The Reaping: Language of the Liar (13 page)

Chapter Fifteen

“Where am I?”  It was cold and dark, the floor hard and unforgiving.  Every inch of her body ached and burned, and when she tried to turn over, she realized her arms were bound.  “What did you do to me?”

“I haven’t done anything.  This is all you, my lovely girl.”  Nic spoke from behind her, somewhere in the darker shadows, and Dorian struggled to turn her head.  “Those bonds are of your own making.”

Struggling, she managed to untangle her limbs, but her arms were secured behind her back.  She moved into a sitting position and turned, finally able to make out Nic’s glowing form in the shadows.  “Where am I?”

“You know where.”

She fought back a frustrated growl as she tried to stand, but without the use of her arms, it was difficult.  Climbing to her knees, she wavered, but before she hit the ground, Nic’s arms came around her and eased her up.  “Thank you.”

He laughed, gentle and kind as he steadied her.  “Why do you do this to yourself?  Why do you hurt yourself like this?”

A sob bubbled in her throat and she choked a little, shaking her head.  “This isn’t me!  You’ve done this to me.  You’ve tortured me my entire life and now look at me!”  Hot tears coursed down her face, burning tracks into her skin.

Nic walked around her, stopping when their gazes met, and his face fell.  His eyes were narrow and sad, and he reached out, gently curling his claws around her upper arms.  “Your entire life I’ve wanted nothing more than to protect you.  I know you’ve seen some terrifying things.  You saw what that man became when the demon took his body.”

She gave an involuntary shiver at the memory of the exorcism.  “I don’t want to be that.”

“I would never do that to you.”  He stroked his nails up and down her skin, making her tremble.  “I care about you.  You’re special, Dorian.  So special.”

Pulling away from him, the bonds holding her hands gave way suddenly and she let out a gasp as she stumbled back.  “How can you say that to me?  Look at me!”

Nic’s eyes narrowed with anger, and before Dorian could react, he curled his claw around her arm and yanked her forward.  The darkness opened up to a small window, and beyond that was a familiar scene.  The room was white, a row of chairs in a half circle filled with tired people, and it took her a second to realize she was looking through the eyes of someone in a group therapy session.

“Is that…?”

“I took control so they couldn’t hurt you anymore,” Nic said.  “No one is the wiser.  For now.”

She was terrified now, but swallowed back her fear as she turned to look at him.  “What do you want with me?”

His face shifted, his eyes pleading and he looked more human suddenly as he spoke.  “I need your help.  It’s always been you, my beautiful girl.  You’re the strongest of your kind, and I need you.  My world, my way of life, is in trouble and the only way we can stop this is by fighting a battle in a realm where we have a chance to win.”

“Earth, you mean.  Using humans.”

Nic nodded.  “Those creatures destroying your people, they’re not
my
kind.”  He thumped his fist on his chest and it echoed a hollow sound.  “We would never do that to you.  I know you’ve suffered, and I know part of that is my fault, but it’s only ever been to protect you from those who want to hurt you.  That priest, Father Stone, there’s more to that man than it seems and he would use you to further his own ends.”

Dorian’s shook back and forth, not wanting to believe it.  “You’re lying.  That’s all you do is lie!”

“No.  I promise you.  I will
never
lie to you.”  His voice was low and pleading, and he reached for her, but she stepped just out of his grasp.

Letting out a breath, she glanced out the small window again and she could hear the sound of her own voice speaking.  It was too far to make out what she was saying, but everyone in the room was calm, so she had to assume Nic was keeping her body under control.

He couldn’t keep her forever.  He would eventually let her go and she’d be able to find Lennox and Dash to go forward with the exorcism.  She just had to keep him talking, to find out as much information as she could.  She’d be damned if the exorcism killed her before she was able to truly help the boys in their mission to destroy these things.

“If you won’t lie to me, then tell me the truth.  What’s really happening with the demons?  I overheard two of them talking, saying they were going to use a spell to open up more humans as doorways.  Why?”

Nic’s tongue darted out and wet his bottom lip.  “There’s been a war brewing, for longer than your human mind can fathom.  I’m the leader of my people, but there’s another race of demons who live like parasites.  They jump realms and take over, destroying everything in their wake, and they’ve targeted us.  My army is larger, stronger, but they’re crafty and they’ve infiltrated my numbers.  We can fight them, but we can’t do it in the demon realm.  They’re too strong there.  We have to go where we have the upper hand.”

“So you want to use the humans.”  Pacing in front of him, she crossed her arms over her chest.  “And what kind of damage would that cause to my people?  How many would be sacrificed?”

“I don’t know.  But I swear the damage would not be significant.”  He put his hand over his heart and gave her a formal bow.

