The Eighth Gate

34 | Shattered Mirrors

He feigned a horrified look, but Mary could tell there was some truth behind it.

"Sorry," she repeated, and she meant it.

Mason eyed her, his gaze sparkling. "You should be."

Mary ducked her head, unable to bear the full weight of his stare. How could she explain to him that the only reason why she ran away was because she was scared of getting too close? She was frightened of her feelings, confused about his, and as a result she reacted compulsively and made an escape.

She needed to tell him that the flirting needed to stop. That he was confusing her and was ruining their relationship.

"Mason--"

The sound of an incoming text choked Mary of her words. She scrambled for her phone, her chest squeezing when she discerned the message on the screen.

DEMONIC ACTIVITY DETECTED @ OUR LADY OF LORDS CHURCH. EMF READING: 9.9

"It's back," she said. "The demon--"

"Let's go," Mason interjected, breaking into a run. Mary followed suit, and the pair arrived at the house of mirrors just in time to see a familiar couple stepping through its entrance.

Ruth and Daniel.

Mary jerked to a halt, bringing Mason along with her. But was that really Daniel? There was no way of telling whether or not he was still being possessed by a demon; the last time she'd seen him he'd nearly raped her and then flung himself off the top of the lighthouse. From a distance, Mary couldn't spot any notable signs of trauma, nor could she make out anything out of the ordinary by his actions. He seemed normal.

Was the search for Daniel over? Had the authorities come across him lost in some recluse part of town, dazed and confused without any recollection of how he'd gotten there? Or was there still a demon inside him, putting on an act in order to facilitate its evil agenda?

Mary groaned internally. Once again she wished Noah was with her. He'd be able to see through a possession instantly; all spirits of the dead had that ability.

Wait a second--

Suddenly a thought occurred to her, her eyes widening with realization.

"What are you thinking?" Mary head Mason ask, his green eyes burning into her profile. She hadn't realized she'd still been holding his hand this entire time, and she hastily let it go.

"Avery," she said, locking eyes with the frightened little girl. Mary pointed in Daniel's direction. "That boy over there. The one with the yellow hair. Is he one of the scary monsters?"

Avery dared a glance over at Daniel and met Mary's gaze again. The fear in her algae-green eyes made sense when she bobbed her head and scooted closer to an unsuspecting Mason for protection.

Mary gulped, puzzle pieces shifting and fitting together in her head, forming a terrifying picture. "Oh, God."

"What?"

"Daniel's still possessed."

"Well, yeah, I figured--"

"No; you don't understand," Mary cut him off, near-hysterical. I have to get in there right now. Ruth's life depends on it."

Realization dawned in his gorgeous gaze. âÂÂRuthâÂÂs probably one of the purest people in this town. SheâÂÂs practically an angel. Of course the demons would target her. I canâÂÂt believe we didnâÂÂt think of this earlier.âÂÂ

âÂÂLetâÂÂs go,â Mary said, breaking into a sprint towards the now-empty entrance. âÂÂHopefully we arenâÂÂt too late.âÂÂ