You would not have been.
The hellhound blocked some of my view, but once I'drecovered from slamming into the hard ass ground, I looked around him andsighed.
"That what I think it is?" I groaned.
Yes.
"Fuck."
Indeed.
The occultist hovered in the air, a nimbus of energysurrounding her. The energy crackled with red and black streaks cutting throughthe green of what had probably been her aura before she took on a demon.
I had no desire to know what mine looked like at themoment, come to think of it.
Her eyes blazed red, and her expression was whollyinhuman. While Ezra was along for the ride, she'd clearly completely accepted,or been consumed, by the demon she was hosting.
That is another prince, Ezra supplied.
"Awesome," I grumbled as I climbed to myknees. "Probably a rival of yours?"
Likely. Hedidn't elaborate but I got the feeling he knew exactly who it was, and it didn'tsurprise him one bit.
Right now, her gaze followed Aaron and Sabian as they struggledwith a group of men off to one side. I glanced at Mal. He was still unconscious.
Her attention snapped back to me as soon as I got tomy feet.
Mayhem leapt, intercepting another magical blast. He apparentlyabsorbed the energy, before roaring at the occultist. A jet of flame arched outof his mouth and splattered against her aura.
I shielded my eyes as the energies warred. In the end,her shielding held, but I got the idea it was close.
"Well, that's cool as shit."
It'll be a while before he can do that again, but yes,it is a handy ability. You'll need to cast out the demon. I'll do my best toprotect you.
Before I could ask him how he was going to do that, Ifelt Ezra stretch, as if he were just waking up for the day and sliding into acomfy robe. Except that comfy robe was me.
"Hey!" I yelped, as he settled more fullyinto my body.
Just get rid of the prince and make this quick.
Ezra gathered my powers.
The exorcism!He snarled when I hesitated.
Right. Fuck. I'd deal with him later. Figuring thiswas a time for pulling out all the normal measures, I pulled the squirt bottleof holy water out of my jacket and made sure my protective stole was visible.
Stalking forward, Mayhem flanking me, I began.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus..."
"You are not strong enough to cast me out!"Her voice was also inhuman, low, demonic, echoing around us.
I'd heard it all before and I answered with a spray ofthe last of my holy water.
It splattered against her skin, smoke rising where itburned her flesh. She screamed.
I dropped the empty bottle and pulled out the bladeMal had made for me. "omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursioinfernalis adversarii..."
My energy focused through the blade, amplifying it.Damn, I hoped I got to keep the vampire around after this. He was fucking goodat making tools.
Something flew at me from the side, but Ezramanipulated my powers in a way I'd never experienced before, some of his ownpower burning through me, and deflected whatever it was. Tears sprang to myeyes as his power torched my aura.
Fuck, mate.
The quicker you get rid of that prince, the sooner Ican stop hurting you.
The demon recognized my weakness. She laughed, thesound echoing around us. "You are weak, Ezra! Letting that one keep hermind? You fool."
I shouted out the next few lines of the exorcism,blade held in front of me, pouring all of my will at defeating that vilecreature. That I wasn't concerned about preserving the occultist's life helpedthis entire process.
Though it hurt, I was able to mostly ignore Ezradeflecting the demon's attacks as it became something like a constant burn asopposed to the sharp pain I'd experienced at first.
One of the possessed humans came at me from the side,gun in his hand. Mayhem snarled and launched himself at the guy. The gun wentoff, but Mayhem must have handled it. I turned out the cries of agony as thehellhound tore the demon from the human and mauled the infernal creature.
"Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. UtEcclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos..."I shouted.
She screamed as the final lines of the exorcism shovedat the demon prince possessing her.
Ezra added his power to mine, and the power I used tosend demons back to hell amplified to a degree I'd never experienced. Iscreamed in pain as we shoved the prince out of her. I could actually feel thewalls between our plane and hell buckle as we forced the demon away.
I collapsed to my knees as the demon was sucked away.All of the extra power whooshed out of me and I barely managed to catch myselfbefore my face smacked into the hard ground. Hopefully, we had succeeded,because if I was attacked in the next few moments I was done. My arms didn'trespond to my commands to move and I finally gave up and let myself rest.
I must have passed out, because I woke to a hot tonguelicking my cheek. Cracking my eyes open revealed my hellhound looming over me.
"Hey, Mayhem," I rasped out.
He whined and nudged me with his paw.
Aaron came into view and knelt next to me. "Areyou okay, Chris?"
"Maybe." I groaned and managed to roll ontomy back.
Ezra?
No answer.
I'd figure out what that meant later. For now, I heldout my hand and Aaron grabbed it, hauling me to my feet.
No shock.
Our eyes widened at the same time as we looked at our joinedhands.
"I didn't mean to send him back, too," Isaid. "I mean, I was going to eventually, but..."
I really wasn't ready to process that new bit ofinformation.
"Yeah, you did a number on all the demons in theroom," Aaron said softly. "Sabian is gone, too."
"I...Fuck." What had I done? BanishingSabian had not been part of the plan. I needed him, damn it.
He pulled me into a hug, and I clung to him for a fewminutes, trying to pretend everything was going to be okay, while tears leakedfrom my eyes.
Finally, I pulled back. "Mal?"
"I wasn't brave enough to try and wake him up,but I don't think
