| THE LORELEI SIGNAL |
.
| Written by Anita Siraki / Artwork by Marge Simon |
| Cursed Innocence |
A shudder ran through Eva’s body, making her jolt.
She hugged her trench coat more tightly to her,
donning her hood so the snowflakes that fell wouldn’t
get in her hair. People told her Toronto was colder
than Vancouver, but she hadn’t been prepared for
this.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the giant
TTC sign getting closer. The first time she passed an
alley on the way, she didn’t pay too much attention,
but her peripheral vision caught a distinct flicker of
movement. She walked back to the shadowy lane and
peered inside to see a robed man on top of a girl who
looked no older than seventeen.
“Hey, leave her alone,” Eva called out.
The man didn’t move.
As Eva edged closer, the scent of lavender filled her
nostrils. She glimpsed a clawed hand that rested atop
the sleeping girl’s face. Demon! The word echoed in
her mind.
A whitish mist rose from the girl, swirling upward into
the demon. It was as if he was feeding off...her soul?
From her purse, Eva removed a flare and a box of salt.
She grabbed handfuls of salt, and threw them at the
demon. He backed away from the girl’s body, hissing.
“That got your attention,” Eva muttered.
She opened the flare and threw it at the demon,
hoping the burst of bright, orange light would do
something. She repeated a chant aloud, “Christ in
Heaven, my lord and saviour, protect me.”
The demon emitted a low groan that made Eva jolt. “Your weapons do nothing to harm me.” His voice was
guttural and thunderous.
Eva froze as the demon placed its clawed hand on the girl’s face once more, drawing the last of the whitish
mist out. The girl could have been dead, so still was her body.
The demon rose, casting its golden-eyed gaze onto Eva. They burned her mind, seeming as though they could
see into the depths of her. She wanted to speak, but words wouldn’t come.
He extended a clawed hand from which she drew back.
“Ashael is not pleased,” he said.
“Your master doesn’t matter,” she countered.
“I am my own master.”
Crouching, she unsheathed an ebony dagger from a sheath at her calf. It was the most potent weapon she
could think of. Not hesitating, she plunged it straight through Ashael’s chest.
The demon shrieked, staggering backward. A bright, green light burst into the alley, making Eva shield her
eyes. It seemed he had reverted to a spectral form. The dagger hadn’t killed him?
Eva’s eyes went to the weapon on the floor where moments before, it had gone through Ashael’s chest. She
froze.
“I will have you, Eva Templeton,” he said. “Our blood is the same.”
Her eyes went to the box of salt at her feet. She grabbed it and flung its contents at him.
With a deep growl, Ashael’s spectral form dissolved into a thin mist. Only his black robe remained on the
ground.
He was gone.
Eva slumped to the floor, flinging the box of salt aside. She had never encountered such a powerful demon.
They usually succumbed to salt or flares—she had never had to use both. The dagger was the only weapon
she knew of powerful enough to destroy any demon. And yet Ashael had been strong enough to resist its
effect. She picked it up and sheathed it in its holster on her right calf.
Eight years and you bastards haven’t let up. She’d never been given an explanation, only told by her mother to
guard the ebony dagger crafted by Moira Templeton, her first witch ancestor, over two hundred years ago.
She guarded the weapon with her life not only because of its power, but because it was the only thing of her
mother’s she had left.
Everywhere she went, she saw them. At first, she kept as far away from them as possible, afraid they would
kill her, too. But when she learned enough about how to track them and about their weaknesses, she fended
off each one that came after her.
She waited for the day the demon that killed her mother would come to her. She would be ready.
She bent over the girl, brushing a hand over her face. “Are you all right, honey?”
The girl’s eyes fluttered open, the deepest shade of blue Eva had ever seen. Rubbing her eyes, the girl
shivered. “What happened? Where am I?”
Eva got out her cell phone and dialled 911. They may not have been able to give her back what Ashael stole
from her, but they would give her a warm bed to sleep in for a night, at least, off the cold Toronto streets.
“I’m at Jane and Finch and have a girl here who was attacked by a man, possibly sexually assaulted.”
With a nod, she tucked her cell phone in her purse. “An ambulance will be here in five minutes, okay? Don’t
worry. You’re going to be fine.”
~*~
The next morning, Eva found herself sitting in Father McDermott’s office, fiddling with her labret. Seeing
demons didn’t usually bother her as much as the encounter with Ashael yesterday had, but she couldn’t stop
thinking about the dagger and how it hadn’t killed the demon. She didn’t know what to do.
Ashael was unlike any other demon she’d encountered, not only because of the dagger, but because he said
he would have her.
Her skin prickled at the thought of the demon’s touch on her face, cold and soft. She needed to find a way to
kill him before he got to her—and fast.
A tall, young priest walked into the room. He had hazel eyes with specks of forest green, a chiselled jaw
covered with light stubble, and cropped, sandy-brown hair. His lips were sensuous and pink as he curved
them into a smile.
She rose. “Daniel.” The word died on her lips.
“Eva.” His eyes sparkled as he gazed at her. It felt like not a day had passed since they’d last spoken seven
years ago. When she looked at him, the memories flooded into her mind: the embraces, laughter, dates,
almost losing her virginity to him. The loss of him.
It raced through her mind as she stared at the man she’d loved, now a man of God. When had this happened
and what had made him decide to become a priest?
“Daniel...” She struggled to find the words, not knowing where to begin, not knowing what to say. “How...
when...why...”
He chuckled. “I know I’m the last person you would expect to see as a priest, but I had a life-changing event
that made me see the world differently.” He licked his lips. “I’ve missed you, Eva. I didn’t think I would ever
see you again. They say the Lord does everything for a reason, often unclear to us, and I wonder why he has
placed you in my path again.”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” she said with a grin. “I came here to see Father McDermott, actually. Do you
know where he is?”
“I’m taking over his duties for a while as he recovers from triple bypass surgery. Is there anything I can help
you with?”
“Not unless you know anything about demons,” she muttered.
“Actually, I do,” he said, and winked.
She chuckled nervously. “I forgot how sharp your sense of hearing is.”
“Please, sit.”
She sank into the chair in front of his desk, at which he sat.
“So, you mentioned needing help with demons. What kind of help?”
Her eyes widened. “You know they exist?”
“Demons are the reason I became a priest and did my degrees in theology and demonology. A short time after
we ended our relationship, one of them killed my father.”
Her throat tightened and became heavy. “A demon killed my mother. I can imagine how devastated you
were.” She wanted to reach across the table and hold his hand and to tell him it was okay.
