Chapter 24

The next morning, after barely managing to get any sleep, Amara joined up with Nick at his apartment before classes began. She collapsed on his bed, eager to vent about how poorly last night had gone, before sharing every detail she could remember. Best case scenario, he might notice something she didn’t about the scene, and worst case, she got to vent to him about how frustrated she was.

“—and thankfully she was able to heal her shoulder, but even though her magic wasn’t directed at me, it still felt awful. How are we going to fight together if being near her causes my whole body to seize every time she casts a spell?”

“I mean, maybe you can talk with her, try to figure out a way for your inherent natures not to interfere with the other? How do you know your hellfire doesn’t do the same thing to her?” Nick asked, sitting next to her on the bed.

“Fuck, I hadn’t even thought about that.” Amara went quiet, wondering what it would feel like if angelic fire had erupted in front of her. “Ugh, I’m the worst!”

“C’mon, try to look on the bright side. Vee’s alive, and unharmed. She has her book back, and we don’t know how strong that makes her. Your fight on Halloween, she wasn’t using it, right? Maybe, now that she has it, this whole cult business will be a walk in the park!”

“I hope you’re right, I’m sick of Mr. Wellington’s fat stupid face,” Amara grumbled. She buried her head in a pillow, groaning loudly to try and vent her frustration.

“Well, about the cult, I think I’ve found a window for you all to try and get to the circle.” Nick said.

“Really?” Amara sat up quickly, eager to hear the news.

“It’s a little short notice, but it’s later today. Wednesdays are normally pretty busy, so a lot of classes are running. So long as all the teachers in the cult don’t cancel today’s classes, you might have a golden opportunity around one.”

“That’s perfect! I’ll text Vee and Tessa, and we’ll get lunch, then stop a cult! Nick, you’re the best!” Amara leaned in, hugging Nick tight. After hearing his back loudly crack, she remembered to loosen her grip slightly; she still wasn’t entirely used to her demonic strength. Pulling out her phone, she texted Vee and Tessa the details of the new plan. In just a few minutes, everyone had agreed to meet for lunch at Amara’s apartment.

Her sour mood somewhat abated, Amara quickly grabbed her backpack and prepared to leave. Nick, however, stopped her, a serious look on his face. “Amara ... look, I know things have been a bit weird recently. Halloween was tough, but that was a fight between two friends. This cult? This is serious business. Mr. Wellington didn’t hesitate to try and kill you all last night, and ... honestly, it’s really hard for me knowing the danger you’re throwing yourselves at. This isn’t a misunderstanding, this isn’t a mild disagreement, they want you dead. Brandon wants you enslaved. They’re going to do everything in their power to take you down.”

Amara pulled Nick in for a hug once more, squeezing him gently. “I know, Nick. This isn’t how I expected my year to go, and it’s not fair that you’ve been pulled into this. I’m doing my best to hide it, but ... I’m pretty scared. I’m not brushing off how serious this is. Yes, I want to make things right with Vee, but I could never live with myself if this cult unleashed Hell on Earth. By some crazy stroke of luck, I have the power to stop this, and I have to try.”

Nick sighed, leaning against Amara. “It’s not like I’m trying to talk you out of this. I’m proud of you, honestly, but it’s scary being on the sidelines. If today goes poorly, this could be the last time we—”

“Hey, don’t say that. I’ve got Vee with me, remember? I’ve literally got God on my side.”

“Well, if that doesn’t make me feel better, nothing will,” Nick said, laughing to himself. He pulled away from the hug, and let Amara be on her way.

As the clock struck noon, and the school’s bell tower rang out across the campus, Amara was pacing nervously in her living room. Vee and Tessa were likely only a few minutes out, and they had less than an hour to plan their attack and leave for Lysander Hall. Amara fidgeted with her phone, nervously checking her texts every few seconds. She expected Vee to arrive first, and she was trying to think of what she could say.

Before she decided on anything, someone knocked at her door. She ran to it quickly, but then paused. She took a deep breath and tried to open the door at a reasonable pace; no reason to let Vee know how nervous she was.

“Hey Vee, come on in. Tessa isn’t here yet, you know how she is,” Amara said, forcing a smile.

Vee didn’t respond. She set her backpack down on the counter, then grabbed a stool and took a seat. After checking her phone, she sighed and finally spoke up. “Did you get my order?”

“Yup, all here. Got Tessa’s too, hopefully the food will be here soon.” Amara checked the food order on her delivery app, then walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. She was giving Vee quite a bit of space, and trying not to stare at her as she tried to think of something to talk about. “Um ... how’s your shoulder?”

“Fine. I heal quickly when there’s no hellfire involved,” Vee said sharply.

“R-right, of course...” Amara swallowed nervously. “So, when you’re using that book of yours, speaking Enochian, I noticed my body gets real weird. It’s like I’m violently allergic to the magic, and I kinda seize up. Do you feel anything similar when I use my abilities?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

Out of curiosity, Amara manifested her tail. “How about now? Did you feel anything?”

