Demonic Designs (To Absolve the Fallen) (9 page)

Jeremiah inhaled deeply, and then exhaled through his nose.
 
“We will be watching you around the clock.
 
We’ll have people in close proximity.
 
On top of all of this, you will learn how to defend yourself to some extent.”
 
The demon looked over, studied Alex, and grimaced before adding, “I don’t think you’ll be as apt to learn the ways of defense as some, but if you could at least learn to fire a gun, I would feel a little better.”

“You’re going to watch me all the time?”

“That’s right.”

“What about when I’m on the toilet or in the shower?”

Jeremiah laughed.
 
“You would be surprised where you will find cameras in my home.”

“Is Elizabeth going to be watching me, or will you?”

“She prefers Liz, and neither of us is going to watch you.
 
Like I said, Matt is in charge of security.
 
Though, if you would prefer, I could make a copy of the security logs for Liz—so she has something to watch in her free time.”

Alex began to feel comfortable with this conversation about regular people.
 
He was even a little intrigued.
 
He wondered if Matt and Liz were as scared as he was.
 

“Is she hot?” he inquired, playing along.

“Oh, very much so,” Jeremiah replied with a devious smile.
 
“But I’m afraid she has her heart set on someone else.
 
You have to understand, she and Matt have been essentially restricted to playing only with each other.
 
Just like you, they have felt the pain of having to give up the rest of humanity for the most part to achieve something greater.
 
As a result, they’ve grown very close.”

Alex looked out window, dejected.
 
“So, I’m like a third wheel.”

“The number three is very symbolic,” Jeremiah countered sagely.
 
“You, being the last addition to my triumvirate, are important to the success of the whole.
 
The other two would be incomplete without you, as you will be without them.
 
But if the three of you work together, your potential is inconceivable.”

Alex sighed dramatically.
 
“I’m going to spend a lot of time without any kind of human contact, except you and these other two, if you can count that.
 
And the only woman around is beautiful but taken.”

“She isn’t the only woman on the planet, or even—I’ll have you know—in Las Vegas.
 
But, if you are going to obsess over this girl you haven’t even met, I suppose the extent of your relationship with her is up to you.”

Alex smiled.
 
“And Matt.”

Jeremiah seemed to consider this.
 
“Right.
 
And let’s not forget Elizabeth.”

“I thought she preferred Liz.”

“Whatever.”

After a moment of silence, Alex groaned, “Can we stop somewhere to get something to eat?
 
I feel like I haven’t eaten for days.”

“You haven’t.
 
Two days, to be precise.
 
It’s never good to give people food after they’ve received news like you have.
 
I doubt that you would have held it down last night, anyway.
 
But I think you’re over the initial shock, now.
 
Yes, we can get something to eat.”

“I mean, I am
really
hungry, but I didn’t really mean it felt like days.
 
How could I have gone this long without food?”

“Well,” Jeremiah replied, flicking his cigarette out the window, “the human body can go for a long time without food, living off itself.
 
I can also channel energy I have to make your body feed off of me.
 
It doesn’t provide you with the sustenance that you need to perform much physical activity, but it does look like it has enhanced your ability to see.
 
I thought it might.”

“See?”

“The visions you’ve been having.
 
I can sense it in your brain activity.
 
There’s nothing quite like receiving divinations, is there?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex said, trembling as it felt like something cold washed over him.

Jeremiah shot a look of surprise at him.
 
Then, he shook his head in disgust.

“That’s typical, Alex.
 
You’ve been receiving visions for the past two nights, and you don’t remember your dreams.
 
If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were fighting this.
 
That’s not making any of this easier for either of us.”

Alex started shaking; it felt like Jeremiah had the air conditioner on high, and the temperature was dropping.

“This is why fighting is bad,” Jeremiah continued.
 
He placed his hand on Alex’s chest, and, immediately, Alex felt heat returning to his body, but little and slowly.
 
“Just accept it.”

“It’s cold,” Alex whispered.

“I know.”
 
Jeremiah sounded more patient.
 
“Navigate through the cold, the darkness.
 
Find the light.
 
The light is heat.
 
It’s safe.”

“Am I dying?” Alex gasped.

“No, child, you are growing.
 
Just...stop...fighting.”

Then, Alex let go.
 
He could feel nothing, but he could see the light.
 
He had never been so scared.
 
Though somehow he knew that death was no threat, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his spirit was no longer with his body.
 
It occurred to him that he was not moving himself toward the light.
 
