Psyched (18 page)

Her head throbbed. She had to get Monica, vanquish a demon, and seal a portal. But how? How could she get rid of a demon that didn’t actually possess someone? Cheesy horror movies always dramatized the possession of some careless fool. The demon slowly but surely tricked the person into believing only it could help, and the poor chump agreed to let it in.

From there the scene was so cliché: the writhing of a sweaty body fighting for its soul; the foaming mouth; the snarling and growling when the demon gained control of a body it considered disposable. These were all great for the camera. If she were in a movie, she would have it covered. All she would need was a priest, some holy water, and a little faith, and the victim would win the battle for his soul. The demon was supposed to slink back to the shadows, vowing to be back someday, but in the movies it didn’t matter if it came back because the movie was over. The victims got their happily ever after.

Aisi would never get that.

At that moment, she would settle for any idea at all of what to do next. She struggled to kill the growing hope that, somehow, in between demon fighting and rescuing the girl who hated her most, she might find some small clue that would help her find out what happened to her sister.

“Hello? Aisi!”

Vance bent down to look her in the eye. Jerked back to reality, she looked up and sighed.

“What now?”

She shrugged, sniffling a bit with the cold. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

Vance was irate. He looked up at the sky and yelled, “Really? You throw a girl into the fire like this and you give her nothing to help?”

“Who are you talking to?” she asked, shaking with cold as another shadow in the dark moved toward them. She rolled her eyes, wondering if it were already time for a confrontation with yet another creature of the underworld. She never thought she would miss annoying ghosts like the vintage prom queen from last night, but anything familiar sounded like pure bliss compared to all the confusion she felt.

“Who am I talking to? God, that’s who,” he answered, turning back to face her, his face livid. “I don’t get it, Aisi. I’ve always been faithful. I am go-to-church-and-be-good kind of guy. I was taught that when you get in a bad situation, you’ll have what you need to get out of it. I never doubted that. But now, here we are, in the middle of something that I don’t think anyone but God can really fix, and we have
nothing
. No ideas, no anything. If anyone ever needed help, it’s you, and I don’t see anyone coming to the rescue. Not Father J, no one…”

His voice trailed off. She was looking past him, her head tilted thoughtfully to the side. He turned to see what she saw, noticing the dark shadow she’d been watching carefully as he spoke. His brow crinkled with worry as he whispered, “Is that another demon?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

As she replied, a trim woman in a short, fuzzy, pink robe slipped from the shadows of the nearest building and into the flickering light of the street lamp. She wore embroidered blue mule slippers that slapped against her heels as she tiptoed carefully through the gravel to approach them. Her fair skin began to turn a shade of angry pink as it protested the cold air. The woman looked around to make sure no one could hear, although Aisi couldn’t imagine who might be around to listen in the middle of the night, in a gravel parking lot by a stinky dumpster.

“I got something for you. I heard what you told that Kalen boy about Monica and them demons,” she whispered, leaning close.

Aisi leaned closer too, shaking her head in confusion. She wanted to ask how this stranger in a robe knew, but instead she asked, “Who are you?” The woman looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place her.

“Oh, sorry, hun, I guess you don’t recognize me without the hairnet and such. I’m Rita, and I…uh, well, I’m staying with Monica’s family right now.” Even in the shadows, Aisi saw a hint of red as the Rita’s cheeks flushed a bit.

Aisi stood back, finally recognizing the burrito lady. Rita was much prettier than what she wore to work demonstrated. Her long brown hair fell nearly to her waist in thick waves, and clear blues eyes twinkled even in the dim light. “Rita, that’s right. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? ”

“I won’t waste your time, because it sounds like you got lots to do, and I appreciate you so much for helping Monica out,” Rita said in hushed tones. “Her daddy isn’t her birth daddy, you know, but he loves her just the same. I was outside getting a bit of fresh air and just thinking things through when Kalen made all that fuss, so I just thought I’d see what was going on. I heard what you told him. It just breaks my heart to see that little girl so lost, missin’ her momma. I don’t think she’s a bad girl by doing all that crazy witchcraft voodoo or whatever she’s been doing, trying to call her momma back from the other side. Her daddy and I just thought maybe if she had a new momma to help set her right, she might get back on a good path.”

