My eyes pop open, and a dark cloud hovers above me.
The hell?
I try to jump up, but I’m paralyzed, unable to even move my eyes, which are fixed on this cloud, the bands of black smoke twisting into each other like a clump of snakes.
Alexei must still be in bed with me. I need to warn him, but as I open my mouth to speak, nothing comes out.
“Yes, you are a beautiful specimen, aren’t you?”
When I first heard the ominous voice, it sounded like it was coming from outside of me, but now it’s clear it’s in my mind, like when I was communicating with Syphor.
But this doesn’t sound like him. This is something else.
“You’re going to help me, Matteo.”
“No, I’m fucking not, asshole. Get the fuck out of here.”
Knowing I was able to drive Syphor from Finnegan, I’m hopeful I can do the same with whatever this is.
“No, you won’t,”this entity says, reading my thoughts.“Syphor was weak, but you will see just how strong I am.”
The cloud of smoke descends, and as I breathe, it fills my mouth and nostrils. It’s like smoke, but it has a familiar taste and smell to it, reminding me of what I threw up after Cody exorcised Farras from me. As more of the smoke fills me, I’m choking on it…can’t breathe. I fight it, willing my limbs to life, but I’m locked in place, with only this horrible, suffocating sensation overtaking me as this fucker enters me.
Finally, the cloud is gone, and I can breathe again. I gasp for air, trembling as my body’s struggling with the intruder that’s overtaken me.
“Oh, you feel so good.”
“Get out!”
My hand moves, but it’s not me doing this. It rises to my face, and I study it as it moves effortlessly. I can’t resist.
“What are you?”
“I am Vairov, a deity to you. Syphor’s leader.”
This may very well be the horrible thing the Sinners have been trying to prevent from coming into our world. I wish Icould disguise my horror.
“I feel your fear, and you should be afraid, for it is my time to enjoy this world now.”
I sit up, still without any control over my movements, and Vairov turns to Alexei, who rests peacefully, still lost in the pleasure of what we shared, unaware of the horror taking place beside him. Vairov reaches over and slides the comforter down, revealing Alexei’s nude back. He snickers through me, and it’s like an echo that swallows me whole. Then he runs the back of my fingers over the curve of Alexei’s ass.
“Get your fucking hands off him!”
“How will you make me?”
He turns my hand around, groping Alexei, and I’m terrified Alexei will wake and this fucker will do something horrible to him.
“Oh, the things I will do to him.”
I’m grasping for my pain again, to wield it against him, but this isn’t like Syphor. I don’t feel that same fear I was able to tap into and intensify to chase him out of Finnegan. There’s only a dark abyss…and a sadistic impulse so powerful, I find it infecting me, making me wish I could do horrible things to Alexei too.
“I see in your mind that he wonders about what happened all those years ago.”
There are flashes…images. I’m across the street from an outlet of shops illuminated by streetlights. A young guy steps out of a storefront and locks the door. Who is this? Why am I seeing it?
“This is his brother. The one you know as Kysar knew hewould grow up to be a powerful force to use against us, so I found Farras, and the Darkness sent him to protect us from this threat.”
“You killed Alexei’s brother?”
