Counselor of the Damned

by Angela Daniels

  Gloom weighed down her spirit. When a thick black pool of miasma bubbled up around her feet, she had no desire to escape. She deserved this.

  The sticky, tar-like substance pulled at her pants legs as the Lephiri advanced on Fernando. One of them pulled Father Morgan away. The priest screamed and flailed, reaching for Fernando. The angelic warrior easily restrained him.

  The second Lephiri stood in front of the chained vampire. Fernando closed his eyes and smiled. Bile rose in her throat at the sight of the welcoming look on his face. As the satanic miasma crawled over her waist, numbing every part of her it touched, she hoped it would consume her before she had to watch him die. Too much of a coward to witness what I made happen.

  The glowing angels raised their swords. The first inky finger of miasma slid across her cheek. She closed her eyes but couldn’t shut out Father Morgan’s shrill cries.

  * * * *

  The heavy sucking of the miasma evaporated. Her stomach rose up into her throat for a split second before she crashed into something soft and springy. A love seat.

  Pandemonium surrounded her. Shouts and a grating cackle. She curled up like a child, making herself as small as possible while she looked around, assessing danger.

  A winged Lephiri stood at Jaime’s back. Tegonni jumped and fell off the couch. Fernando! I have to save him. She whipped her head around, searching, but he wasn’t here. Mr. Deveroe stood in the middle of the room, smirking at Jaime and the Lephiri. Mr. Deveroe. The meeting with him and Melissa. His black, evil eyes. That bastard! Anger rose within Tegonni, starting to edge out her fear.

  Jaime drew runes of white flame in the air. Glaring, Deveroe struggled, but failed to move from where he stood in the middle of the room, between Tegonni and safety.

  The Lephiri held her sword in a single-handed grip as she crouched. She was out of Jaime’s way, but close enough to step in and help. “I stand ready to strike him down if your spell doesn’t hold him.”

  “I think I can exorcise the demon and take him alive.” Jaime held her hands up and pushed the blazing runes into Deveroe. His aura lit up around him, an egg shape blacker than coal. Where the magic symbols touched, the aura crackled with white lighting.

  The runes burst through the darkness, which swirled away into nothing. The symbols glowed on Deveroe’s skin before fading. Deveroe collapsed to his knees. “Bitch! That demon was my gift from Beelzebub.”

  Jaime exhaled and teetered over to him in her high red power heels. She drew another glyph on him, one Tegonni didn’t recognize but hoped was for containment. The chances of the old man having a second demon piggybacking on him were small, but her vote was for overprotection.

  Jaime spoke to a security guard in the doorway. “Let Dr. Jenson in. And help me with Mr. Deveroe.” Nat rushed past the guard and knelt beside Tegonni. He looked her over as he patted her arms and legs. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.” Remembering the thud after Deveroe put them on the ceiling, Tegonni grabbed his arm. “Is Melissa okay? Did he put her under too?”

  “We got her out. She may have a cracked rib, but didn’t go under.” He finished checking for injuries and helped her stand. “He almost got you. What did you see, hon?”

  She shook her head. She didn’t want to get into it here within earshot of Jaime.

  Jaime and the guard dragged the now harmless old man up onto his feet.

  “Is he going to detention, Ms. Weir?” the guard asked.

  “No.”

  “What?” Tegonni stepped forward. “The man is a devotee of Beelzebub and a magician. He’s dangerous!”

  “We’ll try rehab first.”

  Tegonni, speechless at the unexpected mercy from Jaime, could only manage a grunt in protest.

  Miles Deveroe leaned heavily on the guard’s arm as he chuckled. “Ah, that’s why I love you weaklings. You should kill me, missy. You’re just giving me another chance to attack. Thanks.”

  “You won’t be attacking anyone with that containment spell on you. Let’s get him out of here.” Jaime followed the guard as he helped Deveroe to the door. She paused and looked back at Tegonni. “Good to have you back, Dr. Ellis. You’re unharmed?”

  “Just rattled.”

  “I’m surprised you let him trance you, let alone almost succeed in trapping your soul. Must have been some vision.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “I was worried about Melissa and opened my eyes.” A heart-to-heart with Jaime about the demon-created reality was so not going to happen.

