Body and Soul (Body and Soul Trilogy) (20 page)

Chapter 25

Kate found herself sitting in one of the pastel chairs that belonged underneath the kitchen table. She was sitting in the open space between the living and dining rooms. Donovan and Adriana stood off to the side, discussing how they would start from this point. Rico sat at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. Kate could tell that he was miserable, but she couldn’t save him from himself.

Adriana and Donovan separated, and Adriana went to sit next to Rico. Kate heard her murmuring to Rico
; her hand was on his back, comforting him. She was probably trying to convince Rico that everything would be alright, that Kate would be okay.

Donovan stepped up to Kate, and she grew suddenly nervous. She didn’t really know what to expect
, because the last time someone tried to possess Kate she was traipsing through an alternate reality, oblivious of what was truly happening to her body and soul.

“When a demon attempts to possess a human, Kate, he needs to have the human’s full attention. He will often make sure that he is the only thing that the human sees. When Kern tries to possess you, you will probably be in a room alone. He won’t allow anyone to be near you.

The first step of any possession is the Rite of Control. The demon must say this rite, asking the human for permission to take the soul. Usually, the permission isn’t granted, it is forced. The first line is as follows: ‘I beg of you, my soul, to grant thy one request’. The demon is literally asking the human soul to grant him entrance into the body.

Ar
e you following me thus far?” Donovan asked.

“Yes,” Kate said. “I understand perfectly.”

“Okay,” he said before continuing.

“The second line, ‘Let thee share thou pleasure’, is sort of reiterating the first. It tells the human that the demon wants to share the pleasures of a human soul, to share human emotions and feelings with the human host.

The third line is, once again, asking for permission. This one says: ‘Allow these wishes met’. It gives the illusion that the human has the right or power to refuse the demon. However, this is not the case because of the demon’s strength.

The fourth line is where it gets tricky. The fourth line is: ‘Thou warmth concedes – blend fire and ice’. As Rico has probably explained to you by now, demons are frozen creatures. Your human soul lends you warmth, thus the use of the word in the line. It is essentially saying that if your soul allows the demon entrance, you will blend. The human is the fire, the demon the ice. When you blend, you become one, sharing the same soul. Most demons
, though, will not actually share the soul with the human host. The demon will take complete control once the human is weak enough. When the human is weakened enough, the demon controls everything the human does; the human lives within the demon, witnessing everything that happens, but doesn’t have the capability or power to stop the demon. If the demon makes it to this point, the human has no chance. He or she will eventually die, becoming weaker as the demon gets stronger. When the human dies, the demon resorts back to his physical form and discards the body.”

“Wait,” Kate interrupted, “Can a demon choose to leave the human host? If you are successful in possessing me, can you leave?”

“Not unless the demon is willing to sacrifice his life. If a demon possesses a human, but relinquishes control, he is essentially allowing the human to expel his body. Don’t forget that when a human is strong enough to expel a demon, that demon will die. We must keep the soul of the human that we possess until the human body dies and the soul returns to Light. Some humans are strong and can live for years, but others can only live for days or months. But to fully answer your question, I would say no. Even I would not be strong enough to choose death over possession of a human soul, Kate.”

“Okay,” she said, growing increasingly nervous.

“The fifth, and final line, is as follows: ‘then give to thee, eternal life’. When the demon takes over the soul, he does, at least momentarily, have eternal life. It’s metaphorical, really. All demons want, in all honesty, is a chance to an eternal life. We do have one right now, with our immortal bodies, but as I told you in the hospital, we are afraid of death. There is nothing there for us when we die. When demons share human souls, they not only feel and love as humans do; they get a glimpse of what comes after life for those with immortal souls. Do you understand all of this?”

“Yes,” Kate said.

“Once I say the incantation, you must attempt to fight. You can do this physically and mentally, Kate. You can push my hands away from you; you can kick and bite and punch me. Demons can feel physical pain as you have seen, so don’t be afraid to come at me as hard as you can. I am much stronger than you are, so make sure that you aren’t obvious.”

“I understand,” Kate said. “What else do I need to know?”

“You need to know how to fight mentally. When I attempt to enter your mind, you need to throw walls up. You can use your imagination, Kate. Picture barriers in your mind, create obstacles, do anything your heart desires. Just know that I literally have to crawl through your mind in order to reach your soul, okay?”

“Okay. Where exactly is my soul, Donovan?”

“Have you ever heard of the phrase, ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’?”

“Yes, I have,” Kate said.

“It’s the truth. Your soul lies behind your eyes. That’s why human eyes are so expressive.”

