The problem with running aimlessly through a crowded Carnival without watching where one is going is that the likelihood of crashing into something or someone increases dramatically. Mary wasn't sure how far she had gotten; all she knew that she was far enough that she could no longer hear Mason's voice when she bumped into someone from behind.
"Sorry," Mary said breathlessly just as the person turned around. It was an old woman with eyes the color of the ocean and a sagging face scored with wrinkles. Wispy locks of grey hair capped her head.
She locked eyes with Mary and suddenly her gaze widened, thin, dry lips parting in fear. She stumbled away from Mary and pointed a wrinkly, trembling finger at her.
"You," she said, and her voice was raspy and shaky. "You are going to die."
Mary's blood went cold. "Ex-excuse me?"
The old woman lifted her hand to her chest and clutched the cross she had dangling from her necklace. "The Devil has touched you! You are cursed! You will burn in Hell for all eternity for what you've done!"
Mary flinched at the woman's harsh words. She was yelling at her, pure fury packed behind each syllable.
Her heart hammered in her chest and her mouth went dry. What was this woman talking about? Surely she couldn't know about Mary's role in opening up the gate, could she? Unless she was some religious prophet. That would explain the cross dangling from her neck.
"Get away from me!" The woman moved further back and turned to the people who were passing by, pointing a finger at Mary in indication. "Everyone stay away from her! She will die because of her sins; don't let her drag you down with her!"
Mary didn't like the fact that the woman was calling attention to her, especially when there were people--cops, namely--out there searching for her.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mary told the old woman. "Please just calm down."
"You are going to die," the woman hissed, extending the cross out at Mary as if she were a demon. "It's the only way."
"No, she's not," a familiar voice said firmly.
Mary closed her eyes and stifled a sigh. Mason had found her.
Sure enough, he walked up to stand at her side, bringing with him the scent of cotton candy and cologne. Avery was close beside him. "Now how about you leave her alone before I call security?"
The woman looked at Mason for a few moments. Then she cracked a grin and began cackling hysterically. Mary and Mason used that as their cue to leave; a small crowd had begun to form, no doubt attracted by the womanâs loud commotion.
"You all right?" Mason asked her as they sped walked through the busy Carnival.
"That woman knew," Mary whispered, shuddering. "She knew I was involved in something dark. She said the Devil touched me she was talking about the Designator. What if she's right about me dying? What if--"
"Mary," he cut her off, jerking to a stop. Mason placed both his hands on her shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. "You're not going to die. That was just same crazy old lady who probably escaped from her retirement home. Put her out of your mind. We've got bigger things to worry about right now."
Mary gazed into his fierce emerald eyes, trying yet failing to squelch the uneasy feeling stirring in her stomach. She swallowed and nodded.
"I know," she sighed. "You're right. But first I-- I wanted to apologize. About earlier--"
"You mean when you ran away like I was some demon threatening to eat your soul?" He detached his hands from her shoulders--Mary instantly felt the loss of contact like a cold slap--and shrugged. "I'm not going to lie, that's the first time I've ever gotten that kind of reaction from a girl. But I think the worst part was having to ride that stupid wheel again. And I was by myself."
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
The house of mirrors was a broken mess of what it had previously been when Mary and Mason were in it earlier. Shards of reflective glass littered the floor, sparkling with the harsh white light fissures overhead. Remnants of their last encounter with the demon that set off the alert text followed them as they carefully made their way deeper into the maze, being wary of some mirror panes that were still intact. It wasnâÂÂt long before they heard voicesâÂÂa distinct female pitch mingling with a maleâÂÂs deep bravado.
âÂÂDaniel, are you sure we can be in here?â RuthâÂÂs honeyed voice, packed with doubt, floated through the maze. âÂÂThere wasnâÂÂt anyone handling the entrance. I think it might be closed for construction or something.âÂÂ
âÂÂI was in here earlier,â Daniel replied, and he sounded just like himself, all charm and friendliness. The demon was clearly an excellent actor. As was the real Daniel⦠âÂÂNo one said anything. Besides, I just want to show you something. WeâÂÂll be quick.âÂÂ
Mary and Mason slowed down for the sake of keeping their presence masked. Glass crunched underfoot, making every step they took cringe-worthy. They had to be extra careful, dodging the debris to the best of their ability.
