A Dagger through Dimensions Chapter 50

That Supposes You Have a Soul

Yeah, we’ve hit 50 chapters…..

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Chapter 50

“That supposes you have a soul,” I grumbled, then opened my eyes.

My first look focused on Adele, her face filled with a pleased and surprised expression. I glared at Cora, who looked down from her chair. Her silence showed me that my hunch was correct.

“How long have you been listening?” she finally asked.

“Long enough to deduce you might be a creator, but you’re also a liar. You just told Adele that she never left this dimension. But you told me I couldn’t leave with her because I might never return since she was rich. To my way of thinking, I’ve signed up with someone who plays a front for someone else. There’s a backer here who carries far more power than you ever had. My bet is they already have your soul. Isn’t that how a deal with the devil works?”

Cora’s expression immediately turned hostile, and I expected another round of torment. Instead, the look faded, and she surprised me with a chuckle.

“You’ve watched too many movies. There’s no devil. Religions use him to keep people in check. You’ll notice there are no churches in Stull Junction.”

I noticed her nervous glance away, and I pressed.

“Call it what you want, but you didn’t disagree with my premise about someone staying in the background. Now it’s obvious that there’s no connection between the past world and this dimension. Otherwise, no need to lie to me about me taking off with Adele. Or you could have let her leave for Sacramento in 1940. Go ahead and tell me I’m wrong.”

Waiting for an answer while wiping my crust-filled eyes with the sleeve of my coat, I looked up at Adele. Touching her cheek, I thanked her.

“I’ve thought about this problem for a while. When she brought me here, there were two guys that looked like demons with her. It doesn’t make sense if she’s so powerful. Other than me, Cora doesn’t seem to have the ability to influence the minds of others.”

“You’ve got real gall to talk about me like I’m not here,” Cora huffed. “Tell me about your meeting with Lees.”

With a groan and some help from a reluctant Adele, I finally sat up while Cora watched us.

“You’re the one who mentioned an agreement. You said that to me in the hospital and I never heard of a god needing a partner.” I told her while shaking my head from the vertigo. “It means you’re limited in your abilities, whether or not you want to admit it. Does it hurt your ego that much to admit someone forced your hand on this?”

The strangely dressed woman kicked the chair back and stood. Adele and I jumped, expecting the worst. Instead of coming at me, Cora went to the window while remaining silent.

“There is no devil,” she finally repeated.

When Cora turned from the window, she continued.

“Before someone shot me, I believed my body was invincible. When I discovered the truth, I reached out for help so I would remain in this place.”

“Then you made a deal with someone,” I stated, and she nodded.

“Yes, at the last minute, I took an offer,” she grimly chuckled.

“You see, I was foolish in my old age. Despite all my research it surprised me that I needed a keystone. When I first came to Stull Junction after dying of old age, I could only wander around like a ghost. Never interacting with my creation. It was impossible.”

For the first time, I saw a hint of vulnerability in the woman’s expression.