by Holly Ward
Brushing myself off, I stood and straightened my shirt, assessing myself. It seemed like I was okay. I just felt like an emotional train wreck. Things couldn’t possibly get worse from this point. The Lorren almost cast me in gold, Eric and Shannon were lost or killed and turned into golden lilies, and I was alone again. Of course it would show me Collin. I knew it walking in, but it still messed with me horribly. Seeing him in front of me, even his likeness, was crushing. He was close. And I was getting closer. I just had to get out of this hole of gold and sapphires and find him. My hand glided over my waistband where the Guardian’s tooth was concealed. The shard had torn a small hole in my black shirt. The deadly silver tip poked through the fabric. It needed to be covered. For all I knew, it could kill me. I already knew the tooth would kill Valefar and Martis. Since I was a combination of the two, this tooth was likely one of the only things that could kill me completely. I’d accidentally overheard Eric’s discussion with Julia back when he was the Seeker, and it reminded me of what they’d said about me. For some reason my combined powers made me extra hard to kill. They had devised a way to permanently get rid of me. And I was standing in it. That seemed like an awfully big coincidence. If I hadn’t been following the bond, I wouldn’t have believed that was all it was.
Now, to cover the tip of the tooth. If I got sliced with Celestial Silver or Brimstone, I’d heal. But the sapphire serum inside was another story. The best thing to do was to cover it somehow. But, how? It’s not like there was the Underworld Gift Shoppee where I could buy a holster. Glancing around, I looked down and watched the sapphires glittering under my feet. “No, it couldn’t be that simple,” I said to myself. Bending down, I used the tooth to pop up one of the smaller dark blue stones. I held the rock in the palm of my hand and rolled it around. Then, I pressed the shard’s poisoned tip into the rock. It melted into the stone like it was putty. The sapphire was like a sparkly pen cap. I removed the blue stone from the tooth and looked at the silver tooth.
Did the poisoned tip touch the Lorren? Is that why I regained my powers? Did the sapphire serum in the tooth lessen the Lorren’s mental hold on me? Something changed, allowing me to free myself, but I wasn’t sure what. Intoxication doesn’t even begin to describe what the Lorren did to me. Losing control over my body like that scared me. Lust had never burned inside me that way before. Whenever it popped up, I tried to squash it back down. The thought of being totally out of control with some guy didn’t sound appealing, but back there—when I thought he was Collin—it sounded perfect.
“Stop thinking about it,” I scolded myself. I slid the gemstone cover back onto the point of the Guardian’s tooth, and put it away. The little stone pressed into me, but it wasn’t so uncomfortable that I’d move the weapon. It needed to remain hidden. It might be the only thing I had that could kill Kreturus.
I started walking towards the light that was shining at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t see anything to confirm that it was the end of the tunnel, but I had to go look. If it was the beginning again, I don’t know what I’d do. That was the worst thing I could imagine. I couldn’t go through this again. At least having Eric and Shannon there for a while before helped. Now, I was on my own.
The golden flowers thinned as I walked. I promised myself right then and there that I wouldn’t freak out no matter what was at the end of this tunnel. Falling apart wasn’t an option. The pep talk I gave myself did absolutely nothing for what lay in wait at the end of the Lorren.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
My feet pounded the golden floor as I ran toward him screaming his name. Eric’s body was steaming with white vapors that drifted upward from open sores all over his body. He lay on his back, unmoving, less than three feet from the end of the Lorren. The exit was right in front of him. It was right in front of me.
“NO!” I screamed, as I crashed to the ground next to him. “Eric!” My arms wrapped around his body, and I pulled his head into my lap. Frantic fingers touched his face trying to assess the damage. There was so much. Sobs lodged in my throat. I couldn’t breathe.
His golden eyes looked up at me. Recognition was slow. “Ivy,” he breathed. “Don’t touch me. Deadly.” His back arched in pain as an ear piercing cry erupted from his throat. I didn’t let go. I didn’t back away completely horrified, although I was. His skin was melting, being eaten away by something I couldn’t see. The worst parts were on his arms and chest. Sections of flesh were eaten away past the muscle, and down to the whites of his bone.
