Summoning Trouble, page 14
“Oh.” Gabriel frowned. He knew this, but I was guessing he forgot.
“What if someone was controlling her?” Miguel suggested.
“That doesn’t work with what the demons told us; they said the magical artifacts were being stolen because the person wanted power. If they had the power to control someone, they wouldn’t need to steal magical artifacts,” I replied. My brain felt less foggy now that Michael had taken on my damage and healed me. I commented on this.
“You’ve been walking around for a while with a severe contusion of the brain,” Michael said. “I suspect you got it during the dragon incident, because you’d also been hit with a spell that prevented it from healing, which is magic dragons can do.”
“Huh,” I said, frowning. “I didn’t know that. So not only did you take on two shotgun injuries but a brain bruise?”
“Yes, and I removed the spell that impeded healing,” Michael replied. “I was so busy tending to Raphael that day, I didn’t think to check you. I should check Jerome, too.” He got to his feet. Again, he gasped for breath. I frowned harder.
Chapter Twelve
I actually felt a ton better than I had in weeks, I thought, as the nurse who had ripped out the tube down my throat unhooked me from all the IVs and monitors and prepared to let me go home. She was chattering inanely while she worked, and I wondered if she was a ditz or if this chatter made people feel better. It wasn’t making me feel better. It was annoying me. But I was pretty sure as I got older more things and people annoyed me. Miguel packed up my stuff. My mom showed up with clothes for me to put on, since mine were covered in blood with large holes from the slugs going through them. They also looked like they might have been cut off me. Miguel threw the bag they were in on the bed at the nurse. She glared at him but didn’t say anything. I got the impression she was annoying him, too. Mom took me to the small, private bathroom with the new clothes and asked if I needed help getting dressed. I didn’t, because I was 45 years old, and Michael had completely healed me. But she was my mom, so I didn’t say anything except thank you and no I didn’t need help, Michael had done a good job. As I took off the gown, I noticed I couldn’t tell where the slugs had entered me. I knew one was in my abdomen and one in my chest, but there was no redness, no scars, nothing to indicate I’d been shot.
I dressed and found Miguel Smith, Magda Red, my mom, Dad, and Jerome in the room when I came out and wondered how long I’d been in there. Remiel was also there, standing outside the room. Gabriel and the nurse were both gone. It definitely hadn’t seemed like it took that long for me to change.
“I’m going to stay with Michael,” Remiel said to us. “He may need assistance after healing both you and Penelope. I figure you have demons to talk to anyway.”
“I think so.” I nodded. Although, since there hadn’t been an attempt on Mr. Henry’s life, maybe I didn’t. No...I wanted to ask about the mass possession events, as well as Belial’s summoning at the police station. I hadn’t exactly figured out what I was going to ask or who I was going to summon to ask, but I’d get to that point eventually. The problem at the moment was that I suspected Michael was correct, and people were trying to get me and Penelope out of the way for whatever they were planning next, and yes, it probably involved demons or possession or both. Except that didn’t narrow down the prospects for what was being planned. If it was connected to the robberies, I felt it plausible they were planning to the hit the museum exhibition on cursed items. Curses were usually more powerful than regular magic; I felt that would hold true on artifacts as well. I considered suggesting that to Miguel Smith but didn’t. Not because I wanted to play it close to the vest and not feel stupid if I was wrong, that kind of stuff annoyed me, but because we were still at the hospital. I was ready to go home and see my dog.
I told Miguel the AESPCA needed to find Janet. She was involved in all of this somehow and finding her seemed key. Miguel informed me he actually did know how to do his job and didn’t need me to tell him and that it was already being done. Having accepted my rebuke gracefully, I got in my car with Jerome driving and headed home.
