Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

“The demon-with-no-name was exiled to the island and his name stripped from his own memory for a reason.  I don’t want to bring something horrible past this gate.”
Abigor did a double take.  “Are you telling me you’re concerned about Hell?  What gives you the balls to think you know better than I…”
Sticks stepped in front of Mia.  “Sir, she fears what this demon could do if he was to learn his name.  She is protecting our kind.”
“And you, my squire, are protecting a human.  That takes some nerve, Sticks.”
“I’m still fond of her.  I don’t want her ripped into little pieces,” Sticks said.
“Don’t punish him,” Mia said.  “I’m the one.  I’m the one who has messed up again.”
“Now you’re protecting each other.  Lucifer, what did I do to deserve this?” Abigor asked.  “Sticks, she’s a married assassin.  She kills our kind.  She came here with a dagger.”
“Sword,” Mia said.
“Dagger,” Abigor corrected.  “An angel’s dagger.”
Mia put her hand to her head.  The stress of the situation must have given her a headache.  The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.  “I know,” she said, turning around, looking at the demon on the leash.  “I know who you are.  I know your name.”
The demon looked down at Mia, his large orange eyes filled with questions, but he dared not ask them.
Abigor reached over, caught the leash, and jerked the demon to the ground.
Mia fell prostrate too.  She knew better than to push a demon lord.
Abigor lifted her up, using one hand, and flipped her over his shoulder.  “Sticks, take the demon to a holding cell.  Make it a strong one.  Mia and I need to have a little confab.”
“Don’t hurt her,” Sticks said.
“Why does everyone think I’m capable of hurting women?” Abigor asked.  He smacked Mia’s backside and warned, “If you cry on my suit, I’m going to do worse.”
Mia bore the humiliation in silence.
“She’s in trouble, isn’t she?” the demon-with-no-name said.
“Yes, she is.”
“She knows who I am,” it said.
“She does.”
“I just wanted my name back.”
“By all accounts, you’re a horrible demon,” Sticks said.  “There will be a judgement.”
“Yes, there will be a judgement, but I will survive it as long as she does.”
“You don’t fool me.  You don’t care about her as much as you fear, if Abigor kills her, you will never know your name.”
“That…” the demon stopped talking.  On the island, he would have agreed with the walking pile of sticks, but something stopped him from doing so now.  “It would be a problem if I never found out my name, but I would be sad to see such a creature end her days on earth.”

Chapter Thirteen
Whit watched as the boat arrived.  Ted jumped out and carried a small Pelican case into the jungle.  He returned quickly without it.  He assisted the crewman with turning the Zodiac around. He waved Whit’s group over who were waiting on the rocks.
“Come on, not much time,” he said.  “We’re going to try to make it over the reef and move within the eye until we get to a sheltered cove.”
“What did you leave here?  Is it contraband?” Whit asked, too conflicted to just let things be.
“Just some C4 Patrick was going to use to excavate.  The captain refused to try the reef again until it was taken off the boat.”
“I don’t blame him,” Whit said, helping Ted to push the boat into deeper water.  The team got in, and Whit took a firm hold of Ted’s collar and pulled him in the boat.
“Why did you do that?” Ted asked, rubbing his neck.
“You had the look of someone who really wanted to stay,” he said.  He studied Ted’s face.  “Damn, Mia’s there, isn’t she?”
“I’m not sure.  She was planning on exorcising the demon and taking it to Hell with her.  If she returns, I don’t know where she will return to.”
“Where’s Murphy?”
“I salted him in my room,” Ted said.
“Let’s get the men safely on the boat and come back for her,” Whit said.
“WAIT!” someone called from the beach.
Whit and Ted turned to see Anders running into the water.
“Don’t leave me here!”
“It could be a trick.  That’s the container the demon moves in,” Whit said.
“If Mia was successful, it’s no longer there.  Anyway, if it’s the demon, then it can’t cross the reef.  It will turn to ash.  I believe one of the ghosts will be able to see if the man is possessed,” Ted said.  “Plus, it would ease my worries if I knew I wasn’t leaving Mia on the island.”
“Crewman, circle back.  We have another survivor,” Whit ordered.
Bob turned the boat.
Anders swam fast and hard to shorten the distance.
Together, Whit and Ted pulled the man into the crowded Zodiac.
Anders coughed out some swallowed water before he spoke.  “The demon left me for a blonde woman.  The rocks below her opened up, and the woman jumped in.”
“Is there still a hole in the rocks?” Ted asked.
“No, she caught the edge with one hand.  I reached out to save her, but she let go and the hole closed.”
Ted sat back.
“What is it?” Whit asked.
“She’s not coming back to the island.  She closed the portal.  She’ll have to find another way out,” Ted said.
Daphne took the opportunity of Ted being off the boat to enter his cabin.  She wanted to find out more about the tall passenger.  A home phone number or email was her objective.  The man wore a wedding ring, but in Daphne’s mind, marriage was only an obstacle.  This guy had to be rich to travel in such style, and Daphne liked rich.
The cabin looked like a whirlwind had hit it.  Sabine Norwood’s clothes were hanging out of the drawers.  Daphne took a moment to