Chapter 10

Chapter 10 “What do you mean, something tried to possess her!?” Eddie and Renee shouted in horror, their voices echoing. “It wasn’t Radcliffe, was it?” Renee followed up, her protective maternal instincts spiking into pure panic. “No, unfortunately, that’s not something I can decipher,” Lucifer explained, looking down at Kalea inquisitively, oddly curious as to why a ghost would want to possess a former werewolf. “But there are remnants of a spirit around her aura. It’s weak and getting weaker.” “If the remnants of the spirit are dissipating, does that mean Kalea is going to be okay as time passes?” Eddie asked, desperation giving way to cautious hope. “Yes, she should,” Lucifer replied smoothly. “If anything, whatever tried to take over her body failed to do so because she’s protected by her werewolf DNA. Even though Empress is no longer with her, Kalea is still, in fact, a werewolf. And ghosts aren’t able to possess other supernaturals, contrary to popular belief.” Renee let out a long, shaky breath, sinking lower onto the edge of the mattress and pressing a soft kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Thank God... Her soul was strong enough to push it out on its own.” “Don’t thank my Dad, dear Princess,” Lucifer drawled, flicking an imaginary speck of dust off his dark sleeve. “Thank your biology. Her wolf’s spirit may be gone, but her blood and the legacy of the Moon Goddess still run through her veins like poison to a phantom.” Eddie’s chest heaved as the raw adrenaline slowly ebbed, leaving behind a cold, burning determination. He leaned down and placed a gentle hand over Kalea’s warm cheek. “So the chills, the fever... it was her body fighting off an intruder?” “Precisely,” Lucifer answered with a nonchalant shrug. Although he seemed aloof, deep down, he was genuinely concerned; he didn’t want Eddie or Renee to notice. “So, she just needs rest?” Eddie asked, his voice low as his fingers gently smoothed Kalea’s hair back from her face. “The ghost won't be able to try again?” “Well, now, I didn’t make that claim,” Lucifer said, inspecting his polished fingernails with a slow, agonizing indifference that made Eddie’s eye twitch. “When a ghost wants a host, it will find a host. Some try the same host until they get in, some move on to a weaker host, but they always get their mark.” “How do we prevent it from trying again?” Renee asked, willing to do whatever it took to protect Kalea, though her jaw was clenched tight enough to grind teeth. “Well, there are several easy solutions,” Lucifer replied, waving a hand in the air like he was debating options on a lunch menu. He leaned back against the wall, casually tossing an apple he had somehow produced from nowhere into the air and catching it. “There are spells to ward off evil ghosts; there are charms she can wear and take with her, or you can simply wait and see if it tries again.” Eddie snapped. “Wait and see!? Are you out of your mind!?” “I’m just presenting the buffet of choices, Alpha! No need to get your fur in a knot,” Lucifer chuckled, taking a crisp, loud bite of the apple with galling satisfaction. “Goddess, you are the most infuriating being I have ever had the displeasure of being associated with!” Renne exclaimed with disgust. “I aim to entertain, Princess,” Lucifer replied, a sharp, lingering smirk returning to his features. Despite his insufferable, theatrical nonchalance (precise flavor of smug arrogance that made every werewolf in a ten-mile radius want to tear their own ears off), a flicker of genuine intent showed behind his eyes. He chewed thoughtfully, eyeing Kalea’s sleeping form not as a pawn, but with a quiet, protective scrutiny. “Look,” Lucifer added, tossing the half-eaten apple accurately into the tiny trash can across the room without even looking. “I’m giving you options because I actually care enough to deliver them. Even if my delivery happens to be art.” "Is there anything else you can provide that would actually be substance to our situation, Lucifer? Or are you just here to be informative and make us figure it out on our own?" Eddie questioned, hoping Satan would hurry and leave their presence. “Informative... for now,” Lucifer purred, offering a razor-thin, infuriating smile that made Eddie’s jaw ache from clenching it so hard. “Then please, do us a favor and leave, Lucifer. You are not doing anything but raising our blood pressure and not providing any actual solace to my daughter’s circumstances,” Renee said, her posture poised, but her tone leaving no room for argument. “Since you asked so nicely, Princess, I will bid you two adieu. But before I go...” Lucifer slowly reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a delicate gold necklace with an interesting charm. “What is that?” Eddie asked, his eyes narrowing on the shimmering metal. “A parting gift for Kalea. This should help ward off any spirits who attempt to hijack her body again while I figure out who in the hell—pun intended—is trying to possess a werewolf.” When Eddie and Renee saw that Lucifer did, in fact, have a solution with him the whole time, they looked at each other dumbfounded and irritated beyond measure, both wanting to scratch his eyes out right then and there. “You’ve had that in your pocket this entire time?” Eddie growled, his