Hell’s Heresies, page 27
Emerie ripped a thread out of her jeans and rolled it between her fingers. Ji-Ji was right. With everything that had happened—a thoroughly haunted house, witchcraft, exorcisms, accidentally ripping a hole between dimensions and unleashing the forces of Hell into her small town…she thought, however falsely, that she had it all under control. But when Lilith took over…she wasn’t in control anymore.
She raised her head and met her grandfather’s gaze.
“I’m sorry, Ji-Ji.”
Tears pricked Emerie’s eyelids and she wiped them furiously. She buried her head in her knees. Her grandfather tapped her shoulder stiffly, just like he did when she was a little girl. He was always so awkward about physical contact; it was cheering to know this had carried over into the afterlife. She hiccuped a little and finally looked forward. She could hear the shouts and laughter more clearly—there was a fight going on outside her body. She sighed.
“Well, Ji-Ji…how exactly do I get my body back?”
Ji-Ji harrumphed and banged his cane. “How do you get your body back? It’s your body!”
Emerie tilted her head curiously. “Yeah, but…aren’t I possessed right now?”
“Possession is not like it is in the movies.”
He did not say anything else. Instead, he muttered something under his breath and glared at her. He would do the same thing when Falcon got frustrated with his homework. Emerie stood and began to pace.
“It’s not like in the movies…” Emerie muttered. “Okay…well, they all seem to involve young girls, don’t they? Innocence corrupted, I guess. They’re overpowered by the demonic influence, which is what makes them so scary…”
She considered. She’d briefly allowed Samael to possess her, before she summoned him. He’d made a dirty joke and she ordered him out…and he actually got out.
Ji-Ji watched her carefully. He tilted his head back and patiently waited for her to find the answer.
“You know,” Emerie said thoughtfully, thinking of Samael. “Possession is a pretty horrifying process. It’s a violation, after all. Maybe a lot of people lose the will to fight—or think they can’t fight. I mean…this is my head. My body. I mean, isn’t that why Lilith showed me all that stuff about Samael? To freak me out? Psychological manipulation? To make it easier for her to invade my head?”
Ji-Ji’s expression did not alter but his dark eyes twinkled. Emerie’s revelation proceeded to make her even more furious.
“This is bullshit!” she shouted. “She can’t have my body! She just wants it to freak out Samael! It’s all a head game! I’m over it! I’m taking my body back!”
Emerie froze suddenly. She slowly looked at Ji-Ji, an expression of pure deviousness etched across her features.
“Ji-Ji.” Her voice was steady. “You know…Samael let me possess him for a little bit. He said that was a little known fact about possession…humans can possess demons.”
Ji-Ji snorted. “He sounds like an especially foolish spirit to tell you such an obvious vulnerability.”
She went to him and wrapped her arms around him. He froze—just like she remembered, so uncomfortable with hugs! She smelled vanilla and tobacco, familiar, warm scents. “Ji-Ji...I miss you so much. I miss you every single day.”
“There’s no need to miss me.” He tapped his head with his cane and then pointed at her heart. “I’ll always be right here.”
Emerie smiled at him and Ji-Ji’s features turned stony.
“And don’t let me ever catch you leaning on your bokuto like it’s a cane, again!” He snapped. “Be more respectful!”
The moment Lilith announced through Emerie’s mouth they were going to die, Samael knew it was over.
Of course, he would be fine. Lilith still wanted him for her own purposes. But he was overcome with fear for Father Zebulun and Zephyr—which was an entirely unnerving experience. It was odd enough being worried for Emerie, but adding two other humans to the mix was another matter entirely.
Emerie raised her arm. The large statue of the crucifixion overlooking the altar groaned powerfully and lurched off the wall. It pelted the altar with debris and nails. Emerie cackled and flicked her wrist—the crucifix statue shot like a missile, headed straight for Father Zebulun’s heart.
“No!” Zephyr screamed and threw up her hands. The crucifix statue slowed its course and Emerie narrowed her eyes. She jerked her head and there was a thunderous clang. Samael watched in horror as several of the organ pipes attacked Zephyr like snakes and wrapped around her, turning her into a metal mummy.
