Daywalker chronicles com.., p.47
Daywalker Chronicles Complete Series Boxed Set, page 47
“Dylan has some flannel pajamas. That’s what he wears around the place when he’s lazy and wants to spend a day doing nothing.”
“Perfect!” Sloth clapped his hands. “I’ll take it!”
CHAPTER NINE
I decided not to text or even call Dylan, Dracula, Reginald, or Father Albert. I had a lot of updates. What I’d learned from Dennis—before Sloth possessed him—was the least important info I’d gained over the last few minutes. It was likely that the woman who had been possessed by Lust wasn’t anymore. Sloth could give us better up-to-date info.
I’d say I felt bad for Dennis the Possessed Pennis. Being possessed against one’s will had moral implications that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with, and his behavior before wasn’t necessarily his own fault. I was admittedly anxious about what the priest would think about it. Working with a demon? One who’d possessed a person no less? If push came to shove, if we couldn’t get past the ethics of possession, I might be able to use an Archeus crystal to make Sloth a golem. If we defeated the other Deadlies and he intended to stay on Earth, taking up permanent residence in a human wasn’t something we could tolerate no matter how much he helped us in the process.
For the time being, though, the situation was what it was. We had a real lead on the demons. If Zoey could reap them to the void, we could get our little team back together and handle this one gnarly demon at a time.
With Logan and Ian on the loose, courtesy of Wrath, and half the city indulging themselves to death via Gluttony, we couldn’t move too fast. A text message wouldn’t do. Neither would a phone call. Not given the gravity of the situation. Using my astral form, I could get back to the cemetery and have a conversation with the group that would probably be faster than if I tried to do it by phone or text anyway.
“Do you need anything before I go?” I asked Sloth.
The demon shook Dennis’ head. “I’m Sloth. I need nothing to do nothing.”
“Don’t you at least need to feed the body? Make sure Dennis is getting plenty of water?”
“He can’t die so long as I’m still inside of him.”
“Yeah, but what happens when you leave and he hasn’t had any sustenance?”
Sloth shrugged. “Not my concern.”
“It’s my concern. He’s a human being. Also, is Lust’s influence still in there?”
“My brother’s vice can’t endure while he’s possessed.”
I cleared my throat. “The man’s wellbeing is my concern, even if it isn’t yours. I’m getting you a glass of water and you’re going to drink it before I leave to present the plan to my friends.”
Sloth grunted. “If I drink water, this body is going to have to pee. I can’t be bothered with urination.”
“Unless you want to do nothing while laying in a puddle of pee, in my bed no less, you’ll find a way to waddle your lazy ass to the restroom.”
“But I don’t wanna!”
“Tough. You said it yourself. If you had to do a few things now so you can get rid of your brothers and do nothing forever after, you’ll just have to buckle up and do what has to be done. That includes peeing in a toilet.”
Sloth sighed. “This is so stressful!”
I smirked. “Tell me about it.”
I got Sloth a glass of water and watched him drink it before I left. The chances of him not peeing his pants, and my bed, were probably fifty-fifty. Sloth was determined to stop his brothers, but doing so meant going against his nature. Urination was along the same lines. The call of nature for Dennis meant taking a piss in the proper location. For Sloth, it meant doing absolutely nothing.
I touched my brooch and left the schoolhouse. The speed I could run was only limited by my ability to perceive my surroundings. If I went full astral and disregarded the physical world around me, I could run fast and get there in a second or less. I could just as easily overshoot my target location and end up in New Mexico.
I moved as fast as I could, passing through buildings and a few parked and crashed automobiles, on my way back to the cemetery.
When I got back, Alexander was still half-dead, recovering from his injuries.
The others were sitting in a circle next to Alexander.
When I reappeared everyone jumped a little—which must’ve taken some effort considering they were all on their butts at the time.
“Sorry about that!” I laughed. “Didn’t mean to startle everyone. I have a few significant updates. I’d ask if you wanted the good news or the bad news first, but it’s all so intertwined, I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Start wherever you think is best,” Dracula said.