I held his face, trying to call him back to me. “Eric. Eric. Listen to me. What happened? Tell me what did this?” His flesh was burning away like a smoldering flame devouring a dried out leaf. The smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
Eric kept trying to speak, ignoring my question, “Don’t. Put me down. It’ll kill you.”
Frantically, I asked, “What? What’ll kill me? What did this?”
His face contorted with pain. His voice was changing, and becoming more garbled. The acid that was eating his flesh was inside his throat, destroying his voice. Killing him from within. “Brimstone. Dust. She…” he trailed off.
Brimstone?
Horror washed over my face. Brimstone was the only thing that could kill Martis. Eric’s body was covered in it. But, the dust was so fine I couldn’t even see it. Oh my God! He’d breathed it in, too! It was destroying him in every possible way at the same time. Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew the Brimstone wouldn’t affect me. My demon blood protected me from it. Apryl’s necklace had a Brimstone disc that constantly touched my skin. I was immune. Eric was not.
I hushed him, “It’s all right. It won’t hurt me. I’ll stay with you. I won’t leave you here like this.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t help it. Eric was my anchor. I didn’t understand him very well, but he’d helped me more than words could say. And, now I was holding him in my lap while he died, helpless to do anything about it.
This was a slow death. The Brimstone spread over his body, sending out runners like mold and then growing into the flesh and dissolving it. When the Brimstone finished devouring the flesh, it ate down to the bone. His eyes closed after a while and he lay shuddering in pain in my lap. He kept trying to say something, but I couldn’t understand him. The Brimstone dust had devoured his vocal cords.
His face was one of the only places the deadly dust had yet to spread. Eric’s eyes pleaded with me, remaining locked on my face. His breaths were slight, but his golden eyes didn’t waver. I spoke softly to him, “I’d do anything to stop this. Eric, I don’t know what to do.”
Well, that wasn’t true. One thing crossed my mind. It was the only thing that would save him, but the cost was too high. I could give him a demon kiss and turn him Valefar. But, Eric would rather die. But looking into his eyes, I wasn’t so certain any more. His body had gone still. Too many muscles were torn, dissolved away from bone for him to move. The pain was etched across his face as the microscopic spears of Brimstone dust shot blackened lines up his neck.
His eyes remained locked on my face, pleading. But pleading for what? What if he only wanted to tell me something? What if he wanted to die, but I turned him into a Valefar? It might not even work. I’d never given anyone a demon kiss. I didn’t know if I could even make someone into a Valefar. My blood was tainted with angel blood. It might not work. Then what? What would he be then? Oh my God! There wasn’t enough time, and his eyes! The pain, the remorse, the pleading! Maybe he wanted me to.
I asked, “You want me to, don’t you? Eric, I can’t do it. I’m not a full Valefar. It may not even work.” I knew he was running out of time. He blinked slowly at me. His eye lids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open. He was slipping away. His life was about to end in failure. The things he’d told me about the night Lydia died and how he failed her rushed to the front of my mind. He was leaving behind a legacy of failure, his own kind thought he was a traitor, and he died in Hell following the girl that he was trying to help. Me! No, this can’t h
appen. He couldn’t die. This was my fault! He wouldn’t have been labeled a traitor if it weren’t for me. I didn’t know what to do. Eric blinked one final time, and did not reopen his eyes. The shallow pants that filled his chest ceased and his body lay utterly still.
“Awh, shit. Eric!” Panic shot through my trembling arms. There was no other choice. Let him die, or kiss him. Decide! I pressed my eyes closed and leaned in, hoping this was what he wanted. My lips connected with Eric’s. There was no time to be gentle. I’d waited too long. I should have asked him while he could speak. But, that look on his face was telling me he didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to leave yet. There was a way to keep him alive, but he’d hate me for it.
Especially if I misunderstood the plea on his face.