  “It’s all right. The important thing is we stopped him.” She hesitated. “I understand if you don’t want discuss the experience with me, but you need to talk to someone. And I need a report.”

  Tegonni retreated to Nat’s side. Great. With my luck, she’ll want it by close of business today.

  “Infiltration is serious, Dr. Ellis. I want all the information to find out how he succeeded.”

  “He said he was in control.” She jumped on the small change in topic. “The demon didn’t consume his soul and take over. Maybe that allowed it to mask itself in his aura?”

  Jaime stared coldly at the door through which the old man had been taken. “Maybe. I suppose it’s possible if the man is a magic user. We will find out.”

  Nodding, Tegonni relaxed against Nat’s arm. She’d been worried Jaime would go easy on Deveroe with her talk of rehab, but her chilly glare was reassuring. As long as it isn’t directed at me.

  “What a waste. I hate to see a magician tricked into working for them. Maybe we can still bring him back to our side. We could use his talent and knowledge.”

  Tegonni gaped. “Jaime, this man wasn’t tricked. He willingly—”

  “He may have been lured with the usual promises—wealth, extended life—but I don’t believe anyone chooses to be evil just for the hell of it. Humans are inherently good. There’s still a chance to straighten Mr. Deveroe out.”

  A short laugh burst out of Tegonni’s mouth. Unbelievable. Not that her boss’s sentiment wasn’t admirable. Trying to help him was the compassionate thing to do. However, considering Jaime’s callous attitude toward Fernando, this misplaced confidence in Deveroe felt like a slap in the face. “The man tried to destroy me in order to curry favor from a Demon Lord.”

  Jaime frowned. “All necessary precautions will be taken. Get that miasma cleansed, then go rest.”

  “I’ll handle it and take her home.” Nat rubbed her arm. “I don’t think she or Melissa should be alone right now.”

  “Fine.” Jaime waved a hand. “Don’t forget about the report, Dr. Ellis. The more information I have, the more likely I am to find a way to rehabilitate him.”

  She teetered out, taking no notice of the glare Tegonni directed at her back.

  Chapter Six

  Tegonni’s cup of tea lay untouched on the polished wood coffee table as she paced the room. Nat sipped his as he watched her from her living room couch. She passed the gas fireplace, positioned where one would normally find a television, and paused at the apartment’s small walk-in kitchen.

  Pacing was a habit she’d love to break, but just now she needed to burn off her agitation. With a growl, she turned and stalked back toward the bay windows. Leaning on a bookcase, she absently stared at the tenth floor city-view, then turned around and paced some more.

  Nat set down his tea. “Enough already. You suck at holding things in, so talk. You’ll feel better.”

  “Jaime pissed me off with her double talk.” She mimicked their boss’s high, brisk voice. “‘People are inherently good.’ But she dismissed Fernando without a thought.”

  Nat leaned his head on the couch. “Back to Fernando again? After all that happened to you today? Sure you aren’t avoiding dealing with the attack?”

  Tegonni rolled her eyes. “Perhaps, but mostly I’m outraged at Jaime’s hypocrisy.”

  “Well, don’t hate me, but I thought Jaime made some sense.”

  Tegonni crossed her arms and stared at him.

  “I
’m not saying I agree with her about Fernando, only that I understand where she’s coming from. She thinks everything—humans, demons, Lephiri, vampires—are good or evil by nature. That they can act the opposite way, but can’t truly change their nature. You believe humans, and possibly vampires, are not inherently good or evil, and must choose their path.”

  “Hmm. Yeah, well that would explain why she sees Fernando as a lost cause and not Deveroe. I would have agreed with Jaime’s thinking before I met Fernando. Now I have doubts.”

  Nat sipped his tea. After a moment he said, “While you’re searching your soul, you might also ask yourself if you believe all vampires are capable of good or just Fernando.”

  She plopped down on the couch. “He is unique.”

  “Maybe.”

  Before she could ask him to explain himself, he changed topics.

  “What happened today?”