Looking up, Vee flinched when she saw Amara’s tail. “I ... no, nothing.” Her eyes lingered on the tail for several more moments, but eventually she pulled out her phone and focused on that instead.

An awkward silence filled the room as both girls waited. Amara kept trying to think of something to talk about, but she knew Vee would only want to discuss business. Thankfully, they were only waiting a few minutes before Tessa arrived. She looked at Vee and Amara, both silently ignoring each other, then spoke up.

“Well, glad to see I didn’t miss brooding hour,” the Witch said, taking a seat at the counter.

“I’m here to stop a cult, Tessa, nothing more.” Vee set her phone down, then looked at Amara. “Is the food here yet?”

Amara checked her phone. “Actually, it is. Gimme a sec.” She returned quickly, eagerly handing out everyone’s food so they could get started.

“So, what’s the plan?” Amara asked, happily sinking her teeth into her burger.

“We keep Tessa safe so she can work on the portal,” Vee said. “Other than that? Just stay out of my way.”

“Shouldn’t we, like, discuss what our abilities can do? How am I supposed to stay out of your way if I don’t know what you’re capable of? You didn’t fight with your book on Halloween,” Amara said.

“Please, like I’m going to give you any details.” Vee continued eating, but Amara couldn’t help but notice that her eyes kept drifting towards Amara’s tail, which was currently wrapped around a drink. “Do you have to keep that... thing out? I’m trying to eat.”

“What, my tail?” Amara set down her drink. “It’s not some fancy accessory that I bring out for fun, Vee, it’s a part of me. If I keep it hidden for too long, I get kinda itchy? Like I’m cramping, but existentially. I don’t know how to describe it. You want to feel it?”

“Absolutely not!” Vee said, coughing on her drink. “You keep that thing far away from me!”

Tessa, having wolfed down most of her food already, finally spoke up. “Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. She can do this thing with the tip where she—”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Tessa,” Vee said, glaring at the horny witch.

Amara, having accidentally escalated the situation, decided it would be better to change the conversation entirely. She cleared her throat loudly, then started speaking as she moved her tail out of view. “What about the cultists?”

“The instant someone welcomes a demon inside of them, their soul is forfeit,” Vee said, casting another dirty look at Tessa. “The demon can also keep the body fighting past its normal limits, which means killing the body is the only way to ensure the demon returns to Hell.”

“I thought demons had to be banished?” Amara asked.

“This is possession, it’s different. They’re just using the human’s body as a vessel. If we destroy it, they have nowhere to go but back to Hell.” Vee finished up her food and stood up to throw all her garbage away.

“So ... we have to kill them?”

“They’re already dead, Amara. Even if we managed to capture them, and set up an exorcism, we wouldn’t be able to get them back. They’ve carved demonic runes into their bodies, and willingly surrendered themselves. If the possession had been forced on them, then an exorcism might work, but that’s not the case here. It’s kill or be killed.”

Amara went quiet, her thoughts drifting back to the upsetting ceremony she’d witnessed in the secret bunker. The whole experience had made her sick to her stomach, but after realizing that she’d watched a man die, that feeling returned with a vengeance. Even knowing that she wouldn’t be fighting humans didn’t help, they still looked like people. Would they scream in pain as Amara burned their flesh? Would they cry for help if Amara tried to slash their throats? Her breathing grew heavy, and embers from the Jade Palace began to fill her nostrils again. Before losing herself further, however, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her.

“Amara, hey! Stay with me!” Tessa said, grabbing her chin. “You’re at home, you’re with friends!”

Closing her eyes, Amara focused on Tessa’s voice and managed to pull herself together. She found herself staring into the witch’s eyes, though it seemed like her vision was slightly blurred. She felt a tear run down her cheek and swallowed nervously. “I-I don’t want to be a killer, Tess...”

Tessa threw her arms around Amara, hugging her tight as she whispered back. “They’re not people, Amara. You’re not even killing them; you’re just sending them back to Hell. This is nothing like Halloween.” Amara wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled back from Tessa. She nodded slowly, acknowledging the witch’s words, even if she didn’t fully believe them.

“Look, you all wanted my help.” Vee was staring intently at Amara, her eyes unyielding. “But we have to kill these demons. So long as their bodies are capable of breathing, they can be used against us. If I can’t trust you to do what needs to be done, then I’m out of here.”

“Oh, would you rather Amara be a heartless killer?” Tessa said, stepping closer to Vee. “If I remember correctly, you’re only alive because Amara is a better person than you thought she was!”

“What, am I supposed to thank her for only beating me within an inch of my life? It’s easy to sing her praises when she’s never done anything but fuck you!” Vee was now shouting, and Amara felt the back of her neck bristle as angelic energy radiated off Vee.