“It’s done.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did the demon kill your father?”
“It possessed him. My father fought back when he could, but no matter how hard I tried to exorcise it, the
demon wouldn’t leave. So I shot my father to drive the thing out of his body.”
She put a hand over her chest. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Anyway, we’re here to discuss you.”
Eva shifted her gaze to the desk. “I come from a long line of witches, starting from my prime ancestor, Moira
Templeton, who was a powerful sorcerer and half demon herself, the irony of which doesn’t help. By the time
the inheritance came to me, all I got was the ability to see demons.”
“When did you first notice this ability?”
“After my mother died, a bit after my sixteenth birthday.”
“Does Father McDermott know all of this?”
She nodded. “It usually doesn’t affect me too much, but I spotted a demon yesterday raping a girl in an alley.”
Taking the ebony dagger from its holster, she placed it on the desk in front of her. “My mother retrieved this
from a demon and gave it to me for safeguarding. She died fighting the demon that wanted it.” Eva ran a
hand over her face. “I’ve used it a couple of times before and it’s the strongest thing I have that can kill
demons. I stabbed the one I saw yesterday with the dagger, but it didn’t kill him.”
He wore an understanding look. “It did nothing to him?”
“I think it made him incorporeal. He had a body before I stabbed him. Now, he’s alive, but I don’t know where.”
“He can’t hurt you now.”
“He can hurt others and I can’t let him do that. He’s going to get another body. I have to stop that from
happening.”
Daniel nodded. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a card, handing it to Eva. “I want you to call this
man. He’s a friend; a devil hunter. He’s the best in the game.”
“Thank you.” She pocketed the card. “I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me. I’m glad I ran into
you.”
He closed a warm hand over hers. “I am here for you, Eva. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” He
rubbed his thumb over her palm. She glanced at his hands. No wedding ring.
“What we had...”
He held up a hand to interrupt her. “Is in the past. I know.”
“No,” she protested. “What we had is alive again. I’ve missed you too much, Daniel. Things haven’t been the
same since you left me.” She looked directly into his eyes.
His eyes softened. “I’m sorry. The way I left was wrong. But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
They rose at the same time. Daniel kissed her hand. “Let me help. We can defeat this demon together.”
“I’m not a child who needs constant protection,” she said.
“You can’t fight the demon yourself.”
“I’m not going to. This devil hunter you told me about is going to help.”
“I want to be a part of this. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” He took her hand into his.
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.” She left the office.
~*~
After she left the cathedral, she dialed the hunter, Michael’s, number on her cell and waited at the corner of
Church and Adelaide.
“Hello?”
“Is this Michael?”
“Depends on who’s asking.”
“Father Daniel said you could help me. My name is Eva Templeton. Is there somewhere we can meet?”
~*~
Five minutes later, a blond man dressed in a leather trench coat, black pants, and big boots walked toward
her. A heavy-looking bag hung from his shoulder. He took off his dark sunglasses to reveal a pair of light blue
eyes. “I wasn’t expecting you to be this hot. Nice rack, sweetheart.”
She cast him a deadpan look. “You better be as good as Daniel says you are or I’ll send you to Hell.”
“You’re a feisty one. I like that.” He winked.
“Can you help me or can’t you?”
“Let’s walk to Tim’s. I have some stuff to show you there.”
They walked for a few minutes until they reached the coffee shop with the large red-lettered sign. He opened
the door for her. She reveled in the warm breeze that hit her face at the same time as the scent of hot coffee.
She sat at the cleanest available table, wiping its counter with a tissue from the dispenser.
He sat across from her, pulling out a laptop from his bag. He flipped it open and typed for a few minutes, then
turned the machine toward her.
She put a hand to her chin, reading the text. “He’s after me because he wasn’t good enough in bed for Moira.”
“He’s after you because he holds you responsible for his curse,” Michael corrected. “She hexed him with the
need to feed off the innocence of young girls, sometimes a whitish, misty material.”
“That’s what came off the girl Ashael attacked the other day. But she was sleeping.”
“Now that’s interesting,” he remarked, turning the laptop to face him once more.
“What I don’t get is why the dagger didn’t work,” she said.
“It’s not that it didn’t work,” he replied, still typing. “It didn’t kill him because family heirlooms don’t work on
demons as powerful as Ashael. It did make him incorporeal, though.”
“Even worse, because now he’ll be on the hunt for a body.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that for now. We’ve got to figure out a way to track him. I also did a trace of your
family history, Moira specifically.”
“We know she’s the reason for all this. What else do we need?”
“But why her? She must have done something specific, besides make the dagger and curse. Maybe you carry
something in your blood Ashael needs to cure himself. Or maybe having sex with you will end his curse.”
Michael scratched the stubble under his chin.
“He also said our blood is the same. What did he mean?”
“To answer that, I need some blood samples.”
“I think I’ll go to a blood clinic, thanks.” She drew back. She hated needles.
“Relax. I’m a registered nurse’s aid at the clinic near my building. We can go there and do the tests, if it’ll
make you feel more comfortable, then tomorrow night, I can get you the results.”
“You better know what you’re doing.”
He lowered his sunglasses once more. “Do I tell you how to do your job?”
She rolled her eyes. “Based on the resilience Ashael showed against the dagger, I’m guessing he’s at the top
of the food chain, like a fallen angel.”
“Anything that ends in ‘el’ is a dead giveaway. Demons like that laugh in the face of basic weapons.”
“Is there any place I can stay where I’ll be safe? Church?”
“You’d think that, wouldn’t you? Ordinarily, I’d say yes, but hallowed ground won’t do much to restrain this
demon. Exorcisms won’t work, either. Line your doors and windows with salt, though.”
She sighed. “You haven’t been a hunter very long, have you?”
“Ten years.” He continued to type, not looking up from the computer screen. “I had a nice life, too. A wife,
kids, a decent income as an electrician. One dead family later, I found myself forced into this life.”
“Did you find the demon who killed your family?”
“All his brothers and sisters, too. I’ve killed and banished more demons than I can count.”
“And you’ll stop when?”
“Not until I die.”
~*~
The next evening, she walked down a dim, grungy hallway with peeling, green wallpaper. It smelled of dog
food and week-old garbage.
She knocked on the door marked '19' and waited until she heard the latch click open. Michael took her jacket
and purse and put them on a chair near the door.
Daniel sat at a sofa next to a stack of newspapers. He rose at her entrance and smiled.
Her heart pounded against her chest, faster by the second. “What are you doing here?”