Mary pursed her lips. How were they going to go about this? She and Mason had rushed in here without much of a plan on how to save Ruth from DanielâÂÂs evil clutches. And on top of that, the demon theyâÂÂd encountered earlier was somewhere in here, according to the EMF meter Tam had set up. Mary and Mason were about to face two demons, and at the same time they would have to keep Ruth out of harmâÂÂs way.
Mission impossible, Mary thought. She could tell Mason was thinking the same thing, but then he reached for her hand and squeezed it encouragingly. But we have to try.
Mary reached for her bottle of holy water, and Mason followed suit. She took out her exorcism prayer and a blessed cross and handed it to him along with the salt gun. Then she slipped on the glove Salazar gave her, which rid people of demonic possession simply by pressing oneâÂÂs palm to the center chakra of the body, a spot Mary had learned how to target. In the event that something happened to her that made her unable to do so, Mason would have to try and exorcise the demon from DanielâÂÂs body the old-fashioned way.
Mary nodded at Mason, the fire in his eyes expressing his determination. Then the pair sprung forward towards the bubble of conversation transpiring further down, being mindful of the shards of glass as at their feet as they ran. The voices grew louder with every step, and soon they were turning a corner and lunging at Daniel, who had his hand in RuthâÂÂs. Both their backs were turned to Mary and Mason so they had the element of surpriseâÂÂor so they thought.
âÂÂRuth, run!â Mary cried just as she flung the bottleâÂÂs contents at Daniel. A shot rang outâÂÂMasonâÂÂs salt gun, hitting its target.
They were only able to splash Daniel with holy water and hit him once with the gun before a sudden powerful invisible force knocked the wind out of them and sent them flying backwards. Mary felt her skull hit the glass-littered floor, pain splintering through it. She was dimly aware of a loud crashing sound, of the sight of Mason colliding with a mirror pane somewhere in her peripheral vision. She was bathed in holy water, the now almost-empty bottle lying a few feet away from her.
There was ringing in her ears, stars in her eyes, and a terrible pain that was slowly consuming her entire body. Yet a sinister cackle managed to piece through her haze and shake away the stars, sending goose bumps prickling through her skin. She meekly lifted her head and peeled her eyes open enough for her to discern the sight of a dark figure hovering over her, shapeless with red glowing eyes and shark-like teeth. It smelled like death and bloodâÂÂbut it could have been her blood; maybe the moisture she felt slicking the ground wasnâÂÂt holy water but blood.
Mary tried not to think about it. She tried not to puke, either, even though the putrid smell and numbing pain had sent a wave of nausea washing over her. She tried to focus on the laughing figure. Clearly it was a demon, but which one? Had the demon that was possessing Daniel fled because of the holy water she and Mason had splashed him with? Or was this the second demon that they had encountered earlier?
Mary got her answer not a second later when she heard DanielâÂÂs voice proclaim, âÂÂAzazel, wait.âÂÂ
The demon that had been gazing down at Mary hungrily swiveled around to face Daniel. It replied in the familiar yet foreign language Mary had come to associate with the manner in which disembodied demons communicated.
âÂÂLet me handle her,â Daniel continued. âÂÂYou finish this girl here.âÂÂ
Mary propped herself onto her elbows, shards of glass digging into them as she peered over the demon to catch sight of Daniel with his arms wrapped tightly around a struggling and terrified Ruth. She cried out for him to let her go and kicked and elbowed, but it was like he was made of stoneâÂÂhe didnâÂÂt react to any of her strikes; his vice-grip on her was steely.
The demon Azazel said something in reply to Daniel and began to move towards Ruth. Suddenly she was choking, her hands grasping at her neck as if an invisible noose was tied around it. Daniel let her go just as she began to levitate, her legs dangling and flailing in mid-air. Mary was struck with a poignant sense of de ja vu, a flashback taking her back to the sight of Tam floating in the dark, being lifted high off the ground while a wild look of fear took over her eyes the night that Noah died.
 âÂÂRuth!â Mary cried. She struggled to sit up and looked over at Azazel, whose gaze was pinned on Ruth. âÂÂStop that! Leave her alone!âÂÂ
âÂÂSo demanding,â DanielâÂÂs voice chided, and suddenly he was looming over her, an amused expression on his angelic face. He turned his head towards his brother and called out, âÂÂStop with the dramatics, will you? Just kill her already.âÂÂ
Mary heard the demon respond in tongue, and then a sound that would forever be branded in her mind, buried between the folds of her memory:
An audible crack. A neck snapping. Then Ruth stopped screaming.
