“You have a strange life.”
Cyril leaned closer.“And you’ve signed up to live that strange life with me.Still no regrets?”
Vale pressed a kiss to Cyril’s forehead.“Never.Now, let’s do this.I don’t like this place.”
Cyril didn’t say how ironic it was considering that Vale’s job had consisted of putting people in this place, but he was sure that Vale was thinking it.
Vale rolled his eyes and pushed the door open, and Cyril followed him inside.
Doctor Mahoney was in the room, staring at some X-rays.She looked up when she heard the door and gave Cyril an easy smile.“It’s been a while since I last saw you,” she said.
“I came by last week, but you weren’t here.”
“Yes, Jessica mentioned it.Who are you here to see?”
“Sam Walker.”
Doctor Mahoney frowned for a moment before nodding.“I remember him.He’s in drawer C-thirteen.We’re releasing his body tomorrow.”
Cyril already knew where Sam was, but he didn’t say it.Doctor Mahoney didn’t know that he’d been here for Sam last week, too.She didn’t know that he’d known Sam when Sam was alive, and Cyril wasn’t about to tell her.He had no doubt that she’d have something to say about Cyril working on this case considering how close he’d been to Sam.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” Doctor Mahoney said.She was talking to Vale now.She probably thought that Vale was Sam’s family member, and both he and Cyril let her believe it.
Cyril was used to this, so he moved around the room easily.He opened the right drawer and pulled it out, then sucked in a breath as he reached for the black bag Sam was in.His fingers shook, but he ignored it as he pulled down the zipper.
“Breathe,” Vale murmured.
Like last time, he placed himself between Cyril and the rest of the room.Cyril was glad.He didn’t need Doctor Mahoney staring at him.She’d seen him work many times, and she’d know something was wrong if he couldn’t do it today.
His hand shook harder as he gently touched Sam’s wrist.He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes, reaching for Sam’s soul.He gently guided it toward Sam’s body, holding his breath as he pushed it inside.
It worked.He felt Sam’s hand twitch under him, and when he opened his eyes, Sam was staring at him.
Cyril had his ability back.
“I knew you’d come,” Sam said.
Cyril pressed his lips together so he wouldn’t start crying.He’d known what would happen if it worked, but this wasn’t a stranger.It was Sam.“Katie wants to know what happened to you.”
Sam blinked.His skin was deathly pale, and his lips blue.His eyes were cloudy, and it was hard to ignore the fact that he was dead and that this was the last time Cyril would ever talk to him.
“They forced me into the lake.They said they needed a sacrifice, and that was why I was there,” Sam said.
“Can you give us more details?”Vale asked, more gently than Cyril could ever remember him talking to anyone who wasn’t him.
Sam licked his lips, and Cyril had to look away.His tongue was black.
“It was these people I met online.I’m, well, I got fired a few months ago, and I couldn’t find another job.I was angry, and I started looking for answers in places I shouldn’t have.I met this guy online.He called himself the Master and said he had the answers to all my problems.Initially, I didn’t believe it, but as time passed and I still couldn’t find work, I started to.I needed to do something.”
“And what did he suggest?”
“The Master said he could summon a demon.I was wary, but he said that he could tie a demon to us.We’d force it to do our bidding and be rich.I just wanted my life back.I didn’t want anyone to die, and the Master agreed that we’d take it easy initially.”
“Did you summon the demon?”Cyril asked because he had to know.
“I don’t know.I didn’t realize I was there because the Master needed a sacrifice to summon the demon.I got to the lake, and there was a fire and two guys I’d never met before.The Master said we had to go into the water to purify ourselves, and I didn’t want to, so he forced me.He came into the water after me.I was panicking.He held my head under the surface.”
He’d done so until Sam died.It was hard not to cry, especially when Cyril thought about having to tell Katie all of this.He would, though.He couldn’t avoid it.