“Michael asked me to come.”
Michael cleared his throat. “Sorry for the mess, but no one ever said hunters are neat.” He walked to a desk
with a microscope, some empty test tubes, and his laptop.
He sat and took a few sheets of paper. “Your blood is normal except for one tiny detail. It’s so small I almost
missed it. You ever heard of ‘witch-seed’?”
She shook her head.
“Well, you have lots of it in your blood.”
“What is it?”
“Demons are very allergic to it,” Daniel said.
Michael nodded. “If the demon ingests enough of your blood, he can die.”
“He’s not a vampire.”
“Like I said, Ashael wants your innocence, which is hard-wired to the witch-seed in you. The only way he can
ingest it is sexually.”
“I am not having sex with that thing,” she said, recoiling.
“Well, if not him, why don’t you and I get it on?” Michael winked, prompting her to cross her arms across her
chest. He turned back to the computer.
Daniel skimmed through the papers Michael held a moment ago. “We were researching a bit before you came,
but I wish we could find something to help you.”
“I want you to track him. An innocent person doesn’t deserve to be his puppet.”
“Nice going, demon magnet,” Michael muttered.
Daniel put the papers down and opened a cell phone as he turned to walk into another room. “Excuse me.”
Eva raised an eyebrow. “Because of the dagger, right?”
“It’s because you carry Templeton blood. Moira, being a half demon, pissed off the wrong ones of her kind.
Ever since then, Ashael has been raping her descendants as revenge. Except you.”
The golden eyes flashed through her mind. She was reminded of the demon that killed her mother. She had
never seen it; only her mother, lying prostrate on the floor, bleeding to death.
“But I didn’t kill him. Why is he still after me?”
He chuckled. “Again, have you not been paying attention? He’s not finished with you and he won’t be until he
has sex with you and--or--you die. He’ll try everything to get to you.”
“What are my options?”
“Track the interim body he’s using.”
“What kind of bodies do incubi usually possess?”
“Good question.” Michael turned to his laptop. “According to this site, demons like to use All Souls Day,
Halloween, to bridge the gap between physical and spirit worlds. He’s going to fuse his soul to someone on
that day at midnight. And the prime candidate is...” He typed for a few more minutes. “Damn it, I can’t
translate the rest of this Latin.”
Eva sighed. “Give it here, I can read it.”
A loud beeping noise came from the desk. Michael picked up a black device that seemed to pick up some kind
of frequency. “Maybe later. Right now, we’ve got a demon to catch.”
Eva froze. “He’s here?”
“Not exactly. More like the warehouse next door.”
She gulped. Daniel could be heard in the next room. “What about Daniel?”
“I’ll leave him a note.”
“What if Ashael finds us first?” Eva cast him a questioning look.
“He won’t.”
~*~
After a while, Eva and Michael had narrowed it down to the third floor of the abandoned warehouse next to
the hunter’s apartment. She secretly hoped that if Ashael were here, Daniel would burst in through the doors
and save her from him. Even though it sounded like something out of a cheesy seventies movie, it never hurt
to dream.
Dim, flickering, fluorescent lights revealed dusty, creaking floorboards and white walls with peeling paint. The
smell of asbestos filled the air, mixed with cold gusts of wind and rat droppings.
Michael held his frequency-measuring device in front of him, pointing it ahead. “I’m getting a strong vibe from
the floor we’re on...are you paying attention to me?”
“Huh?” She smacked her forehead. “Sorry, what?”
“You seem distracted.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Daniel, huh?” he teased.
“We used to date. I guess a part of me wants to keep him safe.”
The device beeped a little louder.
“He’s Anglican. He’s allowed to have a wife.”
Michael laughed. “He’s not the marrying kind.”
“I’ve known him longer than you have,” she retorted.
“Wait,” he whispered, shushing her.
The tracking device beeped faster. Eva inhaled the scent of lavender. “He’s here,” she whispered.
“Stay close to me,” he said.
Eva breathed as slowly as she could, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
A moment later, golden eyes peered at her through the darkness. “Mic...”
Something pulled Michael backward into the shadows.
“Michael!” she screamed. “Where are you?”
Seconds later, Michael re-emerged from the shadows like a viper, a huge grin on his face. His eyes flashed
bright gold. “Hello, pretty.”
Eva stepped backward, eyeing a gun on the floor that Michael must have dropped. She pulled out the ebony
dagger from its holster. “Stay back, Ashael.”
“Our blood is the same. It draws me to you. Don’t you feel it? The same liquid fire burns through our veins.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
He advanced forward as she stood transfixed. Her hold on the dagger loosened. “You and I are one, carved
from the same spirit. I have waited two hundred years for you. You are mine.”
“I don’t belong to you or anyone else.”
“You do.” She trembled at the touch of his cold fingers. “You don’t see it now, but you will. We were made for
one another.”
“Get away from me.”
Ashael chuckled as she pointed the dagger at him. “You’ve already seen for yourself that you cannot harm
me.”
She eyed the gun that lay a few inches away from her. If she shot him, she would kill Michael, as well. She
couldn’t take that chance.
With one sudden movement, he kicked her legs from beneath her so she sprawled on the cold floor, his cold
hands running over her body.
His touch made her feverish. When his lips fastened themselves over hers, she wanted to vomit at first.
Despite her gradual acceptance of his tongue flicking against hers, his fingers slipping into her jeans, she had
to break free.
He ground his hips against hers in a slow motion, not bothering to hide his pressing need.
Oh, God, please don’t let him do this. Her mother had warned her if any demon forced himself on her, he could
break her mind and leave her as useless as a limp doll, unable to do anything.
Desperately trying to move away from him, she grabbed for the gun, turning her head so his lips moved to her
neck.
She had almost reached it...just a little bit closer. She grabbed the weapon and pointed it at his temple. “Get
off me now.”
Ashael stopped, regarding her with a bewildered expression. The gleam of his golden eyes in the darkness
was hypnotic. “You don’t understand, do you? We are two parts of the same whole.” He chuckled deeply. “Or
did your mother not tell you?”
Eva’s mouth went dry. “Tell me what?”
“I am Moira’s son by an incubus. That is why we share the same blood.”
Eva went deathly still, unable to speak or move as he forced her mouth open and dipped his tongue inside.
She heaved him off with all her strength and jumped up, pointing the gun at him. “Fight him, Michael! You can
beat him!”
Ashael’s laughter was scornful. “He is...” Michael screamed, his eyes returning to their usual blue hue.
Eva sighed with relief, brushing a hand over her forehead. “Thank God.”
