Jade Constantine
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
It's said that God has a plan for all of us, that He has a reason for everything that happens. People usually believe that, especially at times when they crave a reason for why bad things happen to them. But not me. The way I see it, God's a kid with an ant farm. He's not planning anything. At least, not for me…
—J.C.
He who possesses the Spear of Destiny holds the fate of the world in his hands
The Spear of Destiny has been missing since the end of World War Two…
The sky was clear and bright and the autumn breeze was brisk as it blew the many colored leaves around the area. It promised to be a perfectly trouble-free day but that couldn't be further from the truth for a young male taxi driver and his passenger.
The faded yellow taxi was pulling up to an old apartment building in the not-so-friendly part of town. It was a scuzzy place and no one would go there if they could avoid it, but the taxi driver's passenger had unavoidable business to attend to there.
When the taxi parked, an Englishwoman in her mid-thirties emerged from the taxi. She was quite tall and slender with an oval-shaped face and simple features. She had long, dirty blond hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes that were either like blue fire or the bright sky of a summer's day depending on her mood. She was dressed in a crisp white shirt with a red tie on her neck, black dress pants and black boots and her trademark: a cream-colored trench coat that went past her knees.
She was smoking a cigarette, but she put it out by grounding it into the asphalt with the heel of her boot before going into the apartment building. She knew she needed to act quickly. The screaming was getting louder.
Inside the apartment building, the staircase and hall were filled with tenants trying to get a glimpse of what was going on, to see the unexplainable in action. Her sudden entrance did not go unnoticed and because she was a stranger, most of the tenants gave her suspicious looks before they stepped out of her path when she gave them a look that made them recoil in fear. Those who did not, she merely shoved aside. The woman had no patience for politeness, no time for tact, and no fear of anything. This woman was the infamous Jade Constantine—exorcist, demonologist and mistress of the dark arts.
When Jade reached her destination, apartment 7B, she kicked down the door and burst in. An older woman was in the corner, crying and babbling hysterically; Gary Lester, Jade's old friend and the one who'd telephoned her, was panicking; and worst of all, a young girl no more than twelve years of age, was tied to the bed. She was thrashing about and screaming, and her fingernails were black. She was possessed and by a real nasty son of a bilge rat too.
Gary looked relieved when he saw Jade and rushed to her side. "Thank heavens you're here."
Jade shot him a disgusted look, causing Gary to give Jade a wide berth.
Jade ignored the panic-stricken mother as she touched the child's face. Smoke hissed beneath Jade's fingertips, but she took no notice of it. Instead, her demeanor changed as she leaned right next to the ear of the little girl and whispered, "I'm speaking to the entity within. This is Constantine. Jade Constantine, you demonic filth."
The girl ceased struggling for a moment as her eyes shot open, revealing nothing but pitch-blackness, another sign of possession.
Jade smirked. "How you doing, you git?"
The girl began thrashing about again, practically foaming at the mouth as she tried and failed to attack Jade.
"Te trucidabo!" she snarled.
"Not if I do it first, mate," said Jade. "Now, what say we see who we got here?" She whipped out a keychain crammed with medallions and flipped through each of the sculptured Saints until the girl reacted to one by trying to look away. Jade stared at the Saint responsible, genuinely puzzled by this reaction until her face became serious. "Someone get me a mirror. Now."
The hysterical mother produced a small compact from her handbag but Jade turned it away.
"No. Bigger. Much bigger. At least three feet high. Go find one, ma'am," said Jade. "Gary, help me move this bed towards the window."
The hysterical mother obeyed Jade's orders but Gary just stood there and looked confused.
"Why're you moving—?"
"NOW!" she barked.
Gary nearly jumped a foot before snapping into the action. Together, they moved the bed around to face the window but not without causing quite a bit of damage to the hardwood floor in the process.
Jade then centered on a drapery rope and pulled hard. The drapery hooks exploded off the curtain as she swung open the window and looked down into the alley where Chas's taxi was currently parked.
Not feeling like yelling, Jade whipped out her cell phone and speed dialed Chas. The taxi driver answered on the first ring.
"Something wrong, Jade?" asked Chas.
"You might say that," said Jade, as she glanced over at the possessed girl. "Look, you're going to want to move your car."
"Uh, dare I ask why?"
"Let's just say unless you want some serious damage to it after just getting it fixed, you need to move it, ASAP," said Jade.
Chas sighed. "Okay, fine. On it." He sounded like he didn't want to do it, but Chas knew better than to disobey Jade's orders when it came to this line of business. So, he parked the taxi on the far end of the parking lot. "It's far away from the window. Is that better?"
"Perfect, mate. See you in a bit," said Jade, as she hung up.
Jade thread the drapery rope through the fire escape railing, back through the window and then looped it over the ceiling fan. She climbed onto the bed and leaned over the girl whose eyes had closed again and she was shaking even more badly than before. The girl seemed to be going into shock, she wasn't strong enough for this.
Having no other choice, Jade slapped her, causing the girl's eyes to pop back open.
"Amar natash bow basarz! Rescind from the flesh, I command thee!" she yelled. When the girl spat at Jade, her temper flared. "That's it. Time to go home. Tiempo para morir!"
The girl's body suddenly pulsed half again large, causing Jade to recoil for a heartbeat.
Quickly snapping back into action, Jade resumed chanting. "Amar natash bow basar!"
There was another pulse and this time a shape was clearly seen expanding under the child's skin as if the demon inside were trying burst right through.
Jade backed off for a moment, watching as the shape rippled through the girl's flesh like fingers caressing from the other side. Jade shot Gary a questioning look, but the man just shrugged and looked baffled. It wasn't supposed to happen like that. What was going on here? Then Jade remembered.
The Rising Darkness, she thought to herself. It's getting worse. Whatever was happening here, once again, the normal rules didn't apply. The Rising Darkness's power had grown stronger and now it was infecting an innocent child.
The mirror Jade requested then arrived. It was a large antique and so heavy that it took the hysterical mother the help of four men to get into the room. They lifted it up over the bed as per Jade's instruction. Jade ducked as the men worked and then settled on the girl when it was raised over and tied off. She straddled the girl, positioning her head between the girl's and the mirror above the two of them.
"Now, close your eyes, all of you. And whatever happens, do not look into the mirror," she ordered. After making sure everyone had closed their eyes tight, Jade turned back to the possessed girl. "Amar natash bow basar! Rescind from the flesh, I command thee!"
The girl reacted. The shape that Jade had seen earlier reappeared and contorted the girl's body all out of proportion.
Jade unblocked the mirror for a moment and the girl was reflected inside, but it wasn't just the girl's reflection inside the mirror. There was something else there as well. The surface of the mirror flexed in the hands of the men and one of them started to open his eyes.
"NO!" yelled Jade. "KEEP YOUR EYES SHUT, YOU BLOODY FOOL!"
If that fool didn't shut his eyes, they were all in danger.
The man reclosed his eyes but it was too late. The girl screamed and broke free of her straps. She rose up and grabbed Jade tight around the throat. Her nails dug so deep into the flesh of Jade's neck that tiny droplets of blood began to appear.
Jade struggled to breathe and stay conscious as she put her hands over the girl's mouth, cutting off the girl's air supply. Now it was just a question as to who would pass out first. The girl released her grip on Jade's throat as she began to go into shock. She was close to death and would not survive if Jade didn't hurry and save her.
Jade gasped for breath for the briefest of moments before resuming her work. "Look! Look at me!" When the girl didn't respond, Jade took the medallion that had caused her earlier reaction and pressed it against her forehead. The girl's eyes snapped wide open and Jade unblocked the mirror again and the mirror's image changed drastically.
"Smile pretty, you vain git," hissed Jade.
The girl's reflection was no longer that of a young child, instead it was that of a seriously ticked off high-level demon. One who knew that it'd just got suckered in. The mirror vibrated wildly in the men's grip. The demon's reflection was rippling the glass, bending it outward into three-dimensional space as the girl began to take her last breath.
"Now, Gary. Now!" yelled Jade.
Gary pulled the rope with all three-hundred-plus pounds as Jade said to the demon, "Oh, and do me a favor, will you? Tell your boss to drop dead, when you're down there."
The demon lunged for Jade but the mirror was jerked into motion. It swung right out the window, only to catch on a sliver of wood.
"Oh, no you don't!"
Jade jumped up and helped push the mirror free. The mirror fell seven stories, tumbling end over, sunlight beams glanced off the glass projecting the image of the demon into the city landscape; onto buildings, sidewalks, and a passing truck until all three hundred pounds of iron and glass came crashing down exactly where Chas's taxi had been earlier. The demon's image shattered on impact, glass splintered into millions of diamond-like fragments that choked air. The groan of something evil reverberated into the city beyond.
The girl gasped, her eyes wide and a clear chocolate brown and her fingernails no longer black, displaying that she was a regular girl again. She then burst into tears as her mother rushed to her side and held her tight.
Relieved as she was that the girl was safe and all was right, Jade's heart still clenched with pain at the sight of the mother and daughter embracing. When the mother gave Jade a grateful look, Jade gave her a polite smile and nod before pushing past Gary and departing from the room. She'd had a long journey and suddenly felt quite tired.
As Jade left, she slipped into the kitchenette for a glass of water. The exorcism had left her feeling parched and her frequent coughing fits of late weren't helping much either. As she downed the glass of water, she glanced at the refrigerator and noticed a child's crayon drawing taped to the door. It was just a drawing of a stick figure poking another in the side with a long stick, but something about it unsettled Jade and if there was one thing she'd learned in her line of work, it was to always trust her instincts. She tugged the picture off the fridge and folded it into her pants pocket.
On her way down the sitars, she encountered the lingering tenants. Those who weren't horrified and scared out of their wits were murmuring soft words of gratitude and looked at her in awe and tried to touch her or shake her hand. Jade ignored all the stares and whispers she was receiving until she sensed another's presence and looked up. A man in a slick suit, obviously not a rent-payer, was at the top of the staircase, and was flicking a coin between his fingers. Jade recognized him as Balthazar, a half-breed demon that she greatly despised. She shot him an intense glare that he returned before disappearing, unnoticed by the building's tenants.
The minute she was outside, she leaned against the wall, awaiting Gary's arrival.
She knew he'd come. He'd been right behind her on her way out collecting money from the grateful tenants. Plus, the moron knew that if he didn't come, Jade would kill him.
When Gary finally showed up, Jade grabbed Gary's arm and pulled him into the alley before pinning him to the wall by the lapels of his jacket.
"Jade, please, don't be mad!" begged Gary. He knew a fair bit about magic and was skilled in the trade, but his power was nothing compared to Jade's and he pitied anyone on the receiving end of her infamous anger. "Please, don't kill me!
"What did I tell you about confronting demons without me?" growled Jade.
"Not to," admitted Gary.
"Okay. So why did you?" demanded Jade.
Gary struggled for a reply, causing Jade to growl in frustration and then she picked his pocket of the money he'd been paid.
"Two weeks! Two bloody weeks I'm out of the country and you decide to go and get yourself killed! I ought to take it all and leave you with none of it and save you from yourself!" she growled, after she'd counted up and taken her half. Normally, Jade did her type of work for free, but being a do-gooder didn't always mean hot food on her table or a roof over her head, so sometimes she had to make people cough up a fee for her services or she did a con job. "What in the devil's name were you thinking, mate? Do you have any idea what would've happened if I hadn't shown up when I did?"
"Well, how was I supposed to know some high-level scum was behind the possession? I'm not the great Jade Constantine. How was I supposed to know?" protested Gary.
"You're not supposed to know, because you're not supposed to be involved!" snapped Jade. "I told you to get out. I told you to quit this life, that it was too dangerous and you'll only get yourself killed, but you don't bloody listen to me!"
Gary seemed taken aback by Jade's attitude and she couldn't blame him. She knew that Gary knew of her strong disapproval that he'd continued living a life that consisted of fighting against the dark forces, but she'd never been quite so angry with him before. She also knew that she couldn't entirely fault Gary for doing what he did as he wasn't only doing this out of the goodness of his heart, but also because he needed something other than booze and drugs to ease off the guilt he felt for his involvement in Newcastle.
"It's my life! You can't stop me from doing this!" protested Gary. "What's wrong with you? We did good. We didn't fail. We didn't—oh, that's it, isn't it?" Gary's face fell and he looked ashamed and sympathetic. "It's today, isn't it? Crap, Jade, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have forgotten. Today's the anniversary of her."
Jade was silent but the dark, saddened look in her eyes answered him.
Cases involving kids were a particularly sore spot for Jade. Four years ago, she'd failed to save a little girl, Astra, from a demon and it had haunted her ever since. No matter how many times she was successful saving other children from demons; her failure with Astra left her riddled with guilt and grief. It didn't help that today was the anniversary of that tragic day. It usually left Jade in a foul mood as anger and avoidance was Jade's way of dealing.
Jade sighed. "Gary, mate, listen. I know you're trying to make up for what happened, but the fact is, what happened at Newcastle is all on me, okay? I'm the last person you should want to be like, especially after that. You stay on this path; you're only going to get yourself killed and I've got enough ghosts following me around."
Jade was no stranger to loss, having lost a number of friends and innocent civilians in the life she led, but she still felt the pain and she had no desire for Gary to join in the mass of losses she'd suffered. Gary was an idiot, but he was still her friend.
Gary's face softened as he squeezed Jade's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere, Jade."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, mate," murmured Jade. In this line of work, one could be alive one minute and dead the next. She sighed once again as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, if you absolutely insist on going through with this, than you either get someone to go with you no matter how big or small the case is, or you call me before you do anything stupid. Because if you don't; I'll lock you up where no one'll ever find you. Got it?"
"Got it," said Gary, quickly.
