The Appeal of Evil (The Road to Salvation) (14 page)

Mom pulled the shirt over Katie’s head and slipped on the gown. “I will, honey. I will.”

Katie lay back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Her mom took out the phone and dialed. The nurse came back into the room, so Mom left to talk in private. Good, Katie thought. This should be cleared up in the next few minutes. The nurse pulled a tray and IV pole behind her. Katie hoped Mom hurried. Otherwise, she was in for a long stay. She glanced at the door, expecting her mom to come back in at any second and tell the nurse to never mind.

The nurse wiped Katie’s hand with another alcohol pad and readied the IV needle. Katie tried to move her hand out of the way, but the nurse tightened her grip on Katie’s wrist and stared at her through slitted eyes. Not a good plan. Angering the nurse would surely get her another tranquilizer. She relaxed her hand and let the nurse do her job. As soon as the needle was in, her mom came back into the room.

“Is this really necessary?” she asked.

Yes, thank you! Tell her to take it out!

The nurse nodded. “It’s protocol. If anything happens, we need direct access to administer meds. Plus, it makes it easier for us to draw blood.” She held up two vials filled with crimson liquid. “I’ll take these to the lab and we should have some answers soon.” She pushed her tray out of the room.

Mom took a seat back on the bed. “Wes and Randy will be here soon.”

Katie’s head spun. That’s not what she wanted. She wanted her mom to ask about it on the phone. But maybe this would work out better. Maybe talking in person would allow Mom to believe what they actually said. Maybe they were afraid of saying something over the phone and having it intercepted by an outside source. She wasn’t excited about seeing Wes again, but if it got her out of the hospital, she’d endure it.

“Are you comfortable?” Mom asked.

“No.”

“What can I get you? A blanket? Some water?”

“How about out of the hospital?”

Mom clicked her tongue. “You know I can’t do that, sweetie. We need to find out what’s going on.”

“I told you what’s going on.”

“No, Katie, you didn’t. You spoke a lot of nonsense. You told me Randy and Wes fight demons for a living. That’s not you. You don’t make up wild stories.”

Katie stared at her mother. “Who said it was a story?”

“Honey, I know you believe it’s true, but your mind is playing tricks on you. You’re hallucinating, and I’m sure it’s because of that dog that attacked you. It poisoned your blood and your mind.”

Katie turned away. Wes would be there soon, and he’d clear everything up. Until then, she didn’t want to say another word.

An eternity later, Wes and Randy stepped into her room. Their faces were somber, concern shrouded their eyes. Mom stood to greet them.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she spoke softly. “Katie wanted me to call you.”

Wes stepped forward and leaned on her bed. “How are you feeling?”

“You have to tell her,” Katie said. “You have to tell her everything. She thinks I’m crazy.”

Wes turned to Katie’s Mom. “What is she talking about?”

Mom shrugged. “I don’t know. She came to my office ranting about how you two fight demons for a living.” She turned to Randy. “She said you didn’t get into a car accident but were attacked by a creature from Hell. What is she talking about?”

Katie waited anxiously. It was out. All they had to do was verify the facts. Tell her what really happened. Instead, they remained silent.

KATIE WANTED TO LEAP FROM HER BED
and scream. Were Randy and Wes really just standing there not saying a word? Why were they allowing her mom to think she was insane? Anger sizzled just below the surface, but the tranquilizer kept it from boiling over.

Wes leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I can’t sacrifice the safety of my family. Your mom’s safety. I can’t tell her the truth.”

Mustering all the strength she could, Katie raised her arm and slammed her palm into Wes’s head. She meant to smack him on the cheek, but her aim was off and she hit him in the ear. Wes recoiled backward.

“Katie!” her mom gasped.

“Get out,” Katie growled.

“Katie, look—“

“I said get out!” Katie punched the nurse’s button repeatedly. The last thing she wanted was the witch to come back in, but if it got everyone else out, it was worth it.

Both the nurse and the doctor rushed into the room. They stared wide-eyed, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Get them out!” Katie yelled. “They are trying to hurt me!”

The doctor glanced from Katie to the others in the room. He pressed his lips together. “Out. Everyone out.”

Mom’s mouth fell open. “You can’t ask me to leave. I’m her mother.”

