PART FOUR
"I know it sounds unbelievable Father, but I didn't know where else to go." Evelyn sat across from Father Calero who stared at her unblinking. "I don't know what to do. She threatened to kill my son and Alva just stood there."
"Miss Santos." Calero began quietly. "I believe you." He stood and moved around the desk, leaning on it as he watched the woman fight back tears of fear and anger. "Have you told Paul about this?"
"No. He's in Iowa on a case."
"Good, he doesn't need to be involved in this." He was quiet for a moment, and then stood, moving to the large collection of books that filled one wall. "Has she slept with Keel yet?"
"I don't know." She closed her eyes. "If he hasn't, it won't be long before he does. That bitch is hanging all over him."
"The first thing you need to do Miss. Santos is to control yourself." He turned toward her with a large book in his hands. "She will feed off your emotions; fear, hate, anything."
"That won't be easy Father. She threatened my son."
"No, I don't imagine it will be easy at all, but it is necessary." He sat back at his desk and opened the tome. "Now let's see what we can find on this demon."
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Magdalene smiled as she carefully brushed her hair and admired her reflection in the mirror. Slowly over her shoulder, appeared a disembodied face, bringing an instant frown to her full lips.
"What do you want?" She hissed as she put the brush down. "I'm not finished with him yet."
"You shouldn't have gone to the woman." There seemed to be many voices layered within one as the image spoke. "She will not allow you to harm her child."
"I just wanted to scare her away." Magdalene frowned and crossed her arms over her still bared breast. "Besides, I had to make her suspect the man. Make her distrust him."
"And have you done that?"
"I think so." As she spoke she suddenly cringed as though she had been struck from behind.
"Foolish woman. You have only succeeded in convincing her that you need to be destroyed."
"I can handle her." Magdalene growled as she glared at the red eyes staring at her through the mirror. "Now go away. You'll wake my plaything."
"Do not fail me woman!" As the warning faded away, so did the face. Magdalene was alone once again.
"I won't fail." She whispered as she found herself shaking uncontrollably. "I can't fail."
"Magdalene?" Alva's voice filtered into the bathroom. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine Alva." She walked back toward the bed where Alva laid, disheveled. "I just wanted to freshen up." She could see the lust slowly returning to his eyes, roaming her still nude frame.
"What we just did..." He began as she joined him under the thin sheet. "I didn't..."
"Shhh." She placed her fingers against his mouth. "It's all right. Everything is as it should be."
"But I..." She stopped his words with her lips against his.
"Don't talk Alva." Magdalene began pressing herself against his quickly responding body. "Talk is the last thing I want to do right now." As she began to guide his hands, his movements, she again pressed her lips to his, devouring his life force slowly, like a fine wine.
"I am so hungry for you Magdalene. So hungry." Alva felt himself begin to move instinctively over her body.
#####
Miles away, Evelyn knelt in front of Father Calero, receiving communion and his blessing as her mind raced though the words that had earlier been spoken. She saw Mattie crying, his small body bleeding, Alva and the faraway look in his eyes. Then as Father Calero touch her head lightly, mumbling words in what she thought was Latin, she saw the face of Magdalene; the demon that was at the center of the coming battle.
"Stand up Evelyn Santos." She opened her eyes and saw Calero's extended hands. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"No Father, I'm not." Evelyn stood and stared deep into the Priest's eyes. "I don't really think I have a choice. Not if I want to keep my son safe and free Alva."
"No, sometimes we don't have a clear choice." Calero looked sad. "All I can promise you is that I will be with you, as will God."
"This is one time I hope that Paul is right." She could see the confused look in Calero's eyes. "I hope that God is now here."
#####
Alva sat on the edge of the bed, sheets wrapped around his body as he held his head in his hands. Slowly he glanced at the form still sleeping behind him and shuddered at the memories of the past few hours. Visions of the many things he had done to her, the things he had commanded her to do, made him nauseous. As they had lay together, something seemed to come over him, take control of his mind and his senses. All he had wanted was to totally control her. Now all he wanted to do was to hide, to run from her and disappear.
"Alva?" Her voice whispered huskily.
"Are you all right Magdalene?" Alva asked without turning around.
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She sat up and reached out to touch his hair, only to have him quickly pull away. "What's wrong Alva?"
"What's wrong?" He suddenly stood up, wrapping the sheet tighter around his body. "What I did to you...what I..."
"I never complained." Her eyes were large as she spoke.
"Maybe you should have." He lowered his head. "Maybe you should have refused."
"And if I had? Would you have stopped Alva?" There was no condemnation in her voice. "Would you have been able to stop?"
