Claire took a step back and slammed into something hard. She didn’t take her eyes from the witches, but reached down with her free hand and felt the wall that had appeared behind her. She turned, keeping her hand on the barrier, and stared through to the other side. She could see the four people she’d come with, but that was all. She couldn’t get to them.
Claire turned back around, taking her hand off the transparent wall and moving her knife between her and the new threats.
“I’m Marilyn, dear,” the witch on the left told Claire.
“And I’m Tina,” the other volunteered.
“We’re glad you came.” They were both smilingly radiantly, as if they might be friendly housewives or something, and beautiful housewives at that.
Claire had never met a witch, but these looked more like the lady from Bewitched than anything Hansel and Gretel might have come across.
“You did not disappoint, dear.” Marilyn stepped in front of Frank’s chair. “We were both impressed by how you made it through the stairwell. The gun was a bit of luck, but you did very well with the dolls we sent.”
Tina stepped forward as well. “And rushing here like you did? That was what we wanted. To separate you and your pals.” She raised her hand and pointed past the barrier. “Is that what I think it is? The Book of Shadows?”
“Let him go,” Claire demanded. “We killed Dracula, but the people involved with your cult lived. If you let us go now, I’ll afford you the same opportunity.”
Marilyn looked at Tina, an eyebrow raised and a wicked smirk across her face. “She’ll give us the opportunity to live in a cell inside a FBI black site. I mean, that really sounds like a great deal to me. What about you?”
Tina shrugged, looking at Claire with a glint in her eyes. “She drives a really hard bargain. Maybe we should take it.”
They were toying with her, but she didn’t know what the hell she could do right now. She turned to look at her friends again. “Marissa! You working on this?”
Marissa and the rest of the group had inched forward and were now about ten feet from the barrier. Marissa was on her knees with the book laid out in front of her as she quickly scanned through the pages. Jack walked forward, his knife in his right hand. “How ya doin’, Frank?”
“These bitches aren’t much for booze, so I’ve been better, lad,” Frank answered.
“How about you take this little barrier down and we tango?” Jack asked as he reached the invisible wall. He brought his knife up and tapped it, the metal of the blade clanking on the glass.
Claire turned back around in time to see Marilyn blow Jack a kiss. He screamed and Claire whipped back to the barrier, watching as he shot across the ground, some invisible force throwing him.
“Trust us,” Tina replied whimsically. “It’s not for our benefit that we have that little separator there.”
Claire stared helplessly as Marissa quickly flipped through pages, obviously unable to find what she wanted. Claire took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and steadied herself.
Be still, she thought.
She turned to Frank, her eyes on him. “What do you want?” she asked the witches.
“Your little errand boy told you that already, didn’t he?” Marilyn almost laughed. “What’s he call himself? Al? He’s a funny one indeed, with that beach get-up he wears around all the time. Quite obviously, we want to kill you and your friends. Nothing more, nothing less. There won’t be any trying to turn you into a vampire like I heard you were offered up in Boston.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s get this thing going.” Claire’s left hand was a fist and her right gripped the knife hard.
Be still.
Jack sat up, then quickly got to his feet. He had scrapes on his hands, arms, and legs from where he’d slid across the concrete, but the pain was in the back of his mind. He rushed over to Marissa, who sat on the ground with the book open in front of her, frantically searching through it. Remington and Lance stood in front of her with their guns drawn.
“We’ve got to help Claire, Sissy.” Jack knelt next to her. “What do you see?”
Marissa didn’t look up but kept scanning the page with her index finger. “There’s just so much. I don’t know exactly what spell they’ve used as a barrier, so it’s hard for me to attack it.”
Jack looked up, his eyes finding Claire. Her back was to him, and her blade pointed at the ground. He couldn’t tell if she was looking at the ground or at the witches, only that she was in a lot of trouble.
