by Diem, J. C.
“No. It is a recent and unwelcome development,” my guardian replied.
“Get in here,” I said and neither of them acknowledged me.
“They cannot hear you,” Sam reminded me. I was standing inside the spell, which rendered me mute to anyone outside.
Reaching through the doorway, I grabbed them both by the arm and dragged them inside. They were both far stronger than me, but they humored me and entered the room. I closed the door out of habit then sat next to Sam on the couch. Nathan and Leo took an armchair each and we settled in to wait.
₪₪₪
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sophia’s client arrived a few minutes later. Even from the second floor, I heard the door when it was shoved open. It hit the wall with an imperious bang. “Are you Sophia?” a haughty young female voice asked.
“I am,” Sophia replied. “Enter and be welcome.”
Her client shut the door with a little too much force. “You don’t look like a psychic,” she declared.
Her voice was familiar and I picked up the remote control to mute the TV, ignoring Sam’s protest. “Shh, I want to hear this,” I told him.
“What do you think a psychic should look like?” Sophia asked with a hint of amusement.
“I don’t know. I guess I expected you to be wearing a black dress and a pointy hat or something.”
“That sounds more like a witch. I am just a woman who sometimes sees glimpses of the future.”
“That’s why I’m here. My Mom swears by you and she finally convinced me to come. I need to know what my future holds.” She sounded unhappy and a niggling feeling that I knew her was rising.
“Take a seat and we can begin. Shuffle these cards.”
“Don’t you want to hear my life story first?”
“That will not be necessary,” Sophia told her. “The cards will tell me everything I need to know.” I couldn’t hear her shuffling, but there was silence for a short while. “Now, choose three cards.” I could picture Sophia watching her client as she obeyed. Silence fell again as she studied the story that had been laid out before her. “You care for a young man and you are unsure whether he holds the same affection for you.”
“Go on,” the girl said without giving anything away.
“The young man hurt you recently and you retaliated in anger.”
A chair creaked as the girl shifted. “That might have happened.”
“Now you want to know whether he is worth pursuing or not.”
Heaving an audible sigh, the girl clicked her fingernails on the tabletop. I’d never noticed how good the acoustics in the building were. “Okay, you’re good. I need to know if I have a future with this guy or not.”
My suspicions were growing and so was my tension. Leo opened his mouth to say something and I cut a glare at him. His mouth snapped shut again.
“Choose three more cards,” Sophia said then presumably studied them. “You were wise to question yourself,” she said at last. “It would seem that this young man has feelings for another girl. He is torn between you both.”
“I already knew that,” her new client said tartly. “She’s bad news and he just can’t seem to let her go. I need to know if he’ll pick me or if I’m just wasting my time.”
“I cannot yet say who he will choose,” Sophia said. “Perhaps the final card will reveal the answer.” She waited for the girl to pick a card then took a long time to say anything. “It would seem that you have a rocky path ahead if you decide to keep pursuing this young man. In the end, your patience will be rewarded.”
Sophia hadn’t come out and declared that the girl would win, but her client clapped her hands and screeched in joy anyway. “I knew it! I knew he’d choose me over that skanky little criminal!”
I was on my feet and was moving before I even realized it. It wasn’t until Nathan grabbed me by the wrist that I realized I’d pulled my dagger. “What is wrong with you?” he asked. Leo appeared beside me and snatched the weapon out of my hand. Sam stood beside me, eyes wide with fright.
“Let me go,” I said. “I need to see her.” Even now, I could hear the client bubbling with joy as she paid Sophia for the reading. In a few moments, she’d be gone and I wouldn’t be able to tell if my suspicions were valid or not.
“Not until you calm down,” Nathan said firmly. “What has upset you so much?”
“I think that was Candy,” Sam said in a miserable tone.
“Who?” Leo asked blankly.
“She must be Zach’s pretend girlfriend,” Nathan replied.
The door opened and my chance to verify if it was her or not was evaporating. Seeing the distress on my face, Nathan sighed and teleported us downstairs. I raced over to the door and pulled the curtain aside. I’d arrived just in time to see a young woman with honey colored hair climb into a town car. I caught a glimpse of her smug, smiling face. Candy, I confirmed with a mental snarl.
“Wait a minute,” Leo said, he’d teleported himself and Sam downstairs. “Zach is dating someone else at the same time as he is seeing you?” It seemed he hadn’t heard me when I’d told Nathan this after all.
I turned around and slumped back against the door. “His father and her mother have some kind of business deal together,” I explained. “They decided they wanted their kids to date and Zach doesn’t have much of a say in it. His father is a control freak. He won’t let Zach dump Candy until after their deal is finalized.”
“It would seem that Candy broke up with him after I spilled the punch on her,” Sam said.
Sophia was the one who was confused now. “I feel as though I have missed some details,” she said.
Sam explained it all to her, sparing me from telling her the story.
Turning to me, her expression was sympathetic. “You believe my new client is the one who Zach is being forced to date? Over the phone she told me her name was Candice.”
