DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
TRIGGER WARNING: Contains torture, a reference to rape and general psychological trauma. Proceed with caution.
She could feel herself lying down as she came to. A thin, firm mattress was beneath her, and her arms were splayed out at her sides up near her head. Far away, faint voices were whispering and frequently pausing. She let her eyes drift open, trying to see who was with her, but the room was dark and quiet. Was she still in the church? She remembered the attic, and an empty teacup, and arguing with Valeria…
Valeria!
"Where is she?" Maria shouted into the nothingness, trying in vain to shake herself awake and sit up. Her arms and legs were still numb, and she thought she felt something clamped around them.
There were a few quick footsteps, and then a sudden blast of something icy and wet that left her sputtering and gasping for breath. The droplets slid down her face like the tips of razor-sharp knives. She tried to lift her hands to wipe them away, but they were held fast by what felt like handcuffs.
A candle flickered to life. "Oh, my dear," a familiar voice hummed. "Were you not so resistant, perhaps this could have been avoided."
Through her blurry eyes, Maria could see Valeria looking down at her from the bedside. "I…I don't understand…"
"Your friend knew too much," she answered, a hand on the wooden triangle hanging from her belt. "I fear you know too little."
Maria stared at the charm. "We found one of those. On Ixa."
Valeria nodded. "It kills unholy blood."
The younger woman's gaze slowly drifted back upwards. By the time it met that of her captor's, the color had drained from her face and was replaced by shadow.
Valeria ran a hand through Maria's hair. "I know this is very difficult for you to understand - "
"I trusted you!" she screamed, writhing against her restraints.
"And you shall once again."
"You knew Manolo was trying to warn me about this, didn't you?" she hissed. "What did you do with him?"
"He is where he belongs - "
"What did you do with him?"
"Manolo Sanchez has been dead for ten years!"
Maria froze. "What…?"
"He passed on the day you thought you married him, child. Something else took his place when he returned."
"No."
"Yes." Grabbing Maria's chin, Valeria wrenched her head around to face her. "This creature you call your husband does not love you. It never has. It bewitched you and it violated you, so that you might bring its unholy spawn into this world. Your daughter is no daughter. It is a demon and a beast."
"I don't believe you." Maria was trembling now. "I don't believe you…"
"You must, for your own sake." Valeria brought a hand to the younger woman's cheek and let it rest there. "I came here to help you, Maria. That's all. I want you to come with me, as you were meant to. Leave this all behind. Please?"
Maria stared at her for a few seconds, making no sound. Then she took a breath, threw back her head and screamed as loudly as she could. "Help! HELP!"
Valeria struck her across the face, the sound echoing through the basement. "Stop that." Reaching into a pouch on her belt, she pulled out a rag and stuffed it into Maria's mouth. The young woman continued to scream, tears welling up in her eyes.
The assistants were gathered in the corner of the room, eyes wide as they watched the proceedings. "You said she would be cured when we sealed away the demon," one of them whispered.
Valeria furrowed her brows and began to pace back and forth. "It prepared for this," she finally said.
"What do you mean?"
"A part of it must be inside her still. Controlling her. We must cast it out."
"If it has claimed her," one of the men said, "it will not let go without cause."
"Then I shall give it cause." Valeria walked towards a shelf by the basement door, where a small wooden box was perched. She rummaged through it, then pulled out a small iron vise. It was beginning to rust, and sharp spikes lined the inner sides of both jaws.
"So, creature," she continued, approaching Maria once again. "You wish to protect this vessel of yours." Grabbing one of the younger woman's hands, she forced it between the jaws of the vise and spun the lever until it was held fast and tight. "Then I presume you do not wish her damaged?" She twisted the lever around further, forcing the jaws closer together.
Maria's screams reached a fever pitch as the spikes dug into her flesh, drawing blood. Her thrashing grew more desperate, and the assistants rushed forward to hold her down.
"Ready to come out yet?" Valeria said. She tightened the vise further, and the sound of small bones creaking and cracking rewarded her.
"It's working!" one of her assistants shouted, pointing at the shelf by the door. A glass wine bottle was wildly rocking back and forth as though trying to walk off the edge of its perch.
Valeria glared at the object, then at them. "What is it doing down here? I thought I told you to get it into the carriage."
"We thought it would be seen."
"You mustn't let it break that bottle!" she shouted. "Put it upstairs, perhaps that will help. Then go see to the girl."
"What about you?"
"I can finish this by myself."
The others nodded and hurried out of the room, grabbing the bottle. Maria tried to sit up as they departed, straining as though wanting to call out.
"No!" Valeria shouted, shoving her back down. "I'll slit her throat before I let you torment her another moment, do you understand?"
Maria suddenly froze and stiffened, looking up with wide, glazed eyes.
Valeria stared intently at her. "Do I have your attention, creature?"
The younger woman slowly nodded.
Taking off her crucifix, Valeria held it in Maria's face. "Then by the power of Almighty Christ, I cast you out of this woman!"
Maria closed her eyes and went limp, exhaling deeply. Her frantic breathing slowed to a quiet pace, and her arms flopped to her sides when the vise and cuffs were undone.
Valeria did the same for the cuffs on the younger woman's legs, then gently tapped her cheek. "Child? Are you awake?"
Her eyes snapped open. A flash of movement later, and something struck Valeria in the stomach. She stumbled and fell to the floor, the back of her head ringing from the collision with the stones.
Maria knelt over her, a knee on her chest and a hand wrapped around her throat. "Now tell me," she whispered, hatred burning in her eyes. "Where. Is. My. Husband?"