The old Lucas was beginning to appear in my peripheral. We trained together, ate together and when I locked myself away from everyone else, he set up camp outside my door. He slipped torn sheets of paper with song lyrics scrawled on them in his trademark none-can-read-this handwriting.
Because of the nightmares, I’d been too amped or too scared, too something, to sleep for days. After a shoebox full of song lyrics, Lucas finally drifted soundly off to sleep. It was the first good rest he’d gotten since Damien left. I knew my chance, maybe my final chance, to fix it all had finally arrived.
The soft snores of the others assured me they were asleep. I didn’t want to chance waking any of them so I opened my window and slipped outside. Climbing across the roof, I had to remind myself not to look down. Funny. The winged girl who’s supposed to save the world is afraid of a two-story height.
I wasn’t sure who was patrolling so I forced myself to become invisible. The necklace was tucked safely in my pocket; I knew all I had to do was put it on and I’d be found. If anyone thought I was worth finding. I hoped, when the time came, Sebastian would be the one who found me.
Shaking the thought from my head, I proceeded across the slope of the roof toward the only tree that stood close enough to the house. I closed my eyes and jumped, reaching out to pull myself onto the branch. I felt something pull and when I looked down I had to stifle a laugh. I’d just torn a hole through the last shirt that fit me. Of course, that was the least of my issues and I wondered briefly when I’d find the time to go clothes shopping as I shimmied down the tree and ran across the grounds to the edge of the woods.
Finding solace amongst the trees, I felt the answers I needed awaited me, out there. I popped in my ear buds and walked, for what seemed like hours, until I found a good spot to meditate. Leaning against an old oak, I willed the music to calm me. But it wasn’t working. I couldn’t get comfortable. I was itchy, my nerves hummed. Something wasn’t right. And besides the mess I’d made out of the relationship between Ethan and me, I missed Damien.
My heart wasn’t steady. I’d damaged the connection I had with my father. I’d lost the trust of most of the others. The only ones who really talked to me anymore were Branna and Lucas. Branna was a mess ever since Malena died, sacrificing herself for her, and so much of our time together was filled with me siphoning her pain. Lucas was different than I remembered him. He was no longer my infallible best friend. He was the one who betrayed my father, betrayed me. But he was trying to make amends. Unfortunately, his time with Sebastian had changed him and I knew he’d never be the same. Of course, I’d never look at him the same. Two rocks, hard place - the best definition of our new, strained-but-trying relationship.
I growled at myself and ripped the buds from my ears. How long was it going to take for me to realize that sitting around feeling sorry for myself never worked? I needed to do something.
I stood and looked around. The woods were eerily beautiful and I realized I hadn’t spent much time appreciating anything. I reached into my pocket and gripped the pendant. It’d been a long time since I wore it. Since I found out about Lucas’ betrayal. I’d just about defeated Sebastian then. Next time, there would be no almost or just about. I was going to end him. If only for the opportunity to start over. Learn more. Pace myself.
Fuck it.
Closing my eyes, I lifted it and placed the chain around my neck. No use hiding. I’d worked myself up enough to decide I didn’t care if Sebastian found me. It was as good a time as any.
Chapter 24
The pendant glowed, dimly at first, brightening every second. It grew hotter until I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to take the pain when I suddenly heard a twig snap. Using my training, I began to run. I jumped over logs and sailed past trees. All the while, knowing someone was following me. I needed to somehow circle around and get behind whoever was following me. Leaping for the nearest branch, I lifted myself into the tree and crouched, motionless.
Thunder rumbled in the distance and I tried to shrink myself into the shadows. The footfalls grew closer and, as they passed, I silently dropped from my branch and began to stalk the slow moving person. I knew it wasn’t Sebastian, but darkness pulsed inside me, straining, begging to be released. The heat from the pendant continued though I no longer felt any pain. It, like the darkness inside, pulsed with every beat of my heart.
