My eyes fluttered open to reveal Gage standing over me. He had a bored expression on his face. “The spell should have worked. How odd that it didn’t.”
You monster… You shot me! I screamed in my head. The world began to narrow and turn gray. I stared into Gage’s cold eyes right up until the moment I passed out.
Chapter 8
When I woke up, I was laying on a table. My shoulder throbbed in time with my pulse, radiating heat and pain through my whole body. I felt weak and tired, and raising my head seemed impossible.
After a moment, I comprehended that I was in the mummy room, laying on a slab that had likely recently held a rotting corpse. The skin of my back prickled in disgust, and I quickly began gathering the strength to rise. I looked to my left and saw a body on the table next to me covered in white powder.
I felt myself begin to gag, turned my head to the right, and flinched in surprise when I saw Gage standing beside me. “That’s the natron.” He picked up some of the powder off the body and then let it fall through his fingers. “The drying process has begun.”
I looked down to where my spirit pack had attacked him, where there should have been gashes on his arm. But he’d somehow made his injuries disappear. How? What type of magic does he hold? The dark mist I watched him create and then brush away reminded me of the magic the demon used. I remembered the demon blowing out ash and using it to make a hellhound. Is Gage’s magic as powerful as the demon’s, or somehow connected to it? Gage boasted of finding old spells, powers thought long lost, but to what end?
It’s not what they are, but what they want to become. Wendy’s words floated across my mind once again. Gage was trying to become more powerful, to morph into something else. But what? A demon—or maybe something worse? Was there such a thing?
I’d been trying to hurt him. I would have liked to have watched him die. I had every intention of killing him, but here he was, alive and kicking.
A cold shiver of panic raised goose bumps on my skin. I attacked Gage. I’d unconsciously called my spirit pack, but they had attacked him. And I’d tried to kill Caleb, right in front of Gage. He’d sworn that he would hurt the ones I loved if I ever turned on him. Luke. What did he do to Luke? It took me two tries before I finally whispered his name through trembling lips, “Luke?”
“Now, now, your boys are fine. I know you didn’t mean to try and hurt me. It was just a gut reaction to lash out once I shot you. I would have done the same thing under the circumstances. I don’t blame you for what you did. It’s totally understandable.” He gave me a knowing look. “You were injured, in shock. You reacted without thinking. The thing that concerns me is not that you attacked me—it’s that your attack failed.” He watched me in silence for a long moment before continuing. “You have such powerful magic. The way you raised the zombies, the fact that you released a demon… I just can’t understand why your magic was so ineffectual this time.”
Gage was actually upset that my magic failed and that I hadn’t killed him or Caleb. I wished I had. How wonderful if my magic had destroyed them both. Why hadn’t it worked? My mind flashed back to moments I’d used magic defensively in the past. I’ve pushed spirits into the afterlife, I’ve called my spirit pack, I killed Weatherton…
But not until he was in spirit form.
It all started to click in my mind. I’ve always used my magic against spirits. Does my magic not work against the living?
I started to sit up, but my head spun and a wave of pain radiated down from my right shoulder. I realized I couldn’t move my arm. “How are you feeling?” Gage asked. “You lost a lot of blood, but the healers I have on staff are top notch.”
Despite his question, I could see there was no true emotion behind his face; there was no real concern in his eyes when he looked at me. I struggled to sit upright. Gage watched me with interest but didn’t offer any help. Finally, on the third try, I pushed myself into a sitting position using only my left arm.
A black hospital-type gown covered me. I could feel bandages pressed against the skin on my injured shoulder under the gown’s material. A black sling cradled my right arm.
Gage gave me a smile and motioned across the room. “Ian here says you should be fine in a day or two.”
A brown-haired man weaved around the tables, making his way across the room. Once he stopped in front of me, he lifted a hand to touch my forehead. As he raised his wrist, I saw a flash of blue.
