I doubt that there is anything that Zane can do to make this right. How can you fix something like this? What he did was the worst kind of betrayal because he made me care.
Was every moment...every memory, just a lie?
I didn’t even blink when he asked me to come here with him alone. I betrayed Jaxon’s trust for him! How could I have ever been so stupid?
So incredibly blind?
Jaxon wasn’t. He tried to warn me. He all but begged for me to listen, but I refused to hear it. I guess this is my punishment for not believing in the man that loves me.
For all Jaxon’s faults, at least his lies were always to protect me. Every moment of pain that he has ever caused me was to help me. Zane....Zane is just selfish. He put me in danger. He never cared about me.
My head feels heavy as I slowly blink my eyes open. My reality mocking me as the cave slowly comes into focus. I try to sit up, but something heavy is holding me in place. A dull burn radiates across my chest, and just below my knees. A burn that I am unfortunately all too familiar with.
Once again Charon’s chains have made me their bitch.
The black shiny material glowing a soft red as it digs into my skin, basically sucking away at my power and making sure I stay still, like the good girl that I definitely am not.
I try again to tug myself up, but the chains have been secured to the rock altar.
Yeah...because that isn’t creepy at all.
Two slashes mar my wrist, and a wave of panic washes over me as I watch my blood make a slow drip into the river below.
I search my memory, trying to recall from the one million taunts that Michael threw my way while I was in captivity just what exactly opening the gate entails.
I remember that it takes my blood, which I am guessing by the gory scene in front of me, they have covered. What else did they say? Come on Maci....think?
Oh yeah. I have to be soulless, which I bet is going to suck. A small smile graces my lips, glad that if nothing else, meeting Zane saved Talon. I am glad that my vamp bestie isn’t here. If I have to lose my soul, I don’t want him here to bear witness to it. Talon is a good man. He would never have forgiven himself for killing me.
It’s....it’s better this way, even if it is more lonely.
There is one part that doesn’t make sense though? The gate. I thought that the gate to the Underworld was in Lila’s tomb, and that Zane had saved me just in time.
A laugh escapes me as the irony sets in. It was all a lie. A perfectly organized ruse. The gate was never in the damn tomb. It was always here. In the void. The one place that they couldn’t go, without the help of a witch.
I am only here because I seem to be an anomaly.
Zane was always part of their plan. He had to have used magic to grant them access. A spell that gives Michael the ability to travel here. Hecate can, because she is from here. I bet that pissed her off, to ask Zane for help. I have never been more glad that the wiccan council zapped her powers.
If she can do all this on a little borrowed magic, imagine what she could do at full power. No matter what happens, I will kill her. I just hope that the part of the story about the sword is true. If I can get loose, I can reach it. It is my only choice. I have to kill them all, even Zane.
Speaking of the traitor....where is he?
Where is anyone? I seriously doubt that they would leave me alone. Even they are not that stupid.
My eyes scan the darkness, my teeth clenching as I force myself to stretch as much as I can despite the pain that feels like it is cutting me in half. At least all the pain makes sense now. They needed me to suffer, because they needed me to travel to the void. They needed me to befriend Zane there. They always wanted him to save me. That is why they didn’t come after us. Why they didn’t attack the school to get me back.
It was all according to their plan, and I walked right into it. Hell, I practically ran into it, skipping and singing. Truth be told, I kind of deserve whatever happens next.
Seeing nothing but darkness, I try to listen for them instead. I quiet my breathing, trying to make out sounds or voices. Anything that will tell me where they are. All I hear is the current of the water, and the drip...drip...drip of my blood as it drops into the water below.
“Zane.....” I seethe between clenched teeth, holding my breath to see if he replies.
A soft chuckle sounds from my far left, just as a new voice fills the space. “Zane is no longer here child. It seems the cowardly boy ran off in the middle of the night. That will not end well for his brother.”
