Carnal Sin

THIRTY-ONE

Rafe had Grant Nelson restrained in the reverse spirit trap. They were in Jackson’s church, in the large area where the altar had been. A twenty-foot-tall empty cross hung on thick wires from the ceiling, the base eight feet overhead and behind them.

A thick line of salt circled Grant, as well as a nearly invisible circle of sacred oil. Rafe hoped they weren’t making a mistake using the church as their last stand-it had once been a Catholic church, and Jackson said the relics beneath the altar had never been removed. They were safe in a wooden box beneath the floor. Maybe it was overkill, but Rafe tied Grant to a chair directly above the relics. If the cop didn’t calm down and listen, Rafe wouldn’t be able to free him, and if Grant couldn’t defend himself it could put him at greater risk.

He hoped he was doing the right thing-and he wished Anthony would call him back with answers. They were cutting it far too close. If Anthony didn’t know what to do, then they would have to wing it. Which might well get them all killed. Rafe tried not to dwell over Moira’s captivity otherwise he’d lose his edge. Wendy’s laughter had been borderline hysterical, and Rafe expected the demon any minute.

He didn’t know if he could do this without Moira, and prayed she was safe.

“I’m sorry,” Rafe said as he checked Grant’s restraints.

“You kidnapped a cop. Sorry isn’t going to cut it.” Grant glared at Jeff Johnston, who stood to the side, his eyes red with restrained emotion and uncertainty. He’d been the one to Taser his partner. “I’ll have your badge, Johnston.”

“I’m sorry, too, Grant, but you’re not yourself.” Jeff asked Rafe, “Is he possessed or something?”

“No. He’s infected. The demon Lust did a number on him, and now she’s coming to finish the job. Steal his soul, then end his life.”

Grant fought his restraints. “You’re both fucking insane! I’m going to kill you!”

“I want to cut you loose,” Rafe said, “but you’ll only endanger yourself if you leave this spirit trap.”

“I’m going to throw the book at you,” he growled.

Jackson Moreno brought the chalice from the sanctuary. “I don’t think we should bring that out,” Rafe said. “Not until Anthony calls.”

“I’ll keep it with me.”

“But-” Rafe was unsure. Moira had been adamant about keeping it well secured until the demon was trapped. “I’m going to call Anthony now,” he said. “We can’t wait.”

“What’s that?” Grant demanded. He was obviously in pain, but not from the restraints. His hair was dark with sweat, his face flushed, his eyes bloodshot. He was fighting the lustful urges, but Rafe suspected he’d be vulnerable as soon as the demon arrived. Rafe couldn’t free him; Grant Nelson wasn’t in his right mind.

“I’ve been telling you the truth, Detective. Wendy Donovan is a witch,” Rafe told him as he called Anthony. “She summoned a succubus-a demon who steals the souls of men during sex-in order to gain favors. But this time, she trapped one of the Seven Deadly Sins, and it’s not as simple to get rid of it.”

“You’re all fucking lunatics!”

Let me talk to him.

There was no way Rafe was letting Julie take over. Moira was already going to be livid that he’d let the witch’s spirit inside him. Rafe couldn’t give up even a sliver of control.

Anthony answered his phone on the third ring. “Rafe.”

“I’m desperate for answers, Anthony. We have the cop, the demon is on its way, and the Donovans have Moira somewhere.”

“What? Who has Moira?”

“Wendy and Nicole Donovan plan to turn her over to Fiona.”

“You can’t let that happen!”

Rafe hesitated. For two weeks Anthony had been berating Moira, doubting her, and arguing with her. It had developed into a huge problem between him and Anthony as well, and now he was suddenly concerned about her safety? Not simply concerned-but panicked. “I have no intention of letting them harm her. But it’s nearly sunset here and we’re out of time.”

“Where’s the chalice?”

“We have it here.”

“You need to contain the demon in the chalice and then melt it. But you won’t have much time.”

“And how do we do that?”

“That, I’m not as certain about.”

“You’re not helping, Anthony.”

“What do you want from me? I’m seven thousand miles away, and I’ve been reading handwritten notes in four languages for twenty hours straight. In one book I’ve found reliable, it states that any physical portal-that is, an object and not a place-into the underworld can be used to trap a demon using a binding exorcism prayer. In my experience working with artifacts, I believe this is correct.”

“Have you done it?”

“I haven’t had cause. I’ve encountered demons trapped in physical vessels like the chalice during archeological excavations and have successfully sent them back, but I’ve never handled a demon as powerful as Lust.”

Rafe considered Anthony’s experience. “Right now the demon is in a human body. Do I need to draw it out of the body first, then bind it to the chalice?”

“I would suggest just that. You’ll need to be in the reverse trap to protect you.”

“And the chalice?”

“Nearby, outside the trap.”

Rafe could think of a half-dozen things that could go wrong. “I hope this works.”

“I’ll be praying for you. As soon as possible, find Moira.”

“I plan on it.” Rafe hung up. He wasn’t certain whether Anthony’s concern was for Moira’s ultimate safety or her value as a tool, and it made him uneasy.

Rafe said to Jackson, “Put the chalice under the altar, to the side so Wendy won’t see it.”

“Does Anthony have a plan?”

