Dupret's large hand slapped across John's mouth as he started to scream. The man's body  glowed, like a firing coal. 

Harry struggled to understand what was happening. It was true then. Her nails had killed Jake. They were killing Useless John right in front of her. Dupret continued to hold the dying man, even as his skin started to flake and crumble. All he did was watch Harry. 

As John turned to dust, Sam let him go, kicking the pile of ashes and spreading them over the dead grass.

"I am so glad he is finally gone! I have waited 40 years for someone to finally dispose of him for me. I'm so glad I was here to see the deed done. What luck I saw him skulking around the front of the house when I arrived. I did worry for a bit there that he was going to run away before you finished him. You won't find me thanking him often, but thank God for giving humans such a strong sense of self-preservation. "

Dupret grinned at Harry. He oozed self-satisfaction.

Harry needed a moment to process. 

She took a step towards the bottles she'd dropped by the bin. She winced.  Harry had forgotten the prickles hidden in the dry grass.  Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, she could feel the barbed seeds burying themselves within her epidermis.  Her feet were full of them.

Gritting her teeth,  Harry walked on the sides of her feet back towards the stairs. Sam helped her balance. She eased herself onto the third step from the bottom and started the de-prickling process.

Sam sat next to her.

They sat in silence for two or three minutes.

"I don't understand what's happening." She could hear the strain in her voice.

Dupret looked at her. She hated that unnerving way he sized her up. Something about it seemed to read her inner thoughts.

"I'm assuming you've figured out that necklace you're wearing isn't an ordinary necklace?"

Harry nodded. "You said something about the Hand of God?"

Sam nodded in return. "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, 'Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.' Revelation 1:18."

Harry felt dense. She had never read the Bible in full. "So what exactly are you saying? Everyone knows the Bible is all metaphors."

"Most of it," Sam conceded. "Some is outright lie. That particular passage is closer than most. John was prone to hyperbole, but Heaven did bestow upon him a scroll and measuring rod,  though it isn't quite used in the way John wrote it."

He gently placed his index finger against her jumper, right where the crystal rod sat on the other side of the fabric. "Only certain people are deemed 'worthy' to wear her, to be the Keeper of the key to the gates and the demons' executioner. I knew from the day we met that you would be chosen if you found it. Not many people can resist my charms; only the worthy, the strong of spirit... I haven't met a human who has been capable of denying me in a hundred years, though Claire Mercy-Rossberg and her father would have been able, if they hadn't died before I arrived."

Harry reeled, trying to take it all in. "So your a demon... and you remember the events from the Bible?"

Sam laughed deeply. "I'm not that old. My grandparents however... I am older than most currently living in Mercy's Creek though. And much stronger than the likes of..." He waved his hand, gesturing towards the dust scattered over the grass.

"If you were stronger, why didn't you kill him yourself?" She stifled a sob. "Why force me to do it?"

"We cannot kill each other. Only half-castes can die by anything other than the embodiment of the Hand of God. He may have been a waste of space, but he was pure-blooded. It had to be you."

She took a moment to let what he was saying sink in. "Wait, so Annelisse, the other day she said their dad was too human?"

"Yes, she, Troy, and Maddie, all half-castes. A few years back the pure-bloods went through a run of sampling the local cuisine. Some of the relationships lasted. Ingrid wasn't so lucky. We were all surprised when she got pregnant with Maddie. We thought she was done with humans. She'd learnt by then not to get attached though. I don't even think she knows who the little girl's father is."

Harry considered. "How many others?"

"Students, you mean?" Sam queried. "All of the grade 10s bar one, and bit under half of the rest."

It all made sense. No wonder the kids struggled so badly with impulse control.

"And the swarm at the funeral? And Rachel Lindley's death? And the school break in..." So many questions ran through her head.

Dupret raised his hands. "Slow down. Yes, to all three. Casey brought the swarm, and Rachel was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another bungled job by Useless John. He couldn't even pick a night when the house was empty to search the backyard. As for the break in, when I realised the danger we were in, I knew I had to up the search straight away. I sent someone to search Claire Mercy's old classroom for the millionth time. I wasn't expecting you to change the alarm codes so quickly. Erin must have done them straight after John left that afternoon. If Sergeant Stone wasn't so easily... persuaded, we could have had a bit of a tough trot after that."

Harry reached for her collarbone. Swarm bringing demons, searches for mystical objects hidden for 50 years, coercion of the local police. It was all too much.

She paused. "Why are you telling me all this?"

Sam shifted self consciously. "There are two ways for us to gain the Key to Hades: removing it from the corpse of the Keeper, or if the Keeper removes it themselves. Harriet, you're not like most humans. I'm growing quite fond of your bravery and ingenuity, not to mention our little squabbles. I'd really rather not have to sever your pretty head from your body in order to retrieve the key. If you were to give it to me, the two of us could return to the underworld and be treated as royalty in both dimensions."

Harry giggled hysterically. "You want me to be your demon queen?" she struggled to keep the noise down so as not to attract the attention of those inside. She gulped air while trying to gain her composure. "You seem to be forgetting Charlie and David, not to mention the fact I can't take the necklace off."

