“Enough.” Gabriel thrust his palm forward in a pushing motion and the demon cried out and seemed to crumple in pain. It was obvious whose power was dominant. “We’re not interested in playing games,” he said darkly. “We want to find a portal.”
“Are you out of your mind?” the demon growled. “Do you have a death wish?”
“We have come to reclaim our sister,” Ivy said. “And you will tell us how to find her.”
“Make me!” the demon spat.
“If you insist.” There was a sound like muffled fireworks and then streams of white light began to pour from Ivy’s fingertips. As she flexed and twisted her fingers the strands of light seemed to enter into the body of the demon like electric shocks. It let out a feral howl and clawed at its torso.
“Stop!” it screamed. “Stop! Stop!”
“Will you tell us what we seek to know?” Ivy asked. She turned her palm slowly from side to side so the beams of light twisted inside the demon and it shrieked even louder. Ivy was choosing her method carefully. I knew the Holy Light would sear the demon, but leave Sister Mary Clare’s body completely unharmed.
“Yes,” it screeched. “I’ll help you. Stop!”
Ivy snapped her hand into a fist and the light vanished. The demon collapsed on the floor exhausted.
“Easily convinced, aren’t they?” Gabriel muttered.
“No sense of loyalty,” my sister replied with disdain before rounding on the creature. “Where is the nearest portal?” she demanded.
“It doesn’t matter,” the demon croaked. “You’ll never get through it.”
“Answer the question,” Gabriel said. “How did you get here?”
“Why don’t you just send me back?” the demon tried to stall. “That’s what you’ve come to do, isn’t it? Are you really willing to let me fester inside this poor girl just to fulfill your own agenda?” It clicked its tongue as if to indicate disappointment. “Some angels.”
Gabriel made the Sign of the Cross very slowly and deliberately, and when he finished, he seemed to catch something in his hand. He drew back his arm and launched it at the demon. Although it was invisible, the thing collided with the demon with incredible force and it yelped, spraying foam from its mouth across the floor.
“There’s a place called Broken Hill down in Alabama,” it gasped. “There’s a train station there. Years ago there was a train wreck. Sixty people died. The closest portal is there.”
“Shouldn’t there be a portal in Venus Cove?” Xavier snapped. “The one Jake took Beth through?”
“Powerful demons can conjure portals at will,” Gabriel replied. “That one was only temporary to serve Jake’s purpose.”
Xavier glanced at the demon on the floor. “But how do we know it’s telling the truth?”
“If there was a train wreck in Broken Hill it could be true,” Ivy said. “Traumatic events causing loss of innocent lives can result in the formation of a portal.” She hesitated. “Still, it could be lying. Gabe, can you get inside its mind — see if it’s telling the truth?”
A look of repulsion crossed Gabriel’s face as he contemplated reaching inside the mind of such a creature. He’d told me once that a demon’s mind was thick and clogged with a sticky black substance like tar. That’s why exorcisms were so draining for the afflicted human beings. Once that stuff got inside of you, it stuck. It clung to you like glue, infecting you and spreading like a fungus until every inch of you belonged to them. Some humans didn’t survive the separation. It was like tearing apart two souls; only one half didn’t want to be separated. It was a vicious tug-of-war with the human body as the rope. I knew that once the demon had surrendered the information my siblings needed, they would have to tear it out of Sister Mary Clare. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn away. Gabriel closed his eyes and the demon clutched the sides of its head as if a sudden migraine had come on. A few moments later, my brother withdrew, disgust written all over his perfect features.
“It speaks the truth,” he said.
“So if we find the portal we’ll be able to get Beth back?” Xavier asked.
“If only it were that easy,” the demon cackled. “You’ll never get through it.”
“There is always a way,” said Ivy in a level voice.
“Oh, yes,” the demon snickered. “Though I wouldn’t try and trick your way in. You may find you’re not able to get out.”
“We don’t resort to tricks,” Gabriel said.
“You could always bargain her back,” the thing suggested, its lip curling maliciously as its empty, black eyes fell on Xavier. “Trade him for her. And you’d do it, wouldn’t you, boy? I can see it in your eyes. You’d sacrifice your soul to save her. It’s a high price to pay for something that isn’t even human. How do you know she even has a soul? She’s just like me — except working for a rival corporation.”
“I’d shut my mouth if I were you.” Xavier scraped his walnut-colored hair away from his face and I caught a flash of my promise ring on his hand. In his black T-shirt and jeans he didn’t look celestial like my brother and sister, but he looked tall and strong and thoroughly pissed off. I could tell he wanted to wipe the smirk off its face, but Xavier could never bring himself to hit a girl, even one who was possessed.
“Hit a nerve, have we?” the demon crooned.
I thought Xavier might snap, but instead, his tense posture relaxed and he leaned against the wall, surveying the creature coolly.
“I feel sorry for you,” he said slowly. “I guess you wouldn’t know what it’s like to be loved or wanted by anybody. You’re right, though; Beth isn’t human, because humans have a soul that they struggle all the time to stay in touch with. Every day is a battle for them to listen to their conscience and do the right thing. If you knew Beth at all you’d know that she doesn’t have a soul, she’s all soul. She’s filled with it, more than any human possibly could be. You wouldn’t know that because emptiness and hatred is all you’ve ever known. But that won’t win out in the end — you’ll see.”
“You’re very cocky for a mere human,” the demon replied. “How do you know fate won’t tempt your soul to become as black and twisted as mine?”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Ivy said with a smile. “His soul is already marked as one of ours. Xavier’s got a reserved seat in Heaven.”
“Now, if you don’t mind,” my brother cut in smoothly. “We’re done making small talk.”
The demon seemed to know what was coming and leapt up, arching its back like a cat and hissing furiously. Molly, who was hovering in the doorway, ducked as if she expected objects to begin flying around the room.
“Is this the part where you start chanting in Latin?” she asked tremulously.
Gabriel’s gaze flickered toward her. “Get under the bed, Molly. You don’t need to witness this.”
“It’s okay,” Molly shook her head. “I’ve seen The Exorcist.” My brother gave a humorless laugh. “This is a little different,” he said. “Humans need prayers and rituals to send a demon back to Hell. But we’re stronger than that.”
He held out his hand and Ivy entwined her dainty, peachcolored fingers with his. At exactly the same moment their wings opened, spanning the width of the room and casting long shadows on the walls. The others watched in astonishment as light began to blaze from their outstretched wings to form a cloud around them. Their bodies seemed to hum and vibrate and then ever so slightly levitate off the ground. Then Gabriel spoke.
“In the name of Christ Our Lord and all that is Holy, I command you be gone. Return this earthly body to the hands of God and slither back into the pit of fire where you belong.”