Stacia Kane: Demon Possessed

But she knew who she was too. Part demon. In charge of a gang of little personal demons who spread misery everywhere they went, or at least tried to. Someone not perfect, in other words. But someone who felt perfect when she was with Greyson.

“Hey, I’m not trying to—” Brian started, but she cut him off.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. This whole thing just puts me on edge.”

“I guess that’s understandable.”

“Yeah, but it’s not fair of me to take it out on you, especially not when you’re trying to help. It’s just been kind of a shit day, really, what with— Hey. Do you know anything about exorcists?”

Brian’s eyebrows shot up. “I think if you’re planning on breaking up with Greyson, you could find a less dramatic way to do it, don’t you?”

“Ha ha. No, I mean for real. Or not real, I guess.”

“Oh, it makes so much sense now.”

The laugh felt good, and sharing it with someone felt even better. Laughter wasn’t a rare occurrence in her life, it had just been a particularly bad day. “One of my patients thinks he’s possessed. Apparently he’s found one of those faith-healer guys, you know the ones I mean?”

“Oh. Right. That kind of exorcism. Not Catholic.”

“No. Sorry, I probably should have said.” She’d actually forgotten for a second that Brian was Catholic, a regular mass-goer and everything. Of course he’d be picturing chanting and pea soup or whatever.

Brian leaned forward, grabbed his almost-empty Coke can and twisted it in his hands. Without speaking Megan got up, opened the sliding patio doors, and handed him the heavy glass ashtray she kept in the liquor cabinet.

He blinked. “Oh. No, that’s okay, I—oh, what the hell.”

Megan smothered her smile and sat back down as he pulled a pack of cigarettes and a cheap plastic lighter out of his pocket. Brian claimed not to smoke. And true, he didn’t smoke a lot; she’d spent entire days with him in which he didn’t even reach for a cigarette. But she’d never met an actual nonsmoker who smoked as much as he did.

Still, she let him have his illusions. She, of all people, understood what it was like not to want to admit things to oneself.

“I don’t know a lot about it,” he said after he’d lit up. “Catholic exorcism is an ancient ritual. I mean, it’s been around almost since the beginning of the church. But it’s—well, you know, I’m sure. It’s not something they do on a whim or anything. I don’t think what you’re talking about has the same kind of caution behind it.”

“No. At least not this guy.”

“I remember something about it, a few years ago, maybe? Someone died, and it was because of a botched pseudo-exorcism.”

“Right. That’s what I thought.”

“Did you google it?”

“Not yet.”

He nodded. “Give that a try. What’s the guy’s name, do you know? I can ask around, check the paper’s archives and stuff if I have time.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

He stood up, ready to go, but she stopped him with a hand on his sleeve. “Brian . . . I really do appreciate it, you know.”

“I know.” He smiled. Not for the first time, she wished she’d been attracted to him. Things would have been so much easier if . . . Well, no, actually. They wouldn’t have. She might not have had the FBI at her door, but Brian wouldn’t exactly have been happy when she had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to deal with a problem with her demons. He certainly wouldn’t have had a snack waiting for her when she got back, the way Greyson always did—some cheese and crackers, usually, or warm toast or cookies, whatever was on hand. Something light that didn’t require a lot of effort, but it was the thought that counted.

Brian wouldn’t have done that. Wouldn’t have understood what she was doing and why. Wouldn’t have hung back and only offered advice when she asked for it or held his tongue when she did things he didn’t agree with—which was often.

So no. A relationship with Brian couldn’t have worked. But, as always, she was glad for his friendship. In fact—she’d forgotten. “Oh, hey. Come with me.”

“What?”

He followed her into her small kitchen and waited while she opened the fridge and took out a Tupperware container.

“Here.” She handed it to him. “I made peanut-butter cake yesterday. Two of them.”

His eyes lit up. “For me?”

“Yes, for you. Just bring back my Tupperware when you’re done.”

“And this is why I help you,” he said, lifting the lid of the container and reaching in. “You bake.”

“Such journalistic integrity.”

“Hey, I’m like any other guy. I can be bought.”

“No, you can’t.”

“No, I can’t,” he agreed through a mouthful of cake. “But it’s tempting when you make me stuff like this.”

“Just save some for Julie,” she said, ignoring the little twinge that ran through her at the mention of Brian’s girlfriend. Brian’s girlfriend, who was currently assisting an investigation that could conceivably put Megan’s boyfriend—for lack of a better term—in prison.

She didn’t think it would actually happen. But she didn’t want to think about it anyway.

What she did want to think about was the packing she had to do and the week ahead. And a bit about Reverend Walther. So she closed the door behind the still-chewing Brian and headed for her bedroom.

She was still thinking about all of those things an hour later when she loaded her luggage for the next week into the car. The July night smothered her like a hot blanket; the air barely moved. A week and a half into a heat wave and no relief in sight.

She slammed the trunk down on her suitcases and turned back toward the house, only to have her blood run cold.

It was some relief from the heat but not the kind she was looking for. Someone was out there. No, not someone. A demon. She felt it, those shivers up her spine like when Roc fed off her. But it didn’t feel like Roc. Wasn’t Roc.

Who, then? Who was out there, reaching out to her but not speaking? Tasting her, reading her?

Trees lined her street. Silent cars hunkered like bugs in driveways. So many hiding places, and suddenly she was aware of them all, aware of the road stretching before her eyes and the houses full of people. People living their own lives, watching TV or having dinner, or whatever it was they were doing as the sky faded above them. Darkness came late this time of year, but even with the sun barely set, the shadows were long and deep.

Reflexively she lowered her shields. Yes, lots of people in their houses; she felt them all, saw what they saw, a flood of information easier than it should have been to control. Psyche demons—which the demon inside her now was, fully and completely—assimilated that information without hesitating, without thinking, and so did she.

But none of these people were responsible for that shivery feeling. Something else was out there, watching her, and threat hung heavy in the still air. It quivered against her skin. This was not just a visit. Whatever was out there wanted to harm her; it felt malevolent. Wrong.

It took every bit of strength she had to lift her foot and take one step toward the front door. Not all demons were visible all the time. Was it standing right beside her? Right behind her? She spun around, her breath loud and harsh in her own ears, searing her lungs. She couldn’t get enough oxygen from the hot, thick air. It choked her.

The soft dusk light blinded her, turned everything gray in a way she normally loved. Now it was as though the street, her house, everything around her was wrapped in dusty shrouds. She wanted to see and couldn’t. Wanted more light, but the sun was rapidly setting, and she was alone.