Page 35 of Unbinding the Demon
“Hello, Father,” I greeted in a rather chirpy voice so that Belzar might relax a little. He didn’t.
“Good day, Ms. Gallagher.” He smiled warmly at me. “I couldn’t help but notice you look a bit troubled over here. Is everything all right?” He sounded concerned and sympathetic, but kept a wary eye on Belzar, not daring to get too close.
“Oh, I-I’m fine. Just resting for a moment.” I forced a laugh, attempting to appear fine. However, I worried my stutter might have given me away.
“My child, I am a priest, you know. You can trust me with anything. Would you like to come down to the church and speak with me in the confession booth? Your aunt was so dear to me; I’m sure she wouldn’t have wanted you to be alone with your troubles.” Every word he spoke carried both compassion and charisma.
Fuck, that stutter definitely gave me away.
“Oh, um, no thank you, Father. I don’t really do confession. I’m not religious,” I confessed while tucking an unruly strand of hair behind my ear. Although the mention of my aunt tugged at my heartstrings, and I couldn’t deny that temptation pulled at me.
“It’s not about religion, my dear. It is merely a way of seeking the counsel of unbiased ears. Besides, I could tell you a few good stories about Elowynn.” A kind smile stretched across his long, slightly irregular face.
My heart felt like it was both breaking and swelling with joy at the promise of hearing stories about my aunt. Five years had passed, and it seemed as if people didn’t want to talk about her any longer. It was like they wanted to forget about her and pretend it had never happened. No one ever bothered to ask me if I was all right anymore because they assumed I had already gotten over it. But my grief had never faded. It only became more manageable with time.
I was also relieved that I might get the burden of James’s murder off my chest. There had been no one I could talk to about that night, and the guilt was eating me alive. I would not give out any incriminating details or tell him that Ashton did it. But it might be nice to talk about it, even if I didn’t tell him what had really happened. Besides, maybe he could help? Priests were always good guys, after all, right?
“Okay, I guess I’ll come.” I agreed with a slight smile, then realized that a few teardrops had snuck down my cheeks. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” I apologized with another awkward laugh while wiping away the unexpected tears.
Am I really so much of a stressed-out emotional mess right now?
“There is no need to apologize for one’s tears, my child. I understand that you and Elowynn were very close. She always spoke so highly of you.” He smiled while taking a step towards me. Belzar let out a terrifying snarl, causing him to freeze once more.
“Sorry, he’s super protective.” I shrugged with an apologetic expression while maintaining a firm grip on the leash. “But thank you. Her death was hard on me. I haven’t been able to get over it yet, and I don’t really have anyone to talk to about it either.” I stood up and wiped another tear away.
“And you never will while on this earthly plane. Losing a loved one stays with us until our own departure. Just know that it’s okay to grieve, and you may talk about her with me whenever you need to. I miss her dearly, too.” He held out his hand. “Now, please follow me.”
I had told Ashton that I would stay away from Father Adelstein. However, it didn’t seem like a big deal. He was just some kind-hearted guy. So I followed him, anyway. Belzar tried to pull me back and put up one hell of a struggle, tugging on the leash while snarling like a rabid animal.
“Shh, don’t worry, Belzar. It’s okay,” I whispered to him. He put his ears back with a pained whine. “Don’t give me that attitude; now come on. It won’t take long.” He glanced up at me with wary eyes but reluctantly took a few steps forward, his big black paws crunching on the leaves.
As we walked down the winding dirt path leading to the church, Belzar’s stubbornness would not relent. He stopped every few minutes and refused to be anywhere except between Father Adelstein and me, making sure that we were at a suitable distance apart. He growled and whined the whole way. I didn’t understand why he was so upset, and I was growing nervous that if he attacked Father Adelstein, I wouldn’t be able to stop him.
“You weren’t joking when you said he was protective,” Father Adelstein stated, his voice steady as he cast a nervous glance in his direction. “How long have you had him?”
“Yeah, he’s a bit over the top. And he actually belongs to my boyfriend,” I replied while pulling the leash taut with all my strength.
“Ah, I see,” he said with a chuckle. “And who is your boyfriend?”
“Oh, his name’s Ashton Meyers. Do you know him?”
“Hmm, I don’t believe I do.” He tilted his head as if trying to recall anyone with that name.
We walked out from the wooded path and through a small, neglected graveyard behind the old white church. Many of the headstones were cracked and dilapidated, the engraved names nearly unreadable as if erased by time itself. The bell tower reached up to the gray skies, giving a glimpse of a dull golden bell that seemed to wallow in its lofty prison. When we got around to the front doors, I tied Belzar’s leash to a decorative Japanese maple tree.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just wait here for a minute,” I said softly and kissed the top of his furry head.
His big yellow eyes met mine, and he gave me the most intelligent look I’d ever seen from an animal. It was as if he was trying to tell me telepathically not to go inside. It was so hypnotic that I almost listened too. But then Father Adelstein cleared his throat, breaking me out of the spell-like moment.
“Right this way, Ms. Gallagher.” He gestured toward the big wooden double doors.
“Coming.”
I got up and walked into the church. The aged building consisted almost entirely of dark wood, large cathedral ceilings, and stained-glass windows. The air smelled strongly of dust mixed with a faint almost rotten scent. A dingy red carpet stretched between the many rows of beautifully carved wooden pews. In the front of the room was the classic depiction of Christ’s bloody body hanging from a cross. An altar of unlit white candles and other religious trinkets surrounded it.
The whole thing was rather creepy and made me shiver a little on the inside. Adelstein’s creaky footsteps broke the eerie silence that lingered in the air as he led me to the side of the room and over to the confession booth. He opened the Renaissance-style door with courtesy and gestured for me to go inside.
“Thank you,” I said in a low voice as I stepped in and sat down on the hard wooden seat. It was rather uncomfortable.
