Chapter Fourteen
In my car, I felt my phone vibrate in the seat beside me. Well, now or never. “Hello?”
“Lorelei, where the hell are you?” Heath’s voice was tense with anger.
“I’m okay. I went back to see Bast. She had some more info for me. Listen, I’ll meet you at my apartment around six. I have some errands to run, and we can plan everything out then, okay?”
“I’ll come with you.”
“No. I’ll be at Bast’s for a while, and I need some time for myself. I’ll see you at six.” With that, I hung up before he could respond. Next, I texted Patrick to tell him I was fine, that I was running errands and I’d be at my apartment later. Finally, I forwarded Temperance’s message to two of my contacts. I smiled. I had always been a good schemer. Maybe that was the demon in me.
Then I called Anabel. I was going to need some help. Getting Anabel away from the others was less of a challenge then I thought it would be. Anabel, Theo, and Heath had all left Patrick’s. Theo had gone to work and Heath was apparently meeting with one of his professors leaving Anabel free to help me.
I spent the day planning and preparing. Having more time to go back through Thea’s journal, Anabel and I looked for simple spells and potions I could use to ward myself and set about collecting and mixing ingredients. We spent the better part of the day examining the texts, looking for clues, anything to give me an edge before heading out to a clearing to practice my Gifts. Controlling my ethereal light was second nature after so little time. Now I focused on harnessing my energy: drawing power, creating orbs and streams of light. I formed light that was as gentle as a caress or as harsh as a whip. I let the light consume me, the heat licking my skin, but it would never burn me. It was me. The hard part was doing it quickly. I didn’t have the experience like Bast did to just conjure a flame by mere thought. It took focus and time for me to do it.
Another hard part came when focusing on other Gifts. As it turned out, I sucked at spells. An hour into practicing a basic water spell, I succeeded only in setting the clearing on fire, making Anabel howl with laughter. I was water, and I couldn’t even harness it. Before I knew it, I had run out of time. Anabel was hesitant to leave me, but I laid out my plan for her, and she agreed to my terms, setting off to do her part. I left Anabel better prepared than I would have been on my own, but still nowhere near ready to face what was coming.
At least I had a couple of bottles in my bag, and a couple of simple word spells memorized to defend myself. That would have to do.
As it turned out, the address Thea had sent me was to a plot of land surrounded by trees and brush. A narrow path led up to a house, which I could barely make out through the darkening sky. I parked about a mile out, hiding my car between shrubs and hiking it the rest of the way. I felt a pit of excitement and apprehension run through me, starting in my loins and burning out through my extremities. By now, Heath and Patrick would have realized I wasn’t coming to our rendezvous at my apartment and would begin searching for me. I knew my time was limited.
My fists clenched and unclenched as I walked. Counting to three, I clenched and unclenched my fists again. My obsessive-compulsive tendencies were getting worse from the strain. My heartbeat quickened as I came closer, the adrenaline pulsing through me. Stopping outside the gate, I let myself feel the fear.
Now or never.
Sure, I could be a coward—hell, part of me wanted to be a coward. But if I could save Greta and Nicole, people who had futures, real futures, then I had to try. Taking a deep breath, I passed through the gate, walking silently up the path, into the house. I had to remind myself to breathe. The house loomed dark and empty, like every horror movie ever.
Reaching over, searching for a light switch on the wall, I heard a giggle. I squeezed my eyes shut. I’ve always hated horror movies. Part of me wanted to turn and run screaming before I ended up in a slasher film or a paranormal thriller like Scream or The Conjuring. The giggle sounded again, and my eyes snapped open. It was her giggle. My body went rigid. A flurry of movement went past me, so fast I couldn’t make out what it was, but I knew without seeing. It was her. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or even more terrified.
“Lorelei,” she sing-songed, “I missed you.” A rush of wind passed me again, and the lights came on. Thea stood in the doorway opposite me.
“Miss me?” Her smile was maleficent, her dark eyes glowing at me wickedly. With her heart-shaped face, porcelain skin, and curly dark hair, she was exquisite. Of course she could entice anyone to her will. Maybe she really was Eisheth.
“No.”
“Liar. You don’t have to lie, Lorelei. No one needs to know. Admit it, you’ve been having fun. Your life is bleak at best, and because of me, you’re finally living.”
“Living. Is that what this is?” I gestured around the empty room.
