by Maya Daniels
“I have too much magick to be left without emotions. Please, you must see the truth in that,” I say softly, begging them to understand.
“No one is killing you, witch. If anything happens, we shall find a way to bring you back to normal. You cannot ask any of your sisters to walk through Hell’s gates with their sister’s life weighing heavy on their heart. That is crueler than killing any of them yourself right this moment,” Lucifer says, and guilt hits me in the chest like a cannon ball.
“Then you do it! I’m sure I can piss you off enough” I hear desperation in my voice, but I don’t care. I am desperate. The longer we walk, the more coldness spreads through my insides.
We keep going in silence for a while, Lucifer ignoring me like I haven’t spoken, and the nausea from earlier hits me again. I clutch my sisters’ hands, grateful they aren’t letting go even when they are angry with me. Cold sweat drips along my spine and my insides shake. I try breathing through my nose in hopes I don’t puke again. Remembering how it felt not to be able to breathe brings fear, and panic overwhelms me. Please, Goddess, not now. Let me get them out of here, then do with me as you please, I pray in my mind.
“Remember this oath.” Inanna’s husky voice sounds like it’s a thousand miles away in my head, and I wonder if maybe I’m imagining it.
Whatever it is, it is forgotten because I can breathe normally again and the desire to puke is almost non-existent within a second. I take deep breaths, keep my mouth shut, and keep moving. There is no need to worry them now. We must focus so we can get out of this with our lives. Well, their lives, anyway. I’m not very optimistic about mine.
“There! Past those trees you will see the cells, but we must stay hidden.” Archie points in front of us and we all hurry towards it, crouching down so we are not seen.
Chapter 22
From my vantage point behind the thick tree trunk and the bushes around it, I can finally see what we are looking at. To say I’m surprised is an understatement. Seeing all the creepy Dracula-like castles and caves since we’ve come to this realm, the last thing I expect to find is a square building resembling a small warehouse in the middle of it. No windows that I can see, just big metal double doors as an entrance, and a flat roof making it resemble a box. The entire perimeter is guarded by the caped creatures and I can tell they’re on high alert. Well, I wasn’t fooling myself into thinking Derik wouldn’t know where we were headed, but it sure as hell is disheartening to know it for sure. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get Philip back, but now I know it’ll be twice as difficult. I look at my sisters and can see the same feeling reflected on their faces.
Lucifer is watching casually, like this type of thing is an everyday occurrence to him, while the two men, about whom we know next to nothing, are staring at the building with anger in their eyes. I can’t blame them if that’s the place they escaped from. I wouldn’t want to go back if I were them.
Still, because they are unknowns, they have me on alert. We’re not sure if we can trust them. We—or maybe more so I—have been played for fools more than enough.
Turning back to the building, I try to find any weak spots in the guarded perimeter, anywhere that can be easily breached so we can get inside. A shimmer catches my eye and I squint, trying to make sense of it. Tilting my head, I finally see the shimmering barrier around the building. There is some sort of shield protecting it. I look at Lucifer without saying a word, hoping he will peer back at me. After a few moments of my silent staring, he turns, his eyes going straight for mine as if he knows I am watching him. I jerk my head, asking him to follow me farther into the woods, hoping he understands my unspoken command. He frowns first, then nods, just one short tip of his head I wouldn’t notice if not staring at him.
I crawl-walk back from where we came from, trying not to make much noise. When I get to a distance safe enough that I think we won’t be heard, I straighten and turn to see if he followed. My face smacks right into his warm, firm chest and I stumble back. I would definitely have ended up on my ass if he hadn’t grabbed my arm to steady me.
“Geez, make a little sound, would you?” I frown at him.
He only grins as if he finds it amusing. I don’t doubt he does, which is annoying the hell out of me. The longer I spend time with him, the more he gets under my skin, and I’m not sure if I’m more pissed at myself because of it or him.
“Anyway, they have a shield around that building. Did you see it?” I ask.
