Henry claimed I could stop this on my own. It wasn’t until now that I realized he’d meant I’d serve as the detonator and sacrifice myself and the city to get rid of this threat. Oren and Sally weren’t supposed to be the sacrificial lambs, I was.
It makes sense now.
“There’s got to be something else we can do.”
“There’s no other way and certainly not enough time.” His eyes begged for my understanding. “You and Lavie need to go.”
“I won’t let you do this.” I recalled what he’d said to me when I’d insisted I tackle a dangerous situation alone, and decided to use it against him. “It’s not up to you to decide whose life can be put at risk and whose can’t.”
“Sierra, this isn’t your decision to make.” A rueful smile crossed his lips. “And throwing my own words back at me won’t work. Not with this.”
Sally stepped up beside him and touched my arm. “You know he’s right.”
“Aunty, you can’t!” Lavie said, distraught.
She touched her niece’s cheek. “Lavie, it’s time for you to spread your wings.”
Lavie threw her arms around her aunt and the tears slid freely down her face.
“Take good care of Impressions for me.”
I could feel my eyes burning, but refused to break down. I hugged Oren and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Grandpa.”
“I love you too, always have.” He clutched me so tightly I could hardly breathe, but I didn’t care. My tears wet his shirt, and when he pulled away, his eyes were glistening. “I can die a happy and proud man. Get Willow back. Make Duff and Jacinta pay. But mostly, I want you to be happy.”
I nodded and stepped away from him. Sally and Lavie cried as they held each other and babbled incoherently. They dragged me into the embrace and I thanked the older Grye for being so kind and helpful, for never doubting me or my ability.
“Sierra,” Oren called. “If anyone knows this isn’t the end, it’s you.”
“Are you going to haunt me?”
“Only if you want me to,” he said. “Set off as many spooks as you can, and run!”
I nodded just as a wraith struck me in the back of the head and bounced into an orb. I grabbed Lavie’s hand and ran across the room seconds before another explosion shook the basement. I couldn’t see Oren and Sally past the dust, but stepped into the chaos, enough to attract the searching spooks.
A multitude slammed into me, from every angle, and I lost sight of what I was supposed to do. The need to draw them in scratched at my insides. I wasn’t sure how many hit me before Lavie dragged me away.
“Sierra, come on!” She pulled me in the direction Roe had taken.
Orbs fell from the ceiling, smashing into the wraiths and setting them off like dominoes. Lavie and I ran out of the dungeon room, and the large door shut behind us as we raced across the concrete corridor. We sprinted and had made good distance when the explosion struck and sent the door we’d just shut chasing after us.
“That’s the way out!” Lavie yelled, pointing ahead. “Roe left it propped open.”
Another exit door lay ahead, but this one clearly led outside. I could see the landscaped garden. How many times had I hung out there with Mara, Lee and other catchers, or ventured outside for a quiet moment? I’d shared my first kiss with Mace in that garden. I fought against the memories.
Lavie and I crossed the doorway together but we weren’t fast enough. Our feet were swept off the ground, just as I managed to grab Lavie’s sweater. The exploding glass, steel and concrete mushroomed outwards, the debris smacking into the magical barrier Sally and Oren had sealed. The destruction bounced off the invisible walls as if it were caught inside a cylinder, swirling above our heads like a tornado.
“Sierra!” Lavie yelled.
Her sweater slipped from my fingers, but she caught my forearm before being sucked into the twirling mess. The remains of the building spun in circles and I thought we were going to get drawn into the maelstrom. But the Tower imploded on itself and shot out a dust cloud, shattering the circle keeping us inside this mess.
Lavie and I were spit out, freefalling towards the motorway.
I sucked in a gulp of air and dust, drawing my dark patch. When the black walls cascaded around us, I sighed in relief. But it didn’t last because I couldn’t focus and released it too early, leaving us in the middle of the road.
A semitrailer headed straight for us, and wouldn’t have enough time to stop. The massive grill got bigger and the screech of tires filled my ears.
Out of nowhere, a black car materialized between us and the semi. The door opened and I jumped to my feet, practically shoving Lavie inside. We were both breathing uncontrollably when Diana swung the wheel so the Terraplane faced the right way. She sped down the motorway, heading back into the city. I could see the damage from here. The explosion had flattened the Tower, making it crumble into the ground. The surrounding buildings still stood proudly, covered in dust.
Oren and Sally had sacrificed their lives to save everyone else’s. I could only hope Roe and the girls had been well and truly out of range.
“We really should stop meeting like this,” Diana said, peering into the rearview mirror. “How much trouble can one person get into on a daily basis?”
“Sierra has a knack for attracting trouble.” Lavie was eyeing Diana. “My name’s Lavie, by the way.”
“I’m Diana.”
“Like Wonder Woman!”
I looked at my friend, wondering if babbling about a superhero was her way of dealing with losing her aunt to a steel and concrete structure. I wouldn’t judge, not when I wasn’t willing to accept Oren was gone. I half expected to go home and find him sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea with Sally.
“Shit,” Diana said.
