Part 14 (1/2)

So there. That was my righteous Southern woman declaration for the month, ala Julia Sugarbaker (bless her heart and rest her soul).

That's when I spotted Bonville. He was in a black robe but he wasn't masked. His robe was all silky and smooth, while the others looked like dime-store knock offs. I laid Dags down on the ground, also taking note of the huge-a.s.s pentagram beneath us on a wood floor, and stood up.

Oddly enough I felt--pretty good.

Bonville held up his right hand. ”I command you, oh demon, to be cast out of this circle so that we may continue our ritual.”

I don't know what he expected to happen--but it didn't. The others looked a little flummoxed as well. And though I sensed power behind the casting--I sensed it was missing something.

Ah! The book!

He didn't have his big book anymore, 'cause Nona and Rhonda did.

Abruptly the Archer appeared in front me, between myself and Bonville. And I wasn't the only one that could see him. Everyone could. In the bas.e.m.e.nt like this, under all the candle-light, he looked pretty impressive.

”She's wearing bunny slippers,” someone muttered.

Yes I am--wanna make something of it?

Mental Note: bunny slippers are cool.

I also noticed TC had the book and the doc.u.ments in his hands. Now how did he get hold of those?

He held the doc.u.ments up, and Bonville looked a little bit more than frightened. ”You recognize these, Allard? The doc.u.ments you made all of these people sign?”

All of these people--I looked at the group. The Cruorem. They were all looking at each other.

Allard Bonville nodded. ”I do. They gave me their loyalty--”

”No, Allard,” TC's voice boomed. ”You sold their souls so that you could become immortal.”

Well that was a lowering of the boom. I could feel a huge mix of anger, confusion, disbelief and fear running rampant around the room. Oh Mr. Bonville was in trouble now. Neener nee.

”No--what are you talking about? My wife--”

”And what happened to those souls that you were tired of?” TC looked like he was having a good time here--but I was waiting for all these Shadow Folk to come like he told me they would. ”You pushed them physically into the Abysmal plane, making them unpalatable for your lord and master.”

I frowned. Huh?

Bonville had his hands out. ”But I was only doing what she told me to do. Please, don't take the promise from me now--I'll die.”

TC smiled. And I didn't like that smile.

”Then are you finally willing to offer her to me?”

Huh? Who?

Bonville looked terrified. ”She'll kill me--I can't do that. She'll kill me!”

She? Who was she?

Why did I have the feeling I'd been lied to--again? d.a.m.n TC!

The book in TC's hand abruptly took flight and floated to Bonville. It opened and the pages flipped until it remained still and hovered before his face. ”Bring her to me.”

”No--” Bonville shook his head. ”I only wanted to summon her to find this,” he nodded to the book floating in front of him. ”You don't need her--”

”Bring. Her. To. Me.”

The command in that voice made my head spin.

Bonville looked at T.C. ”But the Shadows...he'll send the Shadows...”

”Do it.”

What the f.u.c.king h.e.l.l was going on-- And abruptly the whole room's temperature dropped. Bonville was reciting something from the book. There was a swirl inside the circle and every one of the people there were still in their places. I could tell from their expressions--what I could see--they were powerless to move.

Shadows appeared everywhere in the circle. Short, then, tall--but none over three feet in height. Some slithered and some crawled, they walked and they flew! And they flew right at me as well as TC.

”They're coming...” someone whispered.

”We should run!”

”Don't stop, Allard,” TC commanded again. ”That's why I brought the Wraith.”

I guessed this was my cue and so I reached out to the nearest one and-- Poof. It disappeared in the same gold powder poof as the one I'd touched in the closet.

I felt a slight surge of power as it evaporated and I liked it. I touched another one and the same thing happened. I touched all of them I could, feeling my backbone expand, and my feet nearly lifted from the ground. This wasn't like when I ate that lady in the hospital--or like when I leeched off of Rhonda that time.

This was different.

It was much more fulfilling in a base sort of way.

”What--what is it doing?” Bonville called out.

”The Wraith is taking in the Abysmal that you tainted.”

”It wasn't my fault! I only did what--” and then he stopped. ”She's coming! They're coming!”

The Shadows were gone and I felt as light and as high as a freak'n kite. Man--what rush. I kinda thought on one level I was eating garbage--but man what a great feeling garbage gave me. And even though on some level I knew they were souls, I saw them as tainted souls. Souls twisted by the Abysmal plane.

Yeah...the plane with the flowers and daisies?

Mental Note: okay--something wasn't right here, Zoe.

Dags lay on his back, his arms out in a crucifix position palms up. The circles on his palms glowed brighter and brighter until a white column of light shot out of each palm. Both columns widened until they were three foot wide and six foot high. When the light cleared there were two women standing to either side of Dags' palms.

One woman was in her later years, though I couldn't tell how old from looking at her. I just got a sense of maturity. Her hair was white as it fell around her shoulders and down her back.

The other woman was much younger, with darker hair and a very unpleasant look on her face. I recognized her from pictures I'd seen of her in her apartment. Maureen?