She found the whole thing ridiculous, but what did it matter?  He was talking, and she was learning.  “And if I agree to help you?”

His hands trembled as he reached for her, and in spite of her fear, she let him draw her in.  “I would help you.  I swear you would be crowned in glory and praise.  You’ll never want for anything again.  You’ll never hurt again.”  His claw stroked down her hair as she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

Dorian fought back a laugh.  “And where were these promises when I was being beaten and tortured in those homes?  When all you had for me was lullabies until they drugged me to the point where I couldn’t see you anymore?”

“Forgive me,” he said in a broken whisper.

Dorian felt unexpected emotion welling in her gut and she pulled away.  “The demons said they had a spell which could open up more humans to becoming doorways.  Is that true?”

Nic smiled, his teeth gleaming and white.  “There are spells for many things, my love.  Many things.”

Dorian turned her face away from him as she read between the lines.  There was a spell for that.  But if that was true, there would be a counter spell.  Perhaps one strong enough and big enough to close all the humans at once, locking the demons out for good.  It would trap them in their own realms and they would remain there forever.  The thought gave her a shiver and she looked back at Nic who was watching her with a curious expression.

“I need to get out of the hospital.  I’m no good to you here.”

He let out a puff of breath and nodded.  “You’re right.”  His hair shivered in a breeze which came from nowhere and he brushed back his locks.

“You need to let me go.  You need to let me do things on
my
terms.  People keep saying I’m strong, you say I’m special.  So let me do this on my own.”

He seemed hesitant, but took a step back and gave her another bow.  “And what would you do?”

“I’m going to sneak into the doctor’s office and I’m going to call Dash and Lennox.  I have a feeling if anyone can break me out, they can.”

Nic’s face fell.  “And then what?  Let them exorcise you?  It’ll kill you, you know.”

“Let me do this.  Let me do this, and I’ll help you.  You
know
there’s no other way.  The longer I’m here, the more they’ll pump me full of chemicals, and then what use will I be?”

She could see his resolve breaking, and eventually he approached her, drawing his hand down her cheek.  “I’m trusting you, my love.  Mostly because you can’t fight me for long.”  The claws dug into her skin and she let out a cry, but he held her fast.  “And if those fools think they can shut me out, just know I’ll take you with me.  I’ll drag you kicking and screaming to the depths of hell.”

Chapter Sixteen

She came to with a gasp, and found herself sitting up against the wall in a small bedroom.  The place was all-too familiar.  The smells of starch and disinfectant, the scratchy sheets, uncomfortable mattress.  The walls were bare, harsh white, a form of sensory deprivation.

Tugging at her sweats, she saw they were devoid of zippers, buttons, or strings.  She was wearing soft socks with rubber soles, and her hair was long and tangled around her shoulders.  She assessed the damage.  She was drugged, the injection site on her hip a little sore, but the feeling was fading.  All it meant was she was due for medication soon, and probably a one-on-one session with her therapist.

She wasn’t sure what time it was, or what day, but she remembered her plan.  She’d have to find a way to sneak into Maria’s office and find her things.  Maria always kept Dorian’s personal items in a locked drawer in her office, and her amulets and cell phone had to be there.

Although, if Nic had been right and the Father was in on whatever was happening to her, Maria might have been warned.  The numbers in her phone might have been deleted, or her entire cell service might have been shut down.  She would have no way to contact Dash and Lennox.  But it was a risk she was willing to take.  The Exorcists had mentioned there was a way to track her if she disappeared, but she wasn’t sure she could wait that long.

Rising from the bed, she padded across the room, tried the handle to the door and was happy to find it was open.  It meant she’d been behaving for however long she’d been locked up, and she was no longer on restrictions.

Heading into the hallway, Dorian tried to keep her cool as she made her way into the main lounge where the patients hung out during their free time.  The light coming from the windows said dusk was approaching, so dinner would be soon.

“Hey, how was your nap?”

The voice startled Dorian and she turned to see one of the nurses standing there.  The nurse was shorter, curvy with rich black hair pulled back into a long french braid, and she had a pleasant smile, though her eyes were hard.  She looked familiar, but Dorian couldn’t put a name to the face.

She smiled and gave a small shrug.  “It was okay.  I feel better.”

“Good.  You looked dead on your feet.”

Dorian let out a small laugh, scratching at the back of her head.  “Yeah, I kind of was.  Oh and um… I forgot to ask earlier.  I think.  What’s the date today?”

The nurse frowned, then gave her a watery smile.  “October sixteenth.”

Dorian tried to keep the shock from going visible on her face, and she turned away with a muttered, “Thanks.”

