The Coroner

Alice pushed away from her desk and stretched, her shoulders popping from the effort. She had been at work for over fourteen hours now and it didn't seem like she would be able to leave for another five at least. She needed a break though, so she was going to take one. She glanced over her shoulder at the cadaver that lay stretched across her table. She had found this to be quite an interesting case. Her victim had come in yesterday, seemingly in peak condition but when Alice had started her preliminary examination, she had found some striking inconsistencies. The girl before her had been dead for quite some time but her body seemed perfectly preserved. As for the cause of death, Alice was yet to determine that. She had done as extensive a job as she was able. And with the knowledge she had inherited from her father, coupled with the mid-range arcana arts she had studied after her parents passed, she could be very thorough. Still, this case confounded her. She was starting to believe she would need help sooner or later. She already had someone in mind, but she was holding out as long as possible before asking them for a hand. She already owed them so much.

Alice sighed and got up, walking away from the dim light of her desktop computer. It was old, possibly ancient but it got the job done nine times out of ten. The tenth time is when it crashed, lost all her unsaved notes and she had to start from scratch. That rarely happened though, and it helped that she had near-perfect recollection. Another reason why this body was giving her such a hard time. After twelve years in the business, not counting her observing her father's work since she was able to walk, she had quite the experience as a coroner. Still, she had no idea what she was looking at.

Rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, Alice raised a hand to her chin, pondering the corpse. It was splayed open before her, its ribcage cup open and its organs removed and weighed. Everything, and she meant everything, was in perfect condition. As far as she could tell, the woman was in perfect health. Jane, she corrected herself. The unknown woman had been designated, Jane Doe. For all intents and purposes, Jane was the healthiest person in about three states as far as Alice could tell. She shouldn't be dead. And yet… Alice's thoughts wandered as she gazed down at Jane. Poor thing wasn’t much older than Alice, perhaps twenty-seven or twenty-nine. She was pale and beautiful, not in the ghastly way that the dead often were. Her face was still full, her cheeks plump, if bloodless. Her arms and legs were in perfect condition. If not for the fact that her brain was in a jar and her insides were on the outside, Alice would think she was just a dead sleeper. Reaching out to touch the body, Alice brushed a hand against Jane’s cheek.

“What happened to you?” she muttered to the still room. She didn't expect an answer but would have welcomed one. “Just let me in. Let me help you. Just one clue…”

When Jane made no move to answer, Alice withdrew her hand.

“I don’t know what to do,” she said, fatigue dampening her words. She turned back to her desk and decided to go finish her notes. Before she could move though, the door to the office at the back of the room opened and her younger brother shuffled out, heading towards her.

“Oh, hey Jeremy,” she called, kicking herself. “I’m sorry I kept you here so late, do you want to go home now?”

Jeremy approached her slowly, shaking his head. His pale eyes bore into her as they always did, and she suppressed a shudder. It wasn’t that he hated her, he was just… half here. Jeremy had been in the accident that had killed both their parents and for all intents and purposes, it had claimed him too. If not for the timely intervention of a passing witch, Jeremy’s soul would have passed on as well. The witch had bound him to his body and put him in some sort of stasis. He didn’t age but neither would he decay. He was stuck as a fifteen-year-old corpse.

Jeremy stopped beside her and shifted his gaze, his dead eyes now cast upon Jane. He looked back at Alice, his eyebrow lifted in question.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I can’t figure it out. I’ve tried everything I can think of and still nothing.”

She swept her arm out, showing the various tools she had used, including assorted low-level charms and spells she had bought, traded, or replicated over the years.

“She won’t tell me anything.”

Jeremy stood a beat more, then nodded slowly and turned around. He headed back to the office where he had been sitting for the past ten hours. The dead didn’t speak, eat, or sleep. They made fantastic roommates but were terrible conversationalists. Alice watched in silence as he retreated. She recalled how he had been so full of life and energy before he had died. They had been the best of friends growing up and she was grateful she still had him with her but sometimes she wondered if she should just let him rest. He never complained though and she had been assured that he felt low to no pain in any given situation. Which was often a plus in their line of work. Not every coroner handled the kind of bodies she did. Jeremy was… a good partner to have around. Besides, they were technically co-owners, the business having been passed to both of them after their parents’ passing.

As the door swung closed behind Jeremy, Alice decided it was time to bite the bullet and make the call.

She dug into the pocket of her coat and slipped out her cell phone. She flipped it open and scrolled to an entry in her address book.

Terry.

Alice stared at the name for a span before hitting dial. She took a deep breath and brought the phone to her ear.

