by Sabra Kay
More guards, big ones, arrived on the scene. They were cambion, fully loaded, their eyes glowing a deep red. I was confused. What was happening? I stared at Mina, was she here against her will, or had they gotten to her? I tried to make contact, but she avoided me.
So, this is the witch that will open the door? Not what I expected, not even close.
Blaine looked around. “In just a few moments, the ceremony will begin, headed by my son, Jaren. They'll burn the offerings, and she'll open the door.” He nodded toward Mina.
“But there's more, of course. A little surprised I've saved. Something for this most special part of my family.” He smiled and outstretched his hands. As if on cue, the guards sprang into action.
They grabbed Gregory and pulled him to the table.
He struggled, his eyes wide with shock and then anger. “What the fuck? Get your hands off me,” he roared, “Father!”
Gregory fought against the guards, shouting and thrashing. It took five cambion to wrestle him to the table. I could feel his power, but it didn't catch, didn't build momentum or release. Magic. They must be using it to dampen his abilities, like me.
Blaine shook his head. “My son. Of all my sons, you are the one who is most worthy. Most powerful. A hybrid with unlimited potential. You've squandered it, of course, much like your twin. But that's all going to change. Your true potential will be unleashed shortly.”
One of Blaine's cloaked followers stepped toward me, hands outstretched. She offered me an elaborately carved box. I took it. The heaviness surprised me at first. Then I realized what it was.
“You will begin on my command. No tricks or they all die.”
Now I understood what I was there for. He wanted me to perform the exorcism. To pull the demon from the body of Billy Blaine and send it into Gregory. If I didn't, my people, my family, would burn at the stake.
Meanwhile, Mina was receiving instructions on when to begin the opening ritual. Blaine took his place at the foot of the altar. His followers held Sera off to the side.
I couldn't take my eyes off Sera. Tears streamed down her face, but she had fallen silent. Rex Bunny was pressed to her face, and the blanket wrapped around her shimmered gently in the dark desert night.
An idea formed in my head, but it would take perfect timing, and I would need Gregory and possibly Sera to help me. And, most important, I would need Mina. I still had no idea if she was there of her own free will.
I opened the box and pulled out the dagger and one of the medallions.
Down below, the sounds of screaming cut through the wind and sent a wave of nausea and chills through my body. Oh my god, they're really doing it.
Chapter Seventeen
“It's time.”
“Oh my god.” I dry-heaved and for a moment thought I was going down.
“Steady, it's not your friends... yet.” Blaine put his hand on my forearm and looked me in the eye.
As the screams grew louder, Sera began crying.
“Why is she here, Blaine? Take her away. She doesn't need to see this!”
“Yes, she does. She's my granddaughter, your daughter. She is family and one of us. She is a part of this, and she'll learn to contain her emotions.” He turned toward her. “Quiet, or I'll take your toy away. Do you see her?” He pointed at me.
She nodded.
“When this is over, she will take care of you. But if you don't shut up, I'll lock you back up, and you'll never see her again. Do you want that?”
She shook her head.
“Good, now shut up.”
A low, feral roar came from Gregory, his eyes were ablaze, and his body contorted wildly with his efforts to free himself.
“You can't do this! I won't accept it. I refuse it. Good luck, I'll go insane first. I'll kill myself. I'll be goddamned if I’m giving myself to you, old man!
“It's time for you to reach your full potential. With your youth, charisma, and power, combined with power of my own, and my wisdom and experience, there is nothing I can't accomplish. With Grace and Sera at my side, this family will be unstoppable.” He threw back his head while unbuttoning his shirt. “Everything I've built pales in comparison to what we'll achieve together.”
He looked at me and nodded, then at Mina.
She began the chant.
Gregory's eyes bulged as he continued to strain against the shackles. I felt an odd spark of sympathy for him. I understood the betrayal he must feel. It made sense, what Blaine was about to do. He must know his human body is failing. He needed a fresh host. Diving into his own son's body would be an easy transition.