The doctor stepped in front of her. “Your daughter may be suffering from hallucinations and paranoia. The best thing we can do for her is to keep her calm. If she perceives you as a threat, you staying in here is only going to make things worse.”

Katie liked the doctor. He seemed to be the only one on her side.

Her mom opened her mouth to speak, but the doctor raised his hand to silence her.

“Please. You want her to get better.”

Mom nodded and headed for the door.

Wes stayed by the bed, shaking his head. “Don’t do this.”

“You had your chance,” Katie snarled.

The nurse grabbed his arm. “You heard the doctor. Out.”

Reluctantly, Wes rose and headed out of the room. He lingered in the doorway, his gaze pleading with her. The nurse pushed him out and closed the door. The doctor approached the bed and smiled at her.

“Try to get some rest. No one is going to hurt you.”

Katie turned away. If he only knew.

***

A few hours later, Katie woke, unaware she had fallen asleep. Her head felt light, airy, like a balloon on a string drifting several feet above her body. Someone gently stroked her hair, but she felt disconnected from it, like it was happening to someone else. She wasn’t in the mood for comfort, especially from her mom. Who let her back in the room anyway? Katie jerked backward to push the hand away. It worked for a few seconds, then the stroking started again. She rolled over to grab her mom’s hand and tell her to get out. The words caught in her throat as her gaze fell on the person behind her. Josh smiled and folded his hands in his lap.

“Good morning, sleepy head.”

Katie pushed herself into the sitting position and glanced around the room. Was she dreaming? She squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them. Josh was still there.

“I can assure you you’re not dreaming.” He pushed some hair behind her ear. “And it’s not really morning. It’s about ten o’clock at night. Although I’m sure the drugs they gave you have left you disoriented.”

“How did you get in here?” Her tongue was still swollen and felt too big for her mouth.

Josh jerked his head to the right. “The door.”

It took Katie a moment to understand what he said. It wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be there. But why? What had Randy told her?

“No, I mean the hospital.” She remembered what he had said about holy ground. “How did you get into the hospital?”

Josh seemed pleased with himself. “You’re not at Saint Mary’s. You’re at County.”

County? What? That didn’t make sense. The doctor knew her. He put the stitches in.

“They are short on emergency room staff, so doctors and nurses rotate between the two hospitals.” Josh must have read her mind. “Wes tried to convince your mom to take you to Saint Mary’s, but she wouldn’t listen. She was much too distraught about your condition. Luckily for her, she had some tranquilizers in her purse. Keeps them there for emergencies. She’s sleeping peacefully in the waiting room.”

“What about Wes?”

Josh’s face crunched in disgust. “Pfft. With your mom. Protecting her.”

Katie’s chest tightened. She shied as far away from Josh as she could, which wasn’t very far. “What does she need protecting from?”

Josh smiled. “Me.” He waved his hand through the air. “But you don’t need to worry about that. Doing something to her would hurt you.” He ran his hand over her hair. “And I’m not going to hurt you anymore.”

She shrank from his touch.

Josh folded his hands back into his lap. “I understand your hesitation. I don’t blame you for your mistrust. The only way to fix that is to give you some answers. Will you allow me to do that?”

Katie raised an eyebrow and stared at him for a moment before her gaze drifted around the room. “I can’t leave.”

“Why not?”

Katie opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. Why couldn’t she leave? What was keeping her there? The tranquilizers had inhibited her earlier, but they were wearing off. Even though she wasn’t at one hundred percent and her head felt foggy, the feeling wouldn’t last forever. Mom would be mad at her, but she’d get over it eventually, especially when she found out Katie didn’t have rabies. Mom deserved to get upset. Maybe then she’d understand what she needlessly put Katie through. It would be justice. There was just one person Katie was sure they wouldn’t get past.

“The nurse will never let us leave. How did you get past her anyway?”

Josh laughed. “Please. She wasn’t standing guard at the door. Sneaking past people is my specialty. Besides, the shifts changed ten minutes ago and the new nurse already did her rounds. She won’t be back for hours. But that doesn’t really matter because we aren’t going out the front door.”

Katie pushed herself up. “Then how are we getting out?”

“A portal.”

“A portal?”

Josh nodded.

“Are you taking me back to the warehouse?”

He chuckled. “No. We’ll go someplace a little more…educational.” He stood and walked to the chair on the other side of the room and grabbed Katie’s folded clothes. “You’ll want to change.” He tossed them to her.

