Staked!

by Candace Wondrak

  Suddenly it hit me. Joseph. Gregor. Peter. The black robes. The golden amulets. The black symbol beneath my feet. These three men were the original Council Members. This was one of the first Council meetings, but what they talked about was beyond me. A man created from magic? How was such a thing possible?

  The ground began to shift below my feet and I felt myself wake in my bed, questions ringing through my head.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven – Gabriel

  Koath and Max were still downstairs. The nerd was half asleep on the couch while Koath and Michael talked about different flavors of tea. It was such a boring topic that I had to follow Kass’s lead and try to go to sleep.

  As I took two steps at a time and headed for my bedroom, I wondered why Kass suddenly made me promise not to read her mind. There was something she didn’t want me to know, and considering everything we’d been through together, that meant it had to be pretty bad. Ah, well. I knew she’d come to me eventually and want to tell me everything.

  Kass was different than a lot of girls, but one thing that wasn’t so different? She liked to talk. A lot. And I, unlike a lot of guys my age, liked to listen, especially to her.

  As I passed Kass’s room, I paused, debating on whether or not I should go in and bug the information out of her. I decided against it, sighing to myself as I slipped out of my shirt and headed into my room, dropping the shirt on the floor. It was dark, but not dark enough that I didn’t see the person laying in my bed.

  Sitting on the empty side, I teased, “Am I dreaming? Please tell me you’re naked under there.”

  Kass rolled over to look at me, despite herself, grinning at me. “Sorry to disappoint.”

  I got beneath the covers, speaking honestly, “You could never disappoint me.”

  She lightly hit my chest. “Stop being so serious.” There was added weight behind what she said, and I wasn’t sure why. Usually my jokes, while they sometimes made her laugh, bugged her. “Tell me a joke.”

  I thought, moving my hands behind my head, crossing my ankles beneath the sheets. “Let’s see…how many Purifiers does it take to change a lightbulb?”

  Beside me, Kass said, “I don’t know. How many?”

  “Two. One to change the lightbulb, and the other to stand around and look pretty. And I’ll give you one guess as to which one of us would stand around and look pretty, and it isn’t you.”

  She giggled, moving closer to me, resting her head on my bare chest. “I missed you.”

  “Is this about what I said at the cemetery? Because you know I was kidding. You weren’t gone that long.”

  Kass stopped me by propping herself up to gaze into my eyes, her face serious. “I was.” There was a long pause before she added, “Do it. Read my mind, just this once. It’ll be faster that way.”

  And I did, despite her earlier protest against it. It was…a lot more than I thought it would be. Days’ worth of memories, jam-packed into a few seconds of thought. Whole conversations, perfect descriptive detail. Raphael, John, Alyssa, Crixis, her…and me. If that world was anything like this one…wow.

  If I lost her, I’d definitely want to get revenge, but I didn’t think that I’d become the Devil. That seemed a little far-fetched to me, although if our lives meant anything, it was that far-fetched did not mean impossible.

  When she was done, I managed to say, “Wow. That was…not at all what I was expecting.”

  She chuckled, saying, “I know. It was a crazy ride.”

  “Evil you was kind of sexy,” I whispered, smiling because I knew how she would respond.

  Kass slapped me. “You better be kidding, Gabriel.”

  “I am,” I agreed, not bothering to bring up that I knew her mind skipped over a night on purpose. The night right before she got the staff. She also neglected to remember the final few seconds after I found the staff, before she was transported back here.

  There were only two reasons she’d purposefully keep them from me. Either it involved something personal with John…or something personal with the other me. And from the way John acted, I had a feeling it was with me.

  Huh.

  Interesting.

  Very interesting. So interesting that it took me another whole hour to fall asleep, even with Kass snoring lightly in my arms. I turned to my side, becoming the big spoon to her little spoon. I was the lock and she was my key.