“Your eyes, and Adriana’s and Rico’s are expressive too.”

“They are, but it’s to make us appear human. We don’t feel the feelings as intensely as you do, though.”

“Oh,” Kate said. “I understand.”

“Are you ready now, Kate?”

“I just have one more question about the incantation.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Why must you place your thumbs on my temples?”

“It is the easiest way to enter your body. It is the thinnest part of your cranium, so it is where we enter. Is that all now?”

Kate nodded.

“Are you entirely certain that you’re ready?” he asked once more.

“Yes,” Kate said. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Okay. Let’s go,” Donovan whispered, more to comfort himself. He took a deep breath, and released it slowly. Kate thought that he almost seemed nervous.

Donovan began to recite the Rite of Control:

“I beg of you, my soul, to grant thy one request.

Let thee share thou pleasure.

Allow thee wishes met.

Thou warmth concedes – blend fire and ice.

Then give to thee, eternal life.”

Donovan stepped closer to Kate when he was finished. He placed his hands on either side of her face, just like Cole had, his thumbs on her temples. Kate sat there for a moment. She could sense Rico’s taut muscles to her right, knowing that he would pounce on Donovan if need be. She could feel Adriana’s energy, a mix of disgust and understanding.

Kate allowed Donovan to get comfortable, and then lashed out, kicking his shin. When she made contact, he stumbled back and growled. He rushed toward Kate but she was too quick, too lucky this first time. She lunged to her left and fell on the floor. Donovan was upon her within seconds, though, his hands much firmer on her face. Kate could feel him pushing against her temples and she threw up cement walls with barbed wire on top of them. Men stood atop towers with machine guns. Donovan retreated at first, but pushed forward. He made it past the first set of defenses, and Kate tossed up a wide canyon with a dangerous river flowing between its walls. Donovan built a bridge with the trees that she so carelessly imagined.

Kate was growing tired. She could feel herself weakening, and she was drenched in sweat. She tossed up one last obstacle, knowing that if he moved past it, he would claim her soul. The idea came, quick as a flash. She threw out Erik with his dark magic.

Donovan flew across the room, slamming into wall opposite her. He opened his eyes, startled by her ferocity. A fierce smile broke across his face.

“You were absolutely perfect,” he said. “Erik. I would have never guessed you would use something like that. Remember it. It was beautiful.”

“You used Erik and his dark magic?” Rico asked.

“Donovan was so close. I didn’t know what else to do. It was a reaction. It was the only thing that I have seen hurt you. I knew it would hurt Donovan.”

Rico stood up and walked over to Kate. He lifted her up into an embrace and kissed her hard when he set her down. “You’re brilliant,” he said. “I must admit that I was afraid of what would happen, but I think you’ve got something up your sleeve. Do you mind if I try?”

Kate laughed. “Let me rest a moment first,” she said.

Chapter 26

An hour later, with sunrise breaking across the horizon, Kate was sitting in the
pastel chair again. It’s hard, cool surface was comforting. It was concrete proof that Kate had been able to expel Donovan from her body. A question formed on her lips before she could think about it.

“Rico?” Kate asked.

“What is it, Kate? Are you nervous?”

“No, I was just curious about something.”

“What?” he prompted. Kate watched as Rico moved so that he was standing in front of her. The muscles in his shoulders seemed tense even though his mood had lifted. Kate could see that his cobalt eyes were clear but his mouth was tight, almost as if Rico was trying very hard not to frown.

“Why didn’t Donovan die? You said that if a human expels a demon, the demon dies. I don’t understand.”

“Donovan didn’t touch your soul. Entering the human’s body is only a part of the possession. The actual possession takes place when the demon begins to capture the human soul. Since Donovan didn’t reach your soul, it technically wasn’t a possession; it was an attempt at one, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. It is enough to harm a demon, but he must be grasping your soul before you expel him. That is the only way that he will die.”

“So I have to let Kern pass my barriers? Why do I throw them up then?”

“You need to weaken the demon, Kate. If you do not weaken the demon then you cannot expel him because you will be the one that is too weak.”

“But saving my soul from Donovan was hard enough. How am I supposed to protect it from someone like Kern, from someone like you?”

“You truly have to fight for it, Kate. You have to throw up defenses that you know will weaken the demon attempting to possess you. Use his weaknesses to your advantage. Do you understand?”

Kate nodded. She knew what she would have to do in order to push Rico from her mind, but she knew nothing about Kern. What would she throw up when he attempted to possess her soul?

