The room was stale, a faint smell of body odor saying the poor guy hadn’t been let out of the bed for much, and she assumed they were taking care of his bodily needs through bed pans and other means.

  It was demeaning, horrifying in fact, and she felt an urge to get the exorcism out of the way. This was no life for anyone, especially someone who had been tortured enough from the system and demon possession.

  Setting the bag on the floor, Dorian knelt down and did her best to retrieve what she needed without waking him up. She knew it would be easier to draw the demon out if Grant was asleep. She would have to part the spells on the chains and on the symbols plastered across the walls to allow the demon a path through to Grant’s head, and it would be quicker if his consciousness wasn’t fighting her.

  With the low light of the desk lamp, Dorian pulled the spell sheets out of the bag, setting them next to the small silver bowl, and dug in for the powders, oil, and vials of blood. The entire thing would have made her squeamish, but she was determined to get this done. As she watched the thick, red liquid dribbling onto the pile of dark ash, she felt her power stirring in her. It drifted out in an almost lazy stream and pooled into the bowl. It was a strange sight, one she wasn’t used to yet, and still it felt natural. Like she had been meant for this life all along.

  Using the brush from the bag, Dorian dipped the bristles into the liquid and began to paint the symbols along the floor, in a semi-circle around Grant’s bed. She trailed the lines up the bed posts, and then along the chains. She could feel her magic weave into the writing, twisting itself against the current wards there. When she was done, she dropped the brush back in the bowl and crouched back down in front of her supplies.

  Taking a breath, Dorian pulled the paper across the floor and found the one to part the wards. She stared at the lines as they rearranged themselves, and as her mouth began to move over the symbols, she was smacked with a wave of heat. The wards were fighting back. Lennox and Briar’s magic was trying to stop her. Her tongue stuttered, but she forced herself to go on.

  The words flowed as her power overwhelmed the spells in the room. She heard a faint cracking sound, and far off, she heard laughter. The deep, angry laughter of the demon they shoved away from the man in the bed.

  “…veolach baexihr.” The last words of the spell drifted from her mouth, and then everything was silent. The humming of the spells in the room were muted, and the only thing she could hear was the rhythmic breathing of Grant in his slumber.

  Sitting back on her heels, she frowned. She’d done everything as instructed, and yet there was nothing. No hint of the demon’s presence, no sign he was prepared to take Grant again. Letting out a breath, Dorian pushed hair back from her eyes and sat up on her knees. Peering over at the sleeping man, she reached her hand out. Perhaps he had to be conscious for it to work. She could feel the spell itself alive with her magic, and she didn’t expect to fail.

  Just before her hand made contact with his skin, there was a sudden heat in the room. Then a roar, deep in the back of her head, and she stumbled back. The spell bowl fell to the side, spilling thick red across the floor, and the thing in the bed sat up, eyes glowing yellow, mouth twisted into a silent laugh.

  “I thought I might be seeing you again.” The voice slithered out of Grant’s throat, an ugly hiss, and Dorian recoiled.

  “You know why I called you here?”

  Tugging against the chains, the demon grimaced when he realized he couldn’t break free of them. He pouted his bottom lip as he shifted, turning toward Dorian who was backing away just out of reach. “I suspect you want to hear more about your lost love.”

  Dorian’s eyes widened. “Grant?”

  The demon threw its head back, howling with laughter. “This pathetic human? No, my dear. My lovely, lovely dear. I’m not talking about this pile of meat and bones. I’m talking about the other half of your soul. The one you cast out so cruelly.”

&n
bsp; “Nic.” The name tasted like ash on her tongue, and she sat up, her arms crossed over her chest. “He’s nothing to me.”

  The demon’s smile twisted wider. “So you say.” The creature shifted in the bed to get a better look at her. Its head tilted to the left and as Dorian stared at it, she could see it changing between the demon’s face, and Grant’s. “Are you here to let me go?”

  Dorian’s eyes widened and a startled laugh escaped her lips. “Of course not.”

  Letting out a sigh, the demon straightened. “So you’re here to question me. You want to know why I know so much about you?” It shifted against the chains again, the metal clinking hard against itself.

  Moving her position, she remained in a defensive crouch, but sat up more to get a better look at this thing. She was terrified on a level which defied all reason, that was true, but there was a comfort in the thought that this demon couldn’t get into her head. She watched it watching her, its eyes narrow as it studied her movements, and she realized it knew just as much about her as she did about it. Rumors, myth, assumptions. Nothing more.

  “Before my exorcism,” Dorian said, keeping her gaze trained on the demon, “I was able to get a peek into your world.”

  “Beyond the doorway?”

  “Just a glimpse.”

  The demon’s mouth spread into an ugly smile. “Beautiful isn’t it? Beautiful and terrible. How did it make you feel to peer into the infinite?”

  Dorian took her time before she answered. “Terrified. Awed.”

  “And powerful?”

  She gulped, afraid to admit the truth, but she had the demon on the hook. It was engaged with her now, opening up. “I could feel where my power was coming from. When I cast Nic out, I was drawing from that well of power in your realm.”