“Fine,” Gabriel said quietly. “The lightning storm, the howling, the scratches on the porch … it all points to one thing.”
“No human could cause that sort of damage on their own,” Ivy added grimly. “We’re talking about nuns here, sisters who’ve devoted their lives to servitude. Think about it, what could possibly make these women lock themselves away from the world? What would be the worst thing imaginable in their eyes?”
Molly stared vacantly, but I could almost see the wheels turning in Xavier’s head. His clear, turquoise gaze widened when the pieces finally fell together. “No,” he said. “Seriously?”
“Looks that way,” Gabriel replied.
“Then, we have dealt with this before,” Xavier said. “Isn’t that exactly what Jake did last year?”
Gabriel shook his head. “That was mild compared to this. They were just spirits; temporarily harnessed to cause damage. This is the real thing and it’s a hundred times stronger … and more vicious.”
“Can somebody please tell me what you’re talking about?” Molly demanded, clearly fed up with being treated as though she were invisible.
Gabriel sighed heavily. “What we’re dealing with here is a case of demonic possession. I hope you’re ready.”
A weighty silence settled over the table, broken only by the soft tapping of a pencil against a pad as the waitress waited to take their order.
“What can I get for y’all?” she asked. She was pretty in a nondescript way with limp blond hair and too much foundation. Her expression told me she dreamed of a more glamorous life than being stuck in a dead-end diner with nothing to do but watch traffic on the highway.
The somber mood of my family failed to lift, and the waitress raised her eyebrows impatiently.
Molly was the first to snap back to normality and plaster a fake smile across her face.
“I’ll have the fried chicken and a Diet Coke,” she said sweetly. “Can I get ketchup with that?”
25
Get Thee to a Nunnery
I was surprised when Gabriel and Ivy decided to change and head straight to the abbey after dinner with Xavier and Molly in tow. It was close to ten o’clock and I’d assumed they would call it a night and wait until morning. But something must have made them feel they shouldn’t delay any longer.
Outside, the night air was crisp and the sky was a cape of royal blue velvet scattered with stars and wispy clouds. If it wasn’t for the threat that lurked behind the woods opposite the highway, I would have felt entirely at peace. The sound of cicadas filled the air and a mild breeze played gently with Ivy’s hair before drifting off to ruffle the treetops. There was something about this place, a quiet dignity and a grace from a forgotten time. It held an air of mystery, as if the weeping willows knew something we didn’t.
Molly shivered as they crossed the highway and let themselves meld with the shadows dancing among the trees. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself and drew instinctively closer to Xavier. He slung an arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. I was relieved to see a flicker of his former self beneath the brooding exterior. I knew the stress was getting to him more every day, eroding his usual easygoing manner. It was part of the reason he and Molly were always at each other’s throats. He was at odds with himself, I realized. Half of him saw Molly as a connection to me as well as a reminder of our old lives at Bryce Hamilton. The other half couldn’t help but let his concern for my safety overwhelm him. At times like these I knew he both resented Molly for the séance and blamed himself for not being able to change the turn of events.
“You’ll be all right,” he told her. “We’ll all be all right.” I saw the faraway expression in his eyes and knew he was thinking of me. He had to believe I’d be okay in order to keep going. I needed him to believe it too. It was his faith that was keeping mine alive. I wondered if I should try and make my presence known to him, but I was too drained from the recent ordeal to be anything other than a passive spectator.
The woods grew thick and fast, but Gabriel’s finely tuned senses managed to quickly locate the dirt road Denise had mentioned. It was just wide enough to allow cars to pass through, but had been neglected over the last few months and bordering shrubs were already weaving their way across it. Tree branches hung low, drooping over the road, and clumps of sodden leaves muted the footsteps of visitors. The moonlight shining through the trees bathed the path in a milky gray light. A crescent moon dipped periodically behind the treetops plunging the path into occasional darkness. It was a good thing Gabriel and Ivy radiated light from their skin. It was faint, like the glow of a cell phone in a darkened room, but better than nothing. When an owl hooted from somewhere above, Molly stumbled and cursed under her breath. Almost imperceptibly, Gabriel dropped his pace so he fell into step with her. Although he didn’t say a word, she seemed soothed by his presence.
Soon the trees thinned and the looming shadow of the old convent became visible. The Abbey of Mary Immaculate was a three-level, whitewashed Gothic Revival building. It had an adjoining chapel with spires rising to pierce the night sky, a reminder to onlookers of the Lord’s lofty presence. There were rows of pointed windows across every floor, cast-iron gates and a gravel path leading to the front door. A lamppost illuminated the front garden with its grotto housing a statue of Our Lady as well as kneeling saints positioned among the tall grass. What was most disturbing was the derelict air of the place — the weeds that had sprouted up and overtaken the entrance to the chapel, the leaves that clogged the path and the boarded-up windows on the attic floor.
“I wonder how many sisters live here,” Xavier murmured. Gabriel closed his eyes and I knew he was reaching out and tapping into the history of the place, its life before recent events. He was always careful not to intrude too deeply on the private thoughts or feelings of individuals; he only brushed the surface to ascertain their identity. “There are twelve sisters in total,” he said eventually. “Including the one who is afflicted.”
“How did you know that?” Molly asked. “It looks like no one lives here at all.”
“Now is not the time to ask questions,” Ivy said patiently. “You will witness many things tonight that cannot be explained.”
“I find it’s easier if you don’t overthink it,” Xavier advised.
“Just how am I supposed to do that?” Molly complained. “I feel like I’m waiting for someone to jump out and tell me I’ve been punk’d.”
“I think they only punk famous people,” Xavier said under his breath.
Molly looked annoyed. “That’s not helpful!”
“Look.” Xavier turned to face her. “Let me try and help you out here. You know when you’re watching a horror movie and the character always decides to go into the dark room where the killer’s waiting?”
“Yeah?” Molly said blankly.
“Do you ask why the character’s dumb enough to go into that room?”
“Well, no, it’s a movie. You just go with it.”
“Exactly,” Xavier said. “Think of this like a movie and don’t ask questions. You’ll only make things harder on yourself if you do.”
Molly looked like she wanted to argue, but a moment later she bit her lip and nodded hesitantly.
The locked gates opened easily at Gabriel’s command and the group slowly approached the steps of the abbey’s front porch. I saw the concern on Ivy’s face intensify — deep, uneven grooves were etched into the timber boards, at least half an inch deep. They extended along the front and veered sharply off toward one of the windows as if someone had been dragged back inside after putting up one hell of a fight. My mind immediately thought of the poor human who had been possessed to act in such a way. The scratches in the porch were deep enough that shards of wood must have been driven beneath her nails. I shuddered to think what other damage had been done to the afflicted sister.