Cursed Souls

Ten

The girl in chains wouldn't stop staring. Even from across the meeting room, her blue doe-eyed stare always found its way back to me, eyes widening as if she was excited to see me.

She was pretty. A few inches taller than me, her round face and long blonde hair provided the picture of innocence, marred only by the cult's influence on her robes.

Dorian couldn't stop staring at the way they draped her body, highlighting her curves. As her pink tongue darted out to wet her perfect lips, his eyes followed, drinking in her every move.

A vile taste settled in my mouth and I found myself clenching my teeth in frustration. Was I jealous? Sure, Dorian was handsome, but he was an absolute ass.

Despite trying to shake it off, I still had butterflies from when he hugged me earlier. The feeling of his sculpted body against mine, the warmth... I wanted to feel it again, but here he was making eyes at some strange cultist.

I shook away the thoughts, I wasn't here to catch feelings. I was here to get rid of a demon for fucks' sake. Since when had I become so distracted? Dorian and I shared a moment, that's all. He could look at who he wanted, I had bigger things to worry about.

A low rumble in the back of my mind; "pathetic." Tevras had heard my every thought, and my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Having a demon in your head could be a real bitch sometimes, but now he was here, I was curious.

"Why did you help me like that earlier? Why did you make the sadness go away?" I could feel the force stirring in my head. "You were pissing me off." He replied. "Your emotions make it... Busy. I was cramped. I didn't do it for you." Well. That answered that.

A loud dragging noise brought me back into the present as Tess pulled out a chair at the head of the table and plopped down, calm and composed as usual, her bandaged shoulder peeking through her blazer.

"Where were you?" Her voice was stern and accusatory, enough for Dorian to look at her instead of the girl.

"We went for a walk, Eve wanted to see her family, and her brother wants to help." He was so nonchalant, I'd never noticed how attractive it was before.

Tess rolled her eyes. "Of course you did. It could be useful, I'll think about it. But this is why we're here." She yanked the chain of the girl in the corner and pulled her over to the table.

"This is Anya. Our spymasters found her trying to enter the abandoned building last night." She faced the trembling girl, "tell them what you told me."

Anya was timid, she could barely make eye contact with any of us, except Dorian of course. He nodded at her, dishing out a charming, reassuring smile, and that pang of jealously returned once more.

"I will start by saying I am a servant of the cult, however, I do not agree with their motives. When I discovered they wanted to unleash the demon and it's power, I left. Alone. I wanted to stop it." Anya's voice was lilted and sweet, accompanied by a strong and beautiful accent. One look at Dorian told me he was entraced.

"I overheard them talking about a woman who intercepted the ritual. I was at the building looking for her, the cult knows she houses the demon within her, and I want to help remove it."

"Do you know how?" Tess asked. Anya nodded, the rattling of her chains filling the room. "It is a simple reverse ritual, all I need to do is return the woman to the place of summoning, repeat the chant used and force the demon back to the Ether Plane. I need a Plane Walker to create the portal, but the rest should be simple."

Tess nodded, rising to her feet. "Thank you Anya. I'll brief our Plane Walker."

"Wait!" She said, "the cult is working out of Ireion, and this demon is only part of their plan. I was not able to discover much, but this demon holds immeasurable power second only to an archdemon. This is why the cult want it so much. They seek to harness it."

I shuddered, staring at the crest of the cult on Anya's robe, watching as Tess removed her chains.

Immeasurable power... I knew Tevras was dangerous, but I never imagined this. As if on cue, his icy fingers slid over my mind. "Harness me? Insufferable humans don't know what they're messing with. It's been a pleasure, Evita."

A familiar, terrifying sensation shot through my body. A voice that wasn't mine tore through my throat. "YOU WILL SET ME FREE, BUT YOU WILL NOT SEND ME BACK. I COMMAND IT!"

Dorian's hands grabbed my wrists in an effort to restrain me, but Tevras heated my skin, and Dorian touched nothing but fire. "RELEASE ME!" He roared, causing the walls to shake.

I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, my body twitching and reeling under Tevras' control. Anya was quaking in fear, fat tears cascading down her perfect cheeks. Tevras lunged for her, wrapping my hands tight against her throat, the heat from my palms searing her skin.

My head whipped around, facing Tess. "RETRIEVE YOUR PLANE WALKER, WE LEAVE NOW OR SHE DIES." My hands squeezed tighter and Anya began to choke. "Dorian, go!" Tess shouted. She shoved him out of the room, barricading the door to protect the rest of the Guild.

I watched, helpless as Tess pulled out her revolver, lining me up in her sights. "Let go of her or I shoot!" My hand ceased burning, but gripped slightly tighter. "DO AS YOU WILL, BITCH, THIS ISN'T MY BODY." Tevras was maniacal, laughing and taunting, whilst I was a prisoner in my own body, kicking and screaming.

The seconds dragged by until Dorian broke through the door with Sonny in toe. "Open a portal to the cellar, Sonny. Now!" Tess sounded frightened and rushed, the situation was getting out of control.

Tevras released my grip on Anya's throat, instead grabbing on to her wrist, pulling her close to me and Sonny created the portal. "THE BOY STAYS" Tevras growled, nodding towards Dorian. Tess was forlorn as she told him to do the demons bidding and wait in the room for us to come back.

One by one we stepped through with Sonny bringing up the rear. Tevras threw Anya into the middle of the room, laughing as she fell. All I could do was watch. Anya stood, pointing at a sigil on the floor.

"Stand here please." Her voice was raspy from where I'd squeezed her throat. The guilt was swallowing me whole.

I willed my body to feel as heavy as I could, but Tevras was stronger, forcing me to the sigil step by step. Tess and Sonny stood behind us as Anya began to chant. It sounded similar to the one I'd heard before, but more foreboding, more eerie.

Her innocent voice made the words sound tainted, like they weren't supposed to be coming from her body. A powerful emotion flowed through me, "I'm free".

The sconces around the room began to flicker one by one, and an ominous red light rose from the sigil on the floor. I felt my body slowly returning to me.

A ripping sensation began at the bottom of my spine, tearing my skin as it travelled up towards the base of my neck. I was screaming, I know I was, but the pain was almost too much to bear. On and on it tore through me, the agony was inescapable. By now, all I could imagine was my blood and skin covering the floor as this dark force took Tevras from my body.

My throat was raw and my body was convulsing, convincing me that this was the end.

My scream was then joined by another, a deeper, louder voice. I fought through the pain to open my eyes, amazed to see Tevras next to me, his red irises staring right back at mine.

It was a cacophony of pain. All I knew was anguish and terror as the onslaught continued, as Anya kept chanting. I barely noticed as the tell-tale flash of magic sparked behind me and a dash of brown leather bolted into the room.

Coming straight for us, Dorian was sprinting with his arms out. Closer and closer, I heard a medley of crashes, bangs and foul language as he pushed Tevras into a portal behind him. I watched through a deep red haze of pain as Sonny closed it.

The portal to the Ether Plane.