I lean against the tree with Kieron pressed against me. As we continue to watch her, I’m not immune to the charge that races through my body at having him so near…so kissably, touchably near. If I wasn’t so worried about what Tatiana was doing…
She looks so tiny in the middle of the burned out field, wearing nothing but a long, white dress, half of her silver hair piled on top of her head, the rest flowing freely past her tiny hips. She looks like a ghost…a spirit of the night.
She raises her hands high above her head and begins some unintelligible chant. Her hair lifts and dances on its own, swirling in a heightened frenzy, matching her increasingly loud singing. Soon she levitates several feet into the air, screaming and singing, head tilted back, hair whipping madly.
The ground moves, the air rises up like a mini tornado with Tatiana in the middle. I gasp and start toward her, but Kieron holds me back. “No, Lucky,” he whispers. “Let her do her thing.”
And what an amazing sight her thing is to behold. The scattered debris forms a whirring cloud around the vortex of Tatiana’s levitating body, swirling and rushing like a cyclone blizzard. It is terrifying… and awesome.
Even though I’m seeing it with my own two eyes, I still don’t believe it. The spinning tornado begins to form shapes, and in a flash the cabin, along with the trees and shrubbery, have returned to their earlier forms. In less than a minute, it’s as if nothing had ever happened.
Kieron breathes in awe. “That is some serious magic right there.”
“I know,” I whisper back, just as dumbstruck. It’s one thing to rebuild a wall or two, but to entirely reconstruct to its original form something that had been reduced to embers…it’s positively mind-blowing.
“Come on, let’s go in,” Kieron says as the house closes itself up again with Tatiana inside. A second later, smoke is billowing from the chimney, and lights flicker in the windows. I shake my head and chuckle.
“Coming.”
~~~~
I pour three cups of Tatiana’s favorite tea and place the cups on antique china saucers. My hands tremble, rattling the dishes as I carry one cup in each hand over to where Kieron and Tat sit next to the fire in the living room. I don’t like the wan look on Tatiana’s face as I hand her a saucer—she looks more tired than I’m used to seeing her. I glance at Kieron, and as I set his cup beside him I have to hold back a smile. His expression hasn’t changed much from the stunned awe with which he had watched Tatiana work. He gazes upon her now with a newfound respect, mixed also with a heightened sense of fear.
“Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite,” I whisper and give him a quick kiss on his lips. He grins and strokes the top of my hand before I return to the kitchen.
“It’s just so amazing,” he says, taking a small sip of tea. “I’ve never seen that much power from a human before…hell, that’s more power than many demons I’ve known have.”
Tatiana gives a small smile and brings the gilded cup to her thin mouth. “A sorceress’ powers are ever-evolving…constantly changing. We differ from the immortals that way. You are created with an exact set of unchanging powers you will have for the duration of your existences, no more, no less. Humans, the witches and warlocks, our powers change as we do. I do admit I am a tiny bit impressed I was able to restore my favorite china set to complete perfection. Just imagine, it was naught but dust a few minutes ago…”
“Remind me to never, ever make you mad ever again,” I say as I sit beside her, holding my own cup of tea.
“Lucky, darling, you have been one of the brightest lights of my life. I shall miss you more than you know—”
I set my cup and saucer down with a clank. “And what is this nonsense about me ‘having to leave’?” I make air quotes with my fingers and give her a puzzled look. “So they come back…so what? We blow them to smithereens like the others…”
“Lucky. Everything has changed.” Tatiana’s voice is soft, but loaded with a solid strength reserved for only the direst occasions. I shiver to hear it now. “You’ve been exposed. They know who you are…what you are. They know where you live, and they will certainly be back. They need you to accomplish their mission, and they won’t stop until they’ve succeeded.” She pauses to take a sip of tea, then closes her eyes, sighs, and leans back.
“Of course, I will be putting a concealing spell around the cabin,” she continues, “but Lucky, do you really want to live the rest of your life trapped inside here? And what about Liora? I’ve always feared the day would come when she would no longer be safe in her world…”
Kieron wraps his hand around mine, but even that doesn’t calm the jumpiness in my gut. “So you want me to run away? To hide?”