Satisfied with Gary's answer, Jade departed.
XXX
It was one of those perfect days with perfect clouds, so clear you feel like you reach out and touch heaven. It was the kind of day you spent relaxing in the sun and not have a care in world, the kind of day a mother would spend with her child, but it was not so for one homicide detective of the local police department.
Cheryl Masters' weary eyes opened. She was on her belly hidden between track tiles and shadows even deeper. She gripped her police issued nine millimeter gun tightly as she was pinned down, unable to move.
"You still with me, Cheryl?"
Cheryl's partner, Detective Jim Corrigan, was thirty feet down the same track. Their voices were echoing off the curved walls and came from everywhere. How either of them got there wasn't important, how they were going to get out of there was.
"Yeah," muttered Cheryl.
"So what's next, partner? We going to do a full marathon?" asked Corrigan.
Intermittent radio chattered buzzed from Cheryl's radio, sparing her from replying. She signaled to Corrigan, who then cautiously rose up with her. They were not alone. The murder suspect they'd been chasing, a Satanist turned serial killer, was down there with them.
Instinctively, Cheryl held her gun up in the air and aimed it at the tunnel entrance. "This is the police! Put your weapon on the tracks and step out with your hands above your hands!"
"Or how about you show yourself and I put a bullet in your skull just like I did hers?" shouted a rough male voice.
Cheryl's fingers flexed around the trigger of her gun. "That's not going to happen."
"You sure about that? How many shots you got left?"
Cheryl didn't reply. She'd done the math. She knew she only had one bullet left, which meant she only had one shot left. If she missed, she was a dead woman unless Corrigan still had some left in his own gun. She had to make this count.
"Sir, this is your last warning. Put your weapon on the tracks and come out with your hands above your head, now," she ordered.
Suddenly the ground began to vibrate and the tunnel started to glow.
"Well, ain't this a peach?"
Cheryl looked back and saw several shadows of figures waving far off. Her radio was flooded with incoherent chatter and Corrigan looked frantic as he grabbed her arm.
"Cheryl, we've got to get out of here! The train's coming! Clear the track!"
Cheryl shook off her partner. "You go. I'm not leaving without him!"
She peaked over the train. There was still no sign of her murder suspect and the train was coming into view, its beam shot through the tunnel turning every particle of dust into a supernova. The sound was deafening.
"C'mon, Detective! Step into the light and be saved!"
Cheryl looked back, and squinted into the brilliant light. She gripped her gun and then spun around and aimed, just as her suspect appeared with his own gun. She fired and he did the same as they both dove off the track. His bullet ricocheted behind her and hers found its mark. He went right down into the train's path.
Cheryl rolled over on the side of the tracks as she caught her breath. She closed her eyes as the train roared past in a staccato blur. She tried and failed to ignore the pangs of guilt she felt. Once again, she'd taken a life in self-defense on the job and once again, she wondered just how much greater the stain on her soul was. Most cops went twenty years without firing their guns, but Cheryl wasn't like most cops. Somehow, she was always in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Some hours later, Cheryl found herself washing up in the girls' locker room after her paperwork had been completed.
She felt pained as she slipped off her shoulder holster and looked at her reflection in the large mirror behind the sink. Though she was only in her thirties, tired aging eyes were staring back at her. She disliked it, but it was only naturally considering the hardships she'd known. Both her parents were dead, she hadn't had any contact with her estranged younger sibling in sixteen years, she'd been widowed a few years ago, her daughter was still a patient at Ravenscar, and her career choice often left her riddled with nightmares and guilt and sorrow.
"Gutsy move out there, Cheryl."
Cheryl glanced at Corrigan, standing in the doorway. "You know you're not allowed in here."
"Technically, I'm not in here. I'm just holding the door open," said Corrigan.
Cheryl chuckled. "Okay, then. So, 'gutsy'? That's a new one."
They exchanged a look.
"You're alive. Bad guy's dead. No point in using the other words," said Corrigan.
"Thanks," said Cheryl.
The penny was in the air.
"Even though it was reckless, irresponsible, stupid—"
And the penny dropped.
"I knew you still cared."
Though they were good friends and worked well together, there was never a time when Corrigan didn't give Cheryl some kind of reprimand for her tendency to be reckless while on the job. It was his way of showing her that he cared.
"It's not a joke, Cheryl," said Corrigan, sharply. "You're a darn good cop, the best I've ever worked with, but one of these days…"
"I know. Nobody's luck lasts forever," said Cheryl. Yet, somehow her luck was surprisingly strong. She always knew when to duck, when to fire, and her instincts were almost always right. She hadn't been injured once. She couldn't explain it.
"Exactly. Anyway, just be careful. You're just like…" Corrigan's voice wandered off.
"Like who?" asked Cheryl, curiously.
"Doesn't matter," said Corrigan. "Don't be so reckless anymore. You don't have nine lives."
Cheryl rolled her eyes as she nodded.
Corrigan then left.
As Cheryl turned to depart and head home for the night, she spotted something strange out of the corner of her eye. Her reflection in the mirror didn't move with her and for a moment, the eyes in the reflection seemed to be pitch black. But when Cheryl turned and looked at herself properly in the mirror, her reflection looked back at her with the same expression and same exact looks. It was perfectly normal.
Did I imagine that? Or did something from…Cheryl shuddered and put that thought out of her head before she could finish that sentence. There's no need to go down that path. Once I do, I'll never stop. It was just my imagination, that's all.
But somehow, she didn't feel entirely convinced as she slammed the locker room door shut and went home.
XXX
The sun was beginning to set as Chas's taxi parked in front of a luxurious penthouse apartment building.
Jade emerged from the taxi with a large duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She walked around to the driver's window.
"Stay here. I won't be long."
"Fine by me," said Chas. He pulled out a magazine from the glove box,
He had no desire to set foot in the store as he disliked Jade's ally. He found her creepy and hadn't the slightest idea why Jade put up with her.
Jade looked amused as she entered the building and went to the top floor. When she knocked on the intended door, it swung open to reveal its resident, a stunningly gorgeous woman with flawless beauty and a seductive nature, everything one expected from a succubus, and not just any succubus.
Chantinelle, or "Ellie" as she was more commonly known, was a succubus who'd made the mistake of falling in love with an angel that she'd been assigned to seduce and kill. The love affair had ended badly with the angel's death and Ellie's exile from perdition. She'd been literally thrown out of perdition and ended up hiding in the sewers of London where Jade had found her. Jade took pity and nursed her back to health and the two ladies had been allies ever since.
"Jade, darling. Lovely to see you. Do come in," said Ellie, as she ushered Jade inside. "Can I get you anything? I was just about to have a glass of gin."
"I'd love some of that, if you wouldn't mind, luv," said Jade.
Ellie nodded and took Jade into her kitchen where she poured them both a shot of gin.
"Can't believe you're back so soon," said Ellie. "I thought you'd be gone at least a month. You were only away two weeks."
"What can I say, Ellie? India's a real drain," said Jade. She gratefully accepted the glass of gin as she placed the bag on the island counter, and then downed it. "Ahh. And the drink's a lot better here, too."
"I'll bet," said Ellie. She placed her shot glass on the table. "So, what do you need?"
"Everything you've got," said Jade, in a serious tone.
Ellie paused in what she was doing and raised an eyebrow. "I take it the Rising Darkness is getting worse?"
"I'm surprised to hear you ask. Don't your contacts keep you up to date?" An exiled succubus Ellie was, but Jade found it hard to believe someone like her wouldn't be gossiping over what was going on in perdition.
"I prefer not to discuss such things while I'm enjoying myself," said Ellie. "And besides, I haven't heard much, except for how much certain people dislike you."
Jade rolled her eyes. "That's yesterday's news, Ells. I'm a difficult woman to love."
"Doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful," said Ellie. She narrowed her eyes. "Although, you do look like you could stand to loosen up a little. What's got you so worked up?"
Jade's face darkened. "Case today hit close to home. I exorcised a real nasty son of a bilge rat from a little girl today. The freak was a bit more spirited than usual."
"Ah," said Ellie, understanding. She pulled out some items from her pantry. In addition to her usual line of work, Ellie dabbled in magical artifacts, often locating certain objects for Jade to use in her cases. The first item she produced was a frayed rag, and then some glass containers. "How spirited was this freakshow?"
"Spirited enough that if I hadn't shown up when I did, the son of a bilge rat would've come out right through her," said Jade, grimly. "And that's not supposed to happen."
"Considering the rule book's been thrown out, I'm not surprised. And let's not forget, my kind aren't supposed to fall in love with angels, either," said Ellie. "Normally, you mortals are just finger puppets to the bosses, elaborate costumes, nothing more. I'll see what I can find out from my friends, if you'd like, but I doubt they'll say much."
Jade sighed. Why am I not surprised? She was disappointed to hear Ellie didn't have anything new to tell her as she'd been hoping to have a good excuse to not meet her next appointment, but it seemed luck was not on her side. Still, at least she could gather more intel at her next stop.
"Let's get on with this. What've you got?"
"Well, I've got your stone fragments from the Road to Damascus, dust from the Dead Sea, scrolls, and take a look at this." She held up a little matchbox with a smiling bug graphic. "Screech beetle from Mount Sinai. Shake it."
Jade took the box and shook it, but nothing spectacular happened as the beetle fluttered about inside and its wings created a high-pitched whirl. Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Don't look at me like that," said Ellie, annoyed. "Just because even you can't hear it, doesn't mean others can't. To one like the Fallen, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. Drives them bonkers and leaves them at your mercy."
"Indeed," said Jade. She could see the usefulness of the creature; but she failed to see why it had to be an insect. Jade hated insects. "So, what else have you got?"
Ellie pulled out a set of sculptured brass knuckles, which were actually solid gold and engraved with religious markings. Jade took them and tried them on. They were a perfect fit.
"The gold was blessed by the Bishop Anicott during the Crusades."
Jade spotted a foot-long copper tube in the bag and pulled it out, tightly gripping the bicycle handle on the end.
"Watch it there," warned Ellie.
Jade raised an eyebrow. "This puny little thing? Really, Ells?" She gave it a small squeeze and whoosh! Ten-foot flames belched out of it.
"Dragon's breath," said Ellie, smirking.
Jade looked impressed. "I thought you couldn't get it anymore."
"A girl like me has her ways," said Ellie, with a teasing look in her eyes.
Jade put it down and then Ellie held up the frayed rag.
"And this little beauty's a piece of the shroud Moses wore to the mountain."
Jade picked it up and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You're kidding me, right?"
Ellie shook her head. "I don't kid when it comes to stuff like this, Jade. You should know that by now, darling."
Jade opened her mouth to speak but a rather painful and long coughing fit interrupted her. She clutched the edge of the island counter as she tried to catch her breath. Ellie rubbed her back to try and help and then got Jade a glass of water when the coughing finally ceased.
"Thanks," said Jade, hoarsely as she sipped the water.
Ellie looked at Jade in concern. "You all right? You nearly suffocated."
"I'm fine," said Jade, waving her off. "Just a small bug. I'll survive." She'd survived worse than a mere bout of chest congestion. She wasn't about to let some stupid minor illness get the best of her now of all times.
"All the same, take this with you when you leave." Ellie pulled a bottle of cough medicine out of her medicine cabinet and pressed it into Jade's hands. "I'm not about to let you kick the bucket. I'd get bored without you."
"Thanks, Ells," said Jade. Much as she hated to admit it, the cough medicine would actually be quite useful. It might actually help ease off her illness. "But do me a favor, and check the scrolls in Corinthians. See if there are any precedents, anything that might help with the Rising Darkness."
Ellie nodded. "Sure, Jade. Anything else?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah," said Jade. "I've got a big favor to ask."
Ellie looked intrigued as she made herself comfortable on what little space was left on the island counter's surface.
"Listen, I know you miss perdition—don't lie to me!" warned Jade, when Ellie opened her mouth to protest. "I like you plenty and you've done plenty of good since perdition kicked you out, but I know you, Ellie, and I know homesickness when I see it. I've got a way into perdition and I'm willing to let you go home for a bit, if you do me a little favor. Interested?"
"I'm listening," said Ellie. "What kind of favor are we talking about?"
"Oh, nothing major that a woman of your particular talents can't handle. I just want you to use your special charm on your boss into letting Astra go to heaven," said Jade, casually.
Ellie made a horrendous screeching noise and a loud thud was heard as she slid off the counter. "WHAT?! You want me to sweet talk Lucifer into letting Astra, one of his most prized souls, go? Jade, has your brain leaked out your ears? I know I owe you and granted, your offer is tempting, but for Lilith's sake, how can you even ask that? Lucifer won't let Astra go just because someone like me asks him to! He'll only do that if he wants to or if the other boss decides to intervene. Astra's far too valuable to him, and not just because of what she's capable of, but because of her connection to you. And believe me, you're the only one he holds above Astra in value."
"I aim to please," said Jade, sarcastically.
"You do just the opposite, actually," said Ellie, ignoring the sarcasm as she placed her hands on her hips. "I've spoken to some old friends, and he's beyond mad at you, especially after today. Think about it—all those saints and martyrs slipping through his grasp, his own foot soldiers sent back to him in chunks and the incident with Papa Midnite's sister—and your repeated defiance, he's going to take all that out on you, Jade. And he's going to enjoy ripping your soul to shreds before he turns you into his personal attack dog."
Jade rolled her eyes. She knew about Lucifer's desire to get a hold of her. It was only to be expected, considering their past history. But she wasn't about to let Lucifer have the satisfaction of claiming her soul.
"So, I take that as a 'no,' then?"
Ellie ignored her. "You're the one soul Lucifer himself is going to actually come up here to collect and you know how much he despises this place."