Michael screamed, clutching his head. “Shoot me! I can’t hold him off much longer!”
“I can’t.”
“You have to!”
“I can’t!” she cried. “If I pull this trigger, you die, too.”
“I’d rather die than give him a conduit to this world.”
“Fight him!”
“I can’t hold him off much longer!”
“I can’t.” She sank to her knees.
“Eva!” Michael screamed.
Ashael’s velvety laughter filled the air once more. “You should have done it when you had the chance.”
Two gunshots rang out. Ashael went down, writhing on the floor as a bright, green mass rushed out of
Michael’s body. She turned to see Daniel standing a few feet behind her, gun pointed in the air.
“You killed him.” She sobbed, putting a hand over her mouth.
“I had no choice,” Daniel replied, offering a hand. He hoisted her up to him.
She buried her face on his right shoulder, sobbing. “He didn’t deserve to die like this.”
“He fought demons until the very last minute. It was an honorable death.” He stroked her waist-length hair,
pulling her closer to him so that their bodies touched. After what had happened with Ashael, she ached to be
touched, but only by Daniel. She longed for his fingers on her skin, his lips on hers.
“I’m sorry.”
“He died trying to save me.”
“There was nothing more you could do.”
She sobbed. “If it weren’t for me, he would be alive now.”
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened. We need to decipher the demoniac text Michael couldn’t piece
together before Ashael strikes again.”
She nodded.
“Are you all right? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
Eva smoothed a hand over her forehead. “He got close to raping me.”
Daniel enfolded her in his embrace. “If he hurt you...”
“Don’t worry. I need that book, though.” She glanced at her watch. It was 4 A.M. on 31 October. Midnight
wasn’t far off.
~*~
Sitting up in her bed, Eva flipped through Michael’s book and had her Latin to English dictionary nearby. She
was a bit rusty, but so far she’d figured out a whole page. She looked at her watch. Three hours to midnight. I
have to find Daniel. She had two pages of long paragraphs to go.
She read the translation aloud as she went along. “The demon needs an untainted, holy vessel that will cure
him of the dark curse plaguing his soul. Only at midnight on All Souls’ Eve can he break free.” She ran a hand
over her face, slamming the book shut. “Damn it, who are you going to possess?”
Her cell phone vibrated, indicating she had a new voice message. The display read “Daniel”. Eva froze. Can
demons possess priests? She couldn’t take that chance. “ I have to warn him.”
~*~
Eva drove to the cathedral as fast as she could. Parking her car outside, she pushed open the heavy wooden
doors.
She raced inside, past the mahogany pews and over the square tiles over which her boots clicked loudly.
“Daniel?” she called out.
He was standing in front of the altar, his back facing her.
“You have to get out of here. It’s you. Ashael wants to possess you.”
Daniel turned around slowly, his eyes glowing gold coins. He smiled.
She trembled, backing away. “I’m too late.”
A mocking grin swept over Daniel’s face. “You’ve provided me with the perfect vessel. Thank you.”
“The person inside will fight,” she said, her voice quivering.
Ashael walked to where Eva stood. She couldn’t turn away. “When we become one, I will make you cry out my
name until your voice is sore.”
He seized her roughly to him, loosening her ponytail.
“I’ll never be yours,” she spat. “Let go of Daniel.”
“He is my conduit to this world. If I remain in him until midnight, we will be one, and his holiness will cure my
curse. More importantly, it is through his body that we will join.”
“Fight him, Daniel!”
Ashael’s laughter was deep and mocking as he forced her down on the partially carpeted floor, fastening his
lips to hers.
“Get off me!”
He pinioned her arms above her head, beating her face with the other. Each blow stung worse than the
previous one.
The dagger...but she could never stab Daniel. If she used it, she risked killing him.
Even as Ashael forced Daniel’s hands over her breasts and into her pants, she tried to reach for a blunt
instrument, something that would knock him out.
“Your blood calls to me. Only when I feed off your innocence will my curse truly be ended.” He kissed her
forehead.
He tore himself away a moment later. His eyes returned to their normal hazel hue.
“Daniel?”
Sudden concern laced his hazel eyes. “Did I do this to you?”
“Ashael is making you do these things. You have to fight him.”
He clutched his forehead and winced. “I can’t hold him off much longer.”
She couldn’t exorcise Ashael. She couldn’t stab him, because it would kill Daniel. She couldn’t shoot him. There
was only one thing left to do.
“Fight him,” she whispered. She crouched beside his kneeling form, as he tried to fend off Ashael, eyes
clamped shut. She stroked his face. “I love you. I never stopped.”
Daniel opened his eyes and stared at her, cupping her face with his hands. “Eva…”
She rubbed his cheek. “You’ll never lose me.”
His eyes flashed gold again, his grip tightening on her face. “Your pathetic vessel doesn’t stand a chance
against my power. You were meant for me, Eva.”
It would break her mind. She would be as good as dead if she let him join with her. But she had no choice. “I
offer myself to you. Take me.”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she lay back, hitching her skirt up. Think of the witch-seed. It’s going to kill him.
Eva knew she was doing the right thing, but it killed her she would no longer be able to touch Daniel, to hold
hands with him, to look into his eyes.
Ashael smiled, positioning himself over her. “You have seen reason.”
She didn’t resist when he brushed his lips across hers. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her
mouth, tasting the warmth.
He whispered words she couldn’t understand in her ear.
Eva set to work unzipping his pants. His nimble fingers slipped beneath her skirt, lacing through the cotton
beneath.
He spread her thighs apart, forcing her legs around his waist.
He moved slowly at first. The feel of him sent ripples of delight through her body. She moaned and dug her
nails into his neck. The witch-seed would arise soon. She reveled in the warmth between them, her tension
relieved. Think of Daniel.
Something slippery burst forth from her mouth and into his as he lowered his lips to hers, sucking on them
gently.
Ashael’s eyes widened as he choked on the witch-seed.
“It was worth it, you son of a bitch.”
A green mass shot forth from Daniel’s mouth and jetted into the ceiling.
Eva slumped backward, her task done. It was over. She closed her eyes.
“Wake up. Eva?”
A bright whiteness burst forward in her mind. She was vaguely aware of Daniel’s hands in her hair and on her
face. Soon, all thoughts and feelings disappeared as she went blissfully numb. First, came the stars that
settled over her mind before everything faded to black.