Two rings later the line came alive.

“Hey, Alice!” Terry huffed out. “Not a great time! What’s up?”

Alice gritted her teeth before affecting a cheerful demeanour. “Hey, Terry! I need your help with a case I’m working on. Jane Doe is in perfect condition except for the fact that she’s dead. Do you think you could take a look for me?”

“Sure, I wouldn't mind taking a look,” Terry replied as a muffled explosion went off in the background. “How soon do you want me- you motherfucker!” she snarled. “Sorry, how soon do you want me there?”

Alice didn’t bother asking what Terry was doing, in the seven years since they had met, she had noticed Terry had a penchant for ending up in situations that often required someone to be rushed to the emergency room after, with Terry being the least likely person to be harmed.

“I’ve been working on this for a while now and I can’t crack it so as soon as you can make it, I’ll be at the office.”

“Okay, sure, give me two hours and I’ll be there! Bye!” With that, the line went dead and Alice dropped her smile. She appreciated Terry, even respected her but the woman was just too high-strung for Alice’s taste. She was so used to working with the dead that the most excitement she could muster was a night of drinking at the local pub. Maybe some dancing if she drank enough and then it was either back home or back to the office.

“Well, you heard her,” Alice turned to Jane. “In a few hours, we should know what happened to you. I hope it doesn’t take too long.”

Alice turned once more and headed to her desk, prepared to make more notes until Terry arrived.

Two and a half hours later, Alice was jolted awake by the sound of rapping at the service entrance. She looked around groggily before jumping to her feet. Shit! She had fallen asleep. Then she checked the time. And Terry was late, as usual.

“I’m coming!” she shouted as she stumbled towards the door. She passed Jeremy standing in the doorway of the office and gave him a half-hearted smile. He didn’t return it, merely watched her pass.

Alice brushed a hand through her short hair before reaching for the lock. She must look like a mess but she wasn’t as concerned about that as she had been three years ago, she and Terry were old news.

As soon as she cracked the door, Terry shoved her way in, nearly knocking Alice to the side.

“Hey!” she exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you?”

She stopped short as she saw the blood dripping from Terry’s arm. Oh god, not again.

“Hey lover, it's been a while,” Terry sang out cheerfully. “Jer! My man, how have you been? Keeping it frosty I see, as always.”

She bumped him on the shoulder and moved further into the room. Jeremy merely stared after her.

“Terry! What the hell is going on?” Alice strode after her. “Are you okay? What happened to you?”

“What, this?” she gestured to her arm. “This is nothing a few stitches can’t fix. Do you mind?”

Alice stared at her in amazement. She wasn’t sure if she should scream or smack Terry across her wounded shoulder. She always did shit like this. It was one of the reasons Alice had called things off. She could be a girlfriend, doctor, coroner and once or twice, a conspirator to dispose of dead bodies… Okay, maybe it was five times, but she understood the kind of work Terry did and she had been willing to help her out a few times. That didn’t mean she had liked it though.

“You know what… That’s quite reasonable,” Alice exhaled then squared her shoulders. “I don’t think I want to know anyway.”

She reached for her instruments as Terry shrugged her coat off. She dropped into the chair Alice had abandoned and leaned back contently.

“I haven’t been here in… seven months?” she mused. “It’s been too long, Alice. I wish you would call more. Or stop screening my calls…”

“I don’t want to talk about this, Terry. Not tonight, not ever. I’ve said my piece, you know where I stand. We’re just friends.”

“I have enemies I see more often than you!” Terry retorted dejectedly. “Case in point,” she gestured to her shoulder.

“I. Don’t. Care.” Alice forced through gritted teeth.

She donned some gloves and leaned down to take a closer look at the wound. It was jagged as if something had hooked into the skin and been ripped out. “This is a nasty one…” muttered Alice. She pressed some gauze against the wound and tried to wipe away the excess blood. Terry winced but sat still.

“Am I going to have a scar?”

“Not if you heal it as soon as I’m done.”

“Thank the goddess,” Terry sighed in relief.

Alice said nothing, instead, she got to work, patching Terry up as best as she could without causing her too much pain. The quicker she got this done, she thought, the quicker she could get some answers.

Ten minutes later she stood back and hauled her gloves off. “There, all done,” she said, handing Terry a small mirror.

Terry winced again as she contorted herself to see the damage. “This is great, Alice. Thank you.”

The sudden sincerity almost caught Alice off guard, but she simply nodded. “Now heal.”