I stepped on a branch and froze. Hands grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. My back was held up against a tree before I could blink. Breath ragged, I faced my stalker.
Warmth flushed my face as Damien’s fingers caressed my lips. I closed my eyes and focused on his touch. It was unlike anything I’d experienced. Every nerve in my body sang. Every muscle tightened in response. Barely able to hold myself upright, I was grateful for his weight against me.
“Samantha.” His voice was raw and husky with need between kisses that fluttered over my neck. “You’ll either be my savior or the death of me.”
“Where’ve you been?” I was barely able to hear myself speak over my ragged breath.
“You turned me away.”
“I had to. I didn’t want to.”
“Why did you do it, Sam?”
“I had to. I had to do it to save my friends.”
His face twisted for a moment, not to the demon I knew was inside him, but to the angel that was lost so long ago.
Darkness descended. I welcomed it as my wings cracked open. I quickly grabbed him and turned him around. Once his back was pinned against the tree, I pulled his head down so my eyes could meet his. “You love me.”
“I do,” was all he could whisper. “Stay with me.”
I answered him with a kiss that twisted me up in knots. I knew it was wrong. I knew the thunder that rumbled in the distance was a warning of what would come if I held on.
A scream erupted from my throat was I felt the knife slice through my wings. Blood flowed down my arms and I held my palms up. The cackle of minions surrounded me before I felt the point of a small dagger on my chest. Looking down I noticed the hand that held the weapon. Long, slender fingers held it in place like fine china. Despite that fact, I couldn’t move.
“What…?”
“Samannnnnnthaaaa…” He whispered into my ear and my knees threatened to buckle.
“Sebastian?”
“I am a man of many faces, my dear Samantha.”
I looked to my wings, lying on the ground and watched in horror as they began shrivel and disappear. Confused, I vibrated in anger, fear and hatred.
“How?”
“Tsk, tsk. Samantha. You know better than to ask a question you already know the answer to. You make it so easy.”
My ears began to bleed as the buzzing sound surrounded me, entered me, and became me. Reaching up, I ran my fingers down the side of my face. When I brought them in front of my eyes, I could see the sticky, black ooze. Disgust blanketed me and I fought to keep the bile in my throat from spewing from my lips.
He laughed and outlined my face with his dagger. “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamt of this. You don’t know how long I’ve imagined your death. But your kiss? Never once crossed my mind, but now that I’ve tasted it, I feel as though your death might be counterproductive. I wonder why Damien abandoned you.”
My knees buckled and he laughed as he caught me by my neck. “He didn’t abandon me.”
Ignoring me, he looked lost in thought. “Oh that’s right. You shunned him. Not much for keeping the heart happy, now are we?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know me.”
“Au contraire, but I do know you. I know every dark corner inside your soul. I know every damaged thought that flits through your mind. I know everything.”
I turned my head, but he grabbed my face and held it in front of his. “Maybe taking the box and pendant from you isn’t how this is supposed to end.”
Summoning the little strength I had, I questioned him. “Then how is it supposed to end?�
�
Evil etched across his lips. “Together. There is evil inside you. Every day it grows stronger. You’re just delaying the inevitable.”
I knew in my heart he was right. I was simply waiting for whatever would break me to rear its ugly head. I wanted to deny it, but something in my face gave it away because Sebastian’s smile twisted into darkness and his eyes blackened.
“I’m strong enough to fight you. I’m strong enough to stay in the light.”
“Come on, Samantha. We both know you don’t want it bad enough.” His arms waved in the air and I turned my head at the sound of crumbling earth.
Dark, hulking shadows pushed up through the ground, surrounding us. As they began to free themselves from their chambers of dirt, they began to take shape. Within seconds, large wooden crosses encircled us. One by one, shapes appeared on them. Faceless bodies morphed into images of Malena, Jesse, Scott and my father before resigning back to strangers. Inky tears fell to the ground and I felt myself lose the will to fight. If I just joined him, maybe no one else would have to die.