October sixteenth.  She’d been in the hospital over two weeks.  Two weeks where she’d lost control of her body and Nic was running the show.

She felt sick all of a sudden, and desperate to get to her phone.  She could only imagine what Dash and Lennox were thinking.  Had they come looking for her?  Did the Seeker get a lock on her?  What about Father Stone?  Had he gone after the Exorcists?  Too much hung in the balance, and Dorian felt a sense of panic threatening to overwhelm her.  She had to move, and she had to move fast.  If she wanted the boys to save her, she knew her time was limited.

***

She wasn’t able to get anything done until after dinner.  She kept to herself, forcing the food down to keep the nurses off her back, and as predicted, she was escorted to Maria’s office when the meals were cleared and the residents were all getting their final doses of medication before bed.

Now, Dorian always liked Maria.  She knew the doctor didn’t have a lot of faith in her recovery, but she talked to Dorian like a human being and that was rare in her experience.  She was in her mid-fifties, her black hair peppered with white, but her eyes were bright and intelligent, and she didn’t miss much.

It made lying and trying to deceive the woman a little on the difficult side.

“Anything you want to discuss before bed?”  Maria had a pen out, but no paper, and she was tapping it on the polished wood of her desk.

Dorian cocked her head to the side, frustrated that she had no memory of what Nic had been saying during her sessions.  “Not really.  I feel like things are getting better.  Less foggy.”

Maria hummed as she regarded Dorian.  “I’m inclined to agree.  I was anticipating a new treatment taking longer, but you’ve held it together, young lady.  So color me impressed.”

Dorian forced a smile, hoping it looked genuine.  “I just want to get back to normal, you know?  I mean… whatever’s normal for me.”

Licking her lips, Maria’s eyes narrowed.  “You seem a little on edge.  You sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?”

Dorian shook her head, then let out a puff of air and shrugged.  She needed Maria out of the room if she was going to have time to look for her phone, so she had to try something.  “Sleep’s been rough.  I was so tired today I ended up taking a huge nap.  Is there anything you can add to my dosage?  Maybe something to keep the dreams from getting too intense?  Even just something to help me stay asleep.”

Rising from her desk, she stood beside her chair.  “I think there might be something.  Can you hold tight for a minute?  Let me go talk to Dr. Burke.”

Trying to keep her excitement and anticipation at bay, Dorian nodded, leaning her elbow on the arm of the chair and tried to look exhausted.  Maria stepped out of the room, and as soon as the sounds of her heels faded into the distance, she jumped up and rushed for the desk.

There were six drawers, and all but one were empty.  The last had a small box with a lock, but as she tugged on the lid, she felt a zap in her fingers, like static electricity and the lock popped.  Her heart jumped into her throat, terror seizing her for a moment, but she had no time to think about it.

Her phone, wallet, and the amulets were nestled inside along with various items from other patients.  The phone was off, so she pressed the power button, praying to every God she could think of that the battery wasn’t dead.

It started to boot, impossibly slow, and she felt time ticking down.  If Maria caught her, that would be it for her.  She’d be under lockdown and there was no way she’d get out of this place intact.

A minute later, the home screen flared to life and she immediately went into her contacts.  As predicted, they had been whittled down to a handful, but her eyes went wide when she saw Maria missed one.  Markus.

Dorian hadn’t spoken to him before, no idea who he was or what he really did, but it was worth a shot.  She pulled open the text screen and typed out as fast as she could.

Dorian.  Stuck in EB Hospital.  Send Dash and Len.  Need help.  911.

Hitting send, she shoved the phone back into the box, swiped one of the amulets, slammed the drawer shut, and managed to make it back to her chair with a minute to spare.  When Maria returned holding a small paper cup of pills, Dorian breathed a sigh of relief.  No injections and she hadn’t been caught.

“Thank you,” she said, trying to convey her false feelings.  She’d become an expert at palming medication, and though Maria had eyes like a hawk, Dorian had years of practice.  She took an offered cup of water and faked the pill swallow.

“So, I suppose if there’s nothing else?” Maria said.

Dorian got up from her seat and shook her head.  “Just sleep.  And maybe tomorrow we can talk about when I can get out of here.”

Maria’s eyes went narrow.  “We’ll see.  Brian’s right outside to take you to your room.  Get some good rest.”

“I will.  Thanks, Maria.”  And with that, Dorian was out the door and following the young orderly back to her room.

Though there was the sound of a lock sliding into place, Dorian got into bed feeling like maybe, just maybe, she’d get lucky.

