18 Chapter Eighteen: Banished

Derik felt Jade's mind weaken, and he heard the thump of her body. He turned to the sound in time to see the body of the Incubus rushing towards him. They made solid contact, Derik being thrown to the ground. His head connected to the pavement, but it meant little to a Demon. Attempting to dislodge the Incubus, Derik shouted to Jones.

"Find Jade!"

Mark ran towards the Incubus, football tackling him off of Derik, and Jones rushed to the wall around the area it had come from. He nearly tripped over Jade but stopped in time.

Kneeling by Jade, Jones took her wrist to feel for a pulse. A groan came from her mouth, and Jones sighed in relief. He had never heard Derik sound so scared before. He knew Jade was extremely important to her, and he didn't want anything bad to happen to her, let alone tell Derik.

"Hey, Jade." He said quietly, shaking her shoulder.

Jade groaned again followed by a horse cough and gasping. Jade trembled as air reached her lungs, and she lay there trying to get her strength back.

"Easy Jade.." Jones said, ignoring the fighting behind him.

Derik, Mark, and the Incubus were all fairly evenly matched, had Derik and Mark been adults and grown into their power, there would be no doubt who would win, but as it is, it was an even fight.

Jade swallowed a few times, her throat feeling tight, and pushed herself into a sitting position. That's when she noticed the fighting.

"Crap. Jones." She said, her voice raspy and weak.

"Yeah? What is it, Jade?" He asked her, moving closer to her.

"Set up the Soul Stones. One on each end of the pentagram-" She was interrupted by coughing, then took a shaky breath and continued, "and put the last in the center."

Jones nodded.

"On it."

Jade sat against the wall and watched Jones, but her sight was drawn to the fighting. Derik looked bruised and battered; Jade could practically feel his pain, but he continued to fight. He was obviously mad.

Jones' arrival brought her attention to him, and he handed her the bag of supplies.

"I brought this, what next?" He asked, looking ready to help.

Jade didn't answer, her throat hurt like a bitch, and she had a banishing to finish. Getting the knife Mark had brought, she set the sharp blade on her wrist.

"Woah Woah Woah! What are you doing?!?" Jones asked, his voice rising an octave in surprised panic.

"Relax. My blood is needed for this banishing to work." Jade said, holding her arm above the bowl.

Without another word, Jade sliced the blade across her wrist. Jones grimaced, but Jade was careful to show no emotion, mostly for Jones' sake, but also because she was afraid she'd cry. The pain was sharp and her blood was hot as it welled up and began to drip into the bowl. She clenched and unclenched her hand, to get the blood flowing. Jones watched in horrified fascination. A small, steady stream had started flowing from her wrist. As the blood began to fill the bowl, Jade couldn't help but notice how beautifully red and rich it looked. So smooth as it silently left her body.

After the bowl was about a third of the way full, Jade used the knife to tear her shirt and used the strip as a makeshift bandage. Wrapping her wrist, she handed the bowl to Jones, then struggled to her feet.

"Now, time to start the banishing." She stated.

Walking quietly, side by side, Jade and Jones made their way to the pentagram. She poured her blood over each Soul Stone, watching it flow out of the bowl and onto each stone. Once done, Jade summoned the words to her mind and began.

"Blood of life, cleanse this land. Bind this creature of lust to me."

Jade could feel something ancient awakening inside of her, filling with power.

"Sanguis Vitam, terra fluen abluere. Concupiscitis me vivente ligare." She repeated in Latin.

At her voice and the words in Latin, the Incubus yelled and turned towards her and Jones.

"You little fucking bitch!" He screamed.

He charged towards her, but a sphere of black energy hit him, scorching his skin. Jade gasped in pain, for she had bound them together, his pain was hers.

"Focus on me, asshole! I took her innocence, not you!" Derik yelled.

A blush rose above the pain, and Jones chuckled lightly, but Jade knew why he said it. It would infuriate the Incubus, and he'd go after Derik. Sure enough, the Incubus screamed in rage and hurled himself at Derik, dark energy surrounding him. Jade quickly took a breath, ignoring her growing pain, and continued.

"Hear me now! I Jaderyn, hunter of the damned, command this Demon to stop!" She shouted, before Derik got severely hurt.

Strong power was radiating off of the Incubus, but the power coming from Jade was closely rivaling it.

"Audi me! Ego, Jaderyn, venandi accrescat, hac iubes daemonium prohibere!" She shouted again in the language of ancient power.

The Incubus was forced to his knees, stopping him instantly. Panting Jade finished.

"Chains of hell, take him in your clutches, I banish this demon to whence it came! Return to hell, burn for everlasting eternity!"

Jade was basically gasping for breath, but she was determined to finish.

"Catenatas inferni tolle in manu ego daemonium cujas expelle ad infernum adolebitque perpetua in aeternum!"

Almost as an afterthought, Jade added to the banishing spell for good measure.

"Nunc Ad!" Her voice echoed around the alley, and the Incubus screamed in pain, as the three watched it burn before their eyes.

The night was silent, the power Jade had felt was quickly fleeing from her, and her body felt weak. Her legs gave out, and before she hit the ground, arms wrapped around her, and the familiar scent of Derik encased her. She was unconscious within the moment.