He grabs the bottle again. “I don’t know. But you have to prepare yourself for something ugly, Dante.”
So that’s why he’s been feeding me all this alcohol. I push my chair back and stand up, slamming my glass on the table. “If you think you can keep me here …” I sway on my feet and grab the sides of the table, “you’re absolutely right.”
He rises from his chair and walks to me as steadily as always. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want you to do something foolish. That’s exactly what Lucifer wants.”
I try to focus on his dark frame. “You’re calling him by his real name now?”
He smiles sadly. “He is still my brother.”
My hand reaches for the glass, but misses. “How come you’re still so sober?”
He pushes me slowly towards the couch, supporting me so I don’t keel over. “I’m an angel, Dante, I don’t get drunk. Didn’t you notice before?”
I remember the last time we were all together. Me, Quinn, Charlie, Paul and Simon. We all had a bit too much to drink, but Quinn didn’t seem affected. I can’t believe that was just a couple of days ago.
I nod, and the whole room spins around me.
“Just lie down. You’ll be fine.” He places a pillow under my head and lifts my feet onto the couch.
I close my eyes, no longer fighting the heavy pull of sleep.
Then a thought flashes through my mind. “Oh no, the prophecy.”
A sacrifice has to be made.
My hand shoots up and grabs Quinn’s wrist. “Tell me it’s not her. Please.”
“I don’t know, Dante. I don’t know.” His sad expression is the last thing I see before I pass out.
I wake up alone and with a thundering headache.
When I remember the attack, I squeeze my eyes shut. This can’t be real.
I get up, swallow my nausea and walk through the house. Of course, there’s no sign of Mom. She’s really gone. Taken by the spider demon from my premonition. The head demon probably.
I shake the images from my head. What did Quinn say? Something about a spell.
The banging inside my head blocks my thoughts. I drag myself into the kitchen and drink a glass of water and some orange juice.
Feeling a bit better, I slowly get dressed and splash some water into my face.
So, a spell. A tracing spell.
I retrieve Dad’s notebook and leaf through it. I’ve seen most of it by now, although I haven’t read it all. I still find it difficult to look at the angry scribbling. I know I’ll have to eventually, if I ever want to find out what happened to my father, but not right now. The living worry me enough as it is. If I can still count Mom among those.
I swallow the bile rising in my throat. Don’t think like that.
I turn some more pages in an attempt to distract my thoughts.
Then my hand freezes halfway. It hovers over a page that wasn’t here before. I saw this spell in my premonition about the spider demon, but when I woke up, the page wasn’t there. How can it be here now?
I compare the handwriting with that on the other pages. It’s all the same. This was definitely written by my father.
Why did this suddenly appear?
I jump up, put both notebooks behind my waistband and race downstairs. I almost shout my goodbyes to Mom, but remember just in time that she’s not here.
“Don’t worry, I’ll find you,” I say before opening the front door.
Phoenix starts without trouble and I take the magical roads to Darkwood Manor.
When I step into the kitchen, sad faces greet me.
Vicky puts her arms around me and kisses my cheek. “I’m so sorry about your mother. We’ll do everything we can to help you get her back.”
The others mumble their agreement and I give them a shadow of a smile.
“How did you know?” I ask when Vicky lets go of me.
“Quinn stopped by to tell us. He wanted to make sure we were on guard.”
Nausea creeps up from my stomach. “Was he expecting an attack on the mansion, too?”
She shrugs. “You never know.”
I sit down and take out Dad’s notebook. “Quinn told me a tracing spell might help us find Mom, so I was flipping through Dad’s book.”
Vicky combs her fingers through her hair. “Did you find one? Otherwise, I can help.”
“That’s what I thought already. I didn’t find a tracing spell, but I did find something else.”
I open the book on the newly filled page and hold it up for the whole Shield to see.
Jeep is balancing his hat on his finger and drops it when he reads the first line. “That’s the spell from your premonition, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. The spell that wasn’t in the book.”
Taylar leans closer to take a better look. “But it is now. Did you write it in?”
“No, it was just there.”
D’Maeo taps a finger against his lips. “He must have protected some of the pages with an invisibility spell.”
I put down the book and look down at the words. “But why?”
Jeep picks up his hat. “Maybe because they’re dangerous in the wrong hands.”
Maël, who has been even more quiet than usual, moves her golden headpiece a bit higher, before saying, “It must be an apprentice book. Written to make sure his knowledge wouldn’t be lost.”
I flip through the pages. “Written for who?”
“For someone he wanted to teach his magic to.” She smiles gently. “Usually someone the owner of the book wrote about on the first pages.”
The lump that rises in my throat makes my voice hoarse. “So he wrote this for me?”
“Yes, he did,” Maël says, and Vicky strokes my arm.
“See,” I whisper, “he wasn’t a bad man.”
No one objects, although I’m sure some of the ghosts don’t agree. But I’ll prove them wrong. The prophecy even says he had to fight the Devil. How can he have been bad then?
“But why do I only see part of what he’s written?”
The ghost queen’s lips curl up even further. “I think you know the answer to that by now. It is an important rule in the magical world.”