“What’s wrong?” I made a move to peek over my shoulder and as I did, the car was rammed so hard Diana lost control of the wheel. The car spun and before it stopped, we were hit again. The impact caused Diana’s head to smack into the steering wheel and bounce back against the driver’s seat.
“Sierra, what’s going on now?” Lavie asked.
“The Obscurus is here.”
“What?” Lavie glared out the back window just as the door on her side was ripped off its hinges. Black-sleeved arms reached inside. “Get off me!” She tried to pull out of Duff’s grip, but he was too strong.
“Don’t fight him,” I said. “Let’s get this over with.” I checked to make sure Diana had a pulse seconds before my door was ripped off as well. The hands that reached for me were covered in leather.
Mace leaned into the car. “You didn’t think you were going to get away from me, did you?”
“No, I didn’t.” If I wanted Mace Clamber out of my life, I’d have to trap him inside one of the witch’s bottles I had in my pocket. The opal ring on his finger caught my attention. There was one other alternative. But for now, I met his black eyes and took his offered hand, letting him guide me into the waiting vehicle.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I settled into the backseat.
Mace wedged himself between Lavie and me. “You’re going home.”
As the car sped away from Diana’s, I looked out the window and spotted Oren and Sally sprinting out of the Tower wreckage. Relief washed over me. They made it out after all.
“Lavie, did you see them?”
“See who?”
I pointed out the window at their fleeing figures.
She shook her head. “I don’t see anyone.”
Mace leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Only you can see the dead.”
Chapter Fourteen
As much as Mace repulsed me, he was right about one thing. My connection to Hecate and the magical power grid made North Serene Hills feel like home. I was glad the wakh-tipped quarrel hadn’t broken my link.
I stepped out of the car and tilted my face to the sky. Day was becoming night, which seemed the best time to finish this journey. After witnessing the destruction of the Spook Catcher Council Tower and losing two more people I cared deeply about, I knew this was The End.
The ache in my chest intensified. Oren was dead. The grandfather I’d only met this year was gone. The loss hit me like a tangible force, making my legs wobble beneath me. But I couldn’t let the sorrow consume me, couldn’t show any weakness. So I pushed the grief to the back of my mind to compartmentalize it.
After all, I’d decided to face my demons, hadn’t I? Now was the time to stop running and slam headfirst into the Obscurus. So here we were. I just had to keep my wits, make sure Lavie stayed alive and get my sister out of this mess. I planned to survive too, but if someone was going to be the sacrificial lamb, it was me. Too many good people had lost their lives already. I wasn’t prepared to add more to the list.
Mace wrapped a hand around my upper arm, his fingers sending electric shocks over my skin. He led me away from the car and as we strode onto the gravel outside the chain-link fence, it felt like I hadn’t left. Everything that had happened since Narelle lured me, and Jacinta made her move, seemed to have happened only moments ago. The burnt-out shell of Saul’s BMW remained.
“So you can get past the fence now, can you?” I asked when Mace led me under the chain-link opening. He’d been zipping by in the form of electric arcs every time I’d been here lately, but hadn’t ventured past. Yet Burr’s vision showed Mace inside.
“The fence has never held me back,” he said with a smile.
So he’d been toying with me. Oh well. I had a surprise of my own coming.
Duff pushed Lavie along in front of us, and she struggled with him all the way.
As we walked down the littered streets, any buzz of imprinted activity from the past had completely faded. I wondered where Burr and the other Tailors were, and hoped they remained in their own patch. This was my fight. It was a shame my sister and Lavie were caught up in it.
The power to destroy other patches hadn’t done anything to help keep my family and friends safe. But these freaks were about to use me to conjure Legion, and that was when I would make full use of my inherited gift.
Mace gripped my arm. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”
“First you wanted to tear down the barrier between the ghostly patch so all the spirits could roam free. Then you were going to unleash all of those dangerous spooks into the city. You really have an appetite for destruction, don’t you?” Would he reveal he was an ancient creature desperate to reconnect with his family?
“Maybe.” He leaned into me and whispered, “After all is said and done, I might even tear down the wall you’ve erected between us.”
“That’ll never happen.”
“Don’t be so sure,” he said, glancing my way. “I’ll be there when you’re at your weakest, when you’re desperate enough to do anything to have a moment’s grace.”
I snorted. “Didn’t your colleague Maya tell you what happened when she tried bringing that demon over?”
Mace sped up. “Yes, she told me. But that’s what happens when the ritual is done half-assed and without all the members of the Obscurus.”
“So you forgave the Lamia for her indiscretion?” I asked, sneaking a sideward glance.
His jaw clenched. “We’ve had her on a tight leash since we tracked her down.”
Ah, interesting. “And when did you track her down?”
“When she found your petite friend.”
“You’re a despicable bastard, you know that?” I tried to shake my arm out of his grip but I wasn’t going anywhere—not until he wanted me to.
“It doesn’t matter what you think of me.” Mace yanked my arm hard enough so I missed a step and stumbled into his chest. His black eyes were sizzling with sparks, and the grin didn’t leave his face. “You’re mine, Sierra. From the moment I discovered your familial line and realized the potential, I laid claim to you.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I spat, staring him in the eye.