“We should do some research about that exhibit at the museum. I think that’s ultimately their target. If correct, I suspect these other possession events have been workups to possess the museum’s night guard staff so they can steal the cursed items,” I told Jerome. Then I texted the same to Miguel Smith and Magda Red. I got a response from Miguel almost instantly: I appreciate that you are thinking strategically, but we put extra security on the museum exhibit the first time you mentioned it. Also, I’m still not incompetent. The incompetent was followed by a laughing face emoji. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing because he thought I thought he was incompetent or if it was meant to take the sting out of the sentence. Either way, it did make me smile, so I guess it worked. I did not think Miguel was incompetent. I felt anytime demons or possession were involved, most people were out of their depth, and Miguel was no exception. Hell, I wasn’t sure Azrael, or my father would be exceptions, and they were dealing with demons long before I was even a thought. I took a moment to digest this and wondered if I ever came across as a condescending asshole, decided I probably did, and that might be why Miguel felt the urge to remind me twice in less than ten minutes that he wasn’t incompetent. I could identify this as a failing within myself and even admit I did it, but I didn’t think I would be able to change. Partly because I wouldn’t remember this self-evaluation in an hour and partly because how does one change that behavior? It was never my intent to be a condescending asshole, so stopping myself from doing it would require identification and effort of it in each situation and everyone was correct; I was incredibly lazy. For half a heartbeat, I considered telling Jerome he needed to tell me when I was doing it, but I could see that being annoying for him and me both.
Magda texted back, I know, I’ve been added to the night guard roster for the duration of the exhibit. I was considering hiring you as a consultant to do the same, because I suspect it would be tricky to possess you. Huh, it would require more than a potion to possess me; even a really strong potion wouldn’t do it. I could even perform self-exorcisms, so hiring me as a night guard for the duration of the exhibit definitely wasn’t a bad idea. I texted back that I would be willing. The little dots appeared on my phone indicating she was sending back a reply, and they moved for several moments before disappearing. Then they reappeared and continued their little flashy bit for several more moments. I decided against it in case we’re wrong and they have another target in mind. The problem with that logic was there weren’t that many targets. Remiel, the exhibit, and the AESPCA vault. The only one I considered vulnerable was the exhibit. Even if by some miracle they managed to cause a mass possession at the AESPCA, the building goes into lockdown when it detects demonic spirits, and the vault would be impenetrable. Remiel might have a hell of a collection, but in my forty-plus years of life, I’d never noticed he had a vault full of magical items. I felt that if it was easy to find, it would be insecure, but it wasn’t. Plus, they wouldn’t need to cause a mass possession to access Remiel’s vault, they’d just need to possess Remiel to know the location of the vault, how to get in, and then it could be looted. So, he didn’t make sense as the target. Unless there was another stockpile that no one was admitting to, that left the museum. I texted her back my thoughts and got the shrug emoji in response. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I didn’t.
“I don’t suppose there’s any way for you to track Janet,” I said to Jerome after a few minutes of silence. “I feel like she’s the key and if we sort out whatever is wrong with her, we can prevent what is supposed to happen.”
“Maybe. I can track magic, so if I could track Janet’s magic, at like the hospital, I might be able to track it to her current location. But Michael said there was something wonky with her life force, and that may interfere. Also, the idea of tracking someone who isn’t doing magic at that moment of tracking is completely theoretical and might not work.” The teen frowned.
“Okay, let’s talk to a demon and see if she’s possessed. I was told to talk to Leviathan anyway. We’ll start with him. I may have other questions for him, too. Although I don’t know what yet,” I said. I turned my attention out the window. Jerome was a surprisingly good driver, especially for a sixteen-year-old. I was free to let my mind wander while he drove. How would I ask Leviathan if Janet was possessed? Demons didn’t really keep track of the living, whether human or supernatural. Having said that, they were usually aware of which demons had possession of a person at any given time, so he might be able to provide enough clues based on the number of demons in possession of a host. Maybe. Or maybe not. I tried not to let out an audible sigh and failed. Jerome didn’t say anything, but I saw him glance at me out of the corner of his eye. Okay, whether it got me answers that were useful or not, I’d ask Leviathan about the possibility Janet was possessed. I also needed to ask him about the robberies and maybe the magical artifacts. And cursed artifacts. Oh, and the mass possession events. I felt like there was something else too, but I couldn’t remember it at this exact moment. Oh shit, Belial’s summoning. This was significant because it is hard to summon a hell prince, even if it was in spirit form. That required serious oomph, yet Dantalian and the other demon were positive the person committing the robberies was doing it to gain power. To me the two felt mutually exclusive, but maybe Leviathan would have a different point of view. Demons often did, especially demons who could get glimpses of the future and knew things most demons didn’t and could also make bad things from Stygian dust and bargained souls. Yeah, it was time to talk to Leviathan. I’d been so busy I hadn’t gotten around to it, but realistically, he was always a great source of information. I was sure he’d be able to provide me with something that might help. Of course, I was setting myself up, because if he couldn’t I would be disappointed.