“Ah!” I raise a finger. “Is it by any chance you’re not ready?”
“I think it must be. The more you grow as a Mage, the more spells you’ll be able to see in the book.”
I turn the book around in my hands. “What about you? You should be able to read all of it, right?”
I want to hand it to her, but she shakes her head. “It doesn’t work like that. The book was written for you. The spells will only appear when you are ready.”
With a sigh, I put the book down again.
D’Maeo straightens up. “Back to business. We’ve got two people to save. How are we going to handle that?”
“We need a tracing spell to find my mother.”
D’Maeo wrings his hands together. “We already did some digging. Word is, she’s been taken to Hell.”
Flames appear before my inner eye. A figure being held, a dark form looming over it.
It vanishes when I try to remember more.
Vicky grabs my hand. “What is it? What did you see?”
“My premonition. I think it was Mom in it, not me.”
She squeezes my fingers. “What happened to her? Can you remember?”
I stare at the red leather of Dad’s notebook until the flames appear before my eyes again. Shutting out all sound, I reach for the buzz inside me and push it into my memories.
Blazing eyes stare into mine and a big hole full of sharp teeth snaps closed inches from my nose. I scream and lean backwards. With a thud, I land on the floor. Heat shoots from my ankle to my knee, but when I touch my leg, there’s nothing there.
Vicky helps me up. “Did you see something?”
A shudder runs through me. “Just a very ugly creature.”
She looks me in the eye and
lets go of me as if I burned her. “The Devil.”
“Yes, I think so.”
“He has your mother? And you saw this in your premonition?”
I shrug. “You already knew she was taken to Hell, so why is this a surprise?”
“Hell is a big place, Dante.”
A knock on the front door makes us all jump. I tiptoe into the hallway and listen for hissing or growling.
Taylar startles me by asking, “What are you waiting for?”
“It could be a demon,” I whisper.
He chuckles. “A demon that knocks on the door?”
“Why not? Anything is possible.”
Maël joins me and points her staff at the door. “Dante is right. We don’t know what tricks they’ll use.”
“Guys?” a familiar voice calls out. “Are you okay?”
I let out a sigh of relief. “It’s Charlie.”
While I open the door, Maël keeps her wand aimed at it.
Charlie hugs me. “I’m so sorry about your mom. I wish I’d been there to help.”
I pat him on the back. “It’s okay.”
He holds up a bag. “Quinn told me about the plan to put some spy cams in Myah Pullus’s office, so I got some for you.” He smiles at the ghost queen who hasn’t taken her eyes off him since he stepped in. “Hey Maël, are you feeling better?”
She vanishes without a word and Charlie wrinkles his forehead. “What’s that about?”
“It’s a touchy subject,” I whisper.
We go into the kitchen and work out a plan to find out more about Myah Pullus. While the Shield and I go to Myah’s house, Charlie will put a new protection spell on our house, this time with salt, and try to find a way to get Mom back.
I’d rather do it the other way around, but D’Maeo and Maël insist I go to Myah’s, because I was chosen to save her. I can’t argue with that, so we wrap it up and leave the mansion, equipped with all the weapons we can carry.
CHAPTER 21
From the moment we arrive at Myah Pullus’s house in Silverton, I have a feeling we’re being watched. All is quiet, except for the wind rustling through the line of trees that separates the road from the valley. There are no demons blocking our way to the light green wooden house, which makes me even more certain there’s someone or something hidden in the bushes.
I scan the surroundings, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary.
“We should go inside,” Jeep says, getting out of the car.
We all follow his example, but something tells me to stay here.
“What are you waiting for?” Jeep asks, rubbing the tattoos on his arms.
“Something’s wrong.”
“Well, if something attacks us, we fight back.” He flexes his fingers. “I can summon a couple of zombies, if you want.”
I grin. “That’s not such a bad idea!” I turn to the others. “What if we put a spy cam on a zombie and let it enter the house? We can see if the coast is clear before we go in ourselves.”
Taylar laughs out loud. “I love that.”
Jeep cracks his knuckles. “Just tell me when.”
“One minute.” I stroll towards Myah’s house, whistling softly.
When I reach the steps to the front door, I drop down on one knee and pretend to tie my shoelaces, meanwhile taking in the house. Eyes burn in the back of my neck and I’m pretty sure they don’t just belong to my Shield.
Before walking on, I open the mailbox and check the name on the envelopes. Then I turn, walk back to my car, get in and drive away.
It takes a second for the ghosts to get in, too.
“Why are we driving away?” Jeep asks.
“I want the ones guarding that house to think we’ve gone. Your zombie will be a great distraction. When they attack it, we jump them from behind.”
“I didn’t see anyone guarding the house,” Vicky says.
“Me neither,” I reply. “But I felt them.”
I park on the next street and sneak around the back gardens until we see Myah Pullus’s house. All is still quiet. The feeling of someone watching me has passed.
“I think they’re only watching the front,” I whisper. I turn to Jeep. “Can you summon someone quietly and make him come to us without being seen?”
