Last Breath

by Debra Dunbar

  She grinned. “No idea. When I get to hell, I’ll let you know. It’s almost midnight. Let’s do this thing.”

  Raven lit the candles and incense, securing the magical space with additional care. I put out the offering of wine, then got my sword.

  “You sure?” Raven nodded to the weapon. “That’s a little confrontational.”

  “And answering the summons meant for another demon, breaking out of a circle, and marking me isn’t confrontational?”

  She pursed her lips. “Point taken. Go ahead Templar girl. Bring this thing over.”

  Templar girl. It’s what the smoke demon had called me.

  I was scared—bone chilling, can’t-make-my-hands-stop-shaking scared. There was a time when Templars faced their fears every day. Our lives weren’t like that anymore. Well, at least other Templars’ lives weren’t. I was different. This path I’d chosen meant I’d need to get real comfortable with racing hearts and shaking hands.

  “I invoke, conjure, and command thee spirit to appear before me in this circle. Come into this circle and give answers, faithful and true, to all my questions. Come peaceably without delay into my presence.” Drawing Vine’s sigil on a piece of parchment I touched it to the flame of the candle in the southern quarter and tossed it into the metal bowl.

  “Vine, I request your presence. Appear before me and hear my appeal.”

  This was more difficult than it should have been because I wasn’t actually calling Vine, I was calling whoever seemed to be answering his doorbell. I sat down to meditate, but instead of focusing on a vision of the Goetic demon in my mind, I thought of another. A creature of black smoke and red eyes, who spoke with a deep, husky voice.

  Centering, balancing, I let go of this world and called out, “Vine, I respectfully ask you to appear. I need your knowledge, and would like to share an offering with you”

  As before, a surge of energy hit the room, rocking me backward. The candle flames went sideways, incense smoke flattened on the ground in a spiral around the outer edge of the circle. Raven uttered a soft curse, staring hard at the center of the circle where dark smoke curled lazily from the floor.

  I felt a presence pressing against me. Starting in the southern quarter, the flames atop the black candles went out one by one. I heard a stirring sound, a shuffling of leaves and a crackle of fire, then the symbols around the circle glowed bright white. The curl of midnight smoke thickened, rising in a column from the floor and flowing outward to the border of symbols.

  The pressure against my chest increased, and I noticed that Raven felt it, too. She grimaced, placing one hand against her stomach, holding the other hand outward to push her energy into the protective barrier of runes. I took tiny breaths and tried not to panic. I had help. Raven knew what she was doing. I wasn’t here, facing this monster alone. Someone, for once, had my back.

  The black smoke coalesced into a bipedal shape. Eyes glowed like coals, blue flames around the edges. In the dim light of the apartment I could see the impressive horns rising from his head, the gnash of sharp, white teeth in a black snout.

  “What is your name and why do you answer my call for Vine?”

  I might as well figure out who I was dealing with, along with some idea of what happened to the demon I’d originally summoned.

  The demon poked at the southern corner. Sparks flew from the runes, and I had a momentary fear of burning down my apartment.

  “Lovely distraction you have here, my Templar girl. Did your helper assist you? Am I to be so transfixed by such shiny things that I don’t notice this house of cards you think to hold me in?”

  Crap. I held my breath and shot a quick glance over at Raven. Her face was puffed out and red from the exertion of holding the circle intact. Ideally the symbols should hold the barrier on their own. Who was this demon that it took an experienced mage’s entire attention just to contain?

  And I wasn’t sure she was even doing that. Raven might be holding this demon in place for now, but I got the impression that with one flick of his smoky finger, he’d be free. And that every last bit of power both Raven and I possessed couldn’t stop him if he wanted out of the circle.

  “Who are you and what have you done with Vine?” I was incapable of formal speech at this point. Heck, I was incapable of just about any speech at all.

  The demon folded his insubstantial arms across his chest. For a non-solid creature he seemed pretty darned solid right now, as if the smoke were only a covering over an actual flesh and blood form.