“Yes ma’am,” Terry grinned. She reached out with her right hand a wove a sigil into the air, her fingers a blur. Witches carried their wands around them in a pocket dimension, that way it was out of everyone’s reach and yet always available to them. They all had a sigil that they crafted to unlock their pocket dimensions so whenever they unlocked them, their hands fazed out of sight so no one could copy their sigil. Alice had seen the real thing once before, and it was a testament to Terry’s trust in her that she still remembered it.

Terry’s wand appeared in her hand, and she touched it to her shoulder. A silver light blossomed to life and slowly spread across her shoulder. She sighed contently as the blessed warmth spread through her, knitting her flesh back together. Alice remembered what that felt like, having needed healing once or twice in the past. She kind of missed it, she had to admit but not enough to get back with Terry.

A smile spread across Terry’s face as the light faded into nothingness. She opened her eyes and grinned at Alice. “That was nice.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling like yourself once more, do you need a minute to rest before we take a look at Jane?”

Terry’s smile slipped a little before going back to full force. She was clearly disappointed, but she tried to hide it. “No, I don’t need a minute. Let’s take a look at your latest conquest, shall we?”

Alice rolled her eyes as she stepped back to allow Terry to pass. “She’s around, twenty-seven or twenty-nine and in excellent condition, as I mentioned before. I can’t find a single thing wrong with her. I’ve yet to determine a cause of death. It's beginning to bug me. I can’t even hazard a guess.”

Nodding slowly, Terry circled the body, her wand tapping on the thigh as she went. Alice fell silent as Terry made the round. As much as she didn’t want to be with her, she had to admit that Terry was an excellent witch. Often referred to as one of the most powerful elementals of her generation, she radiated power constantly. Even Alice who wasn’t mythical could feel it. She glanced at Jeremy, still standing silently in the doorway. She wondered what Terry looked like to him.

As if he sensed her question, his gaze shifted to meet hers. He held her eyes for a few seconds before returning his gaze to Terry. Alice wondered if he felt some kind of connection to her because she had been the one to tether his soul. She couldn’t ask him though. He never answered and he refused to write when she asked him. Seven years and she was still curious. She hated not knowing.

Terry stopped beside her after her second go around. “Well… I can tell you one thing- and I don’t know how I know this but… she’s not dead.”

Silence blanketed the room. Alice stood transfixed on the spot. “What?” she said quietly.

“She’s not dead… She’s actually more alive than your brother. She’s not half-dead, she’s not tethered, she’s alive.”

Alice stepped back, looking from Terry to Jane. “Is this some kind of sick joke?” she squeaked out. “What the fuck do you mean she’s alive?”

“Just what I said. I can feel living energy and I can feel her soul. It’s there and it’s… trapped? Bound? I’m not sure but here, let me show you something.”

Terry raised her wand and touched it to the base of Jane’s throat, right above where Alice had begun her incision. Muttering under her breath and drawing small sigils into Jane’s flesh, Terry channelled some of her power into her wand and her eyelids dropped as the wand lit up. She stood rooted to the spot, focusing intently on what she was doing. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as her voice rose. She appeared to be straining against something, but she persisted. Alice took another step back, concern clouding her face.

“Terry...?” fear laced her voice.

Terry waved her off and continued her chant. Her wand became a blur as she inscribed sigil after sigil into Jane’s chest.

Alice looked on in wonder squinting at the intensity of the light. He raised a hand to shade her eyes and the next second Jeremy appeared in her periphery, coming at her fast. Her eyes opened in shock as he dove at her, knocking her to the ground. An instant later, a blinding pulse of light erupted from Terry’s wand and blasted outward. It rocked across the room, shorting out lights and knocking Alice’s instruments over.

“Motherfucker!” shouted Terry as she ducked, flinging her wand up in defence. The light connected with her shield and reflected, knocking even more equipment over as it ricocheted. Alice had her hand flung up to protect her head but she was okay. Jeremy had protected her, as he always did. He slowly climbed off her and gazed around the room. His dead eyes showed no emotion as he slowly made his way back to the office. Terry stirred as he passed and got to her feet. “What the fuck…”

Climbing shakily to her feet, Alice seconded her assessment. “What the fuck, Terry? You could have killed me!”

“Wasn’t me, I swear.” Terry retorted. “Someone enchanted this girl and hid the enchantment behind the most complex and powerful illusion I have ever seen. And I mean ever. I almost didn’t get through it. But I did. Look.”

She pointed her wand and Alice crept closer; she gasped as she saw what Terry was pointing at. The insides of Jane’s skin were black with ink. Lines and lines of text were written on almost the entirety of her body, except it was on the inside.

“How…?” she breathed.