“I can get inside of you.”
“I won’t let you.”
“But you already have.”
As if he were reading my mind, one more body appeared on the last cross. It slowly took shape beginning at the naked feet, up to the torn jeans and shredded shirt. Outstretched hands hung limp. Bruises and cuts and dried blood covered the body. Horror paralyzed me.
Branna.
Chapter 25
Her head lolled away from me. I watched as Sebastian walked over and stood before it. Instantly his body twisted and the demon inside became visible.
His body writhed as his wings expanded fully, nearly taking up the entire scene before me. I didn’t want to look. Beside the bodies I recognized, there were half a dozen other, nearly faceless, minions nailed to their respective wooden beams. Some wept silently, others stared slack-faced while a few moaned in obvious pain.
“Sebastian, stop. This is between you and me.”
“No Samantha. You stop. You stop with all your little girl nonsense. You stop with all your ‘poor me’ bullshit. Grow up Samantha. Your decisions have consequences.”
With a crack of his wings, fire began to encircle Branna’s cross. Flames licked at her feet and she began to scream.
“Stop!”
His cackle flooded through me and, despite the pain in my back, I moved toward him. Concentrating, I lifted my arms and threw him forward.
“You’re going to have to try much harder than that.” As he spoke, roots shot up from the ground and began to coil around my legs. Pulling up, the earth below me crumbled and the roots tore away, freeing me to move again. But with every step I was once again rooted to the ground. And with every step I spent my waning energy releasing myself from their snake-like grips.
I watched in horror as fire weaved further up her legs. The rancid smell of burning flesh permeated the air and I swore I was going to choke.
“Sebastian! Stop! Please, let her go. Just let her go.”
“No.”
“She’s done nothing to you. It’s me. It’s all me.”
“And because of you, she’ll die.”
Two of his minions flew down, each grabbing one of Branna’s wings, pulling, ripping until they tore off. She screamed until she passed out. Drenched in sweat, I finally freed myself fully from the ground and raced toward her. The buzzing of minion wings filled the space. Between that and Sebastian’s laugh, I knew I wasn’t going to make it.
Flames shot higher, the tips gracing her elbows in a sick dance of death. When I reached the cross, a loud thump stopped all other sounds. Looking up, I saw my sword pushed through her heart. Branna was dead.
I dropped to my knees as the flames snuffed themselves out. Reaching up, I held the pendant in my hand and began, for the first time, to pray for the strength I realized I never could hold onto alone. I mouthed every prayer I’d ever learned silently into the wind.
Shafts of light began to shoot from the heavens, striking down whatever minions had taken to the air in a feeble attempt to escape.
“You can’t beat me, Samantha!”
I repeated the prayers with more conviction. With each word uttered, I regained my strength. Pain pulsed along my shoulder blades and I knew my wings were being restored.
“No! You will not defeat me!” Sebastian screamed and when I looked up, I saw him pull a large altar-like stone from the earth. On it, was the Box of Hope. I lost all faith that I would ever get it back.
His wings snapped wider as he turned to face me with a long, thin blade in hand. “This will end today.”
Pushing myself up, I was able to catch the air with my healing wings and lift myself high enough to pull my sword from Branna’s charred body before dropping back to the ground.
He paced back and forth in front of the altar, never taking his eyes off me. “You will burn in hell, Samantha. I’ll make sure of it.”
“That’s fine. You’ll burn with me.” As I spoke, the wind howled, thunder boomed and lightning struck the earth. Fire spat from inside me. Sebastian deflected my attack.
With sword in hand, I squared my posture and lifted my hands. I closed my eyes and opened my mind and heart as wide as I could. Calling the others was something I hadn’t wanted to do, but if I was going to do this, I needed the strength of everyone else around me.
Like an agitated, disturbed hive, more and more of Sebastian’s grotesque winged followers filled the sky. Some crashed into each other while others attempted to dive-bomb my location. Just when I thought they’d reach me, electricity fired from my body and fried them as if I’d become a human bug zapper. I knew I no longer needed to worry about their attack.