“Sissy, we don’t have time. These broads look like they mean business.” He swallowed, unable to pull his eyes from Claire. He glanced at Frank in the hope he could do something, but the leprechaun was completely immobile. “We have to do something now. Remington, Lance, what ideas you got?”
The witches had flanked Claire. They had black swirls running out of their hands.
Lance swiveled to his right and let off a round. The doll that had escaped into the stairwell had returned to attack them, but Lance sent it skidding across the concrete with stuffing flying from its destroyed body.
“I don’t have a whole lot of ideas, kid,” Lance admitted, turning back to the group. “I’m just trying to keep us from dying.”
Jack had forgotten about the ghosts somehow, but as he looked around, he was reminded that they weren’t alone up here. Jack saw something dark, little more than a shadow, on the opposite corner of the roof. It had red eyes and was staring at the four of them.
“Remington, you see that thing?” he asked.
“Yeah, kid, I see it.” Remington didn’t move, although Jack knew he was telling the truth.
Okay, okay, Jack thought frantically. There’s danger everywhere, but nothing like what Claire is facing. Focus. His eyes darted back to Marissa, trying his best to ignore everything else around him. “We’ve got to try something, Sissy. It doesn’t matter what at this point. We just have to try.”
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Marissa yelled without looking up.
Jack couldn’t remember if he’d ever heard her curse before, but he didn’t mind, as long as it meant she was about to try something.
Marissa waved her hands to clear her space. “All right, all right, back up. I don’t know what’s going to happen. You two, move out of the way,” she called to the FBI agents.
Remington and Lance moved apart, opening a pathway for Marissa.
Jack did as he was told, moving away from the open book and his teammate.
Marissa peered across the dark roof, her eyes narrow. “I hope this works.” She glanced down at the Book of Shadows and started reading in a language long dead.
Be still, Claire thought. Her eyes followed the two women as they spread out on either side of Frank, creating space between the two of them and making it harder for Claire to attack.
She understood that she was woefully unprepared for this. She wasn’t facing a creature with superior physical characteristics. No, she was facing two human beings with characteristics she couldn’t begin to understand, let alone defend against.
But she didn’t have a choice, either.
Claire brought the blade up as she moved into a fighting stance.
“You watching her?” Marilyn asked.
Claire’s eyes narrowed, unsure what the witch was talking about. Tina looked beyond Claire.
“Nothing to worry about,” the witch answered.
Marissa, Claire thought. She’s doing something.
This was Claire’s opportunity. She darted forward, heading for Tina while she was momentarily distracted. Her knife slashed out like a steel viper, its point looking for blood.
Tina’s eyes grew wide and she tried to step back, but she was a second too slow. The knife was millimeters away from slashing her neck when Claire felt something collide with her back.
Claire was launched into the air. Her hand still gripped the blade, but the rest of her body was completely out of control. She landed on the rooftop, and blood erupted from he
r knees as they scraped across the concrete. Claire didn’t care. She jumped to her feet and whipped around.
Tina’s eyes were wide, her face lacking color. She was obviously scared, having never been so close to death before.
Marilyn had turned away from Claire completely and was staring past the barrier at Marissa, who was reading from the book, her lips moving silently.
“No time to waste,” Claire whispered harshly. She rushed toward the witches, intent on doing whatever she could to kill them.
Tina was ready this time, backing up quickly while black shadows ran from her hands. She shot the dark trails across the open space.
Claire barely managed to dodge them as she kept her attack going. Claire had no idea what the hell the shadows would do to her, and she didn’t want to find out.
“Tina, I’m going outside,” Marilyn almost shouted. She obviously wasn’t concerned at all about what Claire was doing. But she was obviously worried about what Marissa was reading from the book.
“Could use a little help!” Tina called back, but Marilyn didn’t respond.
Instead, Marilyn raised an arm and then let it drop. A whoosh of air hit Claire as she continued to attack Tina, darting left and right to avoid the black shadows shooting at her.
