Death Cheaters E-Book

Katt Seren

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 308

Beschreibung

Her entire life is a lie.
Memories erased.
Voices whisper in her head.
Has she made a mistake placing all her faith in this angel?
Diana and Adrian face their deepest fears, battle evil Conspirators, and uncover shocking secrets about themselves.
From premonitions to time travel, their powers are put to the test as they fight for survival and the fate of the world. But with enemies around every corner and their powers fading, can they stop the darkness from consuming everything they hold dear?

Leseprobe

Death Cheaters

Books 1-5

Karina Bosse

Contents

Praise for Death Cheaters

Also available from Katt Seren

Prequel

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

The Other Side of The Veil

Terms

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

The Voyage at Dawn

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

The Angel’s Conspiracy

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

As The World Ends

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Origin

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Also available from Katt Seren

Review

Praise for Death Cheaters

“This story starts off running and doesn't stop. It is short but that is in the description by author. I'm not really into serials but this has me wanting the next part. I like urban fantasy and this one has its own unique world building. Angels and demons, shadowy organizations, a mystery, and a feel of the paranormal. There's mild violence, barely any if any at all language, and a possibility of romance…”

Goodreads Review

“I am a huge fan of angel/demon stories and of course couldn’t resist to read this one. And I am very glad… The story is gripping from start to finish, there are always new unexpected things happening and I loved the world the author has created…”

Goodreads Review

“Unique concept for a supernatural series. This was a great start to the Death Cheaters series. It does what I was hoping from the description and I enjoyed the character’s journey. It’s a great story and I was hooked from the beginning…”

Goodreads Review

Also available from Katt Seren

The Hunter of the Light Series

(A collection of 15 novelettes)

Part One: Dreaming of Death

Dreaming of Death

Dreaming of Evil

Dreaming of Secrets

Dreaming of Betrayal

Dreaming of Vengeance

Part Two: Claws of Death 

The Unknown

The Past 

Patel

Girl in Chains

Fog Unleashed 

Part Three: When Hell Sings

Veil of Perception

Unlocked Doors

At Midnight

Unexpected Decisions

The Ghost Man

Death Cheaters

For my fans and readers that started this journey with me.

 I appreciate all your support and love. 

For my ex, thank you for the inspiration to kill off husbands!

Copyright © 2024 by Katt Seren

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Prequel

ChapterOne

The cold is killing me.

It brushes over my skin like icy waves of doom. My buzzing ears pick up no other sound. I see the red digits on my heater, reminding me I had switched it on before going to sleep. Everything feels different. The warmth has vanished, leaving behind an unsettling sensation that I cannot shake.

Please be gone. Please. Something flutters my drapes, and from where I’m sitting on my bed, a pulsating light catches my eyes, growing in intensity. It is outside my window, blinking in the air like a ball of neon light. For the first time in my life, I fear my visions. My frozen limbs pin me to the bed, and the light glides toward me, seeping through the fabric of my curtain. I think about the brutal way I could die tonight, with no one knowing what killed me.

No one really knows me. The few people who care about me call my gift a blessing. I call it a heavy burden. Fortunately, not everyone gets to witness the passing of their loved ones. And no, I’m not talking about sitting by their bed and watching them, with misty eyes, as they take their last breath. I mean, getting the actual premonition of their death. 

These encounters, in their various forms, have a way of lingering with me for weeks, like a puzzle I can't quite solve. Sometimes, I watch my soul leave my body, aiming for a bright light that throbs with the desire to swallow me. Then it retracts back into my body as if the light is a mystical virus my soul doesn’t want to touch. However, while I fall into my flesh, I see another soul that embraces the light. Then, the next day, someone dies.

Other times, searing pain grips my chest, as if my heart is about to break free from its confines and shatter my ribcage. At the same time my granny passed away from a heart attack, I felt an inexplicable pain that mirrored the ache that ultimately claimed her.

Tonight, it is different. This unfamiliar feeling has taken hold of me, and fear grips my heart. The light becomes unbearable, causing me to clench my teeth and desperately attempt to close my eyes to escape the burning sensation.

There is something else inside the light. The face of a human takes shape until I look at my husband.His smile is warm and genuine. But for the first time since marriage, I’m not happy to see his smile. No! This can’t be happening.

