The Devil's Third by Rebekkah Ford

I entered Carrie’s room, it was swelling with her family, a nurse and two men in lab coats, one of them was Dr. Sweeney. Tree stood beside Carrie’s bed with his arms around his chest, his head bowed as if in prayer. My eyes frantically searched for Paige, and when I saw her walking through the wall of bodies around and near Carrie’s bed, I breathed a sigh of relief.
    “How are you doing?” I asked. She looked so pale and sad I couldn’t help but embrace her, desperate to comfort her.
    “I love you,” she said, squeezing her arms tightly around my waist.
    Something wasn’t right. She said “I love you” in a way that spoke of longing and possible broken hearts. I heard it in her tone. “Let’s go get some coffee and give Carrie’s family some time alone,” I whispered in her ear. I took her hand, and we left the dismal scene.
    A half hour later, we were sitting on a bench outside the hospital, drinking coffee out of Styrofoam cups, watching a couple squirrels chase each other into the woods. The crisp, cool air held the smell of autumn while wafting the scent of burning leaves and pine cones around us in its feathery breeze. I breathed it in through my nose, loving this time of year.
    Paige took a sip of her coffee and gazed up at the colorful trees blazing around us in rich red, gold and orange colors. She sighed. “I love this time of year.” I smiled. “What are you grinning about?”
    “I was thinking the same thing.” I kissed her soft hand. “I love how connected we are.”
    She smiled in agreement, but then it faded. She took another sip and looked away. I knew she was worried about Carrie. She had told me everything the doctors had said when I wasn’t in the room, including the procedure Dr. Sweeney mentioned to me. I kept my promise to him and didn’t tell Paige everything he’d told me. It didn’t really matter though, because he essentially gave the same information to Carrie’s parents, and they’d decided to go through with the surgery today.
    While Paige updated me on what I’d missed, I clamped my mouth shut to keep from hijacking the conversation by asking her about Bael. It would have been insensitive to do in a time like this where Paige’s thoughts should be with Carrie and loved ones, not on insidious beings such as Bael.
    So I gave her some space and support, but now as we sat, listening to the gentle rustling of the leaves, I decided to bring it up. “Did Bael visit you while I was out of the room?”
    She looked at me in surprise and stared into my eyes for a long moment. “Yes,” she finally said. I waited for her to continue because I could see it on her face. There was more. A lot more. But then she blinked, and her expression turned hard. She looked away.
    I nudged her chin so she had to look at me. “What are you not telling me?”
    “Bael wanted to know if I found out where the incantations are. When I told him no, he said he’d be in touch. I just wish he’d leave me alone,” she mumbled, breaking eye contact.
    I dropped my hands and sighed, wishing the same thing. The only way to get him completely out of her life would be to find the incantations and have her use them to control him. We never really talked about what she would do once we found them. Originally, we were going to find the ring and destroy it, but since the power dwelled in Paige and not the ring, that plan was shot to hell. I guessed I’d assumed she’d learn those incantations, rally up all the dark spirits and keep them on a short leash.
    I suddenly realized we were going to have to engage in an in depth conversation on the topic real soon. But in the meantime, the current situation with Carrie and what had occurred today took precedence over all things. Besides, it wasn’t like we were going to find Solomon’s incantations tonight.
    “I ran into Ayperos,” I said, deciding to deal with our present situation and to stand by my word to share all information with her–except the