Conduit

He glanced over his shoulder and found the other dybbuk’s eyes glowing unnaturally in the darkness. Far away, he heard Celia thrashing around, still trying to fight off the other dybbuks. Part of him wondered if she would be able. Then the blackness and pain engulfed him, stealing him away.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Elizabeth?” Lev whispered, afraid to call too loudly lest she disappear forever. He took a couple of steps forward, his mind still shocked by what was right in front of him.

  She was alive.

  “Can you hear me?” he asked, louder this time. He was almost within arm’s reach when he saw her chin rise slowly, the movement so slight it was almost imperceptible.

  In the back of Lev’s mind, he heard warning bells going off. Why wasn’t she moving? Didn’t she care that everything was falling apart around her and that all of them had risked everything coming here? How could she seem so cold and removed from it all?

  So many questions, and she seemed almost oblivious to everything around her.

  Unable to quiet the questions or resolve the panic threatening to consume him, Lev did the only thing he knew would make him feel better: he knelt and slid his fingers beneath her chin so he could look at her. Her eyes would tell him everything was going to be all right.

  His index finger grazed her chin, and her hand jerked out, faster than Elizabeth had ever moved, and with her palm flat, she grabbed him.

  “What are you doing?”

  This time, when he looked at her, their eyes met. Hers were a dark blue, the color of the sky during a storm, and while her features bore a familiar delicacy, he clearly realized that whomever this girl might be, she wasn’t Elizabeth.

  In realization, the pit of his stomach dropped, and for a few seconds he couldn’t move. His delay proved to be a mistake. The girl who wasn’t Lizzie sprang before he’d fully registered the she’d moved, and before he could react, she was on him, one knee buried in his chest, pinning him and stealing the breath from his lungs.

  She hissed and reached out, intent on crippling him with pain, and while he wasn’t prepared, adrenaline surged through him nonetheless, and he was angry—angry that he had to be here and, more important, that this girl wasn’t Elizabeth and that they were probably no closer to finding her.

  He managed to throw her off—to get out from beneath her—and tried to reach for his sword, but it had flown too far, so he had no choice but to try to hold her.

  “Where’s Elizabeth?” he growled, gripping her wrists and pinning her to the ground.

  The girl hissed again—a runnel of spittle dripping down the corner of her mouth. She appeared feral and angry, probably from their invasion into her home. She emitted a snarl that he wouldn’t normally have thought about, but more of her super human strength surged through her, and she thrust him back.

  He needed the sword. Since she wore those clothes, she had to know, didn’t she? And he was going to get it out of her.

  Lev didn’t hesitate as he lunged, thinking he could deal with the dybbuk quickly enough. He’d barely touched the grip when he discovered just how wrong he’d been.

  White hot pain burned through him, and his fingers spasmed, closing into fists so tightly his short nails cut into his palms. Despite that, he kept staring at the sword, desperate to get it, but his whole body seemed beyond his control. Instead, his body obeyed a new master—pain.

  With each passing second, the agony grew. It was all Lev could do to keep his eyes open and still try for the sword. Any other movement was impossible. His body burned until he thought he was going to explode, and if he’d been able, he would’ve called for help, but even that might not have saved him, considering Evan was still fighting his own battles and probably couldn’t stop to help him. As usual, Lev was on his own, and if something didn’t give, he knew he would.

  Lev, you have to hang in there. Evan’s voice filled his head. Riley’s coming as fast as he can. He’ll be here soon.

  Of course he will, Lev thought, but such realization brought him no comfort. The last thing he wanted was to be rescued by that Neanderthal. If that happened, there was no way Riley would ever let him live it down. Besides, if he let the pain win, that would mean he was giving up, and he couldn’t abide that. Lev forced open his eyes. A wave a nausea washed over him, and he began to vomit.

  He had no idea of how much time he spent throwing up, only that the burning sensation ended, and so had the sounds of Evan scuffling. There came a whisper—and suddenly he saw his father leaning over him.

