Black

by Angelina J. Steffort

  “The rest of you need to be ready to teleport in. You’ll need to be close enough to hear the conversation but far enough away so that Volpert won’t sense your energy.” Adam grimaced and his eyes flashed at me—but he was looking through me rather than at me—the hunger I’d seen there was back for a brief moment before he averted his gaze.

  “You’ll wait and make sure we are alone, and then you strike him down quick. He is extremely dangerous—ancient and stronger than any demon I’ve seen.”

  “If he’s that strong—how are we going to defeat him?” Ben asked sullenly.

  “The same way you healed Adam’s wounds,” Liz stepped forward. “You work together. Combine your powers and you’ll defeat him.”

  “All of us,” Chris gave Ben a warning look.

  The rest of the night was talk of details. Adam had left shortly after we had coordinated everything that was relevant to him. He had tried to make his wings appear and disappear—they did without leaving fresh injuries. That was good news.

  The bad news was that Volpert had reacted to my message immediately, which didn’t leave us as much time to prepare as we’d wanted.

  Two hours. Come alone.

  Jaden and I were staring at the display.

  “I’ll be just a blink of an eye away,” he promised. “We all will.”

  Jenna, Chris and Ben were nodding as to support what Jaden was saying.

  Jenna had teleported Liz back to her house with the instructions to call if anything unusual happened. Liz had assured us that she would be available anytime if we needed her again.

  Now we were ready to leave for the graveyard. Tonight would make all the difference for the safety of my old family and my new. I had to play my role well and I was determined.

  Jenna had brought my car on the way back. Everything was prepared—as prepared as a two-hour timeframe would allow.

  We had maybe fifteen minutes left before I would have to drive to the scene of Volpert’s future destruction. My left foot had crossed the threshold behind Jenna, Chris, and Jaden, when Ben caught me by my elbow and pulled me back roughly.

  “Ouch—” I protested.

  The others turned around, alarmed by my noisy objection.

  “We’ll be out in a minute,” Ben called over my head and pulled me inside.

  “What’s wrong, Ben?” I hissed.

  He was still holding my arm, hesitant to let go.

  “You don’t need to do this,” he said. His eyes were soft steel, gentle and pleading.

  “You know I don’t really have a choice,” I told him, expecting he would understand. After all, he had lost a brother—gotten him back, but lost him before.

  “There is always a choice.”

  “What would that be? Bolt, leave the country?” I was a little upset with what he was asking. I wouldn’t let any of them down. I wouldn’t leave my families.

  “I would come with you—”

  I closed my eyes as my heart was fighting with itself. I was aware that Ben had feelings for me—deep feelings. But it was new to me that he would choose me over his family. However, I would never put him in the situation to choose. No matter how loudly that tiny piece of my heart was telling me that running with Ben was the best option.

  He was waiting patiently while I was going through emotion after emotion. Reading me the way he could, he knew how I was feeling and he knew how I would answer. I spared us both a moment of awkwardness and removed his hand from my arm gently.

  “The others are waiting, Ben.” I squeezed his hand and walked out the door. He followed closely.

  Sacrifice

  The gravel crunched under my shoes as I walked up to the center of the graveyard.

  It felt strange to return here after everything that had happened. All those times I had come here to talk to the dead. And only a few times had been of real significance. The day I had met Adam, his funeral, the day he had returned from the dead—

  Tonight was different. I was coming here to make a deal with the demons, knowing that it could be my last hour. I was coming here for Sophie, not for myself.

  After all the planning that had been possible within two short hours, I felt considerably prepared. Four strong angels had my back. They would be positioned around the graveyard, ready to step in.

  And of course we had Adam, who was supposed to make sure Volpert came alone. If things went as planned, we would be safe within the hour.

  However, we didn’t know if Adam would stand by his word. He had just gotten his memory back. There was no way of telling if we could trust him. His word was all we had—and I had his kiss—as proof that he was on our side. Even if the prophecy was valid, we didn’t know if Adam was the one it was referring to. We had taken a great risk.

  The others had gotten out of the car at a safe distance. They would approach by foot and stay out of sight until I gave the signal to attack. By now they would be close enough to see everything that happened but far enough not to draw attention.

  I was sure that they were perceiving the mixed emotions that were flaring up inside of me. The fear for all of them. The worry about Adam. The hope to save my sister.

  It was only a few steps to the willow now. The branches were moving in the breeze like slender ghosts.

  I stopped and looked at the stone angel. How many times had I stood here and talked to my dead parents?

  Sophie was all that was left of my old family. Of course I had my new family—the Gallagers, who had all but adopted me—but Sophie and I had the same blood running in our veins. And she was innocent. We had to protect her.

  “Mom, Dad, I hope you can forgive me for what I am going to do. You know it is for the best. I love you.”

  “How precious,” a cold voice interrupted from behind me.

  I turned and looked into Volpert’s smiling face. It was an unnaturally sweet mask that had dangerous written all over it.

  “I am sure they will forgive you for giving yourself up,” he said in an equally sweet tone that made me shiver.