Tatiana shakes her head. “I want you to be able to live. I want you to be safe. You need to be where you can flourish and be free. And sadly, that place is no longer here. Dryndara is also out, is it not?”
I can’t believe I’d actually forgotten about that. It seems so surreal, being banished from Thiberoux. How can that be? How can someone be banished from their home?
My shoulders slump, and I nod slowly.
“So unless you want to be stuck inside a cabin for the rest of your life, drinking my synthetic Energy in the mortal world, sadly, I believe it is time for you to move on. It’s for the best.”
“Where will I go?” I ask quietly, tears pooling in my eyes. It’s bad enough being kicked out of Thiberoux. But now Tatiana wants me gone, too?
Kieron drapes his arms over my shoulder and pulls me closer in a silent show of support.
“I think the best thing for you to do now is go West. California, specifically. Los Angeles.”
I nearly choke on my tea. “What? Why would I go there? I’m not interested in stupid Sapie movie stars—”
“It’s a safe place for you…well, safer than here. In the Land of Lost Angels, demons roam free—unlike here. There are many sanctuaries available to you, and there are Energy Sources you can tap into. If you have problems with Light-angels, you will have more support on your side. Also…” Her voice drifts away, and her gaze turns thoughtful.
“Also, what?” I prompt when she doesn’t continue.
She shakes her head, purses her lips, then lets out a long sigh. “It’s near where my sister lives. Remember I mentioned her to you?”
“Yeah, you said you weren’t close.”
“We’re not. And I may be entirely off base here, but I’ve always wondered…” Her voice falters again.
“Always wondered what?” I ask impatiently.
“I’ve always wondered if she could help you. And Liora. Your condition. I’ve always felt if there was a way for you to be healed through magical means, she’d be the one to help you.”
I suck in my breath, my eyes wide. “Really? You mean she can—”
“I said maybe. And that I wondered if. I make no promises, not by any means.”
“But you think there’s a chance? Even a small one?” I ask, not daring to get my hopes up, but feeling them soar anyways. I need to hear something even remotely positive right now, especially after the complete and utter shit-storm that just rained down upon me.
Tatiana flashes a thin smile. “In my humble opinion it’s the best chance you have. Certainly better than if you stay here.”
I look to Kieron to see his reaction. “I think it’s a good idea. Of course, I’ll be by your side wherever you are,” he says.
“You wanna leave here? What about school?”
His eyes twinkle. “Gee, I dunno. It’ll be tough, but I think I’ll manage without it for a while.” He strokes my cheek and wipes away the single tear sliding down it. “My life is with you, now and forever. Wherever that is. I swear I will never leave your side ever again.”
I take a deep breath and nod, turning back to Tatiana. “What about you? I can’t leave you here by yourself—”
She swishes her hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t you be worrying about an old woman like me. I’ll be fine. And besides, I’m n
ever far away from you, no matter where you are. I’ll always be here for you, my sweet child,” she finishes telepathically.
I stand up, cross the room, and give her a big hug. “I love you so much, Tattie. I’m not even going to get mad at you for never telling me you’re a telepath,” I whisper before planting a kiss on her cheek.
She gives a tinkling laugh and hugs me back. “A good sorceress never reveals all her secrets,” she whispers. “And some secrets are meant to be kept forever…”
I pull away, looking at her sadly before returning to my seat beside Kieron. “When should we go?” I ask.
“The sooner the better,” Tatiana replies. “But you have some time…the Light-angels probably still haven’t yet figured out which dimension they are in.” She gives a conspiratorial wink. “It will take them some time to find their way home and alert the others. Meanwhile, I’ll need to make some potions for your trip…a little something to keep you flying under the radar and enough Energy to last you until you find a new Source.”
“What about Liora?” I ask.
Kieron and Tat exchange glances. “We’ll handle it. She’ll understand. She wants to be safe too, I’m sure,” Kieron says.
