underneath the kitchen table. She was sitting in the open space between the living and dining rooms. Donovan and Adriana stood off to the side, discussing how they would start from this point. Rico still sat at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. Kate could tell that he was miserable, but she couldn’t save Rico from himself.
After a few moments, Adriana and Donovan separated. Adriana went to sit next to Rico. Kate heard her murmuring to Rico; her hand was on his back in an attempt at comforting him. She was probably trying to convince Rico that everything would be alright, that Kate would be alright.
When Donovan stepped up to Kate, she grew nervous. She didn’t really know what to expect, because the last time someone tried to possess Kate she was traipsing through an alternate reality, oblivious of what was truly happening to her body and soul. “When a demon attempts to possess a human, Kate, he needs to have the human’s full attention. He will often make sure that he is the only thing that the human sees. When Kern tries to possess you, you will probably be in a room, alone with him. He won’t allow anyone to be near you.”
Kate nodded, understanding.
Donovan continued. “The first step of any possession is the Rite of Control. The demon must say this rite, asking the human for permission to take the soul. Usually, the permission isn’t granted, it is forced. The first line is as follows: ‘I beg of you, my soul, to grant thy one request’. The demon is literally asking the human soul to grant him entrance into their body. Are you following me so far?” Donovan asked.
“Yes,” Kate said. “I understand perfectly.”
“Okay,” he said before continuing. “The second line, ‘Let thee share thou pleasure’, is sort of reiterating the first. It tells the human that the demon wants to share the pleasures of a human soul, to share human emotions and feelings with the human host.
The third line is, once again, asking for permission. This one says: ‘Allow these wishes met’. It gives the illusion that the human has the right or power to refuse the demon. However, this is not the case because of the demon’s strength. He, as I stated before, essentially takes the soul from the human.” Donovan stopped and bit the inside of his cheek. Kate looked up at him, taking in his handsome features, so different from Rico and Adriana. His five o’clock shadow was always there, making his young face appear a little bit older; his chocolate eyes were always serious, except when he was looking at Adriana. His mouth was always held taut. Now he looked a bit nervous, like he wished he wasn’t doing this anymore. Kate hoped he didn’t regret his decision.
“The fourth line is where it gets tricky,” he said as he looked back at Kate. “The fourth line is: ‘Thou warmth concedes – blend fire and ice’. As Rico has probably explained to you by now, demons are frozen creatures. Your human soul lends you warmth, thus the use of the word in the line. It is essentially saying that if your soul allows the demon entrance, you will blend. The human is the fire, the demon the ice. When you blend, you become one, sharing the same soul. Most demons, though, will not actually share the soul with the human host. The demon will take complete control once the human is weak enough. When the human is weakened enough, the demon controls everything the human does; the human lives within the demon, witnessing everything that happens, but doesn’t have the capability or power to stop the demon. If the demon makes it to this point, the human has no chance. He or she will eventually die, becoming weaker as the demon gets stronger. When the human dies, the demon resorts back to his physical form and discards the body.”
“Wait,” Kate interrupted, “Can a demon choose to leave the human host? If you are successful in possessing me, can you leave?”
“Not unless the demon is willing to sacrifice his life. If a demon possesses a human but relinquishes control, he is essentially allowing the human to expel his body. Don’t forget that when a human is strong enough to expel a demon, that demon will die. We must keep the soul of the human that we possess until the human body dies and the soul returns to Light. Some humans are strong and can live for years, but others can only live for days or months. But to fully answer your question, I would say no. Even I would not be strong enough to choose death over possession of a human soul, Kate.”
“Okay,” she said, growing increasingly nervous. She stayed focused on Donovan though, not willing to show Rico her nervousness.
“The fifth, and final line, is as follows: ‘then give to thee, eternal life’. When the demon takes over the soul, he does, at least momentarily, have eternal life. It’s metaphorical, really. All demons want, in all honesty, is a chance to an eternal life. We do have one right now, with our immortal bodies, but as I told you in the hospital, we are afraid of death. There is nothing there for us when we die. When demons share human souls, they not only feel and love as humans do; they get a glimpse of what comes after life for those with immortal souls. Do you understand all of this?”