  “Are you all right?” Evan asked. Evan was already examining him, trying to find wounds that needed tending.

  “Peachy,” Lev said weakly. His whole body ached.

  At first, Lev’s vision wasn’t particularly clear, but he squinted, struggling to find the girl who’d attacked him. She owed him answers, and she was going to pay up.

  Panting, he struggled to sit up, avoiding his father’s watchful stare. He already knew Evan would tell him he was moving too fast and could hurt himself, but Lev didn’t care. If that woman had answers, he wanted them, and the only way he’d get them was to push—hard and fast.

  Lev started to stand, which was where Evan finally voiced an objection.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “I can’t just lie here all day, especially not with other dybbuks roaming around.”

  Lev didn’t wait for his father to agree with him—he knew that wasn’t going to happen—so he might just as well move things along. By the time he’d finally managed to get to his feet, latching onto an overturned desk in the process and avoiding Evan’s outstretched hand, at least his muscles had stopped spasming. Granted, he still felt nauseated, but it beat the alternative. The good part of him taking so long to get to his feet was that his vision came into focus, and he could see the teenage host he’d mistaken for Elizabeth.

  Lev didn’t know if it were because the previous attack had proven without a shadow of a doubt that she wasn’t Elizabeth or now that he stared at her with his eyes instead of with his heart so he could see what was really there as opposed to what he wanted to be there, but he realized she didn’t look nearly as familiar as he’d first thought. Yes, there were similarities—long dark hair, devastating almond-shaped eyes, and dark skin. Still, even with features which so reminiscent of Elizabeth’s, enough differences gave him pause…and inflamed him.

  Fueled by that rage, he lumbered over to the girl who was now sitting upright, dazed, and before anyone could stop him, he swooped low and grabbed the girl’s shoulders in a stony grip.

  “Where is she?” he demanded.

  “Wh-who?” she stammered, trying to shrink away. Her wide eyes seemed filled with his reflection, and she trembled in his grip.

  “The girl who owns these clothes. Where is she?” He forced her to stand, both of them nearly falling in the process. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.” He shook her, thinking that might persuade her to give him what he wanted.

  “This isn’t your place.” Riley stepped close, glowering. “Now take your hands off of her before I cut them away.”

  “Why don’t you mind your own business?” Lev snapped, his gaze still fixed on the girl. She trembled, eyes downcast. “Because as soon as she tells me what I want to know, I’ll be done with her.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to tell you,” she managed. “I don’t know who Elizabeth is or even how I got here.”

  “Liar.” Lev gripped harder, intent on slamming her against the nearby wall, but Riley gripped his wrist and jerked so Lev couldn’t maintain his hold.

  “She can’t tell you what you want to hear. She’s a host, not a dybbuk. Likely, she doesn’t remember anything that happened after the dybbuks took her.” Riley stepped in front of the girl, blocking Lev’s reach. “And you need to cool down before somebody gets hurt.”

  “The only person who is going to get hurt is you if you don’t get out of my way,” Lev seethed. Once again, he wished he had his wings back. If he had
, Riley would think twice about starting something he couldn’t finish—and so would anyone else who crossed Lev’s path.

  Riley folded his arms across his chest and remained where he was, waiting for Lev to do something, not that he demonstrated any concern for whatever that something might be.

  As Lev opened his mouth, he felt his father grab his shoulder and pull him backwards. He wanted to argue, but Evan shook his head, telling him to be quiet, and that’s when Lev really understood just how much of an outsider he was.

  Once Riley realized Lev wasn’t going to challenge him, he spoke softly to the girl, probably reassuring her that Lev’s attitude regarding her wasn’t in the majority. Of course he would. He’d never met Elizabeth, and he’d probably never loved anyone the way Lev had. How could he truly understand what was at stake and act accordingly to do everything in his power to find her?

  Still, Lev realized Riley probably was right in one regard. In spite of how much Lev wanted to find Elizabeth, this girl probably didn’t have the answers. Pushing her to remember something she didn’t know was only going to cause a major rift among them.