A blue swallow. My mouth turned dry. This was not a gypsy healer—this man was from a Scottish clan. He was one of my people.
Gage registered my shock. “Ian and I came to an understanding a few years back. His life and the life of his family in exchange for his services. He has been quite helpful. He’s an extraordinarily gifted man. I mostly have gypsy healers on staff, but Ian insisted on taking care of you himself.”
I found myself looking down at the floor. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest. Will I recognize his face? Is he someone I’ve seen at festivals and clan gatherings? Or worse—is he from my clan? Will I look into the eyes of a man who, at some time, may have sat across from me at my own dinner table?
I took a deep breath and forced myself to look into Ian’s face. I didn’t recognize him. Relief filled me—he was not someone I knew. He was a painfully thin man, all angles and sharp points, and he seemed to be bowed by some heavy weight. He might have been old—or maybe just worn out—and I wondered how long he would last in Gage’s service. He pressed his fingers against my wrist, taking my pulse. His shadowed eyes met mine. I expected to see disgust and hatred, but instead his blue eyes were full of pity. For a brief moment I wondered if I would find the same reception if I went home. Could it be possible that my clan might not hate me? Would they instead pity me?
“Ian, this is Colina Campbell,” Gage said, as though introducing us at some social gathering. “I’m sure you’ve heard all about her. She is becoming quite legendary for one so young. A healer turned death dealer who raised a demon and is now creating an undead army. Who would have thought such a young girl could be so gifted?”
Ian watched me quietly. Worry lined his face and tinged his eyes with sadness.
He was on Gage’s side—but he worked for a demon’s henchman in order to keep his family safe. Ian had a reason to work for the dark side. No one had threatened me when I crossed the line and entered into darkness. I did it for revenge. And when I crossed the next line, edging my way closer to that dark abyss, it had been for love.
I felt tears sliding down my cheeks.
“I’ve used my powers to close the wound,” Ian said in a soft voice. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. You will feel a bit weak for a day or two.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
Ian nodded his head, turning and walking away. I watched him go. Defeat slumped his shoulders and bowed his head. I could imagine that being in Gage’s employment would eventually break even the strongest spirit.
Gage reached out and patted my good arm. “I’m still not sure what went wrong. The spell should’ve worked.”
A wave of dizziness washed over me and I started to wobble to one side. This time Gage came to my aid. His hand clamped down hard on my good shoulder, righting me. “We’ll have to try it again. Just like with the mummies—trial and error.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You want to shoot me again?”
He looked at me blankly before annoyance crossed his face in reaction to my question. But, just as quickly, his face cleared and he smiled at me again. “I don’t want to, but it’s an important spell. It’s one you need to master. Don’t worry, my dear, I am sure that your failure was a fluke. We will try it again when you feel better. I promise—next time, we will be extra careful. I still don’t understand why it didn’t work.”
Caleb had helped me with the spell…I’d repeated back every word he’d said. What if Caleb mispronounced or left out words of the spell on purpose? If Gage had aimed for my heart instead of my shoulder, I w
ould be dead, and Caleb would have his revenge. What was to stop him from doing the same thing again?
The thought hadn’t even occurred to Gage that shooting me might be a bad idea. I knew without a doubt that something was missing in Gage’s mind—he moved through the world without any understanding of the limitations the rest of humanity put on our behavior. If it were necessary to his plans to kill hundreds of people—or maybe just for fun—he would go ahead and do it. He didn’t even give it a second thought. I would never appeal to his better nature, would never get on his good side, because he didn’t have one. In that moment, I realized my only hope of survival was in appealing to his self-interest.
My mind raced, trying to think of what I could do to prevent being shot again.
“The demon has plans for me, and it would be annoyed if I was killed before I could complete them,” I said, putting as much edge into my voice as I could.
