It grew closer and closer until it had her cornered. “Look”—she held her hands up in front of her as if that would be enough to ward it off—“there has to be another way. You don’t need to do this.”
If it heard her, it didn’t pay any attention because the very next moment the darkness launched itself at her.
“Stop!” she yelled.
It didn’t listen. The moment it made contact with her it disappeared. She’d expected to feel pain or cold fingers of death or something equally horrible, but there was only a warm sensation that slid through her body in a jarring and surprisingly sensual manner that made her gasp out loud. She pressed her hand against her stomach, breathing hard and fast as her heart rate slowly came back to normal.
It took a while.
“Darrak?” she whispered.
There was no answer.
She waited in breathless silence until he said something.
He didn’t.
But she could feel him. The man she’d spoken to, the man who’d kissed her, the man who’d told her that he wouldn’t be able to leave her unless she died…
He was deep inside of her.
She frowned. That sounded way sexier than it should have. She was possessed by a demon—like that little girl in the movie with the pea soup puke and spinning head. But Eden was possessed by a self-proclaimed “good” demon who looked like a Calvin Klein underwear model.
What was she supposed to do now?
She yanked open the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out the heavy Yellow Pages, thumbing through it so quickly she got a paper cut. Sucking on her injured finger, she continued to flip to the E section to see if reasonably priced exorcists were available in the local area.
FOUR
“Did he tell you his name?”
“Yes,” Eden whispered into the receiver as if that would be enough to shield what she was doing in case “anyone” was listening. “It’s… it’s Darrak.”
“That’s strange.”
“This is all strange to me. Can you be more specific?”
“Demons rarely reveal their true name to a human. It allows one to have great control over them. I will assume he was lying, but I will still mark this information down.” There was a pause, and the sound of Rosa, the exorcist from Specter-Stoppers, scribbling something about Eden’s case. “Have you noticed any boils or other wounds appearing on your flesh?”
She quickly inspected her arms and felt down her jean-covered legs. “I don’t think so.”
“Has there been a noticeable increase of flies in your general area?”
“No. Everything actually seems quite normal. Other than the fact that I’m… I’m possessed by a demon!” She cleared her throat. “Sorry, uh… I’m having a hard time dealing with this.”
“That is perfectly understandable, of course. The malevolent presence is allowing you to make this phone call? Has it tried to stop you in any way? Perhaps moving furniture about the room? Any levitating pens or pencils? Are the walls bleeding, by chance?”
“Bleeding walls? No, no… none of that.” Eden concentrated, feeling around for the demon’s presence. “I don’t know why he’s not talking right now. Maybe he’s hurt.”
Why did that thought bother her? Hurting a demon to get him to leave was the point of hiring an exorcist, wasn’t it? But Darrak had seemed rather distressed when the sun set and he’d lost his solid form.
Rosa cleared her throat. “It will be a fee of fifteen hundred dollars to expel the evil from your body. Five hundred up front. The remainder once it has been permanently removed.”
Eden’s eyes bugged out at that. “Fifteen hundred dollars? That’s a lot of money.”
“Do you want this done properly, or not?”
She hissed out a breath. “How soon can you be here?”
“First I’ll need your credit card number.”
She grudgingly pulled her MasterCard out of her wallet and read the numbers off to Rosa.
“My assistant and I will be there as soon as we can,” Rosa said. “I suggest not leaving the premises in case the demon influences you to wreak havoc upon all who cross your path.”
“Wouldn’t want that.” She swallowed hard. “And what should I do in the meantime to… to…”
“Ward off the demon’s evil power over you?’
She touched her stomach. The tingles that indicated Darrak’s presence were barely noticeable now. “Yeah. That.”
“I suggest, if you have one available, that you read aloud from the Bible. Perhaps wear a crucifix, although that might backfire and burn your own flesh, so make sure you have a glass of water—not holy water!—nearby to douse any potential flames. I would suggest the liberal use of salt, but since you’re the one who’s possessed that could also be detrimental to you. The Bible reading may be enough to keep the demon in a weakened state.”
Eden glanced at the bookshelf next to Andy’s desk. “Okay, I see one I can use.”
“Very good. Bless you, dear. We will see you very soon.”
She hung up and went to go grab the black, leather-bound book. Her stomach grumbled and she froze, listening for Darrak’s voice, but it was only her previously eaten donuts settling down in her already upset stomach.
“Hey, Darrak, are you still… here?” she asked the empty room.
Nothing.
She waited with the Bible clutched to her chest, on edge and jumping at every sound.
The front door swung open ten minutes later, the bell above it jingling, and Eden sprang to her feet expecting it to be the exorcist. She’d had her eyes locked on the phone, wondering if she should call anyone else who might be able to help—no one came to mind—so she hadn’t seen anyone approach.
It wasn’t an exorcist.
Detective Ben Hanson stepped inside the office and smiled at her. “Just wanted to stop by and see how you’re doing. Santos said he dropped you off here a little while ago.”