“One plan. If Plan A doesn’t work, we’ll improvise.”

Jeff was trying to talk to Grant. “I saw some things this afternoon that I can’t explain.”

Grant strained, his lips curling. “They drugged you! It’s a hallucination!”

Jeff glanced at Rafe. “Can’t you do something for him?”

Rafe shook his head.

Julie said, Please, Rafe! Let me talk to him.

He mentally told her, “Feed me information. I’m not giving you control.”

She was too weak to fight him, and reluctantly agreed.

Rafe said to Grant, “Wendy was jealous because you kept going back to Julie. Wendy didn’t want you; she just didn’t want Julie to have you.”

“You bastard, if you touched Julie I swear I’ll kill you-”

“I haven’t hurt Julie, but Wendy gave her body to a demon. That demon has been around you-you’ve been infected. The symptoms of being infected? Headaches worse than any migraine you’ve ever had. An overwhelming urge to do things you know you shouldn’t, but you still want to. Need to. Julie came to my hotel room this morning. She had bruises on her arms from where you held her down. She said you weren’t acting yourself, then told us about the mark on your back. The same mark that’s on the backs of the demon’s victims lying in the morgue.” Recognition crossed Grant’s face. “You saw it with your own eyes,” Rafe added.

“You son of a bitch!” Grant pulled and strained at his restraints.

Jackson tried to calm him down. “Grant, it’s true. I know it’s hard to accept, but there are demons that walk the earth. Wendy is the head of a powerful coven-”

“If I hear that word one more time!” Grant stared at the ceiling. Veins throbbed in his neck as sweat flowed down his back.

“Detective Nelson,” Rafe said, “Julie is trying to save your life. Her spirit-her astral self-is right here with me. She knows you don’t believe in any of this. If it helps, she wants to remind you that she’s the only one who knows about your brother.”

Rafe didn’t feel comfortable sharing the private information, but the comment had Grant frozen. Then he went off. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but if you mention Brian I will beat your brains out! You know nothing about him! You’re not fit to be in the same room with him! I hate you!”

Rafe’s compassion went out to Grant. He let the comments stand, not elaborating. Grant was losing his steam. Rafe didn’t want to beat the guy down, but he had to get him to at least comply.

“We want to untie you, but you have to stay in the spirit trap,” Rafe said. “The demon wants you. It wants your soul. There is also the not-so-little problem of the mark on your back. Remember Galion? Everyone who is marked dies unless we trap the demon.”

Grant had nothing more to say, but he glared at Jeff.

“Hello!” A female voice rang out in the church.

Rafe pivoted with his dagger out. It was Nina Hardwick.

“What are you doing here, Nina?” Rafe asked, angry. They didn’t have time for this. Wendy was on her way.

Nina frowned. “I tried Moira, but-” She stared at Grant. “What happened? What are you doing to him?” She ran toward Grant and Rafe intercepted her.

“Nina.” He grabbed her arm and made her look at him. “You have to go.”

“Why are you hurting him?”

“I haven’t hurt him-he has the mark of the demon. He’s going to die if I can’t stop Wendy. And so will Moira.”

Nina looked around. It was all too incredible; impossible to believe. “Where is Moira?”

“Wendy kidnapped her. She set Grant up, but we found him first. He doesn’t understand what’s going on.”

Grant said, “I understand perfectly well that you are a fucking loon and will be in prison for a long, long time.”

Detective Jeff Johnston approached her. “Nina, Grant isn’t himself right now. He assaulted a cop after getting into a minor car accident. He’s lucky he wasn’t hauled to the station and placed on administrative leave. Something is wrong with him.”

“Nina,” Rafe said, “you need to leave before Wendy gets here with the demon.”

“I found the information you wanted.”

For a minute, Rafe didn’t know what he’d asked for. Nina elaborated. “Wendy and Nicole’s background. Wendy was in and out of mental institutions for years. Their mother, Susan, was in foster care from the age of six. Susan’s parents were grossly abusive, and she was forcibly removed from their home. They went to prison, but not long enough if you ask me, and Susan was raised in a series of-”

“I appreciate this, but now you need to leave.”

“But-”

“Please, Nina.”

“Wendy killed her mother. No one prosecuted her because she had proof that her mother set her up to be raped repeatedly. Wendy was finally released for good when she was eighteen, and hasn’t had a problem with law enforcement since. Her records are sealed.”

“How did you get them?” Jeff asked.

Nina straightened her spine. “I have my sources. I don’t th-”

Rafe smelled a hint of sulfur as soon as the demon stepped into the church.

“Get behind me,” he ordered Nina while pushing her back.

The demon-in Julie’s body-was flanked by Wendy and Pamela.

Rafe caught Jackson’s eye and mouthed, Go! Now!

Jackson hesitated. Dammit, he knew the plan! He didn’t have time to panic.

Wendy said, “You lose, Raphael Cooper.”

“Where’s Moira?” He hadn’t expected them to bring her, but he prayed she was still alive. They wanted her for Fiona, not themselves.

“You think I’d bring her here? Give me Grant. He’s already marked. He’s ours.”

The demon growled, “He’s mine.”

Every door in the place slammed shut. They’d been sealed inside. No one could get in or out.