He was being pulled.
 
It just got bigger and bigger until he was engulfed by it.
 
Then, he felt something that, for the rest of his life, he never believed he could adequately express.
 

It felt like all of the love he’d ever had in his life was rolled up and emanating from the light.
 
It was like being simultaneously loved by his parents, his friends, and the only girl he had ever truly been in love with.
 
It was overwhelming, but he could do nothing other than take it in.

When he came to, he was still in the car, and Jeremiah was eyeing him intently.
 

The demon had pulled the car to the side of the road when Alex had gone unconscious, just in case the boy got lost.
 
Jeremiah didn’t know how far he could send his mind in that direction before receiving a holy beating, but he’d have to try.
 
Finally, though, Alex did wake up, and Jeremiah said a silent prayer, thanking God that this first one hadn’t taken so long or been very painful.

But Alex couldn’t speak immediately; he could barely keep his thoughts in order, let alone form words.
 
He had a sense of dread he couldn’t explain.
 
It seemed like something was going to happen, but that was all he had.
 
Despite his attempt to conceptualize what it was that he saw, creating the feeling of fear he had, he couldn’t get past the base fear, itself.
 
He had felt so much love just prior to this.
 
He wondered what the message could possibly be.
 
Something was calling him by name.
 
It took a while, but Alex realized it was Jeremiah.

“Looks like your reason won’t help you here.”

“I saw something—something that’s going to happen,” Alex replied, “but I don’t know what it was.”

“Just relax.
 
It’ll come to you.
 
Besides, it will give me time to tell you about the past, before you start telling me about the future.
 
Anyway, I’ve grown accustomed to telling this story, and it would disappoint me if you didn’t hear it all.”

***

“We have them, boss.”

Patheus looked up slowly from the computer on his desk, “Shule, this one had better work.
 
You’re running out of luck, and I’m running out of patience.
 
You’re planning an ambush on Jeremiah’s lackeys, with which I have no problems.
 
However, it is possible that you aren’t considering the ramifications of your actions.
 
By making a move on them, you gamble with your life.
 
If you go, the runts might kill you.
 
If you stay, and the mission fails, I will kill you.
 
Either way, I will eventually get your soul.
 
Now, do you feel completely comfortable with that?”

“I don’t know, boss,” Shule stammered.
 
“I don’t want you to kill me.”

“Then, don’t fail me.
 
Okay?”

“Okay.”

Patheus stood up and waved his hand.
 
“Leave me,” he commanded.
 
“Tell Eva I wish to speak with her.”

“Yes, boss,” Shule said, bowing his head as he backed out of the room.

Within a few minutes, Eva was standing in his doorway.
 
She never knocked.
 
One of these days, Patheus thought, that little habit is going to get her killed.

“Eva, your nose seems to be healing up nicely.”

She smiled and gave him the middle finger.

“How vulgar,” he responded with a sigh.
 
“Couldn’t you have thought of something a little more clever?”

“Well what could I say that would impress or intimidate one of your prowess?” she asked.
 
“I am completely enthralled by your ruthless attempts to bully people who are obviously subservient to you and abuse those who aren’t.”

“Are you implying that you aren’t subservient?”

She snorted a fake laugh through her slightly misshapen nose.
 
“Do you really think you could control me?”

“Yes, in a very literal sense.”
 
And with that, a force lifted her off the ground and pinned her against the wall.

“I’m sure this is how your fantasies start out,” she spat at him.

“Actually, you’re right.”

She narrowed her eyes; they flashed blue.
 
“You pin me against the wall to prove your dominance over me in the form of rape.
 
How human.”

“Wrong.”
 
He smiled and walked toward her.
 
“In my fantasy, I pin you up to a wall and scoop out your brains through a hole I made in your head.
 
But you were half right.
 
In any event, making my fantasies into reality will have to wait.
 
I have a mission for you.”

“And what would that be?”

“You will use your
gifts
to seduce a young man.
 
You’ve done it before, and you’re so good at it, Eva.
 
Or do you prefer Delilah?
 
Men have always been weak for you, no matter what your name.”

That stung.
 
Even Eva felt a little dirty for some of the things she had done.
 
She turned her head away.

“You are who you are, Eva.
 
It may be the only thing you’re good at, but at least we’ve got that avenue available to us.
 
Come on, it’ll be like old times.
 
Jeremiah’s new pupil will be the target.
 
From Shule’s report, we know that Jeremiah was at the house last night with Alex.”