“Yes, I did notice there are wards. Those should not present a problem. I shall remove them when I get close enough,” he tells me quietly.
“Are you sure?”
He pierces me with an angry glare as if I insulted him. I have no time to play power games. The longer I’m here, the more my life drains out of me, and I feel the icy fingers of this realm and its magick sucking it out like a two-year-old with a straw.
“Save the ego for someone that gives a shit, angel, you were incapacitated as much as the rest of us with the wards at the cave,” I snap at him. “I don’t want to be here longer than I have to be,” I add to soften the apparent insult, because a pissed-off angel is not a good idea right now.
“I will remove the wards,” he says flatly.
“Fine! We just need to …” I trail off when a cracking branch echoes around us like a gun going off in the silence. After a few moments of holding my breath, I hear “shit” whispered, then a second later everyone else joins us.
“Very smooth, James Bond,” I tell Remi.
I’m sure it was she who whispered “shit” earlier. She makes a face as if she smells a dirty sock but doesn’t say anything. For whatever reason, it makes me smile, and she shoots daggers at me. My grin widens and Jez snickers next to her.
“What? You asked for it,” she tells Remi dismissively, because those daggers are aimed at her now.
“We need a plan before we storm in there.” This comes from Will and we all snap our heads his way. He shrugs one shoulder as if trying to say we can stare as much as we want for stating the obvious and he couldn’t care less.
Maybe he doesn’t, but I sure as fuck do.
“Yeah, we will get right on it as soon as you two tell us who exactly you really are and why you were taken,” I tell him dryly. “I’m not going to go in there having to watch my back from you two at the same time as the bad guys.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Archie asks with steel in his voice. Gone is the kind tone he’s used ever since we found them in these woods.
“The witch makes a good point, human. It was very convenient for the two of you to show up as we were heading to this place.” Lucifer turns his unsettling peepers on the two men, and I actually feel bad for them. I fidget, unsettled, when he’s scrutinizing me, even after all the time I’ve spent in close proximity to him.
“You’re a witch?” Archie asks, tilting his head to look at me as if this is the first time he noticed me.
“We all are.” I twirl my hand at all of us. “Well, not him. He’s an angel, as I’m sure you know.”
“How interesting,” Will says, excitement clear in his voice. I raise one eyebrow at him and he blushes.
Ha! I guess the guy has a thing for witches. It sucks to be him, judging by how Faith, Meda, and Jezzinta are eyeing him like a piece of meat at a butcher’s shop … or maybe not.
He blushes a deeper red and I almost laugh.
“Out with it. We don’t have time for chit-chat,” I tell them, fluttering my arm in circles in hopes the answer will come sooner.
“We’re light-workers, and if I’m not mistaken, we were brought here so we could be drained of our life-force,” Archie says in a matter-of-fact tone.
“Say what now?” I ask, and Lucifer groans as if in pain.
I look at him, since obviously he knows what that means. My eyes fall on the girls, and judging by their faces, they’re as lost as I am. Good to know I’m not the only one lacking in knowledge.
No one says anything for
a few seconds.
“Well, will anyone enlighten us? What’s a light-worker?” Remi asks slowly, as if she’s talking to simpletons.
“They are descendants of the Fey, or the ancient ones as you
may know them. There used to be smaller numbers throughout time, but in the last couple of decades, more and more have been reincarnated. They are needed to keep the vibrations high in your world and spread the light and love. In a way, they are like a bridge between your world and the humans, your realm and the other realms. If my memory serves right, there should be one hundred and forty-four thousand in your lifetime, Alexia.” Lucifer adopts his teacher tone, which I’m familiar with from our training. Him calling me by my full name means this is serious business. I open my mouth to ask but I’m cut off.
“You’re fairies?” Jez grins at them like a kid in a candy store.
“No!” Will says angrily.
Sore subject, I guess, which makes me grin at them now. The rest of the group snickers, and I swear I can see steam coming out of their ears.
