We continue to watch as another gurney is carried down the steps. Lying on this one is a young girl with long dark hair. An oxygen mask covers her face, but I can see that she’s awake and alert. Elizabeth is wheeled to another ambulance, which speeds away once she’s inside.
Finally, two last gurneys come down the steps with less urgency. These hold closed body bags. I think about Father Ramon. I think about every kind thing he ever did for me. I think about the man who was my sole source of hope in this godforsaken world. He was the only man left I could find who was willing and prepared to conduct the exorcism—the man who was helping me find this demon’s name. I selfishly wonder who’s going to help me now.
As if to remind me, Paige’s arms gently but firmly squeeze me from behind. Paige is going to be here. No matter how horrific I become, no matter how bad I get, she’s not going to abandon me. My hand finds hers and squeezes it in appreciation.
She perches her chin on my shoulder and whispers, “I’m going to miss him.”
“Me too,” I say, watching the medical examiners place his gurney into a nondescript panel van.
Then I see him. His ghost stands at the entrance to the courtyard. Police walk casually through him as if he doesn’t exist. But he does.
Father Ramon waves at me. I’m not sure how long he will be around, but it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere for a while. Maybe that’s why he waves—to let me know he’ll be there even if he can’t talk to me. Maybe he’s hoping it will comfort me. It does, and I smile. Then I notice Dr. Savell staring at Father Ramon. I can even see the hint of a smile.
“What are you looking at?” I ask.
Dr. Savell turns to me. He doesn’t hide the smile. “It’s a beautiful church, isn’t it? Oh, I know you’ve been through a lot tonight. And I’m sorry for your loss.” He turns back to the grounds, but I can tell he’s still looking at Father Ramon and not the actual cathedral. “Still, she’s a magnificent building.”
I’m not quite convinced. Could there be more to Dr. Savell than he’s told me?
He closes his medical bag and addresses Paige. “Call me in the morning, and let me know how she’s doing. If she needs anything else, I’m happy to come by.”
Over his shoulder, I can see David approaching. Paige must see him, too, because she slides out from behind me and offers to walk the doctor back to his car.
David doesn’t say anything. Without hesitating, he lifts the cowl of my space blanket hood and inspects my face, lifting my chin and moving my head from side to side. He checks my bandages arms then even looks down my cleavage to ensure that the wound is properly dressed.
I’ll be honest—it feels nice to be touched by him, even though it’s like I’m being poked and prodded like a show dog. He has seen my demonic self, but he shows no trepidation. His contact is calm and assured. Even Paige recoiled from me after I turned. Not David. He’s not afraid of me.
When he’s satisfied, he releases a deep sigh of relief. “You look better. You look… amazing.”
I don’t. I look terrible. But I know what he means—I’m healing miraculously fast. I close my eyes and pretend he means something else. When I open my eyes, he’s staring at me and smiling. I smile back.
David shifts his weight as if he’s getting ready to tell me something difficult. I know it’s coming, and I’m ready when he says, “Darcy, what happened in there? What… are you?”
After all this time of evading his questions, I’m finally ready to explain everything to him. “It’s a long story.”
He takes a step closer. “I’ve got time.”
I take a deep breath. “So, ten years ago—”
“David!” a woman’s voice interrupts.
David turns, and I follow his gaze to the source. From out of the crowd of police officers emerges a beautiful Asian woman. She’s tall and slim, with the posture of a runway model. Even wearing jeans and a T-shirt, she outclasses everyone around her.
“David!” she calls again, searching.
“Grace?” David answers.
Grace turns, and the moment she sees David, she sprints to him. She throws herself in his arms and grabs him. “I came here as soon as I could,” she says, nuzzling her head into his chest. “Are you okay?”
He holds her closely, comforting her. “I’m fine. How did you know I was here?”
“One of the other ADAs called me and told me you were here.” She releases him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were working on a case tonight?” Then she kisses him.
My insides collapse. None of the wounds I endured tonight match the pain this image causes me.
After an agonizing amount of time, she finally lets go. “I was so worried.” Then she turns to me.
“Right,” David says as if to answer. He takes her hand and guides her toward me. I shrink inside my nest of foil blankets, hoping the darkness will hide me. “Grace, I want you to meet Darcy. She saved my life tonight. Darcy, this is Grace. My fiancée.”
When he mentions this, I can sense Dudley wanting to emerge. My heart beats faster. My blood boils. It must be Dudley. Right?
“You saved his life?” Grace asks, shocked.
“Well, I…”
I don’t have time to finish. She wraps me in a bear hug. “Thank you.”
It’s agonizing—not only because my whole body is still tender but because she is my new mortal enemy.
“Actually,” David says, peeling her off, “she’s a bit sore right now after tonight.”
“Oh! I’m sorry,” Grace says. “Do you need to go to the hospital? I can get an EMT here right away.” She peers into my cowl. “Oh!” she says, recoiling from the damage.
“She’s fine,” David says.
“She doesn’t look—”
“Like her usual self,” he interrupts. “But