  She groaned. “I screwed up because I was scared for Melissa. What a shitty thing to happen to an intern.”

  Nat shuddered. “No doubt, but I think she’ll be fine. Will you?”

  Worry lines creased around his eyes. She could kick herself for not thinking of how scared for her he must have been. “I’m all right, Nat. Thanks for being here with me.”

  He smiled. “Of course.”

  “And I’m not ignoring my feelings by focusing on Fernando’s problems. I’m terrified by the fact that Deveroe and his pet demon almost snatched my soul.” An outcome worse than death. In all her years as a Lightworker, she’d never worried about being tricked by a demon’s mind games. She was a therapist, trained in psychology, after all. But that hadn’t made a difference. She’d come so close to having her soul imprisoned. A chill ran through her. “And the reason he nearly succeeded—the weakness he used—was my conflicted feelings about Fernando.”

  “Wow.” Nat blew out a breath. “Okay, so let me help you sort it out.”

  “Thanks.” She dove into the details of the vision. Nat’s eyes got round when she described Father Morgan’s condition and Fernando’s remorse. After she’d finished with the description of being swallowed by the miasma, he set down his cup and gave her a one-armed hug. “That’s awful. He played off your fears. You do realize the vision isn’t the reality of the situation, right?”

  “It might be.” Tegonni stood and started pacing again. “His assistant called me yesterday and said the chimp blood isn’t working, and that I’m encouraging Fernando to be something he’s not. Last night he told me he had it under control, though he’s taking some anti-craving potion to help.”

  Nat raised an eyebrow.

  “Never mind that. Point is, I believed him.”

  “He told you this on your ‘not date’?” Nat sipped his tea, his tone casual, but she knew he wanted more details of her outing with the vampire. When she’d mentioned Fernando’s troubling declarations that morning, Nat had seemed torn between concern and delight. That was when he’d dubbed it her ‘not date.’ She really wished he wouldn’t call it that. She sent him her best scathing look.

  He did not look apologetic. “Please, continue.”

  “I need him off blood before I have a chance of convincing him that Heaven’s approval is a decent stand-in for salvation. But maybe I’m so focused on that, I’m ignoring a big problem here. What if he loses it? Seeing the possible consequences in that vision…” She shook her head as Nat opened his mouth, surely about to protest. “I know it wasn’t real, but I also know demons enjoy taunting with the truth as well as lies. Fernando may think he has control over this thirst but could snap at any moment. That could mean someone’s life. And I’d be equally responsible.”

  “Damn. You’re right.”

  The defeat in his voice paused her steps. She hugged herself, feeling as lost as she had in the vision.

  Nat put down his cup. “Don’t go all hopeless yet. You need to get Fernando to be honest about what he’s experiencing with the substitute. Even if he’s having issues, they still might be workable without him having an accident like in the vision. I think it’s safe to assume that was the melodramatic version of possibilities.”

  She wiped away her tears and tried to refocus. Nat was right, of course. The demon would use the worst-case scenario.

  “And if the substitute truly isn’t an option long-term… Well, his assistant may have a point. Perhaps the key is not to change his behavior, but find a way for him to accept drinking human blood as being okay.”

  With a bitter laugh, Tegonni shook her head. “But Nat, it’s not. Remember the whole enthrallment problem?” Father Morgan’s face flashed in her mind, expression both anguished and enraptured…and devoid of the man she knew.

  “I’m one hundred percent onboard the ‘compulsion is evil’ train. I’m challenging the assumption that it’s inseparable from the feeding process.”

  “Matanji said—”

  “I know she said it was impossible, but she also said vampires are a blind spot for the Lephiri.”

  Matanji had said that. There could be a way only the vampires knew about. But wouldn’t Fernando have mentioned it? She rubbed her temples, trying to stave off a headache. Fernando might actually keep such information to himself. From what she’d learned of him in the last several weeks, he’d considered drinking human blood evil, period. “If there is a way for him to feed without compelling, he’d probably consider it an unacceptable loophole. I don’t think he’d be swayed from his death wish.”

  Nat picked up his teacup and gave her a wry smile over its rim. “Well then, Dr. Ellis, it will be your job to convince him it is acceptable.”

