Allison Brennan - Carnal Sin

You took something from me last night. I want it back .

At Galion’s house Moira had thought Wendy was talking about the chalice, but hadn’t she mentioned the chalice separately? Jackson had been alone for several minutes while she and Rafe were breaking into Wendy’s altar. What had he done?

“Jackson-” But she stopped herself. Now wasn’t the time.

“They sealed the doors. I broke a window in the basement.”

“I need to get in that way. Show me.”

“I haven’t finished the reverse trap-”

“Show me the way, then finish. They’re in trouble. Nicole is double-crossing her sister. If the demon succeeds in killing Grant, everyone in there dies. I have to stop it.” Not to mention that the demon Lust would be free-again.

Jackson led her around to the back of the church to the narrow basement window. “Careful,” he said. “I tried to push the glass away, but it’s all over the basement floor. It’s a six-foot drop.”

“Finish the trap, Jackson,” she said. “And don’t come back in.”

“But-”

“It’s too dangerous, and I can’t worry about innocents.”

“Nina Hardwick is inside. She arrived right before Wendy. Told Rafe something about Wendy and mental institutions and killing her mother-I don’t have the details.”

That didn’t help Moira now. She started through the window on her stomach, then realized she was going in unarmed. Stupid! She had to think, be smart. Her fear for Rafe and the others had propelled her to act without planning.

She pulled herself back out and called out to Jackson as he poured a thick line of rock salt along the base of the church.

“Do you have an iron dagger?”

He looked sheepish. “Rafe told me to get my weapons-they’re in the old sanctuary behind the altar. But the only way you can get to the room is through a door on the altar. That’s where I put the kiln as well to melt the chalice-it’s on, but it hasn’t had time to heat to the required temperature.”

“Is the sanctuary locked?”

“No, but the door is one of the wood panels and the handle is camouflaged. On the left side, facing the altar.”

“I’ll take my chances.” She had her jacket back, but that wouldn’t do her much good if Wendy started zapping her with magical jolts.

She slid back through the window. Like Jackson, she had gotten wet sliding along the muddy grass outside, but the basement itself was dry. A dim bulb in the middle of the small room showed that this was used for storage-several pews, extra chairs, Christmas and Easter decorations. It certainly wasn’t a full basement, as the church above was at least ten times bigger than this room.

She found the door Jackson had indicated and went up the narrow stairs. As she ascended, she smelled the sulphur of Hell, stronger here than outside. Dark energy slithered over her skin, making her hair rise. She forced her heart rate to slow, focused on her senses. Where was everyone? If they were going with the plan, then Grant should be in a spirit trap on the altar.

Her hand began to throb where yesterday Nadine had clawed the healing wound from her battle with the demon Envy. Moira continued up the stairs, hearing voices now. It was an incantation, Wendy and Pam reciting a vaguely familiar spell. It wasn’t exactly a summoning ritual, but …

She took a chance and skirted around the edge of the back of the altar, trying to see what was happening. Wendy, Pam, and Julie-or rather the demon possessing Julie-were standing around Grant, who was protected by the reverse spirit trap. What were they doing? She glanced down: the salt had been disturbed, but the sacred oil was doing its job for the moment, soaking through the red carpet in a wide circle.

Grant was writhing in pain, his body twisting in the seat. He was trying to talk, but couldn’t. Trying futilely to break his bonds.

She looked around the unlit church for Rafe. Thirty rows of twenty-foot-long oak pews framed either side of a wide aisle. The rapidly descending darkness made it more difficult to see, except where swatches of light were coming in from the streetlights.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw Rafe suspended against the far wall. Nina was pinned beside him.

He appeared unharmed, anger and concern clouding his expression. She wanted to get him down but couldn’t yet risk exposing her presence.

The group of witches in front of her was only ten feet from the door to the sanctuary. The altar table had been moved to the side so that the reverse trap could be laid out to protect Grant. There was nothing for her to hide behind, nothing to shield her from being seen. But she couldn’t wait for a distraction; Grant might not live long enough.

As she watched, Julie’s body collapsed. Her body lay motionless in front of Grant, outside the circle. A revolting stench filled the church-fouler than anything Moira had smelled before. She looked everywhere, at Wendy and Pam, Rafe and Nina-who had the demon entered? Dammit, where was it?

Moira’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the chalice was on the floor in front of Grant. Wendy stared at it, excitement brightening her face.

“Pamela! It worked!”

Worked? What the-Moira bit back a scream. The glass ball at the top of the chalice had turned dark gray and smoky. Then the smoke began to leach from the glass into the cup below. It flowed out of the cup and filled the space within the trap.

Wendy had used the chalice as a portal-not to Hell, but into the trap-in order to fulfill the agreement she’d made with Lust for Grant’s soul. Now the demon was contained in the spirit trap, but so was Grant.

While Wendy was enraptured by the transforming demon, Moira ran across the altar, searching for the door. No, no, no-shit!

“Wendy!” Pam shouted. “It’s O’Donnell!”

Wendy first glanced behind her toward Rafe, not knowing where Moira was. Moira sprung the latch and jumped inside the sanctuary. It was a long, narrow room filled with boxes, crosses, some chairs, and several remnants from the previous church, including an old baptismal font. She found a whole array of weapons on the shelf next to the door and grabbed two knives similar to her own. Now wasn’t the time to try something new.

She also saw a Glock and briefly wondered whether it was Grant Nelson’s. She grabbed that, too, and stuffed it in her pocket.

The sanctuary shook violently. Supplies crashed down around her and she fled.

Wendy grabbed her as soon as she emerged, but Moira was prepared. She elbowed Wendy, then spun around and kicked her in the stomach, propelling herself with her momentum until she was several feet out of Wendy’s reach.

Grant cried out in pained surprise, and Moira glanced at the trap. She needed to get him out of there, but the demon was swirling around, beginning to take form.

Pam stood outside the circle, staring at the darkly glowing clouds. A deep rumbling built within the church, growing louder until it sounded like a thousand bats in flight. The thick mist took shape and solidified into the form of a stunning woman.

“Wendy-what’s happening?” Pam asked.

Wendy stared at the demon, an odd smile on her face. “We did it!”

“Did what?” Moira shouted. “You don’t understand what this thing is!” Moira saw the demon beneath the skin; in its shiny eyes she saw the fires of Hell.

Wendy looked almost giddy. “Yes! I do! I gave the demon life! It doesn’t need a human body anymore.”

Moira wanted to smack the witch. “You did nothing! That’s what it is-that is the demon Lust!”

Wendy turned to her, eyes narrow. “You’re jealous because I have far more power than you and your pathetic mother!”

Pam was staring, unable to take her eyes away from the beautiful creature walking slowly around the circle.