Corruption

by Jennifer Blackstream

  I watched Thomas out of the corner of my eye. It was a big step from caring about someone enough to wish they would stay to murdering two people to keep them. Still…

  “The demon claims it wants the separation,” Father Salvatore spoke up. He stepped in front of the bench between Andy and Laurie. “But demons lie. Demons always lie. It is one of the few truths of them you can count on.”

  “She seemed convincing,” Andy said.

  Father Salvatore tilted his head down and studied Andy over the black rims of his glasses. “Are you a man of faith, Agent Bradford?”

  “I have faith in the justice system,” he answered evenly.

  “But not in God?”

  “No.”

  I waited, along with Father Salvatore, Thomas, and Laurie, but Andy didn’t add anything else. It made me study him more closely. I’d never discussed faith with Andy, never given it much thought. But in my experience, when a priest asked someone if they had faith, and that person answered no, they usually offered a reason. An explanation for why they didn’t believe, or an alternative they wanted to offer. But Andy stood there, peacefully. Not a trace of apology or discomfort. For a split second, I thought of the scars that covered his back and upper arms, the scars I’d seen only recently. Had someone beaten the faith out of him?

  “I wonder if perhaps it would not be wise for you to extricate yourself from this case,” Father Salvatore observed. “There is no greater vulnerability when facing a demon than doubt.”

  “He’s right,” Thomas spoke up. “You put everyone in danger by insisting on fighting forces you can’t possibly understand.”

  “I don’t have doubt,” Andy corrected him. “I don’t believe in God. It’s not the same thing.”

  I winced. The priests weren’t wrong. I personally had nothing against atheists. But they were at a distinct disadvantage against demons. An image of the kelpies rose in my mind, the fury in their equine eyes when they glared at Andy after he shot their comrade. Hadn’t he already made enough enemies working with me without adding a demon to the list?

  “Andy, maybe he’s right,” I said quietly. “Maybe you should let me work this one alone.”

  “No.”

  Again, he didn’t add anything more. Obviously, he didn’t feel the need to explain himself.

  “I will pray for you,” Father Salvatore said finally. He turned to me. “You have faith.”

  It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “Yes.”

  He didn’t ask for details. Maybe because he didn’t want to know, or maybe because he didn’t need to know. Either way, it was probably for the best. My faith was strong, but I didn’t work to define it like most humans did. I felt a presence, a power outside of myself. I had someone to talk to in my moments of weakness, someone to ask for help when there was no one else to ask. A calm serenity that waited for me when I chose to seek it out. It was enough for me. Names and definitions were superfluous.

  “So you think the demon lied about wanting the separation?” Andy said, directing the question to Laurie. “Wouldn’t the demon have used fire to kill them? A gun seems terribly mundane.”

  “Lorelei is a dybbuk,” I told him. “They don’t control fire.”

  He wrote that down. “What do they do?”

  “A small variety of tricks and manipulations,” I said. “Dybbuks can use telekinesis, and a limited form of telepathy. They can speak any language. If they can overcome your will, they can modify your memory, either erasing or changing an existing memory or planting a false one.” A shiver ran down my spine. “At the height of their power, they can channel negative energy like a physical or psychic force. Sort of like beating you to death, or turning your brain to mush by focusing their energy on you.”

  “It cannot do that anymore,” Laurie spoke up. “As I have lost the ability to channel divine energy, so has it lost the power to channel infernal energy. We are bound too closely, neither of us is as pure as such abilities would require.”

  “So maybe she did need a gun,” Peasblossom observed.

  Andy wrote that down. “Anything else?”

  “No,” Laurie said.

  “Well, that’s not exactly true,” Peasblossom argued. “She could work other magic through you.”

  “No,” Laurie corrected her. “I can work other magic, if I accept her influence.”

  Andy frowned, his pen halting its dance over the notepad. “Explain.”

  “The way a possession works is sort of like downloading a new program onto your computer,” I started.