The flames down below cast eerie, dancing shadows on the rocks, and the screams started to fade. I could smell the burning flesh. The ground began to shake. I looked at Sera again. She was visibly terrified, but quiet. I tried to give her some reassurance. I tried to tell her, somehow, that it was going to be okay, but it even though I had no way of speaking to her, the sentiment felt like a lie.
I held up the medallion and, with the tip of the dagger, sliced into Blaine's chest, drawing blood. I allowed a few drops to fall on the underside of the medallion. My hands shook, and I worried I might drop it. I needed to complete half the task. I needed to sell Blaine on my ability to follow through so he would relax and trust me. I watched as tentacles sprouted from the medallion, writhing, searching. Blaine looked down and smiled, thrusting himself forward to meet my hand. I placed the medallion, the portal, on the open wound as the tentacles found their purchase, burrowing into his flesh.
At this point, Blaine's eyes rolled back into his head. Mina increased the intensity of her chanting. The air crackled with electricity, and the ground continued to vibrate and hum underneath us. I felt a new surge as the wind intensified. The doorway was opening.
The crowd below continued their own chants, “Burn the witches, burn the witches!”
I knew they must be talking about Chuck, Miles, Darah, and Harry. Could they be down there, tied to stakes now? Sera howled with fear, but I continued trying to reach out to her, somehow. From the corner of my eye, I saw the blanket wrapped around her glow, and the girl fell silent.
Protection magic. Thanks Luz.
I turned to Gregory. This was it. In seconds suspicions would be raised, and the alert would sound that I was using my powers, that Sera was under the protection of a witch, and I had to get Gregory on board now. The wind intensified, and the shadows and parasites swirled in unison amid the smoke. With the increase in power and Blaine's vulnerable state, I felt my own power rise in me, surging in my belly, expanding.
Mina paused, if only for a moment, raising an eyebrow in concern, but continued her chant. I looked her dead in the eye, silently informing her of my plan.
I had no reason to believe I could communicate telepathically, but I hoped she would pick up on me using her own powerful intuition. My gut told me she was not there of her own free will. They had probably threatened to burn her alive if she didn't participate. I hoped like hell I had it right, because now was the time. There wouldn't be another opportunity. Once the demon entered Gregory's body, it would be game over. The door was already open, no doubt letting in a mass influx of demonic non-corps, and the new and improved Blaine would be powerful beyond measure.
I took a deep breath and once again transferred my vision, broadcasting it to Mina, to Gregory, to Sera.
A cloaked, hooded assistant tore Gregory's shirt open, exposing his bare chest. He was still ranting, his rage dissolving into desperate pleas.
“Grace, don't do it. Please!”
I leaned over him, acutely aware of the eyes on me. I had seconds to make this happen, and I would likely lose my life.
I tried to catch his eyes, but he was too frantic. I placed my hand on his chest and once again attempted to communicate with him. No use. He was too worked up.
I leaned over his body and made the cut, taking care not to go too deep. My hand grazed the side of his face in what I hoped he would see as a gesture of comfort.
He settled down a little, turning a frantic glance towards me, still struggling, but watching me with questioning eyes. I took no joy in cutting him. I drew the dagger away from him and moved it toward the medallion. He would have to catch on, quick.
I bit my lip as hard as I could, closed my eyes, and visualized Gregory Blaine setting fire to my friends. To Harry. Dragging Sera away and locking her up and tossing her Rex Bunny into the flames.
My belly lit up from the inside, from my core, from the source of my will. A million sharp needles pricked me mercilessly, and my blood boiled. The pain was excruciating, taking my breath away.
Then the pressure built up, suffocating me. I needed to release it.
The second medallion fell from my hand as I twisted around and plunged the dagger into Billy Blaine's eye. He recoiled, covering the bloody socket as he howled with rage. The jewel in the center of the medallion began to glow. The portal had already started to expel the demon from his body. There was no stopping it now.