“Get off!” Zephyr shrieked as she resisted the pipes. “Get off of me!”
Emerie lifted her hand and smirked. Zephyr had probably formed some sort of barrier or sacred space—but it was ineffective with her immobile. The crucifix resumed its journey and cruised towards Father Zebulun’s unconscious body. Samael roared as he flung himself in front of the two and slashed his sword towards the crucifix.
“Look at what you’re doing, heretic.” Emerie gloated. “Protecting humans! Protecting two humans—and one of them a priest! Do you have any idea how many brothers and sisters this mortal has banished? Do you know of his liaison with my sister?”
Samael blinked in confusion. He would have turned towards Father Zebulun for an explanation, but the priest was still out cold. Zephyr struggled against her bonds and frantically searched for some way to fight back.
“One last chance, Samael.” Emerie flicked her hand. Water floated from the baptismal font and splashed across the statue. The giant statue of the crucifixion was now drenched in holy water. She edged the statue nearer to him, and the holy water sizzled as it dripped.
“Let’s find out if heretics can still burn.”
Samael lifted his sword. But before he could attempt to stave off the attack, Emerie stiffened.
Something contorted in her face, as though she had a nervous tic all of a sudden. She scowled and her hands went to her forehead, almost like she nursed a terrible migraine. The statue groaned and fell to the ground.
“What’s happening?” Zephyr tried to run to her, but Father Zebulun caught her arm. “What’s she doing?”
Samael could hardly dare to hope. It seemed as though there was an internal conflict in Emerie’s body—yes! Emerie was fighting back!
“Emerie!” he shouted. “We’re here! We can get you out!”
“Shut up!” Lilith within Emerie screamed. “What are you doing?! Your body is mine, vile sow! How dare you!”
Before Samael had a chance to wonder at her words, she let out a terrible howl. Her body convulsed, and strangely, seemed to phase in and out. One moment she was Emerie, another she was Lilith—and when she was Lilith, she choked out:
“This is my body, you bitch—get out, get out!”
Her voice was decidedly Emerie’s. Samael gaped as Emerie continued to scream and jerk, her head wobbling like a bobble head. And then, she began to cough, and fell over the baptismal font as though it were a toilet. Her chest started to heave and without warning, something was pushed out of her, which screamed when it hit the baptismal font and fell to the floor. The thing was transparent briefly, but slowly regained form, like a Polaroid picture.
“Holy shit.” Zephyr was awed. “She just fucking vomited Lilith out of her body!”
She was right. The light in Emerie’s eyes had returned and she placed her hands on her knees. Her breaths were short and hard. She threw a dirty look towards Lilith’s crumpled form, which lay on the floor of the church.
“I need a taco.” Emerie groaned and hot relief flooded through Samael.
He ran to her and halted. He remembered that Lilith had shown Emerie some of the more traumatizing parts of his past—he had no idea how much Emerie had seen. He looked at her nervously but she gave him a small smile. He was confused until she rolled her eyes and hugged him tightly—she was hugging him.
“It’s okay, Sam,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “It’s okay. We all have our demons.”
Samael groaned. “You’ve been waiting all week to make that joke.”
She smiled at him unrepentantly and he had the simultaneous urge to either kiss her or throttle her for the bad pun (bad puns generally produce this urge). Kiss her…he should kiss her…it had been a while since he kissed a woman…
He held back. Something told him if he kissed her…it wouldn’t simply be a kiss of lustful passion. He wouldn’t be able to stop. Not simply the physicality of it all, but the emotion. He fell once, in a garden long ago, and now…if he kissed her, right now, regardless of the priest or the witch…would he fall again?
Samael was abruptly interrupted by Father Zebulun’s moan.
“Father Z!” Emerie broke away from Samael to run over to him. With Lilith temporarily immobile, Zephyr had managed to free herself from her organ-pipe cage. She had slipped something into Father Zebulun’s mouth that woke him up.