Sam calmly replied, quickly ticking off her objections, "Firstly, you can take it off, just only on the days around a new moon (the new moon and three two days either side, when it's still basically invisibly). How do you think Claire got it off to hide it? Your next window is the 9th, 10th and 11th, 16 days from now... Second, not 'queen', Satan's current consort is the Demon Queen. Duchess would probably be more comparable. And as for David and Charlotte, they'll be much safer if you're with me than they will be if you refuse. They'll be targets while you're Keeper, and don't think that anyone will be caring for them once your dead and the gates are opened. As I said, people strong enough to be worthy of being Keeper are rare, but that strength usually runs in bloodlines. The Mercys wore it from generation to generation. How long do you think the demons will let little Charlie live, knowing she could one day use the key against them? I'm your best shot, and I know I could make you happy."

Where did this guy get off? He knew nothing about her, yet she still found herself drawn in by his request. Was that part of the charms he was talking about? 

Her stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. His touch was soft and warm. Inviting. She smiled and felt a longing to pull his lips toward her. Maybe he could keep her happy. At least until he got bored with her.

Her mind cleared. "If this is all true, the why did you send John to kill me? Or why didn't you just have them kill me earlier, before I found it? And if you sent him, why did you stop him? None of this makes sense."

He looked at her impatiently. "I told you, Harry, I'm not the only one interested in your neck! You've been being watched, and not just for me. After we realised we'd struggle to search the school without interruption, we hoped you'd lead us to the necklace instead. I knew that if you proved yourself strong enough, it would reveal itself to you. When the kids pulled that stunt at the funeral, however, I worried for a while you actually would up and leave. Troy was right, in that moment you proved your strength more than any other. He was lucky though.

"The night before the 50 Year, John Bloody Brewer was meant to be watching you again. I wish I'd never been convinced to let him take a shift at all (let alone let him lead the search during the day). Anyway, when he told us you'd been carried away unconscious we feared the worst and..." Sam waved a hand in her direction. The gesture said 'this was the consequence'.

Harry nodded. She knew only too well what the consequences had been.

The screen door clicked at the top of the stairs. She heard David's voice before she saw him. "You right out here, Harry? Did you fall in the bin while taking out those empties?" He looked down at the two of them on the staircase. "Oh, Sam, hey! You made it! You two okay?"

Harry replied before Sam had the chance, "Yeah, I just didn't pay close enough attention to the ground and my feet got full of prickles. Dupret heard me shriek and came round to help." 

She looked down at her feet. She'd gotten so caught up in their conversation she had forgotten all about the little seeds using her skin as a pin cushion. Feeling her soles, the surface was completely smooth. A small pile of seeds sat haphazardly on the bottom step. Her body must have pushed them out of her feet as she healed.

"Good on ya! Did he tell you, Harry, Sam's commissioned me to building him a new set of custom cabinetry and bookcases to span the whole of his massive foyer. Once they're done and up, everyone'll be wanting a set. He has that kind of affect on people."

David's admiration was evident as he looked at the man sitting next to her. Harry wondered when that had happened, then she remembered what he'd said about his charms. If Sam suggested them sharing her, David would probably have been more than happy to go along with it.

"You coming in for a beer?" David asked him.

Sam winced, "I'd love to, but I've got a couple of things to attend to. I was just dropping Harry's gift by, then I've got to be on my way."

He pulled a small crumpled present out of his back pocket and handed it to Harry. She looked over the silver wrapping paper. It had obviously been wrapped with care, before being sat on.

"Suit yourself. We'll catch up soon then?" David asked looking hopeful.

Sure thing, mate. I'll give you a call in the morning. Right now, I just need your girl for another minute." 

David beamed at him and headed back indoors.

"I know you've been given a lot of information to process. I'll leave you to have a think over my proposal." He stood. "Hope the gift helps, and go have a glass of wine. You look like you need it."

Harry let out a guffaw. "If coffee's anything to go by, I wouldn't be able to stomach it anyway."

David looked at her directly and grinned. "Ah, I don't ever remember hearing that Jesus turned water into coffee."

With a half wave and a careful kiss on the back of her hand (avoiding her fingers at all costs), Sam disappeared back into the night.

The present sat on Harry's la.

Carefully unwrapping it, a note fell out. In a fine cursive it said: "Even if you only wear them during class, your students will thank you."

She pulled out the gift, intrigued by what it could be.

A pair of fine black laced gloves slid out.

...................................................................................................................................

Quick disclaimer: I am about as well versed in Bible law as Harry. I read the book of Revelation as research before writing this book (and then forgot the name of the book I would be quoting until after I decided on the title for this chapter), however this is the work of fiction and I have merely used the Bible passages for inspiration.

If anything that I have written is offensive. Please let me know, or if you know other links I could make then I would love to hear them.

I hope you are still enjoying and I would love to know where people think this book is heading (even if you are reading this after I have finished it).

Thanks again for reading.  

AnitaKathleen xxx