Azazel:Key West:9/8/25
Landfall expected on the 12th. Since Iahel’s trailer is built right over the Hell Portal, we’re fortifying. We can’t have it destroyed in the storm and the portal exposed. But we’re not talking plywood, this is a more spiritual fortification. First, we feed energy into the surrounding landscape. The rocks, trees, grass, shrubs, the insects, the birds, the tiniest fungal spoor, all of it gets a demonic boost. It’s nature imbued with a combo storm/angel repellent. Angels hate nature as much as they hate demons, and our energy will lend strength to nature, so it’s very effective.
Then we work on shielding. This is a blood ritual. We draw our own blood and offer it to the Earth, the soil acts as conduit, channelling deep Earth energy up to us, which we then use for our shield. The portal is in a pretty active neighborhood, so we worked under cover of darkness and Mal dropped a sleeping spell on the other residents of the park. We should get enough juice back from The Mother to shield them all from the storm.
Demons work all the miracles around here.
The last part of storm preparedness is my favorite. Sharpening my knives. These knives were forged specifically for an occasion like this many years ago. My blacksmiths forged potassium into the steel so when the blades get wet they bursts into flames. Angels hate fire even more than they hate nature and demons.
Fire is their death.
Flames are my life.
Which is why the dream I had last night is so intriguing, I dreamt a fire ball will land at the Key West International Airport the day before the storm hits.
Can’t wait to see what that’s about.
Rebecca:Deadwater:9/8/25
Tickets are purchased. Bags are packed. We don’t leave until early on the 11th. I am vibrating with anxiety at this point. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. All I can think about is landing in Key West the day before a massive hurricane is set to make landfall. And seeing Mal again. And whatever else we may be walking into.
Miriam, the other hand, is suddenly all placid waters. She’s actually smiling. She sleeps. No fevers. She’s positively radiant.
Now I’m the one having dreams. I dreamt about Azazel swinging flaming swords in front of a pink trailer.
I’m actually looking forward to seeing him again. I owe him a hug he’ll hate.
August:A Hell all our own
Well, I’ve done it. I’ve told Evelyn that I want to raise Hell with her. She laughed, at first. But then I remembered. I remembered what it was like to have stolen energy coursing through me. To rule with intention. And I pictured our neighbors. I remembered how I used to open my mouth wide and draw a breath from deep within me. I opened wide and sucked the neighbors’ energy. Then I lit the pentagram on fire.
“August Evelyn Nevernight! Where did you learn to do that?” Evelyn hopped the flames to stand inside the circle, singeing her petticoat a little. I jumped after her.
“I learned it while I was a ghost,” I put my hand on her cheek and felt her smooth skin. I was mainly too afraid to touch her back when we were alive. It was so very easy to send a woman into madness with just the slightest impropriety in those days.
“August,” she put her hand on mine, kissing my palm. “I’m trying to get back to Hell, I hate it here.”
“So let’s turn this place into Hell, my love. A Hell of our own.”
“You would do that for me?”
“I would do that for us.”
“Oh, August!” She embraced me lustily.
“Can I confess something?”
Evelyn pulled away slightly. “What?”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you gyrating on top of me two days ago.”
Her eyes lit up and she smiled at me. “We could try it without disemboweling you this time.”
I must admit I nearly collapsed in her arms and had quite the… well… stiffness. It seems we had quite the wrong idea about women when I was alive.