  “Why is there concern over a minor demon such as Vine? Stop calling for him, lest I become jealous. Thou shalt put none before me, Templar girl.”

  Exodus 20:3, although I noticed that even in the attempt to co-opt God’s Word, he didn’t have the balls to refer to himself as in the same league.

  “I can’t call on you. I don’t know your name. Thrice asked in a circle of runes, what is your name?”

  There. I’d managed to regain my composure enough to phrase my request in the proper fashion. Three times was the most he’d be able to wiggle out of answering my question. If the circle held, that is.

  The demon seemed pleased. I had no idea how I knew this. The expressionless face had not changed, he still held the same stance. The only thing that moved was the smoke that cloaked him, shifting and rolling like an ocean tide.

  “You may address me as Balsur. That is the name you may use when you ask me to appear before you, and when you beg me for mercy.”

  This wasn’t a demon you demanded anything of, and I got the feeling he wasn’t stretching the truth about the beg-for-mercy thing. He might be a higher power, heck, he might be a really, really higher power, but it never did a mage any good to grovel before hell’s minions. I might doubt my abilities, but to bluff before a demon was to have a smidgeon of a chance at staying alive.

  “What is your station, Balsur? How many do you command, and which Duke do you call your Master?”

  He laughed. I heard the exterior walls of the building creak with the force of it. My new window groaned in the sill. Something tickled in my ear and without even touching it to look, I knew it was blood.

  “There is only one I call Master. I will tell you no more than that, little Templar, even if you ask me thrice. Suffice it to know I command legions and that Vine will not be answering any summons in the future.”

  I fought a moment of panic as the demon again placed a finger against the edge of the circle. One of the symbols dimmed, then went black. I heard Raven whimper.

  The circle was broken, but still Balsur remained inside.

  “Curiosity, my sweet girl, will be your downfall. What is it you wish? I have knowledge of things you have only dreamed of. Come sit by my feet and I will fill you up with all I know.”

  I wasn’t about to sit at that thing’s feet. Dealing with demons was a terrifying prospect, one that would lose me my soul if I wasn’t careful. I’d been marked. This Balsur clearly wanted me to be his for all eternity. I needed to proceed very cautiously if I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.

  “In the last day I have seen another who was demon-marked. He was killed in a magical ceremony, his soul claimed by the mage. I would like to know what claims demons have on their marked, if they are able to come and go as they please and keep track of those souls they someday wish to take. I would also like to know what happens when another takes a marked soul.”

  The silence as Balsur considered my request was punctuated by small gasps emanating from Raven. I wondered if she’d remember any of this once the demon left, if she’d need to sleep for days to recover.

  “You refer to Mansi’s mark. Humans are not usually so careless as to take a soul meant for hell. The only reason we allow them to take souls at all is because there are so many to choose from. ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.’”

  Leviticus 19:9. It actually wasn’t all that disturbing to have a demon
quote Leviticus at me. What was disturbing was that he equated “allowing” humans to harvest souls as a part of a death magic ritual to the charity of leaving scraps of wheat in the field for the poor.

  Balsur ran a finger along the three runes in front of him. They darkened. Raven made a gurgling noise. “We can cross the veil through the strength of our mark. It is an added benefit that allows us to ensure the soul flourishes and ripens as we wish it to. Nurturing the souls we plan to harvest is part of the joy in having access to this plane, as is seeking out other beings worthy of our attention.”

  This was not just a run-of-the-mill demon. Sun, Raven had said. I’d need to research that further, once I got the horrendous image of demons “nurturing” souls out of my head.

  “As for what claims we have on our marked, the answer is none. Your soul is your own, Solaria Angelique Ainsworth, and it will remain your own until you willingly hand it over into my care. The mark is simply a way to keep track of our favorite fruit in an orchard of billions, and to ensure none other tastes what is meant for our table alone.”

