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)
“Here’s the problem: I simply don’t know,” Lorne answered, sounding tense. “Without knowing what kind of demon it is, we’re shooting in the dark here.”
“I can’t believe Father Dennis doesn’t believe in demons,” she said sourly. “Is that even allowed for a priest?”
When I had caught her up on everything that had gone on, she’d been mortified.
Lorne said, “Well, honestly, it doesn’t really matter what you and I think, or Father Dennis or anyone else. It’s all going to come down to Xander, which I hate, because at the end of the day, this is for him to do.”
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
“This is your show, love. The rest of us can offer help, but this mess we find ourselves in is for you to fix. It’s your power that will kill the demon.”
I nodded.
“This demon is already hurting almost everyone in Osprey merely by being here. It’s poisoning the town, and we can’t let it continue.”
“I’m a guardian of Corvus, not Osprey,” I reminded him.
The look he gave me said he wasn’t buying that. “Corvus is in Osprey, which makes you a guardian of the town as well, same as me, same as Amanda.”
“Me?” She sounded surprised.
“You own most of this town, and you did that, and haven’t sold any of it, because you want it to be safe for everyone who lives here. You also make sure this community is diverse and inclusive and that everyone has a voice. Don’t you dare try and tell me you’re not a guardian just like me and Xan.”
She turned away quickly, brushing at her tears.
Lorne looked at me. “What’d I say?”
“You’re very eloquent,” I praised him.
“Yes, you are,” Amanda whispered, then took a deep breath. “Okay, so what’s your next step? What are you doing now?”
“Now I think we need to go see Father Dennis. We said we would anyway, but he’s not answering his phone. I want to find out if he’s heard anything.”
“That sounds good,” I replied, getting more anxious by the second. I had to do something. Sitting around talking about all the obstacles in our way wasn’t helping anything.
“I’m going to take my kids home and wait to hear from you,” Amanda announced, standing up. “But you must call this time, Xan. You leave me hanging again, and you will be the one chaperoning JJ’s visits with Eddie’s mother for a month.”
I could feel my eye twitch.
“Yeah. See?”
“I will call.”
“And don’t do anything stupid,” she told me, then looked at Lorne. “No hero crap.”
“No, ma’am,” he agreed, smiling up at her. “No crap.”
“Don’t you think it’s interesting,” I said to Lorne as he drove us to the church in his Jeep, having finally changed out his work vehicle for his personal one, “that there are no new strategies for dealing with demons?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, parking in front of St. Theresa’s.
“I mean, back in the Middle Ages and today, same exorcism. No one has come up with anything different. I find that astonishing.”
“Maybe that’s because there’s only one way to deal with them.”
“Supposedly, King Solomon commanded demons.”
He groaned. “I’ll bet you Father Dennis doesn’t believe in King Solomon either.”
“Now you’re being ridiculous,” I said, chuckling.
“I’m just scared for you, Xan, and it’s eating a hole in my stomach,” he groused. “And why isn’t Father Dennis answering his goddamn phone?”
“We’ll find him, love,” I assured him.
As it was now one in the afternoon and the church was closed until evening Mass, the two of us went to check the rectory, which, because the church was so old, was around the back.
“Did you talk to him at all today? I asked Lorne.
“No. I’ve been trying for hours, but it keeps going straight to voice mail. You know, I feel so bad for Mr. and Mrs. Hayes. They were so sad to have lost their daughter, but happy she was ‘no longer doing the devil’s work.’”
“When was this?”
“Earlier today. They came by the office to see me. I called them on Friday, of course. I didn’t want them to accidentally hear the news through the grapevine. That would have been devastating.”
“Yes, it would,” I agreed, my voice shaking. “But they thought…what? That because she was selling dead animals in her store, she was also flying around on a broom and cavorting with the devil?” I asked, feeling the anger, heavy and cold in the pit of my stomach. “She sold crystals and stones and incense.”
“I know,” he said gently, taking hold of my nape. “I’m sorry, Xan. In a perfect world, divination and dreamcatchers and salt circles would never be confused with evil.”
He reached for the door of the rectory just as Malachi was coming out.
“Oh, thank you.” He was carrying a large dieffenbachia that looked like it had seen better days.
It had to have seemed odd—I froze, Lorne froze, both of us staring at him.