  “What now?” Evan asked, surveying the room.

  “We need to find Celia and Griffin. The dybbuks have been dispatched, and this girl is the only surviving host. Still, with any luck, I think I can get enough of a reading off her to know where the other dybbuks might be. As Lev pointed out, she’s wearing Elizabeth’s clothing, and if I can pinpoint where the other dybbuks are, we can find her.”

  “Are there any more dybbuks?” Evan asked.

  “I don’t think so. Not here anyway, not unless they are on Celia’s end of the building, which is a possibility.”

  “All right. Let’s go,” Evan said, heading for the door.

  “Let me go first. I think I have a better grasp of the layout since I’ve seen more of the building than you.” He stepped in front of Evan. “Just pull up the rear, okay?”

  Evan nodded and gestured for the girl to fall in line after Riley. Then Lev stepped into line. Finally, Evan followed.

  Clearly, Riley hadn’t been kidding when he said he knew the layout. Most of the other rooms or hallways they passed through had enough light so Lev felt comfortable enough knowing what was ahead of him, or could at least see it before it came out of nowhere.

  What Lev didn’t anticipate, however, as he drew his hand across his forehead and wiped away the sweat, was that the girl would weave, almost as though she might faint. This left no choice but for him to grab her waist and make sure she stood upright.

  At the feel of his fingers, she gasped and jumped.

  “It’s all right,” Lev said. “I’m not going to hurt you.

  By now, Riley had turned to see what was going on, and the girl stared at the ground, obviously embarrassed at having been caught during such a moment of vulnerability.

  “Is there a problem?” Riley asked, looking from the girl to Lev, waiting on one of them to answer.

  “I just got a little hot and light-headed,” she whispered, once again averting her gaze like she were afraid one of them might actually look into her eyes and see her soul.

  “And have you recovered?” Riley asked softly. “Or do you need another moment?”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, her shoulders sinking slightly. Still, they could all tell she was shaking like mad.

  “Then by all means, let’s keep moving,” Riley suggested going back and striding effortlessly amid the debris and clutter which seemed to be everywhere they went.

  Even though Lev didn’t recognize the girl as Elizabeth anymore, that didn’t mean her features didn’t have some kind of familiarity to them, something he could neither place nor understand. Of course, perhaps his mind was just spinning out of control, trying to make something out of nothing. Since he couldn’t have Elizabeth, it was probably trying desperately to latch onto something, so he tried as hard as he could just to let the thought go, hoping he could focus on something that might make a difference for him at some point.

  Even so, he found himself watching her, wondering if she knew the strength inside her that the dybbuks had harnessed for their own ends. Probably not, as she appeared so weak and helpless, afraid of everything around her. Still, there was no point dwelling on it.

  About fifteen minutes later, they’d trudged through most of the building, and as Riley had suspected, the rest of the rooms they went through had been empty. Even before the small group had reached the area where Celia and Griffin must have entered, Lev sensed something was amiss. He tried to tell himself he was just overly sensitive, but that didn’t make him feel any less apprehensive.

  Just as they entered the next room, Lev heard what sounded like someone crying. Immediately, his thoughts jumped to Elizabeth because he couldn’t fathom who else would do that here. Then his eyes told him the truth.

  Celia.

  She leaned over Griffin, cradling his head against her body. Even as Lev looked on in shock, Evan flew forward, taking Griffin’s still form from her in his careful, unfailing hands.

  At that moment, Lev understood the depths of his sister’s love for Griffin. In some ways, it matched his own, and if it ran half as deeply, she would never get over this, not if Evan couldn’t somehow change this.

  Evan’s wings suddenly flared into existence in a blinding flash of white that forced Lev to close his eyes. As an angel, the brilliance had never bothered him. As a human, he found it blinding and painful, and he had to force himself not to look. In the darkness, Lev realized the silence had returned. Celia no longer cried, but that meant nothing, just that she was holding out one last hope for salvation. They all held out hope.

  “What…what’s that?” a small voice asked, forcing Lev to open his eyes.