  I felt like I was going to throw up. The coal-red eyes held mine, and with a sweep he extinguished the remaining runes. There was no sound from Raven. There was nothing visible in the darkness of my apartment but those red eyes staring into my own.

  “I would be very angry if someone else had the effrontery to dine on you, Templar girl. Whoever did so would suffer. And I would ensure that others knew the price they would pay for such a trespass.”

  “Is Mansi the one who killed the six Fiore Noir mages this evening?”

  The eyes moved closer. I tried to keep my breath even. Balsur wouldn’t kill me—not while my soul still belonged to me. Although Raven… I swallowed hard and tried not to let my thoughts wander in that direction.

  “Tonight was a group effort. Shall I give you their names? Yes, I think I will. I enjoy watching you in action. Something stirs in me to see you battle so fiercely against evil, knowing that one day you will lie in its embrace. Mansi. Dalgas. Gi’nar. Pinen.”

  Four demons. Four. I’d struggled to banish Innyhal even with my sister’s help. Who was I kidding? If Balsur hadn’t stepped in, Innyhal might still be here while Athena and I lay dead on the floor. How was I to banish four demons?

  I felt an icy tendril of smoke against my hand and my thoughts snapped back to Balsur. “Please accept my offering in return for your information. Return to hell directly, not to appear unless summoned again.”

  It wasn’t a very formal close to the summoning, and my voice squeaked like I’d been inhaling helium. Balsur, unsurprisingly, did not obey.

  “A paltry offering, Solaria Angelique Ainsworth. Now that you understand the value of my services, I expect your next offering to be of substantially greater value.”

  He’d not get my soul. Cheap wine was all I had to offer, and if he didn’t like it he could always refuse to appear. But there was no way I could speak to him with such defiance while he stroked my skin, free from the broken circle, so I just nodded.

  “I ask that you return to hell directly, not to appear unless summoned again.”

  Ask. Not demand. Because I didn’t have enough confidence to demand anything of this demon and I really didn’t want to piss him off.

  He chuckled, icy insubstantial fingers leaving my arm. “Very well, Templar. But only because you asked so very nicely. Until we meet again.”

  Again there was a vacuum in the room, as if everything were being sucked toward the center of the circle. The red eyes vanished, and even though I’d turned them off before we began, my lights flickered on.

  I immediately ran to Raven who was sitting on the floor, cupping a bloody nose and wheezing like an asthmatic. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Kleenex?”

  Her voice sounded thick and gurgly. I had no tissues of any brand, so I ran into the bathroom, yanked the toilet paper off the roll and handed it to her.

  “Damn, that is the scariest mother fucking demon I’ve ever seen. That was horror movie scary. Damn.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. I agreed with her. And the scariest part was that I had this demon’s mark on my side. Raven went through half a roll of toilet paper, finally standing with a wad of it wedged up her nose.

  “Well, bring out the books, girlfriend. We’ve got four demons to research and banish.”

  I blinked at her. “But they’re targeting Fiore Noir, Baltimore mages, not your Haul Du ones. These are the very mages who killed Bliss, who orchestrated the deaths at Dupont Circle.”

  “And these are demons who won’t care about collateral damage, won’t worry about the mother with three kids at the park when they start ripping limbs off people. Demons kill. Yeah, I may want Fiore Noir dead, but demons won’t really care how many hundreds of others die because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  I didn’t want them roaming around anymore than Raven did. And I’d rather Fiore Noir face justice at Tremelay’s hands than ones from hell. So I went over to one of my many bookshelves that lines the walls and began pulling down books. Raven took them from me, spreading them out on the table. This was going to be a long night. I wasn’t sure if we’d have time to do any minor banishments before sunrise when the magical spell would prove less effective. After my difficult time with Innyhal, I wasn’t eager to dive into four more banishments in a twenty-four hour period. And I wasn’t sure Raven would have the strength for it either.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Hey.”

  When I turned Raven was staring at me intently. It would have been a poignant moment in our friendship had she not had wads of toilet paper stuffed up her nose.

