need to grab a couple things. As you so graciously offered.”
I grimaced inwardly. Lay it on thick, why don’t you, Zoe?
The demon stared at me, his stormy gaze inscrutable. He stood much closer to where the pepper spray had hit the wall, yet he seemed entirely unaffected by it. His eyes were clear, and he wasn’t coughing up a storm. A chill coursed down my spine. Just another reminder of how not human this guy was.
“You have five minutes.” His dark voice caressed my senses, and I suppressed another shiver.
I snatched my purse from the couch and speed-walked into my bedroom.
“A little privacy,” I called out as I closed the door.
Heart thundering in my chest, I hurried into the ensuite bathroom and turned on the faucet in the sink. While I was there, I quickly splashed my face with water, hoping to get some of the pepper spray out of my eyes and nose. I kept the water running, unlocked my phone and dialed my BFF’s number from the favorites. Please pick up, I silently prayed. Please pick up.
I checked the time and did some math while it rang. It had to be close to four in the afternoon over there. Not the best time to call on a workday—she was likely still at the office—but better than if she’d still be living here in the States. She’d often go to bed early, and chances wouldn’t be good that she’d pick up if I called her this late at night.
However, she’d moved to Australia a few months ago. Which sucked big time. Having my best friend since childhood move to the other side of the world was a constant source of pain. We hadn’t always lived in the same place after we finished school, but we were never farther apart than a few short hours by car. We often visited each other on weekends.
That wasn’t possible anymore. Still, thanks to technology, we could bridge the distance with frequent chats via text and video calls.
And the one good thing to come from her moving so far away was that I could now call her late at night with a demonic emergency, and she’d actually be awake to pick up.
“Hey there,” Taylor answered my call, “what’s up? Isn’t it a bit late over there? Are you—”
“Tay,” I interrupted her, “do you remember that séance we did when we were thirteen?”
“Umm. A bit random, but okay.”
“Do you remember?” I whisper-shouted into the phone.
“Sheesh. Yes, I do. Kind of hard to forget. The lights flickered, and it scared the shit out of me. Why are you bringing it up now?”
“He’s here. The demon I summoned that night. He’s here because apparently I trapped him into a contract back then, and the time for it is up, and now he’s here to drag me to Hell with him.”
Silence.
“Tay?” I squinted with my still tearing eyes at the display to check whether we’d been disconnected. All good. “Did you hear me?”
Taylor cleared her throat. “I heard you all right. It’s just… Have you been drinking? I mean, I know it’s your birthday, but—”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Had a smoke?”
“I’m not high either!”
“Okay... You must realize how this sounds.”
“Tay, I swear on our shared hatred of the How I Met Your Mother ending, I am not making this up. This is real. There is a demon standing in the next room claiming I trapped him into some crazy marriage contract, and right now I’m supposed to pack my bags and follow him to Hell.”
A pregnant pause.
“Are you serious?” Taylor whispered.
“I am. I wish I weren’t. I wish this were a terrible joke, but it is the fucking truth, and I’m terrified. I’m scared shitless, and I need you, Tay. I need my best friend.”
“Fuck, Zoe.” She took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said, audibly pulling herself together. “Okay. Here’s the plan—you need a priest.”
“A priest.”
“Uh, yeah, obviously. A Catholic one, ideally. You need to get out of there somehow and find a church. Get in, grab a priest, and ask him for an exorcism or something. Maybe you can bathe in Holy Water?”
I let out a dry laugh, careful to keep it quiet. I wasn’t sure if the demon could hear us over the sound of the water running.
“Tay,” I said, rubbing one hand over my face, “where am I supposed to find a church that’s open this late? This isn’t the fifties, when churches would be open 24/7. They all close early these days and lock their doors