  He found the girl standing there, shielding her eyes as she saw Evan’s true form exposed. Granted, the light drowned out most of her view, but she’d probably seen enough to know the supernatural when she saw it.

  “It’s hard to explain,” Lev said, unsure what to tell her.

  The girl shuddered. “Is he a creature like the one that held me?” Her body trembled, causing her voice to waver. She backed away and ran straight into Lev.

  “No, he’s nothing like that,” Lev reassured her, offering a quick smile. He didn’t know what else he could do to make things better for her. “He does have extraordinary powers, but he’d never use them except to help others, not to hurt them.”

  She shuddered so hard Lev felt the spastic motions through his shirt. Troubled by her fear, he wrapped his arm around her, trying to offer reassurance. No, he didn’t feel his world was all that secure, but considering what she’d experienced and how little she probably understood of it, she was far worse off, and the fear was nowhere near subsiding, unfortunately.

  Despite the blinding light in front of him, Lev looked ahead, trying to see what was happening. Still, all he could manage was a few glimpses of spread wings that blocked everything. He found himself gritting his teeth and praying. If they lost Griffin and one of them had to carry his soul, how would Lev ever be able to tell Elizabeth? It was going to be bad enough to have to share news of Jimmie’s passing. This would be too much. She’d probably blame him, and he couldn’t fault her for that. If he hadn’t been changed into a mortal, he would’ve been able to do more, so much more that she deserved.

  Now he was pretty much useless. He couldn’t even fend off a dybbuk when he had to.

  A few seconds later, Evan’s wings slowly dimmed, and for a moment, it was only the half-light of the room that illuminated his feathers. He slowly tucked his wings back, and once in place, they vanished from sight as he stood and backed away.

  Griffin lay still. Celia wavered on her feet, threatening to fall even as Evan gripped her shoulder. More tears spilled from her face, and she said a single word: “No.”

  Then Lev saw Griffin’s chest slowly rise and fall, just before his eyes fluttered open. He gasped in pain, which was all it took for Celia to drop to her
knees and wrap her arms around him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “What’s your name?” Lev asked as he and the girl sat at a campground about thirty minutes from the building they’d earlier invaded. The girl had, for some reason, not left his side, which in and of itself was odd, but he accepted it as maybe her way of dealing with a situation outside her control. There was no way of knowing what she’d been through.

  “Clarissa Smith.” She clenched her lips shut, obviously uncomfortable talking about herself.

  “Where are your parents?” Lev looked at Celia standing outside of tent she’d pitched for Griffin. Celia’s face was dirty, and she frowned painfully, the longing obvious.

  “I…I don’t know.” She licked her lips nervously and tilted her head down, pretending to study her broken, dirty nails.

  “What do you mean you don’t know?” He cocked his head, trying to understand. How could she not?

  “I haven’t exactly seen them in a long time.” She squinted and spotted a cuticle that she abruptly ripped off, drawing blood.

  “You mean since you were taken?” Lev asked, trying to clarify.

  “No, since I was ten.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My parents abandoned me”

  Lev flinched like someone was about to punch him, and he quickly realized that would’ve been easier, really. A punch you could block. The truth? Not so much. That usually scored the knockout.

  “I’m sorry.” Although Lev meant it, he also knew how lame it sounded even to him. Still, it was all he could think of.

  “Me, too.” Her words came out sounding like a sigh.

  In spite of the weighted conversation, Lev found himself staring at Celia, really not liking the way she seemed unable to move away from Griffin’s tent, as though she feared if she turned away she’d lose him altogether.

  “Look, as much as I hate to do this, I need to check in with Celia. She’s got some stuff going on. I’ll be back.”

  Clarissa nodded to show she’d heard. “I guess I’ll be here. It’s not like I have anywhere to go.” Her tone came out wistful and lonely, something that suggested she didn’t want to be alone, and Lev would have to deal with that later…right after he talked to Celia. That was his crisis of the moment. Clarissa would have to wait.