"Lucy's coming to collect little old me? Oh, gee, how flattering," said Jade, mockingly. It was no surprise that Lucifer was coming to collect Jade's soul personally. She was the biggest thorn in his side, after all. "And as for hating this place, I'm starting to see his point."
Ellie's face softened as she squeezed Jade's shoulder. "Have you gone to see the Snob?"
Jade scowled. "No."
She hadn't had any contact with the Snob in weeks, not since their last disagreement.
"Well, maybe you should. He's not the boss, but he is of high rank. He might just be what you need to get Astra. He owes you, doesn't he?"
"He does," admitted Jade.
"Then I strongly advise you don't let your ego get in the way on this. Just go see him about it and get him to fix that cough of yours, while you're at it. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I'd miss having someone up here I can…relate to," said Ellie.
Jade gave her a look and then sighed. "Fine. Fine, I'll see the Snob." She knew she was going out a limb asking the Snob for help, but he did owe her a favor and she could always deport him to perdition if it came to that. "Just do me a favor, okay? Keep an eye on things; let me know if anything pops up that I should know about."
Ellie smiled and nodded. "Sure. Now, run along, Jade. It's after sundown I've got plans with my new boyfriends tonight."
Jade held up a hand. "Say no more. Good night, Ellie."
Jade dumped her bag into the trunk of Chas's taxi before sliding into the passenger seat.
She then took the money from Gary out of her trench coat pocket and handed it to Chas. "Cheers, mate. This is to pay for the gas and please consider the rest early birthday money for Geraldine."
"Thanks," said Chas. "You coming to her birthday party next month? You know she'd love it if you were there. There's no one she loves more than her Aunt Jade."
Jade smiled a little. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Jade was rather fond of Chas's daughter and the feeling was mutual. Geraldine called her 'Aunt Jade' and loved spending time with her. Despite the dangers that came with being associated with Jade, Chas and his wife considered Jade family and had made her their daughter's godmother. And although Jade wouldn't say so aloud, spending time with Chas's young child was therapeutic and eased away some of the pain she felt.
"Anymore stops you need to make?" asked Chas.
"Just two more," said Jade. "I've got to deliver something to Gary's, but first I need to make a stop at Papa Midnite's."
Papa Midnite was an African-American witch doctor, and not just any witch doctor, he was the Grand Poohbah of Voodoo. He was the type of man you only went up against if you were incredibly stupid, crazy, brave or more intelligent. But despite his skills and reputation, like Switzerland in World War Two, Midnite was neutral in the fight of good versus evil. He ran a nightclub in town and also did business deals with both mortals and those of the supernatural, offering his services in exchange for money or other jobs.
Chas frowned. "Papa Midnite? I thought you two hated each other."
"We do, but that doesn't mean we can't conduct civil business," said Jade.
When Jade first met Papa Midnite at a poker game, she'd conned him out of fifty thousand dollars and the voodoo priest had despised Jade ever since, seeing her as merely a con artist with skills. But to be fair, the feeling of dislike was mutual as Jade found Midnite an arrogant man and she strongly disliked his type of magic and his methods. More than once, they'd found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield, but they were known to sometimes, (albeit rather grudgingly) work together to vanquish a common foe.
Chas raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You two can be civil?"
"Well, maybe 'civil' is a bit of a strong word," admitted Jade. When it came to Jade and Midnite, being 'civil' meant they weren't trying to kill each other while still being sarcastic and making wisecracks and the occasional insult. "But the fact remains, we made a deal and I prefer to honor my agreements. I get him this stupid magical doodad, and he lets me ask his sister about the Rising Darkness."
"Ah," said Chas, understanding. "Okay if I wait out here while you talk?"
Jade nodded. "Whatever floats your boat, mate."
Papa Midnite's club was in the more ritzy part of town.
It was a club so exclusive, there wasn't even a line outside, just a pair of bouncers waiting to roll someone just for fun. They looked at Jade with immense distrust and dislike. One of them held out his hand and made a beckoning motion.
Jade pulled back her sleeves, revealing her tattoos. "It's me, boys. Let me in. Midnite's expecting me, and I don't think you'd like it if he made you two into voodoo zombies because you didn't let me in, now would you?"
The two bouncers exchanged looks and then stepped aside, allowing Jade entrance.
"Thank you, gentleman," said Jade.
She slipped inside.
Music flooded Jade's senses as she walked through the exclusive establishment. It's a clash of cultures and influences not easily dated; a retro speakeasy for the new millennium. Jade walked through a maze of passages while the fantasies of a twisted city played out in the shadows. She paused as she spotted a clan of suited businessmen in a corner, showing off for several ladies. One filled a line of shot glasses from a pitcher of water. Another waved his hand over them, turning the water into red wine. The ladies were quite impressed and drank up, while Jade just shook her head. Amateur conjuring tricks, not that impressive in her book.
Jade resumed her journey to Midnite's office. She went up a long flight of stairs until she stopped in front of two very large doors. The doors' surface was ancient, the wood petrified over countless centuries. Jade placed her fingers into the gnarled fold and closed her eyes. "Numquam leadatur a morsu."
A loud groan bellowed from the rigid seams but the doors didn't budge.
Tosspot changed the code again. Just when I think he's run out of ways to tick me off.
Jade pounded on the door. "Midnite! Unless you want me to deport this piece of junk to perdition where you can't get it, you'll open this door this instant!" She wasn't bluffing.
The doors immediately swung open.
"Thank you," said Jade.
The things I have to do around here!
Jade swept into Midnite's jungle of an office, which was painted bright red and full of dark red leather furniture, ancient magical relics, trinkets from his homeland and the tools of his trade in voodoo magic. But what stood out most of all was what stood in the center of the room. It was a meticulously-crafted orrery, a scientific sculpture that normally displayed the solar system. But the planets in the orrery were ancient relics with symbols and names such as "material" and "astral" and "spiritual" and "iconic" and so on. And the globe in the center read, "creator." This was an orrery of the forces of the universe and it wasn't moving.
Midnite was kneeling by an altar, his eyes were closed as he chanted. "Et separator a plasmate tuo, ut num quam laedatur amorsu antique serpents…"
"Deciding what color to paint this jungle of an office of yours again?" said Jade, loudly.
Midnite immediately ceased chanted and stood up to face her.
"You're early," he said.
"The early bird gets the worm," said Jade, as she dropped her bag onto the floor. "Besides, I got tired of spending your money."
"But I'm sure you spent enough."
"Well, I do have a certain standard of living."
"Tell me you found it," said Midnite, impatiently.
"I found the vault," said Jade.
Midnite's eyes narrowed. "That's not what I asked."
Jade looked innocently at him. "Hey, can I help it if Buddhist monks don't take bribes?"
Midnite's face darkened with anger as he strode towards Jade, only to stop cold when Jade zipped open the bag and calmly pulled out a small ebony and gold relic.
"Gotcha," said Jade, smirking. She couldn't help it. She never passed up the chance to mess with Papa Midnite. "Yeesh. Learn to take a joke, mate, would ya?"
A rather reluctant grin cracked Midnite's stern features as he took the relic and held it in his thick fingers and stared at it breathlessly, like a gaunt figure bracing itself against the cosmic wind. "Second century depiction of a sephiroth in the fourth realm…"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure it's all fascinating," said Jade, her voice dripping with boredom and sarcasm. "But if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with it. I upheld my end of the bargain. Now, it's your turn. Let me speak with your sister. I think after doing this and saving her from perdition, a little chitchat's the least you can do."
Some months ago during one Jade's failed attempts to rescue Astra from perdition, Jade had ended up pulling out the soul of Luna Midnite, Papa Midnite's twin sister. Because Jade was unable to send Luna's soul to heaven and unwilling to send an innocent back to perdition, Jade had to turn alternative methods to keep Luna alive and not "wrong" like many before her who'd been resurrected. With Luna's consent, Jade created a new body for Luna's soul to reside in and subjected her to her twin brother's immortality curse.
Having succeeded where Papa Midnite had failed for more than two centuries, he became indebted to Jade and grudgingly admitted he felt some gratitude towards her for her selflessness. But despite it, tensions were still high between them.
Midnite ignored Jade as he slid the relic precisely onto one of the many rods jutting from the universal orrery.
"It should counter the iconic plane," muttered Midnite.
Jade bit back a growl of frustration and instead rolled her eyes. "Bloody thing's never going to balance," she muttered under her breath.
Midnite released it and the complex machine actually started to move, to turn.
"It's authentic. It works," he breathed.
"Midnite, some time today, would be nice!" said Jade, impatiently. She couldn't have cared less about Midnite's stupid doohickey. She'd had a long day and she wanted her payment. "Are you going to pay me and let me speak with your sister or not?"
Midnite snapped out of his admiration of his working orrery and gave Jade a look before reaching into his tuxedo and handing her a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills.
"Better not be any Washingtons in here this time, mate," grumbled Jade, as she quickly counted up the money and made sure it was promised amount.
"Why did you cut your trip short?" asked Midnite.
"None of your beeswax," snapped Jade, as she stuffed the money into her coat pocket. She didn't discuss personal matters with Papa Midnite. "Now, where's Luna?"
"She's in her bedroom," said Midnite.
"Thank you," said Jade.
And with that, she left Midnite and went straight for the other door in his office. It was a magic door, enchanted to go to whichever room in the building the user desired and now that Jade knew where to find Luna, she could use it.
Jade gripped the door handle and thought of Luna's bedroom before knocking. When she heard a familiar voice on the other side of it, she swung it open.
Sitting in an armchair reading a book was a beautiful African-American woman with silky black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a dark blue dress and gold jewelry. She looked up from her book and smiled softly as Jade entered the room.
"Jade," said Luna, warmly.
"Luna," said Jade, as the two women embraced. "Glad to see you're doing well."
"As I am you, my friend," said Luna. Despite Jade's dislike of her brother, she and Luna had become friends since the latter's rescue from perdition. "What is it I can do for you?"
Jade's smile faded and she became serious. "I need to ask you about the Rising Darkness. I've been fighting it for over year, but it's just getting worse. The rule book's been thrown out. If I'm to stop this, I need to know more about what I'm dealing with."
Luna's features became etched with concern. "Can you not ask yourself? Surely a woman with your connections…"
"Even I've got limits, Luna. Just because I've because I've got access to that place doesn't mean the boss's top lackeys will speak to me about what the bloody heck is going on," interrupted Jade. "But they'll have no qualms in speaking with a former cell mate. I know it's a lot to ask, but I wouldn't unless it was necessary."
Luna was quiet for a moment. "I will do as you ask. But be warned, the answers you seek may do more harm than good."
"At this point, I sincerely doubt that," said Jade.
Luna raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she made the necessary preparations. She made markings on the floor, lit candles and placed a bowl of oil in the center of it all. She then joined Jade's hands with hers and then chanted in an ancient tongue.
"Mimi nina akizungumza na nguvu za giza ya kupotea! Heed my call O Dark Ones and give the answers that we seek!"
Luna's eyes then turned bright gold and the bowl of oil became alit with black fire that rose up to the ceiling and nearly scalded their faces. Moments later, the fire was gone as was the oil and Luna's face was grave as she let go of Jade's hands.
"The ritual was success. I spoke with those you sought," she said. "I have the answers you seek."
"And?" pressed Jade.
"They gave me a message to deliver. All your efforts are in vain," said Luna, gravely. "The Rising Darkness will arrive soon. It will be heralded by one who shares your blood and aided by one you call friend that has betrayed you."
Jade showed no outward sign that Luna's news unsettled her greatly. To know that someone who shared her blood and someone she'd been wrong to trust were behind the Rising Darkness and that all her efforts in the last two years had been for naught was more than she could've imagined. Still, at least she knew where to start looking now. She didn't know of whom Luna spoke of, but she had her suspicions, which was more than enough for now.
"Well, I wouldn't say my efforts are in vain," said Jade. "After all, I don't play if I can't win."
Despite Luna's ominous warning, Jade refused to let this beat her. She would meet the ones behind the Rising Darkness and she would defeat them, just like she'd defeated every other rotten scumbag that had crossed her path.
After thanking Luna for her time, Jade went on her way.
She'd just dug out a fresh ciggy when she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Balthazar conversing with Midnite.
"And just what the bleeding devil are you doing here, you demonic swine?" she demanded.
Midnite narrowed his eyes at Jade's sharp tone but Jade paid him no attention as Balthazar gave her a patronizing look.
"Good evening, Constantine. I take it you're still sore about Manhattan," he said.
Balthazar was a half-breed—half-human, half-demon. He was not the kind of person anyone with morals would want to be around as he'd fully embraced his demonic heritage. He had a rather infamous reputation for making Faustian deals with naïve and desperate mortals and he made a fortune in dealing with his fellow demons, offering them protection from people like Jade.
Jade had a personal beef with Balthazar. When she'd been working a case with Chas in Manhattan, Balthazar decided to collect on a bounty that had placed on Jade's head and he'd used Chas as bait to capture her. Chas survived and the contract on Jade's head was cancelled, but Chas had nearly died and in retaliation, Jade nearly killed Balthazar. Unfortunately, the little weasel had escaped before Jade could deliver the final blow and Jade had been gunning for him ever since.
Jade looked disgustedly at Balthazar before shooting Midnite and incredulous look. "Bad enough you let all sorts come here to deal with you and do crap knows what, but now you're letting in this piece of crap?"
"Perks of being a primary investor," sneered Balthazar.
"Excuse me?" spluttered Jade. She knew Midnite could be dirty, but willingly working with evil half-demons like Balthazar? That was beyond low.
Midnite shot her a warning look.
"Oh, I should've known. This is exactly the kind of stupid stunt I'd expect from you, you hypocritical tosspot!" said Jade, agitated. "All your talk of balance and yet, sometimes you are no better than this piece of scum!"
