CHAPTER 26

The Deal

Blackness had fallen beyond Molly’s bedroom window, generating a sense of trepidation for what was about to come. Tonight, was the night of the almost full moon, when they would try to bring Lucy back to life. Veronica at this very moment was out in the garden to aid Victor and Daniel, who by now had begun arranging Lucy’s body, getting ready for Veronica’s left-handed magic.

Molly sat on her bed watching as Joe’s breathing began to resemble some kind of normalcy. His skin still burned with fever, although the fiery hot ruddiness had faded an adequate amount, so that he looked to have a bad sunburn. Her desire to touch him was overwhelming; only Molly’s fear of what would happen if she did keep her from doing it.

There had been a point in time where all she had wanted was for him to invite her out for a drink; now in this moment, all she yearned for was for him to open his eyes and for them to be that deep-set brown and not the blood red they had been while he was under Sekhet’s demonic power. All she wanted was for Joe to be okay. And her mother.

The first time she and Joe had gone out together, they had gone to Pikes Place Market, where she bought flowers every week, enjoyed the fish-throwing show (not that she bought any fish) and put a few coins in Rachel, the famous 550-pound bronze cast piggy bank, since the money went to good causes, and patted her on her golden head for luck. Joe had been wearing a T-shirt that day that she had never seen him wear before – a cat’s face printed on the front and white writing: This is my happy face. Molly remembered thinking it was the ugliest cat she had ever seen.

They had lunched in Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub. She had been wanting to go there for quite a while because it was supposedly haunted. Joe had the Steak and Kidney Pie, while she decided on the vegetarian version of their famous Shepherd’s Pie. The interior of the bar displayed maps of Ireland, and framed portraits of Michael Collins, a man who was not only an Irish revolutionary leader and a politician, but also the Chairman of the Provisional Government, and Commander-in-chief of the National Army. 

Molly recalled how Joe’s eyes had looked as he had read the information about Collins aloud; his photo seemed to stand out from the rest. Time felt as though it had slowed down and before they knew it, it was already growing dark outside. That had been the first night Molly had allowed Joe to walk her to her door. Following an awkward side hug, they had said they would see each other soon.

The detestation Molly felt now flowed all the way to her bones as Sekhet’s face came to her in flashes. It was incredible, even she didn’t have words to describe it. She couldn’t help but wonder where Sekhet was at this moment. Was it Joe she wanted? Or Lucy? It was her fault, Molly knew, what had happened to two of the four people she truly loved – Molly had made a deal with a demon.

A disturbance from the living room below left her with no choice but to leave Joe. Although he was sleeping again, Molly disliked the idea of him being alone, in case Sekhet decided to reappear in her absence for round two.

Arriving at the base of the stairs, Molly saw her grandmother and Natasha, eyes wide in horror, staring into the living room, at the back of a Queen Anne chair in front of the fireplace.

If they needed protection from whomever this was, Natasha was the witch to do it.

“Molly…?” The voice, coming out of the recesses the armchair, was sweet, strange to her ears, unknown, making her feel even more open to attack.

Dot moved in front of her granddaughter, blocking her way.

“Grandma,” Molly said, stepping around her to try to see the being who spoke her name with such gentle tones.

“I believe it is time.” Standing now, out of the armchair he had made himself comfortable in, Lucifer walked toward Molly, but stopped just as his hand went to touch her face. “Scurlock, she is beautiful, is she not?”

Scurlock, suddenly materializing in the foyer, said, “I didn’t realize you were going to come yourself, Lucifer. I would have followed orders.”

“Let’s just say I came to keep the peace while you were off cleaning up your mess. Can’t be having Sekhet interrupting the night’s entertainment now, can we?”

“No, my Prince, we cannot,” Scurlock replied, not taking his eyes off Molly.

Lucifer clapped his hand like a child having won a cuddly toy out of a machine. Then he shooed Molly out to the garden with a “Go, Go, Go,” and a flick of his wrist. Natasha and Dot followed Molly wordlessly.

Scurlock thought his heart might burst in his chest, knowing what he must do. She had yet to experience life, and he was going to take it all away.

They were all there, Dot and Molly, Natasha and Veronica, Victor and Daniel, Scurlock and Lucifer. All except Joe. Who would win this epic battle for Lucy? Molly, shaking, felt ready to test her powers in this garden bathed in moonlight. But where was her mother? Hadn’t they brought her up out of the basement yet?