jaw clenching so hard it looked painful. “Of course,” Lucifer replied with a dazzling, entirely unbothered smile, stepping forward to gently place the necklace on the nightstand beside Kalea’s bed. “Where would the fun be if I just handed over the magic trick without a little build-up? You wolves have zero appreciation for dramatic timing.” Renee let out a long, shuddering breath, rubbing her temples as if trying to suppress a headache. “Just leave, Lucifer.” “Fair enough,” Lucifer hummed, taking a mock bow. “Keep the necklace on her. And do try to relax—stress is terribly bad for the complexion.” With a final, infuriating wink, he stepped backward into the corner. The shadows stretched up to swallow his silhouette, and with a faint whisper, the devil vanished from the room. Eddie sank back into his chair, running both hands over his face before looking over at Renee. “I hate him. I truly, deeply hate him.” “He’s the devil, Edward. He’s supposed to be hated,” Renee replied as she examined the necklace in her hand. Before putting it on Kalea, she wanted it scanned for any curses or poisons. Even if Lucifer had said he and Hell owed Kalea, it didn’t mean he could be fully trusted. After all, he was Satan—deception was practically his middle name. “Yeah, we definitely should,” Eddie agreed, his eyes fixated on the gleaming gold charm as Renee held it out between two fingers. “Let’s not trade a wandering ghost for a hidden demonic contract.” “Tobias should be back any minute with the Queen,” Renee said, her voice laced with maternal vigilance as she held the chain away from Kalea’s skin. “Amelia has spent a decade studying ancient relics and dark curses. If there’s so much as a microscopic trace of malice laced into this gold, she’ll catch it.” About thirty minutes later, Amelia, Stephen, Benny, and Tobias all returned, along with Dr. Martin, to check on Kalea. Amelia sensed the lingering darkness the second she crossed the threshold, her brows furrowing as her sharp eyes swept the space. She immediately asked if they had received any visitors while they were gone. Eddie and Renee explained how Lucifer had barged in unannounced yet again. They recounted his report that Radcliffe’s hell loop was perfectly intact, and that Kalea falling into a state of catatonia was actually caused by a wandering ghost attempting to possess her. Stephen and Tobias had immense trouble believing it, both scoffing at the idea and assuming the devil was spinning whatever wild story suited his mood. But Amelia held up a hand, silencing their doubts. She reminded them that ghosts search endlessly for a host to possess—after all, Radcliffe himself had done the same for centuries, which was why he couldn’t be vanquished until another spirit trapped him. “My Queen, he left this charm or amulet for Kalea to wear,” Renee said as she handed the necklace to Amelia. “What is it?” Amelia asked, holding it up by the chain and looking at it closely, the gold catching the dim light of the hospital room. “He said that it would ward off evil spirits who try to possess Kalea,” Renee responded. “Does he assume it will happen again?” Tobias asked, scrutinizing the necklace with a deep, protective scowl. “I think it is safe to assume that he hasn’t lied to us yet,” Renee answered evenly. “But it is also safe to take precautions,” she added, looking back at Amelia for final judgment. “I don’t sense any evil on this. Strangely enough, it was made with good magic,” Amelia said as she studied the necklace, her thumb brushing over the fine, ancient engravings along the edge. Stephen leaned over her shoulder, his eyes narrowed as he traced the subtle aura radiating from the gold. “Good magic from the King of Hell? That’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear.” “It’s defensive,” Amelia clarified, her expression softening into awe. “Intricate, pure warding magic designed to act as a second skin against spiritual intrusion.” “Are you saying that he actually gave something helpful?” Eddie questioned, unable to believe that Lucifer wasn’t playing any games. “Yes, he did, surprisingly,” Amelia answered with just as much shock, and gave it back to Renee, who finally put it on Kalea. As soon as she did, the goodness surrounding the necklace and the charm flooded Kalea’s being, and she finally took a deep breath of contentment as her facial features relaxed even more. Dr. Martin noticed that her vitals were completely back to normal, and her temperature was rising even faster. “Alpha, here, help me remove some of these heated blankets. If her temperature keeps rising at this rate, she’s going to get hot and uncomfortable, and we don’t want that,” Dr. Martin explained to Eddie, who nodded immediately. Together, they folded back the heating blankets, so Kalea wouldn’t accidentally overheat. “What do we tell her when she wakes up?” Benny asked from the door, his arms crossed as he watched Kalea closely. “What do you mean, Benny?” Stephen asked. “I mean, what do we tell Kalea when she wakes up and asks why she’s in the hospital?” “The truth,” Eddie answered flatly. “But what if it causes her unnecessary stress?” Renee asked with concern. “Even if it does, it will be more stressful if she were to find out from someone else. I will never lie to Kalea,” Eddie responded.