  How did he know? I hadn’t mentioned the nature of the deal in my message—just that I had a deal to propose. Had Adam betrayed us that easily? My mind was refusing to believe it.

  “It really wasn’t that hard to guess,” Volpert answered my unspoken question. “You have lost everything.” His mask changed to an expression of fake compassion which was even worse than his smile. “Your parents, your trusted friend Lucas, your angel—”

  Anger was welling up inside my chest.

  “The question is—will they forgive you if you give yourself up for nothing?”

  I stared at him in disbelief.

  “You didn’t think I would spare your sister just because you came here willingly?” he mocked.

  “You can’t—” I stuttered. “We had a deal.”

  “We had nothing.” Volpert’s voice was back to icy. “I didn’t agree to anything.”

  A lump was building in my throat.

  “And now it’s time for my revenge—James Albert Thompson’s last descendants,” he mused and gestured at the tree.

  Adam stepped out of the shadows and noiselessly glided to Volpert’s side.

  I glanced at him. There was no sign that he recognized me, no sign of the promise he had made earlier tonight. His eyes were flat and lifeless. If it was an act, it was convincing without a doubt.

  “Such a shame, he doesn’t even remember who you are—one would think a love as strong as the one you shared couldn’t be forgotten,” Volpert claimed my attention. “Isn’t it ironic that you will die at the hand of the person you were once willing to die to protect? He will kill you and not even know what he lost.”

  Volpert motioned Adam to come closer and whispered at him.

  Adam lifted a hand—the way he had before when he had sucked my soul—and the hunger returned to his eyes.

  I took a deep breath and cleared my head.

  The others were waiting for my signal to step in. Everything was set up. Volpert had
brought Adam to kill me, just like Adam had predicted, and they were alone. It was time.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You don’t know what love is,” I said in a clear voice, full of unexpected confidence. “And I still would die for him.” I was ready. “NOW!”

  Before I could even think, Volpert was encircled by four white-winged shapes. A blinding light exploded around him and I heard a scream.

  I tried to see, but my sight was blocked by a pair of black wings.

  Adam scooped me up in his arms and took off with me before I could make out what was going on.

  “Where are we going?” I tried to look over his shoulder, but the darkness had already swallowed the scene below us.

  “I am getting you to safety,” Adam said curtly.

  “Why?”

  Adam was quiet. I waited for him to answer while he was moving forward with the rising and falling of his wings, carrying me through the night sky.

  The plan had been to wait until the others attacked. Take down Volpert together and then escape together. If Adam was bolting with me, something must have gone incredibly wrong.

  “Adam?” I tried again.

  “I really need to focus on flying, Claire,” he spoke into my tousled hair. “I haven’t done this in a while. I am out of practice.”

  He tightened his grip and I snuggled into his arms as well as I could with all the rocking movement, and buried my face in his shoulder.

  After what seemed like a long time, we hit solid ground. Adam set me down on my feet, but his arm stayed around my waist. He seemed as reluctant to let go of me as I was reluctant to step out of his embrace. Tiny sparks seemed to fill the gap between our bodies.

  I inhaled his scent and his hand glided up my back, tracing up my neck into my hair. For a brief moment, there was only him and me—and then I returned to reality.

  With a sigh, I tore away from him and looked around.

  As far as my weak eyes could make out, there were long fields encircling us.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  Adam’s eyes glowed lightly when he reached out his hand to hold mine.

  “We are safe here.” He didn’t answer my question.

  “What happened?” I demanded. “Why didn’t we stay with the others?”

  “Everything went according to plan—”

  “If everything went according to plan, why are we here—alone?” I interrupted.

  “Let me finish,” Adam slowly said, carefully choosing his words.

  I pulled my hand out of his—it helped clear my head—and looked at him expectantly.

  “Everything went well. Dad, Mom, Ben, and Jaden hit Volpert.”

  “That’s good, I suppose.” Why wasn’t he looking like this was a good thing?

  “Almost at the exact time my family teleported in, Maureen showed up. Volpert must have brought her in as a backup in case I would fail to kill you—again.” Adam looked at me apologetically.

  “But the others got Volpert,” I tried to make sense of his serious face.

  “Maureen directed a blow at you, that’s why I took you away.” Adam’s face was sad.

  “There is more—” I wanted to know. His expression made me uneasy.

  “Ben took the hit.”

  “Oh my God—is he okay?” The small part of my heart that had admitted to having feelings for Ben was screaming at top volume, tuning everything else out. Ben had sacrificed himself for me. He was injured—and I didn’t allow myself to think anything more than injured, anything worse was not an option—because of me. Guilt and frustration crept up my spine. If only I were stronger, I could protect myself and no one would need to take any hit for me. I would be able to fend for myself and for the ones I loved. Ben wouldn’t be—

  Adam watched me with serious eyes as I was suppressing hysteria. “I honestly don’t know.”

  “We need to go back,” I reacted mechanically. “We need to help them.”

  “I can’t take you back there right now—not before I know it is safe to go.” He gave me a meaningful look. “I promised Jaden I would get you out of there and make sure you are ok—in case anything went wrong.”