"Things change. Balances shift. Get used to it, Constantine," said Balthazar.
Jade glared. "Not while I'm still breathing, you half-breed filth!" she hissed.
Balthazar scoffed. "Well, then I won't have to wait long, now will I? And I wouldn't be so insulting, if you were you. After all, I'm not the only one who fits that rather rude description you just made, now am I?"
"Just the only one of us who's soulless and can be deported to perdition," retorted Jade, as fire balls glowed in her hands. She was finding it difficult not to try and incinerate Balthazar right then and there. "Which, by the way, you've yet to give me a good reason not to, especially since this morning when you just happened to show up at the same building where I was exorcising a demon from a little girl. Mind telling me what was about?"
Midnite's eyes narrowed. "He did what?" While Midnite was neutral, he took no pleasure in the sufferings of innocents or children. "Explain yourself, Balthazar."
Balthazar's face was unreadable. "My business is my own and none of yours."
Midnite did not take kindly to this and after taking a small doll out of his pocket, he whacked the stomach with a small hammer. Balthazar groaned in pain as he doubled over.
"Did you think me so foolish that I would not be prepared to protect myself and others from you when we agreed to work together?" said Midnite, sternly. "No one who works for me or with me harms innocents or children, Balthazar!"
"I did nothing to the wretched child!" hissed Balthazar.
"But you knew what was happening and did nothing. It's the same as far as I'm concerned," hissed Midnite. "Now, because of our agreement, I shan't terminate our contract yet, but you are not to set foot on any of my properties again and if I find out you've crossed the line, I will end you. Is that clear?"
Balthazar glared but nodded.
"Good. Now, get out of my sight!" commanded Midnite.
Balthazar let out a snarl and moved as if to attack but Midnite raised a threatening hand to the voodoo doll again and then Balthazar thought better of it and left the room.
"Next time I see him, I'm deporting his sorry butt to where it belongs," muttered Jade, as she extinguished the fire in her hands and left.
No sooner had she exited Midnite's club, Jade launched into yet another painful coughing fit.
As she struggled to catch her breath, she began to feel frightened and tried to open the bottle of cough medicine, only to drop it to the ground as she hunched over, in agony. After what felt like an eternity, her coughing subsided and fresh air made its way into her lungs, allowing her to breathe. Chas then appeared from the shadows and rubbed her back.
"Thanks," she wheezed.
"No problem," said Chas. He picked up the cough syrup bottle, cleaned it off and then opened it for her.
Jade accepted the bottle with a grateful look before downing a third of it as she would with a bottle of gin or whiskey while Chas looked at her in concern. It was no wonder that he was worried; the frequent coughing fits hadn't been the only symptom Jade had been suffering from of late. She'd had an almost constant chest pain that worsened when she took deep breaths, coughed or laughed; she'd been hoarse; she'd lost quite a bit of weight as well as her appetite, and she'd been feeling more tired than usual.
"Jade, I think it's time I took you to the doctor's," said Chas, firmly. "You're going tomorrow. No arguments."
Jade rolled her eyes and looked agitated and annoyed, but made no form of protest, which spoke volumes on the state of her health as well as her friendship with Chas. If it had been anyone else questioning her health, Jade would've brushed them off and insisted she was fine, but since Chas was the closest thing she had to family, she didn't. Sixteen years ago, she'd run away from home and ended up in London with nothing to her name except the clothes on her back, a pack of cigarettes and an overly sarcastic sense of humor. Chas noticed her on the streets and offered her food and lodgings in exchange for help around the house. Eager for easy food and board and pleased that Chas was accepting her for who and what she was, Jade accepted Chas's offer and became his roommate, not caring about Chas's strange mother, Queenie, and her pet male chimp, Slag.
It was only a short while later that Jade noticed something was off in Chas's household and when she confronted Chas about it, he broke down and confessed that his mother was a dabbler in petty magic and he suspected she'd caused his brother's suicide and his father's death. He also confessed that Queenie and Slag had been making his life miserable for quite some time. Because Chas had no talent for magic, he was powerless against it and was on the verge of a breakdown if it didn't cease before too much longer.
Furious and unwilling to let her one true friend suffer as she had, Jade interfered on Chas's behalf. She discovered that Queenie's pet chimp was actually her familiar and since familiars have a symbiotic link with their witches, Jade knew that the only way for Queenie to be stopped was for the familiar to die. Jade lured Slag down to the docks and tricked him into falling into the water, where he drowned. When Slag died, Queenie did as well, and with her death, her spells became undone and Chas was free of her.
And ever since Queenie's death, Chas had felt beholden to Jade and their friendship continued to grow and strengthen over the next sixteen years. Chas had stuck by Jade's side with unwavering loyalty no matter the dangers and was her longest surviving and greatest friend.
"If you insist, mate. Fine," said Jade. She didn't feel like arguing for once. "But honestly, you're worrying over nothing."
She really was fine. Wasn't she?
XXX
Back at her apartment, instead of sleeping off her stress and guilt like she usually did, Cheryl was having nightmares.
In her dreams, she was stunned to be seeing things through the eyes of her daughter, Gemma, a mental patient at Ravenscar Institution. She wore a hospital gown and was in fever sweat, looking frightened yet determined. The janitor was polishing the floor in the distance and a nurse was checking off charts. Gemma slipped past them with incredible ease.
A metal fire door swung open and Gemma burst out, breathing deep. She ran across the gravel-covered rooftop, almost afraid to look back. She got to the edge and stepped up. A forgotten glass water bottle was already there, and when she accidentally nudged it, it fell down and shattered into a million pieces.
The noise attracted the attention of a young sleeping boy, who woke up and stared out the window. When he saw the broken glass in the courtyard, he scanned up the building and spotted Gemma on the rooftop. His eyes met hers, and he was silently begging her to turn away. Gemma looked regretful but she shook her head. She couldn't turn away now. She just couldn't.
Chilling autumn air fluttered Gemma's hospital gown, vaporizing her breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she contemplated the unthinkable. She was petrified, but this was the only way. It had to be done. A cityscape of lights were spread out below, but Gemma saw something else. Reflected in her eyes was a city of red flames, and it could be seen in each tear that slid down Gemma's pale cheeks.
Gemma shuddered and rubbed her wrist where it could be seen that the skin had swollen and reddened and there was a strange circular symbol there as well. Gemma wiped away her tears. She had to be strong now, for the good of the world. She took a few deep breaths for courage, spread her arms and then stepped off the roof.
The boy's wide eyes followed her down before he ran out into the courtyard. When he arrived, he went straight for Gemma's contorted body. Miraculously, she was still alive, but not for long. The boy stared into her eyes. She was fading fast. He reached out and touched her face as her eyes closed and she drew her last breath.
Gemma was gone.
Cheryl then woke up screaming as her heart raced like a train.
When she ceasing screaming, Cheryl switched on the light, took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then her phone started ringing.
"Detective Cheryl Masters," she said, when she answered it.
"I'm sorry to wake you like this, partner, but you need to get to the hospital morgue now," said Corrigan, sounding grave. "There's been a death at Ravenscar Institution."
Cheryl's blood ran cold and her grip on her phone tightened. "Jim…" she said, as her voice cracked. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't have just seen her daughter's death! "Please, tell me it's not Gemma."
Corrigan was quiet for a moment. "Cheryl…"
"No!" sobbed Cheryl. Her heart broke and she felt tears start to stream down her cheeks. "No!" It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Cheryl was supposed to go first, not Gemma. She'd always been ready to go first. She wasn't supposed to outlive her own child! She'd already lost her parents, her husband and her younger sibling, she wasn't supposed to lose her baby too!
"Cheryl, you still there?"
Realizing she'd left her partner hanging, Cheryl wiped her face of the tears and spoke to him, "I'm here, Jim."
"I know this is hard. Do you need me to come get you?" asked Corrigan. He hadn't asked her to stay out of the case, because he knew that she'd ignore him and investigate anyway. When it came to personal cases, Cheryl was a stubborn one.
"I can drive," said Cheryl. She kicked the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
Cheryl wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of solving her daughter's murder.
When Cheryl arrived, she was lead to Gemma's body by Corrigan.
The coroner lifted the sheet, allowing Cheryl to see Gemma's face. It was just like Cheryl had seen in her dream, except the mark on Gemma's wrist had vanished. It took everything Cheryl had to stay in control and not lose it right then and there. She beckoned for the coroner to cover her daughter's body back up and then she stepped back.
"So…she fell from the roof? Who pushed her?" asked Cheryl.
Instead of simply answering her, Corrigan looked uncomfortable. "Cheryl…no one pushed her. Gemma…she jumped."
Cheryl gave her partner an incredulous glare. "No. She didn't just jump." Gemma wouldn't have committed suicide. She had no reason to!
"I know it's hard to accept but—"
"No!" said Cheryl, fiercely. "Gemma never would've taken her own life, not in a million years!" She was not speaking in denial, as one would've expected from a grieving relative. She was speaking from what she knew of her daughter's character. Gemma had always believed in heaven and perdition. Gemma wouldn't have taken her own life, knowing that if she did, she wouldn't ascend to heaven for it.
Corrigan sighed. "Cheryl…Ravenscar sent security footage from the roof. We can watch it in the next room. I think you should see it for yourself."
"You're bloody right I should," said Cheryl.
None of this made any sense. But at least with the proof provided by the security camera, Cheryl was going to prove that Gemma didn't commit suicide once and for all.
But the security footage did just the opposite.
The footage showed Cheryl being alone on the rooftop and then willingly stepping off it. She'd killed herself and now as far as Cheryl's fellow officers were concerned, it was an open-and-shut suicide case. No one would look further into it.
Cheryl didn't know what hurt more, knowing that everyone would believe Gemma had willingly taken her own life, or that it had happened at all. Feeling the need for fresh air, Cheryl ran straight for the nearest elevator. A blond woman in a trench coat entered it first and was closing the door when Cheryl came close.
"Hold that elevator!"
The blond woman froze and then looked both disgusted and angry. She made no attempt to keep the door open, forcing Cheryl to stop it first by slamming her foot in the middle of the door's pathway.
Cheryl then slid inside and shot the blond woman an annoyed look. "Didn't you hear me?"
"Heard you. Didn't care," came the gruff reply.
Cheryl raised an eyebrow. The blond woman was keeping her back to Cheryl, so she couldn't see her face but that voice sounded oddly familiar. "Call me crazy, but you're a fellow Brit. Do I know you, ma'am?"
"No. Now, sod off," she snapped.
Cheryl bristled at the woman's rudeness but managed to hold her tongue as she reached for the elevator buttons. "Going down?"
"Not if I can help it," she muttered.
Cheryl frowned in confusion but didn't question the woman as she'd had enough of her rudeness for one night.
XXX
Chas was waiting for Jade in the hospital lobby, finishing up some paperwork.
He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it when he saw the look in Jade's eyes. She was not in a good mood and he had no desire to arouse her anger further. He led her to his taxi and asked where she wished to go.
"Take me to the Snob," said Jade. "Just drop me off. Don't wait for me."
Chas just nodded and silently did as commanded.
Jade was in a foul mood, partly due to the doctor's diagnosis of her health and partly due to her unexpected encounter with the policewoman. The latter upset her because although she'd only glimpsed her for a moment, Jade had recognized the police officer and years of buried anger and pain had begun remaking their way to the surface. She had no desire to see the woman again and didn't know what she'd do if she did, probably hex her.
But that wasn't what upset Jade the most. What'd upset her most was the doctor's diagnosis. It was lung cancer. Terminal lung cancer. After everything Jade had fought against in her life, after everything she'd survived, both supernatural and human, she was going to die within twelve months at the hands of lung cancer, a common mortal disease. Worst of all, no human magical practitioner, even one as powerful and tricky as her, could undo such a fate.
Jade wasn't afraid of dying by itself. She was afraid of where dying would take her. She had no desire to spend the rest of eternity in perdition. A large chunk of its inmates were there because of her and would happily tear her soul apart and worst of all, Lucifer was going to turn her into his favorite weapon once he got ahold of her.
As soon as Chas's taxi pulled up at the Theological Society, Jade thanked him for the lift and then went straight inside.
Inside the chamber room, a few bishops were talking quietly and a cardinal was studying scriptures. It was definitely not the place for an atheist like Jade Constantine. Although she believed in heaven and perdition, she hadn't worshipped in years. She hadn't even so much as attended church or even prayed. Her faith, if ever she'd had it, had been lost a long time ago.
Jade walked through the vaulted chamber room to the library and then stopped as she fixed her gaze on two gentlemen standing in front of a fireplace. One was a young man of pure class, wrapped in Armani's best and the other was Father Garret. Jade stood to the side and waited for their conversation to end.
An attendant made his rounds. "Can I take your coat, Miss Jade?"
"No, thanks. I'm not staying long," said Jade.
The attendant nodded and turned his head. "How about you, Detective Masters?"
"I'm not staying long either."
The hairs on the back of Jade's neck stood up and she was glad she'd kept her hand in her coat pocket, because she clenched into a fist and forced herself not to stay calm and not show her true emotions.
Why do I keep running into Cheryl? Was the universe out to get her with an even bigger vendetta than usual?
"My business with him is urgent," said Cheryl.
"Well, if your business is with the Snob, then it can wait. First come, first served," said Jade, rudely. She smirked inwardly at the outraged look on Cheryl's face. "Have I upset you, luv?"
Cheryl glared. "Miss, I don't know what is it that's going you being so bloody rude to me, but I suggest you stop it. Immediately."
"Or what? You'll haul me down to the station on trumped-up charges?" sneered Jade. She really was enjoying this, perhaps a bit too much. "Don't bother, mate. You'll never make any charges stick, I promise you that."