“Enchantment. Someone wanted to seal her, but they wanted to suffer for eternity. Whatever she did… it must have been really bad. You don’t do this to someone you hate. You do this to someone you utterly and completely despise. This… this is the devil’s work. Where did she come from?”

Alice stared at Terry mutely. “I- I don’t know. She was delivered this morning by the county sheriff. They said she was found in a deep grave somewhere in town. At a construction site. I didn’t think to ask for more.”

“Jesus…” Terry ran her hand through her curls. “This is bad. This is very bad. I need you to get rid of this. You can’t have shit like this in your lab, Alice. This is seriously bad magic.”

“What? You know what it says?”

“Not all. Some of it, and none you would understand. We need to get this out of here. We need to either reseal her or bring her to the coven. Damn, we should probably take her to the council.”

Alice baulked at the mention of the council. She didn’t know much about them but she knew enough to make a guess. The council didn’t interfere in the lives of Mythics much. They preferred to let the various covens deal with rotten Mythics in their territory but when it came to demonic activity, the council was called in. Terry must be terrified if she was even considering calling the council.

“What do I do?” shrieked Alice, fear making her panic. “What the hell do I do with her?”

“Fuck… I need to think. Give me a moment, I just need a moment.” Terry whirled around and headed to the door.

“You’re not leaving me here alone with her!” Alice exclaimed as she hurried after Terry.

“Fine, Jeremy, keep an eye on her, will you?” She didn’t break stride or bother waiting for an answer. She headed out the door into the cool night air. Terry flicked her wrist and her wand disappeared. She began passing across the lot. The pale moon barely lit their surroundings. Alice joined her a beat later, hugging herself. She kept shooting glances at the service entrance as if she expected Jane to come tearing out at any moment.

Terry ignored her for the most part, pacing and muttering to herself. A few minutes later she stopped and looked at Alice. “We need to talk to her. We need to know who did this to her and why. This is some really dark, really old magic. I… I can’t even tell how long she’s been like this. I don’t know what she did but…” she trailed off.

Alice groaned. “You want to help her?”

Another reason why she and Terry hadn’t worked out. Terry had this overwhelming desire to help others in any way she could. It’s why she got into so many fights and brawls. She just couldn’t help herself. At first, it was endearing but when Alice realized just how reckless Terry’s desires were, she couldn’t just ignore it. She had left. She didn’t want to stay and watch Terry kill herself for the sake of others.

“Okay, fine. You want to help her. But not here. You saw what that enchantment did to my lab. We are not doing a séance here.”

“Agreed. We can take her to the Barn.”

The Barn. Another dark memory from Alice’s past. It’s where Terry had taken Jeremy after his tether.

“Okay, let’s go.”

She turned and headed back inside, not bothering to check if Terry was following. She knew her way to the Barn. Terry could either hitch a ride with her or whisk herself there.

Jeremy glanced up as she came in. “Jer, get the van,” she instructed. He nodded once and walked off, heading through the main entrance and out into the waiting area. She approached Jane cautiously and began to gather the discarded organs. Terry came in a beat later and picked up her jacket. “Need a hand?”

“No, thanks. I got this. Just… keep watch.”

Terry positioned herself at Jane’s feet and gazed at the markings, shaking her head in disgust. “Fucking bastards.”

Alice worked as fast as she could and before long, she had everything gathered in a cooler. A second later she heard the toot of a horn. Jeremy was waiting outside. “Give me a hand over here,” she motioned to Terry. She slid a body bag next to the table and together, she and Terry lowered Jane into it. She slipped the organs inside and zipped it closed, trying not to look at Jane’s face as it disappeared. “Let’s go.”

Together they wheeled Jane outside and loaded her into the van. Jeremy slid into the back as they approached the front and they both settled in. It had already been a long night and Alice saw no end in sight.

What the hell had she gotten herself into?

Alice pulled into the parking lot and gazed at the Barn. It wasn’t actually a Barn, not anymore at least. Once upon a time, it had been, then this warlock with an affinity for healing magic had acquired it and turned it into a kind of mythical hospital. It was the only one of its kind on this side of the country, mostly because mythics didn’t trust anyone, least of all each other. Most of them had some kind of regenerative ability and those who didn’t, preferred to buy the services of healers instead of relying on the kindness offered by the Barn.

Over the years though, it had gained a reputation for being a neutral ground of sorts. No one ever stayed there for long, not if they could help it but it got a decent amount of traffic, ensuring that the lights were kept on 24/7.

Alice put the van in park and shut the engine off. “Are you sure about this?” she looked across at Terry.

