Moon Shadow

21

I removed the sack from Reverend Francis' head. He stared at me with his milky-white eyes, showing the evolved vana was in control of the body. Tilting his head to the side, the demon smiled. "Binti Nasra."

"The one and only." I clenched my hands. His calm demeanor unnerved me. The Supreme Leaders and The Clergy had failed to exorcize him, and the smug look on his face said he thought no one else could.

"It was only a matter of time before these idiots realized they were weak and asked for your help."

I gulped. I didn't like this. It felt like a trap. It was a trap. Fragile egos destroyed worlds, and those in power had them in abundance. Calling them idiots and weak while noting me as stronger than them put a target on my back—a target Pastor Hans had warned me to avoid.

In my defense, I wasn't at fault this time.

The evolved vana leaned back. "Go on. Do it. Use your moon magic. Show them how pathetic their power is."

The raw magic energy emitted by the Supreme Leaders increased, trying to pierce the one protecting my body like a second skin. Shit. I wouldn't have had trouble blocking one or two, but all thirteen of them would be a challenge. They were trying to make a point to the demon. He had gotten under their skin. Fuck.

Clenching my jaw, I increased my magic output and blocked their attack as hard as I could. I was a lot of things in life—wild, reckless, con woman, stubborn, sexy, superhero—but stupid wasn't one of them. Not every sorcerer could be an occult detective. You had to have the skills and senses for it. Otherwise, things would go over your head all the time.

Demons smelled like rotten eggs and were quick to aggression, especially vanas—unless ordered to deliver a message and not fight, like the one back at Mama Joni's house. Their time on earth depended on their target. Thus, the longer they possessed someone, the easier it was to spot signs of decay on the victim's body.

Since I arrived, there was no such foul smell, nor was the demon hostile. It acted like a friend who had invited me over to dinner. That switched on a few bulbs in my head.

The evolved vana's calmness and smugness meant I was dealing with a conduit—a sorcerer capable of possessing demons. There weren't many with such an ability. But those who had it scared the hell out of me.

Vanas were usually out of a conduit's reach. Did their evolution change that? Instead of being messengers—like the Esther used at Mama Joni's house—they were now puppets for conduits?

I curled my lip. "Who are you?"

He smiled. "Finally, you saw through me. It took you a while, but you did it." Standing, the ropes that bound his body fell to the ground before he clapped thrice. "I'm the other side of the coin."

The other side... I gasped. "The Antichrist." The current user of sun magic.

The raw magic energy released by the Supreme Leaders disappeared. They must've realized the level of threat in front of them and knew it was best to not do anything stupid. Good. I breathed a sigh of relief. Antagonizing The Antichrist might lead to their deaths. I was the only one who could handle him.

The Antichrist sat back on the chair. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Binti Nasra. Excuse me for not seeing you in person, but I have horsemen to call upon. The journey here would've taken much of my time."

Why was he telling me that? I didn't care. I crossed my arms. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to show you my new toy?"

"Toy?" Did he mean the reverend?

"The new vana. I've turned it into a fine weapon that can possess even those protected by divine magic. As you know, there's a war coming, and I have to make sure no one stands in my way while I destroy this planet."