“Run through Arby’s, we’re going to see Leviathan,” I told Jerome. Of all the foods I’d offered Leviathan, Arby’s was his favorite. “Get at least five sandwiches and two fries and maybe dessert and a soda for him. We should probably eat, too. You know what I like.” I thought for a moment. “Shit, when did you eat last? Where did you sleep last night? Are you okay? Oh my, I am such a terrible guardian.”
“I was worried. You left the hospital and then suddenly you were coming back, and the police were telling us you’d been repeatedly shot. But they didn’t give us any details of who shot you or with what until early this morning. Remiel, Raphael, and I slept at the hospital. Miguel and Magda made sure we had dinner last night as well as breakfast this morning. I was considering lunch options when your dad came out of your room and told me to wait. Now, here we are.”
“I am so sorry. I fucked up again.”
“Someone had you arrested and tried to kill you using Belial. I don’t know how you would prevent that. Also, from the explanation we finally got this morning, you were in your cell when you were shot. So, I’m not sure how you would have prevented that, either,” Jerome said as he turned into an Arby’s.
“I could get a different job,” I said with a sigh.
“You could, but we would both be miserable,” Jerome answered. I checked my phone. It was almost two in the afternoon and Arby’s was relatively slow. Only two cars were in line ahead of us. Neither seemed to order much, and soon Jerome pulled up to the speaker. He ordered two big beef and cheddar sandwiches, a chicken salad sandwich, then five more big beef and cheddars, four large orders of fries, cheese sticks, a handful of apple turnovers, and three large Mtn Dew sodas.
“Who orders chicken salad at Arby’s?” I asked him. He smiled.
“Tara likes them, and I promised to try one,” he replied, grinning wider.
“I bet it doesn’t come with an onion bun,” I quipped. “So, the big beef and cheddar you ordered for yourself is the standby in case you don’t like the chicken salad?”
“Yes.” Jerome gave a curt nod. “I also intend for us to split the cheese sticks.”
“With each other or with the three of us? Because I had intended to take all the food to Leviathan and eat there.”
“I was hoping the cheese sticks could be eaten in the car.” Jerome grinned. We got our food and I dug out the cheese sticks and gave Jerome one, even though he was driving. So not only was I terrible as a guardian, but I was also a bad influence, encouraging my teenager to drive distracted because I gave him a cheese stick. Thankfully, we got the entire box of cheese sticks eaten without wrecking and before we got home. Neither of us required marinara to dip them in, so it was only a little messy. I got out and wiped my greasy fingers on a napkin and then brushed crumbs off my clothes. I then gathered all the bags and sodas and started into the house. Jerome followed me and we headed for his game room. Technically, since we were translocating to the Stygian, we didn’t need to be in his game room, which doubled as a safe room, but I liked to be careful.