She hugged her trench coat more tightly to her,
donning her hood so the snowflakes that fell wouldn’t
get in her hair. People told her Toronto was colder
than Vancouver, but she hadn’t been prepared for
this.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the giant
TTC sign getting closer. The first time she passed an
alley on the way, she didn’t pay too much attention,
but her peripheral vision caught a distinct flicker of
movement. She walked back to the shadowy lane and
peered inside to see a robed man on top of a girl who
looked no older than seventeen.
“Hey, leave her alone,” Eva called out.
The man didn’t move.
As Eva edged closer, the scent of lavender filled her
nostrils. She glimpsed a clawed hand that rested atop
the sleeping girl’s face. Demon! The word echoed in
her mind.
A whitish mist rose from the girl, swirling upward into
the demon. It was as if he was feeding off...her soul?
From her purse, Eva removed a flare and a box of salt.
She grabbed handfuls of salt, and threw them at the
demon. He backed away from the girl’s body, hissing.
“That got your attention,” Eva muttered.
She opened the flare and threw it at the demon,
hoping the burst of bright, orange light would do
something. She repeated a chant aloud, “Christ in
Heaven, my lord and saviour, protect me.”
The demon emitted a low groan that made Eva jolt. “Your weapons do nothing to harm me.” His voice was
guttural and thunderous.
Eva froze as the demon placed its clawed hand on the girl’s face once more, drawing the last of the whitish
mist out. The girl could have been dead, so still was her body.
The demon rose, casting its golden-eyed gaze onto Eva. They burned her mind, seeming as though they could
see into the depths of her. She wanted to speak, but words wouldn’t come.
He extended a clawed hand from which she drew back.
“Ashael is not pleased,” he said.
“Your master doesn’t matter,” she countered.
“I am my own master.”
Crouching, she unsheathed an ebony dagger from a sheath at her calf. It was the most potent weapon she
could think of. Not hesitating, she plunged it straight through Ashael’s chest.
The demon shrieked, staggering backward. A bright, green light burst into the alley, making Eva shield her
eyes. It seemed he had reverted to a spectral form. The dagger hadn’t killed him?
Eva’s eyes went to the weapon on the floor where moments before, it had gone through Ashael’s chest. She
froze.
“I will have you, Eva Templeton,” he said. “Our blood is the same.”
Her eyes went to the box of salt at her feet. She grabbed it and flung its contents at him.
With a deep growl, Ashael’s spectral form dissolved into a thin mist. Only his black robe remained on the
ground.
He was gone.
Eva slumped to the floor, flinging the box of salt aside. She had never encountered such a powerful demon.
They usually succumbed to salt or flares—she had never had to use both. The dagger was the only weapon
she knew of powerful enough to destroy any demon. And yet Ashael had been strong enough to resist its
effect. She picked it up and sheathed it in its holster on her right calf.
Eight years and you bastards haven’t let up. She’d never been given an explanation, only told by her mother to
guard the ebony dagger crafted by Moira Templeton, her first witch ancestor, over two hundred years ago.
She guarded the weapon with her life not only because of its power, but because it was the only thing of her
mother’s she had left.
Everywhere she went, she saw them. At first, she kept as far away from them as possible, afraid they would
kill her, too. But when she learned enough about how to track them and about their weaknesses, she fended
off each one that came after her.
She waited for the day the demon that killed her mother would come to her. She would be ready.
She bent over the girl, brushing a hand over her face. “Are you all right, honey?”
The girl’s eyes fluttered open, the deepest shade of blue Eva had ever seen. Rubbing her eyes, the girl
shivered. “What happened? Where am I?”
Eva got out her cell phone and dialled 911. They may not have been able to give her back what Ashael stole
from her, but they would give her a warm bed to sleep in for a night, at least, off the cold Toronto streets.
“I’m at Jane and Finch and have a girl here who was attacked by a man, possibly sexually assaulted.”
With a nod, she tucked her cell phone in her purse. “An ambulance will be here in five minutes, okay? Don’t
worry. You’re going to be fine.”
~*~
The next morning, Eva found herself sitting in Father McDermott’s office, fiddling with her labret. Seeing
demons didn’t usually bother her as much as the encounter with Ashael yesterday had, but she couldn’t stop
thinking about the dagger and how it hadn’t killed the demon. She didn’t know what to do.
Ashael was unlike any other demon she’d encountered, not only because of the dagger, but because he said
he would have her.
Her skin prickled at the thought of the demon’s touch on her face, cold and soft. She needed to find a way to
kill him before he got to her—and fast.
A tall, young priest walked into the room. He had hazel eyes with specks of forest green, a chiselled jaw
covered with light stubble, and cropped, sandy-brown hair. His lips were sensuous and pink as he curved
them into a smile.
She rose. “Daniel.” The word died on her lips.
“Eva.” His eyes sparkled as he gazed at her. It felt like not a day had passed since they’d last spoken seven
years ago. When she looked at him, the memories flooded into her mind: the embraces, laughter, dates,
almost losing her virginity to him. The loss of him.
It raced through her mind as she stared at the man she’d loved, now a man of God. When had this happened
and what had made him decide to become a priest?
“Daniel...” She struggled to find the words, not knowing where to begin, not knowing what to say. “How...
when...why...”
He chuckled. “I know I’m the last person you would expect to see as a priest, but I had a life-changing event
that made me see the world differently.” He licked his lips. “I’ve missed you, Eva. I didn’t think I would ever
see you again. They say the Lord does everything for a reason, often unclear to us, and I wonder why he has
placed you in my path again.”
“I’m as surprised as you are,” she said with a grin. “I came here to see Father McDermott, actually. Do you
know where he is?”
“I’m taking over his duties for a while as he recovers from triple bypass surgery. Is there anything I can help
you with?”
“Not unless you know anything about demons,” she muttered.
“Actually, I do,” he said, and winked.
She chuckled nervously. “I forgot how sharp your sense of hearing is.”
“Please, sit.”
She sank into the chair in front of his desk, at which he sat.
“So, you mentioned needing help with demons. What kind of help?”
Her eyes widened. “You know they exist?”
“Demons are the reason I became a priest and did my degrees in theology and demonology. A short time after
we ended our relationship, one of them killed my father.”
Her throat tightened and became heavy. “A demon killed my mother. I can imagine how devastated you
were.” She wanted to reach across the table and hold his hand and to tell him it was okay.
“It’s done.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did the demon kill your father?”
“It possessed him. My father fought back when he could, but no matter how hard I tried to exorcise it, the
demon wouldn’t leave. So I shot my father to drive the thing out of his body.”
She put a hand over her chest. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“Anyway, we’re here to discuss you.”
