A few days later, Rory is awakened by loud banging on her bedroom door. Her eyes creep open, adjusting to the darkness of the room. They feel sunken and heavy, a dull throb pounding behind her.

Her body aches as she rubs the crud off of her face. She didn't know the time or how long she had been asleep for, but her body feels un-rested and she wants nothing but to just curl up and go back to sleep.

Asta hasn't appeared since their last talk a few days ago and it's been eerily silent ever since. No voices, no slips, nothing. While discerning on its own, Rory chose not to think much about it right now and instead decided to use this chance to get as much sleep as she can. And so for the past few days, Rory has been in and out of sleep, still not replying to anyone's messages or calls.

It was only a matter of time before someone got fed up, which is why the banging doesn't alarm her. Instead, she rolls over and places a pillow over her head.

The banging on the door continues for a few more knocks before it ceases. "Rory, I know you hear me."

Zane, of course. Rory almost regrets giving him her spare key.

"If you don't open up, I'm busting this shit down," He warns and Rory internally groans, removing the pillow from her face and throwing it off to the side of the bed. She doesn't need to be bothered with replacing her door, again.

Rory slowly gets up and makes her way across her room to open the door. An unimpressed Zane is standing on the other side. He looks her up and down and cocks an eyebrow. "You look like shit."
"Fuck you." And then they grinning at each other and suddenly things feel in place again.

"But seriously though, where have you been? Lux keeps asking about you and it's driving me crazy."

"I haven't been feeling well," Rory answers, and it's the most honest Rory has been in a long time.
Zane falls silent at these words.

While Rory hasn't shared many details about her situation, she could only hide so much from him. He's not unfamiliar to her depressive episodes. He's bound to notice his friend's weird behavior and it was only a matter a time before he came banging on her door.

"So, remind me again why you are here, banging on my door like that?" Rory asks.

"There's a job today, and you're coming," He says, a playful smile slipping back onto his face, "Have you not checked your phone?"

Rory groans, "Do I have to?"

"Yup," He pops the end of the word, putting extra emphasis on the 'p', "Now, go get dressed and let's go."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Rory asks, looking down at her shark pajama pants. They were old, the color having faded to a light gray over time, but the tiger sharks retained their cuteness.

"The public doesn't deserve to see the shark jammies," He says sternly.

Rory rolls her eyes, "Fine, are you gonna watch me get dressed, too?" Zane rolls his eyes too, but leaves the room to give her some privacy.

Rory stares at the closed door for a few moments. It's obvious what her friend is doing, he just wants to get her out of the house. But of course, Zane will never outright say it. And honestly, Rory didn't mind. She likes spending time with Zane, whether that be going to a party, or working late nights. Besides, she could use a change of scenery.

As Rory gets dressed, she can't help but notice the lack of eyes on her. It's kind of fucked up, but no sign of Asta is almost more concerning than when he's here.

To Rory, he's always been an annoyance. He would tease and provoke her a lot, but never really anything more. With his appearance, it's easy to forget that he's a bloodthirsty demon, no different than the rest of them.

Rory doesn't want to think about what he gets up to when he's not here. Thinking back to their last conversation, she did tell him to leave, but that's never stopped him from popping up whenever he wanted to before.

Rory could call him, she thinks in the back of head. It's as simple as calling his name and he would have no choice but to come. As long as their deal is in place, he can't disobey her. He is subject to her will. Likewise, all of his powers could be at her fingertips. and all it would take is one word.

But, Rory refuses to use him. Even though he may be under her command, he's still the one in control. Using him would be falling right into his jaws.

She would rather die than to ever call his name.

+++

Rory is not a religious person, nor has she really ever been. She muses this as she stares up at the large, stained glass window depicting a beautiful image of Jesus holding out his hands and a sun haloing his figure. It is dark out now, but. Rory imagines that when the sun is shining through the glass it makes a beautiful spectacle of lights.