“My mom doesn’t have a lot of magical talents.” Zephyr chuckled. “But she’s really good at herbal infusions. Feeling better, Father?”
Father Zebulun made a face. “What on earth am I chewing on?”
“Woke you up, didn’t it?” Zephyr slapped his back heartily. “Make sure to swallow it whole. It’s good for the colon.”
Father Zebulun grimaced and suddenly registered Emerie’s presence. “Emerie! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I got her out of me—long story. But she is, y’know, still…”
Father Zebulun stood quickly, ignoring Zephyr and Emerie’s protests. He strode towards Lilith, who remained on the ground. She mumbled a little and tried to sit up. She failed. Apparently being vomited out of a human tended to daze demons.
“Well, Emerie,” he rumbled as he shook a bit of sick off his shoe. “Are you ready to send her back to Hell?”
“Hell yes.” she grinned. They both glanced at Samael, perhaps to see if he would object. He scowled at Emerie’s quip but shrugged.
“Hm.” Father Zebulun turned towards the witch. “I would appreciate it if you’d draw a seal around her. Trapping Lilith will only take a moment.”
Looking surprised and pleased, Zephyr hopped towards them. She dug a piece of chalk out of her bag. Emerie obediently sat in a pew and watched Zephyr draw a perfect circle around Lilith, adding little doodles and characters here and there.
“Damn. Zephyr makes it look so easy.”
“That’s why you should only perform exorcisms with a trained professional,” Samael chastised. He took a seat in the next pew up. He tried to fold in his wings so he fit better but only ended up knocking a couple Bibles off the pew.
“Smooth,” Emerie commented. Samael grumbled about the narrow pews and how they were ill-made for anyone of a proper size.
“You’re sure you’re all right?” His volume rose over Lilith’s screams and Father Zebulun’s powerful voice.
She nodded. “Yeah, I am. Sorry for freaking everyone out.”
He shrugged. “I can’t believe you were able to break out of her hold. Lilith is one of the most powerful demons in Hell—and you managed to possess her for a time. And break out of her control. That’s…unheard of.”
“You were the one who told me humans could possess demons. I bet if more people knew that the possession rate would go down. Besides, I had help.” Emerie lifted her legs and rested them on the pew in front of her.
Samael’s brow furrowed. “Had help?”
“Yeah.” Emerie rolled her shoulders. “Ji-Ji.”
“Who?”
“My grandfather. He died about two years ago. He left me some money—that’s how I bought the Hell House in the first place. And boy, was he royally pissed I gave up my body to Lilith…”
Samael looked completely lost. It was almost endearing. She twirled a hymnal ribbon around her finger and watched Zephyr mark something on the squalling Lilith’s forehead.
“Bodily autonomy,” Samael said finally, “is particularly important.”
“No argument here.”
“So now that you have your body back.” He tilted his head. “Do you have any plans on what you’re going to do with it?”
There was something immensely inappropriate about how he said this, but Emerie couldn’t help but grin.
“I’m open to suggestions,” she replied airily and Samael’s brow quirked with interest. He opened his mouth to respond but was suddenly interrupted.
“Emerie,” Father Zebulun called. “Come up here, please.”
She hopped off the pew and walked towards the priest. Lilith was fully awake now and she glared at all of them hatefully. She appeared to be trapped inside the curious chalk circle, right in front of the altar. She did not look at all comfortable.
Emerie squatted next to Lilith. “Ready to go home, buddy?”
“Vile sow! I will feast on your entrails and wear your skin as my raiment!”
Emerie tilted her head towards Father Zebulun. “She is just so sweet to me.”
“I would like you to observe this exorcism.” Father Zebulun handed Zephyr a prayer book. (Zephyr held it between pinched fingers, as though it was dirty.)
“Why?”
“I want you to prepare yourself. The rest of the exorcisms we will complete will be much bigger and probably more violent. You must steel yourself.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Emerie leaned against the baptismal font. “I got Samael here without a fuss, right?”