“It’s our best bet right now. This place is swimming in wards and it has some of the best defensive mythics. Not to mention all the healers. This is the best place to be in the event something goes wrong.”

If something goes wrong, Alice thought. That sounded like a self-fulfilling prophecy. She swung her door open and headed to the back. Jeremy had already popped the van open and was in the process of lowering Jane’s gurney to the ground. She knew he could handle it- he was impossibly strong- but she gave him a hand anyway; she liked to pull her own weight.

Terry stood by the front, her wand already in hand, lightly tapping against her leg. It was a nervous tick she had had even before she got her wand but anyone who thought she was an easy target in this stance was liable to see the error of their ways in two seconds flat.

“Give us a hand, will you?” called Alice, trying to force the gurney through the gravel.

Terry lazily raised her wand and inscribed a sigil in the air. The gurney lifted a foot off the ground and floated there, expectantly. Without missing a beat, Jeremy grabbed the side and started towards the Barn.

“Not that way,” Terry called to him. She pushed off from the van and headed towards the woods to the right of the Barn. “Follow me.”

Alice glanced at the light flowing out from the Barn and then at Terry. With a reluctant step, she turned and followed, Jeremy already ahead of her.

Terry led them around the side of the Barn and halfway down its side before stopping. She flicked her wand and a pair of doors revealed themselves, set into the ground.

She touched her wand to the lock and it clicked open. “Private ward,” she said to Alice’s questioning gaze. “For dangerous mythics, especially crazed witches and warlocks. You know, the ones who like turning humans into rats or chimaeras or releasing plagues. Nasty business.”

Propping the doors open, she stepped back to allow them to enter. Jeremy strode forward and disappeared into the semi-gloom. Alice followed a bit more cautiously. Lastly, Terry came through the door and let it fall close behind her. “Automatic seal,” she said again as Alice paused. “Warded up to its neck, remember.”

Terry strode past her and overtook Jeremy. “This way.”

They passed through a series of dimly lit corridors, passing rooms that had varying degrees of locks adorning them. Some were so chained up that Alice could barely make out what colour the door was beneath it. She wanted to ask who they kept down here but she didn’t think she really wanted to know. Curiosity was an admirable trait until it got you killed or drove you insane.

They passed doctors and nurses hurrying from one room to another or consulting charts, but they barely paid them any mind. The doctors ignored them completely and the nurses barely glanced their way, all of them parting around Terry and company. Terry pressed on, leading them deeper into the facility. Two flights of stairs later and another secured door (How big was this place? Alice wondered), they came to a vault-like structure.

“This,” Terry said with a flourish, “is where we conduct our séance, ladies and gentlemen.”

Alice stepped over the threshold and almost gasped. The entire room seemed to be soaked in blood, some of it still fresh. Some so old they must have been there for years.

“Holy shit…” she muttered. “Is this some kind of torture chamber?”

“Among other things. It’s a multifunction room. It has many uses.”

“And what will we be using it for tonight?” a deep voice asked from behind them.

Alice swirled, her heart pounding. Panic made her go limp for a second before she realized who it was. Astra. Dr Astra Raylon. He had helped Terry to patch her brother’s body up when he had died. Without his expertise, Jeremy wouldn’t be whole today.

“Hey Doc,” Terry waved a hand. “We have a bit of a problem. And we need your help. We desperately need your help.”

“Again, what is it that you imagine you’ll be using this room for tonight?” Raylon’s gaze fixed on Terry, his voice calm but firm.

“A séance. We need to speak to someone.”

“Would that person happen to be residing in the bag young Jeremy is currently holding?”

“The very same,” nodded Terry. “Jer? If you would be so kind…”

The gurney landed softly as Terry released her magic. Jeremy unzipped the bag and stepped back. Raylon gave him a curious gaze before stepping forward. He reached inside the bag and took Jane’s face in his hand. His eyes slowly ran the length of her body, taking in every detail.

Alice looked on nervously, wishing he would say something but all he did was stare. After peeling back the flesh around Jane’s torso, Raylon’s eyes darkened.

“No shit…” muttered Terry in response.

“Where did you find this?”

It took Alice a moment to realize the question was directed at her. “County sheriff,” she blurted out, “they found her at a construction site on the outskirts of town. They thought she had been dumped there recently but by the looks of it…” her voice trailed off.

“Yes, she appears to have been buried… over seventy years ago. Whoever did this… they wanted her to suffer.”