âÂÂNo!â Mary screamed, staggering to her feet only to nearly topple over. Daniel caught her, and over his shoulder she was able to see RuthâÂÂs limp body, and her spirit slowly emerging from it like a wisp of smoke. Mary could see her horrified face reflected back at her in one of the intact mirrors that stood opposite from where she was, the expression so foreign it took her a moment to realize it was her.
Mary managed to snap out of her overcome state of shock and despair and shoved Daniel away from her. Fury consumed her, took control of her body, and she fisted him in the face. He didnâÂÂt even flinch; as a matter of fact his grin only widened, splitting the dried skin of his lips so that the blood that was oozing down his nose mixed with that on his mouth.
The demon Azazel snatched RuthâÂÂs unconscious spirit and threw her over its shoulder. Then it turned to give Mary one final wink before disappearing, taking Ruth along with it.
âÂÂYou and I have some unfinished business.â DanielâÂÂs voice dragged her attention away from the sight of Ruth lying lifelessly on the glass-littered floor. Her typically pale skin was somehow even paler, the life draining out of her empty shell of a body, never to return.
Tears burned MaryâÂÂs eyes, her voice sounding choked when she spoke flatly. âÂÂWhat.âÂÂ
Daniel leaned into her so that his lips were in her ear, his cheek rubbing against hers. âÂÂNow, now, Mary. DonâÂÂt cry. Only two more deaths left, and then the gate you opened for us will remain so forever. WeâÂÂll be together⦠forever.âÂÂ
Mary flinched away from him and extended to her palm to strike the center of his chest with her gloved hand. In one swift movement he grabbed her wrist before she was able to make contact. His grip was tight and ice-cold, and in a blink he twisted it.
At first Mary felt nothing, just a vague sense of numbness. Then an all-consuming pain crawled up her forearm, paralyzing it, setting it ablaze with a burning fire. She screamed in agony, tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision. DanielâÂÂs laughâÂÂexcept it wasnâÂÂt DanielâÂÂs laugh, but something deeper, more demonicâÂÂrang in her ears.
âÂÂNobodyâÂÂs going to save you this time,â he said. âÂÂYour boyfriend is knocked out. The little girlâÂÂs in Purgatory. ItâÂÂs just me and you.â Through the blurry film in her eyes she saw him swing, and more pain stabbed her skull, the force knocking her to the ground.
She tried to get up, tried to get herself out of such a vulnerable position. But the pain slowed down her movements, and she could hardly see anythingâÂÂblackness had begun to sprinkle her vision. She thought she saw DanielâÂÂs muddy boots and jeans, his leg swinging back with the intention of kicking her in the stomach. At that point she could do nothing but curl up in a ball and shut her eyes tight and brace for impact, a whimper escaping her.
Then a shot rang out, and Daniel hissed out a pained curse. Another shot echoed in her eardrums, and Daniel fell on top of her, snarling and thrashing. His eyes were alternating between their normal color and that blood red glow of demons. Mary ignored his crushing weight, even as it cut her airways, and took her chance now that Daniel was vulnerable to use the glove on him.
The demon inside him cried out, the hollow, echoing howl never ceasing as a black fog slithered out of DanielâÂÂs open mouth before disappearing. Then all was silent.
Mary couldnâÂÂt tear her eyes from the boy lying on top of her. His eyes were half-lidded, his mouth hanging open with drool oozing out from its corner. His head lolled back and his blue eyes slowly wandered around before landing on Mary. Then he made a sound that sounded like something between a moan and a cry, and something about it sounded fundamentally wrong. As a matter of fact, everything about the way Daniel looked right now was wrong; he was conscious but he wasnâÂÂt himself. And Mary had this dreadful feeling that he never would be again.
âÂÂMary!â a voiceâÂÂMasonâÂÂs voice called out, but he sounded miles away, nothing but a distant echo. She was slipping into unconsciousness quickly, she realized dimly, her grip on reality loosening with every breath she took.
Am I dying? she wondered, thinking back to the old woman sheâÂÂd encountered earlier. Maybe she was right; maybe I was going to die.
Everything hurt. Her head, her bones, her eyes, her lungsâÂÂand her heart, for Ruth and for Daniel.
The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was MasonâÂÂs wild green gaze, his impossibly gorgeous face looming over her. And she thought that if that was the last thing she ever saw before she died, then it really wasnâÂÂt that bad a way to go.
