Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
He glanced at me, then back to Lorne. “You lost me.”
“Father,” Lorne began, “tell me what you know about killing demons.”
Poor Father Dennis. He wasn’t quite prepared for that.
Because we had time before meeting with the paranormal investigators, I had Lorne drive us out to the now famous Phoenix Farm, home of the Cult of the Phoenix. As a tourist attraction, it was closed for the night, and I wanted to look around at the site of the sealed rift. Probably, as the nymphs had searched for Nott’s killer and found no trace, I wouldn’t either. But as a witch, I had other means of looking for traces.
It had taken Father Dennis a bit to recover from Lorne’s request, and when he did, after the sputtering, as we drove, there were questions.
“How do you mean kill? Do you mean exorcise?”
“I don’t know.”
He cleared his throat. “I’ve never been to an exorcism myself, and the ones I’ve heard about did more harm than good to the person supposedly possessed.”
“Supposedly?” Lorne asked.
“Yes, well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? Possession can mimic mental illness. It takes ages to determine if one is actually suffering from possession. And these days, the afflicted, as we call them, have far better protections than in the past.”
“But they’re still performed, aren’t they?” I asked him.
“Yes. There is still a Rite of Solemn Exorcism, but the training to conduct one is rigorous and can only be carried out by those licensed by their bishop.”
“Are you licensed?”
“Heavens no,” he answered, shaking his head. “And honestly, I’m not certain I believe in such a thing. When I was a new priest, I prayed on this subject and consulted others, but over the years I’ve found that the few times a situation was thought to be a possession, it turned out not to be. A mix of therapy and medication helped the person recover or manage their condition.”
“So you don’t believe in demons?”
“Demons as entities sent from hell to ruin mankind?”
“Yes.”
“No,” he replied flatly. “I believe we all need to protect ourselves from the evil of the world, but I don’t believe in fallen angels who are now demons running around the countryside on murderous rampages.”
“What about corrupting people?” Lorne asked.
“Isn’t it far more likely that someone is sinning because they want what their neighbor has, be that a beautiful spouse, a big house, or lots of money?”
The man was very logical.
“Greed is one of the seven deadly sins for a reason,” he pointed out.
“So you don’t believe in anything supernatural?” Lorne wanted to know.
“I believe in ghosts because when I’ve gone to people’s homes with Xander in the past, I’ve seen them. When I cleanse a house, or Rabbi Katz does, or Abbot Leung, we’ve all felt old, heavy, stagnant energy leave and be replaced with a feeling of lightness. When I’m here with the two of you, I’m at peace, and that’s different than it is with others. These are things I know. And though neither of you comes to church, I know that God works through each of you, as I see it in your deeds.”
“So goodness can only come from God?” I questioned him.
“No, but you can’t say it isn’t from God either.”
We were all quiet then, pondering this, until Lorne said, “What about demons who aren’t possessing people?”
“I’m sorry?”
“What about demons just walking around?”
“Again, I think perhaps I’m not the one to answer demonic questions for you, and I’m sorry about that. I can quote you passages from the Bible about demons, but it’s mostly about when the angels fell and what it is they want.”
“Which is?”
“To corrupt humans in any way possible and turn them away from God.”
“So killing them outright? No guidance there?”
“I think perhaps you need an archangel for that.”
Or a quick conversation with my lord Arawn. But since I didn’t know for certain what we were up against, I would wait until I knew.
“That is not to say I don’t have friends we could pose these questions to. I know a demonic scholar or two, and fortunately for you, they both live on the West Coast. Let me ask, and I’ll see if we can find any illumination.”
“But in the meantime, do you agree that something malevolent is causing the insomnia and nightmares?”
“I will concede that fact, yes, and we do need to find the nexus.”
“Well, hopefully we can find some answers at the site of the rift,” I told Lorne.
“Rift?” Father Dennis repeated.
I turned around in my seat to look at him. “How much about me do you actually want to know, Father?”
“As much as you’re comfortable to disclose.”
I took a breath and began with what I thought was happening with the sleeping issue. That the church, being on hallowed ground, blessed ground, was repelling—for lack of a better word—the demon’s curse. The same thing was happening with the wards on Corvus, as were the witch bells I enchanted that were hanging on doorknobs all over town. The wards that were wreaths in Amanda’s house, and the black salt and hyssop sprinkled over entryways. They were all working to resist evil.