Chapter 35

Suzi’s world spun as she regained consciousness. Something constricted her neck, and her left wrist throbbed with pain. She blinked, disoriented, the bag over her head muffling her senses. She struggled, realizing she stood on an unstable surface, her neck tethered to prevent her fall. Her right arm was bound to another person’s arm.

Above her, someone whimpered and cried.

A growl reached her ears. “Di suxeg oc esekwi.” The words echoed. ‘The woman is awake.’

The hood lifted, revealing Phineas. His left arm was tied to her right. Blood dripped from her left wrist, a bolt pinning her to a large beam. Her neck connected to a lift holding a massive diesel rig as she stood on a flimsy card table. Phineas faced a similar arrangement, his right arm bungee-corded to the other lift pylon, three feet away. His neck also tied to the lift, he stood precariously on a wobbling office chair.

“Di hop ugi buwi ecofil iguap,” another voice growled from above her as a man with a bandage on his leg climbed out of the rig and down from the lift. ‘The big one broke easily.’

“Kyle,” she thought as she fought back the rage.

“Skwoj um lua oc di ‘Ordi Celesti’?” the other man’s voice growled before them. ‘Which of you follow the ‘Order of Celestials’?’ Suzi recognized him as Jose. Rage bubbling within her.

Phineas spoke first. “I’m the one you want, you ugly demonic motherfuckers.”

Suzi stared at him, wide-eyed. “What are you doing? This isn’t your fight,” she whispered.

He winked. “I’m buying you time.”

The chair kicked, Phineas hung from his outstretched arms. The rope tightened around his neck, choking him. His weight pulled Suzi’s left arm against the bolt, bones separating, tendons tearing. Panic surged. How was this buying her time?

“Rogziel’s Blade,” she said, holding her right hand open.

The blade materialized, slicing through the rope between her and Phineas’ arms. He swung right as she fell left, overturning the card table. A gunshot echoed, separating the bungee that held Phineas’ neck, followed by an audible ‘Fuck’—Phineas falling, bones breaking.

The possessed men panicked, scrambling for cover. Suzi hung from her neck and staked wrist. She saw Kyle near the rafters, in a roof access scaffold as she hung, when he fired another shot, which removed the bungee cord that held Phineas’ arm. She was pleased that Phineas held his arm and was able to get out of harms’ way.

“If that is Kyle, then Ricky was the one they broke,” Suzi thought.

Suzi’s pulse raced as she lifted her arm, fingers trembling, and sliced through the coarse rope that had bound her throat.

She clenched the knife, feeling its cold metal against her palm. The adrenaline surged, filling her veins like liquid fire. Power hummed within her, a primal force that demanded release. She screamed—a guttural, feral sound—as she flexed her left arm, tearing the bolt from her wrist. Gravity pulled her downward, and she dropped the few feet to the floor. The two men who had held her captive stared at her, their eyes wide with horror and disbelief.

Blood dripped from her left hand, as she stood, wielding the terror blade in her right. One of the men, Jasper, found courage in his desperation, scrambling to his feet and knocking over the table they had cowered behind. Suzi lunged, her left arm reaching for the remaining man’s leg. Pain radiated up her forearm, but she gritted her teeth, fueled by rage. The man kicked and screamed, a cacophony of fear and agony. His cries resembled a wounded dog mixed with a pig rooting through mud.

She pinned him, her knee on his chest, eyes locked onto his. He thrashed, eyes squeezed shut.

Suzi pressed her bloody hand against his forehead and whispered, “I’ve already broken you, Bortis.”

At the mention of his demonic name, he stilled, whimpering and sobbing. “Bortis tonta pey! Bortis tonta pey!” he wailed.

“No mercy for you,” she declared. “Bortis, I excise you from this man’s body and remand you until I bind you.”

Though she couldn’t see it, she felt the lashes of energy from her mind pull the demon from Jose’s form, imprisoning it within the cage of her consciousness. Jose blinked, disoriented, struggling to comprehend the sudden shift.

But then a voice echoed behind her: “Buky di feki ub qi koic.”

Suzi spun.

Jasper Berry—the man who had shot Ygritte—held a gun to Phineas’ head. “Buky di feki ub qi koic,” he repeated. “Drop the blade or he dies,” Jasper threatened.

This was the moment Suzi had been waiting for—the demon she would relish tearing apart. She lowered the knife, placed it on the floor, and raised her arms. Power and rage drained from her, leaving her vulnerable.

“Woj od urib,” the demon growled from within Jasper.

She nudged the knife with her foot, complying with the command. Jasper shoved Phineas forward. Phin winced, his dislocated shoulder and bruised neck evidence of the struggle. Blood matted his hair.