Before anyone can say anything else, Will takes a fighting stance, his staff twirling above his head. I reflexively slam a barrier between them and the rest of us. With everything that’s been going on, you could say I’m trigger-happy. I won’t apologize for it, either. We’ve had enough crap happening to us.
Within split seconds, the water bubble around us hardens and it turns into a thin layer of sprinkling ice reflecting the moonlight peeking through the trees. Thanks to the trees in the forest, I can use the water element. Archie hasn’t moved an inch but now he is checking out the shield in fascination. Will slowly lowers his staff.
“Oh, wow! You really have been working on your magick, Sap! That’s brilliant!” Jez whispers, awe clear in her voice.
Mumbles of agreement come from the rest of my sisters, and they walk closer to it, reaching to touch it with their fingertips. Lucifer looks at me, pride clear in his gaze, and I frown at him. I’m not a circus monkey!
Like he can read my mind, he slowly reaches his hand and pats me three times on my head. The only thing missing is him saying “good girl.” I slap his hand away and he grins at me. I swear he made it his mission to piss me off. Ignoring him, I turn to the girls and smile when I see them running their fingers through the shield, the magick twirling around them like it wants to say “hi.” A yelp makes me turn fast to see Will cradling his arm to his chest.
“It zapped me,” he says accusingly.
“It’s there because you like to play ninja. Of course it zapped you. You’re lucky. I’m not sure if I have to kill you or not,” I tell him dryly. “Yet,” I add as an afterthought.
Archie opens his mouth to say something but is cut off because the ground shakes like an earthquake is striking below our feet. For some unknown reason, I extend the shield over Will and Archie, then all of us stand with knees bent and arms outstretched to try to keep our balance. Except Lucifer, who for some reason looks like the laws of physics don’t apply to him. He holds a bright golden sword I’ve never seen before in his arm and stands as if he is about to go into battle.
“What the fuck, angel?” I growl.
If he knows what’s going on, he doesn’t say a word, just stares into the woods. Since I’m the only one with my back towards it, I have a moment of sheer panic when all their eyes go wide gapping at something over my shoulder. I swirl around, jumping one step back to put distance between me and whatever is behind me, only to stumble dumbly and drop my hands from a defensive stance. Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for what’s to come, watching the multifaceted golden eyes of the humongous spider staring at us from its height.
“I guess Azalea came to say hi,” I mumble to no one in particular, but everyone gasps.
Well, not Lucifer, no. He acts as if bored.
Chapter 23
“How dare you use magick in my realm and bring the angel here?” she hisses at me and my entire body trembles from the power rolling off her.
Before I have a chance to answer or even retract the shield so I don’t piss her off more, I’m engulfed in darkness. I blink stupidly for a moment, wondering what happened. The first thing I notice is the warmth of a body at my back before I reach out my hand in front of me. My fingers touch soft feathers that shiver at my touch. Lucifer! I’m not sure if I’m happy that he’s trying to protect me or I’m pissed off since my sisters are left out in the open, ripe for the taking if Azalea wants to hurt someone. I push at his wings to get out of the cocoon he created for me when I hear a creepy chuckle coming from the spider that sounds like my worst nightmare. Chills crawl up my spine like icy fingers and I redouble my efforts.
“How interesting! You will protect her from me, Light Bringer? Is that so?”
The hissing, creepy sound of Azalea has more effect on him than my pushing because the wings snap back from around me, and when I turn to look at him, anger penetrates his features, though I see embarrassment there too. For trying to protect me, or for being caught doing it? I have no idea. Interesting indeed.
“We mean no harm, Azalea. We were just passing through to get to the cells so we can save a friend. We won’t stay long, and I’m sorry for using my magick here. I meant no disrespect,” I tell her honestly.
I didn’t think it would be a problem to use these woods as a safe haven from the Dark Realm. I’m not so sure about it anymore, at least if I take the pissed-off spider in front of us into account. It’s so big, maybe bigger than the first time I saw her. The hairs on the spider’s legs are as long as my fingers.