I was confused as to why Sebastian hadn’t yet attacked me. Instead he was watching me from in front of the altar, as if he was trying to protect it. What was he doing? Waiting for my first move? I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I just had to hold him off on my own until others arrived.
My wings grew stronger with each passing second. I concentrated on summoning the powers of both light and dark, struggling to force them into cohesion. The painful process shook my resolve for a moment, just a moment. And that’s when he struck.
I was blown back; the force of my slamming into a tree caused it to split. Dazed, I tried to get up and was shoved back down.
“Poor little Samantha. Did you get all dirty?”
I knew who stood over me. I would have thought it impossible, but after the incident with Scott, I knew.
“Don’t do this Malena. Can’t you see what Sebastian has done to you?”
“Shut up. You’re giving me a headache.”
There was beauty in her deformity. Her body had taken on the scales and bones of one of Sebastian’s winged minions, but her face – her face was still as beautiful as ever. Until she smiled. Saliva dripped from her jagged teeth and her eyes darted nervously.
“Time to pay the piper, my sweet, sweet Samantha. Too bad we never hit it off. I’m sure we could have been great friends.”
She grabbed me by my hair and dragged me to Sebastian. On my knees, I noticed she had my sword in her hand. Sebastian reached and took it. Her defiant attitude was tempered by the giddiness she exuded in his presence.
“You don’t have to do this Malena. You’re better than this, better than him. Remember when you sacrificed yourself for Branna?”
She froze at the mention of Branna’s name.
“You’d do well to stop talking,” Sebastian growled.
I had to try. “Remember? Remember how Sebastian killed you?”
“No.” She shook her head, but I could tell I was getting to her.
“Now look at you. Look what he’s done to you. He’s made you ugly. He’s made you the thing you hated.”
She looked down at herself, seemingly to contemplate my words. “Ugly?”
“Enough!” Sebastian’s eyes grew darker.
“And look, you sacrificed yourself in
vain. He killed her anyway,” I yelled thinking the louder I was the faster I’d reach her. She couldn’t be all gone. Scott wasn’t.
“Branna?” Her head jerked toward the burned cross. Taking to the air, she hovered in front of the body. “Branna?” She whipped around to face Sebastian.
“You!” All beauty fell away and her feral anger snapped through the air.
Sebastian screamed in my face, his breath and spittle blanketing me, before he cracked his wings and Malena fell to the ground, dead.
“Why must you do this? Why must you continue to make me angry, Samantha?” He was losing it. I wasn’t sure what was more terrifying – a calm and composed Sebastian or a Sebastian that had gone off the rails.
He lifted me by my shirt and pulled me to the altar. “If you aren’t going to give me that pendant, I’ll cut off your head to get it.”
“I don’t think so.” Sebastian quickly let go of me at the sound of the voice. I dropped to my knees and looked in the direction from which it came.
Cal, Christian, Noah and Mara had arrived, swords in hand and wings outstretched. Sebastian wasted no time ordering his followers to attack. The four of them took to the sky to fight, their shadows highlighted against the full moon.
“Hey,” another voice whispered from behind the altar. Lucas motioned for me to crawl around and join him.
“Oh thank God!”
“Shhh. Look.”
Peering over the altar, I saw what he was talking about. Ethan was standing face to face with Sebastian. No wonder he’d lost his focus on me.
“Sebastian, enough. Leave her alone.”
“Son…”
“Don’t call me that.” Ethan yelled loud enough for my ears to ring with each syllable. Darkness and anger flooded through me as I tried to keep him balanced.
“What would you have me call you then?” Sebastian’s fully composed craziness reappeared. I almost wished for the out of control villain from moments before.
“Don’t call me anything. It’s done. Leave her alone. I’ll join you if you just leave her alone.”
Darkness Betrayed (Torn) Page 16