Just as quickly as the vision had materialized, it disappeared, jolting me out of my icy confinement and into an even more disquieting state. As I sit here, the warmth from the room wraps around me, soothing my senses. Nothing has prepared me for what I have seen in the light.

I reach for my purse on my bedside table and pull out my phone. My husband’s number is the first on my dial list. As the call rings in my ear, I try to shut out the image of my husband in the light. This isn’t the time to play tricks on me, you frigging gift!

My husband doesn’t pick up, which only heightens my fear. I put my phone back in my purse, grab my jacket from the closet, and head for my car outside. Two hours ago, Derek had gone out with his friends, telling me they were going to Derby restaurant several streets from here. My husband wasn’t the type you could trust with a bottle of beer. It had taken him two years to get over his addiction. His friends, Mason and Jake, are aware of his sobriety and would never think of letting him drink. If they do, I won’t need to see their faces in a bright light because I’ll get to kill them myself.

Just as I reach my car, a captivating sight catches my attention, compelling me to come to a standstill. Leaning against my car is a lean, muscled man in a white shirt and a pair of black jeans. His curly brown hair is long, cascading down his shoulders and gleaming under the streetlight’s glare in front of my house. I do not know who he is, but his bright blue eyes appear familiar, glinting with the celestial radiance.

“Who are you?” I asked, stepping back and holding my car keys like a weapon.

“Diana Myers,” he said with a bright smile. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“How do you know my name? Stay away from me.”

The stranger inches closer. As his grin disappears, his skin remains flawlessly smooth, but his eyebrows scrunch up, conveying a somber mood.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, Diana, but a couple of minutes ago, two hours in your world, I had the task of leading your husband to the afterlife. But that’s not the problem. The problem is, I can’t find him. Somehow, your husband has cheated death again, and he’s been doing it for 200 years.”

ChapterTwo

His name is Adrian; well, that’s what he calls himself.

The weight of Adrian’s words settles heavily on my shoulders. I stand in front of my house, wondering if I heard him correctly. Derek has been cheating death for 200 years?

It makes absolutely no sense! But to be fair, nothing has ever made sense in my life. From tales of being abandoned in front of a hospital as a baby to slipping in and out of trances that show someone’s death, I can’t disbelieve what Adrian said. He claims to be an angel, his voice carrying an otherworldly calmness as he speaks of taking my husband.

“I know this is hard for you, Diana,” Adrian said, raising his hands. “But it’s the truth. Your husband is… he is different. He’s different from the rest.”

I inhale deeply, hoping my lungs will stop burning. They don’t. Fire spreads through my body, mixing with my disbelief and shock. My purse drops, and I place a sweaty palm on my forehead.

“Diana, do you know where your husband is?”

I shake my head. “I don’t, okay? I don’t even understand what you’re saying. He’s not what you say he is. I can’t believe it.”

Adrian just smiles. He put his hands in his pockets and said, “What are you then? I believe you have the answer to that.”

I stare at him, dumbfounded for the second time since leaving my apartment. Does he know who I am, the crazy visions, the chilly sensations?

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying I know what you are, Diana,” Adrian responds. “You saw your husband dying, didn’t you? You saw it.”

With my breath shuddering, I asked, “What am I?”

“You’re like us, and you’re not from here. I can’t explain, but if you help me, I’ll take you to someone with the answers.”

“Aren’t you an angel?”

Adrian’s eyes twinkle again. “I am, but we don’t know everything. The other side doesn’t show us.”

“The other side?”

“Take me to your husband, and you’ll get answers in due time. Where is he?”

I’m thinking about telling the stranger where to find him. I’ve lived with my husband for five years, and he’s never acted bizarrely or out of this world.

I am the strange one. Derek is almost perfect. He loves me, shows me how much he cares, and embraces my gift. He wouldn't have stayed for so long if he didn’t love me.

Now, this stranger is threatening to take everything from us. He’s painting Derek as the devil and himself the angel. What’s that saying? Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

Yet, I can’t bring myself to tell this angel to leave. My tongue suddenly feels as though it weighs a ton, preventing me from uttering the words that Derek is a good guy. I just look at him, picturing how he would take Derek away. From me. Forever.

“He’s at the Derby restaurant,” I confess. “With his friends.”

Adrian breaks into a smile. He steps back to my car and raps on the window. “Good. Take me there.”

