Revenge, Photos and Covenants

Chapter 18: Ritual

In the dimly lit chamber, Jessica stood before the sacred altar under the parish, watching Father Bill's face as he prepared a tea. The candlelight flickered as he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve the small vile of cyanide. The scent of Earl Grey tea hung heavy in the air, mixing with the sweet almond smell as he opened the vial.

"Please, Bill," Jessica pleaded, her voice strained with emotion. "You don't have to die. You could live as a vessel."

Father Bill shook his head firmly"You know the exorcist code, child. As exorcists, our soul must remain pure." His eyes, filled with regret and sorrow, met hers. "I brought this upon myself, I was so blinded by my own beliefs I couldn't see how I had become the villain."

"But if we find Ethel and kill her for what she has done to you," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You could be freed from the curse."

Father Bill extended his hand. "You're not listening, all Ethel did was protect Zack from me, and then try to save my life. I instigated it, I kidnapped the boy and I intended to kill him. I became like Abby, so lost in my own experiences that I couldn't acknowledge something new like the love between an exorcist and a vessel. I hope that Deb shows us the way otherwise the exorcist may just die out. Now if you truly want to help me, get me a pen and some paper."

As Jessica fumbled in her pockets for a scrap of paper as Pablo entered the chamber, his eyes flashing with intensity. "Is the Father ready yet, the council has approved your request," he urged, his voice firm yet gentle. "Jessica you may carry out the exorcism in any manner you see fit. Please ensure Father Bill will die with dignity and the demon is cast down to hell."

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At Rob's birthday party, laughter and cheerful conversations filled the air. The guests had reached the giggly stage of drunkenness, their faces flushed with amusement and desire. Ahmed, seeming dazed, continued passing out jungle juice to as many guests as possible. As he came around the corner he spotted Sarah all by herself without a cup in her hand.

"Here you go, Sarah," he said, handing her a red solo cup filled with the deceptively sweet concoction. As Sarah raised the drink to her lips, her gaze locked onto Deb, who stood across the yard. Deb caught her staring and glared at Sarah before slipping deeper into the crowd. This was all Sarah needed to confirm that in her mind Deb saw the photos on her camera.

"That bitch," muttered Sarah under her breath, tossing the drink into the garbage. Ahmed watched the cup disappear into the trash and seemed almost annoyed but continued to his other guests.

Ahmed then approached Zack, holding out another glass. "Come on, have a drink!" he insisted.

"I can't drink tonight," Zack replied, casting a wary glance toward where Deb had disappeared. He didn't want to risk ruining his apology to her. "It's...I have something I need to do."

"Is this about Deb?" asked Ahmed following Zack's gave.

"Maybe," Zack admitted, "Things have been shakey since she told the exorcists about Boon. I know she was just trying to keep people safe but it felt like she was giving the enemy our secrets. Like how can I trust her with vessel info if she is just going to turn around and hand it over to the people who want to kill us?

"Wow, sounds like you actually could use a drink," Ahmed said as he took in Zack's words.

"You know what," said Zack with a sigh. "You're right." He downed the glass of liquor in a couple of swigs, hoping to calm his nerves. He turned to thank Ahmed for listening but he was nowhere to be found, shrugging it off he decided to continue looking for Deb.

Deb had made her way back into the house with Sarah close behind. They entered Ahmed's room which was being used to store the guests' coats, stacks were piled high on the floor and bed. Sarah moved to close the door, but Deb shot her a warning glance, prompting her to leave it open.