Love & Exorcisms | 18+ | COMPLETE |

- Chapter 68 -

It took Damian mere seconds to pull out his pistol, and only a moment more to pull out my cleaver and thrust it toward me. "Protect yourself," he muttered, his attention already back on Abraham and Margaux. Abraham had backed away, his hands raised. Margaux was sniffling, slowly wiping tears from her face as she shook her head.

"We mean no ill things toward you," Abraham said carefully. I watched them from around Damian, clutching my cleaver tightly. I felt better with it in my hands - a shining barrier between myself and the wicked world. "Forgive us for not telling you. We expected fear from you, and wish only to help."

"I want no help from Carnickey's lot," Damian snarled. "I take no stock in the words of his blind followers-"

"I am blind no longer, friend!" Abraham's voice was hopeful, pleading. "I was young, foolish, blind indeed. I was swept up in the words of a man who has mastered his preaching, his persuading tales! Margaux set me free, when we met." He looked back at his wife, smiling at her as she smiled tearily back, nodding her head. "I aim only to undo the harms that I've had a hand in bringing to fruition."

There is no undoing, no going back. What's done is done and fates have already been decided.

Damian did not lower his gun, but nor did he aim to make an escape. I longed to cover myself, but what did it matter now? Standing before the man who had created these scars...not carved them, no, but who had given his knowledge to their creation... I did not know whether to laugh or cry. Would there ever be a way I could turn and not find myself face to face with danger?

"Please, Samara," Margaux wiped at her face, but her flow of tears had not stopped. "Please. Abraham knows the names of the demons inside you. He was the one who discovered their seals, he can help you!"

My heart thundered at that. He knew their names? After all our struggles, our worrying, our frantic research - he knew their names? Both Damian and I looked to him for confirmation, and Abraham nodded. "I do. I know them. I found their seals in an ancient tome, translated them myself. I gave them to James in good faith. He was my friend once - at least I thought him so. He persuaded me his cause was noble. "Humans are a bane!" he told me. "They've fallen away from old faith." He aimed to bring that faith back, to put the fear of God in folk again. Even...to fulfill God's Holy Word..."

"We have no time for fairytales," Damian said tightly. "Tell me their names then."

"It is not that simple-"

The pistol cocked, the hammer clicking into place. "Make it simple. I'm out of patience."

Abraham's hands shook. Margaux's weeping grew louder. I could feel panic swelling in me.

"My friend," Abraham sounded breathless. "If you would but allow me to explain-"

"Your explanation needs to be their names!" Damian thundered toward him, leaving me behind, trembling as I gripped the cleaver. "I care not for what fanciful words Carnickey fed you to make you believe it was wise to summon a Legion! I do not care what foolishness you believe you've overcome! Right it! Their names, sir!"

"Stop!" Margaux shrieked, throwing herself between her husband and Damian, staring down the barrel of the pistol. "Please, stop this, I beg you. Don't you know what's inside her? It's not simple! It was never simple!" She looked frantically between Damian and I, trembling, terrified but unmoving. She would shield her husband even if it meant her own life.

And I knew.

I lowered my cleaver. "Damian. Damian! Put down the gun. Please."

He glanced back at me. Furious, nearly shaking. I knew that if the gun was pointing the other direction, he would have stepped between it and myself without hesitation. I came up to him slowly, one hand on his arm, easing it down. "Please. Please stop. They won't hurt us."