Eva shifted her gaze to the desk. “I come from a long line of witches, starting from my prime ancestor, Moira
Templeton, who was a powerful sorcerer and half demon herself, the irony of which doesn’t help. By the time
the inheritance came to me, all I got was the ability to see demons.”
“When did you first notice this ability?”
“After my mother died, a bit after my sixteenth birthday.”
“Does Father McDermott know all of this?”
She nodded. “It usually doesn’t affect me too much, but I spotted a demon yesterday raping a girl in an alley.”
Taking the ebony dagger from its holster, she placed it on the desk in front of her. “My mother retrieved this
from a demon and gave it to me for safeguarding. She died fighting the demon that wanted it.” Eva ran a
hand over her face. “I’ve used it a couple of times before and it’s the strongest thing I have that can kill
demons. I stabbed the one I saw yesterday with the dagger, but it didn’t kill him.”
He wore an understanding look. “It did nothing to him?”
“I think it made him incorporeal. He had a body before I stabbed him. Now, he’s alive, but I don’t know where.”
“He can’t hurt you now.”
“He can hurt others and I can’t let him do that. He’s going to get another body. I have to stop that from
happening.”
Daniel nodded. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a card, handing it to Eva. “I want you to call this
man. He’s a friend; a devil hunter. He’s the best in the game.”
“Thank you.” She pocketed the card. “I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me. I’m glad I ran into
you.”
He closed a warm hand over hers. “I am here for you, Eva. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” He
rubbed his thumb over her palm. She glanced at his hands. No wedding ring.
“What we had...”
He held up a hand to interrupt her. “Is in the past. I know.”
“No,” she protested. “What we had is alive again. I’ve missed you too much, Daniel. Things haven’t been the
same since you left me.” She looked directly into his eyes.
His eyes softened. “I’m sorry. The way I left was wrong. But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
They rose at the same time. Daniel kissed her hand. “Let me help. We can defeat this demon together.”
“I’m not a child who needs constant protection,” she said.
“You can’t fight the demon yourself.”
“I’m not going to. This devil hunter you told me about is going to help.”
“I want to be a part of this. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” He took her hand into his.
“I don’t want to see you get hurt.” She left the office.
~*~
After she left the cathedral, she dialed the hunter, Michael’s, number on her cell and waited at the corner of
Church and Adelaide.
“Hello?”
“Is this Michael?”
“Depends on who’s asking.”
“Father Daniel said you could help me. My name is Eva Templeton. Is there somewhere we can meet?”
~*~
Five minutes later, a blond man dressed in a leather trench coat, black pants, and big boots walked toward
her. A heavy-looking bag hung from his shoulder. He took off his dark sunglasses to reveal a pair of light blue
eyes. “I wasn’t expecting you to be this hot. Nice rack, sweetheart.”
She cast him a deadpan look. “You better be as good as Daniel says you are or I’ll send you to Hell.”
“You’re a feisty one. I like that.” He winked.
“Can you help me or can’t you?”
“Let’s walk to Tim’s. I have some stuff to show you there.”
They walked for a few minutes until they reached the coffee shop with the large red-lettered sign. He opened
the door for her. She reveled in the warm breeze that hit her face at the same time as the scent of hot coffee.
She sat at the cleanest available table, wiping its counter with a tissue from the dispenser.
He sat across from her, pulling out a laptop from his bag. He flipped it open and typed for a few minutes, then
turned the machine toward her.
She put a hand to her chin, reading the text. “He’s after me because he wasn’t good enough in bed for Moira.”
“He’s after you because he holds you responsible for his curse,” Michael corrected. “She hexed him with the
need to feed off the innocence of young girls, sometimes a whitish, misty material.”
“That’s what came off the girl Ashael attacked the other day. But she was sleeping.”
“Now that’s interesting,” he remarked, turning the laptop to face him once more.
“What I don’t get is why the dagger didn’t work,” she said.
“It’s not that it didn’t work,” he replied, still typing. “It didn’t kill him because family heirlooms don’t work on
demons as powerful as Ashael. It did make him incorporeal, though.”
“Even worse, because now he’ll be on the hunt for a body.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that for now. We’ve got to figure out a way to track him. I also did a trace of your
family history, Moira specifically.”
“We know she’s the reason for all this. What else do we need?”
“But why her? She must have done something specific, besides make the dagger and curse. Maybe you carry
something in your blood Ashael needs to cure himself. Or maybe having sex with you will end his curse.”
Michael scratched the stubble under his chin.
“He also said our blood is the same. What did he mean?”
“To answer that, I need some blood samples.”
“I think I’ll go to a blood clinic, thanks.” She drew back. She hated needles.
“Relax. I’m a registered nurse’s aid at the clinic near my building. We can go there and do the tests, if it’ll
make you feel more comfortable, then tomorrow night, I can get you the results.”
“You better know what you’re doing.”
He lowered his sunglasses once more. “Do I tell you how to do your job?”
She rolled her eyes. “Based on the resilience Ashael showed against the dagger, I’m guessing he’s at the top
of the food chain, like a fallen angel.”
“Anything that ends in ‘el’ is a dead giveaway. Demons like that laugh in the face of basic weapons.”
“Is there any place I can stay where I’ll be safe? Church?”
“You’d think that, wouldn’t you? Ordinarily, I’d say yes, but hallowed ground won’t do much to restrain this
demon. Exorcisms won’t work, either. Line your doors and windows with salt, though.”
She sighed. “You haven’t been a hunter very long, have you?”
“Ten years.” He continued to type, not looking up from the computer screen. “I had a nice life, too. A wife,
kids, a decent income as an electrician. One dead family later, I found myself forced into this life.”
“Did you find the demon who killed your family?”
“All his brothers and sisters, too. I’ve killed and banished more demons than I can count.”
“And you’ll stop when?”
“Not until I die.”
~*~
The next evening, she walked down a dim, grungy hallway with peeling, green wallpaper. It smelled of dog
food and week-old garbage.
She knocked on the door marked '19' and waited until she heard the latch click open. Michael took her jacket
and purse and put them on a chair near the door.
Daniel sat at a sofa next to a stack of newspapers. He rose at her entrance and smiled.
Her heart pounded against her chest, faster by the second. “What are you doing here?”
“Michael asked me to come.”
Michael cleared his throat. “Sorry for the mess, but no one ever said hunters are neat.” He walked to a desk
with a microscope, some empty test tubes, and his laptop.
He sat and took a few sheets of paper. “Your blood is normal except for one tiny detail. It’s so small I almost
missed it. You ever heard of ‘witch-seed’?”