The woman could talk, that was for sure. Aisi was trying to think of a polite way to make her get to the point when Vance coughed. He interjected, “Sorry, ma’am, but did you say you have something for us?”

Rita jumped, apparently startled someone else was listening. “Oh! I surely did! I don’t know how religious you folks are, since I don’t ever see you down at the church on Sundays when I go for early mass. Actually, it’s usually just me and Father J, and sometimes a redheaded lady comes in to see him but she never takes communion. She stays to talk after I leave.”

Aisi was startled. She only knew of one redhead in town. She wondered if it was her mother and wanted to ask more, but Rita kept going, the energizer bunny of conversation. “I know most folks don’t set store by demons and angels and things like that, but when I heard you talk about them demons, I thought to myself, ‘if those kids are going to try and help Monica, they might need this.’”

From her pocket, she pulled a small, black leather book with the words
Rituale Romanum
embossed in gold leaf on the front cover. After she handed Aisi the book, she tipped her head down and reached behind her neck to unclasp the necklace she wore. She collected the chain and placed it gently in Aisi’s hand, closing her own hand over it.

Aisi held the necklace to the light. A beautiful silver cross encrusted with tiny diamonds dangled from the delicate linked chain. She smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

Rita continued, “This belonged to my mother, and her mother before her. I’d like to pass it on to Monica someday, if she’ll let me. She don’t like me too much now, but I hope she will soon. So I sure would like to get it back safe and sound.”

Aisi wanted to tell Rita without a doubt that she would come back with Monica and the necklace intact, but she realized she could make no promises. Rita patted her shoulders reassuringly, as if she knew what Aisi was thinking. Aisi pulled her into a hug. “I don’t know how you knew to be where you were right then, but thank you.”

Vance shook his head, perplexed. “You have no idea who we are,” he protested. “I don’t understand. Why are you giving her an heirloom you might never get back?”

“I trust you,” she said with misty eyes, patting his hand. “I trust folks until they give me a reason not to. I went inside and got the book when I first heard Kalen telling you about the demons. Hurried back to give it to you when I heard you yelling and shaking your fist at God.” She shook her head at Vance, her expression disappointed. “That’s when I decided to speak up and offer my necklace. If you are going to try and save Monica, you need a little more than the two of you. I don’t know how much help these’ll be, but I wanted you at least to know that you’re never alone. Even when it feels like you couldn’t be more alone.” She turned back to Aisi. “You’ll be wanting section 13, hun.”

She gave Aisi a quick peck on the cheek and whispered, “Be safe,” before she slipped back into the darkness.

Chapter 19 On the Run

Aisi pulled the little black book from the pocket of her hoodie, exasperated. As Vance sped over wet, curvy roads toward the old house she never wanted to see again, she flipped through Chapter 13 in the
Rituale Romanum
. The woman who gave it to her seemed a miracle, the answer to a prayer not yet said, but this book told her nothing she didn’t already know.

“Anything?” Vance asked grimly, his eyes glued to the slick road.

“No.” Aisi sighed. Just when she dared feel a fleeting moment of hope… “I was starting to think it couldn’t get any worse, but—”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Vance blurted out. He slowed down and pulled to the side of the road. Aisi spun around and saw red and blue lights bearing down on them. Officer Padelski might have missed out on a golden opportunity with Kalen’s daredevil driving, but he sure hadn’t with Vance. Did the man never sleep? Aisi wondered if he just lived in his patrol car and spent all his time in trolling the local roads, his life dream to pull over any unsuspecting fool who dared to go a mile over the speed limit on his turf.

Aisi buried her face in her hands and muttered, “really?” as the cop strode confidently to the driver’s side window.

“Do you know why I pulled you over?” the cop asked, holding up his metal clipboard so he looked all official and intimidating, black pen hovering menacingly over the ticket his fingers probably itched to write.

