Page 15 of Obsession

“Agreed,” Charlotte says, crossing her arms.

“Every favor gleaned is a smart move.” Damion shrugs a shoulder. A piece of paper appears in his hand and he reads:

Hear O God of Abraham The Lord our God the Lord is One Bound are the demons and sealed are the spirits Sealed are the spirits and bound are the demons with power of Abracas through this seal I seize the demons the evils from this house from now until forever and ever

“So you think this demon Abracas helped bind Phenex?” I ask.

“That’s what we’re going to find out. Our next move will be to summon Abracas. We’ll need to get his sigil from Zazel,” Damion tells Gabe.

I pick up a cloth napkin and gently rub the bowl. “What are you doing?” Charlotte asks.

“Just making sure it’s not like a genie lamp.”

“She watches too much TV,” Damion informs everyone.

“Alright, Mystery Gang, let’s call it an evening,” I announce.

“And she makes my case for me,” Damion says.

Elvis looks at us like we might be the world’s biggest idiots and returns to more important things, like taking a nap.

“Ladies.” Gabe gives us a bow and vanishes.

Damion steps in front of me and grabs my chin. “Try to stay out of trouble, Daphne.”

“I make no promises.” I give him a quick kiss, and he nods to Charlotte before vanishing along with the bowl.

“Your boyfriend is a little bit scary,” Charlotte informs me.

“Really?”

“Yes,” she says with a shudder. “You’re never afraid of being with a demon?”

“No. There’s true evil in the world. You and I have experienced it firsthand. But Damion isn’t evil; he’s powerful. There’s a difference.”

Charlotte heads out, and I spend some time with Mama’s book of shadows. Could the same be argued for Cora Brooks’s magic? I’m sure a demon lawyer I know could make an excellent case for it.

Flipping through the book, there’s a huge section dedicated to protection spells. One curious protection jar spell calls for the spell caster’s urine, nails, a broken mirror, and some herbs I’ve never used. Why did Mama need so much protection?

Some of the spells are written in the witch alphabet, something I’ve never had the need to use, or learn for that matter. I do know that the witch alphabet—also known as the Theban alphabet—was a way for witches to conceal their spells and other magical writings during a time when being discovered a witch meant certain death. Looks like I’ll be learning the Theban alphabet after all.

I close the book and make my way to the kitchen to find a new thousand-piece tarot card puzzle on the dining table. Where Grandma finds these occult jigsaw puzzles is beyond me. I open the box and begin the job of sorting while I sip on my contraceptive tea.

“Damion hasn’t been over the past few nights. Don’t tell me there’s trouble in paradise already?” Grandma asks.

“Wouldn’t it be ‘hell’ instead of ‘paradise’ since he’s a demon?” I point out.

“Then it’s a good thing I lined up Chris as your emergency backup.”

“You are delusional.” Grandma desperately wants a love triangle between me, Damion, and the detective Chris Sullivan. Speaking of that broody angel, I haven’t seen him since the big showdown at New Life Spiritual Center. That’s no surprise; I wouldn’t exactly call Chris a people person. He’s not a person, and from what I can tell, he hates people.

“Just keep your options open because the next casting call for House Guest is in two months in Atlanta.”

Answering with a noncommittal grunt, I wrap my arms around her and give her a hug. I walk to my room and get ready for bed. Sliding under my covers, I’m out before my head even hits the pillow.

Escorting Debbie Baker and her friend into the prepared séance room, I light the candles, then place the picture of Charlotte’s grandmother in the center of the table. I say an invocation of protection and we grasp hands as I invite Opal Baker to join us. After a shaky start, we make contact. Opal doesn’t know where Charlotte is, and I thank the spirit for joining us.

I’m in the middle of reciting Grandma’s invocation of closure when I receive a vision of a man with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. I can’t quite make out the details of his face, except to tell you that he is a good-looking guy around my age, maybe a few years older.

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