Chapter 4 Sagitta
Sagitta
I could not believe this was happening.
Not only did that idiot disregard my words at the party and drag us both into this mess, he just had to do it with Faust, of all possible demons. How ignorant could he be?
After taking a moment to compose myself, I glanced at Chase, who was engaged in a heated argument with thin air.
With Faust XIV. The demon who had been banished from Hell.
Apparently, the answer was very ignorant.
Suddenly, the hairs rose on the back of my neck. Not because of Faust’s inherent danger, but a different threat altogether.
My gaze lifted across the courtyard. Hidden in the shadow of a jagged garden stone, Cygnet crouched low to the ground, shrouded in his usual black robes. My brother’s narrowed eyes were as dark as his expression. And brimming with judgment.
I ignored the discomfort creeping along my skin. Cygnet and I could talk later. Right now, I needed to deal with the situation before it got any worse.
“Chase,” I called.
He stopped mid-sentence, in which he was referring to Faust as a ‘donut-loving son-of-a-bitch’, and spun in my direction. As he turned, his dirty blond hair flopped across his forehead like the silky coat of a golden retriever.
“Yeah?” he replied.
“Come with me.”
I gave him no time to think. Without wasting another second, I turned on my heel and stalked deeper into the temple’s halls. A moment later, I heard his sneakers squeaking against the polished wooden floor behind me. The sound grated on my nerves, as did everything else about Chase.
Yet I couldn’t shake the thought that he was kind of charming. In a dumb, oblivious sort of way.
I pushed the thought away. I had to focus on my job. Most client work was simple, but this job wasn’t going to be easy.
I recalled everything I knew about Faust. A few months ago, an ancient black grimoire was discovered on our side of the veil. Demonology researchers suspected it was the key to summoning Faust. Professor Fairfax was one of the key researchers involved.
But the grimoire should’ve been locked away under maximum security. I still didn’t understand how a stupid frat boy got his hands on it.
After the grimoire’s discovery, Fairfax put a private lecture together for selected senior exorcists, myself and Cygnet included.
He taught us everything he knew about the demon Faust—he was brutal and ruthless, a terror even to his fellow demons.
Apparently, he was so vindictive and violent that the denizens of Hell chased him out and sealed him in that grimoire.
The cursed book was supposed to remain in Purgatory, between the two dimensions, but clearly something went awry.
Aside from that knowledge, the lecture wasn’t very informative. It was mostly a chance for Fairfax to gush about his demon fascination.
I respected that man greatly. But he was definitely a weirdo.
In any case, exorcising a demon of Faust’s calibre would take my full focus. My skills and experience would be put to the ultimate test.
And I didn’t even want to imagine the consequences of my failure.
That won’t happen. I’ve never failed before. Why should I start now?
I led Chase deeper into the temple to one of our exorcism chambers. It was a private, silent room lit only by rows of flickering candlelight. Chase paused by the threshold, hesitating to come inside.
I narrowed my eyes. Did the demon sense his impending doom? Had he taken control of Chase’s body and stopped him from taking another step?
“What’s the matter?” I asked. My hand itched to reach for my bow.
Chase frowned. “It’s really dark in there...”
I arched a brow. He was afraid of the dark?
“You are ridiculous,” I said. “Step inside. Hurry. There’s no time to waste.”
Still pouting, Chase inched forward on his squeaky shoes until he stood inside the chamber. I shut the door behind him and locked it.
“Uh, is that necessary?” Chase asked, eyeing the lock.
I shot him a grave look. “You are possessed by a powerful demon, Chase. A locked door is the least of your concerns.”
As he swallowed, I couldn’t help but notice the masculine curve of his throat illuminated by the warm candlelight.
I yanked my gaze away.
I pointed to the old chair in the center of the chamber. “Go sit there.”
“Er... okay.” Chase pulled a face. “You’re not gonna like, strap me down, are you?”
“I wasn’t before, but now I’m considering it.”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
“Sit. Down,” I ground out.
He put up his hands in a compliant gesture, then awkwardly approached the chair. It was sturdy and severe, fashioned of pure black iron. Chase scrunched his nose as he sat down.
“This hurts my butt,” he complained. “Can I get a cushion or something?”
I closed my eyes and took a breath before I lost my marbles. I repealed everything I’d thought about him being cute. He was aggravating.
Most lesser demons were easy to exorcise with my bow and holy arrows alone, but Faust was a different story. He required a ritual, at the very least.
