into a skin-like substance, sort of like a face mask.
“What is that stuff?” I asked.
“A demonic healing lotion. It will extract all of the evil from your father’s pores. I know it simply looks like he’s been burned, and he has been, but that’s not the whole story. The blisters are a symptom of the infestation.”
“Infestation?” I squeaked.
“That’s right. Any human who spends time in hell becomes infected by its atmosphere. As I mentioned before, human constitutions are not made to survive there, or in any alternate dimension, in fact.” Edwards turned to Finn and Ira. “Boys, you wouldn’t mind turning him over for me, would you?”
They both did as he asked, rolling my dad over onto his front. I choked down a horrified gasp when I saw his back because branded into his skin were the numbers 666.
“Jesus H. Christ,” Finn swore, blessing himself as he took in the sight before him.
Edwards picked up another bottle, this one with blue liquid, and poured it directly onto the numbers. “Those appear more sinister than they are,” he explained. “When the dimension cottoned on to the fact that I was trying to take your father home, it marked him to make things harder for me.”
“How would that make things harder?” Finn asked.
“Imagine it like an infernal tracking device. With the mark on him, Martin couldn’t be moved without the dimension knowing about it.”
“So, how did you manage to move him then?” I questioned.
“Ah, now that would be telling. All of us demons have our tricks.” He tapped the side of his nose.
The blue liquid sizzled into the numbers, and they disappeared. “See? Easily reversed.” He paused and frowned. “It’s saving his mind that’s going to be the hard part. Tegan, this might be difficult for you to hear, seeing as you’ve only just had him returned to you, but I may need to bring Martin home with me for a time. If I can’t heal his mind here, then I’ll need better resources, and I only have those kinds of things back home.”
I absorbed this information and steeled myself. I didn’t want Edwards taking my dad away, not when I’d only gotten him back. But if it meant he could heal him, return him to the man he was before, then I’d let him do it. “Whatever it takes,” I said, nodding.
“Very good. Could you have his passport ready for me, just in case?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know where any of his things are. He sold our house before all this happened, and I have no clue where he was living before he was taken for the ritual.”
“I can help you out with that,” Finn piped in. “I know a fella who knows a fella. I’ll get a new passport sorted for you.”
I smiled at him in thanks, and we all watched in silence as Edwards finished smearing various kinds of healing salves and creams over my dad. I brought him a towel to wipe his hands off on once he was done, then covered my dad’s body again with the thin sheet. He was breathing deeply now, as the healing lotions worked their way through his system.
“Tegan, would it be too much trouble for you to arrange a place for me to stay tonight? If there’s no room, I can find a hotel, but I am very tired.”
“Are you serious? It’s no trouble at all. After everything you’ve done for me, I should be putting you up in a golden palace. Do you remember my vampire friend, Ethan?”
“Cristescu, I do indeed,” Edwards replied with a nod.
“Well, he happens to have a spare bedroom going, and he lives just across the street. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind putting you up.”
Edwards seemed delighted with this, and we packed up his things, before Delilah and I escorted him over to Ethan’s. Lucas answered the door, and Delilah strode past him, showing Edwards to the spare bedroom. I stood in the hallway while Lucas regarded me with a smirk.
“What?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Ethan was looking for you.”
“Was he now,” I glanced away, leaning my hand against the staircase.
“Yep. I heard you gave him a, eh, haircut.”
God, did those two tell each other everything? I ignored him and walked into the living area. I hadn’t had the chance to look around the place before. All the furniture was brand spanking new and unused, which made me suspect Ethan was pushed out of his home before he even had the chance to