His eyes narrowed and he was silent for a moment, and then when he spoke again it was with a self-assured air. “There is still a chance it could work. I’ve heard it can take a couple of tries before the spell takes for some young death dealers.” Gage patted my arm reassuringly. “But then again, we really don’t understand your abilities. The mixing of healer and death dealer magic has had such interesting consequences. I’m concerned about your power…or lack thereof.”
My spirit pack had attacked him, but they’d barely managed to do any harm.
Gage noticed me looking at his arm. “Your…animal banshees. Hmm… Is that what we’re going to call them? Mildred used the phrase ‘spirit pack.’ How amusing. I’ve never seen animal spirits bound to a mage before. For a moment I thought I might not be able to fight them off when they came at me, but all they did was make a lot of angry noises and slash at me a bit.” He was watching me closely. “Not to worry, my dear, I didn’t hurt any of your pack. They whooshed off back into the ether sea all on their very own.” A thoughtful look filled his face. “I think the problem is that you don’t have that killer instinct in you yet.”
Killer instinct? I looked up at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
“I don’t know why your fire magic didn’t work, either. It went through Caleb’s hellfire barrier without much effort—which was impressive and not something I’ve ever seen happen before.” Excitement filled Gage’s eyes, closely followed by disappointment. “But I expected Caleb to burst into flames. I don’t understand how your magic didn’t hurt him. How is it that your magic is so ineffectual? Well, that’s still a puzzle that must be worked out.”
His fingers grazed the smooth skin of his arm. “But these animal banshees of yours weren’t out to kill me. Scare me? Yes. Kill me? Far from it. There was no real aggression, no instinct to kill in them. No true ill will. I think your healer background is holding you back.” He reached out and touched my cheek.
I couldn’t help shrinking back. Gage was wrong. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill Caleb—and yet I failed.
He looked annoyed, but then he smiled. “There is darkness inside of you—I can feel it. I think you just need to give in. Surrender. Become one with it fully.”
I thought there was no leftover healer light still inside me. But hearing Gage say I hadn’t completely succumbed to the darkness brought forth a spark of hope. Was there still goodness inside me? Was it the only thing keeping me from being one of them? Keeping me from becoming a cold-blooded killer?
Gage watched me closely. He wouldn’t be happy until he’s turned me into one of his followers.
“Don’t worry,” he continued. “We will work on it. The demons only respect strength. If you are not strong enough to stand up to them, you will be their slave. You’ll have to be much stronger, Colina. We’ll have to rid you of your childish belief in good and evil. There is only power, and if you want your share, you’ll have to take it.” He patted my hand and then turned and walked out of the room. A heavy dread filled me as I watched him go. I knew Gage wouldn’t be satisfied until I could kill without a second thought.
Just like him.
* * *
Wendy was standing in the corner when I came through the doors.
I’d expected Caleb to escort me back, but this time it was Jacob who followed me back to the house. Jacob said very little to me as we made our way through the tunnels. Jacob didn’t look at me with eyes full of hatred. I didn’t fear Jacob as I did his brother. But how different, really, was Jacob from his twin? Jacob willingly followed Gage’s orders. Why would someone voluntarily succumb his will, his mind, his body to someone as evil as Gage?
Wendy quietly watched us walk into the room, her eyes darting over my clothing and the sling. She started toward me, panic on her face. “What happened?”
I fell into the nearest chair. “Gage shot me.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. She looked over at Jacob, aghast, and then back at me. “He tried to kill you? I don’t understand. He needs you to raise his zombie army.”
I was exhausted. The walk from the mummy room to the house had taken every ounce of energy I had left. “Gage was teaching me the death dealer’s bulletproofing spell,” I answered. Even to me my voice sounded shaky and weak. I looked around the room. “Where’s Dean?” Gage promised Dean wasn’t hurt, but I wouldn’t believe it until I saw him standing in front of me alive, breathing and unharmed.
Wendy shrugged her shoulders.
“Did they take him away?” I demanded. When she didn’t answer, I turned to Jacob. “What did you do with him?”