“Why do I have to come with you?” I asked, taking a few steps forward. “Aren’t you an angel? Can’t you swipe down on the restaurant? You have wings, don’t you?”

Adrian looks at me, the sparkle returning to his eyes. “Just take me there, Diana. People can’t know who I am.”

“Or maybe you’re a fake. Someone who knows things about my family and is trying to deceive me.”

“Diana,” Adrian protests, but I continue.

“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care what you… Ah!”

Startled, I jerk backwards, struggling to maintain my balance as I absorb the scene in front of me. Adrian had suddenly squared his shoulders, his wings unfurling behind him.

They are massive and elegant, spreading behind him like a scene of divinity. Adrian’s bright wings rival the clear skies and the morning sun. He makes a single flap, releasing a gush of wind that blows away objects within five feet of him–except me, my car, and the buildings.

As suddenly as he had brought out his wings, they vanish, retracting into his body. Adrian’s eyes remain on me, and he doesn’t have to smile to admit he likes the shocked expression on my face.

“Do you believe me now?” Adrian asked.

I swallow hard and nod, still trembling from what I had witnessed. The angel points to my car, reminding me of our mission.

Yeah, it’s my mission now, walking into Derby to turn in my husband. I open the car door and sit behind the wheel. Adrian climbs into the passenger side and fastens his seatbelt.

“You should fasten your seat belt,” he advises.

I don’t protest, reaching for the seatbelt and buckling myself. A few minutes ago, Adrian didn’t scare me. But now, I can barely look at him. The thought of him incinerating me with his divine flames or blinding me with his celestial light sent a shiver down my spine.

I’ve heard tales of angels, of how powerful they are. What’s stopping Adrian from killing me as soon as he gets Derek?

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you,” Adrian speaks as if he’s reading my mind. I look at him and see that he’s smiling again, his eyes filled with a genuine warmth that seems to banish my fear. “I need you, Diana. Once I get Derek, I’ll be out of your life.”

I nod obediently and start the car. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I see the present, and it’s slowly driving me insane.

ChapterThree

The drive to the Derby restaurant takes longer than usual, or maybe time slowed down while I drove, thinking about everything that’s been happening.

Adrian is still beside me. I must admit that I keep praying for him to vanish so I’ll never see him again. But he’s there, eyes fixed on the road.

I wonder what he’s thinking. Do angels think? Do they have their inner thoughts, inner demons?

What are you saying, Diana? Angels and demons are not alike. They are both sides of the coin. Adrian is pure, an angel who has done nothing vile in his celestial life.

I pull up in front of Derby, easing my car into the parking lot. The restaurant is not fancy, but it’s alright for anyone who wants a good meal and beer. Derek has brought me here several times and is friends with most of the people.

As I get out of the car, I try to imagine what my husband is doing inside Derby. Is he drunk? Did he deliberately turn off his phone so he wouldn’t talk to me?

But if Derek had just cheated death, why would he hang around a place where anyone could easily find him? This is pointless because he is probably gone.

The haunting image of Derek dying slithers its way back into my mind. It had been so real, and I know my visions don’t lie. If Derek is still alive, then it explains a lot about why Adrian is after him.

I walk ahead of Adrian and enter the restaurant first. Most of the people who frequent Derby know me as Derek’s wife. But, seeing me walk inside with a good-looking stranger, I don’t know what they’ll think now.

My eyes fall on Gerald Butler first. He’s a firefighter who usually comes to Derby during his lunch hour. The big man greets me with a smile. But when he sees Adrian, his smile disappears almost immediately, as though he recognizes the angel.

Mel Sutherland, a lawyer who owns a small firm downtown, is at the bar. Then Carlos Vandez, a Spanish model, comes into the restaurant. He’s dating Derby’s bartender, Jerome Park, who stands behind the bar all day. The servers are also here, taking people’s orders- everyone who knows Derek and me.

“This place reeks of them,” Adrian whispers as we approach the bar.

I realize everyone is looking at us. Most of them are staring daggers at… Me? Or at Adrian?

“It’s me,” Adrian adds, a grin playing across his lips.

Now, I’m sure the angel is reading my mind! The thought of the angel knowing my very thought sends a chill down my spine. Suddenly, a thought pops into my mind. If Adrian can read my mind, why does he need me to tell him where Derek is? He could have just gotten it from my mind.