Then she was swallowed in nothingness.
                                                           â â âÂÂ
Sounds floated to MaryâÂÂs ears in the darkness, as if she were slowly emerging to the surface of a body of water.
Beep. Beep.
âÂÂDo you think sheâÂÂll be waking up soon?âÂÂ
MaryâÂÂs heart squeezed painfully. That was her motherâÂÂs voice.
Beep. Beep.
âÂÂSusan, you heard the doctors. They said it might take a while. She hit her head pretty hard. And they gave her a pretty heavy dose of methadone.âÂÂ
This was her father speaking, his tone irritated yet concerned. They spoke softly, as if they were afraid of waking her. Or afraid she might hear what they were saying.
Beep. Beep.
A heavy sigh. âÂÂI know, I know.â Pause. âÂÂStevenâ¦âÂÂ
âÂÂI know,â her father breathed. âÂÂThis oneâÂÂs going to cost us a lot.âÂÂ
Beep. Beep.
âÂÂIâÂÂll take up extra shifts at work,â her mom assured. âÂÂThereâÂÂs the graveyard hours that no one ever wants. And IâÂÂll start working weekends. At least half of my paycheck can go towards paying the debt.âÂÂ
âÂÂIâÂÂve reached my limit for working overtime,â her father replied. âÂÂMy boss says I canâÂÂt work more than fifty hours a week. Company policy. But after this fiasco I donâÂÂt think itâÂÂs a good idea for Mary to be by herself. If weâÂÂre working all the time thatâÂÂs exactly what will happen.âÂÂ
Beep. Beep.
âÂÂI just donâÂÂt understand why this keeps happening.â Her motherâÂÂs voice was broken, and it did the same to MaryâÂÂs heart. âÂÂI donâÂÂt know how to help her anymore. I feel so⦠helpless.âÂÂ
âÂÂFor a while I thought she was getting better,â her father said softly. âÂÂThe nightmares were less frequent, and the episodes where sheâÂÂd claim there was a demon haunting her disappeared altogether.âÂÂ
âÂÂDo you think itâÂÂs the mayorâÂÂs boy?â her mother inquired after a moment. âÂÂMason? Do you think heâÂÂs a bad influence?âÂÂ
MaryâÂÂs heart skipped a beat at the mentioning of Mason, and it was reflected in the sudden jump in the rhythm of the beeping heart monitor.
Beep-beep. Beep-beep.
Silence. She could feel their eyes on her. Mary put everything into maintaining her slumbering composure, squelching every instinct to twitch or shift in her place. She willed her heart to calm down and return back to the slow rhythm it had when she was asleep. She realized she couldnâÂÂt face her parents now, not when she could feel tears burning the backs of her eyes, not when she felt like the worst daughter in the world for stressing them out and plunging them into debt.
She didnâÂÂt deserve them, she knew that now. That familiar state of depression that had followed her like a dark cloud this past year returned like an old friend, coloring her mood in shades of grey.
Her father cleared his throat. âÂÂI donâÂÂt know the kid, but it could be. His parents are convinced itâÂÂs the other way around. Did you see the dirty looks they gave us when they arrived at the Carnival?âÂÂ
âÂÂYes. Like this was all our fault. And MaryâÂÂs.â A pause. âÂÂSo sad about Father WhitlockâÂÂs daughter. And MaryâÂÂs friend Daniel. What do you think triggered his rampage?âÂÂ
âÂÂNo clue. I know theyâÂÂre working on the story back at the station. ItâÂÂs going to make the front paper IâÂÂm sure. That reminds me,â he continued, âÂÂI have to go soon. They want me there to help work on the story since I have more of a connection to it.âÂÂ
âÂÂOkay,â her mother replied. âÂÂIf youâÂÂre gone before she wakes up IâÂÂll let her know you were hereâ¦âÂÂ
Feeling heavy with guilt and sadness, Mary managed to plunge back into the sea of unconsciousness, praying that when she woke up again both of them would be gone.
                                                           â â âÂÂ
Noah was back.
Mason became aware of this in the most startling way: heâÂÂd been sitting on one of the chairs in MaryâÂÂs hospital room, gazing down at MaryâÂÂs pale, fragile form as she slept on her bed, her clammy had in his. The steady beat of her heart monitor, the rise and fall of her chest were the only things assuring him that she was okay.
So imagine his fear when the monitor began spazzing out, the steady stream of waves on the screen coming in a lot faster and shorter.