“STOP IT!” Amara yelled, jumping between her friends. She pushed them apart, looking between them both as she kept talking. “Vee, I’m not saying I won’t fight with everything I have. I’ve just ... I’ve never killed anything before, and it’s a big deal for me. And Tessa, Vee’s right to be concerned. This is serious business, and she’s the only one that’s extensively trained for something like this.”

Tessa crossed her arms and huffed, refusing to look at Vee, who was now walking away from them both. The angel grabbed her bag, then spoke up again. “Whatever. Look, it’s almost time to head out, we should grab our things.”

Over the course of the next few minutes, all three girls slowly prepared themselves in silence. Tessa pulled out her switchblade, her tattoos flaring as she let the knife swish through the air, then packed it into the bag that held her magic journal. Vee opened her Enochian Texts and cast a spell on herself, which caused Amara’s body to seize up again. Vee’s face scrunched in disgust as the spell finished, then she put her book in her backpack and zipped it closed. Amara, thankfully, didn’t need anything; her body was her weapon. She changed into one of her gym outfits, knowing she needed maximum flexibility, then covered up with some sweatpants and a baggy sweater so she wouldn’t get any looks around campus. Once ready, they closed the door behind them, and headed out.

It was time to go on the offensive.

The walk across campus was tense, and the yelling match in Amara’s apartment hadn’t done anything to calm Vee’s nerves. She still didn’t entirely trust Amara and Tessa, and it didn’t help that the witch was so quick to anger. Though, even with all the anger, Vee found herself continuously replaying one moment.

Amara, her eyes glazed over and staring into the distance, on the verge of a panic attack. Tears had formed in her eyes, and Tessa had stepped in to try and keep Amara grounded.

“I-I don’t want to be a killer, Tess...”

This was the person Vee remembered, the kind girl from Freshman Biology that was too squeamish to dissect an animal. Too shy to talk about sex, too nervous to go out and dance with her friends. Vee had always felt somewhat protective of Amara, especially with Tessa taking every chance to try and jump down her pants. This was the same person that Vee had tried to kill, the person Vee had convinced herself was nothing but a heartless demon, reduced to tears over the thought of hurting another human.

How is this the same person that almost killed me on Halloween? Unless ... she was just defending herself. Backed into a corner, scared that her friend had suddenly turned on her...

Vee shook her head, shocked at what she was thinking. Amara was a demon, end of story. She’d even been flaunting her tail at lunch, mocking Vee with it. Vee’s thoughts returned to some of her past teachings.

Doubt is the weapon of the enemy. Doubt can destroy even the strongest faith, and without faith, I am nothing.

Her thoughts continued to wage war with each other as they slowly approached Lysander Hall. She thought about this secret cult base that she’d never seen before, wondering if this was all a massive trap. She thought about Amara, so scared at the thought of being forced to kill. She thought about their fight with Mr. Wellington, who’d suspiciously been in the Dean’s office at the same time as them. She thought about the first friend she ever made at university, desperately texting her day after day, trying to apologize for her actions.

As usual, there were no answers to be found in the chaotic echo chamber of her mind. She eventually had to silence her thoughts, as they’d found their way into the elevator. Tessa revealed a secret button with her magic, one that led deep underground, and Amara took advantage of the privacy to pull off her baggy clothes.

Vee didn’t need to undress, thankfully, but she did have additional preparations to take care of. She opened her Enochian texts, briefly casting a short spell to magically bind her book to her hand. This particular spell had been born from her perceived shortcomings from her fight with Amara; she couldn’t afford to lose the book again. She noticed Amara tense in discomfort as she cast her spell and wondered how much pain she’d been in on Halloween, when she’d been trapped in a banishment circle.

Stop it, Vee. Stay focused.

Next, she summoned her angelic sword, grasping it tight as she felt the elevator start to slow. “Amara, keep them distracted. The more space I have, the more I can focus on my heavy hitting spells.”

Amara nodded slowly, her face filled with determination. “We’ll come out in a hallway. As soon as we see them, I’ll charge in, and hopefully that’ll buy Tess some space.”

Tessa spoke up next. “Once I’ve started, I’m going to be pretty oblivious to what’s happening. I’ll need one of you on me at all times, otherwise I’m done for.”

There was no more time to plan. The elevator landed, and a soft ding indicated they’d reached their destination. When the doors opened, Amara stepped out first, her body transforming before Vee’s eyes. After a quick flash of hellfire, she now had her wings, horns, and tail ready to go. Her hands were now covered with that strange black substance Vee had seen on Halloween, but they were also alight with flame.

Tessa went next, her switchblade circling her body as she headed down the hallway. She was clutching her journal tight to her chest, nervously looking from side to side.

Vee stepped off the elevator, carefully jogging forward as she held her book in front of her. She didn’t want to start casting until she knew what she was up against, so she moved slowly and deliberately as she waited for something to happen. Soon enough, she found herself leaving the hallway, looking into the main chamber of this strange, underground complex.