“You’ll understand soon,” Adrian said, walking to the bar. I follow suit.

Jerome, the bartender, grunts as we get to him. He continues cleaning the glass in his hand, his frown deepening.

“I’m looking for Derek Myers,” Adrian asked.

“He’s not here,” Jerome said firmly.

The angel scans the bartender’s face, his grin stretching the corners of his mouth. “Oh, I say you know where he is. Bring him out now.”

Jerome scoffs and puts down the cup in his hand. He leans forward, peering deeply into Adrian’s eyes. “Get the hell out of here.”

“Jerome, hey, it’s Diana,” I tell the bartender. His eyes bore into mine, filled with an intense, seething hatred.

Jerome has always been warm and welcoming towards me, ever since Derek and I moved to the area. But now, his hatred cuts through me like an icy wind. Is this because I’m with Adrian? Besides, why are Adrian and Jerome speaking like they already knew each other?

“I need to find Derek. He came here a few hours ago,” I continue. “Do you know where he is?”

“Woman, I haven’t seen your husband today,” Jerome replies, but I can tell he’s lying.

“Look, Jerome,” Adrian said. “I don’t want to cause trouble here. Give me Derek, and I’ll be out of here.”

Jerome laughs. As he does so, I hear the scraping of chairs behind me. When I look back, men are on their feet, cracking their knuckles and clenching their fists. Mel. Gerard. Carlos.

Why are they protecting Derek? Do these people know what my husband is? Oh my God! They’ve known all this while! That’s why Derek loves to come here; these people know his secret.

“I guess you can tell my boys are here, and beating up us Conspirators will sap much of your strength. So, why don’t you scoot out of here, celestial boy, and never come back?” Jerome said, his face inches from Adrian’s.

Celestial Boy? Jerome had just called Adrian celestial boy. He knows Adrian is an angel.

“You know I can’t be killed. You fight back, and I won’t drop a sweat. So why don’t you do yourself some good by leading me to Derek?”

Jerome slams his fist on the ceramic counter, impressing a dent. How could a human do that to a counter? Unless Jerome isn’t human!

“You don’t quit, do you?” Jerome growls. “Get out of here before I lose my temper.”

“You know what Derek is, don’t you? You’ve known all along. Why didn’t you tell me?” I yell at the bartender.

“Because you wouldn’t have understood him. Just like you don’t understand him now. You think this guy is the good guy?” Jerome refers to Adrian. “Ask him what he did two centuries ago and what he knows about The Outcast.”

I glance at Adrian and notice a scowl etched across his face, the first sign of displeasure I've seen from him since he arrived at my doorstep. It seems like Jerome’s words had gotten to him.

“What’s he talking about, Adrian?”

Just then, one of Derek’s close friends, Mason Buckings, enters the restaurant. I’m relieved to see him because I know that if the rest of Derek’s friends in the restaurant aren’t excited to see me, Mason’s reaction will be different.

I’m right. He walks toward the counter, a delightful smile plastered on his face.

“There you are, Diana,” Mason greets.

“Mason! Thank God you’re here,” I cry.

It’s also relieving to see that he doesn’t know Adrian. Maybe he isn’t even aware of what Derek, his best friend, is.

My relief disappears when Mason faces the angel. “Hello, Adrian.”

Oh, God! Not him, too!

“Mason Buckings, is it?” Adrian said. “When was the last time we met? Let me guess, 50, 60 years?”

“That’s not a good guess. We met 80 years ago, and I think you should remember that because your partner failed to arrest me. What was the name of that lovely woman again? Daniella?”

Adrian’s reaction scares me. He lunges towards Mason, his body tense with an aggressive energy. But he stops and growls, “You have no right to say her name.”

Mason just grins. “And you have no right to be here. Why don’t you leave? I’ll help you.”

Puzzled by everything going on, I walk out of the restaurant. Tears sting my eyes, and I don’t know what to do. I’m about to get into my car when Adrian calls my name.

“Diana! You can’t leave.”

As I spin on my heels, my tear-streaked cheeks face the angel before me. “And why should I stay here? I don’t know any of you, and I don’t know what’s going on.”

“It’s because you don’t understand.”

“Then make me I understand!” I yell.