"I don't know." He brought his fingers up to his eyes as he began to feel lightheaded. "I want to believe I would have stopped, but I don't know." He swayed slightly as he stood. "Something happened Magdalene."
"Of course something happened. We made love Alva."
"No!" He tried to take a step backward and stumbled slightly as his strength seemed to slowly melt from his body. "No, that wasn't making love."
"Of course it was Alva." Magdalene stood, allowing the sheet to slip from her body. "What else could it have been?" She moved toward him, her arms outstretched. "Come back to me Alva." Gently she wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. "Please, come back to bed."
"Magdalene, I don't..." For a moment he felt her warmth and thought about the pleasures that awaited him in her embrace. "No." Suddenly he pulled back, almost falling as again his balance left him. "I need some time to think." Turning toward the bathroom, he didn't catch the look of disgust pass over the woman's dark features. "I'm going to shower and dress Magdalene. I suggest you do the same."
"Of course Alva." She glared as he disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.
"He isn't going to be as easy as you thought." The voice was back, over her shoulder. "Don't fail me."
"I won't fail you. Alva is mine; he just doesn't realize it yet. "
#####
Despite Evelyn's protests, Father Calero had decided to confront Keel himself. If luck were on his side, he would be able to talk some sense into the man. Taking a deep breath he pounded on the large door and waited. As he heard someone coming near, he said a soft prayer, asking for guidance.
"Yes?" Alva opened the door and stared hard at the priest. "What do you want?'
"Keel, I just want to talk to you for a moment." When Alva didn't move he continued. "Can I come in?" For a second, Calero thought the door would be slammed in his face. Instead, Alva stepped back, opened the door wide and motioned with his head for the man to enter. "Are you sleeping well? You look exhausted."
"What do you want priest." Alva growled as he crossed his arms absently over his chest, swaying slightly.
"Let's not waste time with niceties Keel. I had a visit from Evelyn Santos today. She voiced her concerns...."
"Evelyn Santos has a very bad habit of sticking her nose into things she should leave alone." Alva growled angrily. "She really should learn to mind her own business."
"She told me about your guest Keel. I think..."
"What's he doing here?" Fear filled Magdalene's voice, as she stood halfway down the stairs. "Alva, what is he doing here?" She began to back up as her eyes widened. "Don't let him hurt me again Alva."
"What?" Alva looked at Magdalene as she sank down on one of the stairs. "Magdalene? What are you talking about?"
"Him! I told you he would find me!" She hid her face, crying uncontrollably. "Don't make me go back to him."
"YOU!" Alva suddenly turned on Calero. "You hurt her!"
"I don't know what you're talking about..." before he could finish, Alva's hands were tight around his neck. "Keel! What are you doing!" he coughed as he felt the hands cut off his breath.
"Hiding behind that damn collar!" Alva watched the priest struggle to breath. "What were you going to do? Were you going to just use her and throw her away? Were you going to kill her after you got tired of her?"
"Alva!" Calero tried to move the other man's hands. "You don't know what you're doing."
"I know exactly what I am doing Priest." Alva spat disgustedly. "I'm keeping Magdalene safe from you."
"ALVA!" Magdalene screamed as she stood. "Don't! You're killing him!"
"He would have killed you Magdalene." Alva hissed as he felt a sudden rush of strength. "What were you going to do to her?"
"STOP IT!" Magdalene began running down the stairs. "You're not a murderer Alva, please, just let him go!"
Suddenly Calero felt Alva's hands leave his neck. He fell to his knees, gasping in air. He reached up and gently touched his throat, coughing deeply.
"Just get out of here." Alva had bent close, hissing in his ear as he roughly grabbed the Priest's clothing. "Get out of here!" Calero could feel himself being drug toward the door. "Don't ever come near her again, do you understand me? I'll kill you if you do."
Calero felt himself roughly pushed out of the office and heard the door slam behind him. Carefully he began to stand on shaking legs, still struggling to fill his starving lungs with life sustaining air. Gathering courage he started to walk toward the door, ready to confront Alva, but stopped as his mind was suddenly filled with a soft feminine laugh.
"Go away Priest. He's mine now. You have made sure of that. He will no longer trust anyone." Calero froze, his hand raised, ready to pound on the door suddenly began to shake. "You can't save him, he's completely mine now."
"My God." Calero whispered as he stared at the closed door in horror and crossed himself without thinking. Turning he almost ran out of the building, knowing that the situation was dire and that Alva Keel's live and very soul would be lost if the woman were not defeated soon.