Rico moved so that he was right in front of Kate; he lowered himself so that he could look into her eyes.

“We will find out Kern’s weaknesses, Kate. Right now we need to worry about Erik. He’s our immediate threat. We’ll worry about Kern when Erik is gone.”

“But Kern and Erik work together, Rico. How can you be sure that Kern isn’t here too? How do you know that I’m safe from Kern right now?”

“I can’t be sure, Kate. But I have this feeling that Erik isn’t just working for Kern. I feel as though he has a hidden agenda; I just don’t know what that is. I can’t figure out why he would be here. He can’t use you to control the other demons. Your soul is important but not in the way that he would want to use it.”

Kate nodded, still afraid of what would happen in the future. Kern might not be an immediate threat, but the idea of Kern still scared Kate. She shuddered involuntarily.

“I will always protect you,” Rico whispered before stepping away from Kate.

Kate watched as Rico began to circle her. She tensed up, immediately afraid of what would happen to her when he attempted to push his way inside her mind. When Rico spoke the Rite of Control, it was in French:

“Je vous en prie, mon âme, d'accorder ta seule demande.
Laissez-toi plaisir tu partager.
Permettez-toi souhaite rencontré.
La chaleur Tu concède - le feu et la glace mélange.
Puis donner à toi, la vie éternelle.”

Kate was mesmerized by the sound of his voice speaking another language. It was richly romantic and beautiful. She almost forgot that he was trying to take her soul, and when he placed his hands on her face, she was almost too late.

Kate
threw up a mental defense first, tossing out Adriana and Donovan. Rico pulled back, shocked that she would do such a thing. When he pulled back Kate lashed out, kicking Rico hard in the stomach. Rico fell to his knees and Kate got up to run. Rico stood up quickly, grabbed Kate’s wrist, and spun her around. He pulled Kate toward him and shoved her back into the seat. Rico’s fingers were pressing against Kate’s shoulders, holding her there. She gasped in pain; Rico’s strength was almost unbearable, and Kate knew that she would develop bruises soon. She looked into Rico’s blue eyes, now tinged with the swirling grey of storm clouds. She watched as he murmured the incantation again before resuming the possession.

When Rico’s presence entered her mind,
Kate tossed out a beautiful garden with deadly flowers, and plants that emitted poisonous gases instead of oxygen. Kate felt his presence choke because of the lack of oxygen, but it didn’t take long for Rico to break down this defense. Kate threw up a room with no windows or doors. Quotes from
Pride and Prejudice
littered the walls along with rusty nails and other sharp objects. Rico pushed at the weakest points, breaking the walls down with his physical strength. The last defense that Kate pushed up was an image of herself. Rico stopped there, and she felt him retreat.

They stayed there, looking into each other’s eyes for a moment, breathing hard.

“You were perfect,” he said. “I think you can handle yourself. I trust you with my heart.”

“What did she
throw up?” asked Adriana. “What made you retreat?”

“Kat
e projected an image of herself,” Rico said. “She played against my weaknesses. She knew that I would never harm her on purpose. It was a surprise but it also worked.” He turned back to face Kate before speaking again. “You aren’t bad, Kate. I truly think you have what it takes to beat Kern.”

Kate saw Adriana smile out of the corner of her eye.

“The only problem,” Kate said, “Is that I knew your weaknesses, Rico. I knew what would hurt you. Even though you broke through my first two defenses I felt your reluctance. You didn’t really want to because those memories were special to you. What do I do with Kern or Erik? I don’t know them as well as I know you, or even Donovan for that matter. I know that you said that we would figure it out, Rico. I understand, but it still scares me.”

“The only thing you can do i
s try,” Donovan interjected.

“I agree,” Rico said. “You successfully threw both of us out of your mind. I think you’ll come up with something to harm Erik and Kern.”

Kate nodded reluctantly. She was still damp with sweat and wanted to shower badly. Her nerves were tingling with anticipation mixed with anxiety. Kate almost felt sick with the knowledge that she would have to fight Erik or Kern next. She wanted to feel as confident as those around her were, but it was nearly impossible. Kate knew her limitations much more than the others did, and she was afraid that she would not be as successful when the time came to win or lose.

Rico and Adriana walked Kate back home.
They talked about Kate’s success the entire time. Kate stayed quiet, hoping that they wouldn’t jinx any progress she had made. Kate knew that she would have to continue practicing; she wouldn’t truly be able to expel an elder demon with just a couple lessons. There was so much more that she needed to know, and she wanted to gain as much of an advantage as she could muster before Erik appeared.

