“Never love me?” The voice was Celia’s. She blinked at him. “But I thought you would always love me. Always protect me.”
The tears streamed freely down his face, and he scooted closer. I held my breath, terrified he would fall for this ploy. The poor guy was already so broken.
“Kate,” Eric said. “Feet.”
I realized what he meant. I still couldn’t stand, but I could inch my feet backward even more. Letting a hint of Celia come out had taken a toll on her power.
Slowly, Eric and I pulled our feet off Allie, stopping the trickle of blood. I held my breath, hoping no one would notice this time. I didn’t think they would. Everyone was rapt on the scene between Celia-Lilith and Jared.
“I need you,” she said in that sweet, childish voice. “You know it’s true. I need you and I love you.”
“I love you, too. Is it really you or is this a trick?”
“It’s me. She pushes me down like in the vault. But I’m here. Don’t make me be lonely for ever and ever. Stay with us.”
He dropped to his knees and held out his arms, openly sobbing now. “Come here, baby sister.”
I held my breath wanting to scream out to him but terrified what punishment might be rendered. Not to me, but to those I loved.
I finally saw Timmy, sitting far to the right in Fran’s lap, her arms tight around him. His thumb was in his mouth and his eyes were wet and red.I love you, I mouthed and hoped he saw me and understood.
Even as I said those words, Jared said the same to his sister. Then he pushed her back gently, as if memorizing that sweet face.
“I’m sorry,” he said at the same time that his hand smashed forward, crashing through her ribcage, then ripping out her heart.
It was over.
The ceremony ended. Our bodies free to move.
On the ground, Allie sat up, her head shaking with confusion. “What happened?”
“Kill the host, the partial goes back to the source demon,” I said, remembering what Eddie and told me.
“Huh?”
“I’ll explain later. Jared’s going to need you. Celia is dead. Lilith killed her.”
“Oh.” Her chin shook, but she didn’t cry. Instead she nodded. “I’m there for him, but tell me what happened later.” I promised I would, and she turned to find him.
As she did, a great howl filled the room, followed by a wild wind that almost blew me back in my chair.
I glanced at Eric, who said only one word.Lilith
Well, damn.
He was right, though. I was certain of it. Not only did it make sense, but the reanimated Celia corpse was a huge clue.
Demonscanmove into a dead body with organs missing, but they don’t like to. Lilith definitely was beyond caring. She waspissed.
“Go for the limbs,”I shouted as Allie, Eric, Jared and me rushed toward Celia’s body, now animated by a pissed off High Demon.
Fortunately, she couldn’t put her full essence in, or we’d really be screwed. As it was, the battle was a monster. She was still a High Demon, which meant her strength was beyond mine. And she was using almost all of it, the body already heating up. She didn’t care. This was about destruction.
I had no weapon—Doctor Carlton must have taken my stiletto, but I picked up my chair, intending to use that.
Turns out I didn’t need to. Allie was pissed off, too.
I watched as my daughter spun and kicked and leaped and jumped, ripping and tearing through arms and legs with such fury that I wondered if she would be able to shut it down. As it was, no one else could even get close to Lilith.