“Release him, and I’ll show you mercy,” Suzi offered.

“Lua kweri ix boig ek ix kweri luab. Meob beki ek sef ewsel,” Jasper bargained, Phineas as the currency for Bortis.

“Fine. Fair trade,” Suzi agreed. “Release him, and I’ll willingly give you Bortis.”

The demon laughed a hyena’s cackle. “Ku lua dogew xi e mulf? Hoguk Bortis du cuxidop.”

Suzi met Jasper’s gaze. “What shall I bind him to?”

His eyes darted around the room. “A piece of your jewelry.” Greed was his weakness, and he didn’t bother speaking Demonic.

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Suzi reached into her shirt, pulling out the necklace she wore. Softly, she whispered into it, a red-gold light radiating from her hand as she dropped to her knees and held out the pendant.

“Here!” she screamed, pain shooting through her left arm.

Jasper’s demon-possessed body pushed Phineas forward. Phin stepped over the knife, eyes locked on Suzi.

“Take it!” the demon urged, gun trained on her hand.

Phineas, battered and bleeding, met her gaze. She nodded, defeated, tears streaming down her face. As he grasped the pendant, their hands connected—a surge of electricity, energy, and power.

Phineas pushed through the pain in his shoulder, ignoring the injuries to his neck and head. His focus shifted to the demon-possessed man behind him, brandishing a pistol. The man’s hand trembled, open to receive the necklace. Phineas clasped the man’s hand, the pendant between them. He pulled him close, locking eyes.

Startled, the man waved the gun erratically, torn between escape and aiming at the detective. Phineas injured arm shot out, grabbing the hand holding the gun and forcing it aside. Jasper screamed as the gun fired twice. Phineas headbutted him, sweeping his legs. They fell, face to face. Phineas pinned the man’s arm with his knee and picked up the blade nearby. He thrust it into the man’s left wrist, the demon howling in pain as the gun clattered to the ground.

Their battle of wills began. The demon searched Phineas' mind but found no weaknesses to exploit. Phineas lacked greed, remained brave even in supernatural terror, and faced insurmountable odds with calm confidence.

Then the demon discovered it—the chink in Phineas’ armor. The one vulnerability it could manipulate.

Yellow, bloodied teeth formed a smile. “You can’t beat me, Poodle,” the demon taunted.

Phineas grip tightened on Rogziel’s Blade, still embedded in the man’s wrist. Heat and anger surged as he withdrew the knife, closing in on the man’s face.

“You’re right. Poodle can’t beat you,” Phineas’ voice countered, “but you’re not dealing with him, Rotic’al.”

Jasper’s eyes widened. He’d overplayed his hand, attacking Phineas’ mind while overlooking the true danger—the Judas personality within the pendant Suzi had given him.

Phineas drove the blade deep into Jasper’s side, feeling the demon’s attachment to the man break. “Rotic’al, greed demon,” he declared, “I bind you to that which you cherish: Suzi’s St. Joseph of Arimathea pendant, for eternity or until my will fails.”

A red-gold light flashed between their hands as an unseen force pushed the blade from Jasper’s side. Binding complete, Phineas didn’t bother standing. He slid to Suzi, who writhed in pain on the floor. Dropping the knife near her leg, he pressed the pendant into her hand, closing her fingers around it.

Holding her head, he stared into her eyes and whispered, “Judas,” then kissed her.

Suzi recovered instantly, and Phineas realized he was mouth-to-mouth with her. His eyes widened, and he skittled back, wincing from the pain radiating up his right arm.

“Oh, Jesus H!” he cried out and lay uncomfortably on the dirty floor next to her, holding his shoulder.

“If you two are done making out,” Kyle’s voice interrupted, “we’ve got company.” Kyle climbed down from the rig, supporting Ricky, who sobbed openly.

Distant sirens filled the garage. A door burst open, and Tom rushed in, gun waving as he assessed the situation. Becca followed, carrying a medical bag.

“Everyone okay?” Becca asked, tending to Suzi’s left wrist.

“I’ll be fine. Check on Ricky,” Suzi directed, pointing to where Kyle and Ricky stood.

“They’re next. You’re bleeding,” Becca quipped. “Guess you’re not bulletproof after all.”

“It was a bolt, but I’ll heal. Ricky and Phineas are hurt. Please,” Suzi pleaded.

Tom holstered his gun and offered a hand to Phineas. “Poodle, you good?”

Phineas’ hand gripped Tom’s, accepting the help up. “Tom,” Phineas said, his voice low and eyes red with fury, “don’t call me ‘Poodle.’” In one swift motion, he drove Rogziel’s Blade into his brother’s stomach.

