Original Sin

The anger and intense pain in Jared’s face had Moira reeling. He had far more depth than she’d given him credit for.

“Don’t drag Mom into this.”

“You wouldn’t be behaving like an asshole if she were alive.”

“Mr. Santos,” Lily began, but the man ignored her.

Jared reddened and didn’t back down. “This is about you. You bully your way in here, insulting me, my girlfriend, my friend, jumping to conclusions because you have this warped idea that I’ve gone wild since Mom died. This is more about you than it is about me. You feel guilty because you’re dating again-”

“Do not change the subject and drag Nicole into this,” Santos said. “This is between you and me.”

“You’ve dragged my girlfriend into it!”

Santos looked pointedly around the motel room. Moira resisted the urge to wince. It was the type of flea-bag motel that looked the other way when hookers rented a room.

“And look where I found you.”

“Don’t change the subject. Mom died of cancer. She was dying for years and I hated every minute because I didn’t want to lose her, but I’ve accepted it. I hated it, but accepted it. And I am the man I am today because she told me to stand strong. I’m not wild, I’m not lying. The least you could do is listen to me!”

“Listen? You snuck out of the house-”

“I’m eighteen.”

“You’re still living under my roof and I demand you respect my authority.”

“You wouldn’t understand-”

“I didn’t know where you were last night! It turns out you were at the scene of a crime, left your friend dead! What if you could have saved her?”

Lily was on the verge of tears as Jared said, “Abby was already dead when Moira and I arrived, and Lily was in trouble.”

“And you didn’t call the police? Or take Lily to the hospital? The police station?” He stepped over the threshold and Moira twitched. Something had her instincts humming. A demon? Yet he’d crossed the salt line without hesitating or reacting even a bit. He didn’t even notice it. She took a step back, staying farther than arm’s length away from the cop. This situation felt … odd. Over the top. Maybe it was because he seemed so incredibly stubborn, but Moira was used to stubborn. It was more than his attitude. She watched him carefully, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

She’d never exorcised a demon by herself before. She’d never protected anyone from a demon. And exorcisms were safest under controlled circumstances, with a spirit trap to protect the exorcist and the victim. Here, without a safety net, she’d have to stab the victim with her knife-a very specific, very special knife-and hope she didn’t hit a major artery, hope she didn’t kill the innocent along with vanquishing the demon.

And even then, there were other concerns … such as whether the demon was strong enough after the ritual to possess someone else. Or strong enough to take its own shape and form.

“Dad,” Jared said, “Lily just needed a little time before all the ’rents started in on her. I was going to bring her home and then talk to Sheriff McPherson. I promise, just give me an hour.”

“You missed classes this morning, contributed to Lily’s delinquency. I’m taking Lily home-her mother is frantic-and then you and I will sit down with Sheriff McPherson.”

Moira couldn’t allow Lily to be alone. Fiona wanted her for a reason. “They can stay here,” Moira offered. “I don’t mind.”

Deputy Santos looked at her as if she were trash. Moira straightened her spine, but she couldn’t help but feel inferior and defensive under his intense disapproval. “Ms. O’Donnell, you’ve caused enough trouble.”

“I haven’t done anything!”

“You have Jared lying to me. You got him involved in God knows what-sex games? Drugs? I don’t know, but Abigail Weatherby is dead and both you and my son were there.”

Lily spoke, her big brown eyes wide. “Mr. Santos, I was there when Abby died. Jared came later, trying to find me. He had nothing to do with it. It was an awful accident, and-”

“Lily-” Moira interrupted.

“Stay out of it or I’ll take you down to the station,” Santos said.

“I’ll take Lily home,” Moira said, grasping at straws. Someone had to keep an eye out for her.

“Dad-”

“Enough!” Santos’s face was getting red. “Jared, Lily, come now or I’ll put you both under arrest.”

“You can’t-”

Santos stepped toward Moira. “Don’t talk. Not a word. I heard that something bizarre happened at the station this morning, and it involved you. You have unduly influenced these kids; you are trouble. I don’t know what your game is, but it’s over as far as my son is concerned. One word and you’ll be back in jail in fifteen minutes.”

“It’s okay, Moira,” Jared said. “I’ll take care of Lily.” He took his girlfriend’s hand.

It wasn’t okay, but Moira didn’t know what else to do. She couldn’t go back to jail, and if she tried to stop the cop, she had no doubt that he’d arrest her. Either way, Lily would still be home, alone and unprotected. Worse, Santos would find her gun and her knives, and take them. She’d be defenseless again. She couldn’t face Fiona empty-handed-no weapons, no open space, no magic.

Moira had no choice but to let them go.

“Now,” Hank said. He stepped through the door and looked up into the gray, overcast sky. The day looked as dreary as Moira’s mood.

Jared picked Lily up off the bed.

“I’m sure she can walk,” Hank said.

“Her feet are cut from running,” Jared said quietly. Moira glanced over; Lily wasn’t wearing any shoes, but had on a pair of Moira’s socks pulled up high. Blood had seeped through the bottom.

“Be careful,” Moira whispered as Jared passed by her. “Call me if anything happens.”

Jared whispered, “Take my truck.” He nodded toward the keys still in her hand.

Hank glanced over his shoulder, but Moira had already pocketed the keys. “Jared!” Hank barked.

Moira stared at the back of Hank’s neck. His hair was cut short, a little longer than a buzzcut, and it looked like there was dried blood right above his collar. She almost said something, then he shifted as she realized it wasn’t blood but a birthmark, a port wine stain that was centered at the base of his skull and went beneath his collar.

She was tired. Exhausted, more like it, seeing things. But she had no time to rest now. Finding Raphael Cooper was number one on her list, then destroying Abby Weatherby’s corpse before Fiona got her hands on it or summoned Abby’s vengeful spirit. She’d have to call Anthony, urge him to find a way to keep an eye on Lily. Surely he could do something, considering he was sleeping with the top cop in town.

Moira waited until Hank had driven off with Jared and Lily. Then she slipped out and drove Jared’s truck in the opposite direction, toward the cliffs, hoping she could retrace Cooper’s steps and find him before Fiona did.

Rafe didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, or unconscious. As his eyes slowly opened, he saw shades of light in the dark shadows of the abandoned cabin.

He was huddled in the corner of the filthy, foul-smelling room, shaking, cold and hungry, unable to move. He tried to stretch his quivering limbs, told himself he had to do it, but his body did not respond, paralyzed. He’d never felt so completely drained that he had no will to do anything. He would certainly die here, for even the thought that he would die if he didn’t leave gave him no strength to stand, or even crawl.

He’d expended every ounce of his energy in saving the girl and escaping the witches and demons.

The wind howled around the cabin, the boarded-up windows providing a break from the damp salt air.

Rafe had no idea how he’d found this cabin when he fled the chaos he’d caused.

Intellectually, he’d known that it wasn’t his fault that the demons had been released. He hadn’t started the deadly ritual; he would never have even flirted with the dark arts or any form of magic. It was antithetical to everything St. Michael’s Order stood for. He was one of the chosen few who was charged with stopping the spread