  Tegonni pondered the notion. Theoretically, it made sense. If she could show Fernando a circumstance in which feeding was a good thing, he might be able to let go of the idea that he was evil. But, even without enthrallment, she didn’t think she could come up with such a situation. She struggled with not seeing it as evil. Viewing it as a good thing? That was a stretch.

  “I don’t know. I’ll consider it since it’s the only plan B I have, but I’m still hoping the chimp blood will work out. Even if he needs to supplement with human blood. Maybe transition slower. I don’t want Fernando to have to live with what I saw in my vision.”

  “Agreed. You sure about meeting him tonight?”

  “Yes. Shouldn’t I?” The first thing she’d done when she and Nat walked into her condo was call Hanna Preston and arrange an emergency meeting with Fernando. The woman’s clipped tone had let Tegonni know her criticism had not changed. Whatever. Tegonni had bigger problems.

  “Don’t know. When you made the call, you looked terrified something had happened to Fernando. I assume now, you expected to find out he had sucked some poor victim dry. Now you’re calm and things are less urgent. You up to a meeting?”

  She collapsed on the couch, considering. “No. However, I need to know how he’s doing with the blood packs.”

  “Okay. If you’re sure.”

  Tegonni recognized his ‘disapproval’ voice. “What?”

  “I know how hard this case has been for you. Especially with it being secret, but…”

  “Talk.”

  “Okay. I think you’ve lost your professional distance on this one. “

  Heat spread across her cheeks. “I’m a bit more emotionally involved than I should be, but boundaries aren’t being crossed.”

  “Physical boundaries aren’t all you have to look out for. I’m not judging. I just think you need to be honest with yourself. If you’re falling for him—”

  “Stop.” A mirthless laugh escaping her. Her nerves were drawn tight. Nat was a good friend who knew her well. Of course he’d picked up her conflicted feelings about this case. “That’s not happening.”

  He shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Okay.” She tasted her tea. Lukewarm, the tangy, fruity beverage was far from refreshing.

  “So, what are you going to wear?”

  She sputtered, sending tea droplets spraying onto the coffee table. “What? I d
on’t know. Something light. My peach dress maybe. It’s supposed to be pretty warm tonight.”

  Wiping the liquid up with a napkin, Nat said, “Uh-huh. I see.”

  “You see what?”

  He waved a hand, but smirked. “Nothing. Why don’t you take a relaxing bath? I’ll throw us something together to eat. Movie before you leave?”

  “Yeah. We have plenty of time. Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  She started toward the hall and then turned around. She wanted to know what that smirk was about. “Should I not wear the peach dress?”

  “You absolutely should wear it. I think it’s perfect.”

  She narrowed her eyes at his benign smile but didn’t harass him further.

  As she continued to the bathroom, she heard his amused murmur, “Perfect for a date.”

  Chapter Seven

  That evening, Tegonni brushed invisible lint off her dress as she walked through the muggy summer night toward the church’s grand two-door entrance. She paused at the top of the steps and patted her riot of tiny windblown curls back into shape. “I am not nervous.”

  The fluttering in her stomach said different. She wanted to attribute it to the stressful day, but she knew better. She was giddy and weak-kneed. It’s the dress. Darn Nat for making me self-conscious. The peach chiffon and eyelet lace was appropriate for church, but she couldn’t deny it was also alluring, if in a virginal way. Just the type of look that a Catholic vampire might find attractive. “Get a grip.” She yanked open a door.

  Fernando stood near the back pew and walked toward her as she went inside. Giddy relief washed through her at seeing him calm and relaxed. Not on the verge of a violent breakdown. In fact, he was in full charmer mode.

  “Senhorita,” he said over her hand before brushing his lips across her fingers. He wore another of his many expensive suits, this one a charcoal gray, but he had taken off the jacket, leaving his chest covered by a thin silk shirt, unbuttoned at the top. As he bent in his formal greeting, she took in the rich honey skin and sparse hairs hiding beneath the shirt. From what she could see, he’d be toned and delicious shirtless. She shook herself. Whoa. Today had taken a toll on her if her boundaries were slipping.