Elliot closed his eyes to focus only on pushing away the alien influence. “I’m sorry, it’s him. He wants to hurt you.”
Knight grinned, as if he feared nothing and used his foot to pull the door open just enough so that he could maneuver them both into the narrow passage. The damp cold sank into Elliot’s bones immediately, reminding him of the nights and days when he stayed deep below the house and spoke only to Fane, who poured poison into Elliot’s brain. Getting back there was an idea so unpleasant he was glad Knight was carrying him.
“Why, is he kinky? Maybe we should spank him if we get the chance. He used to be a very bad boy,” Knight said.
Fane got so furious he lost all control of Elliot’s body, and it was a relief so immense Elliot only hugged Knight harder.
“I will not suffer these indignities any longer! If you want to get rid of me, get me Laurent’s blood, you dumb bucket of flesh!” the ghost roared, jumping two steps at a time.
Elliot leaned in and rested his face in Knight’s soft long hair. “He doesn’t like the idea.”
“Fuck him. Wait... did he like that? I bet he did,” Knight said as he carefully descended the stairs, not to fall over in the cramped space. Elliot could hear voices from down below, but he was too focused on Knight to care.
“He looks away when we fuck,” Elliot said and chuckled. “I think it bothers him that he has no body to feel pleasure.”
Fane looked back at Elliot with his gaze sharp as a razor blade. “I would never let another man sodomize me. I don’t care for being in your body when he satiates his lust inside of you.” He stepped closer and forced Elliot to meet his eyes. “Once he gets tired of your hole, I will be all you have left, and you will learn to do my bidding.”
The words were like ice cutting into Elliot’s skin. He refused to answer the torment and sought warmth in Knight’s arms, breathing in the masculine scent of his neck and hair.
He closed his eyes and kept them so when Knight got off the stairs. The world shifted, and when Elliot eventually sensed more space around him, it became clear they entered one of the chambers. The voices died down, but Elliot only dared to look around urged on by Knight’s stubbly chin rubbing against his forehead.
“Should I put you down now?”
Elliot nodded with a deep inhale, set on keeping his cool. Maybe he could learn to live like this? Every skill needed practice, so maybe with enough time dedicated to it, he could learn to keep Fane out until the monster of a man became background noise. Like that voice in Elliot’s head that always tried to put him down.
When he opened his eyes, they settled on an unknown man in black. It became clear who he was when Elliot spotted a strip of white at the short collar of the stranger’s shirt. In the empty room, the crowd of three people was a choking presence that closed in on Elliot, about to tear his meat off the bone.
“No!” Fane roared and pushed Knight back with all his force. Only a second later Elliot realized it was his throat that made the guttural sound, and his hand pressing on Knight’s chest. “I will not be contain—”
Elliot grabbed his own neck and pressed on the Adam’s apple to stop Fane from speaking, but when Fane realized Laurent was also in the room, his force became unbearable, and he took over every fiber of Elliot’s being.
The priest crossed himself, armed with a Bible and some other paraphernalia Elliot couldn’t name. The damp air immediately became thick, and the cool touch of it now felt hot as hellfire. Knight locked the door and put the key into his pocket, watching Elliot with razor-sharp focus.
“We’re going to help you. Just work with us.”
Elliot wanted to nod, but Fane only let him move one step toward Knight before launching himself at Laurent, who leaped back with a shriek.
Beast stood between Elliot and Laurent, a wall of muscle impossible to cross. “The ghost is volatile,” he explained to the priest, but his gaze darted to Knight. “I told you to cuff him! We can’t risk this with Laurent around.”
Knight swallowed, briefly meeting Elliot’s eyes. “I wanted to be gentle. If Laurent is at risk, why is he even here?”
Beast’s glare alone made Elliot step back. “He’s here because the priest needs assistance with reciting in Latin. Unless you want to tell me you can replace him, he stays.”
Laurent stepped out from behind Beast, and despite the obvious tension to his shoulders, he watched Elliot with determination. “And I wish to be here to see Fane banished from this world.”