A figure of pure chaotic madness staggered toward them, her skin gleaming like glistening sweat in the moonlight, while blood-rimmed, disease-ridden eyes glared in every direction. Putrid, decaying, toxic flesh was taut across her cheekbones. Teeth gnashed, grinding constantly together in a lumbering spasm of the damned. Lucy’s hair, once lovely, with highlights of rustic browns and ambers, now rested, tangled and straggly, against her horrid face.

A single red abrasion on her neck. Blood trickled from her nose. Her eyes held something obscure behind their opaque pools of blackness. A slight, sorrowful whine escaped from Lucy with every step she took in Molly’s direction.

Molly was paralyzed, frozen.

Both Natasha and Veronica advanced cautiously toward Lucy, hands outstretched, spells on their lips. Lucifer lurked menacingly at a distance in the shadows, protecting the companion he had brought with him from Hell.

With a screech, punctuated by thunder from above, Lucy attacked, teeth exposed, eager to shred flesh from above without a faltering moment’s hesitation. The night’s entertainment – what Lucifer had turned up to see – had begun.

A spine-chilling wail reverberated into the night. A fireball knockback and a confinement spell stopped Lucy in her tracks. Molly circled quickly around to the other side of the garden to avoid being hit by accident as the Coven Enforcers did what they did best – destroy the enemy.

Falling to her knees before Lucy as she screeched in what could have been pain or rage, Molly knew that she would never get the chance to tell her mother all the things she should have, but she tried, anyway.

“I know it was you who paid my college tuition. There was never a time you snuck around Seattle to try to see me that I wasn’t aware of it. All I ever wanted to do was make you proud.” The lump in Molly’s throat burned as she forced the words to keep coming, all the while this thing continued dragging itself around her on the grass, teeth gnashing. To sink its teeth into Molly’s flesh was all it wanted. Molly knew what she had to do. But she couldn’t.

“Molly, decide!” Natasha screamed from her right as Veronica moved to the left, covering the space between Victor and Daniel, while Dot held fast to her confinement spell. By now, it was a waste of time casting, injuring what could still be Lucy.

“I’m sorry, Mama, I love you!” Molly sobbed as she stood, her hands spread out, displaying powerful finger tips.

“Victor, the box!” Daniel shouted.

His son jumped forward, to position himself beside Molly.

“What do you need?” Victor yelled back, as his hands grabbed hair and a bone with dried skin attached to it.

“The hair, fingernails and the eye socket,” Daniel yelled. “Natasha, a fire cell!”

“You got it!” With a simple click of her fingers, a small blaze leaped from the tips of her middle and forefinger.

Laying the artifacts on the ground by Molly’s feet, Daniel called for her to say the words.

Closing her eyes, Molly allowed her tears to flow freely as the spell floated from her lips like water flowing over a waterfall, natural, dangerous, and unforgiving. The smell of singed hair filled her nostrils, but she kept her eyes closed as the sound of her grandmother’s sobs could be heard over Lucy’s shrieks. And then – quiet.

Then came a high-pitched cheer from Lucifer. “Fantastic!” he cried excitedly, walking toward Molly. “Now...”

“Lucifer, please…” It was Scurlock. “I beg of you, do not take my daughter. Let Molly live

her life.”

Molly turned, stunned beyond belief, to Dot.

Dot nodded grimly.

As the reality hit Molly like an eighteen-wheeler head-on, Lucifer continued, “It is not my decision. Lilith needs someone to keep her occupied. She is bored and you know she has always taken a great interest in your daughter Molly’s talents. More than Aileen, more than any of the others, Molly has the double blood of a witch and a warlock running in her veins.”

“B…b…but…” Molly stuttered.

Lucifer continued, “My dear, I have allowed your mother to have her wish to get to the Otherworld. I need something in return. You…” he was moving close enough to Molly so she could feel the heat of his breath, “…are exactly what I need to make Lilith happy. But I am not a complete bastard. I will give you time to say your goodbyes.” Turning to Scurlock, he rasped, “Sunrise.”

With that, he was gone.

The bushes rustled. A being stepped emerged of the shadows. The horrible laugh was familiar to all, and Molly was left knowing things had just taken a terrible turn for the worst.