I kissed him fiercely, pressing his lips to mine. When my tongue darted between his lips I could taste the sulfuric residue from the Brimstone in his mouth. I didn’t stop. Something inside me awakened. Something dark and powerful. I wanted him. It burned inside of me like nothing I’d ever known. I deepened the kiss until I felt it, something warm and light—his soul. I didn’t need souls to maintain my strength the way Valefar did. I didn’t need to devour humans to stay alive. I didn’t need to trap and kill Martis to survive, but here I was destroying the little life that remained in Eric.
His soul slid free and floated into my mouth. I nearly choked on how smooth and sweet it tasted. All of Eric’s essence, his entire spirit was gone. I held a limp body in my arms. Dropping him quickly, I sliced the flesh across his Martis mark with my comb, and then ripped open my thumb. Blood flowed from my wound. I squeezed my thumb, getting as much blood as I could to fill the scar I’d placed on Eric’s forehead. The marred skin greedily absorbed the scarlet liquid, wanting more than I’d given. I cut my palm wide open, and held it to his face. His wound soaked it in quickly. When I took my palm away, Eric lay still, neither moving or breathing. I spoke nonsense to him softly, telling him everything would be all right. Maybe it was more to myself. This had to work. It had to. I could do other Valefar things. I half hoped he would sit up and smile at me. But if he did, he’d want to kill me. To save his life, I’d made him the very thing he despised.
The black veins of Brimstone stopped spreading through his skin, though I didn’t notice when. When he still didn’t move I cut every finger on my hand, and sliced my palm open several times, trying to get enough blood into his cut, but he hadn’t moved. Eric remained utterly still, deathly still. Tears welled up in my eyes and I buried my face in his chest.
It didn’t work.
Damn it! Tears streaked my face in silent sobs. My fingers remained locked on his shirt. I couldn’t let go. The Lorren won. It got him. Eric would become one of the golden flowers on the walls of this fucking tomb!
Anger coursed through me. Everyone was going to die, because of me. I released Eric’s shirt and backed away from his lifeless body. Valefar desires coursed through me. Dark magic burned deep within me. Part of me was horrified to learn that I enjoyed tasting his soul. I shoved down those feelings as far as they would go and screamed. The scream echoed through the Lorren and bounced back in my face. I took one last look at Eric and turned away.
I walked out of the Lorren alone that day feeling utterly destroyed. I’d expected the Lorren to tempt me with the one thing I wanted but didn’t have—Collin. Instead it showed me the one thing I didn’t need, but couldn’t resist—the soul of a good man.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“How could you!” Shannon’s shrieking voice broke the depressed mental haze looming over me. I flinched at the sound of her voice. When I left the Lorren, there was no trace of her. I continued following the bond, descending deeper and deeper into the Underworld. Time passed in an unreal way after I left Eric. I didn’t know how long I’d been walking. I assumed Shannon was dead, too. I thought I’d never see her again. The sound of her voice surprised me. Turning slowly, I couldn’t believe it was her, but it was. And she was pissed. Her shoulder collided with my chest and sent me hurling to the ground. Her rage shocked me out of my stupor. Did she think that I killed Eric?
“Shannon, get off of me!” I yelled. She pinned me to the cave floor, thrusting her dagger at my neck. Confusion slid across my face as I blocked and threw her off of me. She was trying to kill me! There was no hesitation in her swing, and rage was plastered all over her face. Quickly, I jumped to my feet and we circled each other slowly, like two tigers ready to rip each other apart.
Shannon’s emerald eyes were wild. “I told you. I told you! Once you changed and became one of them that I would have no choice. I’d kill you. And out of all people to demon kiss, you kiss Eric!” Her fist collided with my cheek and it felt as if my face exploded. I twisted out of her grip before her blade could cut me. Just because Celestial Silver hadn’t killed me in the past, I wasn’t taking any chances now. Somehow I doubted I’d survive if she plunged her blade into my heart.
She ranted hysterically, screaming at me. “I should have ended this sooner! There is no way for a prophecy to remain unfulfilled. You’re evil, Ivy! Eric couldn’t see it, but I could! I kept telling him that you’d changed. That you were evil now. To end it. To end you! And he defended you! YOU!”
