Magnus read a spell from the small book he was carrying as two other Servants quickly dismantled the lightning rod. With each word Magnus uttered, Brady’s body heaved and twisted. I prayed for his own sake he was unconscious, or better yet—dead.
When the spell was complete, Magnus handed the book to another Servant and grabbed hold of Brady’s soul, pulling the elastic, lacy substance from his body. Brady’s eyes shot open and he let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“No!” I couldn’t help myself. No one deserved this kind of torture. “Stop! Please!” I begged, causing Magnus to laugh maniacally.
“Is it there?” Mathius called out.
“No, I’m sorry, brother, but it is not,” Magnus replied, shaking his head as he held up the soul up for all to see.
Mathius let out a rage-filled roar and jump off the platform upon which he was standing. He rushed over to Magnus, grabbed the searing hot poker and began slashing the soul to pieces with it, causing Brady’s body to writhe uncontrollably in pain again.
“It is done!” Magnus declared as Mathius tossed the dark, lifeless remnants of Brady’s soul into the fire.
“I guess Peter was wrong—you don’t have the Key after all,” Mathius sneered into Brady’s ear just before two Servants lowered the plank into a horizontal position so Brady was now parallel to the ground.
“Cicero!” Mathius called out.
Another Servant removed a vial of blood from under his black cloak and walked over to Brady’s twitching body. He opened up Brady’s mouth and poured the contaminated blood into it. Brady’s body reacted immediately. He seized in agony, choking on the blood, despite his near lifeless state. Mathius began chanting, and all the other Servants joined in.
Brady fought the toxin ravaging his body until I finally heard his heart beat for the last time. I looked over at Quinn and saw the Servants had erected the lightning rod behind him.
“No! Please! Not him!” I screamed. “Not him!” I looked at Minerva, begging her with my eyes to do something. That’s when I noticed the Servants on either side of her begin to sway ever so slightly from side to side. She’d been slowly draining their strength.
I looked at Dylan, who was now conscious, directing his eyes a few feet to the left of him. I saw two knives lying in the dirt. I blinked in acknowledgement.
Two Servants untied Brady. Mathius walked over to his lifeless body and said another incantation over the body. He then took out a small bottle and dropper and gave Brady three drops of what looked like blood. Brady’s body slowly began to move.
“We have a new brother!” Mathius cried out triumphantly.
Celebratory cheers sounded all around us. A Servant helped Brady sit upright, and I shivered at the transformation. Brady’s aura was black as night while his eyes glowed blood red. He was a demon.
“My brother!” Mathius called out to Brady. “You now serve the fraternal order of the Dominus Ring and me, Divine Sire, and leader of our clan!” he boomed. “You not only have my blood coursing through your veins to make you immortal, but you also have Shepherd’s blood to make you strong! Go! Pledge to me your allegiance. Show your brothers you are one of us!” Mathius handed Brady a knife and then looked at me.
“Oh shit,” I said numbly. I was the offering, the sacrifice, the one Brady was supposed to kill to remain a Servant for eternity.
“Now!” Dylan hollered.
The two Servants holding Minerva dropped to the ground. She teleported to Dylan’s side, immediately drained the power of the Servant, which had attacked him, and kissed Dylan on the lips, transferring some of the demonic power she’d absorbed to him. A split second later, he was on his feet and ready to fight. Dylan did a somersault and grabbed the two knives on the ground. The next thing I knew, the two Servants rushing towards him imploded, but the battle was far from over. Five more Servants were already descending upon them.
One by one, Minerva weakened them through her touch, absorbing more and more of their power, while Dylan finished them off. Minerva looked at me, her eyes glowing bright red. She shut her eyes and shook her head, but when she opened her eyes again, she zeroed in on Dylan and smiled sinisterly.
Oh no, I thought. She’s out of control. She absorbed too much of the Servants’ power and will.
“M! It’s me!” Dylan shouted, obviously thinking the same thing I had. “Stop!”