Vance lost it. “No, sir, I don’t. You pulled me over because I’ve had the single most craptastic night ever, that’s why! I was probably going one mile an hour over the speed limit and you small town, dip-wad cops love to harass strangers like me. That’s why. I looked wrong. I smelled wrong. Who knows? Seriously! Can this night get any worse? Just give me the stinking ticket for whatever I did and let me go. I don’t have time for this!”

Officer Padelski’s jaw clenched, and the tips of his ears blazed red. “I don’t know where you come from, son, but around here it’s not too bright to sass an officer of the law. Step out of the car, please.”

“No!” Aisi jumped out of the truck.

“Get back in your seat!” Officer Padelski warned.

She held up her hands to show she meant no harm and ran around to the where he stood. “Please, Officer P, Monica Hart is in trouble. She’s at my old house. We need to help her, get her out of there.”

“Aisi Turay?” Padelski looked stunned. “What are you doing out this late with a total stranger? Do I need to call your mother?”

“No, please!” she begged. “Just let us go. Better yet, follow us. You can get her out of there. I don’t know how bad it will be, but I have to find her!”

The police officer pursed his lips. “What’s this all about? I heard that you and she had some kind of falling out yesterday at school.”

Aisi threw up her hands in frustration. She jerked the truck door open and shoved Vance, who sat buckled firmly in place. “Oh, for the love…! Get out of the way!”

“What the…?” Vance’s eyes registered shock, but then he understood. He unbuckled and quickly scooted to the far side of the truck’s bench seat. She jumped in, yanked it into gear, and sped away. Within seconds the blue and reds blazed and the siren blared behind her, but she didn’t care.

“You know you’re a fugitive now, right?” Vance asked in awe.

Aisi shrugged. “Yep. And I don’t have a license, either. We just…we have to get there. When he sees Monica, if she’s in the shape I think she’s in, he will cut me some slack because I tutor his kid sometimes. He wouldn’t be so nice to a stranger like you.”

“I am a little in love with you right now.”

Aisi’s cheeks started to burn and her heart thumped hard in her chest, but she laughed it off. “Please. I bet you say that to all the girls who steal your car and lead the cops on a wild road chase in it.”

He laughed. “No, seriously, Aisi,” he said, becoming thoughtful. “You are amazing.”

“Can we have a ‘define the relationship’ talk when I’m not being chased by law enforcement?” Suddenly it was his turn to go red in the face. She smirked a little bit, but focused on the road and tried not to hyperventilate at the possibility of future jail time if Padelski decided not to be as kind as she hoped he would.

She swerved onto the road which was home to only two buildings: Father J’s church and the house she passionately hated. She pressed the gas pedal hard, urging the little truck forward before slamming on the brakes and yanking the steering wheel hard to pull into the driveway. The house sat back a bit from the road, but through the trees she could see flaming red spires shooting skyward. It was on fire.

She was out of the truck almost before it came to a complete stop, and Vance wasn’t far behind. They raced to the porch but could hardly see through the smoke, and they couldn’t reach Monica by the steps. The harmless little tea lights, knocked over by Kalen in his rush to leave, sparked the old porch’s dried and rotting wood.

Vance ran to the back and vaulted over the crumbling railing near the rear door. He started to sputter and cough, waving smoke out of his face. He pulled his hoodie over his shoulders and held it to his mouth and nose as he dodged falling boards engulfed in flame. Aisi wasn’t far behind.

They found Monica almost completely surrounded by the fire. Vance had just enough space to run in and toss her limp form over his shoulder. Aisi anxiously watched him back out and try to find a way to safety. Flaming boards from the porch ceiling now covered the floor, and he gingerly stepped around them as smaller fires sprung up where they fell. By the time he reached the back of the wrap-around porch and leaped off, those slightly flaring boards were swallowed into the growing fire. The porch collapsed, claimed completely by the flames which blasted sparks into the sky and hungrily started on the rest of the house.

Aisi and Vance stumbled back to the front of the house, getting as far from the heat and flames as they could, their faces smudged with ashes and soot. Both coughed deeply, trying to clear their lungs. They found Padelski by the truck. He had his hand on the radio clipped to his shoulder, but he stopped short and ran to meet them when he saw a body draped over Vance’s shoulder. He lifted the unconscious girl away from him and laid her gently on the ground near the officer.