Allison Brennan - Carnal Sin

“If they’ve trapped the demon Lust, is that going to help us?” Rafe asked.

Moira said, “It can’t hurt. We have to assume that they trapped the demon Lust either by accident or on purpose. The demon is using the coven for purposes we don’t know. Either way, covens are surprisingly traditional. While they experiment with new spells, when they find something that works, they stick with it.”

“Maybe they were experimenting,” Jackson said, “and that’s why this demon is killing more than one man.”

“You could be right. But first, we have to find Nadine. If the demon is still in her, we can at least contain it until we figure out what to do.”

They all stood, and Jackson said, “I’ll go through my notes, call a few experts, and hopefully have answers for you tonight.”

“The sooner the better,” Moira said.

“I understand the urgency,” Jackson said as he walked them to the door. Then he added, “I owe you an apology, Moira.”

She jerked her head around so fast she gave herself a pinch in the neck. “Excuse me?”

“I said some things to you four years ago that I’ve regretted. I should have written to you, I suppose, but I thought it would be better face-to-face, so you know I’m sincere. I expected our paths to cross long before this.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Moira said softly.

“Four years ago, I turned to Philip as my last hope of saving Courtney. I put all my faith in you when he said if Courtney could be saved, you could do it. But I’d already lost my daughter. Not a day goes by that I don’t pray that she’ll come home, and I’ll welcome her. But it was her choice to leave, and good or bad, that’s what God gave us in the Garden of Eden: free will. For better or worse.” Jackson took her hands and squeezed. She swallowed uneasily. “But it wasn’t Courtney who was at risk,” he said, looking her in the eye. “She was already gone. It was Caroline you saved.”

Moira was confused. “But-I don’t understand. My arrogance sent Courtney away. I was so sure I could turn her away from black magic, but I said all the wrong things. Caroline was never practicing witchcraft. I tested her right when I arrived.”

“You did everything right, everything you could considering the circumstances. You said exactly the right things. What you didn’t know, what I didn’t know either until weeks later, is that Caroline had planned on going with Courtney that night. She was packed and heard everything you said in the church hall. It stopped her from making the same mistake Courtney did. I didn’t lose one daughter that night; I saved a daughter. If I had lost both of them …” He took a deep breath. “You convinced Caroline to turn away from magic. She’s in college now, majoring in psychology. I lashed out at you then because I only saw my loss; but sometimes, we don’t always see the effect we have on others. I didn’t see how my grief over their mother’s death affected my daughters, just like I didn’t see how my anger at Courtney’s decision turned her against me. You tried to save her, but you couldn’t because I’d already chased her away. But you did save Caroline, I believe with the help of God, and I owe you my deepest gratitude and sincerest apologies. I hope you accept them.”

Tears burned behind Moira’s eyelids. She wanted to argue with him; he hadn’t been there, he didn’t know how she’d messed up. But she hadn’t known that Caroline was there.

“Of course,” she whispered. “But I do take responsibility for my failures as well as my successes.”

“Which is why you are as strong as you are.”

“I think we have everything we need here.” She handed him the folder, but he shook his head.

“Keep it. Read it over carefully, and be extremely cautious. These people are devious.”

Jackson walked them to their truck. “Have you heard from Courtney?” Moira asked. “Or do you know where she is?”

“No, but I’m looking. She knows she can come home, but sometimes, we all need a reminder that God is a forgiving Father. More forgiving than I showed her before. I just want her safe, no strings attached.”

It was Moira who now warned Jackson. She took his hands and squeezed. “Jackson, you be careful, too. Love is blind.”

Rico returned to Olivet with a heavy heart. He didn’t know why he was so uneasy. He’d known from the first report out of Santa Louisa after the demon Envy had been captured that Moira’s blood was a weapon. But now he had proof. Her fate was set in stone.

He called the cardinal, who answered on the first ring.

“The test was positive.”

“It worked?” His voice was calm but hopeful, as if he had doubted it even though it was his own theory that had prompted the test.

“Yes. The demon died.”

But the man the demon had possessed would never be the same. The victim was in a special ward of a hospital, one that housed many victims of demons. Few recovered.

“Good work, Rico. The tide is turning.”

“I think we should keep this information contained for as long as possible. You understand that if it gets out, Moira will be in grave danger.”

“You explained your concerns earlier, Rico. There’s no need to reveal the truth at this point, but you understand that the time will certainly come.”

“She’ll become a prisoner; we can’t do that to her.”

“It will be the only way to protect her, as you well know. When the word gets out-and it will, sooner or later-rogue hunters will want her, as well as the covens. They will double their efforts.”

He knew it, and he hated it. He’d do anything to protect Moira.

“God bless you, my son,” the cardinal said.

Rico hung up. He didn’t feel like celebrating, and for the first time in his life he did not feel blessed.

Skye sat straight in her chair at Starbucks listening to Detective Nelson rant about her interference in his crime scene. Staring across the table at him, she decided to let him get everything out. He was obviously exhausted and running on fumes.

After he told her about finding Rafe and Moira in the alley, and how they walked out after he’d ordered them to stay put, he said, “They’re damn lucky I didn’t haul their asses to jail. I didn’t say anything, but your consultant was carrying concealed, and I doubt she has a concealed carry permit for that little.38 I saw.”

Skye restrained a wince. She’d warned Moira about carrying the gun, but Moira was stubborn. And she certainly had every right to feel threatened. Skye, as sheriff, had offered her a CCW permit, but Moira refused to go through Live Scan fingerprinting. “I’m not putting my prints in your system,” she’d said .

“You could be deported if you’re caught without a permit. Or put in jail.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

“I think-”

He interrupted. “I’ve been working nonstop since seven a.m., when I was called to a possible homicide which may not be a homicide,” Nelson snapped. “Ten hours with a sandwich on the run and not enough caffeine to keep a rat awake. I’m supposed to have the weekend off, but I already know that I’ll be working for the next forty-eight hours on my own time because I have a high-ranking county attorney sitting on my ass claiming that George Erickson’s fucking wife is a witch and cast a spell over him. I have a college kid who’s dead but had no drugs and little alcohol in his system, and a small-town sheriff riding my ass with two sidekicks who don’t obey orders!” He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “What were they doing at Velocity? I don’t buy their pathetic excuse of wanting to see where Monroe died.”