Cheryl growled in agitation. "Whatever! And for your information, I don't know who this 'snob' you're talking about even is! I'm here for Father Garret. What is your problem, anyway?"
"I don't like bloody coppers," said Jade, telling a half-truth. With the exception of Jim Corrigan, Jade hated police officers. She viewed them as a bunch of narrow-minded, useless idiots when they got involved in the world of the supernatural, especially since they'd arrested her more than once despite her innocence. "Good day to you, detective."
Cheryl looked annoyed but spoke no more to Jade as the two men finished their conversation, shook hands and then Father Garret led Cheryl to another room so they could speak privately. As soon as Jade was left alone, the man in the Armani suit, the Snob, rose up from his seat and unfolded his great, white wings before turning to face her.
"Perditiono, Gabriel," said Jade.
The archangel looked somewhat coldly at Jade before nodding at her. "Constantine. It's been a while. Though, I must admit, I hadn't expected to see you so soon after our last disagreement."
Gabriel was one of the few Jade had trusted with her secrets and called ally, if not friend and one of the few angels permitted to be on Earth. But despite this, Gabriel and Jade often clashed over differences of opinion. Gabriel often lacked empathy with human beings and had a tendency to be arrogant and act holier-than-thou, which irritated Jade to no end. But Jade was forced to admit that there were times when she liked having Gabriel on her side.
"Water under the bridge, mate," said Jade. "At least, I consider it to be."
"As you should. I've already put it aside myself," said Gabriel. "But I know that's not what brings you here, Constantine."
"Been keeping your all-seeing eye on me, have you? Thought that was Manny's job," said Jade.
"I could offer how a shepherd leads even the most wayward of his flock, but it might sound disingenuous. So, to put it simply, Manny doesn't see everything," said Gabriel. "And what he doesn't, I do, which brings me to my next point. Your lung cancer—"
"I'm not here about my cancer!" interrupted Jade. She scowled at the disbelieving look on Gabriel's face. "Don't look at me like that, you stupid twit." Sometimes, Jade could be a self-serving jerk, but this wasn't one of those times. "I'm here to cash in the favor you owe me."
Gabriel's golden eyes glimmered with intrigue. "Do tell."
Jade sighed. "It's about Astra. I need you help me save her."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "What do you expect me to do?"
"I can get in and out of perdition, no problem. But I can't give her a life here, not without cursing it to an immortal one like Papa Midnite and his sister and she'd never go for that, and nor can I send her soul to heaven. But you can," said Jade. "Here's what I propose: I'll go to perdition and get Astra's soul, and you take it to heaven where it belongs. I'll handle the dirty work; you just take care of what I can't do. So, what do you say, mate?"
"No."
Jade's eyes narrowed in anger. "Begging your pardon?"
"No," repeated Gabriel. "I won't save Astra and if you ask, I won't save you."
Jade couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're going to make me beg, is that it?"
Gabriel shook his head. "Begging won't help. It's time you died for your sins. You've already wasted your chance at redemption and so has the child."
"I wasted my chance—? That's bull!" spat Jade, furiously. "Astra never had a chance, if you recall! And what about the minions I've sent back, the souls that I've saved, and the—"
"Passage requires faith, and faith by definition is belief without proof. You have proof, and that means you're not playing by the rules as everyone else. Your work has mostly been for selfish reason. And even if it weren't so, it doesn't change the fact that you turned your back on your faith and have been a complete and utter disgrace in the name of good for quite some time," said Gabriel, coldly.
"Selfish?!" fumed Jade. Never before had she wanted to rip an angel's wings off so badly as she had now. "My work has been selfish? You self-righteous git! That's complete and utter bull! So, I turned away, so what? You and your kind did the same to me first, a long time before I returned the favor! And even so, what of it? It's like you've got some cosmic scale weighing everything we do—help an old lady across the street—put in a nickel, kick a dog, take out a dime—you're nickel and diming us to death down here!"
Jade was furious. She was used to Gabriel's usual put-downs and holier-than-thou attitude towards humans, but this was pushing it. It was all right for Gabriel, the all-powerful holy archangel to pass judgment on mortals from up high on his pedestal, but he had no idea what it was like to be trapped in a world of pain and temptation, which rendered his judgment moot, at least in Jade's opinion.
"Keep your voice down," warned Gabriel.
Jade ignored him as she got up into his face. "And you know what; you're the ones with the problem, not us. You make all these impossible rules to decide who goes up, who goes down and you don't even understand us!"
The last bit got under Gabriel's skin and his eyes flashed dangerously at Jade. "I've been watching mankind from the beginning, Constantine. And do you know what I've learned? Each of you is born with the promise of salvation preordained—even people like you and Astra. The cost of your redemption is simple belief and yet you whine about impossible rules. Sometimes, I imagine you hardly deserve the gift you've been given."
"Gift?!" spluttered Jade. A gift? Is that what he called it? He was seriously messed up if he thought that Jade's life was a gift! "More like a curse, the way you lot manage things!"
Gabriel then towered over Jade. "I'm taking your situation into account, Constantine, but don't push me."
"I told you already, I don't give a rat's rear end about my situation!" snapped Jade. "My record's spotted, my soul's tainted, I know! It's been that way my entire life! But as I said, I don't give a crap about it anymore! It's Astra's that matters to me! If I'm going to die, then I want to die knowing that she's in heaven where she belongs. I want her saved, Gabriel! You owe me, so do it!"
Gabriel shook his head yet again. "I may owe you, but I'm well within my rights to refuse you. Unless I'm command by my Father, I will not raise Astra from perdition."
Jade felt like breaking something. "And why the heck not?" she demanded. "Astra's an innocent child! She doesn't deserve to be rotting down there, suffering for all eternity!"
"A fitting punishment for the lives she took," said Gabriel, coldly.
The fire in the fireplace roared dangerously. "You're blaming her for what that demon did while it possessed her? You cannot be serious! You know perfectly well it wasn't Astra's fault! She had no control over the situation!"
"Regardless of the circumstances, it was still by her hand that those crimes were committed," said Gabriel. "Therefore, she will be punished."
"Bull shark!" spat Jade. "You've saved others from perdition for far less and others in Astra's position were rescued. What's the real reason you won't save her? It's because of me, isn't it? You're projecting your anger towards me onto her. Tell the truth!"
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, but didn't appear to be angry that Jade was ordering him about. "Fine. You want to know the truth? You're correct, but only partly. Yes, part of the reason I won't risk my neck to save her is because of my anger towards you, but that's not the whole story. I won't save Astra because of one perfectly good reason: Astra shouldn't have existed in the first place. She's lucky she wasn't executed by a higher authority, considering her bloodline. Her very existence is a sin unto itself! She doesn't deserve to be saved. She's an abomination and she—"
Gabriel was cut off when he was pressed up against the wall and an angel sword, the only thing capable of slaying an angel, was pressed against his throat by a furious Jade.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear, you pompous, self-righteous git: insult me all you like, I don't care, but if I so much as imagine you talking about Astra like that again, I will gut you before you can ever blink," growled Jade. "So you will keep a civil tongue in your head or else! Got that? Nod if you understand."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed in anger as he nodded and then Jade pocketed the sword.
"Threatening to kill one His servants with one of their own weapons," hissed Gabriel. "And I thought you could sink no lower! It's no wonder you're condemned to perdition, Constantine! You deserve it!"
Jade ceased walking, turned around, lit a match and dropped it onto the floor. A ring of fire then encircled Gabriel.
"Holy oil," said Jade, smirking in delight at the furious look on Gabriel's face. "A couple of hunters that owed me a favor set me up with a good supply of it a few months back. I set up the trap after our last argument. Have fun getting out of it."
"CONSTANTINE!"
Jade just bowed and waved good-bye before leaving the building.
Once outside, Jade did not call Chas for a ride or hail another cab, instead she just walked the streets feeling numb to the world.
A rat scurried past near the curb and then another. Several crows flew by. Above her was a large billboard that read,
Your Time Is Running Out
It didn't matter to Jade that below it read,
To Buy A New Chevy
The point was crystal clear.
Someone had a poor sense of humor. Jade just shook her head and broke out laughing, which quickly turned into a coughing fit. She leaned to a gutter. Another rat scooted past. Jade barely noticed. Then a frog jumped past. But it was the crab crawling by that finally caught Jade's gaze.
"Hey, missy, you got a light?"
Jade turned and her gaze settled on a silhouetted figure, an old man, standing behind her with an unlit cigarette butt in his mouth.
"We gotta stick together, right?" said the old man.
Why do I always attract the attention of strange men? But she didn't see the harm in lighting the old geezer's cigarette, so Jade rummaged through her coat pocket and retrieved the matchbox. It shook a little as she did so, and then the box shuddered as a high-pitched fluttering filtered from the inside. The old man winced as his entire body vibrated.
For the briefest moment, Jade was confused but then she realized she'd grabbed the matchbox from Ellie by mistake, the one with the screech beetle inside. And now she knew, just a beat too late, unfortunately, and the old man attacked.
Jade was knocked onto her haunches. As the old man closed in, his true face was revealed in more detail. His body and face were an intricate puzzle, an assemblage of city vermin—rats, insects, crows, frogs and crabs—all held together in the shape of a man. More specifically, he was the Vermin Man, a high-level demon that manifested a physical form by summoning vermin. Jade scampered backwards just inches from the being's outstretched grasp. She shook the matchbox and the screech beetle inside fluttered again. Vermin Man demon cringed as his entire body vibrated apart for a second and then snapped together. He grabbed onto Jade with fingers of squirming vermin. Snakes wrapped around Jade's wrists and crabs snapped at her skin.
Jade shook the beetle box harder, causing the parts to vibrate even further. Vermin Man grabbed Jade's head and vermin of various leg count crawl right onto Jade's face. That was the last straw. Jade shook the matchbox violently and then smashed it against the sidewalk. The beetle let out a death screech and the Vermin Man demon stuttered, his parts vibrated so wildly that Jade could see through the seams. Jade scampered loose into the road.
"Oi! Come and get me, ya maggot-ridden git!" she yelled.
Vermin Man hissed in anger and ran out into the road, only to be hit by an oncoming semi-truck. The entire mess collapsed to the ground in a flood of scattered creatures. Any insect Jade saw, she quickly stomped as everything else ran off. Afterwards, Jade just stood there, feeling more shocked and concerned than ever. The demon she'd just vanquished had been one of the higher-ups, one that shouldn't have been able to get through to the mortal plane regardless of the rulebook being thrown out. And it'd gone after her. Granted, no demon liked her, considering what she was and her reputation, but to do so like this…it wasn't something Jade like to think about.
"Busy night?"
Jade scowled and sighed before turning around to see Manny, her guardian angel and often her boss, standing behind her.
"And as usual, O Feathery One, you're late to the party," said Jade. "You couldn't have shown up five minutes earlier? What kept you? Daddy send you to give some other poor sod some of your cryptic nonsense?"
"I wish. Actually, I was busy dealing Gabriel when his call came in. I found him trapped in a holy oil trap. He was also ranting on and on about someone threatening him with an angel sword," said Manny. He gave her a look. "You wouldn't know anything about it, would you?"
Jade feigned ignorance. "Nope. Why would I know anything?"
"Jade." Manny's face held an amused expression while his voice was stern. "I know you have no respect for authority and I know you've had your issues with Gabriel lately, but what on earth possessed you to trap an archangel in holy oil and threaten him?"
Jade sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I thought I'd cash in the favor he owes me, so I asked him to help me get Astra out of perdition and into heaven. But instead of repaying his debts, he insulted me, and then he insulted Astra. He called her a lot of nasty things I'd rather not repeat and then after refusing to help save her, he said that she deserved what she got."
Manny's yellow eyes narrowed and glowed with anger. "I'll kill him!"
"Don't bother. I already said if he did it again, I'd do it myself," said Jade. "Besides, we both know you can't go up against Gabriel. In this war, he's a General; you're just a foot soldier. It's better if I do it. I'm already condemned to perdition and I'll be there within a year or so. What more can they do to little old me?"
Confusion and fear flickered across Manny's face. "What're you talking about?"
Jade wasn't surprised that Manny didn't know. Despite him having his all-seeing eye on her, there were times when things slipped past Manny's notice.
"Didn't you get the memo? I went to the doctor's before I visited that winged nuisance. Lung cancer's finally going to claim me," said Jade. "And according to Gabriel, it's what I deserve. So, you can imagine why the boss downstairs is in such a happy mood."
"No…" Manny looked devastated. "You can't die. Not now. I—the world needs you."
Jade shrugged. "Well, apparently your boss has decided otherwise and it's not like you're going to be allowed to fix this."
"Forget the rules!" said Manny. "I'm not about to let you die, Jade! I'll just—"
"Lose your wings and end up dead," interrupted Jade. "It's not worth it, mate." Despite all the times she'd badgered Manny about using his angelic powers to help her in cases and forget the consequences; she'd only done so in moments of frustration and never truly meant it. She knew Manny would never survive as a mortal and she wasn't about to lose him. "Look, I'm not happy about this. I don't want it. I've gotten angry about it, I've cried about it and thrown a bloody temper tantrum, but it changes nothing. I'm going to die, Manny. But I'm not about to let lung cancer be what takes me. When I die, I'm going to go out in blazing glory. And you know what else? At least dying will mean I can be with Astra again and this time, nothing—and I mean nothing, not even bloody Lucifer—will take her away from me."
If there was one thing Jade had learned in her life, it was to look for the silver lining, the flicker of light in the darkness. She had no desire to die or spend eternity suffering in perdition, but she couldn't deny that being a permanent resident would bring one small joy into her life—being with the child she'd failed to save and have a chance at earning her forgiveness.