Adrian tries to touch my arm, but I slap his hand away. “Don’t do that.”

“Look, you’ll understand. I promise. I promise you.”

“I demand answers now. I don't want anyone else's answers but yours. You told me about this. Then you should tell me everything.”

Adrian takes a deep breath and glances at Derby again. Unfortunately, his warm smile doesn’t show on his face again. Instead, the angel's troubled expression hints at his reluctance to reveal the truth.

But I will not continue this puzzling mission with him if he hides things from me. Funny how I’ve known him for only 40 minutes, and I hate that he’s keeping secrets.

Derek has been keeping secrets from me, too. He says he loves me, but I don’t even know the man I married.

“Your husband is a Conspirator, Diana.”

I crossed my arms and asked, “What’s a Conspirator?”

“Mortals who are using dark magic to keep themselves alive. I know it sounds weird, but they exist. The men and women you saw are all Conspirators who work alongside your husband.”

“Oh, don’t call us names, Adrian,” Mason Buckings is now out of the restaurant. He had heard what Adrian said. “Just because we learned a few magic tricks, we are now called the Conspirators. How silly.”

“This isn’t your business,” Adrian yells at him.

“Easy there, Adrian. You can’t arrest me because I’m not your mission,” Mason said, smugly smiling. “But you’re filling Diana here with lies. We are not bad people. We just want to stay alive.”

“Well, your decision is going to destroy everything, Mason! Can’t you all see?”

“You and your angel pals started this,” Mason retorts, poking a finger at him. “You killed mortals for no reason, slaughtering them before their time. I’m sure you know of this, don’t you? It all happened before your eyes, and you didn’t even stop it. So, how’s it wrong that we want to stay alive? We don’t want to be killed like animals. Why are we the bad ones?”

Adrian faces me. “He’s lying. Don’t believe every word he says. Their magic will destroy this world, including the Other Side!”

I stand there, my heart pounding, unsure of whom to trust. Adrian desperately wants to convince me he’s telling the truth. Mason isn’t desperate, but his words tell me he’s trying to prevent me from making a wrong decision. Everything appears unreal. My night had seemed normal until the vision, Adrian, and this talk about Conspirators.

“I know that,” Mason responds. “I know our magic is tearing the veil, and I want to stop him, too.”

Adrian turns to look at him almost immediately. I blink in disbelief, trying to understand what he had just said. Isn’t Mason Derek’s best friend? Why does he want to stop his best friend?

“What are you saying?” asked Adrian.

Mason scoffs. “I’m Derek’s friend, and I know a lot about him. He won’t stop. The magic is already a part of him, and that’s why I want him gone.”

“And you expect me to believe you?” Adrian chuckles. “You want to betray your best friend?”

Mason grits his teeth. “He’s not a best friend if he’s inconsiderate! I want to start a family. I met a woman I adore, and don’t want to lose her. But Derek doesn’t care. He doesn’t understand what true love is.”

His words sting me. Derek never loved me? Impossible! I’ve been married to him for five years!

“I’m sorry you had to hear that from me, Diana,” Mason continues. “But it’s the truth. I don’t know why he got married. It is likely that he wanted to hide in plain sight, or perhaps he received the order from the voice in his head.”

Adrian seems to pause. He raises a hand to interrupt Mason. “Wait, there’s a voice in his head?”

Mason nods. “Yes. The things he says are incredibly foolish, and I genuinely believe that he is losing his sanity. Maybe the long years of cheating death have finally caught up with him.”

Adrian takes a deep breath again. He’s taken many deep breaths since he had an altercation with Jerome.

“Where can I find him?” he asked Mason.

“He’s at the old State Building. I was going there when I heard you were at the restaurant.”

“What’s Derek doing at the State Building?”

“He’s trying to build the Graven Cross.”

“What? We have to stop him,” Adrian cries. “Diana, please, get in the car.”

As I open the car door, I ask, “What’s the Graven Cross?”

ChapterFour

“The Graven Cross is a powerful protection a Conspirator can use against you,” Adrian explains as I drive to the State Building.

“Against me? What do you mean?” I asked, taking my eyes off the road.

“Keep your eyes on the road, Diana!” Adrian warns.

I look away from him, setting my gaze on the road again. “What? Are you scared of dying?”

“I can’t die, but you can, and you don’t know how important you are to me.”