  Of course Jaden would ask something like that of Adam. My safety was his priority—independent of the fact that my safety was his ticket back home.

  “How long before we’ll know?”

  Adam held my gaze as I was trying to read the answer in his eyes.

  “They’ll be in touch.” He pulled a phone from his pocket. “They know how to reach me.”

  I watched him check the display with a disappointed look.

  “When?”

  “Soon.”

  How long could it take them to finish off Maureen?

  “What if they don’t?” It was a scenario I didn’t want to consider, but it was one possible outcome. If Maureen hadn’t been the only backup Volpert had brought without Adam’s knowledge, it was highly probable that no one would be left to call.

  “They will.”

  We looked at each other, not knowing what was going on in the other’s head.

  Adam’s eyes were two green disks in the otherwise colorless landscape.

  “What do we do now?” I asked, not knowing what else to say.

  “We wait.”

  Adam flapped his wings and they disappeared between his shoulders, leaving a torn shirt hanging on his torso.

  “You must be tired,” he assumed. “It’s been a long day for you.”

  “For all of us,” I corrected.

  Adam shrugged out of his shirt and laid it out on the ground and sat down beside it. “Please,” he gestured at the makeshift blanket.

  I dropped next to him and wrapped my arms around my knees. Ben, I thought.

  That same moment, Adam’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out in a movement so fast, it blurred in my vision.

  “Dad,” Adam answered.

  My body went stiff with apprehension. I could hear Chris’ voice on the other end of the line, but I couldn’t understand his words.

  Adam was quietly listening, nodding to himself.

  “I see,” he said after a minute. “I am sorry.”

  Again Chris’ voice was audible but unintelligible. My fingers clawed into my pants and I nervously bit my lip. What was he sorry for? Was Chris bringing bad news? I couldn’t even think—

  “If I’d known, I would have warned you.” Adam’s voice was calm. No reason to jump to conclusions.

  “Thanks, Dad. We’ll be there within the hour.” He hung up and pocketed the phone.

  “And?” I couldn’t hold back.

  Adam’s face relaxed in relief. “They’re fine.”

  My heart jumped. I let myself fall back into the grass and smiled, sending a quick Thank you to the stars. They seemed to be smiling back

  “Ben’s injuries are minor. He might need to spend a day or two in bed to fully recover.”

  What a relief.

  “And the others?”

  “Fine, too.” He looked down at me and scrutinized my face.

  “Did he tell you what happened?”

  “Not the full story. They’ll share more when we return home.”

  He let himself sink onto his side next to me, head propped up with one arm. “You are beautiful.”

  My mouth twitched in a mixture between attraction and embarrassment. Could he still perceive my emotional climate or had he lost the ability when he had become a demon?

  Before I could elaborate on the question, he bent down to kiss me.

  The sparks were back in place, making my skin tingle where he was close enough. His lips were soft and gentle—the way I remembered them.

  My hands searched their way up his chest until they found his neck, and disappeared in the shock of dark strands.

  Adam’s breath became heavier. The fingers of his free hand grabbed me around the waist, and he pulled me closer until the sparks all but melted us together. His hand wandered up my back and came to rest between my shoulder-blades.<
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  “Claire,” he sighed. It wasn’t a sigh of pleasure, it was a sound of exasperation.

  He pulled away within the blink of an eye and I dropped back into the grass. My head hurt a little where it hit the ground. I rubbed my scalp and looked up at Adam in surprise.

  Behind the veil of night, Adam’s hungry eyes were staring through me. I couldn’t feel his hunger, yet, but the expression on his face had become all too familiar. He was hungry for my soul.

  “I am sorry,” he apologized behind his obvious desire.

  “It’s okay.”

  The look on his face became pained.

  “I am in control.” He seemed to be speaking more to himself than to me.

  As I watched him, one thing became crystal-clear to me. It didn’t matter that Adam had his memories back. He would keep thirsting for my soul. The question was whether it was enough—would his memories be enough to keep him from harming me.

  We both sat in the grass, staring at each other.

  “We should get back to my parents’ house,” Adam said.

  I nodded, resigned, even though I had tons I wanted to tell him. All the past months of pain and fear—I wanted to tell him about how I had missed him, how every breath had been agony without him.

  It would be too much and I knew it. I wouldn’t scare him off by sharing my torment. Or the intensity of my feelings for him now. Silence was golden. I love you, Adam, I plainly thought at him and staggered to my feet ungracefully.

  Adam remained in the grass. He pursed his lips and eyed me with a distant look.

  “Are you alright?” I asked.

  “I will be.” He laid his palms flat on the ground beside his body. “Step back, Claire,” he asked. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  I automatically took a few steps away from him. As I watched him sit, the ground beneath his fingers began to softly glow. White streaks of light were pulling towards him, collecting in his hands.

  The lines became longer and the radius of his reach wider. A spot right before my toes lit up and I watched the source wander over the surface, leaving a trail of smoke behind, toward Adam’s palms, which were all but radiating with bright light. It lingered there for a second or two and then it disappeared into him.