Chapter 3

“Bro-brother, I think—”

“Shut up, Esli.” Demas snapped. “Do not be the weak link. Bring the silver.” With an eagle sharp gaze, he watched his youngest brother walk up to the small chest and pull out a sizable bag of coins. Esli was the tallest amongst them, but it seemed his height made him the physical embodiment of awkwardness. He walked with a slight tilt to the right and was caught frequently mumbling to himself.

When Esli finally brought the bag to him, Demas grabbed it and stepped forward. The possessed man leaned forward and gripped the edge of the basin with clawed fingers. He slowly bowed his head, preventing Demas from seeing his face.

There was absolutely no reason to pour the coins in the water but Demas did it anyway. It was a thing of show for the benefit of whoever paid for their services. The people had to belief their money was in a way being used for a holy service. Even if the young man’s mother was lying unconscious at the corner of the room, Demas still poured the coin in, just in case she came to herself before the session was over.

He beckoned to his brothers to step forward. They did so promptly, each keeping their face solemn with palms held up and facing the ceiling. Six of them stood at each point of the star of David while Demas drew a perfect circle around it with salt, chanting as he did so. With one voice, all the brothers began mumbling the ancient psalms of exorcism along with him. Surely, the demon residing in the man would fully manifest itself soon.

At the instant the last word left their lips, Hezekiah’s head snapped up. Each eye appeared wilder and so bloodshot they looked entirely black. The water he sat in rippled in circles and the light from the candles swayed as the demon observed them.

“You insult me.” His voice was harsher and much deeper now.

Demas ignored his statement, suddenly feeling smug that the demon was fully out. He looked him straight in the eye. “What is your name?”

“He insults me then asks what my name is. What should I do to them?” The demon questioned, that hair raising predatory glint returning to his eyes.

A thicker kind of fear crept up Demas’ spine.

The demon stretched his host’s lips into a slow, menacing smile. “I and myself have agreed to answer your question. I must be in good spirit.” He chuckled darkly then suddenly bit back the sound. “Mel’tek of a thousand hordes is my name.” He glowered at Demas and snarled. “What is yours?”

Demas ignored his question. “Mel’tek of a thousand hordes, come out in the name of Yahweh.”

“No.”

What?

His brothers turned to him, eyes going round and jaws slacking. That had never occurred in all their years of exorcism. The look the demon was shooting their way caused whatever courage he had left to melt away. He felt terribly exposed. If a demon could reply with such audacity, then there was definitely nothing to be done but to flee.

“You appear surprised.” Mel’tek grinned, flashing abnormally sharp looking canines. “And I cannot help but notice you are yet to tell me your name. I believe I asked politely.”

Mel’tek’s hand gripped the edge of the basin then let go. Deep finger imprints dented the iron surface.

…too strong.

“Brothers, let us leave. There is nothing that can be done here.” He turned to leave but halted when he heard a whimper. It was the woman; she had pulled herself to a sitting position, gripping her head as she cried silently.

“I gave you the money.” She sniffed. “I can even give you all of it. Please, free my boy.”

“There is nothing we can do!” Demas shouted before motioning for the rest to begin packing their supplies. This was a mistake. At the very moment she mentioned markings, he should have shown her the door.

“That was all I needed.”

They all paused at Mel’tek’s words.

The woman’s frightened whimper was the only sound that pierced the ensuing silence.

“You broke the line.”

Demas looked down and saw what the demon meant, but he still did not understand.

“A pathetic exorcist you are. You broke a line after a demon had submitted itself to you. How careless.” He laughed was deep and maniacal, and right before their eyes a change began.

Black lines mapped their way from the bottom of his eyes and spread downwards. It was like the man was shedding black tears in straight lines that made its way over his body, moving like fast slithering snakes. In no time his skin was a canvas of lines that branched about at different odd angles.

The sight was so terrifying and awe-inspiring that Demas and his brothers simply stood and stared. When he finally snapped out of his initial shock, he slowly turned to the door. It slammed shut in his face. The light from the candles flickered, dancing about as though there was a draft. His brothers were still staring, mouth agape.

Mel’tek stood.

Water cascaded down a body that appeared abnormally large, thick cords of muscles resembling those of famed bull-like roman wrestlers. And the marks did little to lessen the paralysing effect of the entire situation; they ran across his entire body, darkening considerably at the skin around his eyes.

“Go ahead, rebuke me.” A crooked smile exposed sharp canines once more.

Demas stumbled back, trembling with fright despite himself. He raked his mind for solution to the madness unraveling, when one came, he hoped with all that was in him that it worked. There had been a certain Paul that went about casting out demons in the Name of Jesus, performing exorcism for free. Surely, the power had to be behind the name alone. Demas gave it a try.

“I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”

The demon paused mid-step then threw his head back and laughed. His eyes shone with dark excitement as he took in the sight of his brothers. When his gaze finally rested on Demas, he tapped his chin with a clawed finger, cocked his head and frowned. “Jesus I know, Paul I know. But, who are you?”

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Hey ya’ll.

Those brothers are about to receive some sweet, sweet loving from Mel’tek. Haha.

Last chapter coming up.