“We gathered as much,” Terry interjected, “what we want to know is why. Why would anyone do something like this? Who could even do something like that? Some of those sigils… I’ve never even seen them before.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. This language of ours, Terry, is an old one. Older than you can imagine. We come from the earth, we draw power from the earth. Our language is the language of the earth itself but like all things, it changes, as time progresses, so does the earth. When the earth changes, so does its language and so too do we. Some of these sigils haven’t been used in over a thousand years. Whoever did this knows their history. Extensively.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

“There’s a lot we can do but before we proceed, we need to know if we should do anything. It was a brilliant idea on your part to hold a séance. We need to figure out who this young lady is and why anyone would do this to her. I suggest we brand her and bind her in Veritas Chains. After all, this makes no sense if we can't get the truth.”

“Agreed,” Terry said without hesitation.

“That’s settled then. I’ll be back momentarily.”

Alice blinked and the next moment Raylon was gone. “Veritas Chains?” she asked Terry.

“They’re blessed, the wearer can’t lie while they’re on. And yes, they do work on spirits. It’s a very rare artefact. There have only been sixteen recorded in the entire history of mythics.”

“And Raylon has a set?”

“Raylon is…” Terry searched for the right word, waving her hands around as if trying to snatch something from the air. “Raylon is old,” she said finally. “Very old.”

“Oh.” Alice had no idea what to say to that, so she fell silent. She wasn’t much one for small talk anyway.

A minute later Raylon reappeared with barely a sound. Alice perked up at his appearance, eager to see what he had brought with him. She hadn’t been allowed to see him work when he had helped fix Jeremy. It wasn’t often she got to see a mythic work. Human magic was a lot more familiar to her.

He reached into his coat and produced a length of iron that resembled a fire poker with a disk attached to the end. The disk glowed bright orange and she couldn’t make out the sigil on the end of it, no matter how she squinted. “You carried a burning brand in your coat?” she said incredulously.

“Oh, it’s not a wand and it doesn’t burn unless it's laid flat against the skin.” To demonstrate he touched two fingers to the brand and held them there for a few seconds. He raised his hand and showed her his unblemished skin. Passing the brand to Terry, Raylon rolled up the sleeve on his left hand and began to unwrap a length of glistening steel from around his wrist. The chain seemed to go on forever, unbelievably long. Alice could have sworn he didn’t have more than 5 feet of chain around his wrist but after a full minute of unwinding, he finally came to the end. The chain slipped to the floor with a soft clink.

That’s incredible, thought Alice.

Raylon then grabbed an end and began to form a circle around the body. He did this three times then secured one end of the chain around Jane's throat.

“Ready?” Raylon asked Terry.

“Ready,” she replied, wand at her side.

Raylon reached out to the air in front of him and began to form a sigil. Out of respect, Terry averted her eyes. It was good manners to avert one's eyes from a wizard’s sigil, even though it was hidden.

Retrieving his wand, Raylon scooped up the chain and made his way to Jane’s side. Terry mirrored him, positioning herself on the opposite side. Brand in one hand, wand in the other, Terry looked as ready as she would ever be.

Looking at Raylon, Terry held the brand aloof. He nodded and she pressed it against Jane’s forehead.

A piercing scream filled the air, causing Alice to clamp her hands to her eyes. She looked around to see who was screaming but the sound was coming from everywhere. She looked towards Jane and shuddered as the scream died away. Terry removed the brand and watched as the mark cooled.

“That was unpleasant,” she said through gritted teeth.

“But necessary. Let’s proceed.” Raylon raised his hand and Terry did the same as she tossed the brand to Alice. Before she could catch it, Jeremy appeared beside her and snatched the brand from the air. Giving her a flat look, he shook his head slightly. No.

Wrapping his hand around her forearm, he pulled her back from the gurney and the two muttering mythics. After what had happened in her lab, she went wordlessly. Jeremy obviously knew a lot more than he was letting on. Or maybe he was just being cautious. Either way, Alice was more than happy to follow his lead.

At a safe distance, or what Jeremy determined was a safe distance, they turned to watch the séance. Raylon and Terry stood facing each other with their wands raised, chanting something that Alice couldn’t make out. She had never been able to understand the wizards’ language, no matter how much Terry had tried to teach her; it just wasn’t for humans.

As their voices began to get louder, Alice winced. Here it comes, she thought. As she looked on, she saw the pupil in Raylon’s eyes begin to spread out until his eyes were completely black. He looked positively demonic. Across from him, Terry’s eyes became completely white. This was the first time Alice had seen such an effect of Terry’s magic. Raylon and Terry’s chant reached a crescendo, they were full-on shouting now. Alice watched in horror as Jane’s body started to convulse and flail about. Her body twisted and bent in ways that would surely have broken her back if she were still alive- no, she was alive, Alice corrected. Her body was just dead.

