Mr. Right Now, page 16
“I killed your grandmother, remember? Are you a coward?”
Grandma’s words came to me, shining in my mind as if they’d been burned. Sometimes we’re tested, but the way out always lies down the right road of faith, forgiveness, humility and most of all love.
I knew what Grandma would want me to do. I reached out and Jake screamed in protest. Alyssa’s mouth widened in a triumphant grin.
I reached out and felt pulsing energies throb through me along with a sense of exhilaration and power, I’d never experienced before. I pulled the demons out, one after another and tossed them to the streaming winds above to wander, hopefully without cease or rest.
Alyssa collapsed on the floor like a rag doll, unmoving.
“You killed her,” Jake said, his eyes wet and bright.
“That means our bond will break.” He shook his head. “I told you she wasn’t worth it.”
I nudged him toward Alyssa. She raised her head.
His entire face brightened and he pulled me close. “I don’t want to go through forever without you.”
A sound emerged from Alyssa. Her entire body shook with the force of her sobs. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she said, gasping and hiccupping. “It wasn’t me who did those things. It couldn’t be me.”
“Please leave, Alyssa,” Jake said. “We’re done here.”
She got heavily to her feet and nodded. She collected her purse and went out the door without a word.
CHAPTER 22
... the winter is past, the rain is over and done
—Song of Songs, 2:11
I curled up in a corner of the couch and Jake sat down beside me. We were silent for a while. I was processing the events.
“I wanted to kill her, Jake. I really did. And I had the means to do it in a way that nobody could say I laid a hand on her. The most thorough autopsy would conclude she died of natural causes.”
“I know you wanted to kill her,” Jake said. “I’m happy for our sakes that you didn’t.”
“Because killing would tip my balance to evil and our bond would be broken,” I said.
He took my hand. “I’m very glad you didn’t kill her.”
“Grandma stopped me.”
He cocked his head and gazed at me.
“Not literally, but I remembered the letter I read at her funeral said that I would be tested, but the right way out was always exercising love. I figured the fear and hatred I felt for Alyssa had little to do with love and I realized what Grandma would have wanted me to do.”
“You freed her,” Jake said.
“She had three demons.”
Jake whistled. “I can’t say that I’m surprised. A person has to have an affinity for demonic-inspired actions, or demons couldn’t invade their personality. Demons must be invited into one’s heart.”
I shivered. “Invited or not, they have no place in the human heart.”
“I agree.” He pulled me back against him. “Is it time to get on with the rest of our life—together?”
“It’s way past time,” I said.
He caught my mouth in a kiss. After we lifted our heads, I said, “I have one more piece of unfinished business before I leave here.”
Jake nodded. Without words, he knew what that unfinished business was.
When I walked into Lily’s bedroom, it was a sunny, hot day dragging on the tail end of summer. The familiar negative miasma surrounding Lily filled my nostrils, but it didn’t drain and depress me. I was no longer afraid.
“What do you want?” she asked.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I reached out and plucked demons from her, screaming and writhing and cast them outward on the air. She had legion. I silenced Lily’s screams with a pass of my hand and once I was done, I lit a light in her mind and soul that she might not ever notice, but it would keep demons out. She wouldn’t be able to open herself to that sort of invasion again.
A look of perplexed horror crossed her face. “What have you done?” She sat up on the side of the bed, holding the sides of her face as if it was going to explode. “I’m alone. Oh no, no, no, no, it can’t be. I’m alone!” Her voice rose to a wail, and I turned to leave the room.
I gave her one final glance. She’d never consider what I’d given her as a gift, but humans were never meant to carry psychic parasites.
I walked briskly down the hall, her wails receding in the distance.
My tread was light, because I knew after all these years I’d finally forgiven Lily for hating me. Her hate had destroyed her, rather than me. When I forgave her, my burden lifted and memories and the taint of Lily were released and dissipated on the winds, like her demons.
When I got back, Jake was waiting with a small black velvet box on bended knee. I whooped and jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist. Bonding is great and all, but a big rock and lots of wedding bling never hurt any girl.
“What kind of house do you want to have built on the ranch?” he asked.
“Darlin’, do you think I care as long as we’re both in it?” I answered.
Jake tilted my chin up for a kiss. “Forever,” he whispered, sealing his promise.
“Forever,” I said. The truth of the word echoed and reverberated in my heart.
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Copyright © 2005 by Monica Jackson
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Monica Jackson, Mr. Right Now