I scratched the back of my head. “Well, I’ve met Sloth. He’s possessing Dennis.”
Father Albert sighed. “And what’s the good news?”
I tilted my head. “That was the good news. He wants to help. The bad news? Wrath already reached Logan and Ian. They’re out there, somewhere. Ready for more good news?”
“We could all use more good news,” Reginald said.
“Sloth wants to help. He isn’t on board with his brothers’ plan. He can tell us where to find the other Deadlies and who they’re possessing.”
Dracula stood and tugged at his cloak, the same kind of cape he was known to wear in the movies. “The question then is which demon we go after first. Given the gravity of what’s going on, I’d say it comes down to Gluttony or Wrath.”
Reginald cleared his throat. “From what we’ve seen so far, Gluttony has infected more people.”
“That’s true,” Dylan broke in. “But if Wrath has infected Logan and Ian, and probably others, people will die much more quickly. Gluttony is deadly, but it takes time to stuff oneself to death.”
I bit the tip of my thumb. “Sloth said that each of his brothers is the embodiment of their respective vices. He’s Sloth. He doesn’t just have the ability to spread his lethargy to others. He’s lazy himself. The same applies to Gluttony, Wrath, and the rest.”
Dylan stood beside me. “Then Wrath is the greater threat.”
Reginald also stood. “I’m as inclined to get Wrath out of the picture as you are. There are a few things I’ve learned about hunting monsters through the years. Wrath, himself, might be a more difficult demon to defeat if we face him head-on. Even though Dracula was always the most conniving and deadly villain my brothers and I always hunted. No offense, Count.”
Dracula chuckled. “No offense. I suppose, in a backhanded way, it’s something of a compliment.”
“I suppose it is. The point is that before you go after a challenging foe, it’s helpful to know exactly how you’re going to take him down. My brothers and I never figured out exactly how to kill Dracula—obviously. But we’d never have stood any chance if we didn’t get the requisite experience slaying lesser vampires.”
“Are you suggesting that going after Gluttony first would be the wisest course of action?” I asked.
Reginald nodded. “Indubitably. It’s a riskier proposition to go after a demon inclined to wrath if we don’t know for certain if our tactics will work than it would be to eliminate one prone to overeating.”
Dylan sighed. “If that’s the case, I have to go out there. I may be able to restrain Logan and Ian as their alpha. At the very least, it will buy the rest of you time to take out Gluttony so we can turn our attention to Wrath.”
“It’s risky, Dylan. If Wrath gets ahold of you we’ll have three werewolves to deal with rather than two. It won’t even matter if he gets you before or after you take control of the pack. He’ll use you the same either way.”
“I might be able to help with that.” Father Albert unbuttoned his collar from the back. He pulled a small necklace with a pendant dangling from it from around his neck. “This is a consecrated medallion depicting Saint Michael the Archangel. It should prevent the demon from affecting you.”
Dylan lowered his head as the priest hung his medallion on my boyfriend’s neck. “What about you?”
“I’m already consecrated by virtue of my ordination. I will be fine. You will need this now more than I do.”
I rubbed my brow. “No offense, Father. This is just a small trinket. Are you sure it will work?”
“It’s more than a trinket. If any of us have reason to doubt the other’s resolve, you’re the one who is trusting a demon to defeat demons.”
I shook my head. “I get it. It seems foolish, but knowing Sloth, his reasoning makes sense. He’s not doing this out of the goodness of his heart. If he has a heart, not to mention goodness. He’s doing it because he’s Sloth. His selfish interests and those of his brothers are at odds.”