“Yes!” She sauntered forward, slowly circling me. “Be honest. Because of me, you met Patrick, and B.T.W. I’m the one who made that happen. You’re welcome! So, because of me, you got the guy, you got your powers, you got adventure.”
“I was in the hospital! You almost killed me, and then you almost killed me again rooting around in my head making me stab Patrick.”
“Lorelei. I found you. It took me decades, but I found you. Do you know what that means?! You’re the one. With me, you can really live. Or, you can go back to your shitty little life. Your crappy apartment. Your sad, pathetic, dead-end job you hate, taking shit from everyone until you grow old and die.” Malice tinted her voice, dropping it deeper as she degraded my life. “Or you can matter. Change history, change the world. With me, you will matter. Come on. Come with me; be my companion.”
“What?”
“I didn’t invite you here to kill you. I thought about it, sure. But when I saw you, I mean really saw you … oh, it was amazing! You were so beautiful, the way the light just shone throughout your body. You illuminated the sky that night. I couldn’t believe Patrick had found you, finally. I’d been waiting for so long for him to find you. I was getting exhausted. I even gave him Jo as extra help.” She sighed dramatically, her voice back to its sweetly melodious tones.
“What are you … what are you talking about? How did you know he’d find me?” My heart began pounding in my chest, fear ripping through me. Thea came to a stop in front of me, lifting up her hand to motion behind her. From the darkened doorway, Nicole and Greta emerged, their eyes vacant, black. Walking in tandem, they stood on either side of the doorway, guarding it. She motioned for me to follow her, the lights turning on as she stepped through into the other room.
“Why else did you think you were both completely drawn to one another so instantly? Did you think I could only get in your pretty little head?” Looking at my face, she giggled, “Oh, it’s so naïve. That’s tragic. Truly. I’ve had his ear since I met him. My hold on him is everything. To be fair, he never remembers that he’s my inside man. Patrick’s function is to find every unknowing supernatural living as a human. He becomes friendly with them, gains info, passes it to me unknowingly, and I decide if they’re worth my time. How infatuated he is with them tells me how powerful they are. With you, it was so passionate, so strong, you had to be the one.
“And you, your ancestors, I did blood magic on them centuries ago. That’s why they hid you, and in Ohio, no less. I love it! You were under my nose the whole time. I’ve been waiting for you, so strong, so powerful. A true leader. And Bast, your complement in every way. It’s been too long since such power has existed together. It’s fabulous. But regardless, your feelings … they’re not real. You’re drawn to Patrick for the same reason he’s drawn to you, ME. Deep down, you know it felt wrong, not quite authentic.” She smiled, her face contorting into a freakish grin.
My mind was reeling. I sat down. Everything was a lie. Not only had everyone been lying to me, but I’d been lying to myself. I felt sick, lost, insane. I couldn’t even trust myself. But then again, I had known t
hat, hadn’t I? On a baser level, I’d known it wasn’t genuine.
She cocked her head to the side, staring at me. The pride of having crushed me exuded from her. She pulled my face up to meet her gaze.
“When I was growing up, I was taught with the other exceptional children. I always knew I was going to be Dark. Always. There was never a moment’s hesitation, and as I grew into a young woman, my powers became magnified. I knew I was the true leader of the Dark. No Gifted person could dare stop me. There was one who tried, your ancestor, Clara. She was foolish to the last. The only clever thing she ever did was to hide her descendants from me. It was the last thing she did before I stripped her of her powers and killed her.
“I heard rumors of the Dark and Gifted joining forces to end me or imprison me for my experimentations. Well, at that point, I’d been working on making our people able to wander after death. A second life, so to speak. So when the time came, I was prepared. I stocked up an arsenal of weapons, spell books, charms, what have you, in safe spots all over the US. Then I called together a conference in Louisiana. I seized the opportunity to use the collective powers of those at the conference to perform a ritual. I staged it perfectly. I simultaneously stripped 256 Darks of their powers, and they didn’t even know it. Standing at the podium, I thanked them all, the fools. They thought they had me, but no, I had a surprise for them. They tried to run when I started the fire. It was wonderful. The high was better than sex, better than anything I’d ever felt. I just stood there and watched, my powers holding them in, keeping the doors locked. No one escaped. No one! I killed an entire generation of Dark, Lorelei. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever done. They begged, pleaded, some even tried to rush at me. I spilled all their blood.” Her eyes rolled up, and she sighed heavily, lightly stroking her collarbone. “Oh, it still turns me on just thinking about it.”