“Not even the wolf.” He made it a statement, rather than a question. “It’s too bad you don’t have a choice, you never did.” He bent so close our noses touched. “When you feel the power of Legion flowing inside you so many times, you’ll learn to crave more.”
“Don’t count on it,” I said. “I’ve already felt the putrid demon flow out of me and I wasn’t impressed.”
Mace glared into my eyes for so long, those uncanny peepers made it seem like time had slowed. “You’re wrong.” He leaned in, but I moved my head and he kissed my cheek instead. I wanted to dig my boline into his gut, but he held on so tight.
“Mason, hurry up!” Duff called from up ahead. “Stop wasting time.”
“Why don’t we get this over and done with?” I said, refusing to meet his gaze.
Mace sighed.
We trampled over the uneven gravel in silence. The middle of the three-way crossroads lay ahead, where a group of people stood. The closer we got, the more I realized they weren’t just standing around—about a dozen men and women were imprisoned inside a red-chalked circle. And I recognized one of them.
“Conrad!” I made a move towards him but Mace held me back.
When the vampire hunter looked up, he didn’t seem to see me. A line of crimson had dried along the side of his neck and stained the collar of his T-shirt.
“He won’t recognize you.”
“Did you arrange for Narelle to bite him after you sent a wraith and orbs after me?”
Mace shook his head. “I’ve already told you, I didn’t do that.”
“Conrad,” I said a second time, but he didn’t respond.
“Ah, the guest of honor has finally arrived,” Jacinta Mills called. “Welcome. I’m sure Granny wouldn’t approve, but her opinion never mattered.” The bitch stood outside a scorched inverted-pentagram on the cracked asphalt. Tonight she wore a burgundy ceremonial robe with matching heels, and had a short sword strapped to the belt. “Just so you know, Mace didn’t arrange for the attack on your office building.”
The smug smile revealed who had, but I bit back any response.
Jacinta shrugged. “We had to draw you out somehow.”
I turned my attention to the inscribed pentagram, and it reminded me of the one in Burr’s vision. This was Mace’s handiwork. “What’re you doing with those people?”
“I was under the impression you’d partaken in this ritual before.” Jacinta glanced into the circle.
I followed her gaze and spotted Maya’s ankle chained to one of the bottom points of the star. The Lamia’s jaw unhinged and she bared her teeth, but was unable to move because she’d already been closed into the magic circle. Just like my sister—who stood adjacent to Maya.
“Sierra,” Willow said, hiccupping.
I looked into her frightened eyes. Aside from the tear streaks on her face and the puffy eyes, she looked okay. “Are you all right?” Mace tightened his grip on me.
Willow shook her head, and I wanted to console and protect her. But giving these assholes any further emotional ammunition was out of the question. Not that Mace would let me move.
“These people are the sacrificial lambs. We need as much blood as we can to fuel this ritual.” Jacinta stepped closer and her flowery perfume made my head spin. “Legion’s numbers are endless, so we’ll spend years allowing new demoniacs passage. Soon, this spot will become the basement of the biggest apartment complex in Sydney. Thousands of humans will live here and will serve as vessels.”
The plan sounded similar to Maya’s, except she’d wanted to start at Regalia and branch out into government. “You lead the Alliance. You’re supposed to stop these things from happening,” I said. “Didn’t you put a price on my head to stop
me from being used by the Obscurus?”
“The price on your head never entailed killing you on sight. Both you and your sister were to be brought to me unharmed.” Jacinta’s emotionless face looked like a mask.
“You were always part of the Obscurus.”
“I’m the leader of both groups.” Her smile made her look like a comic-book villain.
I glanced at Mace and he avoided my eyes. All this time, I’d thought he was running this macabre show, but he was just another cog in the machine. A cog with so much to gain he’d played whatever role necessary to make this possible.
“You can’t be good and bad,” I said, turning back to her. So Oren’s suspicions about Jacinta were true.
“I’m neither, and have always played by my own rules. Besides, what would be the point of stifling a power so great? We’ve each managed to conjure some part of the demoniac into ourselves, just enough to be touched and connected to Legion.” A smile curved her thin lips. “I took great pleasure in ensuring Jonathan Wells was possessed to the strongest degree. It was vital for someone who could get so close to you.”
My stomach twisted. Before my ex died, he’d admitted he hadn’t willingly surrendered to the demonic entity that took over his life. Even after Jonathan healed me I’d been so angry and disgusted that I didn’t care. Now, I felt sorry for him.
“By opening ourselves to Legion, we can reap many rewards.” Then she said to Mace, “Release her, close the demon hunter into her spot.”
“Duff can do that. I’ve got to keep an eye on Sierra,” Mace said.
“How can you do this, Jacinta?” Lavie yelled, trying to pull free of Duff.
Jacinta ignored her, didn’t even blink at the outburst.
“No, Mason, you’re going to do what I tell you to do,” Jacinta said.
Mace stood firm, holding onto my arm.
Jacinta pulled what looked like a handful of seeds from her pocket and scattered them on the ground. A pig appeared out of the smoke. “Unless you want me to force you to abandon your alluring vessel and make sure you drown this time, you’ll do as I say.”
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