“Yes,” Kate said.
Donovan nodded once and put his hands behind his back. He stood in a casual military position now. “Once I say the incantation, you must attempt to fight. You can do this physically and mentally, Kate. You can push my hands away from you; you can kick and bite and punch me. Demons can feel physical pain as you have seen, so don’t be afraid to come at me as hard as you can. I am much stronger than you are, so make sure that you aren’t too obvious. You don’t want me to strike you. It could break things. Do you understand?” he asked as he looked down at Kate, his chocolate eyes clear and serious.
“I understand,” Kate said with a single nod. “What else do I need to know about fighting demons, about fighting you?” She looked up bravely; she had to absorb all of this information, so she needed to stay focused on his words. The only way that she would remember this was to face it, face him, face danger.
“You need to know how to fight mentally,” Donovan answered. “When I attempt to enter your mind, you need to throw walls up. You can use your imagination, Kate. Picture barriers in your mind, create obstacles, do anything your heart desires. I literally have to crawl through your mind in order to reach your soul.”
“Okay. Where exactly is my soul, Donovan?”
Donovan smiled. “Have you ever heard of the phrase, ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’, Kate?”
Kate nodded instead of speaking.
“It’s the truth. Your soul lies behind your eyes. That’s why human eyes are so expressive.”
“Your eyes, and Adriana’s and Rico’s, are expressive too. Why?”
“They are, but it’s to make us appear human. We don’t feel the feelings as intensely as you humans do, though. That’s why we do what we do; that’s why we possess.”
“Oh,” Kate said. “I understand.”
“Are you ready now, Kate?” Donovan lifted his hands above his head, stretching his back. He cracked his knuckles, preparing himself for the inevitable possession. He was partially ready, partially afraid of doing something wrong by doing something right.
“I just have one more question about the incantation,” Kate said, interrupting his inner monologue.
Donovan was glad to be released by his fears. “Ask me anything,” he said, enjoying the distraction she created for him.
“Why must you place your thumbs on my temples?”
“It is the easiest way to enter your body. It is the thinnest part of your cranium, so it is where we enter. Is that all now?” His voice was tired, impatient, afraid.
Kate nodded.
“Are you entirely certain that you’re ready?” he asked once more. The question was also for him, to give himself time to breathe in once more, to focus on the task at hand.
“Yes,” Kate said. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Okay. Let’s go,” Donovan whispered, his voice quieter now that he was about to do something he had never planned on doing. He took a deep breath, and released it slowly. Kate thought that he almost seemed nervous.
Then, Donovan began to recite the Rite of Control:
“I beg o
f you, my soul, to grant thy one request.
Let thee share thou pleasure.
Allow thee wishes met.
Thou warmth concedes – blend fire and ice.
Then give to thee, eternal life.”
Donovan stepped closer to Kate when he was finished. He placed his hands on either side of her face, just like Cole had, his thumbs on her temples. Kate sat there for a moment. She could sense Rico’s taut muscles to her right, knowing that he would pounce on Donovan if need be. She could feel Adriana’s energy, a mix of disgust and understanding.
Kate allowed Donovan to get comfortable, and then lashed out, kicking his shin. When she made contact, he stumbled back and growled like he was someone else. He rushed toward Kate but she was too quick, too lucky this first time. She lunged to her left and fell on the floor. Donovan was upon her within seconds, though, his hands much firmer on her face. Kate could feel him pushing against her temples and she threw up cement walls with barbed wire on top of them. Men stood atop towers with machine guns. Donovan retreated at first, but pushed forward. He made it past the first set of defenses, and Kate tossed up a wide canyon with a dangerous river flowing between its walls. Donovan built a bridge with the trees that she so carelessly imagined.
After a few seconds, Kate could tell that she was growing tired. She could feel herself weakening, and