Shadow Keeper (34 page)

“Five hundred years,” Monica said. “The demon was buried that long ago by the conquistadors.”

“It takes time to adjust to the body it inhabits. The heavy drugs the doctors gave him probably slowed the progress. When the demon succeeds in adapting, he’ll become what he was before.”

Monica leaned over the table and put one hand to her face. “Cruel and barbaric—committing unspeakable acts.”

“Then the sooner we perform the exorcism the better,” Mom said. “Is there any way you can get your husband out of the hospital?”

“Tuesday we have a court hearing. My attorney is requesting home visitation for a few hours on Friday evening. I was hoping to have Charles Bishop—” She dropped her hand to the table. “I guess he’s not an option anymore.”

“Then Friday it is. That will give Brendon time to prepare the area. He’ll have to draw the circle of protection with red sand and dig a hole to bury the demon.”

“That’s exactly the way I saw it in Dad’s vision.”

“Did you also see what you’ll have to do?”

I shook my head.

“When the demon leaves the body, he’ll appear as a black fog. You’ll have to wait until he changes into his demonic form.”

“He’ll become that ugly, filthy creature I see in my nightmares.”

“Yes, sweetie.” Mom took a deep breath and let it out with a ragged sound. “You’ll have to be quick. Before the demon realizes what you’re attempting, you’ll have to use your father’s ceremonial knife and plunge the blade into its heart. If you hesitate, he’ll attack you and may kill you.”

“No!” Lisa’s fingers dug in the muscles of my shoulders. “I didn’t know it would be you. I thought you knew someone. I don’t want you risking your life.”

“No one else can do this.” I stood and put my arms around her. “It’s the only way we can help your father.”

“Then don’t do it.” She hugged me tighter. “You don’t know if you can help my dad. If something goes wrong, I could lose you both.”

“Then I’ll have to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

She grabbed my mother’s hand. “Please, Mrs. Alexander. Don’t let him do this.”

“I understand how you feel, Lisa, but I don’t think I can stop him any more than I could stop my husband. Brendon is too much like his father.”

Lisa wrapped both arms around me. “I don’t want anything to happen to you,” she said between heavy sobs.

Monica squeezed between us and patted Lisa on the back. “Come on, baby. Why don’t you lie down while the rest of us discuss this?”

“I’m not a baby.” She swiped the back of her hand across her face. “I’m staying.” She walked to the sink and grabbed a paper towel to wipe away the rest of the tears.

Monica returned to her chair. “I can’t allow Brendon to risk his life. If you’ll tell me what to do, I’ll take care of the demon.”

“You saw that huge, filthy thing last night,” I reminded her. “Do you honestly believe you can face him without flinching and stab him in the heart before he slashes open your throat with his claws?”

The muscles in her neck rippled when she swallowed. “If I have to.”

“I’ve faced him in my nightmares every night for a month, and I don’t know if I can do it without hesitating. But since I’m the most experienced with fighting him, it’ll have to be me.”

“As much as I hate the idea,” Mom said, “Brendon is right. He’s the best person for the job.”

Monica leaned back in the chair. “So it’s decided. We just wait until Friday.”

“Not quite.” I glanced at Mom. “Dad said the demon won’t leave unless the body is threatened with death.”

“Threatened?” Monica’s forehead furled. “Do you mean like putting a gun to Kyle’s head and threatening to shoot if the demon doesn’t come out?”

“No.” Mom almost laughed, but it had to be nerves. “We have to create a life threatening situation to the body so the demon thinks death is eminent. Then he’ll come out.”

“And how do we do that?” Monica asked.

The three of us looked at each other, waiting for someone to figure it out. Lisa was the only one to speak. “I know how.”

We all turned and looked at her.

“The same way Mrs. Alexander told Brendon he could kill me.” She brushed her fingers across her lips. “With a peanut butter kiss.”

Chapter Forty–Three

“Kyle has the same allergy as Lisa,” Monica said. “Once we give him peanut butter, his body will go into anaphylactic shock within a minute, even seconds.”

“You realize how dangerous this is for him.” Mom set her cup on the table. “We may succeed in driving out the demon, but your husband could still die if he doesn’t get medical attention right away.”

“If he does…” Monica pressed her fingers to her forehead. “We have to all agree on this. If Kyle dies, I’ll tell the authorities I was alone with him. I don’t want any of you involved in the repercussions, especially Lisa and Brendon. I’ll take full responsibility for his death. Is that understood?”

“I agree,” Mom said. “The kids should be left out of this if the worst happens. But it may not come to that. I’m a nurse. I can monitor his vital signs and give him shots as he requires them until we get him to the hospital. You just need to bring adequate amounts of epinephrine.”

Monica nodded. “I’ll bring everything with me when I drive to your house.”

“And I’ll have a blood pressure cuff and all the other supplies. We’ll ride together and meet Brendon.”

“My father showed me how to prepare the area. I’ll have the protective circle drawn with red sand. Mr. Stratton’s body will lie just outside. One of you will have to sprinkle a barrier line around him with sea salt. Then you both have to get inside the circle and stay there. I’ll give him the peanut butter. When the demon leaves the body, I’ll use smoke from the burning sage leaves to keep him away. The two of you will have to drag Mr. Stratton into the circle. Your job is to make sure he doesn’t die, so concentrate on him and don’t worry about me.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “Right.”

“As long as I don’t cross the salt barrier, the demon can’t hurt me. The two of you have to keep Mr. Stratton alive. And remember, his spirit in the form of a shadow will come out of the hollow tree and join with his body, so don’t be afraid when that happens. You can put him into the car after that and head out to the hospital. The demon will be contained and can’t follow you.”

Mom grabbed my hand. “I’m not leaving until I know you’re safe.”

