“Please. Give me a break. What are you, eighteen years old?”
Malcolm scowled. “I’m twenty-one.”
“You’re just a child. Do you have any idea how long I’ve existed? I strongly suggest you leave me to my business right now or you’re going to regret it.”
Malcolm’s gaze finally flicked to Eden’s. “This woman is under my protection. So that makes this my business.”
Eden was surprised at this news. When did this happen? Not that she was complaining.
“Your protection?” Eden said aloud.
“Unless you’d prefer to deal with this creature on your own.”
She shook her head violently. “No, no. A little help would be fantastic, actually.”
“Can you please hold this for a moment?”
He handed Eden the knife and she stared at it with surprise before curling her fingers around the hilt.
Malcolm had given her a weapon? Had she missed a memo? Since when was he so trusting and helpful when it came to her?
Maybe Rosa had had a talk with him recently about his manners.
“No knife?” the drifter asked, almost bored. “Then whatever are you going to do with me, child?”
“Like I said before, I’m not a child.” Malcolm pulled a chain out from underneath his shirt. On the end of it was a rough, thumb-sized colorless crystal.
The drifter’s eyes widened. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m going to do more than think about it.”
The drifter looked frantically to her left and right, her blond hair tossing about. “Let’s talk about this.”
“Let’s not.”
“You son of a bitch—”
“My mother has nothing to do with this.” Malcolm smiled thinly. “Not today, anyway.” He began to speak Latin.
Eden clutched the knife and took a few steps back from him. Latin made her nervous. She knew what it could do. Nothing happened for a full minute, but the drifter’s expression continued to get more and more distraught, her breathing erratic. Vanessa began to shake.
He really was an exorcist. Rosa would be very proud.
“No,” the drifter managed. “Please stop!”
But Malcolm didn’t stop. He looked so determined that Eden was sure an earthquake wouldn’t stop him.
The drifter screamed, but it wasn’t any ordinary scream. It was high-pitched and inhuman. The sound reverberated around them and a stream of dark blue smoke exited from the girl’s mouth. Malcolm held up the crystal at arm’s length and the smoke went directly toward it as if it was a magnet and disappeared. The crystal turned blue and appeared to swirl and glow with energy.
The former host for the drifter staggered forward.
“What in the hell just happened?” she said, before she clutched at a support beam. The next moment she collapsed to her knees and passed out completely.
Eden held a hand to her mouth. “Is she—”
“She’ll be fine.”
“But she’s—”
“She’ll be fine,” he said again, firmly.
She turned her attention toward the crystal. “Is the drifter in there now?”
“Yes.”
“Can it escape?”
He nodded. “It can. This is a very weak prison. It wouldn’t take very long for it to figure out how.”
Leaning against her car was the only thing currently keeping her upright. “So what are you going to do?”
“This.” Malcolm bent over and placed the crystal on the ground. Then, without another word, he brought his thick-soled black boot down on it, crushing the shard into dust. There was a blinding flash of blue light. “It can be destroyed when it’s inside of a crystal by whomever trapped it. However, if the crystal is destroyed by someone else, the drifter or demon could still escape.” He turned to her and she noticed that his brow was now covered in sweat. He smiled. “Although, I suggest you never use a diamond. They’re nearly impossible to smash. This was a sodium chloride crystal. Or, in other words, a big piece of rock salt. Are you okay?”
She was finding it hard to breathe. “I’m… I’m okay now. Thank you for stopping her. Or him. Or whatever it was.”
“You’re very welcome.” He moved toward her but she held the knife up in front of her.
“Don’t come any closer.”
Malcolm stopped in his tracks. “I know you won’t believe this, but I mean you no harm.”
“Sure you don’t.”
“Why would I have just saved you if I wanted to hurt you?” He tilted his head to the side and frowned. “I don’t sense the demon anymore. Where is he?”
“He’s gone.”
“Where did he go?”
“Maybe I had him exorcised.”
He shook his head, any humor leaving his expression. “You’re in way over your head, Eden. Please let me help you.”
Help her? Why did she find that extremely hard to believe? But it had to be true. He’d just saved her life.
A rush of emotion came over her. “I think I do need help.” He nodded. “The demon must be destroyed. Do you see that now?”