“Why not warn the others?”
“Not important.”
Something touched her cheek and she reached up to slap whatever it was, but there was nothing there.
The bag!
her inner voice was screaming.
“But you, there are so many better uses for you,” the voice said, more gravelly than before.
And she felt a shadow falling across her, even though she couldn’t see anything.
Bag!
She dropped to the floor and snatched up the bag and she heard a screaming sound in her ear and felt hot breath across the back of her neck.
“You shouldn’t have done that, witch!” the entity hissed, anger in its voice.
It had been trying to possess her. That’s what the inner voice had been warning her about. She stood slowly, the bag in her right hand, her eyes fixed on Martin’s face.
“There’re enough of us in here already without adding another,” she said.
The spirit chuckled. “You are both correct and incorrect.”
She didn’t bother asking it for clarification. While she had its attention, she decided to jump right to the question that mattered most. “Tell me where to find the witch.”
“I told you, that’s not for you to know.”
“But I wish to know. I need to know. She will pay for what she has done to me.”
“Why should I tell you?” the thing asked.
“Because, if you don’t, I’ll kill your host. Then you’ll be stuck.”
She was bluffing. She didn’t know if it was true or if he would just be able to find another body, another person to torment and possess. Something told her, though, that if it was that easy he would already have abandoned Martin.
He made a long hissing noise, sounding just like a snake.
“You wouldn’t dare,” it said at last.
“Don’t try me,” Desdemona said. “I’d kill for far less.”
The entity stared at her, long and hard. She realized for the first time that it didn’t blink at all. It was unnerving. That and the way Martin’s jaw hung somewhat slack and looked as if it were being pulled on strings when the thing spoke made it one of the more disturbing things she’d ever witnessed.
“Why do you want to find her?” it asked at last.
“You seem to know so much, why do you even need to ask?”
“Sometimes it’s best to hear and best to tell. Why?”
“Because she’s called me out. For months she’s been using me, manipulating me, and she’s stolen something from me. I want it back.”
He didn’t need to know that she intended to destroy the cross necklace as soon as it was back in her possession.
The thing swayed Martin’s head slowly from side to side, making the snake impression that much stronger. She forced herself to stay still and stand her ground without flinching. After all, she’d faced far worse than whatever it was. If it didn’t answer her she could always just walk out that door and leave Martin to his puppet master.
“If you wish to find her, you may do so at midnight at the tomb of Marie Laveau, where she will be paying her respects.”
She was actually slightly surprised that it told her. The threat to kill Martin must have worked. Still, it was a spirit and it might say anything just to get her to back down. It wouldn’t be the first time a spirit had lied to her. “How do I know you’re not lying?”
“All spirits lie. But I have nothing to gain and I have not lied to you yet.”
That was true, she had to admit. She stood, debating what to do next. She knew nothing of exorcism rituals. Everything her coven had ever done had been about inviting spirits in, not sending them away.
Something bumped her hand, nearly causing her to drop the sachet. She cursed and closed her fist tighter about it and then hugged it to her chest.
“Both times this fell from Martin’s pocket, you had something to do with that, didn’t you?” she accused.
“Martin is so much more careful than he used to be. It’s forced me to get . . . creative, but no . . . I cannot touch it. However, there are other entities that
“Not important.”
Something touched her cheek and she reached up to slap whatever it was, but there was nothing there.
The bag!
her inner voice was screaming.
“But you, there are so many better uses for you,” the voice said, more gravelly than before.
And she felt a shadow falling across her, even though she couldn’t see anything.
Bag!
She dropped to the floor and snatched up the bag and she heard a screaming sound in her ear and felt hot breath across the back of her neck.
“You shouldn’t have done that, witch!” the entity hissed, anger in its voice.
It had been trying to possess her. That’s what the inner voice had been warning her about. She stood slowly, the bag in her right hand, her eyes fixed on Martin’s face.
“There’re enough of us in here already without adding another,” she said.
The spirit chuckled. “You are both correct and incorrect.”
She didn’t bother asking it for clarification. While she had its attention, she decided to jump right to the question that mattered most. “Tell me where to find the witch.”
“I told you, that’s not for you to know.”
“But I wish to know. I need to know. She will pay for what she has done to me.”
“Why should I tell you?” the thing asked.
“Because, if you don’t, I’ll kill your host. Then you’ll be stuck.”
She was bluffing. She didn’t know if it was true or if he would just be able to find another body, another person to torment and possess. Something told her, though, that if it was that easy he would already have abandoned Martin.
He made a long hissing noise, sounding just like a snake.
“You wouldn’t dare,” it said at last.
“Don’t try me,” Desdemona said. “I’d kill for far less.”
The entity stared at her, long and hard. She realized for the first time that it didn’t blink at all. It was unnerving. That and the way Martin’s jaw hung somewhat slack and looked as if it were being pulled on strings when the thing spoke made it one of the more disturbing things she’d ever witnessed.
“Why do you want to find her?” it asked at last.
“You seem to know so much, why do you even need to ask?”
“Sometimes it’s best to hear and best to tell. Why?”
“Because she’s called me out. For months she’s been using me, manipulating me, and she’s stolen something from me. I want it back.”
He didn’t need to know that she intended to destroy the cross necklace as soon as it was back in her possession.
The thing swayed Martin’s head slowly from side to side, making the snake impression that much stronger. She forced herself to stay still and stand her ground without flinching. After all, she’d faced far worse than whatever it was. If it didn’t answer her she could always just walk out that door and leave Martin to his puppet master.
“If you wish to find her, you may do so at midnight at the tomb of Marie Laveau, where she will be paying her respects.”
She was actually slightly surprised that it told her. The threat to kill Martin must have worked. Still, it was a spirit and it might say anything just to get her to back down. It wouldn’t be the first time a spirit had lied to her. “How do I know you’re not lying?”
“All spirits lie. But I have nothing to gain and I have not lied to you yet.”
That was true, she had to admit. She stood, debating what to do next. She knew nothing of exorcism rituals. Everything her coven had ever done had been about inviting spirits in, not sending them away.
Something bumped her hand, nearly causing her to drop the sachet. She cursed and closed her fist tighter about it and then hugged it to her chest.
“Both times this fell from Martin’s pocket, you had something to do with that, didn’t you?” she accused.
“Martin is so much more careful than he used to be. It’s forced me to get . . . creative, but no . . . I cannot touch it. However, there are other entities that
Similar Books