He was just about to call out for a nurse and blow his cover when a bouquet of âÂÂget wellâ flowers were thrown at his face from where they were sitting on MaryâÂÂs bedside.
That was when Mason knew.
âÂÂNoah,â he groaned, spitting out a flower petal. âÂÂNice to see you too, man.âÂÂ
The chair he was sitting on was pulled out from under him, causing Mason to fall painfully onto the floor. Pain lanced down his back, traveling up to his neck. He could feel some of the wounds on his skin open, and knew his bandages would start bleeding soon.
âÂÂDammit Noah,â he hissed. âÂÂTake it easy, will you? IâÂÂm not in the best shape right now.â He heaved himself up, the action taking so much pain and effort that he was breathless by the time he was back on his chair. The heart monitor slowed back to its normal pace, and Mason continued, âÂÂI know youâÂÂre probably worried about Mary. I am too.â He heaved a steady breath, recalling what he managed to catch while eavesdropping on the hospital personnelâÂÂs conversation with MaryâÂÂs parents. âÂÂThe doctors say she has a concussion, and although they believe there wasnâÂÂt any substantial trauma to her head, thereâÂÂs simply no telling for sure until she wakes up. She also has a broken wristâÂÂher right one.â He absently reached for her wrist as he spoke, gently stroking the bandage wrapped around it. âÂÂAnd a bunch of cuts and bruises. We both do.âÂÂ
Mason then filled Noah in on everything heâÂÂd missed since he was gone, finishing with RuthâÂÂs death and DanielâÂÂs long-term possession which ended in mental retardation.
When he finished, he waited for some sort of response. He was just about to ask if Noah was still here when his phone was pulled out and placed on the bed before him. The notepad app opened up, and the keyboard began to click letters onto the screen as if he were texting.
NoahâÂÂs reply was simple, but it was enough to convey his current anguished state.
I wish I would have been there.
âÂÂAs much as I hate to admit it,â Mason replied quietly, âÂÂI wish so too.âÂÂ
How long have you been here?
âÂÂA couple of hours. As soon as her parents left for work I snuck in.âÂÂ
Thanks for watching over her.
âÂÂDonâÂÂt thank me; I didnâÂÂt do it for you,â Mason said, irritated. He looked down at Mary as he continued, âÂÂIâÂÂm doing this because I care about her just as much as you do.âÂÂ
I donâÂÂt think anyone can care about her as much as I do.
Mason scoffed and laid his head down on his arms, which were propped on the edge of MaryâÂÂs bed. In spite of his tough kid act, he was exhausted. TheyâÂÂd given him pain medication, and heâÂÂd been struggling to stay awake for quite some time now. âÂÂWhatever, man. LetâÂÂs just change the subject. Is my sister around?âÂÂ
No⦠sorry.
Mason sighed and closed his eyes, his heart aching. âÂÂMe too,â he murmured drowsily. âÂÂMe too...âÂÂ
                                                           â â âÂÂ
When Mary regained consciousness, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the last thing sheâÂÂd seen before everything went black:
Mason.
He appeared to be asleep with his fingers laced limply in hers, his head resting on his arms beside her stomach.
Mary was confused. A terrible ache banged around in her skull and the hand that was in MasonâÂÂs was burning, a sensation that was intensified when she tried moving it. She realized with a start that she couldnâÂÂt move her wrist, not without sending a prickling pain lancing through her arm, all the way up to her shoulder.
She winced, glancing around at her surroundings. She was in a hospital room, and there was something definitely wrong with her. She hadnâÂÂt been in this much pain since she and Salazar removed the memory seals the Designator had placed on her.
Then her gaze landed on a newspaper sitting on the stand beside her bed. On its front cover was a bold headline reading: Tragedy at Our Lady of Lords Holiday Carnival. Its sub headline read: Teenage Boy Kills One, Injures Two in Rampage.
âÂÂOh God,â she whispered shakily, shutting her eyes against the sudden montage of memories and wave of emotions that were barreling into her. âÂÂOh Godâ¦âÂÂ
âÂÂHuh,â a familiar voice groaned; it was Mason, sitting up from the bed. His sleepy green eyes focused on her and they widened, lighting up with relief. âÂÂMary. YouâÂÂre awake.âÂÂ
âÂÂWater,â she said, suddenly extremely thirsty. Her tongue felt like paper in her mouth.