“That’s revolting.” Something pinged at the back of my mind. Something about her history wasn’t adding up. I tried desperately to remember.
“Lorelei,” she stuck her lower lip out, pouting, “you have no idea what I’m capable of. That was just the beginning. Imagine what I can do now.” She stroked my cheek, and I shuddered.
“Come on. Come with me. Join me. I promise not to harm anyone you care about. Your pathetic little wicka friends, or whatever they call themselves. Honestly, each generation becomes weaker and stupider, too trivial to be called what they once were. Sorcerers. Anyway, you can live, truly live. No fear. Do what you want, whenever, wherever. If you want, I could always bring Patrick, too. You can live out your existence with him. I can just keep him thinking he loves you.”
“No. It’s not real. My feelings for him are an illusion. I couldn’t be with him knowing that.” That was it. It was Patrick. The way she met Patrick. It had to be false. That’s what Jo had wanted me to catch when Patrick had been discussing how he’d met Tempie. I shoved it aside mentally holding it to use later on him.
“Well, with me, you can be with anyone you choose. Male, female, perhaps both.” Her eyes darkened. I began to wonder what she truly wanted from me. Me or my powers? Would she strip me of my powers and kill me?
“No, Lorelei. I won’t hurt you if you come with me.” I gasped, and she giggled. “I can read you like a book. Your emotions are etched across your face, love.” She paused for a moment, before starting on a different track. “Look, Lorelei, the story is what you make of it. You don’t have to be second-rate. You don’t have to hide or pretend to be something you’re not. You’re not the first person to question life. I’m offering you infamy.”
“I can’t.” I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. “I’m not like you.”
“You’re wrong.” She ran her hand down my cheek. “We are exactly alike. The only difference is that I gave into temptation, freeing myself from all romantic ideals. Look at Nicole. Has she ever been nice to you? Showed you an ounce of respect or kindness? No. Why? Because she thinks she’s superior. She is rude and insolent. So, why do you care what happens to her? She’s a pest, a flea. You are magical. The epitome of power. She should bow at your feet.” She motioned Nicole forward until Nicole stood before me.
“Admit it. Just one little charm, one little flick of the wrist, and you could own her. Come on, Lorelei. Admit it. Aren’t you tired? Tired of caring, worrying about a pathetic future?”
I stared into her dark, hard eyes, and I knew she was right. How often had I felt alone, downtrodden? How many times had I stayed up late, hoping, dreaming for a real future? Down to my core, I knew I had the darkness in me. The cruelty, the corruption. I knew I could be just like her, and I would enjoy it. Looking at Nicole, who had never been nice to me, I imagined all the things I could do.
“Kill her, Lorelei. Or better yet, humiliate her. Make her lower herself, grovel before you.” She flicked her hand, and Nicole bowed. Eyes blank, she kissed my shoes.
Uncomfortable, ashamed of my thoughts, I pulled away. Head lowered, Nicole said, “Thank you, Master.” Thea motioned her head, and Nicole went back to her position at the doorway.
I paused, mulling it all over in my head. All the lies and half-truths. If it was all a lie, Patrick and my feelings, why stop myself from falling over the precipice? Nothing was left to keep me on the other side. Why not change my story? Why not become something else? Was I a good person? Could I even balance nature when I hated most people? Thea knew all of this about me. She knew I could go either way. I looked over at Greta and knew what I had to do. Maybe I was a bad person, maybe I hated people, but I saw the good in others and the kindness they gave me when others didn’t. My mind was made up. I just needed to play along.
“Okay. Let’s say I want to make a new destiny,” I said slowly. “What would I have to do?”
“Whatever you want to do. Just leave this life and these people behind. On a show of good faith, you need to do one small thing for me.”
“Which would be?”
“A kiss and a kill. One kiss for me, and kill one of them. Prove your worth.” She leaned in to me, smiling.
“I’m not a killer.”
“Pick a side, Lorelei,” she sang. “Either way, you will end up a killer. It’s inevitable. Think about it. In the meantime, a little kiss to seal our deal?”
I stood, closing the distance between our bodies, pulling her to me. As I ran my hands through her hair and aligned our bodies, my lips parted to meet hers. Leaning in, I was lost in her sweet scent of death. She enveloped me in her arms, her hands sliding down my back. My body shuddered in disgust, and Thea pulled away, her eyes turning to daggers. “What was that?”
“Pleasure,” I spoke calmly, trying to quell the bile rising through me.
