The Demon's Gift

Untitled Part 2

Part One

Two Months Earlier

 It was dark. The bright summer sun had settled into its fall course, preparing for winter. It was the first time it'd started to dim by seven in a long time, but I was ready for it. It helped me, if anything. Natasha was right at my tail, her breath warm on my neck as we watched the coffee shop from afar, hidden behind a factory down the street. Finally, twenty minutes after closing, the second to last employee of the night left, leaving behind just the one.

I glanced sideways at Natasha, who gave a slight nod, sending me forward and out of the shelter of the wall. I walked in the middle of the street, hearing her behind me, trying my best to avoid street lights as we steadily approached.

The woman inside was tidying up the counter, oblivious. She didn't even look up when we opened the door, just sighed, saying, "We're closed."

I smiled slightly, taking a step further into the light of the little shop, my fingers intertwined in front of me. "I'm afraid we're not here for coffee, ma'am."

The second she looked up Natasha flipped the lights, immediately putting the other woman at an advantage, but we'd take it if it meant we weren't being projected to the outside world. In less than a second we were flung across the room, an expected move on her part. I slammed into the wall and felt the brutal force of it crack up my spine, but I rolled as I hit the ground, sparing myself from added impact. By the time I stood a scream came from across the room, meaning Natasha hadn't had the same luck. I rushed over, running directly into the woman whose nails were now inches into Natasha's arm as she held her down. We slid a bit, but I still managed to pin her to the ground. She hissed at me, and with a flick of her eyes tried to fling me across the room once again, but I kept a firm grip on her body, keeping myself attached to her. Her eyes lit up with rage, and I was tugged harder, but I held tight until Natasha rushed forward, lodging her knife into the woman's side.

Her head snapped to where Natasha was, screaming, and slid her across the floor and into the counter, shattering the glass display and sending glass shards into Natasha's skin. In the second I was distracted, she flung me off, jumping up and kneeing me directly in the face, pushing me up and backwards onto the floor. I forced myself to rise instantly, running and slamming her into the wall as she raced towards Nat, luckily face first. I swept both of her hands into mine, pinning them against her back, and firmly placed my hand there, using my body to keep her in place as I reached for the rope in my pocket. By the time I had her tied, Nat had already grabbed a chair and placed it in the center of the room, and was waiting with her own rope to tie her directly to the chair.

"Are you sure you don't just want to kill her?" Natasha asked, looking up at me as she tied her feet to the legs of the chair.

"I'm sure," I said, staring at the woman who was suddenly very still. She stared firmly ahead, not looking at either of us, unmoving and quiet. I gave her a suspicious look before starting to pace, keeping a close watch on her out of the corner of my eye. "Exorcizámos te, ómnis immúnde spíritus, ómnis satánic potéstas, ómnis infernális adversárii, ómnis légio."

Her head snapped to me, her pupils widening. She snarled, whipping her head to the side and sending me flying. I embraced the impact, continuing the prayer without pausing. "Ómnis congregátio et sécta diabólica, in nómine et virtúte Dómini nóstri Jésu Chrísti, eradicáre et effugáre a Dei Ecclésia, ab animábus ad imáginem Dei cónditis ac pretióso divíni Ágni sánguine redémptis."

She flung me across the other way, crossing me behind her and throwing me directly into a mirror, shattering it into thousands of fragments. Her chair skid right as I was thrown, angling her directly towards my body, keeping me in her line of sight at all times. She didn't start screaming until half way through the next verse.