Mason reached for a glass on her bedside and handed it to her. She took it with her good hand and gulped the entire glass down, some of the cool liquid dribbling down the corners of her mouth and onto her gown. When she finished she sighed in contentment and handed the glass back to him, swiping the back of her shaky hand across her mouth.
âÂÂThank you. Oh, and hi,â she added, stroking the tops of his knuckles with her thumb.  His sleepy voice and face made her chest squeeze in response to how adorableâÂÂhow childishâÂÂhe looked.
He squeezed her hand ever-so-gently. âÂÂHey. Are you⦠you do know who I am, right?âÂÂ
Mary couldnâÂÂt help but laugh weakly, her body aching in protest. âÂÂYes. YouâÂÂre Mason. YouâÂÂre still the boy that thinks he can seduce me.âÂÂ
One of those breathtaking, bright grins lit up his face, so contagious that Mary dimpled back.
âÂÂThat would be me, yes,â he replied. His smile faded. âÂÂDo you remember...?âÂÂ
Mary closed her eyes as if she could block it all out somehow. âÂÂYes. I wish I didnâÂÂt, but yes.âÂÂ
Mason sighed, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. âÂÂI know what you mean. It still feels so unreal. ItâÂÂs hard to wrap my head around the fact that RuthâÂÂs gone and DanielâÂÂs⦠well, heâÂÂs not himself anymore.âÂÂ
âÂÂWhat do you think caused that?â she whispered, shuddering at the empty look in DanielâÂÂs eyes, the slackness in his mouth. âÂÂThe deterioration of his mental state?âÂÂ
âÂÂNoah and I were theorizing,â Mason began. âÂÂWe think it probably had to do with the fact that the demon was inside him for such a long time. Eventually his mind couldnâÂÂt take it anymore.âÂÂ
âÂÂMakes sense,â she murmured. Then a sudden realiztion jolted through her. âÂÂWait a minuteâÂÂdid you just mentionâÂÂâÂÂ
âÂÂNoah? Yeah. HeâÂÂs back. He had to go take care of some business with his new ghost friends that he met in Purgatory but heâÂÂll be back.âÂÂ
Mary grinned so widely it hurt her everything. âÂÂHeâÂÂs back,â she whispered to herself, joy and relief filling her. It was a refreshing change of emotions in comparison to her previous darkened mood. She met MasonâÂÂs gaze. âÂÂWhat about Avery? I donâÂÂt see her around.âÂÂ
âÂÂThat demon back at the House of Mirrors blasted her away, remember?â he replied, dropping his eyes. He shook his head. âÂÂI couldnâÂÂt save her. I couldnâÂÂt save either of you.âÂÂ
âÂÂMason donâÂÂt,â Mary said sternly. âÂÂDonâÂÂt do that. DonâÂÂt blame yourself for something you had no control over. You got knocked out by that demon; you couldnâÂÂt help. And the moment you came to you shot Daniel with your salt gun. You saved me from quite a beating. ThatâÂÂs the only reason I was able to get the demon out of him using the glove.âÂÂ
Mason ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up adorably. âÂÂYeah, yeah. I know. I just⦠I wish I could have done something more. Maybe then you wouldnâÂÂt be here, lying in a hospital bed with a concussion and a broken wrist.âÂÂ
A concussion and a broken wrist? That would explain the searing pain in her wrist, the ache residing in the back of her head and pressing on her forehead. âÂÂThatâÂÂs how I feel about Ruth.âÂÂ
âÂÂThereâÂÂs nothing you could have done,â Mason answered, quick to reassure her. She raised her eyebrow at him and he sighed, understanding the point she was trying to make.
âÂÂWhat time is it? What day is it?â she wondered.
âÂÂItâÂÂs almost noon,â Mason replied. âÂÂAnd itâÂÂs December 18th. WeâÂÂve been in this hospital for about a day and a half. The doctors have been waking you up every few hours to feed you and stuff, but you were so sleepy I doubt you remember any of it.âÂÂ
Mary blinked at him, stunned. âÂÂItâÂÂs been that long? But what aboutâÂÂmy phone!â she gasped, glancing around anxiously for it. âÂÂWhere's my phone? What if the EMF alert went off while I was out and a demonâÂÂâÂÂ
âÂÂMary, calm down,â Mason interjected. âÂÂHey. Look at me.â He held her face in his warm hands, their gazes locking. âÂÂThere hasnâÂÂt been any alert text. Your phoneâÂÂs safe with me; I stole it from the crime scene before the police could get their hands on it.âÂÂ
Mary swallowed, the heart monitorâÂÂs wild beeping slowing down. âÂÂWell, where is it then?âÂÂ
Mason let her go and crossed his arms over his chest. âÂÂSomewhere safe,â he said vaguely.