She shook her head.
“Well, you have lots of it in your blood.”
“What is it?”
“Demons are very allergic to it,” Daniel said.
Michael nodded. “If the demon ingests enough of your blood, he can die.”
“He’s not a vampire.”
“Like I said, Ashael wants your innocence, which is hard-wired to the witch-seed in you. The only way he can
ingest it is sexually.”
“I am not having sex with that thing,” she said, recoiling.
“Well, if not him, why don’t you and I get it on?” Michael winked, prompting her to cross her arms across her
chest. He turned back to the computer.
Daniel skimmed through the papers Michael held a moment ago. “We were researching a bit before you came,
but I wish we could find something to help you.”
“I want you to track him. An innocent person doesn’t deserve to be his puppet.”
“Nice going, demon magnet,” Michael muttered.
Daniel put the papers down and opened a cell phone as he turned to walk into another room. “Excuse me.”
Eva raised an eyebrow. “Because of the dagger, right?”
“It’s because you carry Templeton blood. Moira, being a half demon, pissed off the wrong ones of her kind.
Ever since then, Ashael has been raping her descendants as revenge. Except you.”
The golden eyes flashed through her mind. She was reminded of the demon that killed her mother. She had
never seen it; only her mother, lying prostrate on the floor, bleeding to death.
“But I didn’t kill him. Why is he still after me?”
He chuckled. “Again, have you not been paying attention? He’s not finished with you and he won’t be until he
has sex with you and--or--you die. He’ll try everything to get to you.”
“What are my options?”
“Track the interim body he’s using.”
“What kind of bodies do incubi usually possess?”
“Good question.” Michael turned to his laptop. “According to this site, demons like to use All Souls Day,
Halloween, to bridge the gap between physical and spirit worlds. He’s going to fuse his soul to someone on
that day at midnight. And the prime candidate is...” He typed for a few more minutes. “Damn it, I can’t
translate the rest of this Latin.”
Eva sighed. “Give it here, I can read it.”
A loud beeping noise came from the desk. Michael picked up a black device that seemed to pick up some kind
of frequency. “Maybe later. Right now, we’ve got a demon to catch.”
Eva froze. “He’s here?”
“Not exactly. More like the warehouse next door.”
She gulped. Daniel could be heard in the next room. “What about Daniel?”
“I’ll leave him a note.”
“What if Ashael finds us first?” Eva cast him a questioning look.
“He won’t.”
~*~
After a while, Eva and Michael had narrowed it down to the third floor of the abandoned warehouse next to
the hunter’s apartment. She secretly hoped that if Ashael were here, Daniel would burst in through the doors
and save her from him. Even though it sounded like something out of a cheesy seventies movie, it never hurt
to dream.
Dim, flickering, fluorescent lights revealed dusty, creaking floorboards and white walls with peeling paint. The
smell of asbestos filled the air, mixed with cold gusts of wind and rat droppings.
Michael held his frequency-measuring device in front of him, pointing it ahead. “I’m getting a strong vibe from
the floor we’re on...are you paying attention to me?”
“Huh?” She smacked her forehead. “Sorry, what?”
“You seem distracted.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Daniel, huh?” he teased.
“We used to date. I guess a part of me wants to keep him safe.”
The device beeped a little louder.
“He’s Anglican. He’s allowed to have a wife.”
Michael laughed. “He’s not the marrying kind.”
“I’ve known him longer than you have,” she retorted.
“Wait,” he whispered, shushing her.
The tracking device beeped faster. Eva inhaled the scent of lavender. “He’s here,” she whispered.
“Stay close to me,” he said.
Eva breathed as slowly as she could, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
A moment later, golden eyes peered at her through the darkness. “Mic...”
Something pulled Michael backward into the shadows.
“Michael!” she screamed. “Where are you?”
Seconds later, Michael re-emerged from the shadows like a viper, a huge grin on his face. His eyes flashed
bright gold. “Hello, pretty.”
Eva stepped backward, eyeing a gun on the floor that Michael must have dropped. She pulled out the ebony
dagger from its holster. “Stay back, Ashael.”
“Our blood is the same. It draws me to you. Don’t you feel it? The same liquid fire burns through our veins.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
He advanced forward as she stood transfixed. Her hold on the dagger loosened. “You and I are one, carved
from the same spirit. I have waited two hundred years for you. You are mine.”
“I don’t belong to you or anyone else.”
“You do.” She trembled at the touch of his cold fingers. “You don’t see it now, but you will. We were made for
one another.”
“Get away from me.”
Ashael chuckled as she pointed the dagger at him. “You’ve already seen for yourself that you cannot harm
me.”
She eyed the gun that lay a few inches away from her. If she shot him, she would kill Michael, as well. She
couldn’t take that chance.
With one sudden movement, he kicked her legs from beneath her so she sprawled on the cold floor, his cold
hands running over her body.
His touch made her feverish. When his lips fastened themselves over hers, she wanted to vomit at first.
Despite her gradual acceptance of his tongue flicking against hers, his fingers slipping into her jeans, she had
to break free.
He ground his hips against hers in a slow motion, not bothering to hide his pressing need.
Oh, God, please don’t let him do this. Her mother had warned her if any demon forced himself on her, he could
break her mind and leave her as useless as a limp doll, unable to do anything.
Desperately trying to move away from him, she grabbed for the gun, turning her head so his lips moved to her
neck.
She had almost reached it...just a little bit closer. She grabbed the weapon and pointed it at his temple. “Get
off me now.”
Ashael stopped, regarding her with a bewildered expression. The gleam of his golden eyes in the darkness
was hypnotic. “You don’t understand, do you? We are two parts of the same whole.” He chuckled deeply. “Or
did your mother not tell you?”
Eva’s mouth went dry. “Tell me what?”
“I am Moira’s son by an incubus. That is why we share the same blood.”
Eva went deathly still, unable to speak or move as he forced her mouth open and dipped his tongue inside.
She heaved him off with all her strength and jumped up, pointing the gun at him. “Fight him, Michael! You can
beat him!”
Ashael’s laughter was scornful. “He is...” Michael screamed, his eyes returning to their usual blue hue.
Eva sighed with relief, brushing a hand over her forehead. “Thank God.”
Michael screamed, clutching his head. “Shoot me! I can’t hold him off much longer!”
“I can’t.”
“You have to!”
“I can’t!” she cried. “If I pull this trigger, you die, too.”
“I’d rather die than give him a conduit to this world.”
“Fight him!”
