Convoke

Chapter 41

"Neasa!" Gerry's voice echoed from a cell. "I knew you'd come to see me. Have you brought Catherina?"

Tom and Ezra stepped into view. Gerry's hopeful glimmer died instantly. "Hi," Tom said blankly as Othrowan left them to speak alone.

Gerry's black hair was messy, his beard untrimmed, and his beady green eyes rested on dark sleepless bags. His shirt was half untucked, and his ugly patterned tie was on the floor by his shoes. "What the hell are you doing here?" Gerry asked, studying Tom's bruises.

"I've come to see why you did this." Tom pointed to his face, especially to his eye that was still puffy and badly bloodshot. "Why would you do this to me? You should've known you would get punished for it."

"I was drunk. It wasn't personal."

"Seriously? It wasn't personal? You've hated me for years, and that's not a good enough excuse."

Gerry gripped the steal bars. "My daughter talks of nothing but him!" He pointed to Ezra. "That fucking demon!"

"And?"

"She shouldn't even know a demon, let alone share the same house with one!"

"And this is exactly why you're behind bars right now."

Gerry slammed a palm against the metal. It rung loud and echoed down the corridor. "What's my punishment?" he grumbled.

"You'll soon find out." Tom crossed his arms. "I have a message from Neasa."

"Why isn't she here herself?"

"Because she wants a divorce." The look of shock on his usually smug face made it all worth it. Tom could now look smug, and he did with confidence. "Bye Gerry." He took Ezra's hand and they walked away, ignoring his desperate pleads for them to stay and hear what he had to say. He begged for Neasa, and then eventually, for Tom's forgiveness, but he said nothing, and returned to the main part of the library, still smirking.

"Karma always gets them," Ezra said quietly, guiding Tom to the door. He looked uncomfortable in a place that didn't want him, and Tom felt it too. Even out on the street, as the locals started setting up stalls for the village fair, he felt as though he didn't belong.

All of them paused their work at one point, just to glare his way, or to see if others were seeing what they were seeing.

Before he could suggest going to the hill for a few hours, a group of demons landed by the water fountain. Everyone in the street stopped their work. Six demons stared around, and one went over to a pile of wood and knocked it to the ground.

"We're looking for the man who owns the sandwich shop," a beefy looking demon asked, glaring around.

"That's me," Cal's old boss said, puffing out his chest but standing closer to his friends.

One demon slung off a backpack with half of it burnt away. He threw it to the mans feet. "You set our camp on fire last night."

Tom gasped, as did a few of the old locals.

"Did I now?"

"Yes, you and your friends. You killed one of us. You need to be held accountable."

Ezra suddenly turned towards Tom and leaned in close. "Leave. Things are going to get messy here."

"I'm not leaving you here," Tom replied sternly. "Should I go and get the angels?" He looked back towards the group of demons.

"Get him!" a demon demanded. The group hustled towards Cal's ex-boss, who shoved one of his friends in front of him.