Demons of the Rich and Famous (Demon Whisperer book 1)

Demon Whisperer chapter 8

Chapter 8

            A half hour after Rafi Habib jumped out of the window, the authorities showed up.  I spent the next two hours talking to them trying to explain what had happened.  Luckily, I had my exorcist license on me because much of what I said seemed to go in one ear and out the other of the officer I was speaking with.  Once I mentioned exorcism, his big eyes glazed over like chocolate covered donuts.  I got a lot of uhuhs and oh yeahs but that was cool with me because I hated having to justify myself to a bunch of laymen.  The fact that I was only seventeen, nineteen with my fake ID, didn’t help either.  No one thought someone my age could possibly do what I claimed I could do.  Although an exorcist could be licensed as soon as he turned eighteen, most of them were older, median age of thirty.  I was an anomaly even in this supernatural world.

            The hard part was going to come when the I.O. showed up and I had to explain my actions to them.  They would not be inclined to be understanding.

            And it was just my kind of luck that once the cops left, Remy Martin from the I.O. waltzed into the apartment bedroom.  I could tell by the way his hard gaze took me in that I’d already been tried and convicted.  Guilty on all counts of all charges.

            The paramedic had just finished wrapping up my injured hand when Remy finally decided to acknowledge my presence.  “What the hell happened here, Caden?”  His voice was heavily laced with an irritating French accent.

            I shrugged, not meeting his gaze, and picked at my bandage.  “Something went wrong with the exorcism.”

            “Obviously.  How did you let a demon get away?”  He swept his arm around the room to indicate all the collateral damage I’d caused, including an unconscious teenage girl who’d been put in an ambulance and driven to the children’s hospital.

            “That girl is probably brain dead and her father,” he continued, “well, who knows what the hell will happen to him.  He could be dead in an alley somewhere.”

            “Well, technically the demon will need him alive to play host, so he’s probably not dead, not yet anyway.”

            But Remy didn’t seem all that pleased with what I’d said.  I noticed the vein at his right temple throbbing rhythmically. 

            “I don’t like you, Caden.  I really don’t.  You’re a punk ass snot-nosed kid.”  His hand at his side balled into a tight fist.  “The I.O only tolerates you out of respect for your father.”

            That had my back up, but I couldn’t deny it.  I just hated being reminded of that all the damn time.

            “You’re careless, reckless, and a hot shot show off.  That makes you a danger to everyone around you.  Because you think you have it all under control.  The cool and charming Caden Butcher, the youngest licensed exorcist, the exorcist to the stars.”  He waved his hand in the air as if showcasing a movie poster or a billboard.  This by the way would be very cool to have.  “Whoop-di-do-da-do.”  He glared at me, the color in his eyes actually darkened a shade or two.  “You screwed up here, Caden.  You lost control and two people are seriously injured, one of them will likely die.”

            “It wasn’t technically my fault.  Mr. Habib broke the circle.  He cut the ropes off the kid—”

            His hard penetrating look cut me off.  I’d never seen him like this.  Like he could rip my throat out without a second thought.  It was frightening and had me swallowing the fear.