“Xavier,” I grit out, not at all surprised that the Fallen King is here. This is all his master plan. It makes sense that he would want to witness it in person. Besides, Xavier does not really strike me as the trusting type.
~ Chapter 19 ~
I shouldn’t care that Zane left me here, alone with three people who want to kill me. I shouldn’t give a damn that he didn’t even feel the need to try and help me. That he didn’t at least say goodbye. I shouldn’t care at all that I have probably seen Zane Zelikos for the last time, but I do.
The sting of Zane’s betrayal cuts deeper than any knife ever could. I trusted him. Maybe one day I will learn to just stop trusting people.
People....Angels....Demons..... They are all alike. They all suck. Everyone is out for themselves. No one cares who they destroy to get to the top. People are the world’s biggest failure, but they are also its greatest beauty. I have wanted to give up, but for every shitty person I have encountered, I have encountered at least one good one.
The good ones, they are the reason I keep fighting. People like C.J., and Talon. People like Jaxon, and Braxton, and Ryker. The people that are willing to fight for you when you are too weak to fight for yourself.
My real friends. Sure, they have hurt me, but not with the intention to harm me. They love me, and I betrayed them....for Zane.
I really am stupid.
“I wish I could say that I was happy to see you, but I don’t think Angels are supposed to lie,” I say with a false sweetness that I know will piss him off.
I feel a small twinge of satisfaction as his fingers tighten at his side. I get to him, even if he will never admit it. I might die here today, but I will consider that a small victory.
“We both know you are no angel,” he says with a sneer. The disgust in his gaze as he looks at me is clear. Xavier hates what I represent. Something that he sees as unclean and impure. To him my existence is a sin. He sees nothing wrong with killing on a good day. Me? He sees me as taking out the trash.
“True,” I taunt, batting my eyelashes at him. He smiles, and never has a smile looked so wrong on someone before. So incredibly fake.
“Such bravery,” he mocks. “Tell me child? Will you still be so brave when I use magic to rip your pathetic soul from your body. Will you still be so brave when the gate to Hell rips open, and the first thing that crawls out eats your flesh?”
Well.....when you put it like that.
“I am not brave Xavier. I just have nothing left to lose. That makes me dangerous. You may win today. Hell, I may even die, but you..... you will never win because you are fighting for the wrong side.”
“Silence!” he booms, waving his hand. I gasp as my voice is stolen from me. I shoot daggers at him with my eyes. Magic may be cool, but sometimes it is proving to be a pain in my ass.
“About time you shut her up. The girl is so whiny,” my possessed bestie says, appearing out of nowhere. Looking at her still hurts me. For all the bad that she has done, she still wears the skin of the person that I loved most in the world. It is hard to get my heart to believe that the Ashlee I loved is no longer in there. That the best that I can do for her now is free her soul, so that she will have peace.
“Uuummhhh....mmmhhhuuuummmm,” I mumble, trying to call her some very bad names. She rolls her eyes, a move that is so Ashlee that it pulls at something in my chest.
“Enough with the teenage drama. What are we going
to do now that the witch has deserted us? We needed his power to drain her soul.” Michael sounds angry at Zane’s sudden departure, and a small seed of hope blooms in my chest. Could Zane have left to help me?
“Worry not boy. I always have a backup plan,” Xavier laughs. He turns to Hecate, smiling as he says, “I guess it was fortunate that you had two bastard sons. Was it not?”
Hecate nods, and a very bad feeling grows in the pit of my stomach. Oh no....I know where this is going.
“It looks like we will just have to use the other boy. Tell me Michael, was all you removed his finger?” Xavier chuckles.
“Well, that and some teeth my lord. A mouthy little brat that one is. He should cooperate though. He does not know that we do not have his other. We can use that against him. Just keep a leash on her big mouth,” he says, pointing at me.
“My spell is strong. She will not be talking anytime soon. Her death will be a silent one.” Xavier walks closer to me, running a chilly finger down my cheek. His touch makes me sick.