Zephyr and Father Zebulun exchanged an exasperated look. Before Emerie could skirt the obvious issue of how her last ritual had unleashed the forces of Hell, Samael looked down the aisle and exclaimed, “Orobas!”
The little demon greeted them all with a nod of his horse-like head. He paused briefly to chew the stray organ pipes, which earned a disapproving frown from Father Zebulun. The priest was beginning to register how much damage the church had endured.
“Where have you been?” Zephyr snapped at Orobas.
He raised a brow. “Did you think I would help you fight Lilith? I am ill-equipped for battle and Lilith would quickly destroy me.”
“Coward!”
Orobas shrugged this off, as though it were of little consequence.
“What does it matter? You will be banishing myself and Samael soon enough.”
There was an awkward silence. Emerie’s chest tightened. Samael said nothing, just looked towards the witch and the priest. Zephyr looked away and inspected the circle they’d trapped Lilith within to make sure it was secure. Oddly, Lilith was also quiet, with something close to a smirk etched on her face.
“We spoke about this earlier, Emerie,” Father Zebulun said finally. “After we exorcise Lilith, the next ritual we will enact to rid the town of these demons will…banish them. All of them.”
She felt nauseated. She turned towards Samael. He carved doodles into the church pew in front of him with an extended claw. He cast a curt glance at them, and then slowly rose from the pew.
“I won’t go without a fight. Just so you all know.”
Father Zebulun’s hand lifted to his jacket. Emerie could tell he was feeling for his pistol.
“You agreed to enact the ritual.” The priest said quietly.
“Yeah, well.” Samael glanced toward Emerie. “Maybe I’m not so keen on going anymore.”
Zephyr’s fists clenched, and a cold chill seemed to emanate off her. Emerie stepped between them.
“Can’t we…” Emerie crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Can’t we find a different solution? Compromise? We’re sending Lilith back on her own, can’t we send the rest of them back one by one?”
“Jesus, Emerie, do you know how long that would take?” Zephyr stumbled slightly on the steps of the altar and grabbed Father Zebulun’s elbow for balance. “The longer we wait, the more spirits will spill out of the portal in your attic. It would be one step forward, two steps back—”
“But it’s not fair!” Emerie took a step in front of Samael. “Sam’s been helping us do this from the beginning. From the moment he was summoned, he’s been protecting all of us! Doesn’t he deserve to be here?”
Something flickered in Samael’s expression. She noticed him look down at his sword, still snugly (and annoyingly) secured. “Emerie—”
“I was afraid this might happen.”
Father Zebulun stepped away from the altar and placed a firm hand on Emerie’s shoulder. She shook him off brusquely. He gave a heavy sigh.
“I understand you have a connection with this demon. I understand more than you know. A long time ago…I was involved in a summoning gone wrong. I had my own doubts and reservations about correcting my mistake. In the end, it cost me everything.”
He looked squarely at Samael. “In the end, no matter how helpful, no matter how connected, he is a demon. He has done terrible things. He has committed great evil on this world. The earth is no place for him.”
“I thought Catholics were supposed to forgive!” Emerie stepped in front of Samael, as though shielding him from the priest’s terrible stare. “Isn’t that your whole deal? Confession and repenting? He’s told me the evil he’s done. He’s helping us track down the demons. What kind of repentance do you want? Does grace only matter when it’s convenient?!”
Father Zebulun didn’t move. For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed at a loss for words. His expression fell on Samael, as though he expected the demon to explain himself. Samael opened his mouth to respond but was suddenly interrupted.
“The girl has a point. There is no grace among humans—not truly.”
Emerie turned towards the interloper. Down the aisle of the church, a middle-aged woman watched them. She had entered through the main sanctuary doors.
Emerie gasped. She recognized this woman! This was the Karen with all the churchy pins on her pink polo. She had that distinctive soccer mom haircut. Now she observed them with great interest.
“Oh!”
Lilith had cried out. Emerie glanced at the trapped demon for a moment and then turned back towards the stranger, brows raised.
