town? You can’t tell me the lake mud is that special.” I’d been making pottery with it for weeks and couldn’t say I’d noticed any of the so-called health benefits.
“That mud contains something very precious. Which, when the time is right, will return us to our former grandeur.”
Was it me, or did Orville roll his eyes? “Does this have anything to do with Maddy?”
Veronica’s nose wrinkled. “The guardian? I thought that thing was dead.”
The reminder hit me in the gut. “She was guarding the mud? Why?”
Rather than reply, Veronica went off on another tangent. “Did you know, the moment you arrived at the cottage, there was a scramble to find bodies suitable for hosts so the Eleven could get close to you?” Veronica declared.
That went deeply crooked. “Hold on, a second. When you says hosts, are you talking about possessing people?”
“The correct term is owning,” Orville said.
I glanced at him. “That sounds even worse.”
Veronica’s smile deepened. “Actually, it’s a great honor. Imagine my pride when my son was chosen as one of the vessels. Elevated above all others, honoring our family until you killed him,” she spat.
Orville put his hand on hers. “He didn’t die in vain. I promise, the next honor will be coming to you.” They gave each other a sappy gaze that almost made me gag.
Was everyone in love? Way to rub it in.
“What do you mean by vessel?” I asked before they started making out.
“A vessel is a willing body given over to one of the ruling eleven,” she explained.
It didn’t make it clearer. “Are you saying Kane has the soul of some dead guy inside him?”
“A simplistic summary at best.”
“But true. Kane does have some kind of ghost inside him.” Or was it more like a demon? After all they usually possessed people. Someone fetch a priest and some holy water.
“Kane was blessed by one of eleven.”
I didn’t like her use of the past tense. “Eleven what? Demons from another dimension?”
“The Eleven are what’s left of the originals who were stranded here, who seeded the Orgh’kks line by mixing our blood with those already living in this dimension. They are the spirits of our rulers. Passed down amongst our kind so that their knowledge is not lost.”
It was as if a light bulb went off, and I suddenly understood. It was in a story my grandma told me, except it was seventeen demons, not eleven, who broke out of hell and caused chaos on Earth. Fornicating and seeding the world with minions. It was up to the heroes to wipe them out because only when all the minions died would the demons die too.
Seventeen minus eleven meant six down, too many to go and one of them in the room with me. Orville was definitely wearing a demon. Veronica wasn’t, however there was no doubting the fact she hoped she’d be chosen as a vessel. Meaning there were at least ten more out there, wearing bodies, owning people who didn’t deserve to lose their identity. We were going to need tankers of holy water.
“Why did your eleven demon ghosts want to get close to me?” Because I’d not forgotten what Veronica said.
“Your ignorance is stunning. And I tire of explaining. Begone.” Veronica waved, but I was just getting started.
“You can’t stop talking now.” Not when I was finally getting answers. “What is the end game here? Why are the Orgh’kks invading Cambden? Is the whole town possessed?”
“Those not descended of the Orgh’kks were encouraged to leave. Those that wouldn’t depart, or could be used, became hosts.” Veronica smiled at Orville and a shiver went through me as I realized these eleven demon spirits could jump into anyone.
“All the new people moving into town, they’re Orgh’kks?” I struggled with the pronunciation. Veronica nodded. “Why here?”
“They have come to see the return of our power.” Orville stepped in.
“How did you lose it in the first place?” I tapped my chin, only it wasn’t hard to see where this conversation would lead. “Let me guess. A great, great relative of mine didn’t like how the Orgh’kks used their power or magic or whatever and hid it from you. I can see how they might have come to that conclusion given you have real asshole tendencies.” Yeah, it felt good to say it.
Judging by Veronica’s gnashing teeth, she didn’t enjoy it as much. “We will take back our magic.”
“Not sure that’s a good idea.” Because I was fairly sure they had a good reason to act as they did.