As suddenly as she began, Jane collapsed, and the chant ended. In the deafening silence that followed, a black cloud began to ooze from Jane’s mouth, pooling around her head before beginning to rise. Before it could rise too far, Raylon flicked his wand and pushed Terry away. With another slash and a few quick strokes, he formed a barrier around Jane and the gurney. They all watched with bated breath as smoke filled the barrier before retreating to the centre. It slowly began to take form and Alice could have sworn she heard Raylon swear under his breath. This was the first time she had seen anything shake his composure.

“What-?”

“Sh!” snapped Raylon, “Don’t say a word!”

Alice snapped her mouth shut and took another step back.

The smoke slowly took form and before long, a handsome dark-skinned man levitated above Jane’s torso. He smiled sweetly and looked around the room, taking in each of them in turn.

“Pleasant evening isn’t it?” he remarked, his voice silky smooth and dripping with honey. “How is everyone doing?”

Raylon locked eyes with Terry and shook his head slightly, Terry nodded once and walked around the barrier to stand beside him.

“Moloch,” Raylon said simply.

“In the flesh,” Moloch dipped his chin towards Raylon. “How have you been, old friend? It’s been quite some time.”

“It has been. About a millennia… or two.”

Moloch looked around the room again, raising his head to peer at the ceiling. “Is this where you’ve been all this time? Consorting with mythics… and humans?” His gaze landed on Alice as he said that last part, a note of disappointment in his voice.

Raylon snapped his fingers, pulling Moloch’s gaze. “I prefer the company here on earth. I haven’t been murdered in over two thousand years. No more sleeping with one eye open. I’m free.”

“Free?” Moloch spat, his forehead creasing. His features seemed to become fluid for a moment as his face stretched into a snarl. “You call this freedom? We hear rumours you know. Are you a healer now? A healer? How low have you sunk?”

“It pays the bills,” Raylon shrugged. “And if I’m being honest, I like it.”

Moloch laughed, so suddenly and so loudly that Alice flinched. What the fuck was going on?

“You always did have a soft spot for wounded creatures. You never did like to let any of them suffer. Now, why is it you have summoned me here?”

“We-” began Terry but Raylon silenced her with a wave. Moloch didn’t take his eyes off Raylon, it was as if Terry hadn’t even spoken.

“We didn’t summon you. We were trying to communicate with the soul that resides in that body. And as far as I can tell, your soul resides in hell.”

Moloch smiled, flashing amazingly white teeth. “As far as you know. You haven’t been around in a long time Raylon. Such a long time. You should visit more. Catch up on all the news.”

“I…” Raylon paused, frowning. “You possessed her?”

Moloch’s smile grew even wider.

“But if you possessed her… who sealed her away? And why…” he trailed off. Terry shifted uncomfortably beside Raylon. Alice knew what she was going through, Terry did not like to sit still.

“Fuck me, this isn’t good.” Raylon looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. He turned to Terry. “We need to banish him right now. Do you think you can do it?”

“M- me?” stuttered Terry. “I don’t know the first thing about banishing a- a, whatever he is!”

“I can teach you how. I can’t do it myself. He’s a demon. A higher demon… they can’t… they shouldn’t be able to…” Raylon’s face became pained. “Listen to me Terry, you need to do this. Now. If you aren’t up to it, I need to get someone who is.”

Terry shuffled uncomfortably under Raylon’s gaze, then she looked down at the wand in her hand. It was pure silver, formed when her powers had matured, it had come to her, just appearing out of nowhere. It meant that she was an elemental. One of only seven elementals on this side of the continent. Surely, she had the power to banish a demon?

Moloch looked on with interest. “This witch,” he said in amusement, “you believe she can banish me?”

Raylon ignored him. “I need your answer Terry, now.”

“Yeah,” she said letting out a slow breath. “Yeah, fuck it. I can do this.”

Alice noticed that she seemed to be talking more to herself than to Raylon but he visibly relaxed. “Now, here’s what you do.” For the next sixty seconds, he rapidly recited an enchantment and Terry’s face scrunched as she tried to commit it to memory. When he finished, she nodded and turned to face Moloch.

“You’re going down,” she grinned at him.

Jesus Christ! Alice screamed inside, this was no time to be shit-talking a fuckin demon! Terry was so unimaginably reckless! She didn’t say anything out loud however and reached for Jeremy’s cold hand. As usual, his face was blank and he just stared ahead, taking in the scene.