“I can’t hold him off much longer!”
“I can’t.” She sank to her knees.
“Eva!” Michael screamed.
Ashael’s velvety laughter filled the air once more. “You should have done it when you had the chance.”
Two gunshots rang out. Ashael went down, writhing on the floor as a bright, green mass rushed out of
Michael’s body. She turned to see Daniel standing a few feet behind her, gun pointed in the air.
“You killed him.” She sobbed, putting a hand over her mouth.
“I had no choice,” Daniel replied, offering a hand. He hoisted her up to him.
She buried her face on his right shoulder, sobbing. “He didn’t deserve to die like this.”
“He fought demons until the very last minute. It was an honorable death.” He stroked her waist-length hair,
pulling her closer to him so that their bodies touched. After what had happened with Ashael, she ached to be
touched, but only by Daniel. She longed for his fingers on her skin, his lips on hers.
“I’m sorry.”
“He died trying to save me.”
“There was nothing more you could do.”
She sobbed. “If it weren’t for me, he would be alive now.”
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened. We need to decipher the demoniac text Michael couldn’t piece
together before Ashael strikes again.”
She nodded.
“Are you all right? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”
Eva smoothed a hand over her forehead. “He got close to raping me.”
Daniel enfolded her in his embrace. “If he hurt you...”
“Don’t worry. I need that book, though.” She glanced at her watch. It was 4 A.M. on 31 October. Midnight
wasn’t far off.
~*~
Sitting up in her bed, Eva flipped through Michael’s book and had her Latin to English dictionary nearby. She
was a bit rusty, but so far she’d figured out a whole page. She looked at her watch. Three hours to midnight. I
have to find Daniel. She had two pages of long paragraphs to go.
She read the translation aloud as she went along. “The demon needs an untainted, holy vessel that will cure
him of the dark curse plaguing his soul. Only at midnight on All Souls’ Eve can he break free.” She ran a hand
over her face, slamming the book shut. “Damn it, who are you going to possess?”
Her cell phone vibrated, indicating she had a new voice message. The display read “Daniel”. Eva froze. Can
demons possess priests? She couldn’t take that chance. “ I have to warn him.”
~*~
Eva drove to the cathedral as fast as she could. Parking her car outside, she pushed open the heavy wooden
doors.
She raced inside, past the mahogany pews and over the square tiles over which her boots clicked loudly.
“Daniel?” she called out.
He was standing in front of the altar, his back facing her.
“You have to get out of here. It’s you. Ashael wants to possess you.”
Daniel turned around slowly, his eyes glowing gold coins. He smiled.
She trembled, backing away. “I’m too late.”
A mocking grin swept over Daniel’s face. “You’ve provided me with the perfect vessel. Thank you.”
“The person inside will fight,” she said, her voice quivering.
Ashael walked to where Eva stood. She couldn’t turn away. “When we become one, I will make you cry out my
name until your voice is sore.”
He seized her roughly to him, loosening her ponytail.
“I’ll never be yours,” she spat. “Let go of Daniel.”
“He is my conduit to this world. If I remain in him until midnight, we will be one, and his holiness will cure my
curse. More importantly, it is through his body that we will join.”
“Fight him, Daniel!”
Ashael’s laughter was deep and mocking as he forced her down on the partially carpeted floor, fastening his
lips to hers.
“Get off me!”
He pinioned her arms above her head, beating her face with the other. Each blow stung worse than the
previous one.
The dagger...but she could never stab Daniel. If she used it, she risked killing him.
Even as Ashael forced Daniel’s hands over her breasts and into her pants, she tried to reach for a blunt
instrument, something that would knock him out.
“Your blood calls to me. Only when I feed off your innocence will my curse truly be ended.” He kissed her
forehead.
He tore himself away a moment later. His eyes returned to their normal hazel hue.
“Daniel?”
Sudden concern laced his hazel eyes. “Did I do this to you?”
“Ashael is making you do these things. You have to fight him.”
He clutched his forehead and winced. “I can’t hold him off much longer.”
She couldn’t exorcise Ashael. She couldn’t stab him, because it would kill Daniel. She couldn’t shoot him. There
was only one thing left to do.
“Fight him,” she whispered. She crouched beside his kneeling form, as he tried to fend off Ashael, eyes
clamped shut. She stroked his face. “I love you. I never stopped.”
Daniel opened his eyes and stared at her, cupping her face with his hands. “Eva…”
She rubbed his cheek. “You’ll never lose me.”
His eyes flashed gold again, his grip tightening on her face. “Your pathetic vessel doesn’t stand a chance
against my power. You were meant for me, Eva.”
It would break her mind. She would be as good as dead if she let him join with her. But she had no choice. “I
offer myself to you. Take me.”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she lay back, hitching her skirt up. Think of the witch-seed. It’s going to kill him.
Eva knew she was doing the right thing, but it killed her she would no longer be able to touch Daniel, to hold
hands with him, to look into his eyes.
Ashael smiled, positioning himself over her. “You have seen reason.”
She didn’t resist when he brushed his lips across hers. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her
mouth, tasting the warmth.
He whispered words she couldn’t understand in her ear.
Eva set to work unzipping his pants. His nimble fingers slipped beneath her skirt, lacing through the cotton
beneath.
He spread her thighs apart, forcing her legs around his waist.
He moved slowly at first. The feel of him sent ripples of delight through her body. She moaned and dug her
nails into his neck. The witch-seed would arise soon. She reveled in the warmth between them, her tension
relieved. Think of Daniel.
Something slippery burst forth from her mouth and into his as he lowered his lips to hers, sucking on them
gently.
Ashael’s eyes widened as he choked on the witch-seed.
“It was worth it, you son of a bitch.”
A green mass shot forth from Daniel’s mouth and jetted into the ceiling.
Eva slumped backward, her task done. It was over. She closed her eyes.
“Wake up. Eva?”
A bright whiteness burst forward in her mind. She was vaguely aware of Daniel’s hands in her hair and on her
face. Soon, all thoughts and feelings disappeared as she went blissfully numb. First, came the stars that
settled over her mind before everything faded to black.
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Anita Siraki lives and writes in Toronto, Ontario, where she is completing
post-graduate work. Her previous work has appeared in The Lorelei Signal, Dark
Fire, and Chaos Theory: Tales Askew.
Visit her website at http://dessaint.webs.com/
post-graduate work. Her previous work has appeared in The Lorelei Signal, Dark
Fire, and Chaos Theory: Tales Askew.
Visit her website at http://dessaint.webs.com/