“Pleasure? Do you think I’m a fool? What are you up to?” Her eyes began to glow ember. Nicole and Greta stepped away from the doorway, moving toward me.
“Stop!” I shouted, putting my hands up. Light flew from my palms, flinging them into the walls, their bodies crumpling to the floor like rag dolls.
“Oh, I see someone’s been studying. But really, do you think you can outwit me? That you’re stronger than me?” Thea’s voice dripped with venom.
We began circling cautiously, never taking our eyes from one another. Outside I heard a roll of thunder. Anytime now. I could feel it. I just had to hold on a little longer.
“Why do you want me to go with you? What do you want from me?” I could feel my hands begin to burn, and I automatically began to spin them, forming a blue orb.
“What do I want from you? You know nothing,” Thea sneered. “You are nothing. You’re a bug for me to squash.”
“Then why am I still alive? Why go through all this trouble if I’m nothing? Why do any of this? Why am I, and Bast, and Patrick so key? Who the hell are you?”
Thea threw her beautiful head back and laughed mirthlessly. Her eyes glowed brighter, her skin stretching across her face, contorting her beauty into something monstrous. “Oh, you’ve been digging, haven’t you? Who do you think I a
m, little Lorelei?”
“I don’t believe you were born Temperance Decker.” I flicked my orbs in my hands, readying myself.
“Clever girl. You’re right, though. I am much, much older than that—which is why you will lose, sweet little Lorelei. Temperance was a clever girl, too, you know. Far too clever for her own good. I taught her well, led her toward her own destruction. She did it all on her own, with just a little influence here and there from a dear old friend. Then that selfish twit thought she’d strip me of my power, like I was some common sorceress.
“Really?” she scoffed. “I showed her. Her death was agonizing. For me, it was melodious, and fruitful. I learned all about her research and her grand plan. She learned my true face and my true nature. So, I carried forth her plan, the convention, that was all real, Lorelei. What I just told you, my supposed story, was hers. I didn’t lie, and killing all those people at the convention, 256 souls, it was better than sex.” With that, she flung out her arm, a red light of energy striking me in the shoulder and sending me into the counter. I crashed down, my orb flying. Thea caught it, put it over her heart, and shoved it into her chest, absorbing it.
“Anything you can imagine I am capable of, I am and more. You cannot hurt me. I thrive off of your energy. Your bloodline’s powers have been diluted through the centuries. Even you can’t hurt me.” With that, she opened her mouth and red mist poured forth, making its way for me.
I lay on the floor exhausted. The red mist swept over me, a tingling running over my skin. It started to sting, and then … I was screaming. It was like my body had been dipped in acid. I fumbled my hand toward my pocket, once, twice, my hand kept slipping past. My eyes were closed, but I knew … I could feel the blood flowing down my hand, and knew the mist was eating my flesh. I screamed in my head and slammed my hand into my pocket. The tight fit peeled off more flayed skin, more blood trickling down.
I grabbed a small bottle and pulled it out, pouring it on my chest, above my heart. Immediately my body started pinching and pulling, healing itself, skin sewing itself back together. I kept my eyes closed, knowing the mist was still there. Healing, I was able to focus on my next move. My energy. I summoned my fire, unleashing it on the mist. I felt the room shudder and groan.
Thea shrieked. My eyes snapped open as the red mist flew back into her mouth, her eyes glowing fiercely. She snarled and threw a red orb at me. I rolled away in time. As her orb connected, the cabinets and counter exploded, wood shards and granite raining down on me. The laugh died on her lips as she began to clutch her chest. Her body began to glow blue as my orb shattered through her.
She cried out, stumbling backwards. “What is this?”
I spoke, my voice hollow and cold, “Silver. In my healing potion. Not harmful to a Dark or a Gifted, but very lethal to a fallen angel, a Lost, a Guardian, or a Succubus, of which I am sure you are probably a little bit of each. It was the only thing that made any real sense. You’re not just one thing. You’ve transformed yourself so many times that you’re an immortal psychopath.”
“It won’t kill me,” she sputtered out in between gasps. Outside another roll of thunder boomed, followed by a flash of lightning. I stood over Thea. Our eyes met, and I watched the glow fade from her eyes. I shot another orb into her chest and directed one straight up in the air. The orb flew through the ceiling and the second floor before bursting out into the night sky.
“No, it won’t kill you, but it will slow you down.” I moved toward Greta and Nicole as a flash moved before my eyes. I felt Jo next to me with Anabel right behind her looking slightly winded.