“Very well,” Hecate sighs, looking doubtful of this new plan. “Then in two hours we shall open the gate, and this body shall be mine forever.”
Over my dead body.
“Michael, fetch the boy. This time.... do try not to break him. We need his magic,” Xavier says, walking away from me and closer to the others. He leans down, whispering something to Michael that I cannot hear.
Whatever he is saying is probably bad. He likes to share his evil plans with me. The fact that he still has a secret scares me to death. There isn’t a lot left in this world that I am afraid of, but I am betting that Xavier knows the few things that can still hurt me.
The problem, those things are people. My family. My friends.
Whatever Xavier whispers to Michael must be important enough for the loud-mouthed, boastful angel to actually keep it to himself. Shortly after the two exchange whispered words, Michael’s face turns a shade of red that almost makes me giggle. He stalks away pouting like a scolded child that got put in timeout.
Xavier barely gives him a second thought, instead turning his attention to Ashlee. The two exchange a look that clearly means something to my possessed bestie. She rolls her eyes before stalking after Michael.
Then there were two....
Good odds on most days. Horrible odds when you are bolted to a sacrificial altar by magic sucking chains. Oh....and the person standing between you and freedom just happens to be one of the biggest sources of dark magic in the world!
Yeah....this should be a piece of cake. If the cake was baked with acid and had nails in it.
My mind races as I try to get my hands free. A venture that I am quickly discovering is pointless. The only thing that I am succeeding at is draining my already depleted energy. Still, I have to try.
The only chance that I have of getting out of this is by getting that sword. I can see it. It is so close, yet it may as well be a thousand miles away.
I’m not stupid. I realize that there is a big chance that I am not leaving here. Not alive anyways. I understand that. Death doesn’t scare me, not like it used to. If I have to die, then I am taking that bitch Hecate with me.
That is a promise.
My last act on this world will be to free my friend’s soul. I may die here, but so will the monster that killed my best friend.
I can feel Xavier’s eyes on me, his stare almost like a slimy caress. His eyes laugh at me as I struggle. He finds joy in my suffering.
Asshole.
If I ever get off of this damn altar, and I somehow manage to kill the most powerful witch to ever live without dying, I am coming for him next.
“As much as I enjoy your pathetic attempt to free yourself, I must leave you. There are many preparations to be made. Good luck dear,” he laughs, turning his back and walking away. Just before he fades from sight, his voice reaches me. “Not that it will do you any good.”
I wish that I could say that leaving me was a stupid move. That I had some badass plan to free myself. That I was going to make him pay for thinking that I was weak. I wish that I could say that, but that would be a lie. He left me here because he knows the truth.
I can’t escape. I can’t save myself.
This only ends one way, and it was never going to be my way. The only choice I have now is how I am willing to die, and I already know the answer to that.
I am going to die the same way that I live, protecting the people that I love.
∞
I must drift off, because when my eyes open, I am no longer alone. Everyone is here. Great! Only I would sleep through my last moments on Earth. I stopped fighting, my skin raw and bleeding from my efforts. That is the one thing I have always hated about these damn chains. They make my healing ability non-existent.
The cave is now lit softly by the glow of hundreds of candles. If I weren’t certain that they were a part of my imminent death, I would even say that they are pretty. The flames dance wildly, causing shadows to dance on the cave walls. A pulsing rhythm that illuminates the otherwise dark space.
The others sit in a circle, their backs to me as they talk amongst themselves. Probably plotting my death. My blood has slowed to a soft trickle, and I silently wonder if I have any left.
I have never felt so cold, and so empty, and so utterly alone. I wish that I had more time. Time to tell Jaxon that I love him. That I am sorry. That he was right. That meeting him was the best thing that has ever happened to me. That I would not trade a second of my pain because without it, I would have never found him.
