Sunday, 8th November 1992

"Follow her," Ash whispered when the girl had run past them.

Darnon sniffed at the air and then held out his hand.

"Half now, half later," Ash said firmly.

Ash occasionally used Darnon for menial tasks that required little skill or intellect. The problem was, he was no longer in a position to be picky, especially since Lucifer had done as he'd threatened and virtually black-listed him. Even Strickeon wasn't answering Ash's calls.

The little, hunched creature gave a whine, when he saw the small, pulsing orb form in Ash's hand, eyes wide, saliva dribbled down his chin.

Careful not to include any of Becca's energy in the soul sphere, Ash thrust it towards Darnon, hitting him, squarely in the chest. In a typical response, the creature's eyes rolled into the back of his head as an expression of bliss softened his features, giving a hint of the man that once existed.

"Well, go on, what are you waiting for?"

What Darnon lacked in brainpower, he more than made up for in speed and agility. His legs crouched slightly and then sprung forward, launching himself into the night. Using all four limbs, he ran like a graceless ape and soon disappeared from sight.

Ash waited in the shadows of a large oak opposite the entrance to the churchyard. Earlier, he'd tried entering the church grounds as he had on previous occasions, eager to hear what the vicar and the girl were talking. Anticipating the usual level of prickly discomfort from hallowed ground, he certainly hadn't expected to be thrown backwards, landing heavily on the kerb, with his skin feeling as if it was being flayed by a thousand tiny knives. The protection wards had been increased, which meant only one thing.

One by one the lights in the church were switched off and the front door creaked open. The vicar left the old building, locking it up behind him, and made his way down the path. As he exited the old wooden gate passing under two yew trees that had grown together in a natural arch, he turned up his coat collar against the wind.

The vicar jumped back, spinning around, trying to locate the source of the voice. Ash stepped from the shadows under the orange glow of a nearby streetlamp.

The vicar took a sharp intake of breath.

"Time hasn't been kind to you, has it, John?" Ash said with a smirk. "Although I'm glad to see you've stopped wearing that dreadful, brown hooded-gown. You've also started wearing glasses too, I see. What are you, the Clark Kent of the Custos? Vicar by day, super soul saver at night!" Ash chuckled, pleased with his own joke. The Custos weren't known for their sense of humour. Always too bloody earnest.

"What do you want, demon?"

"I need your help."

The vicar, John, laughed, "I told her what you did, Ashmadalak. She knows exactly what you are and what you are capable of."

Ash's face remained unmoved.

"I also told her what you did to Nadine, what you drove her to."

The earth trembled a little below their feet, a sign that Ash was struggling to contain himself. The slight smirk on John's face disappeared.

"Don't push too far, Custos. You and I both know that I was not entirely to blame."

The vicar shivered, pulling his coat collar tighter. "I'm in a hurry, so you'd better spit it out." The vicar looked down the road where Becca had recently run.

"I want to return what I have taken from her."

The vicar blinked a couple of times. "What new trick is this?"

"No trick." Ash looked down and kicked at a stone. "I didn't realise who she was, I do now and whatever you may think, I cared deeply for her mother and I made a promise never to harm her daughter. I intend to keep it that way."

"So, just like that, you are going to return her soul?"

Ash nodded.

"The great Ashmadalak is willing to give up such a prize because of some promise he made fourteen years ago. Since when has any demon ever kept a promise?"

It took a great deal of self-control not to react in the way John expected, so he ignored him. "Can you do such a process?"

A car approached on the road, passing behind Ash, its headlights falling on John. His face was filled with a weary tension. John waited till it had moved away before replying. "I can, but I'll need help."

Ash knew what the term, help meant. He rolled his eyes. "And once returned, what then? It's only a matter of time before another finds her. She is like a homing beacon. How will you protect her then?"

John paused a moment and slowly, unconsciously began wringing his hands. "Is she really that strong?"

Ash nodded once. "The most powerful I've encountered since..." He thought he heard the wind whisper her name. "The Council's attentions are distracted at the moment with another, but they will be out hunting again, soon."

The vicar looked from left to right quickly, before continuing. "There is another?" His face was a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Who, where?"

"No idea. I am somewhat... out of the loop at the moment, just like your lot, it seems."

The dreary rain grew heavier, as the wind whipped up, slamming the gate of the churchyard.

"We need to do this quickly then. I'll call them when I get home. I'm not sure how receptive she will be however, considering what you have put her through."

While Ash might have regretted breaking Nadine's promise, he wasn't human and didn't feel shame. "She'll cope."

"I need to find her." John looked down at his watch, pressing a small button to illuminate the dial. "It's getting late. She was very upset when she left."

"I am having her followed, you'll not lose her, this time. Just concentrate on setting this up. I'll make sure she gets home."

John stared at Ash, clearly having an inner battle as to whether to believe him or not. After a short while he began walking away. The further he walked, the quicker his pace. Fear always revealed itself eventually.

"Stokes," Ash called to him. The vicar stopped. "For the sake of the girl, I strongly suggest that the Custos doesn't try to cross me this time. Because of you, the girl no longer has a mother. Don't repeat that mistake.

Ash located Darnon easily due to the creature's pervasive stench. Crouched behind a car, distracted by a black beetle scurrying across the gravel drive, he didn't even hear Ash approach. Darnon really was a particularly useless specimen. Not a demon and no longer human, Darnon existed merely to serve and he wasn't particularly good at that.

"Here." Ash held out another sphere, "remember, you haven't been here, and you haven't seen me. Got it?"

Darnon grabbed for the pulsing ball of light, grunted and ran off, allowing Ash to turn his attentions to the house. Moving around the side, he found the downstairs of the property except for the living room, where a middle-aged woman was sleeping in a chair. The television in the background was showing some Sunday worship program where men in roll-neck sweaters and women in floral blouses were singing hymns in a church packed to capacity. He didn't blame the woman for falling asleep.

A light shone dimly from an upstairs room. His acute sense of hearing could detect only mere whispers, but he recognised both voices- Becca and one of the young men she'd been to both the rave and the club with, Ben. He really hoped she wasn't sharing what Stokes had told her or what had been happening over the last few days. External involvement was problematic at best. Nadine would still be alive now if she hadn't told that idiotic husband of hers what was happening to her. In trying to help, he had done more damage than anyone of them was prepared for.

A twig snapped not too far from where Ash crouched. His senses piqued as he scanned the area, his eyes boring through the veil of darkness. Except for a small field mouse scurrying beneath a pile of damp leaves, he could see nothing out of the ordinary, and the only scent he could detect was the lingering reek of Darnon. Normally he could feel the presence of another person if one was close by, but his body still prickled from his run-in with the protection wards at the church. He scanned the area one last time before being satisfied that he was indeed alone and then summoned a portal to take himself into the house.