"I know it sounds unbelievable Father, but I didn't know where else to go." Evelyn sat across from Father Calero who stared at her unblinking. "I don't know what to do. She threatened to kill my son and Alva just stood there."
"Miss Santos." Calero began quietly. "I believe you." He stood and moved around the desk, leaning on it as he watched the woman fight back tears of fear and anger. "Have you told Paul about this?"
"No. He's in Iowa on a case."
"Good, he doesn't need to be involved in this." He was quiet for a moment, and then stood, moving to the large collection of books that filled one wall. "Has she slept with Keel yet?"
"I don't know." She closed her eyes. "If he hasn't, it won't be long before he does. That bitch is hanging all over him."
"The first thing you need to do Miss. Santos is to control yourself." He turned toward her with a large book in his hands. "She will feed off your emotions; fear, hate, anything."
"That won't be easy Father. She threatened my son."
"No, I don't imagine it will be easy at all, but it is necessary." He sat back at his desk and opened the tome. "Now let's see what we can find on this demon."
#####
Magdalene smiled as she carefully brushed her hair and admired her reflection in the mirror. Slowly over her shoulder, appeared a disembodied face, bringing an instant frown to her full lips.
"What do you want?" She hissed as she put the brush down. "I'm not finished with him yet."
"You shouldn't have gone to the woman." There seemed to be many voices layered within one as the image spoke. "She will not allow you to harm her child."
"I just wanted to scare her away." Magdalene frowned and crossed her arms over her still bared breast. "Besides, I had to make her suspect the man. Make her distrust him."
"And have you done that?"
"I think so." As she spoke she suddenly cringed as though she had been struck from behind.
"Foolish woman. You have only succeeded in convincing her that you need to be destroyed."
"I can handle her." Magdalene growled as she glared at the red eyes staring at her through the mirror. "Now go away. You'll wake my plaything."
"Do not fail me woman!" As the warning faded away, so did the face. Magdalene was alone once again.
"I won't fail." She whispered as she found herself shaking uncontrollably. "I can't fail."
"Magdalene?" Alva's voice filtered into the bathroom. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine Alva." She walked back toward the bed where Alva laid, disheveled. "I just wanted to freshen up." She could see the lust slowly returning to his eyes, roaming her still nude frame.
"What we just did..." He began as she joined him under the thin sheet. "I didn't..."
"Shhh." She placed her fingers against his mouth. "It's all right. Everything is as it should be."
"But I..." She stopped his words with her lips against his.
"Don't talk Alva." Magdalene began pressing herself against his quickly responding body. "Talk is the last thing I want to do right now." As she began to guide his hands, his movements, she again pressed her lips to his, devouring his life force slowly, like a fine wine.
"I am so hungry for you Magdalene. So hungry." Alva felt himself begin to move instinctively over her body.
#####
Miles away, Evelyn knelt in front of Father Calero, receiving communion and his blessing as her mind raced though the words that had earlier been spoken. She saw Mattie crying, his small body bleeding, Alva and the faraway look in his eyes. Then as Father Calero touch her head lightly, mumbling words in what she thought was Latin, she saw the face of Magdalene; the demon that was at the center of the coming battle.
"Stand up Evelyn Santos." She opened her eyes and saw Calero's extended hands. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"No Father, I'm not." Evelyn stood and stared deep into the Priest's eyes. "I don't really think I have a choice. Not if I want to keep my son safe and free Alva."
"No, sometimes we don't have a clear choice." Calero looked sad. "All I can promise you is that I will be with you, as will God."
"This is one time I hope that Paul is right." She could see the confused look in Calero's eyes. "I hope that God is now here."
#####
Alva sat on the edge of the bed, sheets wrapped around his body as he held his head in his hands. Slowly he glanced at the form still sleeping behind him and shuddered at the memories of the past few hours. Visions of the many things he had done to her, the things he had commanded her to do, made him nauseous. As they had lay together, something seemed to come over him, take control of his mind and his senses. All he had wanted was to totally control her. Now all he wanted to do was to hide, to run from her and disappear.
"Alva?" Her voice whispered huskily.
"Are you all right Magdalene?" Alva asked without turning around.
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She sat up and reached out to touch his hair, only to have him quickly pull away. "What's wrong Alva?"
"What's wrong?" He suddenly stood up, wrapping the sheet tighter around his body. "What I did to you...what I..."
"I never complained." Her eyes were large as she spoke.
"Maybe you should have." He lowered his head. "Maybe you should have refused."
"And if I had? Would you have stopped Alva?" There was no condemnation in her voice. "Would you have been able to stop?"
