The Devil's Tail - The Devil Chronicles Book One - ROUGH DRAFT

Chapter Ten

They made it back to the house after the New Year's party from a car ride from Mr. Bedford himself. How he managed to fit the two of them in the van alongside seven children was a mystery to them. Marty pulled her body together to avoid being claustrophobic, but it just made her feel more claustrophobic.

"Thanks for the ride. We had a great time."

"And I'll see you at church more often then? You too, Mr. Cross. You have to keep coming." He winked.

Levi felt the cigarette box in his pocket bulging, ever so noticeable. It was still unopened from when he received it. "I'll see what I can do."

"Oh wait, I got something for you...as a new member." He rummaged through the console and pulled out a small vial of holy water with the church's name and address engraved on the plastic. "I'd usually use them during baptisms and demon releasing exorcisms. But, sometimes they make great mementos." He reached over his daughter to the open window to hand it to him. He took it in his gloved hands reluctantly.

"Dad!" Emma moaned. "You don't need to keep giving those out. Just go back to the pens."

"It can come into use. You can sprinkle some on a salad if you eat salads, son."

"Urgh! You can't even perform exorcisms any more! The committee barred you since Mrs. Wenthorn said her cat got even worse."

"Emma," he growled. "Don't mind her. She's just sleepy. You two get in safely. Tell your parents I said hello, Marty."

"Will do!" She waved and made her way to the front door as the car pulled out of their driveway. Levi followed closely behind. "I hope they're not up...."

"We could always tell them."

"No. You know Shkeesha wanted you to stay low, you told me that yourself. And we're already --" she glanced at the bottle of holy water he held in his open palm. She grabbed it from him and pried open the top, tossing the cheap plastic to the ground. She pulled up her sleeve and tipped the bottle, pouring most of the contents over the Mark.

"Hey! What are you?!"

She forced his wrist under the stream of holy water.

The front door flung open, paired with airy high-pitched, sputtering noisemakers. "Happy New Year!"

The bottle fell from Marty's hand and stumbled to the ground.

Her parents' whistle faded into a pathetic pfffft. Their mouths fell open.

Marty pulled her arm back to herself, and Levi tucked his hands into his back pockets, his wrists now burning. "Hey," she drawled with a smile.

Mr. and Mrs. Reiling and straightened their backs and allowed their faces to relax into a neutral state.

"Sorry," her mother stuttered. "I didn't realize you had someone with you." She blushed. "Diana Reiling. It's a pleasure."

She held out her hand. Levi's lifted his gaze from his hooded eyelids and pulled his hand out to take hers.

"Leviathan Cross."

"This is Levi," Marty added with a flair of her arms. "We just came from the church party and--"

"Have you been drinking?" her father interrogated, curtly.

"What?! No! It was church." She drew her arms to her side and leaned backward on her heels. Her eyes were burning in the corners.

"Heh, and we all know how that Kool-Aid is."

"John, please." Diana put a hand to her husband's chest.