Chapter 24

Lisa pushed through the door to Wendy's with Christina on one arm and Dani trailing behind. 'My arm really hurts!' Dani groaned as they walked into the living room.

'Did you guys go swimming or what?' Lauren asked before she saw the state of them. 'Shit.' Lauren got up and helped Lisa sit Christina down. 'Amy!' She called into the dining room. Amy, Katherine and Wendy came in a moment later.

'Oh my.' Wendy said. 'Let me get some towels.' Lisa was shivering at this point, Dani was numbed to every other feeling because of her arm, and Christina was still dazed. Katherine sat on the chair opposite them as Amy started to look them over.

'Dani first.' Christina managed when Amy started towards her.

'Chris.' Amy protested.

'Dani first.' Christina repeated. Amy sighed and moved over to Dani.

'Ouch, ouch, ouch!' Dani repeated as Amy felt her elbow. She tried to move it around to test mobility but it wouldn't straighten out.

'Yep, that's broken.' Amy confirmed

'Well I could have told you that!' Dani said sarcastically. 'Now would be a really good time to start glowing Aimes.'

'I don't know how!' She said. 'I don't even know how I did it the first time.'

'Maybe try concentrating on what it is you want to do?' Lisa suggested through chattering teeth as Wendy came up beside her and wrapped a towel over her shoulders. 'Thanks.' Lisa said. Amy stopped and focused on healing Dani's arm. She held her hands over it but nothing was happening.

'Damn it!' She said after a moment, frustrated. Lauren was sitting by Christina, hand on her shoulder to keep her steady.

'Perhaps it doesn't work like that.' Wendy offered her advice. 'If Amy used up a lot of power bringing Christina back, she may not have the resources left in her to heal again so soon.'

'So she needs to recharge?' Dani said. 'Great.'

'I can make some potions in the meantime.' Lauren said. 'Kath can you…' She motioned to Christina.

'Yeah.' Katherine took Lauren's place next to Christina so that she could go into the kitchen and start making the potion. 'Chris, you feel okay?' Katherine asked, taking a towel from Wendy an wrapping it over Christina's shoulders.

'Yeah, m' fine.' Christina mumbled.

'She's slurring her words.' Amy said. 'Did she hit her head?'

'On the concrete.' Lisa told them, getting a towel over Dani's shoulders and sitting on the other couch with her. Christina lent forwards to put her head in her hands.

'You need to stay awake Chris.' Amy said from her position next to Dani. 'Lauren will have the potion soon, but you can't go to sleep.'

'I won't.' Christina grumbled. 'Kath, can you keep pinching me or something?' She asked.

'Sure.' Katherine laughed.

Xxxxxx

Lauren walked back into the room about half an hour later with some of the potion. She gave a cup to Dani and a cup to Christina, telling them to only have a few sips. 'Oh my God that fells so much better.' Dani said as relief washed over her. She slumped down onto the sofa. Christina put her cup down on the table and waited for her head to stop throbbing.

'You good?' Lisa asked after a few moments.

'Yeah.' Christina said smiling. 'Worst headache of my life.'

'So what happened?' Amy remembered. 'We haven't even asked how it went.'

'I think we vanquished him.' Lisa told them.

'What do you mean think?' Katherine asked for clarification.

'Well, I finished the spell and there was like a twister of water, and then he was gone.' Lisa said.

'So you didn't actually see him get destroyed?' Lauren asked.

'No, he was blocked by the water.' Lisa admitted.

'Chris, Dani?' Lauren turned to the others.

'We were both down at that point, so no.' Dani said.

'He could have just been teleported out like Jonah was.' Katherine suggested.

'Great, so Abaddon will just kill him too. Problem solved.' Dani said, crossing her arms.

'No, he won't kill Rex.' Christina said. 'Jonah was actively looking to betray him, Rex just lost a fight.'

'Why does he keep sending these random demons to attack us?' Lauren wondered. 'What's the end game here?' They all sat and thought for a moment until a lightbulb went on in Katherine's head.

'He's distracting us.' She said. 'If we're protecting people from other demons, we won't be able to focus on what he's doing.'

'Did you find anything else out about him?' Christina asked.

'Only that he's been around for millennia and he has more powers than just the metal stuff and the dream walking.' Katherine said.

'Like what?' Lisa wondered.

'Like energy balls, sensing, banishing, remote teleportation, voice manifestation, and I could go on.'

'It's like he's been collecting them.' Amy said.

'Wait, go back. Voice manifestation?' Dani said. 'What the hell is that?'

'I can take this one.' Wendy said as she came back into the room with more tea. 'It's the ability to manipulate your voice into sounding like someone else. It's an inactive power but it can be very effective if used correctly.'

'So like a shapeshifter, but only for the voice.' Lauren said.

'Yes. So he could call Katherine on the phone, for example, and make her think it was one of you guys on the other end of the line.' Wendy added.

'Great way to trap someone.' Christina said.

'But there is a way to distinguish his manipulated voice from the real person.' Wendy said. 'It's normally more threatening, a little darker. So you should be able to tell the difference if it was one of you.'

'So we need to focus on finding Abaddon and forget about anything else.' Christina said.

'What if he sends out another demon?' Dani asked. 'What do you want us to do, just sit here?'

'No, of course not.' Christina said biting her nails.

'Wendy.' Lisa turned to her. 'Where would you go if you were trying to make an army of demons?'

'Oh I've thought about that so many times.' Wendy smiled at the notion. 'If I were a more powerful demon, and hadn't fallen in love of course, I'd be a real handful for you girls.'

'Wendy.' Katherine prompted.

'Yes, where would I go?' She thought for a moment. 'Well, I'd need a lot of space. It would need to be isolated enough so that no one would stumble upon it by accident. Unless it's being cloaked. Then it could be anywhere. I'd need a power supply, lots of equipment.'

'Wendy, you sound like you're planning it right now.' Dani said.

'Does any place like that jump into your mind?' Christina asked. 'Or have you been anywhere recently that felt unusually demonic?'

'There's an old school building about a mile from here. It was a private school, closed down a few years ago and bought by some rich entrepreneur. I think there was talks about renovations but as of right now it's still empty. The few times I've walked past it I've felt a strange magic.'

'And you never looked into it?' Lisa asked.

'It was none of my business. I leave everyone else alone and they leave me alone. That's how I like it.' Wendy told them.

'It's worth checking out.' Christina said.

'No way we're doing that now, look at us.' Dani motioned around the room. 'You're exhausted and we have no game plan.'

'I made more potions.' Lauren said.

'They won't be any use if you're dead.' Wendy said bluntly. 'I agree with Danielle, you need to rest and stay here for a while longer. Gather yourselves and refocus.'

'We have a demon as a life coach.' Katherine said. 'Never thought I'd say that sentence.'

'I'm also a great cook. Now that you know I didn't poison the tea, will you let me make you something to eat?' She asked, standing.

'Yes, Wendy, that would be great.' Amy answered for all of them.