He shook his head and shifted so that he was looking forward again. My stomach twisted as he did, because in that moment, I understood what he was doing—looking at Allie as if to make sure she hadn’t grown horns.
“Seriously?” I whispered, though there was a definite edge to my voice. I’d noticed the way his body had tensed as Allie and Eliza had crossed the threshold to enter the Cathedral ahead of us. Then again, when we’d paused at the basin of holy water, each of us touching it and then crossing ourselves. He’d relaxed only after Allie had done as much without bursting into flames.
Now, he looked back at me, guilt written on his face, then shrugged.
I let it go. The truth is, I really can’t blame him. I had, after all, been wondering the very same thing, and my relief that she is able to walk through the Church without any signs of discomfort is a huge relief. To her, too, I imagined.
At the same time, I reminded myself that David had been able to do so as well in those first months after Eric had come back in the chemistry teacher’s body. Over time though, as the demon inside him grew more powerful, it had become more and more difficult.
That, however, wasn’t something I was going to think about. Instead, I was going to do what Father Corletti had said. I was going to have some faith.
The service began, and a new priest—Father Joseph—stood at the altar. Since the horrible death of Father Ben, my previousalimentatorebefore Eddie took over, we’ve had no priest in residence, and the Bishop or a steady stream of visiting priests have filled in. Now I wondered if this young priest who looked fresh out of the seminary would be a permanent addition, or just another one passing through.
That wasn’t something I pondered long, though. Instead, I quickly lost myself in the familiarity of the ritual, FatherJoseph’s words reminding me of the many reasons to come to the service. For some, it’s a reminder that there is a world beyond ours. That’s not why I come though; I’m reminded of that every day of my life. Instead, for me, church is a weekly reminder of the power of good. Of friends and family and hope.
It’s a reminder of what I’m fighting for, and even though protecting my family is truly at the heart of it, it’s so much bigger than that. There’s a world full of people who haven’t seen the big picture that I have. And those of us who’ve seen beyond the curtain have a responsibility to hold that curtain shut. To keep the rest of the population safe. Not because we owe them, but because it’s the right thing to do.
The service passed quickly, and even though I felt guilty about it, I breathed a sigh of relief when Allie took communion with hellfire raining down on us. After Mass, I asked her to go get Timmy, as I’d been waylaid by Delores, the Cathedral’s volunteer coordinator, in the courtyard.
A retired teacher in her late sixties, Delores Sykes showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. She’d created the position of volunteer coordinator at the Church, and managed her domain like a well-oiled ship. I liked her a lot even though she intimidated the hell out of me.
“Kate! I was hoping I would see you this morning. I was wondering if you were up for a little bit more volunteer work.”
“I’d love to,” I lied, remembering the bug-filled boxes I’d been tasked with sorting through the last time I’d volunteered. “But I’ve been so overwhelmed lately with family stuff.” I dropped my voice and shot a glance toward Stuart. Considering my marriage was back on track, I should probably feel guilty about referencing our recent separation that, I knew, had been the topic of much gossip. But that’s the length I was willing to go to avoid spiders and other slithery critters.
Her expression shifted into one of prurient compassion. “You poor dear. I do hope things are improving?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “But the family needs my attention. Tend your garden, and all that.”
“Of course, of course,” she said. I expected her to walk away and waylay some other innocent parishioner. Instead, she added, “It’s just that the Bishop pointed out that since you already have a sense of what’s in the archives, you could head a new committee for organizing and enhancing the collection. It would only be a one day a week thing. We’re hoping to look at the collection, see what might be missing, and find out if we can acquire any related material. As you know, some of the donors split their collections. But the Bishop believes it would be better for a donor’s collection to be held in one place. And as you know, San Diablo has the best collection of artifacts and relics relating to the Church of any Catholic institution.”
I did know that. I’d gotten sucked into doing research in the archives when I’d been duped by a High Demon. A long and messy story, but with a happy ending since I’d brought him down.
But even with that happy ending, I had never been happy about the bugs.
Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have access to the archives, especially while I’m trying to learn more about Allie’s situation. As far as I knew, Allie was one of a kind. But I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a sign. If I was being guided to take this volunteer position.
Even if this gig wasn’t divinely ordained, at the very least, I could use the position as a good excuse to get books from the Vatican. Much easier to go through the Church system than by the regular mail. And I knew that Father Corletti would approve. Especially since it had become more difficult to get access torecords at the Cathedral after Father Ben’s death since the Bishop knows nothing about who I am.
It also provided a terrific opportunity to help with Allie’s training and Eddie’s research. “You know what? I’d love to. I can’t dive in for at least a week—I’m deep in planning Timmy’s birthday party—but you can count on me to coordinate. And,” I added with a bright smile, “I’ll even recruit Allie and Eddie Lohmann to be my first committee members.”
“Oh, sweetie, I am thrilled to hear that.” She reached out and squeezed my hands. “And I was going to ask you...”
“Yes?” I tried to keep the trepidation from my voice. Had she heard rumors about me of the demon hunting variety? Worse, did she want me to sign on for yet another volunteer job?
“Well,” she said, dropping into a whisper. “I heard you were teaching a self-defense class for women.”
“Oh! I am, yes. Although the lessons have been less than regular. I’m hoping to start that back up next week, too. I’m still recovering from our trip to Rome.”
She drew herself up. “Well, when you do, you let me know.” She nodded firmly. “After all, every woman needs to know how to kick a little ass.”
I barely managed to refrain from slapping my hand over my mouth to hold back the laughter. Because those were definitelynotwords I’d expected from Delores’s mouth. “Yes,” I said, my voice tight with fighting back laughter. “She absolutely does.” That was the absolute truth. I’d just never pictured Delores as the type to do anything more proactive than carry a can of mace deep inside her purse. “I’ll send you an email as soon as I know when the next session is.”
She smiled. “I look forward to it.”
She turned away, and I turned the opposite direction, shaking my head in wonder at the surprises that life sent you. I was about to pull my date book from my purse to look and seewhen I could schedule the next training session, when I noticed Allie and Eliza hanging out on the playscape, near the swing set. Timmy, however, wasn’t on any of the swings. They were just standing by the vertical support posts. Allie had her eye on her little brother, who was playing quietly in the sandbox.
As for Allie and Eliza, they weren’t alone. There was a boy with them. A dark-haired boy, who stood tall, his shoulders thrown back with the confident bearing of a full-grown man. Not the usual slouch I was familiar with when confronted with teenage boys. Especially teenage boys who were chatting up teenage girls.