“About time you signaled. I was getting worried,” Anabel gasped. “Sorry, Jo ran with me. She’s really fast.” Anabel continued, seeing my worried expression.
“They’re breathing, but we need to get them to a hospital,” Jo said, surveying the room, her eyes moving over Thea.
“Anabel, you’ll need to go with Jo and them. Do whatever you can to block Thea from their minds and find out what they remember … and maybe help them forget,” I said quietly.
“You shouldn’t be left alone with her,” Jo growled. “Let me call Patrick.”
“No! I know you heard everything that happened in here. He’s the last person I want near me and certainly near her. I can handle this. Besides, you weren’t the only one I texted this address.” With that, I turned and shot another orb into Thea’s chest. Thea called out a stream of obscenities and lay on the floor, gasping.
“Jo, we’ll be quick, and you can come right back here.” Anabel looked at me questioningly. Without a word, Jo lifted Greta off the floor, and Anabel swung Nicole over her shoulder.
Jo’s eyes narrowed at Anabel. Anabel shrugged her Nicole free shoulder. “Strength charm. What? I’m not a Sang. You want me to drag her out of here?” Jo shook her head, and they walked out, Jo muttering about Anabel needing to take a speed charm.
“Isn’t that cute?” Thea gasped. “The witch bitch and the vamp skank are besties now.”
“Yes, and when I leave here, we’re going to meet up, hold hands, and sing ‘Kumbaya.’” I bit out.
“Funny,” Thea said. She eased herself up into a sitting position. “Now what? You can’t kill me. What are you going to do?” I eyed her, immediately on the defensive. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was up to something, but then again, so was I.
“It’s not what she’s going to do, but what we’re going to do,” Bast said as she sauntered into the room. Perfect. Right on time. Thea’s expression darkened, and she made to move, but Bast and I shot orbs at her simultaneously. Our orbs coursed through her, and her body flashed blue, green, and finally silver. She began to convulse on the floor until finally she stilled and lay limp, her eyes looking listlessly at us.
“We’re going to kill you. Each part of you, one at a time.” Bast smiled vindictively.
Bast and I moved forward, closing in on where Thea lay. Relief washed through me that she was here. “You came.” What would I have done if she hadn’t?
“Of course. And with a present, too.” She held out her hand, and I saw a needle on her palm.
“What’s in that?” Thea gasped in between words.
“This…? Oh, this is pure silver with a blend of iron and nitrate.”
Turning to Bast, I said, “That’s amazing. Do you want to do it?”
“The pleasure is all yours.” Bast smiled wryly.
“Thank you. See, Thea? Look at us, Gifted and Dark working together to stop the likes of you. I read your journal, or rather Temperance’s. I read her biography, too, and a few other things. I am going to relish this moment.” I ground out each word, my body shuddering in anger as I knelt beside her. Too late, with Bast with me I had let my guard down, and wasn’t prepared for the sudden change. The air crackled with energy, again, too late, I realized it was coming from Thea.
I gaped at her and she smiled at me. “You’re beautiful.” Her voice was suddenly strong. Before I could react, Thea shot her hand out, sending a stream of black energy tinged red straight into Bast’s heart while grabbing my throat with her other hand and squeezing tightly.
“You have no idea what all I am, little girls. I would never reveal all my weaknesses so carelessly.” I gasped for air, tugging at her hand on my neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bast slumped over in the corner, blood oozing from her head. “I am not some pitiful demon succubus. I am a Queen of demons. Your Queen. An original, you little fools. I played you both. You thought you could hurt me. You can’t even begin to scratch the surface of what I am. I am Heaven. I am Hell. I have the blood of angels and demons. You have no idea what I’ve done to get this far.” Darkness was closing in. My world began to waver. “You will suffer. You will pay for your sins.”
Her hand glowed red, and a searing pain enclosed around my throat as I choked and sputtered. As my field of vision darkened, I heard the sound of glass breaking and screams. I saw orbs of fire and obsidian flying past my field of sight, and I felt the sweet re
lief of my lungs sucking in the breath of life. Before I completely passed into oblivion, a blurry face came close to mine.
A man’s familiar voice asked, “Are you all right? Lorelei? Shh … relax. I’ll make everything okay now.” A hand stretched to my face and tenderly cupped my cheek. “Rest now,” the blurry face said. My last thought before caving in on myself was that Detective Ash had come for me. And I was safe.