The tattooed ghost pushes the bowler hat firmer on his head. “No problem.” He closes his eyes and holds out his hands in front of him, as if feeling the air. “The cemetery is too far away, but a raccoon can do the job just as well.” He moves his hands in all directions, like a choir director conducting an intricate piece of music.
I keep scanning the trees, bushes and houses around us for any sign of demons. My hand goes to the athame tucked behind my belt, next to Dad’s notebook. I can’t depend on my powers yet, so I take the dagger with me everywhere I go.
I almost dive forward when something moves in the shrub surrounding the neighbor’s garden. My hand, clutching the weapon, is already raised. I drop it as soon as an elongated white skull emerges from between the leaves. A spine and two long legs follow.
“That doesn’t look much like a raccoon anymore,” I say from the corner of my mouth.
Jeep beckons the animal closer. “It’s been dead for a long time.”
The bones softly clank together when the skeleton walks towards its master.
“Sit still,” Jeep orders and the raccoon sits on its tail.
Jeep takes the camera I hand him and attaches it to the skeleton’s head, just above the empty eye sockets. Then he moves his hands again and the raccoon walks to Myah Pullus’s garden.
I take out my tablet, which is linked to the camera. “Look inside first. After we check the house, we can draw out the guards.”
The zombie moves slowly through the bushes and then we get a view of the back garden. Jeep makes the raccoon look up.
“There,” D’Maeo points out, “an open window.”
The skeleton makes its way up the rain-pipe and slides through the window. A bedroom comes into view. It’s so neat that it almost looks like a showroom.
“Only one bedside table is used,” Maël observes.
“So it’s not the husband planning to blow her up,” I comment.
Jeep looks up from the screen for a second. “Unless they’re recently divorced.”
“Watch out!” I say, seeing the raccoon bump into the wall.
Jeep’s head jerks back to the screen. “That’s strange. It should find its own way through the house now.” He moves his hands again and the zombie steps into the hallway. He steers it into the next room.
I squint to make out what’s in it, because the blinds are closed. The zombie walks closer.
“Computers, what a surprise.”
“Can you make it open a drawer?” I ask.
“I can try.”
A skeleton paw reaches for the nearest drawer. It pulls it open and rummages through the contents.
“Don’t do that,” I whisper. “Myah will know someone was in her house.”
Jeep holds up his hands. “I’m not doing anything. This raccoon is out of control.”
“Can you make it hide the camera and come back out?”
He rubs his hands together and starts his fluid hand motions again. He grunts when the zombie just turns and turns and slams its head against the desk over and over.
“If it keeps making this racket, the guards will know we’re here,” Vicky warns us.
Jeep’s face is scrunched up in concentration. “I’m trying to get it out. But it’s cursed or something.”
I slam my hand against my forehead. “Of course. They know what we can do now. They knew we were coming and made sure we couldn’t use your zombie armies.”
Jeep lets out his breath. “It’s on the move again.”
The camera shows the bedroom again and then the window. But instead of climbing out, the raccoon just drops to the ground. Bones fly everywhere.
I put the tablet
in the backpack I have with me. “We have to get that camera back.”
“I’ll do it,” Taylar says and he vanishes before anyone can object.
We wait, but after several minutes, he still doesn’t return. I take out my tablet again and connect to the spy cam. Taylar is holding it in front of him, gesturing like a madman.
“I wish we had sound,” Vicky comments.
Maël moves closer. “He says he’s stuck.”
“Oh great.” I sigh. “Another spell?”
D’Maeo takes out his sword. “Someone was definitely expecting us. You’ll have to leave.”
I recoil. “What? Me? Why do I have to leave?”
“Because Taylar will flash back to Darkwood Manor automatically when you’re too far away.”
Vicky pushes me backwards gently. “He’s right. It’s our best option. Go quickly, before those guards find Taylar. We’ll stay here in case we have to fight.”
Jeep takes off his hat, ready to throw it. “We can come straight back here and fight the guards if you want to.”
“Good idea.” I stow away the tablet again and give a quick wave. “See you all in a bit.”
On the quiet drive home, I remember something about the Cards of Death. I turn up the heat in the car and hold the pitch covered card in front of it. Soon, it starts dripping and I take a look at the pictures underneath.
See, it’s not just a hair bun. It’s a hair bun on fire. But why? What does that mean?
I rack my brain for an explanation, but by the time I reach Darkwood Manor, I still have nothing.
Before I even stop the car, the Shield has popped up inside it.
Taylar is merged with Vicky as usual.
“Glad to see you’re okay,” I comment when I turn back onto the dirt road.
“Nobody saw us.”
Vicky grins through Taylar’s head. “The perks of being a ghost.”
“I can imagine it comes in handy in certain situations.” I look at Jeep beside me and the others in the back seat. “So everyone is okay?”
When they all nod, I bring up the thing that’s been bugging me. “Does anyone have an idea why Myah’s hair bun could be on fire?”
Taylar splits himself from Vicky by leaning forward. “You mean the real hair bun or the picture of it?”
The Second Premonition Page 12