Page 49 of Virgil's Demons

"Something like that. An angel of death. But it's different than your reapers. Your reapers are still alive, this one's been living between the living and the dead for centuries."

"How the fuck did you get that one on your back?" Spectre asked.

"Let's just say, it's a she…"

"Well, fuck me," heSaddle responded.

"So this reaper, she's inside of Barythaya?" Bulldog asked, and I could tell he was just trying to get a clear picture of what was happening around him.

"Yeah. Supposedly, protecting her. Its now chained itself to me somehow and I'm certain that it won't let go of her until I'm dead.""

"We got a name for this thing yet?"

"Not yet," I responded. The knowledge of having a demon's name gave an exorcist power over the entity. It made it easier to expel. Chaining it back to hell, was another matter entirely."

"I suppose we need to deal with the demon first," Spectre asked?"

I shrugged. "I can't tell you where to start. That's where I fail as a soldier."

"Then let's find someone who knows how to handle this thing."

I looked at him as he reached for his phone, dialing out a number and then put the phone on speaker and set it on the desk in front of all of us. It rang twice before someone picked up. There was a deep sigh and a woman's thick Louisiana accent filled the room.

"You done put dat entity into that child?"

I stared at Spectre, who gave me a grim nod. "How the hell did she…"

Madame Laveaux cut me off. "I done heard ya, exorciste. Ya speak mighty loud when ya need help, yeah? Da boy... da one who came ta ya, he strong, très fort. He gon' help ya carry dat entity."

I shook my head, my voice rising. "I'm not going to put Hellsing in harm's way. I won't allow it. You don't know what they do to people…"

"Oh, I know, exorciste. Je sais. Believe me, I know."

"What do you know, Priestess?" I asked, careful not to insult her. She was young but wise and I could feel her energy, even though we were miles away.

Bulldog glanced at Spectre and he gestured to him. He quietly ushered the rest of the brothers out the door giving us some privacy. Madame Laveaux's voice crackled through the speaker, thick and dripping with that bayou drawl. "Chère, y'ain't nevah gon' exorcize Death like ya would a reg'lar ol' demon. Non, dat won't work."

I clenched my jaw, pacing the room. "Then how the hell do we get rid of it?"

She chuckled low, the sound was like warm molasses, rumbling up from deep within her. "Death? Oh, dat's a tricky thing, exorciste. It ain't somethin' you can jus' cast out wit' a few prayers an' a cross. Non, Death got roots deep, deep in da bones. Y'gon need a whole lot more dan dat."

I stopped pacing, rubbing a hand over my face, frustration boiling up.

"So what do you suggest I need?"

She let out a slow, exasperated sigh, like I was asking her to explain the simplest thing. "Listen here, Death ain't like no demon you've handled. It's part of da world, like da moon an' da tides. It's woven into da very fabric of life. Y'can't jus' push it away."

I gripped the phone tighter, my patience wearing thin. "Then what the hell do I do? I don't have time for riddles."

"Pah! You men, always in a hurry," she scolded, her voice taking on a sharper edge. "If you gon' deal wit' Death, you gotta learn ta listen first. Ain't no way to banish it, but…" Her tone shifted, turning sly. "Maybe, just maybe, you might could bind it."

"Bind it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes even though she couldn't see me. "How?"

She chuckled again, but this time it felt like a challenge, like she was holding all the cards. "Dat's somethin' I could show ya, chère. But it come wit' a price. Death don't let go so easy."

I stood there, the silence hanging heavy between us as her words sank in. "What kind of price?"

Her voice turned soft, almost like a whisper, but it carried the weight of some ancient voodoo wisdom. "If you want ta save dat girl, you gon have ta sacrifice somethin' of yo'self. Somethin' important."

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