  Who was I to say? If I lost her, I’d lose the only thing I’d ever known, the only person in the entire world I’d ever loved. Suddenly becoming the Devil didn’t seem too far off, but I pushed it out of my mind as I buried my nose in her hair.

  It was a good thing it was Kass who was taken to another world and not me. I didn’t think I was strong enough to handle it. Out of the two of us, Kass was stronger. She always was. Maybe that was why I strived to be better, for her, although I wasn’t always too good at it.

  No, but I tried my hardest, and I always would. Kass was the only person in the world I would never give up on. She was everything to me.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight – Raphael

  I set the broken staff on the dusty altar, having arrived back at my church faster than I should have on foot. For a few moments, I merely stared at it. I knew Kassandra did not simply stumble along the staff. Sorcerers never lost sight of their staff, and if their staff was broken, the Sorcerer died.

  Was it so hard to admit that she found a Sorcerer, took its staff and broke it, permanently purifying it? No, no it wasn’t…but perhaps that was not what truly happened.

  I had heard tales of powerful Sorcerers being able to send things across the different realities. In these realities, some things remained the same. The most important, universal, life-changing moments did not change. But in another reality, I supposed everything was fair game.

  That would be the only reason she would lie to me. Then again, I didn’t know why her lying surprised me so terribly. It was not like I had not lied to her. I lied about Crixis being dead, and that, she promptly found out, was not true. I tried to protect her. How was I supposed to know that they had already met?

  Kassandra had nothing to gain from lying to me, so why would she do it? Unless she saw something of me in the other world, something that I hadn’t shown her or told her yet. Something about my past or what I was.

  Beneath my uniform, the gold around my neck was cold on my chest. I wasn’t sure why it was so cold, because I hadn’t taken it off as far as I could remember. I touched it through my clothes, feeling the eternal symbol etched in it. Who knew that eternity lasted so very long?

  Feeling the need to beg for forgiveness, I got to my knees before the statue of Christ. “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” I clasped my hands together and continued, “I—”

  “Have spent many a lonely night desiring to do some pretty immoral things,” a voice came from behind me, mocking me with each and every word.

  I didn’t bother looking, for I knew that voice well enough. Standing, I demanded, “Leave this place.”

  “Why?” The intruder strolled closer. “Would you like more time alone to think about—”

  Growling, I spun and punched him with all my might, sending him flying fifty pews back.

  Crixis recoiled before he laughed. “My dear, old buddy Raphael.”

  “I am not your dear, old buddy,” I told him firmly as my fingers clenched, drawing blood, but he ignored me and carried on.

  Wiping the blood off his nose, he said, “Oh, but you are. You’re the only person in this city that I view as a friend. I’ve known you far longer than these people have. Doesn’t that give me any credit?”

  Narrowing my eyes, I whispered, “No.” A slow, angry sigh left my mouth. “Why are you still here? Why haven’t you moved on? Surely you are getting bored.”

  “Never.” He smirked. “And I’m still here for the same reason you are.”

  “And what are you insinuating, Crixis?”

  “You know exactly what I’m insinuating. Well…” Crixis shrugged, thin
king. “Maybe not the precise same reason you’re staying. I want to do the very opposite. Kill her. I want to kill her,” he spoke the last sentence slowly.

  “I will not let you hurt her.” I took an aggressive stance, ready to fight him here and now.

  “I understand the way you’re feeling. Confused. Half of you wants to kill her…and the other half, we both know what the other half wants.” A sick, wide smile crossed his face. “But I will say that there is something about her. Something so fascinating that every Demon who comes near her doesn’t want to leave. I’ve never felt anything like it, in all my life, and I’ve lived a long time.”

  Despite everything, I knew what he referred to. I knew the feeling, it was the same sensation that swam over me anytime I was in the same room as her. Normally I was cool and collected, but around her, I was not. I had never lost control, save for that one time.