***

A hand clamped over her mouth and Dorian woke with a startled gasp.  She struggled against the person holding her until her eyes adjusted to the dim light from the hall.  She could barely make out the wide eyes and narrow nose of Lennox, who was holding a finger to his lips.  With a muffled hum, she nodded her head at him, trying to tell him she was okay.  When it became clear she recognized him, he let his hand slip from her mouth and she let out a little cough.

“You scared the
shit
out of me!”  Her voice came out an angry hiss, and she struggled against her blankets in an effort to sit up.

“I’m sorry.  I wasn’t sure if you’d be drugged or possessed.”  He offered a hand out to help her get up, and she straightened out her pajamas.  “We need to get the hell out of here.  Dash is outside with the car, and we have about three minutes before they realize someone’s broken in.”

Glancing around, she realized she had none of her personal effects in the room, so she left everything behind, following him out into the corridor.  He moved expertly, making her wonder how often he’d broken people out of hospitals before, but there was no time to really worry about it.  He pulled her along, ducking out the emergency fire exit at the far end of the patient hallway.  She expected the alarm to wail, but it remained silent as they crept around the side of the building to where Dash sat in the car.

“That was fast,” he exclaimed as Dorian slid into the back seat and Lennox jumped into the front.  “No one saw you?”

“No, but I had to cut the wire on the back door’s alarm so they’re going to notice that here in a second.”  As Lennox spoke, the building’s side door flew open, and Dash let out a cry, jamming on the gas.  The car wavered as it jumped forward, and Dorian was sure it lifted up off two of the wheels as he tore around the corner.

Still, they were in the clear as far as she could tell.  They were only a few miles from the apartment, but after a minute, she realized they weren’t heading in that direction.  “Um, thanks for the rescue and all, but where are we going?”

“We got booted,” Lennox explained as he reached between his knees and tossed a zippered carry bag at Dorian.  “Apparently your little priest friend had you tagged and followed.  The day after you disappeared, cops raided our place.”

Dorian clapped her hand over her mouth.  “Holy shit,” she said, her voice muffled by her fingers.  “Did you guys get arrested?”

“Briar was the only one home, and she managed to scream legalese at them until they backed off.  Apparently they didn’t have a warrant, but both our names got flagged for green cards.”

Dorian put her head on the back of Lennox’s seat and let out a frustrated sigh.  “I can’t believe he’d do this.  I can’t
believe
Nic wasn’t lying.”

“What do you mean?” Dash asked, his tone dark.

“He said Father Stone was working against me.  He didn’t give me a lot of details, but if he wasn’t lying about that…”  She took a breath before finishing her thought.  “He had my body for two weeks, and I had no idea.  He said he needs my help.”

“Don’t let him fool you.  That’s what they do,” Lennox warned.  “Drop a bit of truth here and there in their lies so you start to question what’s real and what isn’t.”

Rubbing her face, Dorian sat back and inspected the bag in her lap.  It was a handful of clothes and a couple amulets, and a pair of running shoes she realized had come from her things.

“Lennox managed to sneak in and nick some of your cases,” Dash explained.  “We’ve got a new set-up and it’s well guarded.  Doubled up on the wards and everything.”

Dorian managed to wriggle out of her hospital sweats and into the fresh clothing.  It didn’t erase the feeling of being locked up for as long as she had been, but it took the edge off.  “Thanks for getting to me so fast.  I wasn’t sure you’d get the message.”

“Going for Markus was very clever,” Lennox replied with a wave of his hand.  “You want anything done quickly, you get him involved.”

Dorian clasped the necklace around her throat, wincing at the burn, but she appreciated them bringing backup.  Whatever Nic had pressing against her head was shoved back for the moment, and it brought her some relief.  “He was the only one left in my phone.  My therapist all-but wiped my contacts clear.  Either way, I owe him a huge thanks.”

“Well, get through the next couple of nights, and you can do so in person.  He’s coming over in a few days to get things sorted.”

The car fell silent for the next half hour, and Dorian felt both fear and relief that they were heading out of the city.  The new place they’d set up was in a small suburb about twenty miles out, closer to the coast.  All the streets were dark save for a few porch lights, and the place seemed more fitting for a family rather than a handful of Exorcists and their house Reaper.

But it was a good cover, she figured, so long as the neighbors weren’t too nosy.  The house they chose was on a cul-de-sac, directly in the middle.  The yard was trimmed but undecorated, and the garage they pulled into was completely empty save for a few empty tote bags piled near the door.

Dash closed the garage as he shut the car off, and Dorian climbed out, her limbs still numb and achy from the regiment of medication the hospital kept her on.  She used Lennox’s arm to keep herself steady as she climbed the three steps. It led to a wide kitchen, and beyond that was a living room with no furniture save for a tattered old bean bag chair and a TV propped up on green milk crates.