I exhale sharply.

“You’re important to my mission because you’re the only one who can control Derek and the rest of his Conspirators.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You know how you can see visions of people dying?”

I nod. “I’ve been seeing visions all my life.”

“Well, that’s not the only thing you can do. You also have the power to control a Conspirator because they are ghosts, technically. They should have died long ago, but they are beating death. Since you can see death, you also possess the power to manipulate ghosts and bend them to your will.”

It makes sense now. That’s why Adrian needs me. If Derek is a Conspirator, I can control him to surrender to Adrian.

“But if I can do that, why didn’t I do that to Jerome or Mason?”

“Because you didn’t summon the power. You have to summon it, and I know you can do it. You’re the key to stopping Derek.”

“Okay. So, what’s the Graven Cross?”

“The Graven Cross is a celestial object from the Other Side. It protects the builder from angels and psychics. You’re a psychic, Diana. If Derek builds that cross, you won’t have any power over him. He knows it won’t be long before an angel or a psychic comes for him.”

It's overwhelming for me. All my life, I’ve lived with my weird self. I had embraced it and felt it was a part of me. To think that I can control ghosts scares me. I don’t know who I am.

“Does he know?” I break the silence.

“Derek?”

“Yes. Does he know what I am?”

“I can’t tell. He might be building the cross because he’s seen other psychics.”

“So why did he marry me? What’s with the love, the show that he cares, the love language he speaks to me? Why did he steal my heart and come into my world?”

“I’m sorry, Diana, but I don’t have answers. I hope you get answers, though.”

I take a deep breath. “I can’t get answers. You’re going to take him, right? I’ll be seeing him for the last time.”

“Yes.”

I don’t speak again. It hurts to think about my life and how it has changed in over one hour. This is my end, and I’ll never be the same.

My mind is so clouded with thoughts that I completely miss the truck beside us. By the time I notice it, it has already rammed into the side of my car, causing me to lose control.

My hands leave the steering as the car skids to the left, veering toward the woods alongside the road. No! No! 

I scream, but I’m too stunned to react any other way. Finally, my body slams against the door as the car skids. I close my eyes. Only one thing comes to my mind in that desperate moment to stay alive.

Adrian, save me!

Suddenly, without warning, it happens. Before my car could hit the trees, something pulled me out of the vehicle… or was it someone? I sense powerful arms carrying me, wings flapping in the air. When I reach the ground, I open my eyes to see Adrian with his arms around me. He saved me!

But the angel isn’t looking at me. As soon as he sets me down, he swiftly moves forward, his wings spreading open once more. My eyes focus on his actions. Carrying weapons and sneering back at the angel, a group of people stand defiantly in the middle of the road.

Adrian's body crashes into the first person, his fingers wrapping around their neck as he swiftly propels them into the depths of the woods. With no warning, Derek appears, carrying a wooden cross. He shoots into the air and lands behind the angel, hitting him in the back of the head with the cross.

No, I’m wrong. Derek hadn’t hit the angel. The cross has a blade, and he slashes Adrian with it. Celestial golden blood spills to the tarred road, and to my surprise, Adrian yells, lurches forward, and falls face flat on the ground. He goes still.

“No!” I cry.

Derek looks at me, wiping Adrian’s golden blood from the blade. He approaches me, his eyes as dark as night. I see that he’s not the man I married. This man is a demon, a far cry from the good man who had proclaimed his love for me.

“I’m sorry, Diana,” Derek said. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stop me.”

The impact of his punch sends me reeling, and the world around me dissolves into a black void.

The Other Side of The Veil

Book 1

Terms

A World Unknown to Us - Terms

Deliverance Hall - An old church where Lord Priests cast demons out of humans.  

Deliverance Ceremony - The casting out of demons from possessed humans.

First Assistant - Assists the Lord Priests in Deliverance ceremonies.

Celestial Water - Water that carries magical powers and can help to cast out demons.

Types of Demons: 

Minors - Devils with mild possession. They are easy to cast out of humans.

Evil Nobles - Demons that usually take over intelligent and prominent people. They are proud and deem themselves superior to Celestial Water.

Commanders - Most powerful, brutal, and sinister, use deception to turn people away from the truth of angels and attack and torture those who hold on to their faith. 