She let out a long sigh of relief. “I’m so glad to see you.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You are?”
Eden walked directly over to where he stood by the door and hugged him tightly. Then she realized what she’d done and backed away with embarrassment. “Um… sorry about that.”
His lips quirked. “That’s definitely not something you need to apologize for.” He glanced at the Bible she tightly held onto. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
She shook her head. “That man earlier—the—the serial killer.”
“I know that was a very traumatic experience for you. I’m surprised that you decided to come back to your job today.” He glanced around the embarrassingly shoddy office. “You should be taking it easy.”
“It’s not that. Well, it is. But… when he grabbed me he told me that he was possessed by a demon.”
“Yeah, I heard him say that, too. He was completely crazy. Listen, if you want to talk to somebody qualified to handle post-traumatic stress, then I can easily arrange that for you. It’s the least we can do for you after everything that happened.”
“No… I…” What did she want to do? Tell him everything? That the killer had been serious and was possessed? And now she was, too?
“Eden…” Darrak said wearily from inside of her.
Oh shit.
“Can you hear that?” she asked Ben.
“Hear what?”
“It took me a while to recover from losing form,” Darrak continued, “but I’m feeling better now.”
Ben touched her shoulder. “Eden, it’s going to be okay. He’s dead. He’s not going to hurt you again, I promise.”
“I know that.”
“Then why do you seem so scared?”
Scared didn’t even begin to cover what she was feeling. “It’s… it’s the demon he was talking about.”
“Demons don’t exist,” Ben said firmly.
“But—”
“Eden,” Darrak interrupted her. “Are you trying to tell him about me?”
S
he stopped talking.
“But, what?” Ben prompted. He leaned against the small table next to the front door where they kept the coffeemaker. He unhooked a pair of dark sunglasses from the front of his shirt and placed them down next to him so he could cross his arms over his chest.
“Just look at him,” Darrak continued. “Does he look like the kind of person who would believe you? Or would you tell him that you’re possessed by a demon and he might pat your head, say he understands, and then send for the doctors in white coats who deal with crazy people? Believe me, I’ve dealt with this situation many times before. Humans don’t want to believe that this sort of thing is possible. It frightens them.”
“I can see why it would,” she whispered.
Ben looked confused. “Pardon me?”
“When humans are frightened or they don’t understand, they’ll subconsciously choose to ignore what they see,” Darrak said. “They close their minds off to anything that isn’t within their understanding of ‘normal.’ I guarantee if you tell the cop what’s going on, he won’t believe you and he will assume that you’ve lost your mind.”
Of course he was right. Eden already knew Ben was a skeptic about the supernatural. This was about as supernatural as it got. What proof did she have that she was really possessed? The ravings of a lunatic—or at least that was how it would sound. Ben was already iffy about her psychic abilities. He’d dismissed it earlier as mojo and hocus-pocus, hadn’t he?
She couldn’t tell him. She’d have to handle the situation on her own.
“I’m fine,” she finally replied and then forced a shaky smile onto her face. “Really. I just need a good night’s sleep.”
Ben studied her for a moment with concern. “Well, that’s very good to hear.”
The fake smile stretched Eden’s cheeks uncomfortably. “Was there, uh… anything else you wanted?”
He cleared his throat. “Well, actually there was.”
“See?” Darrak said. “That wasn’t too bad, was it?”
“Shut up,” she murmured.
Ben looked at her. “What did you say?”
“Uh—” Her gaze darted around the room, empty except for the two of them. “Would you care for a-a donut?”
He glanced at the box of pastries next to the coffeemaker that she waved at as though she’d magically turned into Vanna White’s awkward sister. “I thought you just told me to shut up.”
“No!” She laughed lightly. It sounded just this side of hysterical. “I talk to myself sometimes. My inner voice seems to have a mind of its own.”
Literally, she thought.
He moved toward the box of donuts and looked down at them. “I’m not all that hungry. Actually, that’s why I’m here. I wanted to ask you something.”
“You’re romantically interested in the cop, aren’t you?” Darrak prodded. “I can tell. But he’s obviously not good enough for you. If he was you’d be able to tell him all about your problems and be certain he’d believe whatever you said.”
She tried to ignore him. “What is it, Detective?”
“I thought I asked you to call me Ben?”
“Right… Ben.” She felt incredibly angry that what should have been a kick-ass moment was tainted by Darrak’s invisible but very audible presence.
“I know our dinner plans were ruined for tonight, but maybe if you’re not doing anything later this week—”
“I think you should ask him to leave,” Darrak said. “I don’t like the way he’s looking at you. It’s very ungentlemanly.”
Eden sighed with frustration. “Just go away, would you?”
Ben blinked. “Oh. Got it.”
Her heart sank. He thought she was talking to him, dismissing him and his invitation completely. After all, why wouldn’t he think that? There was no one else in the room.
He gave her a tight smile. “Hey, I can take a hint, don’t worry about that. I won’t bother you again.”