âÂÂAs inâ¦â she prompted.
He looked away from her and shrugged. âÂÂMy underwear.âÂÂ
Mary nearly choked on air. âÂÂEx-excuse me?âÂÂ
He met her gaze squarely. âÂÂI think you heard me the first time, Mary.âÂÂ
âÂÂWhat is my phone doing in your underwear, Mason?âÂÂ
âÂÂI had to keep it with me at all times in case an alert text came through,â he explained. âÂÂAnd in case you havenâÂÂt noticed, these gowns arenâÂÂt exactly user friendly. They donâÂÂt come with pockets.âÂÂ
Mary chuckled weakly. âÂÂYouâÂÂre ridiculous. And thatâÂÂs disgusting.âÂÂ
He leaned into her a bit, crooking a familiar cocky grin. âÂÂCome on. You have to admit itâÂÂs kind of hot.âÂÂ
âÂÂAbsolutely not,â she groaned, putting her face in her hands. âÂÂNow you can keep it. I donâÂÂt want it anymore.âÂÂ
âÂÂFine. My friend gets a bit lonely down there anyway. Your phone can keep it company.âÂÂ
âÂÂOh God,â Mary moaned, yet a small laugh escaped her. She shook her head. âÂÂYouâÂÂre unreal.âÂÂ
âÂÂYou know you love me,â Mason said, poking her arm and winking.
She shook her head again, yet she was unable to shake the smile from her face. It was only then, as she was gazing at him with more focus, that she was really able to assess the tiny details sheâÂÂd previously overlooked.
Mason was exhausted. He must not have been getting much sleep these past two nights, because deep bags hug beneath his sleepy eyes. There was a bandage on the right side of his forehead, just over his eyebrow, and more cuts and bruises could be seen peeking out from where the top of his hospital gown had gotten unbuttoned as well as his bare arms.
âÂÂHow are you feeling?â she asked him, concerned.
He shrugged a shoulder. âÂÂIâÂÂm all right. I was mainly worried about you. I hurt my back pretty badly when I crashed into one of the mirrors after the demon sent us flying. I didnâÂÂt break anything, thankfully, but itâÂÂs all bruised and cut. Some of the cuts are so deep theyâÂÂre going to leave scars. But compared to you⦠I mean, it could be a lot worse.âÂÂ
Mary gave him a disapproving look. âÂÂYou should go back to your room, get some rest. I canâÂÂt believe theyâÂÂre allowing you to be out and about right now.âÂÂ
âÂÂThey arenâÂÂt,â Mason answered. A sly smirk invaded his perfect lips. âÂÂBut my nurse just so happens to be a very nice lady. A very young, attractive nice lady. And your nurse just so happens to really like money. If you know what I mean.âÂÂ
Mary put her good hand up and rolled her eyes. âÂÂSay no more.âÂÂ
MasonâÂÂs smirk widened; he looked completely pleased with himself and his ability to use his good looks and wealth to basically get away with anything. Sometimes Mary disapproved of it, but other times she envied him for it. Here her parents were, drowning in debt while he was giving away money to nurses just so he could watch over her in her hospital room.
âÂÂThey put me on the same pain medication youâÂÂre on,â he said. âÂÂThat thing knocks you out. Hence why I was asleep when you came to.âÂÂ
âÂÂYeah, I think I need more of that stuff,â Mary said with a pained grimace. âÂÂEverything hurts.âÂÂ
MasonâÂÂs face crumpled in concern. âÂÂRight. IâÂÂll call for a nurse.â He stood up from his chair, doing so with careful slowness, as if he were an old man with back problems. Then he pressed a button at the end of her bed and sat back down.
Mary had been eyeing his gown as he did so, a realization popping into her mind.