It’s down, she thought. The barrier is down.
Claire skidded to a stop and started backpedaling, creating as much space between her and the witches as possible. She didn’t want to be locked in with them again, no matter what.
“Marissa! Watch out!” she screamed as Marilyn walked toward the group.
Remington and Lance wasted no time, firing in perfect precision.
Marilyn’s lips were moving fast, and she waved lazily at the two men. Claire heard the bullets hit the rooftop, and then the guns were ripped from the agents’ hands, clattering loudly across the concrete.
Jack darted in front of Marissa, wanting to be between her and the witch.
“Move!” Marissa shouted without looking up.
A swirl of shadow had started to emanate from her right index finger, the one following along on the page. It looked almost like smoke, although it was green and did not dissipate as it flowed into the air.
Jack didn’t move out of the way but instead went forward. “You’re not putting a hand on her, bitch.” His blade was up, and Claire could see he planned on attacking, whatever the cost.
She took off in a dead run, forgetting about the second witch, only knowing that Jack was in no condition to battle Marilyn.
I’m not going to make it, she thought as Marilyn raised her hand at Jack.
“Jack, no!” she shouted, but it was too late.
Jack leapt into the air, his blade slicing downward for the kill.
Marilyn whispered something silently and flame burst from her hand. It hit Jack square in the chest, reversing his course as fire bloomed across his shirt.
Claire heard him scream as he flew in the opposite direction.
Marissa’s head was still bent and the green swirls were still rising.
Marilyn’s eyes were focused on Marissa. She had forgotten about everything and everyone else.
“Good.” Claire slid feet-first and smashed into the witch’s legs, slicing her with her blade as the two became entangled.
The knife caught Marilyn’s calf, and blood spurted onto the concrete. The witch howled in pain, and more flames funneled out of her hands.
Claire barely dodged the attack, but she didn’t back off.
She had to end this now.
Her knife came down again and again, trying to find a home but striking only air.
“Claire,” Marissa whispered, and despite the havoc, Claire heard her perfectly. “Move. Now.”
Claire shoved back with her feet, intuitively understanding there wasn’t much time. Whatever was happening wouldn’t wait.
The green swirls rushed toward Marilyn, wrapping around her bleeding legs first and then upward to her torso, and finally out to her arms.
She hung suspended in the air, only her head untouched by the green smoke.
Claire didn’t look at the witch. She had to search for Jack. She saw him lying on his side about twenty feet away. The fire was extinguished, and he appeared to be breathing, but not moving otherwise. “Lance! Go check on him!”
Lance was already moving wordlessly across the roof.
Claire jumped to her feet, rushing to where the witch hung in the air.
Claire could see Marilyn struggling beneath the green restraints, unable to remove them. “What the hell did you do?”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure,” Marissa answered, still hovering over the book. “It’s a spell to trap someone.”
“Hey,” Remington whispered. “Maybe you can use that spell on this one too.”
Oh, God, I’m an idiot, Claire thought as her body whirled toward Tina. She’d forgotten about the other danger.
“You should be careful with that book.” Tina smiled as she approached. She moved slowly, as if none of this bothered her. “Sometimes when you look into the darkness, something will look back out at you.”
Claire saw the figure moving from the corner of her eye—the red-eyed creature that had been standing at the roof’s corner. The closer it got, the harder it was to tell whether it was ephemeral or solid. Shadows moved inside and across it, so that Claire couldn’t see through to the other side.
It stopped about ten feet from Marissa, Claire, and Remington. Marilyn hung above them, and Tina stood on the other side.
“What else you got, Marissa?” Claire asked, her body between her friend and Tina.
“I’m looking,” Marissa whispered back harshly.
Claire didn’t know how long she could hold this witch off. “Can’t you use the same damn spell now?”
