Michele Bardsley - Broken Heart, Oklahoma 7 Cross Your Heart

To Daddy and Linda

and to Aunt Rosie and Uncle Benny

and to all my Arkansas family

For him I sing,

I raise the present into the past,

(As some perennial tree out of its roots, the present on the past,)

With time and space I him dilate and fuse immortal laws

To make himself by them the law unto himself.

Walt Whitman,

Leaves of Grass

Whats the point of saving the world if you cant get a little nookie once in a while, huh?

Dean Winchester, Supernatural, Hunted

What are you thinking, Ellie? asked Tez.

At least hed left off the Bee part.

About the Broken Heart curse. I told him about Mary McCree and how, as everyone generally believed, the town had been named.

You think the bones you found were hers?

No, I said. I think I found Elizabeth.

And she is

I shook my head. You know how they say many myths start with a seed of truth?

You mean like all those legends about werewolves and vampires?

Ha, ha. But, yes, thats what I mean. Maybe the Broken Heart curse is real. Maybe it was trapped in this room, and when Patsy and Gabriel broke inside here, they released it.

Thats a helluva leap. Now its not a ghost or a demon, but a a living curse? I liked it better when we decided youve got a ghost after you.

Or a really annoying demon, said a female voice from the doorway.

We turned. Neither Tez nor I had heard the approach of others. Phoebe! Connor! I hurried to my friends and gave them both a hug. You certainly got here fast.

Connors got the transport mojo, said Phoebe. And it sounded urgent. Especially since Patsy is cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.

Hey, I like her, said Tez.

Connors brows rose and a proprietary hand snaked around his wifes waist. Wasnt testosterone delightful? Humph.

I made the introductions, and then Tez and I stepped aside while Connor and Phoebe examined the room.

Five of everything, said Connor, his Scottish accent thick. Ach. Not good.

Really weird vibe here, added Phoebe.

I felt like a hot brick slid from my chest into my stomach. Demonic?

Sorta, said Phoebe. Ive never felt this kind of energy before.

Cause its ancient, said Connor, an rare. He glanced at me, and the look in his eyes frightened me. The obsession with five makes me think were dealin with Mammon.

Whats a Mammon? asked Tez. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close, but I wasnt sure if he meant to comfort me, or himself.

Hes a prince of the underworld, like my father, but much, much older. Most of the demons that have been around as long as Mammon are Well, I guess asleep is the word. Demon offspring arent born like humans. Theyre created from the energy of the ancients deep in the Pit. Then many of em spend centuries climbin into the upper levels, and some break through on the earthly plane. He gestured around the room. But someone invoked Mammons power.

You mean theres an ancient demon walking around Broken Heart? I was horrified. About a year ago, the entire town had been attacked by a demon named Lilith and a legion of her demons. Thanks to Phoebe and Connor, as well as help from the goddess Morrigu, Lilith had been defeated.

Connor shook his head. Mammon wouldna leave the Pit. The ancient demons are Hell, if that makes any sense. Their energy creates an sustains other demons. Ancients I suppose youd say they specialize in darker qualities, and those traits create the purpose of their children.

And Mammons purpose?

The original demon of greed, said Connor. In all its forms. Greed has many facetsmoney, love, ownership.

So greed could turn into lust or into jealousy? I asked.

Connor nodded.

If this demon is as badass as you say, said Tez, then what would entice him to give away some of his power? A human called on Mammon, right?

My thoughts aligned with Tezs. Someone who lived in Broken Heart more than a hundred years agosomeone who thought they needed help to get what they wantedhad invoked a demon.

Like Jeremiah Silverstone.

Dear God. Had my ancestor brought down the wrath of a demon on himself and this town? I couldnt wrap my brain around the concept. I was the one whod suggested the curse had been released, but I hadnt realized how close my supposition might be to the truth.

Sacrifice interests Mammon, said Connor. Nothing less than a blood offerin woulda made him take notice. After that I dinnae know.

Well, if Mammons not really here, then whats walking around Broken Heart? asked Tez.

He probably sent a shadow. Connor examined the shelves, frowning. Shadows are reflections of their creator. Same qualities. Same desires. They tend to be obsessive.

Like collecting the same number of objects over and over? asked Tez.

Exactly, answered Connor. And Mammons shadows are particularly obsessed with the number five.

Think of shadows as demon lite, said Phoebe. She was near the trunks, disgust worming across her features as she stared at them. Theyre not as strong or as smart, but they are relentless. Theyll fulfill the purpose they were called for, no matter what.

Theyre temporary, though, said Connor.

Whats temporary mean for demon lite? asked Tez.

Couple of centuries, maybe. Connor pointed to the knickknacks. These are tokens. They were stolen from the people chosen as sacrifices. Havin these gave the shadow control over em. Keep an object long enough and its imbued with your essence. Even the tiniest bit can give a demon power over you.

Seriously, Tez whispered to me. This town is really fucked-up.

Lets find out for sure what were dealin with, said Connor. He joined his wife and they turned toward the center of the room. Phoebe looked at us and made shooing motions. Move back.

Tez and I did as she asked, plastering ourselves against the far wall.

Using hand gestures and uttering words in a language I didnt know, Phoebe and Connor created sparkly black ropes of light that weaved into intricate patterns above the center of the floor.

Holy damn, murmured Tez.

Their magic thickened the air with the scent of sulfur. I felt electrified by whatever they were doing. The back of my neck tingled, and I found myself squishing against Tez. He held on to me, and I clutched his forearm. I could feel the goose bumps formed there.

Then the interwoven ropes drifted to the floor and then bam! The magic blasted onto the wood planks. The spell revealed a circle etched into the floor. Within the circle were drawn five symbols I didnt recognize along with odd squiggles and crossed lines in between. Connor seemed particularly interested in the middle symbol.

Then the black sparkles completely dissipated, and everything that had been visible on the floor disappeared.

Mammon, said Connor. He turned his gaze to the doorway, which made the rest of us do so as well.

Lenette Stinson stood there. She was a lovely woman with loosely curled red hair and moss green eyes. She wore a long black dress cinched with a wide green belt and underneath the swirled skirt, a pair of black ankle boots. Several strands of necklaces in various colors and lengths hung off her neck; and she wore two rings: on her left, a large emerald set in gold; and on her right, a pure silver band that covered her forefinger from bend to knuckle.

What kind of moron locks a demon in an attic? she asked. She pointed from the top of the doorjamb to the floor. It was amateurish at best, but it did the job.

Its bespelled? asked Phoebe.

It was. The seal was easily broken by Patsy. It couldnt have resisted her innate power. Shes too strong. No doubt she opened the door and walked through it without any resistance.