There is a strange sensation when traveling to the Stygian, as if one is being gently tugged through space by the belly button. The sensation only lasts a second, maybe two. Just long enough to register it’s happening and then it’s gone, and we were in the Stygian. I am convinced the Stygian is what would happen if people lived on Mars. The soil is a reddish brown and it’s very loose. However, there is a sun that is definitely not our sun, and multiple moons. No one knows exactly where the Stygian is, but I am convinced it is a planet in another galaxy. I think Jophiel somehow bent the space/time fabric to transport everything here. Since I am not an astrophysicist, nor do I truly understand space travel and that sort of stuff, I can’t explain it. I just know it exists and I suspect it is somewhere far away from Earth. When the tethered feeling stopped, we were at the gates of Leviathan’s palace. The hell princes live in territories, which consist of a palace or castle-like structure with a city around it, plus some agriculture. It turns out demons, like the living, need calories to fuel their magic even here, but they do not have anything even remotely recognizable to people as food. Yet they enjoy our food, which is why I can bribe them to be extremely helpful, especially with pizza and fast food. They enjoy burgers from fast food restaurants nearly as much as pizza, or like Leviathan, who enjoys roast beef, cheddar sauce, and onion buns a great deal. I can’t blame him; I also really like those things. Some small demons went to alert their master of our arrival, while some slightly larger demons worked the mechanism to open the gates for us. Sometimes when I come over I short-cut it and just arrive inside the gates. But today I wanted to make sure Leviathan knew I’d brought an offering and give him time to salivate over it, because I was going to ask him some weird questions that I really wanted answers for.
The gates opened and Jerome and I entered, each of us carrying bags and drink carriers. At the last minute Jerome had ordered a fifth soda, giving Leviathan two of them. Apparently, demons enjoy empty calories, too. Then again, the only fat demon in the Stygian was the hell prince Mammon, who was too lazy to even have an adequate force of demons to send forth to possess people. It was why he was the least powerful hell prince. Even Leviathan had demons meant to be used in possessions, and that wasn’t his forte. He was way more interested in creation than possession.
We walked through the gates and up the walkway to the doors of the palace, which were thrown wide open for us. Because the ground is red, most of the rocks in the Stygian are also red, which means everything built out of them is red. It’s a bit disconcerting; I never get used to it.
The palace doors opened and Leviathan himself stood there waiting for us. We walked in with the food.
“I knew you would be coming soon, although I expected it a few days ago,” Leviathan said.
“Things became chaotic. I did actually mean to come a few days ago, but there were shootings, and mass possessions, and...” I shrugged at him.
“I understand,” Leviathan said. “You are here now, and I see you want something from me.”
“I actually want multiple things from you.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Demons in my presence within the Stygian remember their Earthly lives. It’s very weird. It doesn’t seem to work as well when we are on Earth, and I’m not sure why. But here, with me in the room, Leviathan remembers every aspect of his life as the archangel Zadkiel, one of my father’s many brothers. Zadkiel eventually lost the will to live and died as a result. One day I will be visiting my Uncle Michael in the Stygian as a demon, because Michael has been battling with himself my entire life to keep his will to live. “There is a person on Earth, one of my friends, and she is acting out of character. Michael referred to her life force as wonky. I don’t quite know what he meant by that, but I don’t know that he understood why it was weird either, so I’m hoping you can help,” I said, as we followed the massive demon to his dining area. Jerome and I sat down our goods and began opening bags and pulling stuff out.
“You know, demons are not the only creatures capable of possession,” Leviathan said, as Jerome began handing him sandwiches and fries and apple turnovers. Leviathan is very powerful and seeing him with the sandwiches and fries emphasized his massive stature. I can in fact stand in Leviathan’s hands. However, he has some pretty neat parlor tricks in the Stygian. As he observed the feast before him, he shrank to a more human size. To be fair, he shrank down to roughly the size of my father, who is unusually tall. Unfortunately, he does not have these powers on Earth, or he wouldn’t damage my house when I summoned him. Since he couldn’t do it on Earth, I came to him to talk instead of summoning him to me. Although occasionally, if the weather was exceptionally nice, I would summon him outdoors in my back yard.
“Yes, wendigos can take possession of a person, even though they themselves are living beings. They can send their spirit out into the world. However, I think if she were possessed by a wendigo, Michael would have been able to identify it. I’m sure he’s dealt with wendigos in the past.”
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