Read Online The Reaping: Language of the Liar by Angella Graff - Free Book Online
Authors: Angella Graff
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painted on his face, it wasn’t. There was something pressing in her gut, telling her to stop them, to run, to escape what was about to happen.
In fact, before she realized it, Dorian had taken several steps back from Lennox, moving until she bumped into Dash who’d positioned himself behind her. He took the backs of her arms in a firm grip and when he spoke, his voice was directly in her ear.
“It’ll make you want to run. The demons don’t like being exposed, and if you have a high ranking, powerful fellow in your head, he’s going to have a lot of power over you.”
Dorian strained to listen, but she could barely hear over the buzzing in her head. Her adrenal gland was firing, her fight or flight making her jumpy, and she tensed as Dash held her. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said, her voice breathy. “Maybe I should just…”
Lennox took the opportunity, as Dash held her, to start the first symbol. He was muttering something under his breath in a language she didn’t understand, and the moment the liquid made contact with her skin, it started to burn. Dorian let out a high shriek and started to pull away, but Dash held her with a strength she didn’t expect.
There was a roaring in her ears, louder than anything she’d ever heard, and her knees started to buckle. She sagged against Dashiell’s front, and he held her up as Lennox completed the ritual. The symbols were small, full of little turns and slashes and dots. The burning cascaded up her arms and for a moment, she thought she was going to pass out from the pain.
Then Lennox stopped muttering, the brush was back in the bowl, and everything went silent. Dorian’s ears rang for a few minutes, her head swimming, but as the world righted itself, it was like the pain had never been. Her breathing began to even out as she stood on her own, and she looked between Lennox and Dash who stared at her with trepidation.
“You okay?”
Dorian licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah I um… don’t know what happened.”
“It’s got its claws in you deep, lass,” Lennox repeated, his tone grave. “But you’ll be alright.”
She stared down at the symbols which were beginning to dry and fade into her skin, and she fought the urge to scratch them off. “How long will it last?”
“How long will you be able to see the demon?” Dash clarified, then shrugged. “Few days, give or take.” He hurried over to the table, digging through a small wooden box, then came up with a small silver charm twisted into a shape Dorian didn’t recognize. “This isn’t foolproof, but if the demon becomes too much for you to handle, this should calm things down till you can get back to us.”
“And what if I think it’s all a load of crap?” she challenged. “What if nothing happens?”
“Then consider us standing corrected,” Lennox said, his face still and unreadable. “But you know where to find us if things get bad.”
“Then what? Then you’ll exorcise me?” Dorian looked around and saw her phone on the table. Neither of the men moved to stop her as she went for it, and she found her set of keys directly next to Dash’s abandoned beer.
When she turned around, Dash had the door standing open for her, leaning on the handle. “We’ll discuss what comes next, if there is a next. I put my number into your mobile there, so if you need anything, please ring us. Any time of day or night. We honestly never sleep.”
Dorian nodded, though she wasn’t sure they were really letting her go. She took swift steps to the door, passed through into the hall, and almost sobbed in relief when Dash closed him and Lennox in on the other side. She raced toward the stairs, taking them down two by two, and when she was out on the street, she flung an arm around a lamp post and leaned over at the waist, taking in huge gulps of air.
The entire thing was so surreal. Had that really all just happened? Had
In fact, before she realized it, Dorian had taken several steps back from Lennox, moving until she bumped into Dash who’d positioned himself behind her. He took the backs of her arms in a firm grip and when he spoke, his voice was directly in her ear.
“It’ll make you want to run. The demons don’t like being exposed, and if you have a high ranking, powerful fellow in your head, he’s going to have a lot of power over you.”
Dorian strained to listen, but she could barely hear over the buzzing in her head. Her adrenal gland was firing, her fight or flight making her jumpy, and she tensed as Dash held her. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said, her voice breathy. “Maybe I should just…”
Lennox took the opportunity, as Dash held her, to start the first symbol. He was muttering something under his breath in a language she didn’t understand, and the moment the liquid made contact with her skin, it started to burn. Dorian let out a high shriek and started to pull away, but Dash held her with a strength she didn’t expect.
There was a roaring in her ears, louder than anything she’d ever heard, and her knees started to buckle. She sagged against Dashiell’s front, and he held her up as Lennox completed the ritual. The symbols were small, full of little turns and slashes and dots. The burning cascaded up her arms and for a moment, she thought she was going to pass out from the pain.
Then Lennox stopped muttering, the brush was back in the bowl, and everything went silent. Dorian’s ears rang for a few minutes, her head swimming, but as the world righted itself, it was like the pain had never been. Her breathing began to even out as she stood on her own, and she looked between Lennox and Dash who stared at her with trepidation.
“You okay?”
Dorian licked her lips and nodded. “Yeah I um… don’t know what happened.”
“It’s got its claws in you deep, lass,” Lennox repeated, his tone grave. “But you’ll be alright.”
She stared down at the symbols which were beginning to dry and fade into her skin, and she fought the urge to scratch them off. “How long will it last?”
“How long will you be able to see the demon?” Dash clarified, then shrugged. “Few days, give or take.” He hurried over to the table, digging through a small wooden box, then came up with a small silver charm twisted into a shape Dorian didn’t recognize. “This isn’t foolproof, but if the demon becomes too much for you to handle, this should calm things down till you can get back to us.”
“And what if I think it’s all a load of crap?” she challenged. “What if nothing happens?”
“Then consider us standing corrected,” Lennox said, his face still and unreadable. “But you know where to find us if things get bad.”
“Then what? Then you’ll exorcise me?” Dorian looked around and saw her phone on the table. Neither of the men moved to stop her as she went for it, and she found her set of keys directly next to Dash’s abandoned beer.
When she turned around, Dash had the door standing open for her, leaning on the handle. “We’ll discuss what comes next, if there is a next. I put my number into your mobile there, so if you need anything, please ring us. Any time of day or night. We honestly never sleep.”
Dorian nodded, though she wasn’t sure they were really letting her go. She took swift steps to the door, passed through into the hall, and almost sobbed in relief when Dash closed him and Lennox in on the other side. She raced toward the stairs, taking them down two by two, and when she was out on the street, she flung an arm around a lamp post and leaned over at the waist, taking in huge gulps of air.
The entire thing was so surreal. Had that really all just happened? Had
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