Witch {Book One} [UNEDITED]

XXV: The Black Lotus

I stood up from where I was sitting in Common and turned to face Sammy. 

"You're back . . ." I breathed. "Why are you back?! I thought you had Horsemen things to deal with in Baton Rogue!" 

Sammy ran a hand through her red hair. 

"We did. But we decided that your trials are more important than the Seals of the Apocalypse. We haven't even gotten the word to let us break the seals. So we're here. And we are no longer Insomnia," she said. "And what the hell is Lucy doing?!" 

We all turned back to Lucy. She was in the middle of some demonic pentacle, her eyes closed and her hands on fire. Thomason stood on one side of her, sprinkling salt and a reddish dust around her while Glitch was on the other side, speaking to her in what sounded like Latin. 

"Uh . . ." I brushed invisible dirt off of my black dress. "Summoning Jemma? We're trying to get her back because, ya know . . . Accidentally exorcised her . . ." I shot Flynn a guilty look, but he was grinning excitedly. "Lucy's the only one here who can freely travel to Hell and take people--or demons--back with her, since she is the Devil."

"Makes sense," Sammy said. 

Suddenly, Lucy snapped her head back and started screaming a scream so loud that some of the glass on the washing machines shattered. The flames were extinguished but there was still screaming. She looked as if she was in pain. Dark blood dripped from her nose and mouth. Lucy curled up, her knees and elbows hitting the linoleum with such force that the ground beneath her actually sank down. 

Then, as abruptly as it began, it stopped. The screaming ceased. The blood no longer flowed. Lucy simply sat up and then Jemma was next to her. Lucy had her hand gripped tightly around Jemma's bicep--the one with the nautical tattoo I liked. Jemma looked terrified, her pink hair dull and messy and her eyes full of terror and fear. There was dried blood all over her and her clothes were in scorched shreds, as if she was on fire. 

With a swift jerk up of Jemma's arm, Lucy was pulled to her feet. She wavered slightly but kept her ground. 

Then Jemma was on her knees. She was vomiting; blood and bile and other nasty things. Tears streamed down her already tear-stained face. Flynn rushed to her side and held her hair back, muttering soothing words to her as he did. Glitch and Thomason exchanged a look before staring at Lucy. The Devil was extremely pale and looked like she was about to vomit as well. 

"Safe House," Alice whispered. "Let's get them to safe house. That way they can stop vomiting on our newly cleaned floors and we can get the Horsemen and Jemma dear acquainted with their new living conditions." 

We all--spare Flynn, Jemma, and Lucy--turned to face Alice. She was twirling a strand of purple hair around her bony finger. 

"Safe House?" Helena asked, one of her perfect blonde eyebrows raised. "The hell is that?" 

All of them then looked at me. 

"Let me explain . . ." I said. 

Fifteen minutes and a shit-ton of soap later, Common was clean and we were all standing on the doorstep of Safe House. Sammy looked horrified but maybe that was because she could sense all the death inside. Or maybe it was because she had never seen the Devil vomit in her whole life. 

I opened the door and started explaining why we decided on living here. Helena and Simon ran off to claim rooms and Flynn slowly walked with Jemma, planning on getting a room with her. Lucy was in the bathroom throwing up again and Gabriel was in the kitchen, alternating between smoking and drinking. Alice went to her room to be alone while Glitch and Thomason were in their room doing Devil-knows-what. I was left alone with Sammy. 

"Why?" She whispered, running her fingers over the faded, peeling wallpaper. "Why here?"

"No one'd find us. Sammy, the Hell Hounds are going after Thomason. They already tried killin' 'im. They wanna kill me, too. We gotta take precautions. It's safe. That's why we're callin' it Safe House," I explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sammy didn't  seem to get it. She didn't take her eyes from the wall, unable to peel her fingers off the wallpaper. 

"Where's your room?" She asked finally. 

"U'stairs. Wanna see?" I didn't wait for an answer before grabbing her hand and dragging her up the many flights of stairs to my room. 

She shivered when I opened my door but stepped inside and looked around. She said nothing as she turned and walked out. I followed her and watched her open the door left of my room. 

"Mine," she said, even though she barely looked around the room. It was grey in color, but it might've been white at one point in history. There was a large greyish bed in the middle of the room and a desk and bookshelf. That was it. 

I shrugged. 

"If you insist." 

"I do. Now. We need to talk." 

"We? As in, you and me?"

"As in everyone." 

I gathered everyone up and brought them to the large parlor on the second floor. Gabriel snagged the velvet sofa and took up the whole thing with his long legs. Lucy got a chair, but that was because she couldn't even stand. Everyone else sat on the floor and I leaned against the wall. We all faced Sammy. 

"Black Lotus," she started. Her voice was steady but her eyes darted around the room like she was looking for something. Or someone. Could be either in this old as hell house. "I was doing research in Baton Rogue and apparently unless we kill our cult, we are going to be targeted for a murder. A huge one. So we need to become a gang. We could be called Black Lotus but still be the Insomniacs. That way we won't be targeted by even more bastards wanting to kill us brutally. What do you say?" 

"Let's do it. Why the hell not?" Gabriel said, looking only at the ceiling. 

"Let's let Bandit decide, Bitchy Archangel," Glitch snapped. Gabriel shrugged. 

"What'd'ya say, Bandit?" Thomason asked. 

"Why the hell not? I'm still gang leader, though." I grinned and stood up straight. "Black Lotus. I like that." 

I was about to say something else when a crash sounded from above us.