Hemah sighed.“Because the Grim Reaper would not have agreed. He would have made you doubt. I know now that my days of being the Higher Power are over, Daisy. Shitty Ritchie has taken my place. Jennifer has taken the place of Chamuel. Chamuel and I are dead. We can’t fight it. Uriel can. Its alive and could still be the Higher Power who embodies logic. If Alana Catherine dies, the spot goes to Uriel. I don’t want that to happen. If I’m being honest, my hatred for Uriel plays into my reasoning. I won’t deny it. I have been wrong about so many things in my time. I am not wrong about this. Uriel is no longer logic. It is rage, despair and bitterness. That cannot be changed for Uriel. It’s too late. Let me help you give the true Higher Power who embodies the real meaning of logic a fighting chance.”
“Once again… fuck me,”I hissed.“Take over my body, Hemah. Do what you have to do, but if you’re playing us, you will be sent to the Darkness to live the rest of your unending life in searing hot flames. Goddess Pandora will make sure of it.”
That gave Hemah pause. Pandora was terrifying. Period.
“I am not playing you.”
“Good.”I turned to Jennifer. “Here’s the deal, Jenn. I’m gonna slit my throat. Alana Catherine needs to drink my blood. I’m going to squeeze it into her mouth and you’re gonna massage her neck so it goes down. Got it?”
“Sure do,” Jennifer said, not missing a beat. “Then what?”
“Then,” I said. “Then… I don’t know what, but whatever I do, go with it.”
Jennifer leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m your ride or die until the end of time, Daisy. I got you.”
“Hemah, I’m ready. I’m ready for you to take over my body and save my daughter.”
“Slit your throat, Daisy. I will do the rest.”
“FUCK,” Candy Vargo bellowed as Uriel appeared looking about as unhinged as anything any of us had ever witnessed. “Cast the goddamned spell, Daisy. NOW.”
“SLIT YOUR THROAT,”Hemah bellowed.
He didn’t have to ask more than once. I was all over it. With a steady hand and a wildly beating heart, I pressed the razor-sharp end of the blade into my neck. The pain was intense, but I cut deep enough to feel the blood gushing out. Immediately, I leaned over Alana Catherine, pried her lips open and pressed the open wound to her mouth. Jennifer did her part and massaged my child’s neck and throat. A good amount of the blood ran down her cheeks and onto the dirt floor, but a lot was going in.
I could hear the fighting in the background, but I didn’t have the luxury of figuring out if my people were okay. Pulling my neck away from my daughter’s lips wasn’t happening. I was doing my job, I could only pray that Gideon, Candy, Tim and Shitty Ritchie were successfully doing theirs.
“Hemah,”I called out feeling woozy.“Take over. Do it. Do it now.”
I felt a strange shift in my body—not painful, not scary… just odd. Then the words began to flow from my mouth. Beautiful words that I didn’t understand. The sentences flowed like music and the rhythm went from staccato to melodic. I spoke clearly and with passion.
Hemah was keeping Its promise. I was a few steps closer to believing It could be redeemed.
However, Uriel was losing Its mind. Redemption for Uriel felt millions of miles away. I’d never witnessed rage quite like It displayed.
“NO,” It bellowed. “Stop. STOP. I am logic. Kill the pretender. KILL IT. I must end the false prophet.”
“Keep It away from the cage,” Gideon shouted over Its screams.
“Shitty Ritchie is fucking ON IT. Can I eat Uranus, Gideon?”
I swear on everything unholy, I almost laughed. Instead, Candy Vargo laughed for me.
“Hell to the yes you can eat Uranus if you can get to It,” she shouted. “Not sure you should eat Gideon’s anus, though.”
“Fuck you, Candy Vargo,” Gideon said with a laugh as I heard an explosion.
The dirt was coming down again. I wasn’t sure who caused the explosion, but my guess would be Uranus. I had my fingers crossed that Shitty Ritchie would eat the monster. He could poop It out later. Right now, we needed It subdued so we weren’t buried alive.
“Mom?” Alana Catherine said, coughing and choking on my blood.
“Oh my god,” I cried out, hugging her close.
“What’s happening?” she asked, trying to get up.
How to answer that… “Uranus is back and your dad, Candy Vargo, Tim and Shitty Ritchie are trying to stop It.”
“Who is Uranus?” she asked.