The collective shock was something to behold. Quickly, I did something I'd been wanting to do all night. I focused my strength, clenched my fist, and sucker punched my asshole brother with everything I had.
“Hey!” I had no choice but to yell.
The wind and the crowd and the chanting was deafening.
The initial shock of what I'd done finally registered with Blaine's people, and I was immediately set upon by the guards. I could only hope Mina was smart enough to close the gate she'd just opened and that Billy's demon would be sent back to the Otherworld.
He was so busy struggling that he couldn't hear me. “Dude, look at me!”
I was dragged down, a knee dug into my chest, a fist exploding in my face, warm blood pouring out of my nose, and cold steel pressed against my head.
Gregory! I screamed wordlessly with everything I had. We can join our powers. We can get the fuck out of here.
This time, he heard me. My eyes closed, and I felt him, the energy pulsing outward from his body. The ball of power in my center exploded out of me and sent the men holding me down hurtling away from me. I reached out to Sera, begging her to be brave.
Another flash of pain on the right side of my face disconnected me from my power. I opened my eyes, one of the hooded women was standing over me.
“Enough!” You'll not ruin this for us!”
She lifted Sera up by her hair, and Sera dropped her blanket, exposing her to the negative forces swirling around her.
I screamed out and watched as Sera lifted her arm and pointed at the bitch who was restraining her. Then I heard it. A roar, a rumble, a growl. Convinced that the king god demon himself must be entering from the other side, I prayed again.
The woman shrieked in pain as her face exploded. A feral sound emanated from Sera’s being, and she kicked and lunged at the woman until she was released. Once on the ground, she used her power again, and it moved in a wave through the guards and the woman, not igniting them but pushing them back. I could tell that at least two of them wouldn't be getting back up.
Blaine came to, somehow, with the dagger still wedged into his eye socket.
He roared and struck Mina, shouting to his men, “Fuck it, burn them all!”
But Mina wasn't having any of that. Neither was I.
The medallion was still attached to Blaine, and she resumed her chanting, this time with me at her side. He reached for the medallion to tear it off, but there was no way to do it without ripping out his own heart. He screamed into the wind as he was ripped from his host.
I watched Sera straddle the table and, in a stunning display of strength, rip Gregory’s shackles like they were made of paper. The hooded woman stood, cradling her face until she realized what Sera was doing. She dropped her hands, revealing her missing eye and shredded flesh. She pulled a gun from her waistband and leveled it at my sweet girl. Instinctively, I shoved Sera out of the way with my one free hand and sent a shockwave of energy toward the woman. Flames engulfed her and knocked her back, sending her careening through the air until she landed with a sharp crack against a nearby boulder.
Time was running out. While the guards and hooded weirdos still had the potential to be a problem, nothing was a bigger problem than the horde of maniacs just down the hill. Gregory had been freed, and I scooped up Sera while the remaining hood and robe crew shrieked in indignant rage and lunged at us. An easy kick to the gut put one down, and Sera pointed at another, her eyes glowing, a sheer force of nature. Next thing I knew, two cambion were in engulfed in flames, screeching and flailing as their flesh melted off their bones.
Gregory looked on, astonished and, much to my surprise, despite his exhaustion, grinned. “Way to kick ass, kid.”
I agreed.
“Where to?” I looked at Gregory.
We were surrounded by fire and chaos. Blaine was crumpled on the ground, Mina was mid-chant, completely given over to the task at hand. I dared not disturb her.
He pointed to a car parked just outside the gate. “Let's go!”
We stumbled down the path and jogged left so as not to go through the crowd. They were whipped up into a murderous frenzy, lusting for more blood. I stopped short as when I saw them. Miles, Chuck, Darah, and Harry, tied to stakes while four men with torches approached the pyres.
What the fuck was I going to do now?
Gregory pulled me toward the car. I couldn't abandon them, but I didn't want to put Sera in anymore danger. I followed him to the car, and he got into the driver seat. I shoved Sera at him and turned away.