“Candy is short for Candice,” I told her. “I know it was her because I saw her face just before she climbed into the town car.” Nathan couldn’t quite hide his satisfaction at the outcome of the reading. In the end, it seemed that Zach would choose his fake girlfriend over me. “Did you tell her the truth or did you just tell her what she wanted to hear?”
“Her final card was too vague for me to reach a conclusion,” she replied. “It is almost as though her fate has not yet been decided, which happens from time to time. I told her what I tell all of my clients when I am unsure of the outcome.”
Now it was my turn to be smug. Candy hadn’t won yet and I still had a chance with Zach. I caught Nathan’s eye and saw his anguish. My possible happiness with my boyfriend was causing him pain. Then he left, teleporting to somewhere else where he could grieve in private.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty
After a restless night and a bland breakfast the next morning, I attempted to have a training session with Leo. Feeling lightheaded after only ten minutes, I tottered over to my seat. I sat down before my legs could collapse. Everyone was watching me in concern. “I’m fine,” I said with a scowl. “I’m not going to keel over just yet.” My skin hadn’t darkened noticeably, so I still had time.
Brie arrived a few moments later. Seeing me sitting at the table, she sneered. “Are you ever going to leave the store and search for the next portal, or are you going to stay glued to that chair forever?”
“That’s a great idea,” I said. “Can someone get me some glue?” Leo and Sam broke into sniggers, as I’d known they would.
Her glare was predictable and did nothing to quell their laughter. “Can you be serious for once?” she snapped. “The fate of the world depends on you and here you sit, doing nothing.”
“I’ll find the portal when I’m supposed to. No amount of nagging from you is going to make me find it any faster.”
She threw her hands in the air then turned to Nathan. “You have claimed responsibility for her. Are you content to allow the world to come to ruin?”
“Perhaps you are corre
ct,” he said, to my surprise. “Enough time has passed that the police will hopefully not be as vigilant in searching for Violet.” Over a week had passed since I’d been shot off the church roof. Their search had to have been scaled down by now. Standing, he rounded the table and held his hand out to me. “Shall we?”
He didn’t have to ask me twice. Any excuse to escape from Brie was a good one. I stood and took his hand and he teleported us away.
He’d taken us to a random street that I didn’t recognize. Even with traffic surging along the wide avenue beside us, it was nice to be outside. It had been far too long since I’d felt fresh air on my face. I closed my eyes and breathed it in, ignoring the faint smells of exhaust from the throng of cars.
Nathan flipped my hood up and pulled it forward to hide my face. Then he offered his arm like a gentleman from a bygone era. I slid my arm through his and we started walking along the much quieter side street.
A small bridge spanned the road ahead. It sat at the base of two gigantic apartment buildings on either side of the street. A sign had been erected on the top of the building on the left. “Tudor City,” I read out loud. “Is there any particular reason why you brought me here?”
“It is my favorite area of the city,” he said as we continued walking.
“Why?”
“It is peaceful here and less hectic than the other neighborhoods. I come here sometimes when I feel the need to be alone.”
We were only halfway along the street and I could already see what he meant. Traffic was nonexistent and pedestrians were few. Twin staircases flanked both sides of the street ahead, leading up to the bridge. Glancing inside a building just before we reached the staircase, I did a double take when I saw a gigantic greenhouse. Plants and flowering shrubs filled the entire space. There was even a small pond peeking through the foliage. Shaking my head at seeing something so lush in the heart of a skyscraper, I continued on after a short pause.
We veered towards the stairs and a dark doorway caught my eye. The next portal to the shadowlands was hidden in the stone wall just before the staircase. Nathan didn’t see it, of course. It was rare for us to spend some time alone, so I figured I’d tell him about the portal later. It was too dangerous to attempt to draw the rune that would unlock it during the day anyway. I needed darkness to fall before I could traverse through the doorway.
We scaled the four flights of stairs and I was dizzy and breathless by the time we reached the top. Nathan paused to let me rest and I looked around to see a small park to our left. There was a matching park across the other side of the bridge. It would have been nice to take a seat, but my guardian had other ideas. “Do you really think reclaiming your soul will allow you to heal your illness?” he asked as he headed across the bridge.
“I don’t know, but it kind of makes sense,” I replied. We walked slowly to give me time to recover from the climb. “There doesn’t seem to be any other way to get rid of the Wraith Warrior’s toxin. At the very least, having my soul back will make me stronger.”
“You are narrowing down the Prince who was responsible for unleashing his essence on you. Once you kill him, the taint might be reversed.”
“Anything is possible,” I said with a fatalistic shrug.
We walked in a companionable silence and I savored being close to him. We had an excellent view of First Avenue and the East River beyond it from the center of the bridge. I paused to take in the sight of the sun glinting on the water. A small brick building blocked what would have otherwise been a perfect view.
We continued on and reached the base of the second gigantic apartment building. Or at least I assumed the top floors were apartments. The windows on the ground floor were made of stained glass. A sign next to the door advertised a preschool.