"Jade…"
"Look, I'm going to head to the Neutral Zone. It's been a rough week," said Jade. A rough week was putting it mildly. It was more like she'd had it rough for all her thirty-plus years. "I'll see you later, Manny."
Jade began walking off, only for Manny to grab her hand. Manny then pulled her in for an intense, passionate kiss that she returned until the need for air became too much. When they broke apart, Jade saw that tears were pooling in Manny's golden eyes and sliding down his cheeks. Jade had only ever seen Manny cry twice before.
"Jade, I swear, I will fight this and I'll find a solution. But if there's a chance that I'm wrong, then just know I've never stopped loving you," confessed Manny. "And I never will."
"Nor I you," she admitted. Jade had had many lovers over the long course of her life, but throughout it all, Manny had been the only one she'd ever truly loved, even when they'd broken up. "Actually, Manny, I think that drink can wait." Jade was normally a stoic person with the occasional temper, but at that moment, she was feeling emotional, vulnerable and she needed an anchor in the storm, just for a little while. "Would you just hold me?"
Manny didn't reply. He just pulled her in closer before enfolding her in his wings.
XXX
Back at the police station, Cheryl was in the empty break room.
Gemma's case file was on the table and the coroner's report was open. Cheryl was looking through it, trying to spot anything that would prove Gemma's death wasn't a suicide. But so far, she'd had no luck as there had been no drugs in Gemma's system aside from her medication, which wouldn't have had such a terrible side-effect.
Cheryl's laptop was also running, and she was going over the security footage from Ravenscar over and over again. Despite her attempts to try and see something—anything—out of the normal, she did not. It was the same image over and over again: Gemma in her nightgown walking across the roof and then raising her arms before willingly stepping over and dying.
Cheryl's eyes were red from crying and she looked a frightful mess. She was taking Gemma's death hard. No one should have to outlive their own child, especially not in this manner. And the worst of it was, Cheryl felt responsible. She wondered about what could've happened if she hadn't sent Gemma to the institution or if she'd been a little more attentive or done something to try and prevent this terrible tragedy.
"I'm so sorry, Gemma," she murmured.
Suddenly the room became colder and a familiar voice whispered, "Find Jade."
Cheryl's head shot up and she looked around as the temperature became normal again. "Gemma?" Was she hearing things or had she actually just heard her dead daughter's voice speaking to her? "Gemma, is that you?"
The lights then flickered and then static appeared on Cheryl's laptop before it changed to that of the blond woman that Cheryl had been bumping into. Underneath the blond woman's picture were the words, 'find Jade.'
Everything then returned to normal, but the blond woman's image remained on the screen. Not entirely sure what had just happened, but knowing it was the only real lead she'd had, Cheryl closed Gemma's file, wiped her face and began doing research.
Knowing that even with her resources, just searching for "Jade" could lead to a million dead ends; Cheryl ran a facial recognition search on the photograph of the blond woman. What she found was something she hadn't expected.
Jade Constantine
Personal Information
Known Aliases
Known Associates
Interpol File
Ravenscar file
Related Newspaper Articles
Cheryl couldn't believe this.
The blond woman she'd been running into, the one that her daughter told her to seek out, was Cheryl's younger sister. Well, that explained the looks of disdain and scorn Cheryl had been receiving from her. Clearly Jade hadn't forgiven Cheryl for their terrible parting. Cheryl hadn't seen or heard from Jade in over sixteen years and she'd changed a great deal, which was why Cheryl hadn't recognized her.
Despite her hesitation to go nosing around in her sister's life, Cheryl knew she had no choice, so she took a deep breath and clicked on the first link.
There was a list of priors in Jade's file including a hundred parking violations, speeding tickets and reprimands for reckless endangerment. But that was the least of it. A number of newspaper headlines either mentioned Jade as a suspect in unexplainable cases, while others spoke of occult activity on the rise and Satanic cults being dissolved and Jade just happened to be in the vicinity when it all went down. There were numerous pictures as well, of certain patterns on the walls of crime scenes, odd symbols burned into the ceilings and a cross was burnt to a crisp.
Another article and photograph was of Jade in handcuffs looking back at a mother holding her son in her arms and Gary Lester standing beside them looking grateful. The next line said, 'insufficient evidence to prosecute,' showing that Jade had been a suspect yet again but not imprisoned because either she hadn't done it or no one had been able to prove she'd actually been involved. Jade had made waves all over the world—London, Paris, Rome, Budapest, and Moscow and so much more. But it was the next line that caught Cheryl's interest.
At one point, Jade had been a member of a punk rock band and while on tour in Newcastle, there'd been a gruesome murder of a young girl with a striking resemblance to Jade, called 'Astra Rouge.' Jade and her band members had been suspected in Astra's death but were released due to lack of evidence. And according to Jade's record, after whatever had happened in Newcastle, Jade had suffered a mental breakdown and spent the next two years at Ravenscar Psychiatric around the same time that Gemma had been. She'd only been discharged about two years ago and had been on the move again ever since.
It was too much of a coincidence. It couldn't be a mere coincidence. If Cheryl was right, then Jade could be a valuable asset in unveiling the truth about Gemma's death. It was settled. She needed to find her sister and do what was necessary to get her help. But first, she needed to find Jade, but she hadn't the slightest idea as to how to do it. Granted she was a policewoman with resources, but if her hunch was right and she put out an APB for Jade, then she'd be on the receiving end of her boss's anger for wasting the department's time and resources, or worse Jade would evade her and disappear again. She needed some way to locate Jade and quickly, but how?
As if in response, the laptop's image turned to static for a moment before it was replaced with a picture of Cheryl's partner, Jim Corrigan at a crime scene with Jade. It was dated to the time when Cheryl had been out of town on personal business. Cheryl was puzzled for a moment before she caught on. Corrigan knows Jade. Corrigan knew about the world her sister lived in. Better yet, Corrigan was the key to finding Jade.
Cheryl printed off Jade's picture and went off in search of her partner.
Just a few minutes later, Cheryl found Corrigan at his desk, which was facing opposite hers, drinking a cup of coffee as he finished up the last of his paper work before he took his leave. The bosses had decided that Corrigan was overdue for a break and he was going on leave for a few weeks.
"Jim. Glad I caught you. Got a minute?" asked Cheryl.
"Sure. What can I do for you?"
Cheryl grabbed her computer chair and pulled up beside him before placing Jade's picture on his desktop. Immediately, Corrigan's face fell and he looked away.
"I need you to tell me where to find Jade Constantine. I know she's in town and I know you two are friends. I just need you to tell me where she might be," said Cheryl.
Corrigan frowned. "Is she a suspect in a case?"
"Well, no, but…"
"Then drop it," interrupted Corrigan. He seemed serious and stern. "Cheryl, if this is some personal vendetta or something else equally insane, then walk away now and forget about all of it, because the last thing you want to do is tick off Jade Constantine. She's dangerous and she's got enough on her plate as it is. So, leave her be."
"If I could, I would, but I can't," said Cheryl. "I think she can help me with Gemma's case."
"And why would she help you?" asked Corrigan, suspiciously. "For that matter, what makes Jade so special that she can help prove that Gemma's death was a murder like you claim?"
Cheryl sighed. She had no desire to explain herself, but it seemed she had no choice. After making sure no one was listening, she whispered to Corrigan, "Because Jade's my little sister and her world wasn't just hers. It was Gemma's too and I know this sounds insane, but Gemma wants me to find Jade. She told me to."
Corrigan's eyes widened. "Come again?"
Cheryl quickly explained the strange happenings in the break room and the ghostly appearance of Gemma and what Cheryl had seen on her laptop. When she finished, Corrigan looked flabbergasted and in need of a good long drink.
"So, you know what circles Jade travels in, your daughter's ghost told you to find her long-lost aunt and now you're more convinced that your estranged sister can solve Gemma's case. Have I got it right?" asked Corrigan.
"In a nutshell," said Cheryl. "So, will you help me?"
It sounded beyond insane when said aloud, and if Cheryl hadn't seen it for herself, she might not have believed any of it either.
Corrigan sighed. "Look Cheryl, even if I do tell you where to find Jade, there's no guarantee she'll help you. From what little she told me, the two of you ain't exactly best of pals."
"I know," said Cheryl. She and Jade hadn't parted on the best of terms all those years ago. She knew she was taking a chance with Jade, but she had no other choice. "But if there's any chance that Jade can help prove, even if it's just to myself, that Gemma didn't kill herself, then I need to take it. I need to find her. So, please, Jim. Where is she?"
Corrigan hesitated before he began scribbling down an address and hours onto his notepad. "I heard she was in town, but I don't know exactly where she is. If I call her for you, she'll get suspicious and run off. However, I've seen her frequenting this bar when she's here. You're a blood relation, so you might be let in. Otherwise, that's all I've got. Better pray that she doesn't turn you down, because if she does, you're screwed."
And by that, Corrigan meant that there were no other practitioners of magic that he knew of that Cheryl could turn to and trust for help.
"Thank you," said Cheryl, as she slipped the offered paper into her pocket.
"Do me one favor," said Corrigan. "Call me and let me know how it turns out."
Cheryl nodded.
XXX
Downtown, amidst the contrast between the bright and the cheerful, and the dark and mysterious part of the city was a bar and grill, the Neutral Zone. So named because it was literally sitting on neutral territory and all manner of good and evil could meet, eat and drink and be civil. Anyone, be them a half-breed demon or someone like Jade, was welcome as long as they obeyed the rules and paid their tabs.
While that didn't keep civil tongues in everyone's heads, the customers usually obeyed the rules as the security guards, who'd been posted for good measure, were not the sort that even a half-breed demon like Balthazar would want to go up against. And besides the usually decent alcohol and food, Jade often frequented the place for intel on whatever she happened to be chasing.
At her usual place at the establishment, Jade sat alone, ignored by the other patrons and shooting frightening glares at those who even glanced in her direction, making them back off. Her trench coat was slung on the back of her chair, four empty shot glasses and one full shot glass of gin sat on the table and there was an ashtray sitting ready for her to dispose of her cigarette in.
Jade inhaled and then exhaled a long stream of smoke. She was ticked off. She was ticked off at everything, at life, at death…all of it. She was no closer to stopping the Rising Darkness than when she'd started, restoring Astra's soul to heaven was beyond her reach, within a year, she was going to die of lung cancer of all things and then be trapped in perdition forever as Lucifer's favorite weapon. All the good she'd ever done or tried to do, all of it was for nothing and that infuriated and frustrated her beyond words.
A spider ran across her table. Jade flipped one of her empty glasses onto it, trapping it. She took another drag on her cigarette, tipped the glass and blew the smoke inside. The spider couldn't escape the poisoned air and it bumped against the glass, trapped and dying.
"Feels bad, doesn't it?" she murmured to the arachnid. "You live your life, try to do what's best, and do nothing wrong, but then you accidentally annoy the wrong person and your whole life's over in a flash and everything you've done counts for nothing." She scoffed. "Welcome to my life."
The spider thumped against the glass once again, and Jade sighed before taking pity and releasing the eight-legged monstrosity. The spider fled for its life and disappeared in a crack in the wall. Never let it be said that unlike some people she could mention, Jade could be merciful.
Jade put out her cigarette, signaled the waitress to clear away the empty shot glasses and the ashtray before she downed her fifth glass of gin. She was just debating about ordering a sixth or even a seventh shot, when the sound of approaching footsteps ceased and she heard a voice say, "Jadey?"
Jade tensed. Only one person had ever called her by that name and it was one she hadn't expected to see again and nor did she want to. She'd been rather hoping that despite their random encounters of late, Cheryl wouldn't recognize her and this conversation wouldn't happen but it seemed the jig was up. Jade then looked up and got a long, proper look at her older sister for the first time in quite a while.
Cheryl looked older and more worn, which was only to be expected, considering it'd been sixteen years, but there were unexpected changes as well. A wedding ring adorned her left ring finger, a gun was nestled in a brown leather holster on her hip and a police officer's badge was sticking out of her pocket. She'd gotten older, married and become a police officer. Such accomplishments would've made any other family member proud, but not Jade. She couldn't have cared less.
"Cheryl," she said, in a clipped tone.
"Hey," said Cheryl, softly. "Long time no see."
"Not long enough," said Jade, coldly. "Bad enough I kept running into you this past week. Now you show up at my drinking spot? How'd you even find me?"
Cheryl looked taken aback by Jade's attitude but softly replied, "My partner, Detective Jim Corrigan. He told me where to find you."
Jade's scowl deepened. "I'll bloody kill him." Well, she wouldn't actually kill Corrigan, as he was too valuable an asset to lose, but she would definitely hex him into next Tuesday. "But that's not important right now. Look, whatever it is you want, the answer's no, and the door's that way. Common mortals like you aren't welcome in this establishment. Get out before I call security."
Jade was in no mood to deal with her sister's trouble. She had the Rising Darkness and another big supernatural problem to deal with. Whatever mess Cheryl had gotten herself into, she could get herself out of it or she could find someone else. Either way, it wasn't Jade's problem to deal with. And Jade was right about Cheryl not being permitted in the bar. The bar was reserved for those who practiced magic or were a supernatural creature. Cheryl must've gotten in because she shared Jade's blood but once it was made known that Cheryl was a common human because her powers hadn't manifested, her departure from the building would be expected.
"Just hear me out, Jadey," begged Cheryl.
"Don't call me that," said Jade, sharply. Cheryl had lost the right to call her by her nickname after what happened sixteen years ago. And it was fortunate that they were on neutral territory, for Jade was finding it difficult not to unleash her powers onto Cheryl. "I cannot believe you. You've got a lot of bloody nerve showing up here and talking to me after what you did."
"I know," sighed Cheryl, as she sat down beside her. "I know I must be the last person you want to see, but I need your help."