Rage radiated from Phineas, the thorned blade tearing through flesh. Blood spilled from Tom’s mouth, his eyes wide with disbelief as he clung to the handle lodged within his gut. The onlookers screamed in horror.

“The blade has corrupted him!” Judas’s voice echoed through Suzi.

Tom staggered back. Becca rushed to Tom, easing him to the floor. Kyle and Ricky tackled Phineas, wrestling to subdue the enraged detective. Suzi dropped the pendant and knelt beside Tom, her hands around the blade in his stomach.

“Kariel!” she cried out. “I need you!”

The angelic voice in her head responded, “I cannot do anything until I return to Heaven, and I cannot with Zayne bound to me.”

“Fine! Zayne, I removed my binding on you. You are now free!” Suzi felt a small refresh of energy up her spine.

Becca’s tearful voice interrupted, “Who the fuck are you talking to?”

Tom coughed blood, struggling to speak.

“Thank you, child. Now what is it you need?” Kariel’s voice remained indifferent.

“Save him! Heal him! Please!” Suzi’s plea was desperate.

“This would be a favor. Payment will be taken in 24 hours. Are you prepared to accept the balance of fate?” Kariel’s apathetic and informative words hung in the air.

“Yes! Anything! Save him!” Suzi’s determination surged.

The knife pushed out of Tom’s stomach, and Suzi tossed it aside. A golden-white light filled the wound as Tom’s body rose. He moaned, relief or ecstasy—Suzi couldn’t tell. Becca sobbed, witnessing the miraculous reversal of pain.

Phineas cried out, “Oh, God! What did I do?”

Kyle held him in a full nelson, Ricky pinning Phineas’ legs. They watched in awe and horror as Tom’s healing unfolded.

As quickly as it began, it was over. Tom’s eyes met Becca’s, love and admiration passing between them. He smiled, touching her tear-stained face.

Tom smiled. “I’m good, babe. I’m fine.”

She sobbed joyfully, leaned down, and kissed him. This was the first public display of affection Suzi had seen the two share.

Kyle struggled with Phineas, who was also in tears.

Suzi nodded to Kyle, “You can let him go.”

Kyle released his hold, and Ricky off his legs as Phin moved to Tom’s side.

“Tom! Tom? Are you okay? I’m fucking sorry, man. I don’t know what came over me,” Phineas apologized to his brother.

“It’s okay. I’m good. You had nothing on it. You hit like a girl,” Tom joked, his voice strained.

Suzi stood, retrieving the knife and whispering its name to reabsorb it. She pocketed her pendant, disbelief in what she had witnessed weighing heavily on her mind.

Police flooded the room, barking orders for everyone to raise their hands and drop their weapons. They all complied, the tension unmistakable.

“Detective Wilson? What are you doing here?” an officer in charge demanded, eyeing Wilson as he helped Tom off the floor.

“I was following up on a lead related to two other cases,” Wilson began, his tone professional.

“His cases overlap with a CIA investigation,” Ricky interjected, flashing his CIA badge, “Special Agent Richard Moore.”

The officer scrutinized the badge, signaling the other officers to stand down. “What is the CIA investigating on US soil?”

“These men,” Ricky pointed at Jose and Jasper, “were part of an international weapons smuggling ring involving several US-based and international corporations. Detective Wilson and I collaborated to apprehend them.”

The officer raised an eyebrow. “And you were lucky enough that a meteor just happened to hit the truck they were driving?”

“It was not a meteor. It was one of the weapons they were transporting,” Ricky clarified.

“Witnesses claim they saw something fall from the sky and strike the truck on the bridge.”

“They must be misremembering then. Trauma has a strange effect. We all know that.”

The officer scratched his stubbled chin. “True. I expect you can provide case reports for this investigation?”

“My supervisor can provide the information you need. I’ll give you her number. Her name is Alanna Dillinger,” Ricky offered smoothly.

As Ricky and Phineas worked their magic with the officers, Suzi joined her friends. Officers took Jose and Jasper into custody, and Suzi hoped Phineas could secure their release now that they were back to their normal, unpossessed selves.

“Where to now?” Tom asked, examining the hole in his shirt.

“I’ve got some trash to take out. And I have to destroy this knife. It’s too dangerous,” Suzi declared, scanning the room. “Has anyone seen the orb?”

“That little golden ball?” Kyle raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Suzi confirmed. “Well, it would be a large lead ball right now.”

As if on cue, an officer entered through the office door, carrying the hefty sphere. Ricky and Phineas exchanged a look with Suzi that seemed to say, “Why can’t you pick up after yourself?”