Sacrifice (Revelations Book 1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Mia Bishop
demon by the throat. Meredith covered her ears to block out the screeching death cries, but Nico knew it was far from over. Dragging the creature off the table he slammed it into the wall, digging the stake into the drywall to pin it in place.
He dusted off his hands and walked over to the bowl of holy water. "Time to go, demon."
"Go to Hell, Priest," it spat back.
"Already there, asshole."
He walked back to the demon and chanted over the bowl as the thing thrashed, cursing and wailing in pain. Nico dipped his fingers into the water, flicking the holy water onto the creature. "Crux sancti patris Benedicti."
The demon growled. "You have no idea what you are unleashing."
Nico knew this trick, the demons would talk, try to bargain and threaten their way out of their banishment. It wouldn't work. "Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur!"
"I'm telling you, I am keeping her alive. You'll regret this."
"Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non draco sit mihi dux!" Nico gripped the demon’s jaw forcing it open.
"There is..."
Pouring the holy water down the demon’s throat, he recited the last of the prayer. "Get thee behind me, Satan, Vade retro Satana.”
The demon shuddered, the holy water bubbled inside its mouth and sounded like a fire roaring its way down the abomination's throat, but it uttered one last word before it succumbed to its death. "More."
Nico let the body fall to the floor. His eyes widened as he spun around to see the girl arching her back, she was speaking in tongues and reciting demonic scripture. Nico took a step back. "There's more."
Meredith paled. "What do you mean there is more? Inside of her? Can they even do that?”
He rushed to the girl’s side. "I didn't think they could, but somehow they did." Wiping his hand over his face he gave his tired eyes a moment, closing them so he could concentrate. "Meredith, get me more water. It's going to be a long fucking night." He picked up the stake from the floor and wiped the tip on his pants before heading back over to the table. Taking a deep breath, he began the process over again.
CHAPTER TWO
The sun crested over the horizon as Nico pulled the last demon from the woman. He was running on auto-pilot after sixteen straight hours of exorcising demon after demon. None were as strong as the Brimstone but all of them put up a fight. Ten in all. Their charred corpses burned in the living room fireplace. The acrid stench of burning demon flesh was masked by the herbs the Striga packed around the bodies in the hearth. Arveda ordered her daughters to start stoking the fire after Nico had pulled the third demon out. Now the flames were slowly breaking down the remains. Exhaustion took its toll on everyone.
He executed the last demon quickly and made his way over to the woman. "Hey?" Lack of sleep had extinguished any reserves of niceties he might have harbored. Giving her sunken in cheeks a light smack. "If you're alive, open your eyes."
Meredith crossed her arms over her chest. "You're a fucking Neanderthal. Check her pulse."
Rolling his eyes, he placed two fingers to the pulse point in the woman’s neck. He had one flicker of hope this time would be different, that all of his hard work would pay off and he had saved her from possession. But the lack of pulse told him he'd needlessly gotten his hopes up again. He shook his head. "It's no use, Meri. There were too many inside her, the poor thing never stood a chance."
"No, that can't be right. She can't be dead."
"She is. The Brimstone demon was probably right, they were keeping her alive."
Meredith lifted her chin defiantly. "You're wrong, she isn't dead."
"Meri, there is no pulse. It's over."
Arveda stormed into the kitchen. Nico’s feet left the floor the moment she extended her hand and the room whizzed by as he was propelled into the wall. The air rushed from his lungs at the crushing weight of his body meeting the solid surface. "The child can’t be dead. It’s not her fate to die this
He dusted off his hands and walked over to the bowl of holy water. "Time to go, demon."
"Go to Hell, Priest," it spat back.
"Already there, asshole."
He walked back to the demon and chanted over the bowl as the thing thrashed, cursing and wailing in pain. Nico dipped his fingers into the water, flicking the holy water onto the creature. "Crux sancti patris Benedicti."
The demon growled. "You have no idea what you are unleashing."
Nico knew this trick, the demons would talk, try to bargain and threaten their way out of their banishment. It wouldn't work. "Eius in obitu nostro praesentia muniamur!"
"I'm telling you, I am keeping her alive. You'll regret this."
"Crux sacra sit mihi lux! Non draco sit mihi dux!" Nico gripped the demon’s jaw forcing it open.
"There is..."
Pouring the holy water down the demon’s throat, he recited the last of the prayer. "Get thee behind me, Satan, Vade retro Satana.”
The demon shuddered, the holy water bubbled inside its mouth and sounded like a fire roaring its way down the abomination's throat, but it uttered one last word before it succumbed to its death. "More."
Nico let the body fall to the floor. His eyes widened as he spun around to see the girl arching her back, she was speaking in tongues and reciting demonic scripture. Nico took a step back. "There's more."
Meredith paled. "What do you mean there is more? Inside of her? Can they even do that?”
He rushed to the girl’s side. "I didn't think they could, but somehow they did." Wiping his hand over his face he gave his tired eyes a moment, closing them so he could concentrate. "Meredith, get me more water. It's going to be a long fucking night." He picked up the stake from the floor and wiped the tip on his pants before heading back over to the table. Taking a deep breath, he began the process over again.
CHAPTER TWO
The sun crested over the horizon as Nico pulled the last demon from the woman. He was running on auto-pilot after sixteen straight hours of exorcising demon after demon. None were as strong as the Brimstone but all of them put up a fight. Ten in all. Their charred corpses burned in the living room fireplace. The acrid stench of burning demon flesh was masked by the herbs the Striga packed around the bodies in the hearth. Arveda ordered her daughters to start stoking the fire after Nico had pulled the third demon out. Now the flames were slowly breaking down the remains. Exhaustion took its toll on everyone.
He executed the last demon quickly and made his way over to the woman. "Hey?" Lack of sleep had extinguished any reserves of niceties he might have harbored. Giving her sunken in cheeks a light smack. "If you're alive, open your eyes."
Meredith crossed her arms over her chest. "You're a fucking Neanderthal. Check her pulse."
Rolling his eyes, he placed two fingers to the pulse point in the woman’s neck. He had one flicker of hope this time would be different, that all of his hard work would pay off and he had saved her from possession. But the lack of pulse told him he'd needlessly gotten his hopes up again. He shook his head. "It's no use, Meri. There were too many inside her, the poor thing never stood a chance."
"No, that can't be right. She can't be dead."
"She is. The Brimstone demon was probably right, they were keeping her alive."
Meredith lifted her chin defiantly. "You're wrong, she isn't dead."
"Meri, there is no pulse. It's over."
Arveda stormed into the kitchen. Nico’s feet left the floor the moment she extended her hand and the room whizzed by as he was propelled into the wall. The air rushed from his lungs at the crushing weight of his body meeting the solid surface. "The child can’t be dead. It’s not her fate to die this
Readers choose
Alvania Scarborough
A.J. Downey
T. Anwar Clark
Paul Adam
David Adams
Charlie Smith
Loving Libby
Kathryn Le Veque
Shirlee McCoy
Anna Cleary