Page 85 of Malice

“Is this happening right now?”

Farnsworth doesn’t speak, but with his other hand, he shoves my chest, and I fly through the air, landing with a thud in Hudson’s bedroom to find the exact scene I just saw in the vision.

“Shit.” I scramble to my feet, launching myself at the spirit holding Hudson in the air, but I end up grabbing nothing but air and fall to the floor again.

It appears across the room, glaring at me with glowing red eyes, and I notice as its attention shifts to me, Hudson’s body dips a bit. Okay. It can’t do both. What I need to know is what’s wrong with this house spirit and where the fuck are the Horror and Crash?

Realizing that physically attacking it won’t help, I sit on the floor for a second to get my bearings. Is this a situation where I should go to the astral plane? That seems extreme. Closing my eyes, I blow out a breath to calm myself so I can think rationally. Hudson’s screaming rattles my spine, but in order to help him, I have to focus.

“Handbook.”

The book appears in my mind, pages flipping past too quickly to read but stopping on a page titled Possession.

Seriously?

Wise Horrors will find another portal to enter if their own is under attack.

The portal can be anything it can manipulate—animals, the living, and in some cases, another spirit entity if available.

The Horror possessed one of the house spirits? Well, fuck me. I continue reading.

Tips: Distract the possessed. Do not, under any circumstance, offer yourself as a replacement.

Repeat the following: Malum hic vivere non potest. Animam innocentem dimitte. Malum abiit. Abiit. Abiit.

Latin is the chosen language of the underworld given its widespread understanding. Repeat with strong intention until the Horror is weakened and retreats. The incantation will temporarily banish the Horror.

Somehow my brain, which has never studied Latin, fully understands the words I must now speak.

Evil cannot live here. Release the innocent soul.

Evil be gone. Be gone. Be gone.

Getting to my feet, I face what I now understand is the Horror in disguise.

“Hey, asshole.”

The spirit turns toward me, its face flickering between the original house spirit’s and Chester’s former face. It scowls and hisses at me, but keeps one hand raised in Hudson’s direction, slamming him against the ceiling. Hudson howls and it pains me, but I know I have to do this in order to make it stop.

“Yeah, you, fuckface. You think you can just come in here and harm my friends?”

The Horror tilts its head at me, its eyes an eerie red as it bares animal-like teeth at me.

“Not on my watch, Horror. Malum hic vivere non potest.”

The Horror immediately reacts to my words, visibly trembling.

“Animam innocentem dimitte.”

It shrieks, hissing and clearly losing its grip on both the spirit it possessed and Hudson.

“Malum abiit.”

Chester’s face appears clearly, a mixture of shock and anger all over the features.

“That’s right, fucker. I’ve got the tools I need to get rid of you once and for all.” An idea pops into my head. Maybe because it’s weakening, I can find out its name.

Focus, Aster. Focus on the Horror’s thoughts.

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