The priest bowed his head slightly. “Which is why I will not question your judgment. I believe in a God who uses evil against evil. In the book of Habakkuk, the Lord told the prophet he intended to use vile Babylon to drive Israel to repent of its wickedness. A Roman cross was used for evil but was used by God no less to redeem the entire world. Sloth is every bit as evil as any demon, but who is to say a demon cannot be used to defeat demons? I’m standing here against my better judgment trusting a vampire who is trusting a demon in turn. I do so not because of any evidence that you or the demon are good, but because I believe in redemption. Even evil things, evil creatures and beings, can be agents of good if their hand is properly guided. Given my gesture of faith, I’m simply asking you to trust that this simple medallion by appearance will keep Dylan safe.”
I folded my arms in front of my chest and pursed my lips. “It’s a lot to trust. I’m not inclined to put faith in things I don’t understand.”
The priest smiled widely. “I wouldn’t trust anything I could fully comprehend. Not when lives are at stake. As a man of faith, that’s par for the course. I believe in a God who far exceeds what my mind could ever apprehend. I choose to take comfort in the mystery rather than fear it. After all, what deity whose being was limited to what human minds could fully comprehend would be a deity worth revering at all?”
“He’s right,” Reginald said. “I’m not an especially religious man. My family never was. My father taught us to rely on science as far as it could take us. He also taught us to respect magic and the spirits. I’ve known Father Albert a while, now. I don’t understand his faith any more than you do. What I can say is that he’s never led us astray. Not once.”
I uncrossed my arms and tucked my hair behind my ears. “I often rely on my intuition. It doesn’t make sense. There’s no rational reason to believe that my gut of all things would lead me down the right path.”
“I’m not talking about intuition—”
I cut off Reginald before he could finish. “My mind tells me that you’re a Van Helsing who until recently wanted me dead and that a simple medallion is nothing more than a hunk of metal dangling on a chain. My gut tells me to trust the both of you, despite a lack of any rational reason to do so.”
The priest smiled widely. “What you call your gut is closely aligned with conscience. I don’t expect you to adopt my faith, but I believe that the conscience is a part of the subconscious mind that remains in communion with the breath of God, the spirit that first gave all of us life. We all put our faith in something. Listening to your conscience is no better or worse than any other kind of faith. Your conscience has never betrayed you. My faith has never let me down. We’re more alike than you realize.”
I nodded, then turned and took Dylan’s hands. I rose on my tip toes and kissed him on the lips. “Be careful.”
Dylan kissed me back. “You, too.”
I turned to the others. “I need to get back to the schoolhouse and find out from Sloth where Gluttony is at.”
“I should be able to track Logan and Ian,” Dylan said. “I’ll get started right away.”
“I’ll come with you,” Dracula offered. “So long as we’re together, I should be fine. Gluttony’s influence isn’t strong and you could use as much help as possible.”
Reginald knelt beside Alexander. “I hope you understand that I need to stay with my brother.”
“I’ll remain here as well,” Father Albert said. “If you need to reach me, you have my number. Just be careful. Remember, if a demon possesses someone, there’s still a human being there to consider. If the host’s body is mortally wounded, the demon will be all that’s keeping him or her alive.”
I nodded. “Have you had any success with your rituals casting the vice out of Alexander?”
“So far it’s inconclusive,” the priest admitted. “I still have a few things I’d like to try.”
“Keep me updated. Let me know if it works.”
“We won’t know for sure if anything worked until Alexander revives and he’s off consecrated ground. Still, I’ll let you know if there are any developments.”
I pulled out my phone from my back pocket. “I’ll do the same. Time to call up an old friend.”
CHAPTER TEN
Dracula and I flew back to the schoolhouse. I still didn’t want to leave him alone. We didn’t know how much of Gluttony’s influence had a hold on him. So long as I flew beside him, he’d be able to resist whatever urges he might have.
It would take Zoey a little time to get to us. She had to contact Morty, her brother, in the underworld. She had a crystal that could make a portal to take her to him. As the Grim Reaper, Morty could make her a portal to the schoolhouse. Knowing both Zoey and Morty, though, I didn’t expect we’d be waiting more than a few minutes. An hour at most.