Anger coursed through me. What was she was saying? She already wrote me off! I probably should have reached for my comb, but I didn’t. I was too irate. “When, Shannon? When did you think I turned evil? Was it before we came down here, when we flew from New York, or was it before that?”
“It doesn’t matter when! I was right! Evil doesn’t even begin to describe you!” She jumped toward me, and her blade pierced my skin leaving a red trail in its wake.
“Shannon, you’re insane! Stop it! I didn’t kill him! It was someone else! Shan, please!” Something felt so wrong, like I was missing a huge puzzle piece, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I was too busy trying to keep her dagger from plunging into my heart. She was going to kill me if I didn’t fight back, but I couldn’t. The punches I threw were halfhearted. I wanted her to stop and see me for what I am, but she didn’t. “SHANNON! STOP!”
“NO!” Her face was deep red. Every muscle in her body was tensed, ready to strike. We were circling one another again. Panting, she bellowed at me, “I can’t believe we were friends! I can’t believe I protected you. You! The freak abomination Hell-child. I should have known what you were! You were such a slut, and what you did with Collin. You saved the enemy! And Eric just stood there. You killed him that night… and you can die tonight!”
The silver blade flashed as she found an opening. Enraged, she launched her blade directly at my heart. Something inside me snapped. I felt it crack open and spill. Power broke free and flowed through my hands in rushing fury. Heat burned my fingers like I’d lit them on fire, but that wasn’t the part that shocked me. Each fingertip burned with a bright violet flame and a pure white center. The flames rushed at Shannon, engulfing her in light. She screamed, and was absorbed by the flames.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I wanted to die. Tears streamed down my face blurring my vision. My feet fumbled as I tried to keep walking, but I couldn’t. I knew Shannon and I weren’t friends the way we had been. The past was the past. We were best friends since we were born. During that time we were inseparable. But lately she was different. She was more Martis than anything else. She chose them over me. Seventeen years of friendship was destroyed in a couple of seconds—the second Jake kissed me, the second Collin saved me. But her hatred wasn’t something that just happened. It had been going on for a while. Like last year, when I thought she’d helped me with without judgment when I flamed out after I thought my sister died. Apparently that wasn’t the case. Her condemnation stung. I wiped the tears out of my eyes and sat down. The sound of distant demon birds filled the air. I’d move when the grackles got closer.
Crying does nothing, but for some reason the tears didn’t stop. Maybe it was because she was right. I was evil, and I was crying for myself and not
Shannon. I shouldn’t have kissed Eric. I shouldn’t have left him in the Lorren. But I did. And Shannon. My God, what did I do to Shannon? When I fought the Guardian, I felt power surge through me, but this was different. It felt like light and darkness combined and did something to her. She wasn’t dead. Her heart was beating while the flashes of light did whatever they did. After the light dimmed there was an afterglow—a black mirror. I pressed on its hot surface. It was made of the same squishy stuff as the last one I’d seen, but this time I saw Shannon on the other side. She was lying on the floor surrounded by pews at St. Bart’s. I backed away from the mirror, and it shattered. The black pieces fell to the ground and vanished. No, I didn’t kill Shannon. I sent her home, but I had no idea how. My powers were out of control. I didn’t know what they did or how I called them. Were they Martis or Valefar? Or something worse? Something that only the Prophecy One could do?
I slumped forward, resting my head on my knees. I’d undertaken the impossible task of trying to rescue Collin from the pits of Hell. What made me think I could do this? Love. The answer popped up in my mind instantly. I thought I could save him because of true love? It sounded idiotic, but it was true. After all, what was the difference between what I was doing and going back into enemy territory for a fallen ally? None. There was no difference, and I was on my own. There was no one to catch me when I fell. I was utterly alone, and I would be alone for the rest of the time I was down here. It made me wonder, how far would I go to save the people I loved? Instant bravery didn’t pour from me when I needed it. It felt more like I was flying by the seat of my pants and they were ripping. When the Guardian went after Apryl I thought it would rip her to shreds. I fought that monster because I had to. My mission sounded insane, but my world was insane. I was at the center of an ancient prophecy. Everyone wanted a piece of me.