“I would like a chance to say my goodbyes to her…” Tatiana says with a sad smile.
I pause a moment, then nod. “Okay. We can go after sunrise.”
Tatiana stands up. “Come now. Let’s get you some Energy and heal all those nasty injuries.”
Tatiana’s magic may be able to fix my physical wounds, but not my emotional ones. Kieron and I follow her to her room.
“Fine. But make it quick. There’s something I have to do before we leave. Alone.”
~~~
“Hey, Lucky…wait up a sec…”
I turn to see Kieron jogging toward me, his beautiful face freshly healed thanks to Tatiana’s magic and some Energy shots.
“What?”
He pauses beside me and takes my hand. “Kieron, what is it? I told you I have to do this one thing, and I don’t have time—”
“It’s this.” He presses something soft into my palm. His eyes look strange, and his mouth is drawn into a tense line. “You need to have it…you need to know…”
I look at the bag he’s given me, confused. It’s the same satchel I had thought held the veneficus calx…instead, it was full of the dirt I threw at the Light-angels. “I don’t understand—”
“It’s Bones,” Kieron says, his voice low, reverent. “His ashes. I gathered them for you after he was—”
I inhale sharply and look down at my hand, the velvet sack now feeling infinitely more precious than it had mere seconds ago. “These are Bones’ ashes?” I repeat, stunned.
Kieron nods. “I was going to give them to you when the time was right…but then you took the bag and threw the ashes at the Light-angel—”
“Oh, no!” I gasp, horrified. I cannot believe I did that! Had I known what it was…
“Lucky, don’t feel bad,” Kieron says, seeing my dismay. “You throwing the ashes of a pure demon is probably what saved our lives. Nothing else was working! Think about it…he gave you this final gift…saving your life…both our lives. I just thought you should know.”
He wraps his hands over mine and leans forward to give me kiss on the cheek. Then he heads back to the cabin, leaving me alone in the dark.
After a few minutes, I regain my composure. Time is of the essence, so I tie the satchel to my belt loop, put my fingers to my lips and blow. Within seconds Diablo emerges from his place in the shadows. He nuzzles his warm nose into my chest, and I gently stroke his face.
“Hey, boy. I’m gonna miss you. I wish you could come with me where I’m going, but you can’t.” He lets out a low whinny and nudges me again. “You need to find yourself another rider, ‘kay? Someone who treats you right. Or better yet, find yourself a pretty little mare, settle down and make a family.” I smile and stroke his long neck as he tosses his head. “But first, I need you to do one last favor for me.” I quickly kick my legs up over his back and hold on tight.
Together we streak through the pitch black night, weaving in and out among the dense trees. I press my chest to his neck, clutching his mane tightly in my hand. Assuming we’re heading to the Portal, Diablo takes a familiar turn. But I guide him in another direction.
“Whoa, boy. Whoa….now, come on.”
I know he’s confused, but he does as he’s commanded. Soon I dismount and pat his face. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
The air is quiet; the clear sky dances with brilliant stars. Dried leaves and dead branches crunch beneath my feet as I head to the massive oak tree…the spot where I first met Bones all those years ago.
I sit down on a stump and wipe at the corners of my eyes. I know he’s gone. Yes, part of him will always be inside me, forever, but that doesn’t make the hurt any less. I’m not going to see him again…not in this life at least. I know he said we always find each other, and maybe that’s true. But I have no way of knowing. Perhaps he just told me all that stuff to make me feel better about dying.
I close my eyes and think of the first time I saw him. How he appeared out of nowhere like a gorgeous beacon, guiding me to the world I would call my home. My true home. He was my companion, my guide, my friend. My ally. My love. He was everything for me, yet it was still never enough.
And now he’s gone. Maybe forever.
“Bones,” I whisper in the breeze. “I keep waiting for it to hit me…that you’re dead and never coming back to me. Not in this lifetime at least. But it doesn’t feel that way….not really. I still feel you everywhere. I close my eyes and I see your amazing, perfect smile. The wind blows, and I hear your voice. You’re not gone, are you?…Not really. I feel like a part of you will always be with me.”