I knocked on my own bedroom door. I didn’t want to walk in on Sloth without warning.
“Come in!” Sloth shouted through the door.
I opened the door. Dracula and I stepped inside. Sloth was cuddled up in my sheets.
“Everything all right?” I asked.
Sloth sat up and looked at me with wide eyes. “Guess what I did?”
I tilted my head. “Nothing?”
“I wish, but no! I went pee in the potty!”
I clapped my hands. “That’s a good demon boy! I’m proud of you.”
Dracula cleared his throat. “We need the location of Gluttony.”
Sloth smiled widely. “I can give you his location and a general description of his new host.”
I raised an eyebrow. “He’s in a new host?”
“Stuffed the last one a little too full most likely. This is good news. It means he won’t be jumping to another host for at least a couple more hours.”
“It only takes him a couple hours to go through a host?”
Sloth shrugged. “My brother has quite the appetite.”
A portal formed in the middle of the room. Zoey jumped through, and Morty came through right behind her.
“Well look who it is!” Sloth exclaimed.
Zoey looked at me askance. “Seriously, Sienna? What’s this guy doing in your bed? I thought you were with Dylan. And he’s not your type.”
I huffed. “That’s just a host. Remember Sloth?”
“Seriously?”
Sloth didn’t sit up but assured Zoey, “It’s me! Really, it is!”
“I’m here to help as well,” Morty offered. “Whatever I can do.”
“Have your void crystal locked into your scythe?”
Zoey touched the sigil on her wrist. Her scythe appeared in her hand. “Locked and loaded. Ready to reap.”
Sloth belched. Everyone turned to him as if he’d just called us to attention. “Gluttony is at Olde Nola Cookery. He’s possessing a middle-aged man with a receding hairline. He’s a tourist.”
“How can you tell he’s a tourist?” I asked.
“He’s wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Do people usually wear those if they aren’t on vacation?”
“You’ve been in Hades for thousands of years. How you know something like that is beyond me.”
“In Hades with a lot of damned souls. You pick up a few things.”
“He might not be the only person there fitting that description. There are a lot of tourists in New Orleans,” I pointed out.
Sloth chuckled. “He’ll be the only one stuffing his face without clutching at his gut or puking all over himself.”
Zoey shrugged. “Works for me. Ready to go reap a demon?”
“Works for me!” Dracula echoed. “Good to see you again, Zoey.”
Zoey nodded at Dracula. “Likewise. Glad to see you’re still doing well. Relatively speaking.”
“Congratulations, by the way. I trust motherhood is treating you well.”
Zoey grinned. “It is. Still, I have to admit, getting back on the saddle and kicking a little supernatural ass feels pretty good.”
“Better hurry,” Sloth warned us. “Gluttony will eat his way through his current host before long. Given the number of folks already infected in the area, if he skips hosts again, he may have to expand beyond Bourbon Street.”
I cracked my knuckles. “All right, Zoey. Let’s do this.”
“All right Zoey?” Morty asked. “I’m here to help, too.”
“Don’t worry, Mort! We’re all a team. We are talking about reaping a demon, though.”
Morty nodded. “And with all the other people dying on the streets at the moment, I’m not only here to help. I’m here on business. There are souls to harvest.”
“Do you know the man in question? The one Sloth said is possessed?”
Morty shook his head. “None of these deaths were on our reaper schedules. They were not supposed to die. They’re all recent additions. We haven’t been able to keep up with it all. I’m here to help as many of the dead make it to the afterlife as possible. If the man in question is one of the new additions, I can’t say. At a certain point, I had to toss the schedule out and come here myself. More reapers are on the way.”
“This whole situation is throwing everything out of order,” Zoey explained. “It’s not just a threat to the earth. The underworld is also out of the loop. There’s no telling how many restless souls might be left wandering as ghosts if we don’t stop the demons.”
“Do what you need to do,” I told Morty. “We’re going to take out Gluttony.”