Kate walked up the front lawn after saying goodbye to her friends a block before the beach house. She
hoped that her parents hadn’t found out that she was missing yet; she hoped that her father was still tucked in bed, and that he would be feeling better this morning. Kate was wrong to hope.

Aaron sat on the front porch with a cup of coffee, waiting for Kate. He stood up when she came in to view, but
waited to speak to her until she was close enough to hear him speak at a normal volume.

“Where have you been?” he asked. He looked so genuinely concerned and worried that Kate felt horrible.

“I’m so sorry, Dad. I was out with Adriana and Rico. I lost track of the time, and before we knew it the sun was rising. I’m sorry,” she said.

Aaron sighed. “As long as you’re safe,” he said
lovingly. “Your safety is all that matters to me.”

“Thank you for understanding, Dad. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, honey. Now come inside. Breakfast is on the table.”

Kate followed her father inside. The house smelled wonderful. There were eggs and bacon, along with biscuits and honey, on the table. Kate poured herself a glass of milk before sitting in between her mother and father.
She watched as the two interacted, pleased to see that things were getting easier between them. She noted that her father must have been feeling better because he was laughing and joking with Blaire today. Blaire was genuinely happy, and Kate was surprised to see that her mother was dressed for work.

“What are you doing, Mom? Today is Sunday.”

“I was called in to work this morning,” Blaire grumbled. “There’s an emergency at the office and they need my help.”

“What? Why do they need your help? Can’t the workers
who were hired to work weekends deal with it?”

“No, baby, they can’t. They need a marine biologist to do this one. I’m sorry, baby. I guess that means that you can have your father, daughter day in peace, though.”

“How long are you going to be gone?”

“I could have to stay overnight if this
issue is as big as they’re claiming. I’m hoping they’re being overdramatic. Cross your fingers for me,” Blaire said as she stood up. She pulled down her grey shirt and pushed her curls behind her ears. Kate saw that she wore long silver earrings that almost reached her shoulders.

“What? You’re leaving right now?”

“I’m sorry, Kate,” she said. Blaire leaned down and kissed the top of Kate’s head before she left, her silver earrings chiming as the individual strands tangled and untangled themselves. Kate watched her disappear, anxious for some reason.

Kate ate her breakfast in silence, upset that her mother had to work. Afterwards, she went upstairs to shower and get dressed for her day with her dad.

Kate walked downstairs in jean shorts and a black t-shirt. Her necklace rested against her skin, on the inside of the shirt. She was afraid that it would catch the light in the small living room and shine; she told her dad everything, but she wasn’t willing to share this secret. He wasn’t ready to learn about demons and possessions; Kate wasn’t ready to expose him to it.

Kate sat down next to her father and snuggled
in to watch a movie. The pair picked an action flick, and settled down. Aaron was excited by the movie; Kate couldn’t truly enjoy the film because she was so tired, but she loved seeing her father back to the way he was. Kate watched most of it, but soon her eyes began to flutter, and she ended up falling into a deep sleep. She didn’t even hear the sounds that took place around her.

Kate was in her familiar ivory gown. She was standing in her parents’ bedroom, watching her sick father cough. She couldn’t understand, for the life of her, why she was standing here. She grew more upset as she watched, wondering how this was going to help her conscience. Eventually, after getting sick of watching her father suffer, she turned to leave.

“You are mine,” said a familiar voice.
It was deep and rough, as if the speaker used it too much.

Kate jerked around, seeing only her father in the room.

“You cannot take me,” her father said. “I won’t let you take me.”

Kate stepped back, confused. Was her father going crazy? Was he insane? A million worries fluttered through Kate’s head; a million diagnoses, including schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder, followed them. What she learned next paralyzed her with fear. She had been so unprepared.

“You are mine. I will take you, I swear it,” the familiar voice said again. The voice came from her father’s mouth.

Kate stepped back, her heart pounding. The voice, the voice was Erik’s. He was inside her father. Erik
had possessed her father.

That was why her father had been sick. He’d been fighting so hard to yank Erik from his body, to push him out. There had been no one to save him. No one knew what was wrong. No one saw what was happening right in front of them. And now, Kate was alone in the living room with Erik. This was what she was meant to see through the telescope; she understood all of it now.

Kate stepped forward, trying to ease her father’s pain, knowing that he couldn’t see her or sense her presence. No wonder why he had been acting weird, snapping at her mother for no reason; it hadn’t been her father at all. Why did he want to spend a day with Kate when he wasn’t her father? And then the worst question of all: Why had he gotten rid of Blaire?