The pew is uncomfortable as she leans back against it. No matter how she moves, she can't get comfy. Her fingers absently fiddle with the tie hanging from her neck. This is a bigger job so they are expected to dress nicely, meaning a full suit. On either side of her sits Zane and Lux, equally dressed and probably equally as out of place as she feels. Especially Zane, she's surprised he didn't burst into flames at the door.

It's not that she has an active hate against it, or anyone who is religious. Honestly, she doesn't really feel any type of way towards it. She understands that it's important for some and she understands why one would seek it out. The promise of Heaven can be enticing. Maybe once upon a time, Rory dreamed of it too.

But, Rory's soul, along with her friends', belongs to the Circle. Perhaps her work is why she remains impassive. As a mediator between Heaven and Hell, they don't have a place in either one.

At the altar, Ayden is chatting with the priest and a visibly shaken couple. They hold each other close as they listen to Ayden go over the contract with them. No matter how many times Rory has done this, she still feels sorry for their clients, especially when it's their own child. Not many parents expect to have to request an exorcism for their child.

The child in question is currently strapped to a chair in the middle of the Altar, his snarls and curses have faded to the background over the last half hour as Ayden completes his preparations, which include getting a signed contract from the priest and a consent form from the parents.

It's not usual for the church to request the Circle's help when it comes to certain situations. Depending on the power of the demon, the church may not be comfortable performing the exorcism themselves so they'll reach out to the Circle. It lessens liability on their end, and because it's not an easy process, it puts more money in the hunters' pockets.

Rory watches her brother from behind as he works. Technically, anyone can perform an exorcism, like Rory did the other day in the library. But that was only because she had too.

Ayden was the one who usually handled formal exorcisms, when someone specifically requests one. Contrary to popular belief, exorcisms are not just handed out, and they are definitely not free. It's a process with a lot of paperwork that only Ayden doesn't seem to mind. Ayden was also very capable of handling this by himself. Rory, Zane, and Lux are only there in case things go...south.

To be honest, she hadn't seen or spoken to him since their last dinner, so she was slightly surprised to see him here. Ayden hardly comes out with them on jobs anymore. Rory isn't quite sure why, but she could take a wild guess. She knows she should apologize, but she also knows that won't instantly fix everything. Rory doesn't realize she's bouncing her leg until Lux places a hand on her knee. She gives Rory a smile that eases her nerves.

Beside her, Zane lets out a yawn and Lux's smile is gone, replaced by a scowl. What? He mouths back. Instead of answering, she reaches over Rory to slap Zane's leg. With an offended gasp of air,

Zane reaches over to hit her leg back. Ayden sends them daggers as he looks over his shoulder to glare at them and they both immediately straighten up.

Rory finally turns her attention to the poor, screaming child. He couldn't be older than six years old. That's pretty common, children are easily susceptible to the paranormal. When their eyes meet, his screaming falters for a second and he stills. He stares, unblinking at Rory and a shiver runs down her spine.

Everyone suddenly becomes very aware of the boy's change of demeanor and the room goes quiet. Zane leans forward in anticipation, ready to act at any sudden movements as Ayden cautiously makes his way over to the child.

For a brief second, everything starts to move in slow motion. It's as if she's submerged underwater, her surroundings becoming blurred and muddled. Her throat is suddenly closed, as she tries to gasp for air. All Rory can do is watch as the boy's lips start to move. He whispers something with a smirk before he is back to screaming and time resumes.

Rory is clutching her chest, furiously trying to catch her breath. Her throat burns and tears pool in her eyes. Lux is saying something, but Rory's head still feels like she's understated. She barely registers Zane guiding her out of the seat and pulling her towards the exit. She doesn't see Ayden's worried look as they leave. The boy's words play over and over in her head.

Rory sits with her knees pulled up to her chest as she leans against the wall of the church. Zane stands besides her, smoke blowing from his mouth and a cigarette between his fingers. He doesn't ask any questions, not yet anyways.

He simply leaves Rory to her thoughts and she doesn't know if she's grateful or disappointed.