  “Oh gods, she’s going to try using a technology analogy,” Peasblossom muttered. “Hold on to your megabytes.”

  I ignored her. “Let’s say you want your computer to be able to play movies. You need a program to play the movie through, so you download that program. And you get that pop up box that prompts you to give the program permission to make changes to your computer.”

  Laurie barked out a short, humorless laugh. “Yes. Except in this case, I must give the demon permission to add another layer of stain to my soul. It is not something I am willing to accept.”

  “And even if she did, there’s a downside to every benefit,” Peasblossom added.

  “For example…?” Andy asked.

  I tapped a finger on my pouch as I considered that. “Well, for example, if Laurie wanted to use telekinesis, she could. But if she did, the demon’s influence would exert more control over her. So she might be quicker to anger, or more likely to turn on her friends in a moment of panic or fear.”

  “There are many promises the demon whispers in my ear,” Laurie said darkly. “Accept me, and I will make you stronger, faster, more agile. Let me help you, and I will lift you into thin air, let you fly. But like a drug, there is a crash to follow every high. You run faster now, but later you will fall as if your legs are no longer yours to command. Command objects to move at your will, but be prepared to turn that same gift against your friends in a fit of blind rage.” She shook her head. “It is never worth it.”

  “If the demon wanted a gun, it wouldn’t be difficult to get it,” Andy said. “We’ll have to search the church and make sure it wasn’t left behind.” He faced Laurie. “It would help if you could walk me through exactly what happened.”

  Chapter 5

  “Start from the beginning.” Andy flipped to a fresh page of his notebook. “Who invited the twins here?”

  Laurie gripped the edge of the stone bench with both hands. “I have a standing request at the Ministry of Deliverance. When I was first…” She lifted her chin. “When I was first possessed, they took me to a monastery in Italy. For one year, a stream of exorcists attempted to rid me of the demon. Back then, you understand, travel took much longer, as did communication. I received four exorcisms that year, all of which failed. After that, I traveled on my own, seeking someone willing to try again.”

  “I’m sorry, what’s the Ministry of Deliverance?”

  “It is a division of the Vanguard,” I explained. “They deal with exorcisms and hauntings.”

  Andy wrote that down. “Go on.”

  Laurie sighed and pried her fingers from the bench. “After a century, I could no longer find anyone willing to try. Too many died in the attempt.”

  “Died?” Andy interrupted.

  A crease pinched the skin between Laurie’s eyebrows. “Yes. Agent Bradford, exorcisms are serious, and very dangerous. The exorcist is battling a demon. In my case, a demon strong enough to possess a paladin. Lorelei killed many of them.” Her voice broke. “I killed many of them.”

  I didn’t bother trying to comfort her. Nothing I said would make it better.

  “It was selfish,” she said quietly. “But I continued to write to the Ministry, begging them to help me. Eventually, they stopped responding. Then three days ago, the twins appeared. The answer to my prayers. They told me they believed they could separate me from the demon, but they warned me it would mean my death.” She closed her eyes. “I have never been s
o happy.”

  Both priests tensed at the last part. Thomas brushed his fingers against the sheath under his shirt, toying with the weapon as he stared at the ground. Father Salvatore sat beside Laurie and she groped for his hand, holding it tightly.

  “Father Salvatore graciously agreed to close the church so the twins could begin a cleansing in preparation for the ritual. I made my deal with the demon, extracting a promise it would bury itself as deeply as possible the morning of the ritual so I might meditate, prepare myself to go to God.”

  “The demon had control last night, and you took over…this morning?” Andy asked.

  “At sunrise, yes. I woke with the sun, and I could almost believe I was alone. I meditated, fasted as best I could considering the demon’s…indulgences the night before, and then I came to the church.”

  “What time was that?” Andy asked.

  “Ten o’clock. I arrived and Father Salvatore and Thomas locked us inside the church. I lay down on the altar, and they strapped me down.”

  Andy frowned. “If you and Lorelei were both willing, why would they need to strap you down?”