“Neither am I.” Lisa leaned against my shoulder. “I’ll stay with Brendon.”

I turned in the chair and faced her. “You’re not going.”

“Why not?” Her chin came up. “I can help.”

“It’ll be too dangerous.”

“I don’t care. He’s my father. I’ll stay in the circle, but I want to be there. I can help get him into the car. Even go with him so your mother can stay.”

“The answer is no.”

She crossed her arms. “When did you get to be so bossy?”

I was through arguing. I got up and walked past her to the sink for a glass of water.

“Maybe she can help,” Monica said. “That way, your mother—”

“No.” I whirled around to face them. “Let’s get this straight right now. If Lisa goes, I’m out.”

****

The week flew by and Friday finally arrived. With football season over, Carson and I didn’t have any reason to hang around after school, but he insisted we find our women and say goodbye before heading home.

“See you later,” was all Lisa said before leaving with Sherry to spend the night. Monica had arranged that so she wouldn’t be sitting around alone and worrying.

When I arrived home, it was still light outside. I drove Grandma’s pickup to the hollow tree area and prepared the ground as my father instructed. I returned to the house and ate dinner with the family as if nothing was out the norm. Krystal brought me her favorite book to read before bedtime. Stevie cajoled me into a game on the Wii. It was a good thing he let me be
Diddy Kong
, because my heart wasn’t in it, and Stevie carried me on his back most of the way through the jungle.

“It’s getting late.” Mom walked into the room wearing jeans and a sweat shirt.

“Oh, man.” Stevie hit the pause button. “There’s no school tomorrow. How come I can’t stay up longer?”

“You can if you stop that grumbling.” Mom pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “Get into your PJ’s and brush your teeth. Then maybe Grandma will play a game with you.”

“I’m playing with Brendon.”

“He has somewhere to go tonight.”

“All right.” Stevie tossed the controller on the couch. “Grandma plays better than Brendon anyway.”

“Hey.” I smacked at his rear when he walked by.

“Brendon.” Mom motioned for me with a nod of her head. “I have something for you in my bedroom.”

I followed her down the hallway to her room. A box set on the foot of the empty bed. “Where’s Krystal?”

“Grandma has her so I can show you this in private.” She opened the box and removed a protective cloth covering. “You’ll need this tonight.”

“Wow. I remember this.” I lifted the buckskin shirt and held it up for a better view. Fringe dangled from the shoulder seams. Faded images of the sun and other symbols were painted near the bottom edge.

“This was your father’s ceremonial shirt. And his father’s before him. Now it’s yours.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I threw one arm around her and squeezed her hard. “I’ll wear it tonight.”

“You’d better. This shirt will protect you from harm. The demon’s teeth and claws can’t penetrate the fabric.”

Mom dug deeper in the box and pulled out a fringed leather scabbard. Her fingers wrapped around the wooden handle and she partially retracted the knife. The shiny metal blade glinted with reflected light. “This was your father’s also. Use it on the demon as soon as he materializes.”

I hesitated taking the knife. “Was Dad good at this?”

Her forehead creased. “Yes. He was very good.”

“Then how could a demon kill him?”

Her fingers touched her lips as she sucked in a gasp. “You remembered?”

“No. Not all of it. But I know it was a demon. Will you tell me how he died?”

“I don’t know that I can tell you how, but I can tell you why.”

“There’s a difference?”

She nodded. “Your father never performed any of the rituals at home. He always went to sacred ground, or somewhere in the country where nature assisted with the ceremonies. A man whose brother was inflicted heard about your father. He brought the brother to our house.”

Mom paused to lick her lips. “John wasn’t prepared. The demon sensed him and a conflict developed within the inflicted person. The man began to die and the demon left the body. Your father rushed us into the protective circle—the place you remember as a gazebo. John tried to go into the house to get the sacred objects to fight the demon, but it was too late.” Mom looked away. “The rest I’ll never be able to say out loud.”

“It’s all right.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “I don’t need to hear any more.”

The ringing of the phone made her jump. “That’s probably Monica.” She rushed to the living room to answer it.

I put the shirt and knife back into the box so it would be together when I left the house. I went to my bedroom to get a belt since I didn’t usually wear one. The scabbard had to be fastened at my waist so the knife would be within reach. I walked into the living room and laid the box on the coffee table so I could thread the belt through the loops of my jeans.

Mom hung up the phone and turned to me. “Monica is about ten minutes away. Kyle is semiconscious. The doctor supplied her with a sedative in case he became agitated, but she gave it to him already for the ride up here.” Mom grabbed my arm. “Brendon—” Whatever she was going to say caught in her throat.

I threw my arms around her. “I love you.” When I released her, I turned away without looking at her face. A glimpse of her pain would tear me up. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

I grabbed my things and hurried out the door to Grandma’s pickup. The dirt road to the hollow tree had lots of ruts and made for a slow, rough ride. Headlights flashed in my rearview mirror. Mom and Monica must be hot on my heels. I stomped on the accelerator. With Daylight Savings over, the sun had set a few hours ago and night had settled in. I had to get a fire going. A campfire would be the only light we’d have.

I parked the pickup behind a clump of trees so Monica could park next to the red protective circle. The women would have to carry his body the short distance without my help. If the demon inside of Stratton sensed my presence, he might become hostile even with the heavy sedation.

The dry wood only needed the strike of a match to get started. Flames shot up right away. I set a basket filled with white sage leaves close by. Now I had to prepare myself.

Headlights along the dirt road edged closer. I stripped off my tee shirt as I rushed to the pickup.

Faint starlight reflected off Monica’s red Lexus. I stifled a curse. The plan called for the four wheel Hummer. When she pulled behind the pickup, I tried to wave her off. Mom, at least, should know not to park so close to me. The car stopped and the driver got out.