The Price of Possession by Dakota Brown (phonics story books txt) 📕

things to me I'drather not think about while in a police station parking lot, he kept his powerin check.

I arched an eyebrow and gave him a look.

He smiled back, all sorts of innocence on his face.

Mal laughed, and I tried to hide the smile that wastrying to break through my frown.

"As I was saying," I continued once I'dturned off the car. "Why don't you stay out here. I don't want to exorciseyou."

"That would be unfortunate," Sabian agreed.

"Or, if it's too warm you could wait in thelobby." I wasn't sure what sort of disturbance Sabian's inability to notooze sex would have in there, but it might be amusing.

"While the demonic plane is not exactly as humanshave pictured it, it's certainly a great deal harsher than the humanlandscapes. This level of heat will not bother me. I'll wait outside."

"Okay. You coming, Mal?"

He nodded.

When we got out of the car, the Pomeranian shapedhellhound followed.

"Um, mate, think you probably have to stay here,too. Unless you want me to explain you to the cops?"

The dog huffed but trotted over to Sabian's side.

We left Sabian and the hellhound with the car andheaded inside. A couple of other people waited in a line by a window where theymight have been paying tickets. I headed over to the desk where a male deputysat typing away at a computer. He was clearly busy, but had taken the time to examineus when we came in. When we came over, he checked us in and called for DeputyMcClellan. She came to claim us after an uncomfortable minute standing in thelobby.

"Where's your other, uh, friend?" Shegestured for us to follow her through the door she opened with her keycard.

"Sabian is waiting in the car. Seems exorcismsdon't agree with him very well," I said.

Deputy McClellan gave me a disbelieving look.

I shrugged. "He's helping. He promised to behave,and he actually does the dishes, so, guess he's an alright house guest."

Her eyes widened before she glanced at Mal. "Idon't believe we've been introduced."

"Malak Naji." The vampire offered his handand Deputy McClellan shook it after giving him her name.

"What is your role in all of this?" sheasked.

"I'm a little muscle and some occult backup ifneeded," Mal replied. "This is getting a lot deeper and I thoughtChris could use some backup."

"The..." she shook her head. "Demon isn'tenough muscle?"

I laughed. "Sabian is a lover, not a fighter."

She choked.

"His words, not mine. He can hold his own againsthumans. I'm not sure how he'd fair in a fight against another demon. Probablydepend on who he was up against. But while he's got powers, he's not anoccultist," I added.

Deputy McClellan gave Mal another searching lookbefore she led us into the same holding cell as before.

The containment spell drew my eyes. It was strongerthan the last one Darius had done, though now that I had seen Mal's work, itlooked a little less professional, though it would certainly hold the demon containedwithin.

The woman cuffed to the heavy metal chair was taller,muscular, and drenched in sweat, as if she'd been fighting something. Her headlolled back, as if she were staring at the ceiling, though her eyes were shut.The gray tank top clung to her, and her cargo pants were damp with sweat. Herdark hair hung lank on her head and when she finally did muster the energy tolook at us, her eyes were rimmed red with possession.

Darius had set up the spell to release a demon from acharm, along with the general stuff we used in our exorcisms, but clearly itwasn't going well or he wouldn't have called me.

"So, what's the story?" I glanced at Darius.

"I don't know. The demon is fighting me far morethan I feel like it should be able to, but it's yelling at me in demonic and Ihave no idea what it's saying."

I swore and glanced at Mal. "Could you go getSabian?"

Mal and Deputy McClellan left the room and came back afew minutes later with our incubus, the hellhound perched on his shoulder.

I hoped if I ignored the dog, everyone else would,too.

Sabian looked around the room curiously beforesettling his attention on the bound demon.

We all stared at it expectantly and it stared back.

"What's up?" I prompted.

"Maybe toss some of that holy water on it?"Sabian suggested. "Perhaps the demon needs some sort of disruption on itshost to break through the compulsions."

Darius complied and we all winced as the womanscreamed in agony, but her red rimmed eyes blackened as the demon took greatercontrol. The voice coming out of the woman's mouth was far deeper than youwould ever expect from a human, and the sound of it grated against my ears. Icouldn't understand any of the words, but Sabian's expression went from pensiveto alarmed. The incubus' expression turned inward much as it had when he hadcontacted his prince. Once he refocused on me, he shook his head eyes tightwith worry.

"The demon bound in that charm cleverly figuredout that they hadn't forbidden him to speak in the demonic tongue. Of course,no one speaks it but another demon, so it's a good thing you have me." Hewinked at me.

My lips twitched, but I managed not to smile.

"They figured out the police had found anexorcist and upped their timetable. They're attempting to summon the demonprince now. We have to go."

"Do you know where?" I turned toward thedoor.

"I think so," Sabian replied.

"Let's go." I headed for the door.

"Price, what about this one?" Darius protested.

"Darius they're trying to summon a demon prince.This is something we do not want to happen. If they could actually bind oneinto service, it would be worse than if the creature was loose on its own.There's no telling what the humans would do with a demon prince to command."

Darius paled a bit and nodded.

"Besides, I don't think this one will fight youas much now."

The demon shook the woman's head like a puppet, and Ishuddered. I never wanted a demon in control of my body. Ever. At least notlike that. I pulled my thoughts away from the things I wouldn't mind Sabiandoing to me. This was really not the time to lose focus.

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