  “I’m helping you get that mark off of you. That Balsur… I’m helping you. If it’s the last thing I do I’ll make sure that mark is removed. That demon isn’t getting your soul, and he’s not getting a free pass here on your skin either.”

  Again I felt a wash of relief flow through me. Balsur had kicked her ass. He’d casually blown past her magic, overcome her charged circle with a flick of his finger. But it still felt good to know someone was on my side. Together we’d figure this out.

  She’d once been the closest thing I’d ever had to a best friend. I’d been crushed when Haul Du had thrown me out and she’d turned her back on me with the rest of the mages. But now…? Just talking with her the last few days brought back to me how much we’d had in common, how much I’d enjoyed our easy banter. My bestie was back. I wondered if she liked to LARP?

  “Thanks. Let’s take care of all this demon/human sacrifice/angel bullshit, then we’ll turn our attention to Balsur.

  She picked up one of the books and plopped down on the sofa, one of the blood-soaked chunks of toilet paper falling out of her nose as she threw her feet up on the cushions. “Deal. I gotta ask though—Solaria Angelique Ainsworth? What the fuck kind of name is that?”

  Chapter 25

  WE WERE BURIED in demonology reference books and sticky notes when someone started banging on my door.

  “Police!” I recognized Tremelay’s voice even with an unfamiliar edge of panic in it. “Ainsworth! You in there?”

  Ugh. I’d forgotten about the dead guy in my parking space.

  “Coming!”

  I threw open the door. The detective sagged with relief, his eyes traveling over me. “I need you to come downstairs and see something.”

  I shot Raven a quick look and she waved me on, her nose buried in a thick leather-bound tome. Stepping into the hallway, I shut the door behind me and followed Tremelay down the stairs.

  “I’m so sorry. I should have called you but I knew you were dealing with the other crime scene, and there was something I had to do right at midnight.”

  He halted on the steps so abruptly I nearly ran into his backside, his face incredulous as he spun around to face me. “You knew? You just left them there for other tenants to find?”

  “I know, I know. I meant to call you right after the summoning, but Ra
ven and I jumped right into research. I figured he wasn’t going anywhere, and the quicker we can banish the four demons running around the city the better.”

  It sounded lame. I could have spared the time for one phone call, but honestly I’d been so shaken up from my encounter with Balsur that I’d forgotten.

  Tremelay shook his head, murmuring something about crazy women and continued down the stairs. I winced and followed, already seeing the flash of blue and red through the open door to the apartment building.

  John Ash had company. There wasn’t just one dead guy in my parking space, there were five. They were neatly stacked side by side, evenly spaced. Either this angel had an OCD streak, or the police had moved them.

  Tremelay waved his hand toward the bodies. “I’m guessing here, but our angel is back? Not happy with druggies and a cosplay guy in a park, he’s now killing accountants and engineers and displaying them at your doorstep like gruesome offerings?”

  I sighed, running a hand through my hair. How much sleep had Tremelay gotten in the past few days? Probably not much more than I had. One of the cops walking up to us had a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and I eyed it enviously, wishing this was all over with so I could catch some shut-eye.

  “John Ash. He’s the one with the beard at the end. He’s also one of the names on the list we found at David Alban’s house in DC. I’m sure if you get the ID on the others you’ll see they’re on the list, too.”

  I quickly told Tremelay about what we’d found at Bliss’s house and my theory on why Araziel was killing these guys, as well as what my chat with Balsur had revealed about the mass murder this evening. Gryla’s information I attributed to Balsur, not wanting to get into my confrontation with the elderly woman in my parking lot. Besides, I had no idea where those dead mages were. Hopefully she or someone else had already alerted the police about that crime scene.

  “Vigilante angel and demons bent on revenge.” The detective shook his head, then turned his scowl on me. “And you went through the guy’s pockets to get his ID, leaving your fingerprints all over him? Then you left him here in the parking lot while you ran upstairs to summon another demon?”