Jacob said in a quiet voice, “Your friend is fine. He’s not hurt. He’ll be back with you in the morning.” Jacob gave Wendy a smile, turned, and left the room.
Wendy watched him go and then faced me again. “Jacob promised Dean wouldn’t be hurt. I know what you think, but Jacob is not like the rest of them.”
My curiosity forced me to ask, “What’s he like, then?”
“He’s kind…and caring,” she said, a small smile on her face.
“He works for Gage.” What hold does Jacob have on her? Why was she defending him?
Her eyes filled with anger. “Not everyone who works for a monster is one.”
“What is it between you and Jacob?” Does she honestly have feelings for him? Every time I looked into Jacob’s face, all I could see was Caleb. They were identical twins. Caleb wanted to hurt me, make me pay. I had a hard time believing his brother was any different.
She looked down at the ground. “He cares about me.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “And we don’t?”
Her eyes met mine again. Pain and hurt filled them. “You and Dean are scared of me.”
“We’re concerned about what’s happened to you. What’s still happening to you—”
She cut me off. “You think I’m becoming one of them. You think the demons are consuming me.”
“I’m not sure what to think. You attacked me.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“I know you didn’t, but you threw me across the room. Wendy, don’t you see how you’re changing? I’m worried.”
She erupted in a burst of anger. “You should spend more time worrying about yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
She stood in front of me, seeming to tower over me from my seat in the chair. I’m too weak to fight her off if she attacks me again… I tried to keep the trepidation I felt from showing on my face.
Her eyes began to glow with a wild look. “Gage has plans for you. It’s pretty clear he wants you by his side. He needs you to raise a dark army to help him take over the world. But there are other things he wants from you.”
She closed in on me, looming over me where I sat, and I shrank back in the chair. “Like what?”
“He wants you to let them free,” she hissed.
My mouth turned dry and it took me three tries before I could get out, “W-who?”
As if someone had flipped a light switch, a bright and cheerful smile appeare
d on her face out of nowhere. “The others. The demons bound in hell. He wants you to bridge the gap. To open a gateway to let the legion loose.”
My mind flashed back to the night of the ceremony, to whatever spoke through Caleb’s mouth. It said I would release them. I felt my temples pound. It doesn’t matter what it said. I will never let the demons loose.
“Gage is working on spells and searching through old books.” Wendy’s voice was rising, and panic filled her face. “He won’t be satisfied until he’s thrown us back to a time when those evil monsters roamed the earth.”
“Wendy, I promise you I won’t do it. I would never help Gage release the demons.”
“Even if he says he’ll kill Dean?” she demanded. “What if he says he’ll kill me? What if he threatens to banish Luke?”
“I won’t let the demons out, no matter what,” I said with all the energy I could muster. I’d done so much in the name of love. If Gage pushed me, would I cross that line again? Would I do whatever it took to keep Luke safe? “I won’t do it,” I said again. I wanted to believe it.
Her expression changed. Her eyes turned cold, and an odd smile crossed her face. “There’s one way to make sure you don’t.”
A cold sweat broke over my skin. I’m alone in here with her. If she comes at me, how do I stop her? “What’s that?” I finally asked.
Her face softened. “Kill yourself,” she whispered.
I rocked back in shock.
And then there it was again: something else shining through, looking at me through Wendy’s eyes. Her voice came out in a harsh whisper. “YOU CANNOT ESCAPE YOUR DESTINY. YOU WILL RETURN BALANCE TO THE WORLD…TEST IT IN THE CRUCIBLE OF FIRE. THE WORLD HAS LOST ITS SHADOW, AND YOU WILL RETURN IT, AND WITH IT ALL OF THE GREATNESS THAT HAS BEEN LOST. YOU WILL OPEN THE DOOR, IT IS YOUR FATE AND THE FATE OF THE WORLD. DO NOT TRY TO ESCAPE IT, THERE IS NOWHERE YOU CAN RUN.”
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