Page 18 of A Study of Blood and Ichor

“And when that doesn’t work—”

“It will work.”

Vain blinked slowly and gave her a slick smile. “Hypothetically, let’s say it doesn’t. I would imagine she’d find a more…unpleasant way of disposing of us.”

Ava narrowed her eyes at him. “I couldn’t give two shits about what happens to you.”

“Perhaps. But that same sentiment doesn’t apply to Rory, now does it?”

That made her pause. In her hesitation, I caught the motion of her throat bob twice before she collected a steadying breath.

“We’re going to save Rory,” Ava said, fueled by pure naïve determination. “We’re exorcising you and then I’m going to make sure every last essence of you is destroyed and your corpse is withered away to dust.”

The chains rattled as Vain extended his arms down to our sides, palms facing outward, and bent slightly at the waist in a show of humble resignation. “Feel free to return to me after your valiant attempt. My offer will stand. Since you say you want to save Rory’s life, then it seems we have something in common. We’ll table discussion of that favor for later.”

“You’re a pitiful excuse for a demon, Vain,” Ava said. “I’ll be glad to see you gone.”

Vain only smiled at her, fading back to let me take control again just as the doors to the chamber swung open and the High Witch strode in like a vengeful storm.

Every nerve inside me went numb, and a cold realization struck me square in the chest.

Don’t leave me. I hated how pathetically small I sounded as I pleaded for an outcome that was outside of our control. I don’t want you to go. Not yet.

I know.

The High Witch stopped beside Ava, the gold thread embellishments on her ivory robe shimmering in the light from the braziers.

“It’s good to see you’re in control, Rory,” she said. “I’m sure Ava has already told you about the exorcism. I want to make sure you understand the severity of the ritual before we get started.”

I looked over to Ava, holding her stare in contempt before I shifted my attention back to the High Witch.

“Yeah, literally ripping a demon out of my body doesn’t sound like it’ll be a whole lot of fun.”

“It will be very painful,” the High Witch admitted and then clarified, “for you both.”

It wasn’t the idea of pain that scared me. No, it was the thought that even if I did somehow survive it, that I’d have to go on without Vain…it would be as if someone tore out my heart and expected me to go on without it. And that terrified me. More than anything.

Already knowing exactly where my thoughts had drifted, Vain’s presence stroked down the walls of my mind, a soothing motion to keep my fears at bay. But even he couldn’t stop my heart from jackhammering in my chest or the sharp prickling sensations running laps up my spine.

“It will help if you don’t fight it.”

“Just get it the fuck over with already.” I gritted my teeth and stared straight into the witch’s dull eyes, finding nothing behind them.

“Very well.”

I expected her to be the one to begin the exorcism, but the High Witch nodded to Ava who stepped forward. I couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that came from my throat. It was fitting that it would be her. That she would be the one to end me.

She looked at me with eyes that were part-zealous, part-pleading, and maybe even apologetic. That’s when I noticed the unmistakable tremble of her hands as she raised them in front of her.

I set my jaw and gave her a slight nod as if to say, “If you’re going to do it, just do it.”

Ava’s lips moved slowly. Each word and every syllable she spoke left me trembling as I braced myself for the most excruciating pain I had ever felt in my entire life—a mind-shattering, world-ending torment—

But it didn’t come.

I waited. And waited…

Ava’s expression soured as she continued to speak the words of the incantation, though they lacked the same determination as when she had started.

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