  “I am not possessed,” Laurie reminded him, her voice devoid of emotion. “I am demon-bound. This ritual was to end with my death, followed by the divine resurrection of my soul as it rises to be with God.” A shadow passed over her face. “Despite the demon’s claim to be willing, it is at the heart of their nature to stand between a soul and God. The twins prepared for a fight.”

  “But you were outside when we arrived,” I pointed out. “Someone had to untie you.” I frowned. “And someone unlocked the church door. I assume you chained the side door from the outside as well?”

  “Yes,” Thomas said. “I fastened the chains myself.”

  “So someone unlocked the padlock, came inside, shot the twins, and untied you.” Andy watched Laurie over the top of his notebook, his steely gaze sliding from her to each priest in turn and back. “Do you remember anything? Anything that might help us identify that person?”

  “No.” Laurie’s brow furrowed in frustration, her fists tightening in her lap. “I try, but there is nothing. I remember being strapped down. The twins began to chant. The smell of the incense lifted my spirit to the astral plane. I met the wretched demon and the twins, and together they coaxed us away from one another.”

  “Astral plane?” Andy interrupted.

  “I’ve never heard of anyone traveling to the astral plane during an exorcism,” I said. I glanced at Peasblossom, and she shook her head.

  “That is another reason the twins were unique,” Father Salvatore spoke up. “They believed the reason the other exorcisms failed was not the weakness of those attempting to rid Laurie of the demon, but a weakness in the strategy itself. They believed if the exorcism were done on the astral plane, there was a greater chance of sending only one of them back into Laurie’s flesh.”

  Peasblossom crossed her arms. “I don’t get it.”

  “Imagine my body as a temple,” Laurie said. “A tainted temple,” she added bitterly. “The demon and I both exist inside. In a traditional exorcism, the priest would command the demon to leave while I stayed. He would pray to God to call the demon out, to shame the demon for trespassing and force it to flee. The twins believed since in my unique case the demon was willing but unable to leave my body, the crucial first step was for me to pull it to the astral plane by traveling there myself.”

  “So in essence, you both left the temple.” I nodded. “There is a certain logic to it.”

  Laurie twisted a lock of her hair between her fingers. “The twins believed if we all rose to the astral plane, and they performed the exorcism there, then the demon would be free to return to Hell, while God would claim my spirit. My body would remain on the physical plane, and without me or the demon, it would die.”

  “You said before that the greatest threat to an exorcism is doubt,” Andy said.

  “Definitely,” Laurie said.

  He looked at her then, and I recognized the expression. It was the FBI stare. His equivalent of the witchy look. “And you had no doubt about your desire to die? No wish to live? To survive?”

  Laurie met his eyes and, and for a moment I thought she’d rise from the bench, stalk toward Andy the way a cross teacher would approach an unruly student.

  “You are not a man of faith, so I will not explain to you the importance of divine immortality. The utter despair of being forever banned from His presence. Instead, allow me to put this in terms you understand.”

  She stood and stepped closer to Andy. “You arrest drug dealers. You get them off the streets, save lives. Imagine that a force has taken over your body. Your spirit remains in your flesh, but you are an observer, helpless to stop this outside force from using you to do as it wishes. Wearing your face, forcing you to go along as a witness after the fact, this being sells drugs. Together, you go to playgrounds, youth centers, support groups—anywhere you can to find the vulnerable and get them addicted to your product. Knowing it will destroy their lives long before it kills them.”

  Andy’s jaw tightened.

  “You arrest abusers,” Laurie continued, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. “Imagine the force that takes over your body fills you with an evil hunger. A dark desire. Instead of rescuing children from those who would use them in the vilest way, you now—”

  “Stop.” Andy’s knuckles turned white, and the plastic pen in his grip groaned. “I get it.”

  “No,” Laurie snapped. “You do not get it. You have only a vague idea of what this demon has meant for me. So the answer to your question, Agent Bradford, is no. No, I do not wish to live longer. Every day is another step away from what I was. Another step into Hell, another step between me and God that can never be regained. I am tired, I am in pain, and I want to go home.”

