Hail to the Queen (Witch For Hire 2)

“We must all join together in the pursuit of vanquishing this evil. I’ve spent my entire life battling the devil and his offspring, but at no time have they been closer to prevailing. They have one goal, conquering the Earth, and always they are seeking a way to achieve this.”

“Please sit.” I steer him to an over-sized brown leather chair.

“How do you think this happened?” Vale asks.

“Sealed places by Yahweh keep most demons below. However, Djinn are different. They have their own universe. Yaweh knew they needed more to contain them. I make it my business to know the state of the seals at all times. They remain unbroken. Which is puzzling.”

“How is this happening, then?” Fel asks.

“They’ve found a shortcut if you will. There are demonic artifacts capable of attacking the veil. It would take time and immense negative energy, but for them, waiting is what they do best.”

“Negative energy?” Mémé tilts her head slightly.

“Human corruption is fuel for them. The three wishes are a way into a person’s life and ultimately their soul. They offer a chance for more in exchange for favors. They start small, allowing them to build trust. Then the depravity grows. The Djinn will claim he requires more personal sacrifice to generate the power needed to achieve their desires. What people are capable of doing to get what they want would shock you. It turns good people into vile, unrecognizable strangers. Ask yourself this question: what wouldn’t you do to get everything you ever wanted?”

“A hell of a lot,” someone mumbles.

“How can we figure out what this artifact is?” Mémé asks, getting straight to the point.

“I have access to texts, outlining them.” He pauses and twines his fingers. “I believe it’s best to go straight to the source in this matter. We must learn the name of the Djinn, and summon him to get more information and narrow our search. I fear what may happen if we leave it too long—”

“Wait. This thing put Lou in the hospital after a short encounter and yet you want to face it head on?” Zephirin says slowly.

“Yes. Yahweh has provided us with a clue. The woman who was possessed is currently in the hospital. A deliverance would allow us to free her from entrapment and discover the name.” Charlotte was rushed to the hospital with a case of exhaustion, dehydration, and shock after a freak low-level earthquake caused a house to shift, due to a fault that had lain dormant for years. People will go to great lengths to explain impossible things, in what they believe is a logical manner.

“Baal Shem. With all due respect, I highly doubt her high profile husband would—” Sacha begins.

He holds up a hand, silencing her in mid-sentence. “Yahweh will smooth the way. We must act quickly. Today. Father Axson will be assisting me locally.”

“What do you need from us?” Mémé asks.

“Your support when it comes time to repair what’s been damaged in the barrier between our worlds,” he says.

“I take it you have a plan, Mr. Issur?” Meadow says.

“Yes. One I’m ready to set into motion immediately.”

“I believe I speak for the majority of us when I say let us proceed. Those opposed?”

“Nay.” Zephirin’s objection is expected.

“Those in agreement?”

“Yay.”

“The yays have it. Tell us what we can do to help, Baal Shem,” I say.

***

Wooden bowls line the food tray which serves as a makeshift altar. Charlotte’s still form rests on the bed. The rise and fall of her chest and the steady beep of her monitors are the only indications she’s alive. It’s a crime to see a woman so full of a life cut low. With severely chapped lips, mottled skin, and sunken in cheeks, she’s ravaged. Even if she gained her new husband and wealth with wishes, she doesn’t deserve this. Baal Shem prays quietly in Hebrew as he anoints himself with oil. He picks up the white tallit with fringed edges, and a blue and gray striped design, kisses the prayer shawl, and bows. I wonder at the symbolism as he wraps it around his shoulders.

This is a glimpse into a world I’ve never been a part of. Father Axson steps inside and closes the door behind him.

“The staff is used to me being here to visit with the patients. The nurses usually make their rounds on this floor about every hour. Between the distraction spell and our lookouts, we’re fine to begin.” Father Axson turns his attention to Sacha, Fel, and I. “Are you ready to hold her in place?” He insists using our powers to keep her immobile is more humane than the usual method of tying her to the bed. It still feels wrong to restrict someone this way. I double check the silencing spell before nodding.

“We are.”

Father places his brown leather case on a chair and removes his purple stole. He kisses the strip of fabric before placing it around his neck, removes his cross, and a bottle of holy water. I watch as his face becomes serious. The sparkle in his eyes is replaced with determination as he prepares himself for the battle to come. He pulls out his Bible, as Baal Shem begins to sing, rocking back in forth in a continuous bow.