As I gathered the materials, my mind raced. Faust was a strong demon, but he wasn’t the strongest. He was no demon king, or worse, a demon lord. From what Fairfax taught us, Faust was just a free agent, unbound by demon hierarchy, sowing chaos as he saw fit.
No wonder he was banished from Hell. Even they had some standards.
So since Faust wasn’t a higher rank demon, a basic exorcism ritual was enough to dispel him.
Yet I felt a flicker of doubt deep in my chest.
This will work, I told myself. I have not failed. Ever.
I began by drawing a salt circle around Chase’s chair. The salt prevented the demon from escaping the ring, otherwise I would have to strap Chase down.
Flanking the iron chair were two ceramic incense holders in the shape of koi fish. I lit both sticks, watching curls of aromatic smoke stream into the air. Once the basic preparations were finished, I stepped back and held my bow in front of me.
“This will all be over soon,” I promised.
Chase’s blue eyes widened in fear. “Hang on, you’re not going to kill me, are you?”
“What?” I blurted. “No! How many times do I have to tell you that I’m saving your idiotic life?”
Chase slumped back in the seat like a scolded dog. “Okay, well, it sounded threatening,” he mumbled. “And this room is creepy.”
I dismissed his jab about the chamber. “It won’t be fun. But I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”
A serious expression settled over Chase’s face. Then his brows knitted together, as if concentrating on something I couldn’t hear.
“Hey, uh... Faust says your exorcism isn’t gonna work,” Chase relayed.
This stupid blond was going to be the death of me.
“Stop listening to it,” I snapped. “You’re giving the demon more power.”
“I know, I know, I read the pamphlet... but he’s powerful already, right? He’s small, but he has a name, and he can take over my body to dodge arrows and shit.”
Chase had actually seen the demon? Even Professor Fairfax had no information about Faust’s appearance.
“He’s small?” I asked. Generally, smaller demons were weaker, but Faust could’ve been an exception.
“Yeah, shorter than me, and kinda skinny.” Then Chase pointed at the ceramic incense holder on the left. “By the way, he says that incense is a few inches off from where it’s supposed to be.”
Fury swelled within me, smothering my curiosity. How dare that demon tell me what to do?
Livid now, I gripped my bow tighter. The sooner we finished this exorcism, the better.
...But now that I was looking at it, I noticed the incense holder was slightly out of place.
Scowling, I hurried to nudge it back into position, then returned to my spot in front of Chase. I closed my eyes, ready to concentrate on the ritual.
Chase’s voice broke the silence: “Now Faust’s laughing and saying that fixing the incense holder won’t help anything.”
“Be quiet,” I snarled without opening my eyes. “Don’t repeat another word from the demon’s foul mouth.”
“Okay, sorry.” I heard Chase fidget in the creaky iron chair. “So do I just sit here?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t have to do anything?”
“No,” I growled impatiently. “Don’t speak. I’m beginning the exorcism now.”
Once Chase was finally silent, my mind settled. I quieted my doubts and fears. My thoughts melted into the darkness.
Without opening my eyes, I slipped a hand into my pocket and pulled out my rosary. I rolled the wooden beads between my thumb and forefinger. I mouthed a silent incantation as the beads went by, one by one.
Soon the room pulsed with energy, as if the temple’s holy grounds were rejecting Faust’s presence. The demon was a bone lodged in the temple’s throat, and I would be the one to get rid of it.
When I opened my eyes, I was only steps away from Chase. He blinked up at me with those stunning blue eyes.
Stunning? Ugh. Focus, Sagitta.
Anxiety clouded Chase’s expression, but he remained seated, waiting for me to work my magic.
He trusted me to save him. And I’d promised him I would.
Without looking away from Chase, I pulled an arrow from my quiver. I threaded it through my ring of prayer beads, and when it emerged, it had transformed. It was no longer a physical object, but a fluid shape formed of holy light. It glowed brighter than the candles, like a beacon in the darkness.
Chase sucked in a breath.
“This won’t hurt you,” I promised again, “but I apologize in advance.”
In a swift motion, I yanked Chase’s mouth open and jammed the holy arrow down his throat.
Like a panicked animal, Chase thrashed in the chair. I stepped away to give him space.
My heart raced. Since Faust couldn’t dodge or exit the salt circle, it was a direct strike. My arrow wouldn’t kill a named demon like Faust, but the host should be inoculated against him. The human’s body became uninhabitable. And with no host, Faust would be forced to disappear.
I hoped.
Then Chase cried out. I winced, my excitement instantly forgotten.