Terry took up an offensive stance in front of Moloch and raised her wand. She took a few steadying breaths and then closed her eyes. Shooting off a quick chant, she waved her wand in a circle around her head and a silver circle formed around her. She opened her eyes and looked at Raylon. “Do it.”

Raylon raised his hand and the barrier around Moloch vanished. The moment it disappeared, Moloch sprang into action. Snarling he lunged at Terry, his features twisting and melting as his true form struggled to break through. A single horn sprouted from his forehead and fangs bulged out of his mouth, a forked tongue twisting between them. Terry paid him no mind however and closed her eyes again. She began to chant as he struck her barrier. A massive blast of concussive energy exploded from the point of contact.

Jeremy swept Alice into his arms and used his body as a shield as Raylon jumped in front of them, deflecting the energy. His face was scrunched up in concentration as he watched Moloch batter Terry’s shield. He hammered and pounded and howled at her, his form slipping from solid to smoke as he swirled around, trying to distract and terrify her but Terry stood firm, reciting the enchantment Raylon had taught her. The tip of her wand lit up and the glow became almost blinding. Moloch screamed as the light washed over him. His skin began to sizzle and dissolve, the smoke dissipating as it drifted to the ceiling. Realizing he wasn’t going to be able to get past Terry’s barrier, he retreated and tried to reinsert himself into Jane but Raylon was there before him, wand raised, shielding her body.

Raylon held Jane’s hand as he traced sigils all over her body, his eyes fixed on Moloch as the demon drifted inches above the body.

“You bastard!” roared Moloch. “You will pay for this! You will! I know where you are now!”

Raylon simply gritted his teeth and nodded.

Terry’s voice became louder and louder as she chanted faster and faster. The light from her wand reached such an intensity that even Alice began to feel the air burning. She gasped as it became harder and harder to breathe. At this rate, she would surely die. She clutched her brother frantically, and he returned her hug, his arms tightening around her.

Terry lowered her wand and began to burn a sigil into the air. It sizzled and cracked as it ripped a portal in space. Moloch took one last look at Raylon before jet-black ribbons erupted from the portal and wrapped themselves around him. “I’ll never forgive you for this, brother,” he called softly as the ribbons dragged him kicking and screaming into hell. The rift in space snapped behind him with a bang, the sigil Terry had carved cracked and then blasted her in the chest with a wave of energy. The last time she remembered before slipping into unconsciousness was Raylon running to catch her before she fell, and then darkness.

Terry awoke a day later with a splitting headache. She groaned as she sat up in bed.

“Thank the Goddess you’re okay!” Alice yelled, coming out of nowhere to fling her arms around her. “I was so worried!”

“Ease up, will you. I have the mother of all headaches right now. What the fuck happened? How drunk did I get last night?”

Alice drew back hesitantly. “You don’t remember?”

Terry raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “What do you mean? What did I do?”

“What do you remember from last night?”

Terry leaned back into her pillows. “I remember you called me to look at a body, there was something weird about her and we went to the Barn. Why? What happened?”

Alice smiled softly. “You- well, you and Raylon, banished a higher demon. Moloch.”

Terry blinked. “What did you just say?”

Alice nodded weakly. “Yeah, it was possessing the girl, Meredith, but you banished him and freed her.”

Terry sat back up in amazement. “You’re serious?” she whispered.

“Dead serious.”

“Holy fuck… and I don’t remember any of that? I recall us coming here, going to the Vault and then… nothing. Jesus, I banished a higher demon?” her face flushed with excitement. “I banished a higher demon?! Fuck yeah!”

Alice laughed weakly. “Damn near killed you but yeah, you did it. You banished that bastard and you freed Meredith.”

“Jane Doe? That’s her name?”

“Yeah, after Moloch was gone, Raylon was able to communicate with her. She had been sacrificed in a fertility ritual so that her village could have eternal good fortune but Moloch had betrayed them and twisted the ritual. Eventually, the warlocks had no choice but to lock him inside Meredith and bury her. She was conscious the whole time though… through everything,” Alice choked back a sob. “The burial, the whole time, the autopsy…”

“Oh no…” Terry stared numbly ahead. “Those bastards… they deserve eternal torment for the shit they put that girl through.”

She reached out and took Alice’s hand. “Hey, it's okay. There was no way you could have known and you’re the one who freed her. You called me and we got her out. You saved her, in the end.”

Alice nodded slowly. “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. We did save her. You, me and Raylon. We did good.”

“Damn right we did,” Terry smiled. “I banished a higher demon. That is badass.”