  Crixis was by the door, stopping to stare at the statue of Jesus. “Take it from me, Raphael. Things are about to get wild around here. If you’re that scared of the truth, maybe you should leave before the going gets tough.” There was a pause as he smirked. “I wonder how well they’ll handle the truth.” With a blink, his eyes flashed a deep red. “When they learn of what you are, how you beguiled your way into their lives. You like to think you’re better than I am, but you’re not.” He gave me one, last grin before vanishing, leaving me alone in my great, dilapidated home.

  I took a step back, through a blue rift, falling to my knees as I stepped out of it in front of the altar. I should not have let him get to me. I should simply ignore what he said and move on, yet I could not. I could not, for everything he said was true.

  I was no better than Crixis, my sworn enemy.

  Above me, the immobile statue wept for me.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine – Koath

  The sun was unusually bright for seven A.M., but that didn’t stop me from needing my coffee. Max was already in the car, waiting for me with his backpack full of books and notebooks and even a full lunch, like the studious overachiever he was. Though he was schooled all he needed to be by the time he was ten, he took this high school business seriously.

  I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder and sipped my to-go mug, about to lock the front door behind me when I heard my cell go off. After checking the caller ID, I answered it. “Hello?”

  “Koath,” an Englishwoman spoke, “I trust you’re well.”

  “I am, Elizabeth. Did you read my report?” I put the coffee cup in the crook of my arm as I locked the door.

  It was a moment before she answered, “I did. I’m calling about your request. I need you to confirm what you said in your report.” Papers were shuffled in the background, and I glanced to make sure the windows of the car were rolled up. Max did not need to hear any of this. “Is it true? Is Crixis in America?”

  “Yes,” I muttered, not too thrilled with it myself.

  “And he’s after Kassandra?”

  That was the worst part, and it took me a long while to say, “He is.”

  “Very well. I’ll get the papers started. I’m sure your request will be approved. There’s no one the Council despises more than Crixis.” Elizabeth added, “But it will take a while to get through the red tape. Make sure she doesn’t take any unnecessary risks. From everything I’ve read about her, she isn’t as cautious as you are.”

  At that, I found myself smiling. “She takes after her mother on that.”

  Elizabeth spoke softly, “The world lost an angel when it lost her.”

  With that, I wholeheartedly agreed.

  She switched courses, asking gently, “How is Michael? Have you seen him recently?”

  Of course I’d seen him recently. It was her way of casually mentioning the love of her life, the man she left for her job once the Council promoted her and not Michael. “I have, but that’s something you should ask him yourself. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you. Give him a call.” I said my farewell and slid the phone into my pocket, heading to the car.

  If everything went smoothly, if favors were pulled quick enough, the Council’s man would be here in days, and he’d be imbued with the ability to purify Crixis for good. Kass’s only chance of survival, based on everything that happened recently, was if Crixis was gone.

  And if there was anything I wanted in this world, it was for Kass to be safe.

  Needless to say, making her a Purifier was not my idea, but I could not go against my wife’s dying wish.

  Morphers

  Chapter One – Kass

  Dripping venom. Eyes glowing yellow. Unnaturally sharp canine teeth that would make even Dracula himself jealous. Their movements were jagged and slow; meaning they woke mere moments ago. In seconds, however, they would gain their inhuman speed and strength and be a force to be reckoned with.

  It was best to take care of them before that happened.

  The group of five Nightwalkers shuffled in my general direction, silently begging me to purify them. It’s what I did: purify. More specifically Demons. The most common Demon I faced on an almost daily basis was the Nightwalker.

  A Vampire, in other words. A lesser Vampire. The weakest ones who couldn’t walk in the sun. Nightwalkers were like stupid animals, driven on one instinct: the instinct to feed. These Demons didn’t stop with the blood, like Daywalkers did. No, Nightwalkers ate skin, too. Gross.

  Snapping back to the matter at hand, I clutched my rose blade tighter. This sword was awesome. I loved it. I also loved Gabriel’s dragon sword, too. The best birthday gifts we ever got, including the crossbow I got when I turned twelve.