I stand up and walk in a slow circle, kicking at the leaves on the ground. “I have to go now, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be coming back. But I just wanted to tell you how much I loved knowing you, and I want to thank you for being my best friend. I’ll think of you every day until I die, and I hope that maybe someday our souls do cross paths again. I promise I’ll try and find you. I hope you’ll do the same.”
I pause to look at the grey, twinkling sky, and wipe the trickle of tears from my cheeks.
“Goodbye, my friend.” I whisper.
Diablo is standing where I left him, and I quickly mount. “Home, Diablo,” I croak.
I don’t look back as we speed through the forest for the last time.
Chapter 22. Liora
“Sometimes it’s okay to spare me some details,” I say as Kieron finishes explaining to me what happened last night, exploding Light-angels and all. “I still can’t believe Tristan was an angel. I never knew…I mean, I suspected he maybe wasn’t quite right the other day when I realized I was the only one who could see his scars, but I just thought…”
“You thought he was a demon,” Kieron finishes.
“Yeah.” I gulp guiltily and look away. “You know, don’t you? About me and him?”
We’re sitting outside in the early morning watching the sunrise from the back porch. I’ve been awake about thirty minutes, and have been getting the lowdown on the turn of events from Kieron ever since, while Tatiana is inside making us breakfast. I don’t know what surprises me more…that Tristan and Cassie were Light-angels who got blown up, that Tatiana reconstituted the demolished cabin by waving her arms around, that Kieron and I have to leave our lives here in Virginia and relocate to California immediately, or that I am sitting here in the same filthy, bloody clothes that I woke up in yesterday morning in the dungeon prison.
Kieron nods and shrugs. “He mentioned something. I think he was draining you…trying to keep you under his control…”
“You’re not mad?”
He narrows his eyes, and the muscles in his jaw quiver. “Mad? I’m furious! I wish the bastard was alive right now, just so I could have the pleasure of killing him again, by myself this time. Nice and
slow—”
“I mean mad at me,” I say softly. “Mad that I was…with him while you were…” I swallow the rest of my sentence and look away.
Kieron brings my face back to his. “I’m not mad at you; I am grateful. Grateful you’re here with me now. The past is the past. We have our whole future to look forward to. A new start. Just you and me.”
“Um, yeah, about that—”
“Breakfast is ready,” Tatiana says, popping her head out the door. “Hurry and eat. You two best get on the road soon.”
We stand up, and I brush the dust from my legs. “You eat, I can’t,” I tell Kieron and lean in for a kiss. I melt in his arms for a moment before pulling back. “Go. There’s a hot shower calling my name.”
“You don’t want anything?” he asks.
I shake my head as we cross the living room. “Nah, I’ll just have some toast when I’m done cleaning up.” I didn’t want to tell them that the smell was making me sick to my stomach. We have enough to worry about without me getting the stupid flu right now. Perhaps once I shower and change I’ll feel better.
Fifteen minutes later I emerge, fresh and rejuvenated. I don’t feel as queasy anymore, but I pass on the omelet Tatiana sets before me in favor of an English muffin. She eyes me suspiciously. “You need to eat. You need your strength.”
“I’m strong,” I mumble, not wanting to meet her gaze. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll start bawling like a baby. Am I really leaving this cabin forever? Is this the last time I’ll sit across the table from Tatiana? Is this the last time I’ll ever see her?
“I’m going to miss you too, sweetheart,” she says, casting a loving gaze in my direction. I look up from picking at my muffin and smile at her.
“Um, I’ll be in the other room packing Lucky’s things. I have a feeling she’ll be pretty upset if her favorite dresses don’t come with us.” Kieron winks at me as he stands up and heads toward my bedroom. “Let me know when you’re ready.” I give his hand a squeeze, grateful for a moment alone with Tatiana.
“I don’t want to leave here, Tat,” I tell her once he’s gone. “I never wanted to ever leave you. I’m only doing this because you want me to. But I wish I didn’t have to—”