Crystal Library - The oldest building in Lehem City. A combined library and information center.

Demon Finders (DF) - Employees at the Crystal Library trained to recognize possessed humans. Their piercing blue eyes can see even the tiniest demon in a person. 

Conspirators - Humans who have been cheating death for a long time, using the dark magic of Evil Nobles.

ChapterFive

The young man howls, arching his back to let out the cry. This time, his hideous voice is a mix of anguish and hostility. The screams echo around the old brick walls and become amplified. I’m sometimes surprised the stained glass windows don’t shatter from all the noise these demons make. 

Pepe Jean, as we call him, also Lord Priest, moves to the right side of the room, a considerable distance from the possessed boy. He splashes the Celestial Water from his golden vial at him again, causing the boy to fall to his knees and howl even louder.

“Ally, more of the Celestial Water,” Pepe Jean orders.

I ran to the back of the church to grab the urn. While doing this, my gray eyes fall on the boy’s parents sitting in one of the northern pews of the large Deliverance Hall. The red-haired mother is weeping, her face buried in the shoulder of her bald husband. He looks on as his son is delivered.

I don’t know if I could watch it if it were a loved one of mine. It’s for the boy’s good, but his cry of pain hurts my ears, so I’m driven to tears. I’m not his mother, but I can sense the heartache.

But if Pepe Jean doesn’t save the boy, he will be an uncontrollable menace to society. The demon in him has already convinced the boy to drop out of school. He also told him he needed to join an underground cult in the subway station.

They call themselves “The Skulls,” and everyone in Lehem City knows how dangerous these cultists are. Mass killings, kidnapping, gang wars, robberies–the Skulls are responsible for most crimes here.

I’m not sure how true it is, but Pepe Jean’s Second Assistant, Gregory Caveman, had told me it had taken a battalion of small priests to drag the young boy to the Deliverance Hall.

“Get out of Luke, you demon!” Pepe Jean cries, tilting the bottle of Celestial Water to pour more into his palm. But he soon realizes the bottle is empty.

If I hadn’t been so swift, Luke’s demon would have seen this as an opportunity to attack Pepe Jean. But I pass him more Celestial Water just as the young man rises to his feet, baring his teeth at us. Then, as The Lord Priest’s First Assistant, I would have lost my job and faced the council of priests who would not take my millisecond of tardiness lightly.

“On your knees, demon!” Pepe Jean yells again, and Luke obeys because he knows the Priest is now armed with more Celestial Water.

I don’t know if you’ve ever witnessed a deliverance, but the ones they do in Lehem City are always horrifying.

I have witnessed twenty deliverance ceremonies since I started working for the Priest. You would think I would be used to the process and terrifying scene, but it’s like witnessing it for the first time every time.

I don’t want to go into details about the types of devils Pepe Jean has cast out, but I’ll tell you there is a hierarchy for these monsters.

The Minors are devils with mild possession and are easier to cast out because, according to Pepe Jean, they quiver at the sight of the Celestial Water. The next on the list is the Evil Nobles, the demons you’ll find in somewhat intelligent and prominent people in society. These demons are rather proud and deem themselves superior to the Celestial Water, so you could spend at least two hours trying to remove an Evil Noble. Finally, at the top of the rank sits The Commanders. They are the worst of them all; brutal, sinister, and insane demons who need to be expelled with brute force.

I’ve never experienced a deliverance involving a Commander, and I’m glad I haven’t because Gregory said he had had sleepless nights watching one at his former job. He couldn’t speak for days and kept trembling everywhere he went. I don’t know how I’ll live without being able to talk or walk without quivering.

The demon Pepe Jean is casting out of Luke is an Evil Noble, much to our relief. It had targeted a bright boy from one of the reputable schools in Lehem and turned him into a backstreet cultist. It’s been almost an hour since the session started, and Luke’s demon is giving in to Pepe Jean’s commands.

At precisely noon, The Lord Priest pulls the Evil Noble out of Luke. The young boy drops to the floor on his hands, breathing heavily as exhaustion overpowers him. Pepe Jean bottles the Celestial Water and hands it over to me.

“Job well done,” he mutters, turns around, and walks back into his office, the hem of his cloak sweeping the floor behind him.

Gregory puts a blanket around Luke’s shoulders and looks up at me. “I think his parents can see him now.”