Jade scoffed and let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, now you want my help? The angelic perfect sister needs help from the demonic evil one so she can be saved from some supernatural creep or whatever bloody mess you've gotten yourself into. Oh, that's rich."
Cheryl flinched and there was visible regret in her eyes but Jade ignored it. "I never meant—"
"Don't lie! You did and you know it," interrupted Jade. She glared at Cheryl. Sixteen years of buried anger was making its way to the surface. "You know, I will never forget that moment when the world blows you backwards and the one person you thought would be there to catch you, isn't. I trusted you, Cheryl. All those times you begged me to tell you what was going on, what I was keeping from you, you swore you'd believe me and protect me and love me no matter what. And when I finally show you what I can do, when you see what Thomas was doing to me, you abandon me. You lied to me and tossed me aside like a piece of rubbish."
"That's not fair!" protested Cheryl. "I walked in on you murdering Dad and I found out the world was a scarier place than I thought it was! How was I supposed to react to that?"
Sixteen years ago, Cheryl had walked in on her father Thomas dying from one of Jade's spells. He'd been beating her and Jade had tried to protect herself by making him feel everything he'd ever inflicted on her. It was never intended to kill him, only make him feel Jade's pain so he'd stop hurting her. But because Jade had never been taught to master her powers and much of her ability came from her emotions, she lost control. In a moment of pure rage and fear, instead of merely feeling Jade's pain, all her injuries—both past and present—were inflicted on Thomas and he'd died from them as a result.
Cheryl had been horrified and when Jade tried to explain that Thomas had been abusing her all her life and that the world was much different than Cheryl knew, Jade's sister hadn't reacted well and Jade had run away from home because of it. And for Cheryl to show up again out of the blue and ask for Jade's help involving something in Jade's world, infuriated her to no end.
Jade slammed her glass down on the table in anger and some of the lightbulbs in the ceiling lamps exploded, making Cheryl jump. "I didn't murder anyone! It was self-defense!" she hissed. If it had been murder, she would've been condemned to perdition a lot earlier. "And even so, you know perfectly well I had little control over my powers back then! Besides, that pathetic excuse for a man wasn't my father, especially not after what he put me through!"
For the first sixteen years of her life, Jade had suffered immense verbal and physical abuse from her mother's husband, Thomas. Her mother, Mary Anne Constantine, had died giving birth to Jade and Thomas had blamed Jade for it. Every day, he drank his weight in alcohol, and when he wasn't in jail for alcohol-related charges, he was at home, reminding Jade that Mary Anne's death was her fault. Thomas referred to Jade as "Killer" for killing her mother, and on the nights when he wasn't in a jail cell, he beat Jade within an inch of her life. He left bruises in areas that could be covered up with long sleeved clothes, and if she suffered from a broken or fractured bone, he gave some pathetic excuse to the authorities such as too much roughhousing or getting into a fight at school or falling down the stairs and it was believed.
For years, Jade had kept quiet about the abuse she suffered out of fear of Thomas's wrath and fear that he would hurt those she loved. There had been a few moments of rare courage when she'd tried to confess the truth to someone and get help, but it hadn't worked. No one had believed her and they'd left her alone to deal with it, and when Cheryl had joined that mass of people who'd turned her away, Jade had been devastated and angry and seceded from her family as a result.
"And as for finding out the world's a scary place, boo-hoo! Just because it took you eighteen years to figure it out, doesn't mean the rest of us had that luxury," said Jade, bitterly as she downed another shot of gin.
Supernatural stuff aside, Jade had always known the world wasn't all sunshine and roses. The abuse she'd suffered at Thomas's hands had taught her that. It had also taught her to trust and rely more on herself than anyone else.
A tear slid down Cheryl's cheek. "Jade…I'm so, so sorry. You will never know how sorry I am. There hasn't been a day when I haven't regretted how I reacted. I was scared and foolish. I didn't think. If I could change what happen, if I could've protected you from Thomas, I would. Please, forgive me."
Cheryl reached out to touch Jade's hand, but Jade pulled away.
"It's too late for apologies, Cheryl. And whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, you can get yourself out of it or find someone else. I'm not interested," said Jade. She signaled the waitress and handed her twenty dollars before rising up and grabbing her trench coat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to deal with."
"That's it? You're going to just walk away when I need you?" said Cheryl, in angry disbelief. "You help complete strangers all the time but won't even hear your own sister out?"
"No, that's your job," said Jade, coldly. She smirked when Cheryl flinched. She knew her words stung and she was glad of it. Cheryl deserved it. Once, they'd been close siblings and Jade would've done anything for her older sister that she loved and admired, but that time was long since passed.
She tried to leave, but Cheryl grabbed her hand.
"Jade, please," said Cheryl, sounding desperate. "I'm begging you. This isn't about me. It's about my daughter, Gemma. She's been murdered. You're the only one I can turn to for help. Please."
Jade's face softened and she felt a twinge of sympathy and pain. She knew what it was like to lose a child and that was a pain she wouldn't inflict on anyone, not even Thomas. But even so, she was still hesitant to let her half-sister into her life again.
"Please," she repeated. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking. Please."
Jade's resolve crumbled and she cursed in Latin. "Fine. But just five minutes and then I'm out of here. Got it?" When Cheryl nodded, Jade signaled the waitress again and gave her five dollars in exchange for two glasses of whiskey. She had the feeling she was going to need a strong drink to get through this conversation. "So, tell me what happened."
"That's just it. I don't know," admitted Cheryl. She slipped Jade a photograph. "Do you recognize her? According to my research, you were at Ravenscar around the same time she was. Did you ever talk to her?"
Jade glanced over the photograph and passed it back to Cheryl as she nodded. "Yeah, I knew her. Didn't know she was my niece, but we got on. We were roomies together. I'm sorry she's gone, luv. Gemma was a good girl. I liked her."
No one mentioned surnames at the nuthouse that Jade had spent time in and Jade had never asked, making it impossible for her to know that Gemma was her niece. To know that she'd had family there made Jade feel a twinge of guilt and heartache.
During the time when Jade was a patient at Ravenscar Psychiatric Institution, Gemma was the only other person to get past Jade's walls and touch her heart. Whenever Gemma had an episode, Jade would hold her until she calmed down and tell her everything was going to be okay and in return, Gemma had provided Jade with the comfort and healing she so desperately needed. When Jade had decided to leave Ravenscar, she'd done so with reluctance as she'd grown attached to Gemma, but she'd assured Jade that she'd be fine and encouraged Jade to return to her work as a demon exorcist.
Sadness flickered across Cheryl's face. "Yeah, she was. Then last Tuesday, she decided to just step off the roof."
Jade frowned again. "I thought you said she was murdered?" Why would Cheryl ask for Jade's help in solving an open-and-shut suicide case?
Cheryl sighed in frustration. "Look, I know I'm not making much sense. But something happened to Gemma. Something supernatural. She might've bitten off more than she could chew, crossed the wrong person."
"What makes you say that?" asked Jade.
Cheryl sighed yet again. "Gemma, she…she knew about you, about your powers."
"You told her about me?" said Jade, surprised.
Cheryl nodded. "Contrary to what you may think, you weren't some dark secret I kept buried, Jade. I didn't know where to find you back then, but I still told my daughter about her Aunt Jade. Anyway, Gemma didn't just know about your abilities, she had them."
Jade nearly choked on her whiskey. "Beg your pardon, luv?"
"You heard me. Gemma was a practitioner of magic, just like you."
"Not exactly like me. Your husband's mortal, isn't he?"
"He was, but that's not the point. Gemma had a fascination with the supernatural—occults, demonology, exorcisms—you name it. When she discovered she had a talent for witchcraft, she delved further into it and became a magical prodigy," said Cheryl. "I was terrified, of course. What little I know of your world, of the life you lead, I know it's not a safe one that I wanted for my daughter."
"Let me guess. You tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen to you," said Jade. It was only to be expected. Teenagers were often like that—stubborn, brainless fools who refused to listen to their elders and betters, especially when they had a difference of opinion over lifestyles.
"Exactly. Anyway, one day three years ago, she didn't come home from school. She was missing for three days and when we found her, she wasn't herself. She was completely changed," said Cheryl. "My superiors declared her mentally unstable and she was sent to Ravenscar."
"And you think something got to her?" said Jade, skeptically.
Jade was finding this rather hard to swallow, considering that Gemma had never once said so much as a word about the supernatural. If she had, Jade would've gone to great lengths to protect her from it. At the nuthouse, when Gemma had told Jade to get back into her line of work, it was only after Jade told her made-up stories of her being Superwoman and other fantasy-related stuff.
Cheryl nodded. "I was thinking that maybe someone or something got to her, brainwashed her into stepping off that roof. Some kind of legion or cult or maybe a sorcerer."
Jade snorted. "Well, I hate to break this to you, Cher, but the only supernatural thing that popped up while I was there was a ghost of a friend of mine possessed someone to get my attention and Gemma never said a word about my world, when she talked at all, that is."
Cheryl's face fell. "You're sure?"
"Positive. And another thing, why're you so sure she didn't commit suicide? People can surprise you and they can change, and not necessarily for the better." Gemma hadn't seemed suicidal before Jade left, but who knew what'd happened after Jade had left? Besides, it wasn't exactly unheard of for a crazy person to take their own life.
Jade knew that Cheryl wanted to hear that Gemma's death was the result of supernatural meddling, but the fact was, the kind of brainwashing nonsense she was talking about, didn't happen. In all her years of experience with cults and the supernatural, nothing that Cheryl suggested had ever happened and she sincerely doubted there ever would be. And during the time she'd spent at Ravenscar, there hadn't been the slightest sign of a demonic cult residing there. She would've noticed and if she had, she would've stopped it. Not to mention she hadn't heard of any trouble happening in Ravenscar. Surely, it would've shown up on the Scry Map if there had been.
"You don't understand. Gemma knew about more than just witchcraft. She always talked about a world better than this. Heaven, as some call it. She wasn't afraid of dying because she knew it was waiting for her. What everyone fails to grasp is that if she had really taken her own life—"
"She would've committed a mortal sin and her soul would've gone straight to perdition where it would never feel love or compassion or anything but pain again as the master himself rips her apart over and over for the rest of eternity," interrupted Jade. She raised an eyebrow. "That about right?"
Cheryl was rendered speechless and there was visible hurt in her eyes. Jade would've liked to take it back, but it was too late. The damage had been done. But Cheryl's response and the look in her eye wasn't what Jade expected.
"You're not the only one afraid of perdition," whispered Cheryl, as fresh tears glimmered in her eyes. "Jade…are you…are you condemned?"
Jade sighed and looked down at her hands. She wanted to lie, tell Cheryl that she wasn't on a one-way ticket to perdition, but her resolve crumbled once again. "It's nothing something I care to admit aloud, but since you've asked, yes. I am."
"Why?"
"Because I did what I do best: I screwed up royally and I have to pay for it," said Jade. There was a hint of anger in her voice and she hoped that Cheryl would take the hint to not pursue the subject further, and thankfully Cheryl did. "Look, Cher, I highly doubt Gemma's death is related to my line of work, but I promise I will look into it and let you know if I find anything. But don't get ticked off if I get sidetracked, all right? There's something bigger I'm dealing with."
"Bigger than your niece's murder?" said Cheryl, incredulously. "And what might that be?"
Jade gave her a cold look. "The Rising Darkness and possibly the end of the world as we know it if I don't stop it. Here." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her business card. "Call me if you need me. Good-night."
Without waiting for a reply, Jade got up and left the bar.
Once she was outside, instead of heading back to her apartment as intended, Jade dove into the alley and concealed herself in the shadows. She forced herself to ignore the tears that came unbidden and slid down her cheeks as she lit another cigarette and stuffed it into her mouth. She knew she was making herself die faster, but she didn't care. Smoking was her only solace at the moment and she was dead no matter what she did, so what did it matter?
Her reunion with her sister had brought back a lot of old memories and emotions to resurfaces, ones that Jade hadn't thought of and felt in years and hadn't wished to. She was no stranger to pain, but the kind of pain that would come from letting Cheryl back into her life wasn't the kind she wanted. Part of her wanted to forgive Cheryl and put the past behind her but she knew if she did, she'd been taking a chance that history would repeat itself and she'd rather that not happen. And more to the point, Jade wasn't the forgive and forget type of person when it came to that kind of pain.
Jade also couldn't believe she'd been with family the entire time she'd been at the nuthouse and hadn't known it. And now Gemma was dead, adding to the already long list of people in Jade's life she cared about yet failed to save. Jade didn't know what to think of it and she didn't know what to think of Cheryl's suspicions that Gemma's death hadn't been a suicide as the police believed. She wasn't inclined to believe it. It wasn't possible that Gemma had gotten bumped off by the supernatural. She would've noticed if something was off there!
Unless it showed up after you left. It could've been waiting for you to leave before making its move, said a nagging voice. And you haven't checked the Scry Map in a while, so it might've slipped your notice. Jade pushed that thought out of her head. The last thing she needed was to think like that.
At the sound of the bar's door opening, Jade looked up and then she dove into the shadows when she saw Cheryl was the one leaving the bar. She walked along the sidewalk, unaware of the shadow that followed her that was soon joined by another in the trees, both were closing in on her with each step.
Blast it. Why did she have to be right? If supernatural creeps were chasing after Cheryl, who'd stayed far away from Jade's world, then Cheryl was right. There was more to Gemma's death than what was first believed. She dumped her cigarette in a puddle and then chased after Cheryl.
"Cheryl!"
Cheryl stopped in her tracks, turned and saw Jade behind her. "I thought you'd left."
"I came back. I'm annoying like that. Walk," said Jade, sharply. She grabbed Cheryl's arm and forced her to walk at a quicker pace. "How open is your mind?"
