“No,” the drifter managed. “Please stop!”
But Malcolm didn’t stop. He looked so determined that Eden was sure an earthquake wouldn’t stop him.
The drifter screamed, but it wasn’t any ordinary scream. It was high-pitched and inhuman. The sound reverberated around them and a stream of dark blue smoke exited from the girl’s mouth. Malcolm held up the crystal at arm’s length and the smoke went directly toward it as if it was a magnet and disappeared. The crystal turned blue and appeared to swirl and glow with energy.
The former host for the drifter staggered forward.
“What in the hell just happened?” she said, before she clutched at a support beam. The next moment she collapsed to her knees and passed out completely.
Eden held a hand to her mouth. “Is she—”
“She’ll be fine.”
“But she’s—”
“She’ll be fine,” he said again, firmly.
She turned her attention toward the crystal. “Is the drifter in there now?”
“Yes.”
“Can it escape?”
He nodded. “It can. This is a very weak prison. It wouldn’t take very long for it to figure out how.”
Leaning against her car was the only thing currently keeping her upright. “So what are you going to do?”
“This.” Malcolm bent over and placed the crystal on the ground. Then, without another word, he brought his thick-soled black boot down on it, crushing the shard into dust. There was a blinding flash of blue light. “It can be destroyed when it’s inside of a crystal by whomever trapped it. However, if the crystal is destroyed by someone else, the drifter or demon could still escape.” He turned to her and she noticed that his brow was now covered in sweat. He smiled. “Although, I suggest you never use a diamond. They’re nearly impossible to smash. This was a sodium chloride crystal. Or, in other words, a big piece of rock salt. Are you okay?”
She was finding it hard to breathe. “I’m… I’m okay now. Thank you for stopping her. Or him. Or whatever it was.”
“You’re very welcome.” He moved toward her but she held the knife up in front of her.
“Don’t come any closer.”
Malcolm stopped in his tracks. “I know you won’t believe this, but I mean you no harm.”
“Sure you don’t.”
“Why would I have just saved you if I wanted to hurt you?” He tilted his head to the side and frowned. “I don’t sense the demon anymore. Where is he?”
“He’s gone.”
“Where did he go?”
“Maybe I had him exorcised.”
He shook his head, any humor leaving his expression. “You’re in way over your head, Eden. Please let me help you.”
Help her? Why did she find that extremely hard to believe? But it had to be true. He’d just saved her life.
A rush of emotion came over her. “I think I do need help.” He nodded. “The demon must be destroyed. Do you see that now?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Was he right? Did she need to let him help her get rid of Darrak once and for all? Even though Selina had offered to help, she didn’t trust the witch. Did that mean she trusted Malcolm? He did seem rather… earnest. He felt he was doing the right thing. That’s why he helped Rosa with her exorcisms. That’s why he was a member of the Malleus.
“Can you get rid of him right now?” she asked. The words actually hurt to speak.
He shook his head. “With my skill level, he’s too deep for me to touch him, even with your permission. Drifters are much easier to destroy than demons. For my exorcism ritual to work, the demon must be conscious and present. You have to be completely willing to rid yourself of him. You can’t fight me once it begins or you’ll be risking your own safety. Are you ready to do that?”
Eden clenched her jaw. Was she ready? She didn’t know. Which probably meant she wasn’t ready.
“You’ll be glad once this evil is finally removed from your body.” Malcolm’s words were firm.
“You can sense he’s evil? And you’re absolutely sure?”
He frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
She shook her head. “I… I was told there were good demons. That it’s possible for them to not all be evil.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
She felt a wave of shock and a smidgen of hope at that unexpected confirmation. “It is?”
He nodded. “Some demons were once human and sold their souls for some agreed upon price. They become demons when they die, but there is the humanity that remains within them that occasionally compels them to seek redemption. Is the demon you’re possessed with a former human?”
Her heart sank. “No. He told me he was created in the Netherworld. He was an archdemon.”
Malcolm’s lips thinned. “An
She nodded.
“I had no idea he was that powerful.” His voice sounded hollow and she could hear fear there now. “We’re lucky he hasn’t done any more harm to you. An archdemon — they don’t travel to the human world often. But when they do it usually ends very badly for anyone or anything that crosses their path.” He exhaled shakily. “Has the demon told you his true name yet? That might be helpful.”
“He…” she began, but then closed her mouth. “He refuses to tell me.”
It wasn’t a lie. Darrak hadn’t told her. She’d found out his true name from Selina. So why wasn’t she telling Malcolm?
She still needed time to sort through everything in her head. And now that Malcolm couldn’t exorcise him right away, she’d have that time.
“I need to consult with my mentor in the Malleus. Now that I know we’re dealing with an archdemon, that might change how we proceed.” Malcolm shoved his hand into his coat pocket before pulling something out. “Take this. You can reach me at that number at all hours.”
The card had Malcolm’s name and a phone number in simple black type.
“What’s this?” she asked, pointing to a small emblem of a fleur-de-lis.
“It’s the mark of the Malleus.” He rolled up his left sleeve to show her his forearm that bore a similar symbol. “It’s a brand. When we’re accepted into the Malleus, it’s given to us — and with this mark and the ritual that accompanies it, we’re given insight to be able to sense demonic activity and the presence of evil.”
The wound looked fresh still. Pink. It was the fleur-de-lis enclosed in a circle, about three inches in diameter.
“Did it hurt?” she asked.
“Like hell.” He grinned at her. “But it was a cleansing pain.”
“If you say so.”
“Take this as well.” He pressed another crystal in her hand. “It will help protect you from your demon. Call me if there are any problems at all. I will contact you once I speak to my mentor and learn how best to deal with an archdemon. Is that acceptable?”
Was it acceptable? That was a very good question.
She nodded. “Okay.”
“Then, good night. And be safe.” He turned and walked swiftly out of the parking lot.
After a moment went by, Vanessa stirred on the ground before blinking her blue eyes open. She sat up and rubbed her forehead. “Where am I?”
“You fell and hit your head,” Eden said, gripping the piece of salt in her hand before slipping it in her pocket and Malcolm’s card into her purse. “But it’s going to be all right now.”
— By the time Eden dropped Vanessa off at her place and returned to her apartment she was kicking herself for not asking Malcolm to come back with her. Not that she had a habit of luring twenty-one-year-old boys back to