Time is such a tricky thing. The ultimate deception. It lures us into a false sense of security. It promises you forever, and then like a thief in the night it leaves you. No warning. Nothing. Just gone.
A tear makes its way down my cheek as I feel the invisible hands of time tighten on my throat. There will be no more time for I love you or goodbye.
Whatever happens, my story ends here tonight.
I must whimper, because slowly all eyes turn to me. None look sad. Even Michael, who by worldly standards is my father, shows no emotion when he looks at me.
I deserve better.
No one should have to die in the absence of someone they love. Without someone they cherish by their side. No one should have to die alone.
I would even take Zane right about now.
Speaking his name must conjure him, because the moment the word crosses my mind he steps from the shadows. Everything about him looks the same, and I silently wonder how he can still wear the face of my friend. His caramel eyes shine with something I can’t quite make out as he shuffles toward me.
Ashlee reaches out, her hand stopping his progression. It is Xavier’s booming command that causes her to remove her grip.
“No. Let him pass.”
I would run if I could. Away from the friend who betrayed me. Who sold me out to save himself. I would run, but my days of running are over. I am doomed to my fate.
It isn’t until he gets closer that I see it. The torn jagged flesh that sits where his finger once was. It no longer bleeds, but dried blood has crusted over the end, causing it to scab.
His clothes are filthy and torn. His face changing shades of purple and blue. One eye swollen shut, the other a caramel gold that reminds me of his brother.
“Zander?” I ask, already knowing who the boy in front of me is. He looks so much like Zane, but at the same time, he looks nothing like Zane.
This boy looks weak and broken. Things that I can never imagine Zane being. I understand now why they wanted Zane to do the spell. Some people are powerful, and some are weak. Zander looks like a strong wind could blow him over. He really does not look like the type that can pull a soul from someone as they help to open the gate to the Underworld.
I might just get out of here after all.
Zander’s eyes study me briefly, a look of horror darkening his face. They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. If that is true, then what I see in Zander’s gaze tells me e
verything I need to know.
Zander Zelikos is not a killer, but he is about to become one. He sees me the same way that everyone else does, as a means to an end. As something to be used and discarded. He may not want to hurt me, but in the end, if hurting me benefits him, then he will do it.
I know it and based on the look of disgust on his face, he knows it too.
“Duuuunnnmmmttt tttuuussshhhh hhhuuummmm,” I try to warn him, frustrated when my words come out mumbled and unrecognizable. I am trying to say don’t trust him, but the words that come out sound like gibberish. Damnit! How could I have forgotten about Xavier’s damn curse that stole my ability to speak. His stupid magical muzzle to shut me up so that I couldn’t warn Zander that Zane had escaped.
Uhhh! I love magic, but sometimes it really blows. This would be one of those times.
I need to warn him. I have to. My life, and possibly everyone else’s depends on it. Zander needs to know that he doesn’t have to do this. That Zane escaped. That he can choose to do the right thing without harming his brother.
“What’s wrong with her voice?” he whispers, so quietly that I wonder if he even meant to say it out loud. The words so soft that I almost miss them. He flinches slightly when the words leave his lips, his eyes cutting to Xavier before quickly darting away. It is then that I realize what Zander reminds me of. He reminds me of an animal who has been beaten and is afraid of every little motion. A timid little thing always waiting for the next blow.
He may have sixty pounds of muscle on me, and magic that is stronger than any I will ever control, but Zander Zelikos lacks one thing that I don’t.
Courage.
Zander turned his pain into fear. I turned mine into anger. That makes me more dangerous than him. They just don’t know it yet. There are two types of people in this world. The people who take what life gives them, and the people who fight their way through all the bullshit until they get the ending they want.
I am a fighter, and I will not die here today.
His question is left unanswered, and he doesn’t even protest the fact that his inquiry was basically ignored. He just accepts it. He says nothing as he takes a step back, looking to Xavier for instruction.
Avenge (Hillcrest Book 2) Page 17