  That Gabriel…if only he was here. At least I’d have a little excitement, albeit a lot of eye-rolling, too. He always had some stupid, sarcastic thing to say while we purified Demons. He was permanently stuck in a sarcastic tone.

  The middle-aged, male Nightwalker lunged at me, and I made quick work of it by swinging my blade cleanly through his neck. His body toppled over and soon caught fire. The flame engulfed everything, even the torn clothes he wore, yet it did not catch fire to the grass below.

  In seconds, the remaining four followed suit. I did a series of flips, kicks and rolls and soon they joined the first Nightwalker. The ground below my feet shook. It felt like a teeny, tiny earthquake. But I knew it wasn’t. I spun on my heel to come face to face with…

  A huge, spikey Demon dog. No.

  A purple and red giant Demon turtle. Definitely not.

  A…

  Okay, so I didn’t really fight those Nightwalkers. I was just imagining it and trying to put myself to sleep with happy and exciting thoughts. Did it work? Sadly, it didn’t.

  I felt a presence move next to me. Gabriel. After watching Firefly, he just decided he would sleep here, in my bed, next to me. Even though his bed was less than a minute away. Just because I’d known him for practically my whole life didn’t mean that I was fine with him sleeping in my freaking bed every night.

  Never mind the fact that we’d done it before countless of times.

  “Kass, my dear, sweet, lovable and slightly melodramatic raccoon,” Gabriel murmured in my ear. “You’re keeping me up with your incessant mind ramblings.”

  I turned my head to gaze at the tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy. “You promised me you wouldn’t read my mind unless I gave you permission,” I whispered harshly back to his face, which suddenly got a little too close for comfort. My mind momentarily flashed back to the Gabriel of the other world and my cheeks flushed. Thank God it was too dark for him to see.

  “Well, it’s hard to do when I’m half asleep and your mind’s racing a mile a minute. Maybe if you stopped thinking for a little while we could both get some sleep.” There was a pause, and I imagined him grinning ear to ear, “Or you could think about how completely sexy I am and how you just want to—”

  I quickly put a hand over his mouth, stopping him instantly. Yep. Grinning like a madman, like I thought. “Now, I want you to stop right there and take a moment to think
about how you’re going to finish that sentence.” His eyebrows creased, and he seemed to be following my instructions. For the moment. “If it’s going to be something inappropriate, which I’m guessing it is, I want you to get prepared for a punch in the face.”

  My threat was legit, so I didn’t know why Gabriel tore my hand off and started shaking with laughter. I blinked at him in the dark room, my eyes slowing adjusting to the blackness.

  “What, you don’t think I’m serious?”

  “No. I know you’re serious, and I’ve got a crooked nose to prove it,” Gabriel managed to say between intakes of breath.

  True. His nose was crooked because of me. And I, personally, thought it looked much better that way. Character, and all that.

  “All I ask,” his deep voice began, “is that when you punch me, I get to do something in return to you.”

  “Like what?” I decided to play along with his game. For now.

  “Remember how you were in some comic-book, alternate reality and you imagined everything that happened so I would know the whole story?” I nodded as he continued, “Remember how you left out one particular night?” Two dimples appeared, followed by a white smile. “I’m smart enough to know why, and I have to say, it’s not fair that you swapped saliva with evil me and you won’t even do it with good me.”

  “You. Are. Stupid,” I said, rolling onto my side, so that Gabriel now talked to my back. I preferred not to think of the other Gabriel as evil, even though he was the Devil. For my sanity, I chose to look at it as more of…an inherited title.

  I felt his hot breath on the back of my neck. It gave me goosebumps. “Come on, admit it. It’s long overdue. You want to kiss me. You want to hold me,” he started singing in my ear.

  Sitting up for a moment, I reached over and smacked his shoulder. “That’s the last time I ever tell you anything.”