âÂÂYou know, IâÂÂve never seen you with a short-sleeved outfit on, let alone your bare arms,â she mused, eyeing his tan, muscled arms. âÂÂWell,â she corrected, flushing, âÂÂexcept for that one night⦠but it was dark, and I was⦠distracted.âÂÂ
âÂÂOh,â he said, looking down at his bare arms as if realizing it himself. He suddenly looked very embarrassed. And uncomfortable. âÂÂYeah, I guess youâÂÂre right.âÂÂ
Mary eyed his arms, the swell of muscle and the stain of faded bruises and fresh cuts. âÂÂWhy do you always cover them up? Daniel said you started dressing like that after Avery diedâ¦âÂÂ
âÂÂItâÂÂs a public service,â he replied, not meeting her gaze. âÂÂI donâÂÂt want to distract people with my extremely toned, perfect looking arms, now do I?âÂÂ
Mary frowned in exasperation. âÂÂMasonâÂÂâÂÂ
âÂÂDid someone here call for a nurse?âÂÂ
âÂÂYes,â Mason said a bit too quickly, turning to face the nurse standing at the door. He pointed at Mary. âÂÂSheâÂÂs in a lot of pain, Lucy. Can you help with that?âÂÂ
The nurseâÂÂs gaze shifted from MasonâÂÂs to MaryâÂÂs and she nodded. âÂÂIâÂÂll put you on another dose of methadone. When you wake up again youâÂÂll have to eat something.âÂÂ
The nurse began messing with MaryâÂÂs tubing and wires, and Mary was struck with a sense of unease and suspicion. Thanks to her previous experience with nurses back at the asylum, Mary became uncomfortable with having anyone work on her when she wasnâÂÂt positive they werenâÂÂt actually demons in disguise. Mary wished she could voice this to Mason, but before she could figure out a way Lucy plunged down on the syringe that contained the methadone, and it travelled down a clear tube that connected to the crook of MaryâÂÂs elbow on the inside of her arm, into her veins.
As Mary watched the clear liquid enter her system, Lucy spoke up.
âÂÂMason, I suggest you start gathering your things together and change out of that gown.âÂÂ
âÂÂWhat? Why?âÂÂ
âÂÂThe hospitalâÂÂs discharging you. Your parents will be here shortly.âÂÂ
âÂÂIâ¦â Mary could hear the hesitation in his voice. He looked back at Mary, gaze filled with regret. He sighed in defeat. âÂÂOkay.âÂÂ
The moment Lucy left, Mary, already feeling drowsy, spoke up. âÂÂMason.âÂÂ
âÂÂYeah?âÂÂ
âÂÂThat nurse LucyâÂÂwhat if sheâÂÂs not really who you think she is? What if thereâÂÂs a demon possessing her? SheâÂÂs not wearing a cross; I checked.âÂÂ
âÂÂThere isnâÂÂt a demon possessing her, Mary. I promise. Noah made sure of it before he left.âÂÂ
âÂÂBut one could have gotten to her after he was gone!â she insisted, the words slurring together on her heavy lips. Her entire body felt numb-- and heavy, like lead. Yet she managed to lift her hand upâÂÂher bad handâÂÂand grab his forearm just as he stood. âÂÂIn fact, everyone in this hospital could be possessed. MasonâÂÂplease. DonâÂÂt leave me here. IâÂÂll be vulnerable while IâÂÂm unconscious; the demonsâÂÂâÂÂ
âÂÂNoah will be here any minute,â Mason assured, yet the pain in his eyes proved that he wished he didnâÂÂt have to go. In the distance Mary could hear her heart monitor beeping erratically. âÂÂIâÂÂm sorry. My parents⦠I canâÂÂt get out of this one. IâÂÂm already in deep trouble and theyâÂÂre dying to get their hands on me.âÂÂ
âÂÂPlease, Mason,â Mary mumbled, her eyelids drooping. The heart monitor began to slow. âÂÂThey're.... after.... me. Pleaseâ¦âÂÂ
âÂÂShh,â he cooed, stroking her hair. He spoke quietly in her ear. âÂÂI wonâÂÂt leave until Noah gets here, okay? You have my word.âÂÂ
Mary could feel tears in her eyes, terror in her heart. âÂÂPleaseâ¦â she murmured one last time, and then she was lost in a sea of nightmares. Â
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A/N- Hey guys!! Merry Christmas! I know I'm a day late with this present but that's because I as having technical difficulties with adding a new part to this story. However thanks to an ambassador I was able to sort things out and share this much awaited chapter with you all! (This chapter's dedicated to her :)
I hope you enjoyed it, please comment with your thoughts and vote! I'll try and update again before school starts back up again on the 6th of January but no promises! Thank you for your patience with this story<3
P.S. It's my birthday today. I'm officially 18 and legal. WOOO