Katie went to grab them and was stopped by the IV. She looked at it in distaste.

Josh stepped forward and grabbed the tube. With a quick tug, he pulled the catheter free, then pressed on the hole with his index finger. Searing heat burned her skin, cauterizing the flesh and staunching the bleeding.

“Time is slipping by, and I have a lot to show you.”

Katie pursed her lips and grabbed her clothes. “You gonna watch me change?”

Josh lifted his eyebrows suggestively and licked his lips. Katie cocked her head to the side. Josh turned his back to her and took a few steps away. Katie shrugged out of the gown and pulled on her clothes. What she was doing was crazy; she knew that, but what was the alternative? Staying in the hospital was out of the question. She didn’t belong there; she wasn’t sick. Wes obviously couldn’t trust her with any answers, so Josh was her only choice. The decision didn’t make her comfortable.

“Ready.”

Josh turned. His smile spread ear to ear. He raised his right hand and whispered words under his breath. A pinpoint of light appeared before him, slowly growing until it touched the ground and was as tall as he was. He held out his hand for Katie. With the slightest hesitation and a deep breath, she took his hand. His grip was warm, his fingers wrapped gently around hers. Katie inwardly wished things were different between them—mainly that he wasn’t a demon—because his touch sent sparks through her. They stepped into the light.

In the blink of an eye, they were out of the hospital and on the street in front of her house. Katie took in the surroundings, confused.

“Why did you bring me here? I thought you were going to give me answers.”

“I am. But to take in the big picture, you have to start with the familiar. What do you see?”

“What do you mean what do I see? Nothing. It’s my neighborhood at night. Everyone is doing their own thing. It’s boring.”

He turned around. “What do you see there?”

Katie looked where he indicated. “That’s Wes’s house.”

“And what do you see?”

Katie shrugged and stared at the house, thinking she was supposed to see something she hadn’t seen before. Maybe something mystical or magical, but there was nothing. Just a dark house.

“You’re thinking about this too hard. I wasn’t asking a trick question.” Josh placed his hands on his hips.

Katie huffed. “I don’t see anything. It’s just a house.”

Josh clicked his tongue. “And that’s my point. All your life, this was just a house that Wes lived in. Unassuming. Average. And yet, just a few days ago, you learned Wes was more than he pretended to be.”

Katie folded her arms across her chest. “What’s your point, Josh? The world is never what it seems, it’s what we perceive it to be. I learned that in English. You’re not telling me anything new.”

Josh held his hands out to his sides. “Fair enough. I guess we can skip that part of the lesson. Why don’t you ask me something you want an answer to.”

Katie stared at him for a moment and tapped her foot. Where to start? There were so many things she wanted to know.

Lights shone at the end of the street, illuminating the pair in harsh light. Katie squinted at the brightness, Josh stiffened. The car turned into a driveway several houses away. Josh grabbed Katie’s arm and directed her to her yard.

“We’d better continue this conversation somewhere safe.” He opened a portal and the pair stepped inside.

Katie’s feet crunched on gravel, darkness surrounded her. A faint red light glowed off to her left, but it wasn’t strong enough to illuminate the area. Humid heat surrounded her, stifling her breath and depositing a layer of moisture on her flesh.

“Where are we?”

“Someplace safe.”

Katie shrugged. It didn’t really matter where they were. As long as it wasn’t the hospital, she was happy.

“Tell me about Praesuls,” she said.

Josh took a seat on the ground and crossed his legs. Katie barely made out his outline, and seeing the expression on his face was impossible. It didn’t matter, though. She heard him just fine, and that was all that mattered.

“Praesuls really got started and organized when the Roman Empire came into power. The leaders of the Empire were a paranoid lot, afraid of their own shadows.” Josh chuckled. “I hear it was great fun to torment them. They were obsessed with power. Attaining and maintaining it. As they spread across the world, they came into contact with weird religions and a slew of demons. They had to do something to keep both at bay.” Josh adjusted and leaned back on his elbows. “As you can imagine, the decadence and debauchery of the Romans was paradise for demons. So many sins, so many souls.” He sighed. “To hear the stories from the Old Ones, taking a soul was like picking a flower. I wish I had been there for that. It sounds divine.” His voice took on a dreamlike quality.