“You are a kook from a cult and I want you to back the hell up right now.” His hand tightened on Eden’s waist as Malcolm drew nearer. “Eden wants nothing to do with you.”
“You don’t understand…”
Eden knew she had to get Ben away from Malcolm. Slapping him was one thing — something she might be forgiven for eventually. If he found out she was possessed by a demon, then all bets were off.
“… Eden is possessed by a demon,” Malcolm finished.
Well, damn.
“What the hell did you just say?” Ben snapped.
Malcolm stood under a streetlamp that lit up his young, angelic face. “Eden is possessed by a demon that will slowly but surely drain her life away in its single-minded need to survive on this realm of existence. It’s part of what the Malleus fights against. Demons and witches — the army of Lucifer himself.”
“She’s possessed by a demon,” Ben repeated incredulously. “I should lock you up right now so you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else.”
A flash of frustration came over Malcolm’s face and he looked directly at Eden. “Do you refuse my help?”
She’d seen what he considered help. Even though she was furious with Darrak at the moment, she didn’t want him to be exorcised. She’d get rid of the demon on her own terms. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
“You would willingly assist a demon?” His expression darkened. “That makes you no better than the creature itself.”
“You need to—” she began, but Malcolm grabbed her throat and effortlessly pulled her away from Ben’s side.
What the hell? How strong was this kid?
“I will finish what I started with or without your help. I will save your soul.”
“Let go of her!” Ben snapped, and grabbed his arm, although despite being larger than Malcolm, he wasn’t able to budge the exorcist one inch.
Malcolm closed his eyes and began to speak in Latin again.
“Eden,” Darrak gasped. “You have to stop him.”
How was she supposed to stop him? His grip on her throat was so tight it was all she could focus on.
Then she gritted her teeth and glared at him, feeling a surge of anger fill her insides. She grabbed his arm and twisted it away from her. Malcolm yelped in pain and struck her with the back of his other hand, which hurt like hell but only helped the hot anger she was feeling burn away any other thought. Without thinking twice, she grabbed the front of his sweatshirt and shoved him as hard as she could.
He flew backward across the parking lot as if launched from a cannon and he hit a parked car, cracking the driver’s side window. He slumped to the ground unconscious.
She looked at Ben, who had been fumbling for his gun but had stopped in midfumble. He’d just watched her toss a grown man fifteen feet away from her as if he was no more than a rag doll. The same man he’d been unable to move.
“What the hell just happened?” he asked.
Good question.
“You’re stronger with me inside,” Darrak said. “It’s a protective measure in case someone tries to do us harm.”
Great. She was like a demonically enhanced Wonder Woman now. And how exactly was she supposed to explain that to Ben?
She licked her dry lips. “Ben, I–I don’t know how I managed to do that.”
“You had good leverage,” he replied. “That’s all.”
“Leave it to someone who’s not a true believer to draw their own acceptable conclusions,” Darrak said. “Despite that cross he wears around his neck, golden boy doesn’t want to know any of this exists. Even when he sees it right in front of his own eyes.”
“That makes two of us,” she muttered under her breath.
“Well, you might not want to believe it, but he flat out refuses to. There’s a difference.”
“You need to go home now,” Ben said. “We’ll have to grab dinner some other night.”
“What?” She was distracted, and she turned toward the cop.
“Go home, Eden. Get the restaurant to call you a taxi.” He moved toward Malcolm and looked at her over his shoulder. “I’ll take care of this.”
“Are you going to arrest him?”
Ben cleared his throat. “No, but I sure as hell plan to tell him when he wakes up that if he comes near you again he’s making a huge and regrettable mistake.”
She felt completely powerless. It wasn’t as if she really knew what to do in this situation. Malcolm knew that she was possessed. He wouldn’t give up. She’d seen it now.
“Do what he says,” Darrak said. “It’s the first thing he’s said tonight that I agree with.”
“Okay,” she said out loud. “And I’m… I’m sorry, Ben. For everything.”
He shook his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.”
“Now you’re just being nice.”
“I don’t do nice so well. But I do truthful great. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
She nodded. Ben didn’t make any move to come near her again. After the slapping incident she couldn’t very well blame him. Without another word, she left. The maître d’ called her a cab, and she took it back to her apartment.
She was quiet the whole way there. For that matter, so was Darrak, who hadn’t said a word since leaving the restaurant. But she knew he was still there. She could feel him.
Leena was curled up, in cat form, sleeping on the couch. She raised her furry head, blinked once, and went back to sleep.
Eden threw her keys on the kitchen counter and went directly to her room. She shut the door.
“I can’t deal with this,” she said out loud.
“Which part?” the demon replied.
“All of it. I’ve been trying to be patient, but this isn’t working.” She sniffed and realized with a sinking feeling that she was crying.
“Hey.” Darrak sounded disturbed by her outpouring of emotion. “It’s going to be fine. Really.”