"I don't know." He brought his fingers up to his eyes as he began to feel lightheaded. "I want to believe I would have stopped, but I don't know." He swayed slightly as he stood. "Something happened Magdalene."
"Of course something happened. We made love Alva."
"No!" He tried to take a step backward and stumbled slightly as his strength seemed to slowly melt from his body. "No, that wasn't making love."
"Of course it was Alva." Magdalene stood, allowing the sheet to slip from her body. "What else could it have been?" She moved toward him, her arms outstretched. "Come back to me Alva." Gently she wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. "Please, come back to bed."
"Magdalene, I don't..." For a moment he felt her warmth and thought about the pleasures that awaited him in her embrace. "No." Suddenly he pulled back, almost falling as again his balance left him. "I need some time to think." Turning toward the bathroom, he didn't catch the look of disgust pass over the woman's dark features. "I'm going to shower and dress Magdalene. I suggest you do the same."
"Of course Alva." She glared as he disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door.
"He isn't going to be as easy as you thought." The voice was back, over her shoulder. "Don't fail me."
"I won't fail you. Alva is mine; he just doesn't realize it yet. "
#####
Despite Evelyn's protests, Father Calero had decided to confront Keel himself. If luck were on his side, he would be able to talk some sense into the man. Taking a deep breath he pounded on the large door and waited. As he heard someone coming near, he said a soft prayer, asking for guidance.
"Yes?" Alva opened the door and stared hard at the priest. "What do you want?'
"Keel, I just want to talk to you for a moment." When Alva didn't move he continued. "Can I come in?" For a second, Calero thought the door would be slammed in his face. Instead, Alva stepped back, opened the door wide and motioned with his head for the man to enter. "Are you sleeping well? You look exhausted."
"What do you want priest." Alva growled as he crossed his arms absently over his chest, swaying slightly.
"Let's not waste time with niceties Keel. I had a visit from Evelyn Santos today. She voiced her concerns...."
"Evelyn Santos has a very bad habit of sticking her nose into things she should leave alone." Alva growled angrily. "She really should learn to mind her own business."
"She told me about your guest Keel. I think..."
"What's he doing here?" Fear filled Magdalene's voice, as she stood halfway down the stairs. "Alva, what is he doing here?" She began to back up as her eyes widened. "Don't let him hurt me again Alva."
"What?" Alva looked at Magdalene as she sank down on one of the stairs. "Magdalene? What are you talking about?"
"Him! I told you he would find me!" She hid her face, crying uncontrollably. "Don't make me go back to him."
"YOU!" Alva suddenly turned on Calero. "You hurt her!"
"I don't know what you're talking about..." before he could finish, Alva's hands were tight around his neck. "Keel! What are you doing!" he coughed as he felt the hands cut off his breath.
"Hiding behind that damn collar!" Alva watched the priest struggle to breath. "What were you going to do? Were you going to just use her and throw her away? Were you going to kill her after you got tired of her?"
"Alva!" Calero tried to move the other man's hands. "You don't know what you're doing."
"I know exactly what I am doing Priest." Alva spat disgustedly. "I'm keeping Magdalene safe from you."
"ALVA!" Magdalene screamed as she stood. "Don't! You're killing him!"
"He would have killed you Magdalene." Alva hissed as he felt a sudden rush of strength. "What were you going to do to her?"
"STOP IT!" Magdalene began running down the stairs. "You're not a murderer Alva, please, just let him go!"
Suddenly Calero felt Alva's hands leave his neck. He fell to his knees, gasping in air. He reached up and gently touched his throat, coughing deeply.
"Just get out of here." Alva had bent close, hissing in his ear as he roughly grabbed the Priest's clothing. "Get out of here!" Calero could feel himself being drug toward the door. "Don't ever come near her again, do you understand me? I'll kill you if you do."
Calero felt himself roughly pushed out of the office and heard the door slam behind him. Carefully he began to stand on shaking legs, still struggling to fill his starving lungs with life sustaining air. Gathering courage he started to walk toward the door, ready to confront Alva, but stopped as his mind was suddenly filled with a soft feminine laugh.
"Go away Priest. He's mine now. You have made sure of that. He will no longer trust anyone." Calero froze, his hand raised, ready to pound on the door suddenly began to shake. "You can't save him, he's completely mine now."
"My God." Calero whispered as he stared at the closed door in horror and crossed himself without thinking. Turning he almost ran out of the building, knowing that the situation was dire and that Alva Keel's live and very soul would be lost if the woman were not defeated soon.