“What the fuck? Where are you going? We gotta go!” He slapped the steering wheel and started the car.
“I can't leave them! Take her somewhere safe!”
A look of honest bewilderment settled briefly on his face. He yelled, “You're crazy. Fuck them, let's go!”
“No, take her!”
He smiled in that signature grin I was learning not to hate and shook his head. “Liabilities, like I said.”
Sera screamed for me, and I shouted “I love you” over the wind.
Gregory patted her head and told her to put her seatbelt on. I remembered that small moment of tenderness, it wouldn't be his last, but they were few and far between.
He shook his head again as he pulled away. “Good luck!”
***
The noise from the crowd changed pitch. I heard murmurs of confusion, then shouts of anger. They must know their spray-tanned god is dead.
At least I hoped he was.
The good news was that at least some of them were new demon hosts. The process of possession was messy. After the demon entered the body, the natural response would be rejection, even with a well-prepped host. The new host would be weak, vulnerable, and easy to manipulate. An exorcism was most effective during this period. For now, they would be disoriented. Finally, a bright spot.
I stayed low, crouching behind vehicles, giving the throngs of people a wide berth. For the moment, they'd forgotten about burning my people alive… for now. But I had to get them out of there.
There were three travel trailers and two portable units like the one I was brought to earlier. I assumed that the fancy ones belonged to his family, and the more utilitarian looking ones were for staff members. Off to the side was a trailer that looked beat up, like it had actually seen some travel. It was black with silver flames. Tacky as hell. It must belong to Gregory. I ran low toward it and hoped it would be unlocked. Luckily for me, it was.
I felt my way through the darkness, tripping over myself and whatever was all over the floor. I stumbled over something and went flying face-first into the dinette. Lovely. The sound that came from the offending object startled me and I realized I'd tripped over a guitar. Nice.
I found a light and switched it on. The place was a disaster, with empty booze bottles, ashtrays, and clothes littering the floor. Sorry about your guitar, dude.
I made my way to the back of the trailer. There was a bedroom and above the bed sat a row of cubb
ies. I opened the first one and felt around. Sure enough, a 9mm pistol. I checked it and found a full clip and two more lying next to it. Jackpot.
I quickly examined and familiarized myself with the gun and shoved clips and ammo into my jacket pockets. The shouts outside grew louder, and I knew they were looking for me. I needed to get past them and to the burn site before it was too late. If it wasn't already.
The shouts grew louder, and slamming doors let me know they were searching the trailers for me. I'd already switched off the light, but no doubt they'd be here any second. I cautiously opened the trailer door and stepped down onto the ground.
I walked around to the other side of the trailer. There was no one there, but they were just two trailers down and would be on me in no time. I dashed to the right and intended to follow the fence line to the opening.
A shot rang out, and I froze. “Hey, stop!”
I waved and kept running. Two more shots, and I knew my luck would run out with the next one. I pivoted and returned fire, also missing. Well done.
I got about four more feet before a fence post splintered, right in front of me. Bullet impact. A crowd of curious congregation members had filtered back to the site and were pointing and yelling in my direction. I fired my gun back toward the guards and somehow managed to hit one, then fired again, up in the air in the hopes of dispersing at least a few of them.
I edged along the fence, turned, and took out the asshole who was about to draw on me. I then dashed for the opening and ducked down just outside it. Shots and more shots. I turned again and fired toward the four men who were sprinting for me. One opened fire, and I felt a sharp tug on my arm. Perfect. The pain was excruciating, and I stumbled.
I shot back, one-handed, and he went down, clutching his leg. I was shocked I had hit him at all. I ran again, this time clearing the opening and heading for the nearest stake. Once I freed Chuck, there would be two of us. I faltered for a moment. Should I free Ethan? He was powerful, but, like me, wasn't familiar with his powers. Fuck it. Chuck goes first. I was only six feet from him when a shot rang out. A bullet hit the dirt next to me, sending up a cloud of dust.