“He should’ve known better than to show up in my realm without a warning or an invitation,” she says.
“I mean no harm, nor do I wish to be here. As you are aware, I am helping the witch. When she leaves, so will I. I have no need for your realm,” Lucifer tells her arrogantly, but he doesn’t put away his sword.
I still wonder why I haven’t seen it before. The angel has more secrets than I have hairs on my head, and I have no idea why that surprises me. It’s not like we’re besties and tell each other everything. It’ll serve me good to remember that, but lately he has been acting strangely, with all the heroic acts to protect me and those few kisses that toy with my head like I’m a hormonal teenager. I never learn, as you can tell. It’s almost as if I desperately search for men that are mentally or emotionally unstable. Azalea is saying something, but I miss it since I am stuck in my head with stupid, random thoughts.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask dumbly.
“I said get out of my realm. Now!” Her voice sounds like hard rocks grinding together, which makes me grate my teeth as anxiety pools in my belly.
“We just need a few moments to make a plan, then we’ll leave,” I tell her. “If we go now, we will all die,” I add hurriedly.
“And that is my problem because?” If a spider can sound arrogant, this one sure as hell did. It just makes me angry—well, angry and stupid, because I open my mouth again.
“If you want us dead, you wouldn’t have helped in the first place, Azalea. Why help us so you can shove us to our death now?”
If I thought her power was strong earlier, I am mistaken. My entire body burns like someone is pouring acid on it. Gnashing my teeth together, I lock my knees so I stay upright and don’t curl up in a ball on the ground, crying and begging her to stop. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that gods, angels, or any other entities don’t appreciate weakness. The problem for mere mortals like me is that we have our pain thresholds and mine is on a totally different scale.
Taking shallow breaths so I don’t scream, I focus on the glowing eyes scrutinizing me like a fly caught in a spiderweb. Now I know how they feel, poor souls.
As black spots appear in my vision, the butterfly pendant she gave me vibrates at the base of my neck, like a magnet is pulling it towards her. Panic settles in my chest. The necklace was useful in the cave, even if I don’t know how it works. I’m not willing to lose the advantage it gives us when fighting
those creatures, so I grab it with my hand to hold it in place. Searing pain engulfs my palm, then spreads through my arm and chest. It’s so strong that my upper body becomes almost numb because my brain can’t process the scale of its assault on me.
I wonder why everyone else is just standing there letting me suffer, and then I want to slap myself. I’m grateful they are doing nothing. I don’t want any of them hurting like this. I’ll take the pain any day as long as she leaves them alone. Yes, including the angel and the two fairies. I almost smile at how pissed off they’d be if they could hear me calling them that. If I’m thinking about smiling when I’m so numb from pain, I believe I’m close to kicking the bucket. I’m delirious. They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die, but just as with everything else, I don’t do things the normal way. I’ll die thinking that the light-workers will be angry at me for calling them fairies. So I guess that’s it.
At least my sisters are out of the asshole’s clutches and I know they will save Philip. Lucifer will help, I’m sure of it, because he is as pissed off as I am for being played for a fool by Derik. With that thought locked in my mind, I stop fighting the pain. My whole body relaxes and I welcome it. If I don’t fight it, it’ll happen faster, I’m sure of it. I’m still holding the pendant, not daring to release it in hopes they can use it somehow, and I almost drop to my knees when the pain abruptly stops.
“You wish to die?” Azalea’s voice is too loud in the quiet around us, and I can barely see her through the tears that have been running down my face without my notice. Pain does that to you, I guess.
“If you want to kill me, can I stop you?” I croak. My throat is raw like I’ve been screaming. Who knows, maybe I have, but it’s so quiet around me, everyone else is just observing, that I turn to see why they haven’t said a word. That’s when I realize they’re frozen. All of them, including Lucifer. They’re aware of what is happening, because my sisters have fat tears running down their faces, but they can’t do anything about it. Lucifer looks angrier than I’ve ever seen him before, and Will and Archie are terrified.