XII

In the split second it takes for them to switch, Jordan bucks off the wall, and the new shifter has to slam into him to secure him.

“All Demon’s out,” Sauda commands. “Half of you gather the bodies with great care so we can send them back to their loved ones. The other half clean up all the blood.”

As they, “sir, yes, sir” and file out, Sauda sees Britain, Elaheh, Raum, and his date go with them. Even the few humans who were watching left.

Sauda stares at Adorna, who is glued to her Bonded’s side, staring at her friend raving on the wall.

Once everyone clears out, Sauda walks behind the Castor to her Succubus. She doesn’t need to tell her to leave; she knew the answer was going to be no.

“Can you handle it?” Sauda asks.

“With each Demon you bond to you, I get stronger, too. If I’m on the brink of death, I’ll slither out.”

Sauda goes back to stand beside Katya. “Do it.”

Her prayer isn’t like the one in the movies. She doesn’t ask the Demon for its name or sprinkles holy water. She prays for her strength and for Jordan’s life while she casts runes in the air.

This was a new show from the last time Sauda and Katya faced a Demon this way. When they were up against their big bad, Katya didn’t use casting to exorcise a Demon, but then again, the way she did it before almost got them killed. So Sauda wouldn’t complain if Katya learned how to do it better.

Adorna clenches her teeth and balls up her fists, drawing blood from her hands. When Katya prays for help to cast out the Demon from their Lieutenant, Adorna drops to her knees, letting out a horrid scream. She slams her hand on the floor to hold herself up and blood smears underneath her. Ashleigh stops her casting to see her partner, but the second her hands stop, Jordan bucks and sinks his teeth into his cousin’s shoulder.

“Ashleigh!” Katya screams while the wounded Shifter falls to the ground.

Ashleigh casts again, slamming Jordan against the wall, knocking the breath out of him. Katya screams the last of her prayer, and it draws something black and deep purple out of his body as if it is draining out from his pores.

Sauda watches as Jordan pants and winces as whatever that was inside him was forcing its way out through his skin. Even for a Shifter, this part would be painful. Demons don’t just enter the body spiritually. They root themselves in and connect themselves to every foothold. So when they are exorcised, it’s like pulling a leech off from your organs and veins. Sauda heard it was extremely painful. It killed the human Sauda and Katya was trying to save.

Sauda closes her eyes, and prays to God for Jordan’s life, trying to ignore the scream that prayer pulls out of her Succubus friend.

Katya pulls the whole thing out till it stands in front of them all like a haunted figure.

Jordan slumps and doesn’t rise back up. Earth cast the vines away, and Ashleigh let her spell go. The shifters lay him down and check on him.

“Still breathing, Cap.”

“I can’t hold this for long,” Katya whispers as the sweat continues to roll down her face. “Help me.”

The one thing the movies don’t tell is that pulling the Demon out is not enough. If the Demon is let go, then it’s weakened, but not for long, and it’ll come back. Possessions are like Demon astral projections. Their spirit is here, while they’re body is still in hell.

Now, they need to kill the projection, but before that, they need to know who this Demon belongs to. Sauda knew the perfect person for the job.

Because she doesn’t have her cell phone, she has to do it the old-fashioned way.

She kneels on the ground, laying her staff down, and grabs a knife. Quickly she slashes her arm, holding it so the blood drips to the floor. She dips her finger in the blood and casts the summoning spell.

“What do we have here?” A voice sounds from behind her.

She sits back unto her heels. “A little gift for you, Dad,” She replies, “but I need you to get him quickly before my Castor falls out.”

He walks into view and quickly grabs the thing by the back of the throat and it flails in his hand. Katya passes out.

Sauda looks at her father with his Dayta hairstyle and tailored dark green suit. He looks to his daughter with a serious frown.

“Take Jordan and Katya to the infirmary,” Sauda commands.

The shifters carry them out, with Earth on their tail to help.

“Have you heard?” Sauda asks her father.

“La Muerte is coming back.” His frown deepens. “We need to talk.”

“We’ll debrief soon. Can you find who this is, who’s working with La Muerte? Then we can have a meeting,” She says.

“Of course,” Andras says, disappearing with the Demon’s soul.

She looks back at the rest of her team.

Dimitri and Dimitra are on the ground, blood flowing from their eyes, nose, and mouth. Jinn stands beside them, with his arm crossed. He is made of tougher stuff than them. He and Elaheh were her biggest power jump when they swore to her.

“I ripped this beautiful dress up, and didn’t even fight anyone,” Sauda sighs, “And there’s no way I’m taking a shower alone.”

“Another group shower, My Lady?” Jinn asks.

“Yup.”

“I vote today to be a pajama day,” Adorna says, getting up from the floor. “Mandatory horror-movie-sleepover for the entire base.”

Ashleigh and Adorna leave first, then Jinn. The Twins hang back to protect Sauda because now even their home is compromised.

Kang Dae comes up to her. “The blood looks good on you,” he smiles. “Really brings out your skin tone.”

She smiles back. “You give the best compliments. Come on, time to shower.”