But Minerva lunged for him anyway, knocking him out of the path of two Servants closing in on him from behind. Minerva grabbed both demons by the arms, and they began to shake violently before imploding. Minerva’s eyes had lost most of their red hue—she must’ve transferred so much of the energy she’d absorbed to the demons that their bodies couldn’t handle it.
“Sorry, love,” Minerva called out to Dylan. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Don’t worry about it! Just keep doing what you’re doing!” He looked just as awestruck as I felt to have witnessed her in action.
In all of the commotion, I hadn’t realized Brady was almost upon me. The Servants detaining Peter had also been distracted by Minerva’s little display, allowing him to break free. He lunged for Brady, who was now mere feet from my body. Brady was no match for Peter’s skills, but Peter was no match for Brady’s strength. Brady stabbed Peter in the abdomen, but Peter healed himself immediately. Brady went after Peter again, but this time Peter was able to disarm Brady and stab him in the leg. Brady shrieked, which got everyone’s attention.
“Stop him!” Mathius ordered.
Peter quickly ripped the ropes from my wrists and ankles just before another Servant attacked him. I ripped the rope from around my neck and ran towards Quinn with the intention of knocking down the lightning rod and saving him, but I never made it that far. A Servant grabbed me by the leg, and I fell, hitting my chin on the ground. It yanked me up by my arm, and I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my side. I looked over my shoulder and saw Brady. He’d gotten away from Peter, grabbed the knife, and stabbed me. I felt my blood soak my shirt as Brady pulled the knife out of my body.
“No!” Quinn screamed with every ounce of strength he had left in his body. “M!”
I watched Minerva teleport to Quinn’s side. She ripped the tethers that bound him and stood over him as if unsure what to do. Her eyes were taking on a reddish hue again, and her body was shaking. She’d absorbed more of the Servants’ power.
“Do it! Now!” Quinn demanded.
She looked at me, her eyes flickered brown as she smiled sadly. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
“No! Don’t!” I screamed with everything I had left. But it was too late. She’d kissed Quinn, transferring to him some of the Servants’ power. I knew his body couldn’t possibly endure the energy surge. He’d never survive this.
Quinn instantly leapt off the platform and rushed Brady, who was now wielding the knife over me again. “Get away from her!” Quinn snarled. His eyes were as red as Brady’s, but Quinn’s aura was still perceptibly his, and his soul still called out to mine.
I watched Quinn fight his brother—his former brother. Brady was stronger, but not by much, and Quinn was a more skilled fighter. I wondered how long his mortal shell would be able to physically withstand having demonic powers coursing through it.
I began to feel lightheaded. I was so concerned for Quinn, I didn’t realize I was bleeding out. I was now too weak to heal myself, and I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. I collapsed onto the ground, closed my eyes, and listened to the shrieks of slain Servants falling around me.
“Eve. Eve, it’s me.”
I opened my eyes just enough to see Peter kneeling over me. He’d been bitten in the shoulder.
“Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?” I joked feebly, as I reached up and touched his wound.
He smiled faintly. “Eve, I am so sorry. I hope some day you’ll understand—you’ll know why I did what I did.” He then did something completely unexpected. Despite his already weakened state, he healed me, after which he dropped to the ground and lost consciousness.
“K.C.! A little help here please!” Dylan cried out as two Servants were closing in on him.
I grabbed the knife Brady had dropped on the ground when Quinn collided into him.
“Hey, you!” I yelled out, which, thankfully, made both Servants gunning for Dylan turn around and look at me. I threw the knife and hit one right between the eyes, while Dylan got the other one.
Dylan teleported to my side and handed me the knife. “We missed you.” He smiled at me.
“Likewise.” I smiled in return, feeling better than I had in a long time. I turned around to see Quinn putting Brady in a headlock.
“Our boy is doing just fine,” Dylan remarked in surprise.
“He is, isn’t he?” I replied, equally amazed. Maybe M was wrong. Maybe Quinn could handle the energy transfer. As soon as the thought entered my mind, however, I saw signs of his body breaking down.
“Oh no,” I muttered.
“What?” Dylan asked.
“It’s too much. He can’t handle it.”
