Lost Souls

Chapter 9

"Does it feel weird doing magic rituals during the daylight hours to anyone else?" Rene asked. They had gathered in the backyard of the Shaun family estate. It was the only place private enough to do what needed to be done.

"You watch too many movies," John laughed.

"I wouldn't say that. I've just never known real witches before," she countered.

"Well, you should know that darkness and a full moon isn't always required." John smiled at her.

The Shaun back patio overlooked what felt like a vast field, filled to the brim of growing herbs and flowers. Upon first glance, Esmeralda would assume that they were farmers of sorts. But Bethany assured her that Delphine used their crops for potions and elixirs that the family has stockpiled for generations.

Knowing the dark magic tendencies of this family, Esmeralda was afraid to ask what they were preparing for.

"Everyone clear on the plan?" Bethany asked.

"You and John summon it, and then we recreate the banishment spell you did before," Esmeralda answered.

"And hopefully with my additional strength, we can banish it back to where it came from," John said. "And it sounds like Rene's psychic energy and your ghost energy somehow strengthened the spell last time. So we'll rely on that again."

"Got it," Esmeralda said. She hoped it would be that easy. If they could do what needed to be done in this moment, she could move on with her afterlife. She could get the closure she needs with her family, seeing them one last time. She'd check in on them, invisible of course, and then move on. Hopefully to a place of peace rather than pain.

"Let's do it," Bethany said. She took John's hand and they began to chant.

"Daemonium mortis. Cibi animarum. Spiritus viros neque sanctiores. Inferos autem de te vocamus in viribus nobis. vitam vocat ad mortem, mortem est ad vitam."

Rene clutched her chest. "I can feel it already," she said as they continued.

"Daemonium mortis. Cibi animarum. Spiritus viros neque sanctiores. Inferos autem de te vocamus in viribus nobis. vitam vocat ad mortem, mortem est ad vitam."

The sky above them took on a grey tint as the wind began to whistle. Rene took Esmeralda by the arm and pulled her a few steps back, putting distance between them and the witches.

"Daemonium mortis. Cibi animarum. Spiritus viros neque sanctiores. Inferos autem de te vocamus in viribus nobis. vitam vocat ad mortem, mortem est ad vitam."

The winds speed picked up and blew around them in furious spirals. The grey sky roared at them as dark clouds formed. A sense of foreboding his Esmeralda like a wave of exhaustion, stronger than anything she ever felt when she was alive. This feeling grew with the wind and angry sky. Just when everything swelled to the point that the world around them would surely erupt from the pressure of it all, there was nothing. The clouds cleared, the sun returned, and the wind subsided. A stillness so silent it was eerie.

"It didn't work," Bethany said, disappointed and surprised.

"It did." Rene said.

In a moment too fast for Esmeralda to comprehend, it was with them.

It towered over them. Its deep purple skin looked rough to the touch. The blood red hair was thin and stringy. The place on its face where there should have been eyes looked scarred and damaged. One of its ghost white arms raised and swiped at Bethany and John. The two of them went flying. It opened its mouth and roared at Rene and an unseen force pushed her backwards, leaving Esmeralda alone. Before she could find an appropriate reaction, the creature was already reaching for her.

"Hey!" Bethany screamed from the ground as she extended her arms upwards. The demon pulled away from Esmeralda as bright orange flames danced on its back. It let out a cry as it stumbled back and the flames fizzled out.

"Thank you," Esmeralda said as she disappeared in wisp of ghostly fog and reappeared besides Beth and John.

"I wont let that thing eat you," Bethany said as Esmeralda helped the two of them to their feet.

The creature turned to them and roared. THe sent of death and decay wofted into the air.

"Perhaps you should do the next spell!" Rene called out, keeping her distance.

"On it," Bethany called back. She pushed her hands out and two bursts of fire flew from her and towards the beast. It backed away from the flames with panic.

With the demon further back, Rene ran to the rest of the group. Bethany grabbed onto Esmerlada's hand and a comforting warmth came over her for a split second. Rene grabbed Esmeralda's other hand and the comfor was overshadowed by a feeling of power, their energies mixing together. John took the free hands of Rene and Beth, creating a circle.

Rene closed her eyes, and Esmeralda felt the surge the others were surly feeling as well. John and Beth began to chant.

"In potestate animam vocamus, in gratiam illorum. Quod magicae in nobis ossa et sanguis. Hanc malo suo ad inferos."

The demon attempted to step forward, towards them, but it was stuck. Immobile. It tried to pry its feet from the ground but they would not budge.

"In potestate animam vocamus, in gratiam illorum. Quod magicae in nobis ossa et sanguis. Hanc malo suo ad inferos," Bethany and John chanted again.

The demon let out a short cry, like an injured dog.

Beth and John began their third chant before a voice cut into their words.

"What the hell are you children doing?" Delphine said, emerging from the back door of the manor. She looked up at the demon, unafraid and furious.

"You have no business getting involved in the affairs of spirits, I told you this," she scolded. "Especially with the current state of the covens!"

"Grandma, either help us or stay out of our way!" John yelled at her. She looked at the circle they had formed with narrow eyes. She took a step towards them and the creature reacted to that motion. Its body dissolved into a wave of purple and white energy that fell onto Delphine. She was engulfed in the colors, and underneath the vibrant shaking of the energies she looked as if she were choking. She stood in place as her body bore the weight of whatever was happening. She held her chest and her face grew panicked. The energy bursted around her and filled the area like stars in the sky before shooting into her body like a million comets crashing to earth. The panic left her face and she smiled. She looked at the group, who had broken their circle due to fear and concern.

"Well, this is interesting," Delphine said, moving her body as if she was wearing clothing a size too small. Adjusting her body in a search for some sort of comfort. "I suppose you'll have to try a different approach." There was another voice speaking with her. Her pupils had turned to a glowing purple hue. She raised her arms and her body disappeared in a cloud of purple and red smoke.

The four of them stood there, alone and silent, unsure of what they had witnessed.

"I think we made it worse," Esmeralda said, feeling the need to draw attention to her pressing concern. "I don't know how we made it worse, but I know that wasn't good."

John nor Beth responded. Bethany looked at John, searching for some form of comfort or guidance while John just looked at the spot where their grandmother had been standing moments before. Esmeralda couldn't tell what he was expecting to see. His face was just blank.

"I think that demon," Rene said to John with delicate care. "I think it possessed your grandmother."