I could see why Nathan liked the neighborhood. It had an old-world vibe with the archaic touches like the stained glass windows. Moving past the building, we came to a cul-de-sac that gave us another spectacular view of the river. The stores that lined the short street were quaint and picturesque.
A final cul-de-sac at the far end of the street drew me. We walked over to the brick wall that prevented anyone from falling to their death. At five-foot-five, I was just tall enough to be able to go on my tippy-toes and look straight down. The ground was about four stories below us. If I fell from this height, death would be likely.
The view wasn’t as pretty here. I could see the river to the left, but the buildings nearby were more modern and weren’t as charming. “Thanks for bringing me here,” I said to my companion. “You’re right, this is a nice area.”
“I am glad that you enjoyed it,” Nathan said. He smiled and I smiled back and as easily as that, we were both caught. I swayed towards him and he lowered his head. Our lips were about to touch when a cold voice interrupted us.
“It is as I thought,” Hag said with icy satisfaction. “Nathanael cannot be trusted with your safety.”
We sprang apart to see we were surrounded by angels. I recognized Dom and Jed. They were the first two angels we’d found with the rune stones. The others were strangers.
“I would caution you not to do anything rash,” Nathan warned her, but I knew it was useless. From the way Hagith was staring at me, she’d already made her mind up about the steps she was going to take.
“Seize Hellscourge,” she ordered two of her minions. “The rest of you, prevent Nathanael from following us.”
I didn’t bother to struggle as my arms were grasped in tight grips. I caught a fleeting glimpse of Nathan’s furious expression before I was blinded by white light and I was kidnapped by my allies.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-One
My bracelet was stripped away, as was my cell phone and dagger. One of the angels searched my pockets thoroughly, looking for anything that I might try to use to contact my friends. She didn’t take my watch, leather bracelet or ruby ring.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I said to Hagith when her minion was done.
“I am taking control of you as I should have from the beginning,” she replied smugly.
Looking around, the room was small. Old wooden boards lined the walls and the ceiling. The ground was bare dirt, which meant we were in a basement. “How many times have we had this conversation?” I said rhetorically. “I’m not going to be your pawn. Fate is in charge of me. You can’t force me to do anything that I don’t want to do.”
“You misunderstand,” Hagith replied and motioned for her two lackeys to step outside. They obeyed and moved far enough away that they presumably couldn’t hear us. “I do not intend to make you do anything.”
“Really? I could have sworn you just forced me to come here with you.”
Resenting being corrected almost as much as I did, she clenched her jaw. “You will stay here until further notice. If you attempt to escape, you will be punished.”
Turning on her heel, she strode out through the door. Her sycophants scurried forward and slammed the door shut before I could even think about trying to leave. Made of solid wood, a small window around a foot square allowed only a small amount of light to filter inside. One of the angels smirked at me then chanted in her angelic voice. They both hurried after their mistress like trained dogs.
I had no idea what spell she’d just cast. It became clear when I touched the rough surface of the door. A shock of electricity surged through me and I bit back a pained yelp. I was glad I’d waited for them to leave before zapping myself. It was an extra humiliation that I didn’t need.
Turning in a slow circle, I peered around the dim room. A thin mattress had been placed in one corner with a single blanket that was supposed to keep me warm. An equally thin pillow looked just as uncomfortable as the mattress. A stool sat to the right of the door. A jug of water and a plastic cup sat on the dirt floor beside it. Seeing a bucket in a third corner, I wondered what it was for then grimaced when I realized it was supposed to be my toilet. “Awesome,” I said with a weary sigh.
“It’s just like being in a five-star hotel.”
My allies had just taken me prisoner and I had no idea what their intentions were. Nathan couldn’t track me without my bracelet. He may not have been able to find me here even if I’d still been wearing it. They’d created a spell that could apparently block his ability.
Taking a seat on the mattress, I found it to be as lumpy and inadequate as it looked. Trapped in the small, dark room, the walls felt like they were closing in around me. My claustrophobia was creeping up and it was all I could do not to give into panic.
Several hours passed before I heard someone approaching. Rocking backwards and forwards in an effort to hold in my fear, I forced myself to stillness. I was stubbornly determined not to let my captors know how terrified I was of being enclosed in the cell.
Orifiel stepped inside, dressed in one of his usual dark suits. He didn’t look happy to see me. Another angel carried my lunch on a tray. It was two slices of plain toast and water. Prisoners in real jails ate better than this. “How are you feeling?” he asked me when the tray had been placed on the stool.
My reply was understandably surly. “I think we both know that you couldn’t care less how I’m feeling.”
“I am talking about the toxin that is invading your flesh. How far has it progressed?”
I debated about telling him what I knew then gave a mental shrug. “Sophia had a vision that I will probably die before the end of the year.” He sucked in a breath and his lackey stiffened in shock. “It really isn’t a good idea to keep me locked up in here. I won’t be able to find the next portal from this cell.”
“We will not keep you here all the time. We will take you out at night and allow you to search when there is less chance of you being seen by our enemies.”
“Are you going to put a leash on me?” I said sarcastically. “It’ll go well with this kennel.”