Five Servants suddenly ambushed Dylan and me. Two grabbed me, two grabbed Dylan and the fifth was juggling three knives dangerously close to us.
“Oh come on, now you’re just teasing us,” Dylan joked.
“Call off the dogs, Mathius, or I end him right here, right now!” Minerva called out, standing behind Magnus, holding his arms behind his back. “Your choice—I can either drain him dry or give him a power overload.”
We all froze in place, demons included, to see what Mathius would do.
“Mathius,” Magnus pleaded.
But Mathius said nothing.
“I’ve hidden the other brother,” Minerva announced. “The ritual is over.”
I scanned the area and noticed Quinn was gone.
“So,” Minerva continued, “you can take what’s left of your ‘fraternal order’ and leave, or you can lose this one and take your chances walking out of here unscathed.”
Just then, I noticed the knife-wielding Servant near me and Dylan was preparing to attack.
“Tell the rest of your goons to back off!” Minerva shouted. Magnus’s body began to shake uncontrollably—she’d obviously opted for the power overload.
“Stop!” Mathius ordered the advancing Servant. “Careful, Minerva,” he continued, redirecting his attention to her. “You don’t want to do anything you’ll regret.”
“How do you know my name?” she asked uneasily. Magnus’s body slumped over and his tremors had decreased.
“It’s remarkable how much you resemble your father,” Mathius noted.
“Order them all to leave!” she shouted, her red eyes confirming the Servants’ energy was still pumping through her body. Magnus’s body began to seize.
“Mathius,” Magnus whimpered.
“Your move,” Minerva challenged. “But you better make it fast. Your friend here has less than a minute before he goes ‘Kaboom.’”
“Ruthless like a true demon,” Mathius mused through gritted teeth. “Brothers!” he called out. “We have gained one new brother tonight, but lost several others. Let us retreat and pay homage to those who have fallen.” He turned back towards Dylan and me. “We will be back to fight another day.”
The remaining Servants mumbled and, one by one, began to disappear, taking Brady with them.
“Let him go,” Mathius demanded.
Minerva shoved the Magnus in Mathius’s direction, causing Magnus to stumble into his arms. Then, the two promptly disappeared. I looked around and noticed Peter was missing as well. Had he managed to escape? Or had the Servants taken him?
Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the sky above for miles around Dylan, Minerva, and me.
“Where’s Quinn?” I asked frantically.
24. darkness
“Quinn!” I called out, running towards him. Minerva had teleported Dylan and me to the location she’d stashed Quinn towards the end of the fight—behind a pile of rocks a few miles from where the ritual had taken place.
“Quinn! Hold on! I’m here.” His aura was so faint. I tried to heal him, but he wasn’t responding.
“Evie,” Quinn gasped.
“You stay with me! You hear me?” I took him in my arms and kissed him, hoping our bond would make him better, but it wasn’t working.
“Dylan, help me!” I screamed. “Do something!”
Dylan was instantly by Quinn’s side, but he couldn’t heal him either. The immortal energy coursing through Quinn’s body had destroyed it beyond repair.
“Minerva?” I begged.
She shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry.”
“Damn demon juice,” Dylan grumbled.
“It’s got one hell of a kick, especially when combined with Shepherd’s blood,” Minerva explained.
“A lethal combination,” I said, grimly.
“It made me a lethal weapon,” Quinn joked feebly. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He squeezed my hand lightly before coughing, turning his head as he winced. I knew he was trying to hide his pain from me.
“Yeah, I’m okay. But you—you’re kind of a mess,” I said, trying to be lighthearted for his sake.
“Dylan, thanks, man—for everything.” With each breath, I could hear fluid slowly filling his lungs.
“Any time, College Boy,” Dylan replied sadly. “You just say the word.”
“Do me a favor and take care of this one for me.” Quinn squeezed my hand again.
“Consider it done—if she’ll let me, that is,” Dylan tried joking, but the look in his eyes said he felt anything but humor.
“M, thanks for your help,” Quinn stated.
“I’m so sorry it came to this,” Minerva responded.
