“Which is why we need to find a way to incapacitate him,” Elyse continued. “Some way to trap him, or weaken his powers, or both.”
Corin bit her lip, and Elyse’s attention snapped to her. “What is it?”
Corin’s eyes seemed brighter as she looked up, or maybe that was merely the sunlight reflecting in them. Though the tiny smile curling one side of her mouth was unmistakable. “I think I know a way,” she said.
Elyse gaped at her. They’d scoured dozens of books to no avail, and yet here was Corin, her confidence growing on her freckled face, ready to give them an answer.
“Well, go on then,” Manny urged her.
“Privya and I visited a patient a while back,” Corin explained. “They were possessed by a demon, and they’d been hurting others. We were summoned to help heal the injured, and to assist with an exorcism.” Her voice began to speed up as excitement flushed her cheeks. “A priest performed the actual exorcism, but we were on standby. You see, the problem was thatwhen the demon felt threatened, it would flee the person’s body and enter someone else’s. So the priest set a trap.”
She began pacing the patio. Her rapid footsteps thumped in time with Elyse’s racing heart. Everyone at the table leaned forward, eager for more.
“We used salt—regular salt, like you’d use in cooking—and we poured it around the patient. Then, the priest said a few words, a spell or something, and it made a sort of cage for the demon. It couldn’t leave the salt barrier, so everyone else was protected. The priest said it weakened the demon’s possession, too.”
Elyse felt someone’s gaze on her. She twisted her head to find Killian watching her. “You think that would work?” he asked her with an arched brow.
Elyse blew out a breath as she pondered it. She glanced back at Corin, whose eyes were glued to her with hopeful enthusiasm. “It could,” she ceded. “I don’t think we can exorcize Lazarus, as it’s more complex than a possession. But the trap might work.”
Nina beamed at Corin, pride sharp in her eyes.
“How will we know?” Manny pressed. “We need to have more than just a hunch before we face Lazarus.”
He was right. It was a brilliant discovery, but it left too much to chance for Elyse to feel confident, and she wanted to know she had Lazarus by the scarlet balls before she let any civilians into that arena.
As she chewed on the inside of her cheek, a nauseating thought crept into her mind. It was simultaneously prolific and horrifying.
“Test it on me,” she uttered. “If my powers are demonic, then the spell should work on me.” She forced herself to look Corin inthe eyes, and to ignore the subtle shock she saw there. “Do you remember who the priest was? Could you find him?”
“Of course.” The answer came out breathy, like Corin was both eager to help, but hesitant for Elyse.
“It might not work,” Manny advocated. “You don’t know that Lazarus is your father.”
“We’ll be no worse off than we are now if it fails,” Killian posited.
It was Sera’s wide eyes that caught Elyse’s attention next. “Are you sure?” she asked. Not judging or questioning, but offering Elyse a chance to say no. A reminder that Elyse didn’t always have to be the one to sacrifice, to put everyone else’s needs before her own.
But how could she say no when so many others, Privya included, had already paid in her stead?
And beyond that, a part of her was aching to know about the source of her powers. Most of her life, she’d suppressed any curiosity regarding Lazarus and her parentage. Ever since confessing to her friends, though, that dull wondering had turned into an ever-present nagging. Perhaps it was time to find out the truth, or at least try.
Elyse looked around the table. Everyone’s expression was the same: curious, hopeful, encouraging. Understanding. Accepting. Elyse gave Sera a smile that she hoped conveyed her gratitude and said, “I’m sure.”
32
Elyse
Barefoot on thepatio, Elyse watched her friends pour a thin circle of salt along the smooth stones. She rocked from her heels to her toes and back again, a gentle cadence despite the roaring in her blood, her bones, every crevice of her mind. With a deep inhale, she drew in serenity and pushed out her worries as best she could. When she noticed Killian watching her, she flashed him a confident smile.
She refused to show them weakness. Not because she didn't want to be vulnerable in front of her friends—that fear had dissipated long ago. To admit fear was to give Lazarus power, something he didn't need any more of. So she smothered the embers of worry brewing within her as she prepared to face the truth.
If the experiment worked, it meant two things.
First, that they had a plan for how to trap Lazarus and weaken him. That was something worth celebrating, and she would gladly face this discomfort for a chance at taking him down.
Second—and Elyse tried to remind herself that this was less important—she would know if she had demon blood running through her veins. The thought was enough to send bile up the back of her throat.
Of course, if the experiment didn't work, it didn't mean anything definitive. She could still be the spawn of a hellion, and they had simply done something wrong. Or it was possible that the spell didn't work on corporeal beings, only those possessed spiritually. Yet something—be it her magic, her intuition, or the intensive power of dread—told her that in a few short minutes, she would have her answer.