  Her voice wavered on the word home, and Thomas immediately went to her side. He touched her shoulder, and she put her hand over his.

  “I remember rising to the astral plane. I saw the demon, and Corban took her hand, to lead her away while Christophe took mine.” Her brow furrowed. “I remember pain, as if I were being ripped in two. There was screaming, but I don’t know if it was me or the demon. Then it all stopped. I hovered in a state of chaos for I don’t know how long, staring into shadows, hearing voices that weren’t there. Then I realized Christophe was no longer with me on the astral plane. I could not see Corban either, nor the demon.”

  She stared down at her open palms. “I fell. Back into my body. I wasn’t tied down. Then I saw—” She choked.

  I stumbled away in time to avoid the splash as she vomited, some of the bile splattering the small potted plants to either side of the stone bench. Her body heaved again and again, stomach bile and something like vinegar. Wine, probably from the celebration last night. Father Salvatore rose and went to her side, brushing her hair back and holding it out of the way as he waited for her to finish. Thomas stared at her as if he were the one in pain.

  When it was over, Father Salvatore led Laurie back to the bench, and Thomas dug a handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her.

  I leaned closer to Andy. “If they were all on the astral plane, then it’s possible they wouldn’t notice what was going on here. Especially if they were deep into a ritual.”

  “You’re telling me someone broke into the church, walked up to them, shot the twins—one at a time—untied Laurie, and left and no one…” He groped for the right words. “Snapped out of it?”

  “Yes.”

  Andy pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose. “If they knew they would be unaware of anything going on, then why wasn’t someone here watching their bodies? Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “It should not have been,” Father Salvatore answered him. “The church was locked, and Thomas and I waited across the street in the cafe.”

  Thomas nodded. “Also, the exorcism was a secret. Only Corban, Christophe, Laurie, Father Salvatore and myself knew.”
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br />   “And Lorelei,” Peasblossom added.

  “And apparently someone else,” Andy pointed out. “Laurie, you said you allowed Lorelei to be in control last night so she could throw a farewell party. Could she have told someone?”

  Laurie coughed and heaved again. I unzipped my pouch and dug around for something to help her wash the rancid taste from her mouth. Wet strands of hair stuck to her temples and forehead, and she’d lost what meager color she’d had. Her olive complexion held a ghostly pallor, and her eyes were cloudy. I emptied a travel tea mug, a set of headphones, and a wad of tissues onto the grass—away from where she’d vomited—before finding the bottle of apple juice I wanted. “Drink this.”

  Laurie took it gratefully. She sipped slowly at first. “It could have told someone. But I don’t understand why it would. It wanted this as much as I did.” She took another sip, deeper this time. “Well, perhaps not as much as I did. But it claimed to want it.”

  “And you didn’t tell anyone?” I asked. “You didn’t tell any friends, anyone who might not understand your situation, who might think only of saving your life?”

  Laurie turned the juice bottle in her hands. “I have no friends.” She shrugged, smiled weakly at the two priests. “Except you, of course.”

  “You have God,” Thomas said sternly. “And your parish.”

  “You guarded the front entrance from the cafe, but what about the side door?” Andy asked.

  “We were not locking down the building, Agent Bradford,” Father Salvatore explained patiently. “We locked them to keep strangers from wandering in by accident. An exorcism relies on keeping the location’s occupants to a bare minimum. Having anyone else in the church, even someone to watch the bodies, would provide another soul into which the demon might flee.”

  “You said the demon wanted to go back to Hell,” Andy argued.

  “Yes,” I agreed, “but only as an alternative to remaining in Laurie. Any demon would prefer a new body.”

  Andy scribbled in his notepad again. Finally, he closed his notebook and put it in his pocket along with the pen. “I need to examine the scene.” He looked at me. “This is a public place, I don’t think fingerprints will help us. Unless you have a spell for that too?”