“No, wait! Ben—” Eden held up a hand to stop him, but it was too late. Without a backward glance he slunk out of the office and went directly to his car.
She let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I hate you.”
“Are you talking to me?” Darrak asked.
“Yes.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“I think you know what you did.”
There was silence for so long she thought he’d vanished to the same place he’d been before when she couldn’t hear him. But then, “You’re right. I’m sorry for intruding. I guess I’m feeling a bit powerless at the moment.”
“That makes two of us.”
Another pause. “Like I said before, I’ve never been able to talk to a previous host so easily before. Maybe this is an opportunity to work together to find the witch so I, pardon the expression, get the hell out of your life.”
She tensed at that. “How do you know she’s close right now?”
“When she cursed me, the black magic she used left a residual trace that still remains after all this time. Think of it like a very weak, magical GPS. And right now it’s signaling to me that she’s not that far away.”
Sure. That was as clear as scary, demonic mud.
Eden stared out of the window as Ben’s black Chrysler LeBaron turned the corner and sped off into the distance. “I can’t believe he asked me out and I insulted him.”
“You like him.”
“What’s not to like? He’s absolutely perfect.” She pressed her lips together, frustration over this situation spreading over her again. “I want you to go away, Darrak. Please. I can’t live like this.”
“If you help me find the witch then I will go away. Gladly.”
“What’s her name?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know the name of the witch that cursed you? There are five million people in this city and the surrounding area.”
“I’ll find her. And as soon as I do, I promise that this will all be over.”
“Not good enough.”
Remembering what the exorcist said earlier, she clenched her jaw and cracked open the Bible.
“Be strong and of a good courage,” she read aloud, “fear not, nor be afraid… for the Lord thy God—”
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Darrak interrupted.
“I’m reading from the Bible.”
“Do you do this a lot?”
“I like to read from my trusty Bible all day, every day. Do you have a problem with that? Does it sting a little?” She raised an eyebrow. “Does it make you want to leave and never come back?”
“I’m afraid it’s not quite that easy. However, if you take requests, I always find Revelations quite soothing.”
Damn. How could a demon not be affected by holy scripture? She hadn’t gone to church since she was ten years old, but it should still work. What kind of a demon was he, anyhow?
A good demon, he’d told her.
Right.
“I don’t know what I can tell you to set your mind at ease.” He sounded weary. “I want this over with as much as you do. More, if that’s possible. I’ve had to exist this way for so long I barely remember what it was like before. Please, Eden. I can’t end this without you.”
She put the Bible down. “I know how to end this.”
“So, you’ll help me?” he asked.
“In a way.” She swallowed nervously. “Can you hear what I’m thinking?”
“No. You’ll need to speak aloud for us to communicate.”
That was a relief, because if he could read her mind then he’d know that the two people rapidly approaching the front door of Triple-A Investigations weren’t potential clients—they were the exorcists she’d hired to take care of her little demonic problem.
Eden braced herself for whatever was going to happen next.
The walls weren’t bleeding yet, but the night was still young.
FIVE
The bell on the door jingled as the two people entered the o
ffice. One was a small but round woman with short red hair and a—the only word for it was a jolly smile. She wore a loose, paisley-printed dress and carried a big, blue canvas tote bag. She also had a walking cane with a crystal set into the top of it.
The man with her was young—looked like a college kid—and he wore black pants and a white shirt. He wasn’t smiling. His dark blond hair was a bit lank, but his face was very pleasant—almost angelic, actually—with heavy-lidded blue eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips. In school, he probably was called a pretty boy.
“Greetings to you, Eden Riley!” the woman said brightly.
“Uh… greetings,” Eden replied awkwardly.
“I’m Rosa Devine,” she said. “We already met on the phone, didn’t we? And this is my son Malcolm. He’ll be assisting me today.”
Malcolm nodded curtly in Eden’s direction, then took a moment to scan the office. “Are we alone?”
“Yes,” she said.
“You were expecting these people?” Darrak asked from inside her.
“Yes,” she said again.
“Friends of yours?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Darrak was silent for a moment. “Do your friends normally make your heart gallop like an overcaffeinated racehorse?”
Eden didn’t reply.
Rosa approached her, staring up into her face. Then she pressed her hands to Eden’s cheeks and drew her closer until their eyeballs were only a couple inches away from each other. “We must begin immediately. Please sit down.”
Malcolm moved toward the glass door and turned the lock. “Where do you need me, Mother?”
“By my side, dear.”
“What’s going on, Eden?” Darrak asked.
She sat down in her comfortable but ratty desk chair and tightly squeezed the armrests as if bracing herself for a root canal. “I’m helping you.”
“Helping me?”
“Is the demonic presence speaking to you right now?” Rosa asked.
She nodded. “He is.”
Rosa grabbed her chin and squeezed hard enough to make Eden’s lips purse out unattractively. “Listen to me, demon. This is your last chance. Leave this woman of your own volition while you still can. If you refuse, then we will force you from her body.”