“No, darling,” Tina answered. “There isn’t enough time, and she knows it. Plus, she grows weak. Look at her. Sweat on her brow, and her hands are trembling. How many spells has she cast? Two? She isn’t prepared, and neither are you.” The witch pointed toward her compatriot hanging in the air. “The spell is already starting to falter. See for yourself.”
Claire allowed herself a quick glance. The witch was telling the truth. The green restraints were starting to grow thin in places. Claire could see through them in some areas.
Tina shrugged. “All I really have to do is wait, and when the spell fails, we will end you all at once.”
“Marissa,” Claire commented as she turned her head back to Tina. “Find me something now.”
Claire knew the witch was right. There wasn’t time for anything else. All she had to do was wait, and everyone up here would die.
To hell with that, Claire thought. I might not know magic, but I know you bleed.
She rushed forward in a blaze of fury. Tina shot that same black shadow from her hands. Claire dodged left and right, continuing to advance.
“Argh!” Remington screamed from her left, and Claire had to assume the black ghost was attacking him. They would now fight to the death, and Claire was alone.
“You are fast,” the witch whispered, her shoulder moving just in time to avoid being sliced open. “But it doesn’t matter.”
Claire heard the words but could hardly see anything. The black shadows springing from Tina’s hands distorted her view. It took all her concentration to dodge and attack, dodge and attack.
She thrust her hand forward, the blade moving in between the witch’s arm and torso, leaving Claire’s face vulnerable.
Tina blew on her and an icy cold wind spread across Clare’s skin, bringing tremendous pain with it.
Claire tried to pull her hand free, but the witch had pinned her arm with almost unbelievable strength.
“Feel how cold that is?” the witch paused to ask. “It will be the last thing you ever feel.”
She breathed again and Claire felt her skin freezing, the cells crying out before dying beneath the wintry breath.
“Marissa!” she screamed. “Help
!”
Claire head-butted the witch hard.
Blood spurted from Tina’s nose, but still the witch wouldn’t let go. She cackled in response as blood, and icy breath streaked across Claire’s face.
Claire felt the cold spreading down her neck and to her chest, searching for her heart which would freeze, and then she would die. Claire saw darkness spreading around the outside of her vision, and she knew what was happening. It might only feel like cold on her skin, but it was deeper than that. Whatever this witch was doing, it was slowing everything down. It was killing her.
“This is going to hurt, Claire!”
Marissa’s voice. Far off. Perhaps in another universe. Claire wanted to tell her it was okay, that everything would be okay in just a few more minutes if Claire could only close her eyes for a bit. Just rest. That was all she needed.
A concussive blast slammed into Claire and Tina, sending both of them sprawling across the concrete. Claire blinked as she skidded, and her senses came back to her. Her eyes flashed around. Remington was struggling with the ghost, their hands locked together. Tina was on the ground fifteen feet from Claire, not trying to get to her feet yet.
She might know magic, but the bitch is weak, Claire thought.
Claire struggled to get up. Her face hurt, but her vision was back to normal. She swayed slightly when she reached her feet, but managed to get it under control quickly.
Marissa was staring at her. Sweat poured from her forehead, and her eyes were wide. She shook her head, and Claire understood what it meant.
“I don’t have anything else to give.”
The green swirls wrapped around Marilyn were almost gone. Claire turned to the witch, her own body exhausted and bloodied. Yet despite everything that had happened, the witch appeared to be in almost perfect condition.
Even her leg stopped bleeding, Claire thought as the woman lowered herself to the ground, the green magic disappearing completely.
Claire watched as the dark red-eyed ghost threw Remington to the ground and pounced, its swirl of blackness climbing on top of him. Remington grunted and continued to fight, but he was lost. They all were.
“Valiant effort.” Marilyn’s feet touched the concrete. She lifted her leg and looked at where she’d been cut. “First time anyone’s ever hurt me.” She placed her leg back down and looked at Claire. “But it’s over. You know that, right? It’s all over.”
Paranormal University: Second Semester: An Unveiled Academy Novel Page 22