“Don’t be.” Quinn coughed again, wincing. “I knew what I was getting into.” He smirked slightly. “It was the only way.”
“You two had already agreed to do this?” I asked in shock, turning towards Minerva.
“Hey.” Quinn squeezed my hand once more to get my attention. “Don’t be mad at her—this one’s all on me. I made her promise.” His breathing began to sound more labored. He was running out of time.
No! This wasn’t happening! This couldn’t be happening! I wanted to scream and cry—to go off and hunt down every Servant I could find, but I couldn’t. Quinn needed me. I had to be strong for him—for both of us.
“You flashed her the smile with the puppy dog eyes, didn’t you?” I asked, fighting back the tears welling up in my eyes as best as I could. My body, my soul, my everything was collapsing, falling apart before my eyes, as the love of my life, my true soul mate, was dying in my arms.
“She never had a chance.” He chuckled softly and his sapphire blue eyes twinkled faintly. “No regrets?”
“No regrets.” I forced myself to smile. “You?”
“None.” He started to close his eyes.
“Quinn,” I whispered. “Please don’t give up. Please don’t leave me.”
“Hey, don’t cry.” He reached up and caressed my cheek, wiping my tears away. “I’m not a demon.”
“No, you’re not,” I replied, shaking my head.
“And my soul is safe.” He started to grin, but it was interrupted by pain as he winced and clutched his chest.
“Yes, it is,” I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Then I’ll find you.” He took another, more labored breath. “In the meantime,” he gasped, “hang on to these for me.” He grabbed the patron saint and his wedding band that hung around his neck, yanked the chain, breaking it, and handed them to me.
“Quinn, I don’t want it to end like this.” A huge knot formed in the back of my throat, suffocating me, as tears blurred my vision. “I love you so much.”
“I love you,” he whispered. A crooked grin graced his beautiful, broken face before he struggled to take another labored breath.
“Quinn, please, I need you,” I cried.
“You always did.” He smil
ed at me again, closed his eyes and took his last breath.
“Quinn?” I called out frantically. “Quinn?”
“K.C.” Dylan put his on my shoulder. “K.C., he’s gone,” Dylan said forlornly.
“No!” I screamed. The pain was so intense, so crippling, I felt like I was dying all over again.
I stayed there holding Quinn. Every memory I had of him, of us, suddenly seemed wrapped up in my touch, and I was afraid if I let go, I’d lose every connection I ever had with him.
“K.C.,” Dylan called out softly. “It’s time.”
Unable to speak, I just shook my head in refusal.
“You’ve got to let him go so his spirit and soul can move on.”
And how are my soul and my spirit going to move on? I asked myself. Tears flooded my eyes again.
“It’s so unfair,” I choked out. “We saved his soul, but I can’t feel it anymore. It’s gone … He’s gone.”
“Dylan and I will stay with Quinn. Go. Grieve.”
I looked at Minerva through tear-filled eyes and nodded.
“Until we meet again,” I whispered mournfully in Quinn’s ear before kissing him one last time.
25. light
I thought of what Quinn’s parents would go through when they heard of their son’s death. I thought about how they’d never know they’d actually lost two sons today. They’d never know how their boys really died. They’d never see their bodies to say goodbye. I felt so bad for them—I felt responsible for not bringing their sons safely back home to them. It made me want to go home.
It was the middle of the night, and I knew my parents would be sleeping, so I teleported myself into my old bedroom, opening the door just enough for Justice to squeeze through, and lay down on my bed. Sure enough, Justice bounded in a few minutes later to greet me, eagerly wagging his tail. He was ready to play, but he soon realized something was wrong, so he jumped onto the bed and curled up next to me, occasionally nudging me sweetly with his nose as if to say everything would be okay. I sobbed silently all night long, with Justice at my side the entire time.
Just before dawn, I straightened up my bed and gently shooed Justice out of my room, closing the door behind him. Then, I teleported to the beach a few miles from my parents’ house. I walked along the shoreline, before sitting down near the dune grass, digging my bare toes into the cold sand, and waiting for the sun to rise.
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