Cheryl stared at her in bewilderment as she struggled to keep up with Jade. "What?"
"You know about my world, about the world that Gemma believed in and was a part of, but do you truly believe in heaven and perdition?" asked Jade. "How about what comes out of each?"
"What, angels and demons? Well…if they're really real, then I suppose I do," said Cheryl. But she sounded uncertain. "Why do you ask?"
Jade sighed in exasperation. "Nothing's changed. You still don't have the mindset for this kind of work. Walk faster."
Cheryl looked offended as she quickened her pace. "Excuse me? I have a decent mindset, Jade! My world might not consist of whatever darkness is in yours, but my world's scary enough! I see terrible things every day! A mother drowns her baby. A ten-year-old shoots his father. But it's not demons that cause that; it's the evil that men do. You of all people should know that."
Behind them, a streetlight blinked out and then another and another. But because they were not looking back, they didn't see it.
"You're right. We're capable of terrible things, but we usually justify it with motives like money, power, jealousy, or vengeance," said Jade. She happened to glance behind her and noticed another light fizzed out. They were running out of time. "Then sometimes, something comes along and gives us just the right nudge and we do truly evil things just for the kick of it."
"You're telling me demons influence us? Jade…" Cheryl sounded skeptical. "I don't believe in that kind of stuff."
"Well, you should. Because demons and every other nasty son of a bilge rat believes in you," said Jade. They passed another streetlamp as it glowed bright and then it blacked out, causing both of them to look up. The next lamp did the same thing.
Cheryl turned and saw that there were no lights behind them. She looked to Jade for an explanation, but Jade was staring straight ahead, because now the light directly in front of them was flaring and on the verge of going out.
"Cheryl, we need to go…" Seconds later, it went out. "Blast it." She grabbed Cheryl's hand. "C'mon. We need to go. Fast."
Cheryl's confusion turned to tension as a raspy guttural wind raced towards them. Jade jerked her into action. They ran toward the next light, which blinked out right when they reached it. They raced to stay in the light, aiming toward the safety of the brightly-lit statue of the Good Shepherd which guarded the Holy Cross Cemetery.
They made it through the gate, past through an alley of overhanging trees. Something rippled through the branches, flittered through past Cheryl's face. She swatted at it and managed to get a branch across the cheek for her troubles. They neared the Good Shepherd and the floodlights flickered and faded out. Statues of saints became dark monoliths.
Jade stepped into an open area between trees and a mausoleum. A lit cross on the wall provided the only illumination. Cheryl felt the scratch on her cheek, and saw a trickle of blood on her fingers from where she'd touched it. Now, she heard sounds in the darkness, like leather rubbing, surrounding them.
"Jade…what's happening? What is that?"
"Wings," said Jade, as she rummaged through her trench coat pocket. She pulled out the cloth that Ellie gave her, the one supposedly wrapped around Moses. "And maybe talons." The light was getting dimmer and dimmer.
"You've got to be joking! And just what are these wings and talons attached to?" asked Cheryl. She sounded truly scared and Jade couldn't blame her.
"Something that's not supposed to be here," said Jade. She quickly wrapped the cloth tight around her hand. There was nothing to see except for darkness and the ghastly sounds of movement were getting closer. The cross now resembled a dying wire filament and with every second, the circle of light got smaller and the sounds ever nearer. "Cheryl, close your eyes. Now."
"Close my eyes?" said Cheryl, incredulously. They were standing in pitch darkness now. "Why?"
Despite knowing Cheryl couldn't see it, Jade rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Suit yourself. Just don't let go of me, whatever you do." If Cheryl wanted to look, fine. But if she had better think twice about blaming Jade if she had nightmares. Jade relaxed the tiniest bit when she felt Cheryl's grip on her hand tight. "Fiat lux."
The sacred cross caught fire and then ignited with a brilliant, retina searing flash, blinding Cheryl and illumination a circle of fully-fledged winged demons, roiling broth of reptilian death, ready to pounce.
"In nomine Patris mei, ut tu perditionem ad!" commanded Jade. Her eyes became alit like bright fire as she invoked the dark power within her. She had no wish to use such a power, but for creatures such as this, she had no choice if she was to stop them.
Red flame radiated from the cloth and demons shrieked as they were instantly vaporized. Jade tucked her burning hand into her coat pocket, extinguishing the flame. She released Cheryl's hand before she leaned down to a rubbery stain left from one of the burnt demon carcasses and shook her head in disbelief.
"Someone's getting rather bold," she murmured. First there was the girl, then the old man and now this? All this in just a matter of days was too much of a coincidence. Who or whatever was causing the Rising Darkness was getting bolder, more daring. Why else would they have gone after Jade's kinswoman in such a manner?
Cheryl was almost in hysterics. "What in heaven's name were those things? I saw wings—and teeth—and they were flying! What in heaven's name were those things?"
"They weren't from heaven, luv," said Jade. "They were from perdition." She scanned the area, trying to think it through. "To be more precise, they were seplavites, scavengers for the condemned. Demons. Normally, it's just a crossroads demon or perditionhound that goes after them, occasionally both. It's usually not the big boys, not unless their prize has worth beyond measure."
"They were after you?"
Jade shook her head. "If they'd wanted me, they would've come a long time ago. And these sons of bilge rats didn't show up until tonight. I left the bar before you did and was in plain sight and they never came near me. They weren't after me. They were after you."
Cheryl's eyes widened. "Me? What did I do?"
"It's not what you've done, it's who you are," said Jade. She should've known this was going to happen. Regardless of her life choices, Cheryl's blood was Jade's blood which made her a target. But it couldn't be just because of Cheryl's relationship with Jade that she was being targeted out of the blue. No, there was something more to it. "Cheryl, are you absolutely sure that Gemma wouldn't have committed suicide?"
Cheryl looked a bit thrown and then firmly replied, "Never in a million years."
"Then let's be sure," said Jade. "C'mon."
Jade began walking quickly and Cheryl almost had to jog to keep up with her.
"Be sure? How?"
"Simple. I'll see if she's in perdition," said Jade, casually as though she was talking about going to the super market for a doughnut. "I'll pay perdition a little visit."
Cheryl gave her an incredulous look. "And I repeat, how? How're you going to waltz in and out of that place in one piece if you're condemned? Last time I checked, people can't go there unless they're dead."
Jade fought the urge to make an exasperated noise. "You don't need to know the details just yet, all right? The gist of it is, I'm not like most people and as long as I'm alive, I can go to and fro from that place. Do you understand that?"
"Not really, but okay," said Cheryl.
Why do I always get stuck working with amateurs? wondered Jade, as she shook her head. "Just take me to your place and show me Gemma's bedroom."
As commanded, Cheryl took Jade to Cheryl's apartment and into Gemma's bedroom.
Save for the recent dustings, Gemma's bedroom was untouched. It was spotlessly clean and showed no sign of anyone living there recently. But Gemma's room was not for a normal girl of her age. Books of the occult, witchcraft, demonology and much more were on her bookshelves, candles and special markings were placed in orders that Jade recognized, a number of magical artifacts were on top of the dresser and special herbs hung by the window.
Jade stared at a photo of Gemma and her parents that was sitting on her dresser. From the look of Gemma's age and the smiles on their faces, it was obviously from happier times, a time when Gemma was carefree and innocent, before the Rising Darkness had entered Gemma's life and claimed it.
Cheryl came into the room, a grey she-cat followed close on her heels. "Everything that belonged to Gemma is in here. Nothing's been touched since she left. I could never bring myself to do more than dust and vacuum."
"Was the cat hers too?" asked Jade.
Cheryl nodded. "Yeah. Cassiel was hers. Why?"
Jade sat down in a chair and beckoned for the cat to join her. Cassiel leapt onto Jade's lap and began purring and nuzzling as Jade stroked her.
"Uh, Jade, why're you stroking the cat? I thought you had work to do," said Cheryl.
"This is work," said Jade. "Cassiel was Gemma's familiar, a very rare kind that didn't share a life-force link with her but they were still bonded, which means she'll be connected to Gemma and have power that I'll need. And because familiars always find their masters, Cassiel can loan to me the same spell she uses, which'll make it easier to locate Gemma." She ceased stroking the feline. "That should be enough. Thanks, Cass."
Cassiel meowed affectionately and then left the room.
"Now, I need you to leave, Cher," said Jade.
Cheryl stubbornly shook her head. "I'm not leaving."
"That's not a request," said Jade, sternly. "Out. Now."
Cheryl looked as though she wanted to refuse, but the look on Jade's face and the tone of her voice convinced her otherwise. She looked reluctant as she left the bedroom. Jade locked the bedroom door behind Cheryl and then turned to face the full-length mirror on the back of the door.
"In nomine Patris mei, haec ego praecipio ostium aperire," she chanted.
The lights in the room flickered and then it Jade was caught in a ghostly half-dim light as the reflection in the mirror rippled and then swirled and pulsed before changing from Jade and the room behind her, into that of perdition and all its dark and evil glory.
Jade took a deep breath as she stepped into the mirror and entered perdition.
Perdition was the same as ever it was and ever it would be—dark, hot, and reeking of sulfur. Perdition's kingdom, an endless string of ruins rested underneath a blood red sky partly covered by cloud black as pitch. Screams of the condemned echoed around her along that of whips and demons laughing at the misery of those around them. The mere sight of it was enough to kill Jade inside and sap of her of her strength.
The screams and cruel laughter faded as Jade stepped over a crumbling wall and onto a top overpass of a crumbling maze of intersecting freeways. Burnt-out husks of long-forgotten vehicles sit in rows of gridlock. On the horizon was a dying red sun, it strained to cut through the putrid brown haze. A low drone penetrated the silence.
"Indica mihi, quem ad modum quaero," murmured Jade.
Jade's eyes changed from human to that of a cat's and she saw the pathway leading her towards her niece. She followed the pull of the spell that guided her and cautiously stepped closer to the railing and looked down to the ribbons of twisting streets below. They're all crammed with teeming masses of the condemned. All were walking down in silence, their faces numbed with sorrow and grief. Gemma was not among them, but she was close by. Jade could feel it.
"Aunt Jade?"
At the sound of her niece's voice, she turned and saw Gemma standing by a dead tree on a hill in a pure white gown, and she was not alone. She was with Astra, and the little girl was being held in Gemma's protective embrace with her face buried in Gemma's chest. The low drone rose in pitch and Jade then spotted a huge blanket-like blackness crawling over the cityscape that was rapidly closing in on her.
Quickly, Jade ran towards Astra and her niece. She climbed up the hill, but before she could reach them, a spell sent her flying backwards and a shield appeared over Gemma and Astra. Jade groaned as she stood up. She didn't try to get closer to Gemma and Astra, but she didn't attempt leave them either.
"Gemma, what the bleeding—?"
"You shouldn't have come here," interrupted Gemma. She looked frightened and upset. It was hard to tell if it was her powers that were keeping her and Astra safe or Astra's, but either way, there was every possibility that it wouldn't last forever and they'd both be lost. "It's not safe here, even for you. If he finds you here, he'll kill you and then a new perdition will be risen on earth. You have to go and protect my mother!"
"Who?" demanded Jade. "Who's 'he'? Why's your mother so important to him?" She needed those questions answered and she was also finding it hard to leave Astra behind yet again, especially now that she was so close. "Who's behind the Rising Darkness?"
Astra raised her head and her brown eyes met Jade's. "You'll know soon enough. But you have to leave. He knows that you're here and he's coming for you. Please, go. I don't want you to get trapped here too!"
Jade hesitated. She'd never gotten this close to Astra. She knew she couldn't send Astra's soul to heaven, but at the same time, she was reluctant to part from her again.
"Aunt Jade, please," begged Gemma, desperately. "I know what Astra means to you, but if you don't go back and protect my mom and stop him, it'll all be for nothing. I thought I could stop him if I sacrificed myself, but I was wrong. He tricked me. Now, it's up to you. You've got to succeed where I failed." Her hand flew to her neck and she ripped off a locket and tossed it to Jade. "Go and give this to my mom. Go."
Jade's heart broke as she caught the locket and she felt a new surge of determination. "I swear, I will see you both again and I will save you both." She then invoked the magic. "Ad locum unde veni et de hoc!"
The world around her shifted and then Jade inhaled sharply as she found herself back inside Gemma's bedroom. She clutched Gemma's dresser for dear life as she could barely stand. Her body felt as though it were on fire and she felt weaker than a kitten. Normally, the trips she took to perdition didn't sap her strength like this, but she hadn't slept or eaten much in days, which hadn't been the wisest decision on her part and her illness didn't help matters much either.
"Cheryl!" she cried. "Cher, come back." She raised her hand and magically unlocked the door as Cheryl burst into the room.
"Make up your mind, will you? I just barely left and now you want me back? What's going—oh my…" Cheryl's eyes widened at the sight of Jade's state of being and she quickly slung Jade's arm around her shoulder, helping her to stand. "Jade, are you okay? What happened?"
Jade did not speak. She just lifted her hand and unfolded her palm, revealing Gemma's locket. Gemma had never taken off the locket as it had been a gift from her father before he died, but for some reason, it hadn't been found on Gemma's body when Gemma had died. The locket was proof that Jade had encountered Gemma in perdition.
"You were right, Cher," said Jade. "Gemma didn't kill herself. She sacrificed herself to stop the Rising Darkness. She's in perdition, but I swear, I'm going to do all I can to get her out."
Even as a semi-convert, this news completely floored Cheryl, who had fresh tears pooling in her eyes as she tightly grasped her daughter's locket.
The adrenaline and pain overwhelmed Jade and she passed out. Cheryl caught her before she hit the floor. Before the blackness claimed her, Jade had a moment of weakness and couldn't help but think how good it felt to be close to her sister again.
54
