Sacrifice

by Jennifer Quintenz

  Back at the mines, Cassie was painfully pulling herself up to her hands and knees. Seth stepped into view, his shiny black shoes making a sharp contrast to the dust and grit of the earth.

  “I’m sorry, Cass. But you’ve just become an object lesson for Ms. Murphy.” Seth reached down and hauled Cassie to her feet. I felt her confusion, heard the ringing in her ears. She blinked tears of pain out of her eyes just in time to see Seth strike out a second time. The blow caught her across the jaw. Cassie let out a strangled cry and tried to pull free. Seth held her tightly.

  I heard a moan of pure despair, only recognizing it as mine when Dad pulled me into a tight bear hug.

  “Braedyn, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, honey.” And then, to Matt, “How far away are they?!”

  “They’re pushing 90, Murphy,” Matt said. His voice sounded strained. “They’ll get there as fast as humanly possible.” Their words hovered at the edge of my consciousness. I couldn’t pull myself away from Cassie.

  Back at the entrance to the mines, Seth regarded his free hand casually. Long, obsidian claws extended from the tips of his fingers, growing like dark stalagmites before Cassie’s eyes. Her breath came out in ragged pants. Seth placed one claw lightly on her cheek. She met his eyes, and I felt a new steel behind her thoughts.

  “Ooo, Cassie. If looks could kill.” Seth smiled. He sliced his claw down her face in one swift motion. Cassie cried out, struggling uselessly against his grip. “Unfortunately for you, these make far more effective weapons.” He waggled his fingers before her face. Bright crimson blood dripped from one obsidian claw down his finger. “We’re going to do this slow. I need Braedyn to understand you died a truly hard death.”

  I felt Cassie’s breath catch—and then I saw what she’d seen.

  A massive pickup truck peeled off the main road into the dirt lot serving as the parking area for the mines. Seth turned.

  Knee him in the junk! I practically screamed it into Cassie’s head, visualizing with every ounce of concentration exactly what to do. As her knee came up, it was almost like it was an extension of my own body. Cassie drove her knee squarely into Seth’s crotch. An expression of surprise flickered across his face, half a heartbeat before his grip on her loosened reflexively. Back! I ordered. Cassie obeyed, jerking herself out of his reach. Seth, doubled over in pain, wasn’t fast enough to avoid the truck.

  It struck him full-speed, sending him flying into the brush beyond the dirt lot. The truck skidded to a stop and the doors flew open. Marx and Caleb, two of the Guardsmen who’d first arrived to help us face Ais, sprang out of the cab. They made a beeline for Cassie.

  “Are you okay?” Marx asked in his gruff voice. Cassie nodded faintly.

  “Get her in the truck, Marx.” Caleb eyed the landscape uneasily. “We need to get the hell out of here. Now.”

  Marx helped Cassie up into the cab of his truck, climbing in after her. He shifted the truck out of park as Caleb climbed in on the other side of Cassie. Before Caleb could even close his door, Marx hit the gas and tore away from the mines. As they hit the road, Cassie stared down at her hands. She was clutching at the white, scratchy fabric of her acolyte’s vestments. Spots of blood dripped from her chin onto the skirt.

  Caleb seemed to sense her distress.

  “Hey, it’s going to be okay. We’ve got you now. We’re not going to let anything else happen to you. Got it?”

  Cassie looked up into Caleb’s dark eyes and nodded. He gave her an encouraging smile. She sat back, but her heart was still racing.

  I collapsed on the couch, exhausted. “They’ve got her,” I said. The tension in the room broke. Gretchen sat heavily on the edge of the coffee table. Matt gripped her hand tightly, relief plain in his eyes.

  Dad let out a long breath. “Thank God.”

  “And Marx and Caleb,” I said. “They got there just in time.”

  “They would have been ready and waiting if—” But Thane’s snarl cut off as Dad turned on him.

  “One more word,” Dad growled, “and you’ll be eating your next meal out of a straw.”

  Thane sniffed. “I merely state the truth.”

  “Okay, guys. Enough. Cassie’s on her way. We’ll get the full details of this meeting when she arrives.” Hale looked from Dad to Thane. The men were still glaring at one another. “Are we going to have a problem here?”

  Dad looked away first. “No. No problem.” He joined me on the couch, curving a protective arm around my back.

  “So.” Thane turned to face Ian. “Idris wasn’t talking about the winter solstice.”

  “No.” Ian’s jaw tightened. “I suppose she wasn’t.”

  “We thought we had another six months.” Dad’s face looked suddenly ashen.

  I glanced at Dad, feeling clueless. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s today, Braedyn. Today is the summer solstice.”

  “The summer—?” I stared around the room, stunned. “But that doesn’t make any sense. The winter solstice is their night of power, why would they pick tonight for Lilith’s return?”

  Thane shook his head, grim.

  “How did we miss this?” Hale turned to Thane and Ian. “How did we miss something this huge?”

  “We have mere hours before the sun sets, do you really want to waste them on a postmortem of our mistakes?” Thane’s voice was clipped, but I could see he was deeply disturbed by Hale’s question. It wasn’t like the Archivist to be caught off guard—and something of this magnitude? Thane’s confidence had clearly been shaken badly.

  “Right.” Hale rubbed at the scar dividing his eyebrow. It was a gesture I hadn’t seen from him in a long time; a sure sign of deep concern. “Thane, see what you can dig up about the summer solstice. Anything you can find, pertaining to Lilitu.”

  Thane nodded and started toward the front door.

  “Wait.” Ian reached into his satchel and pulled out a pair of old books. “I think I might have something here that could shed some light on this. You search this one, I’ll search the other.”

  Thane took the offered book from Ian. The men crossed through the foyer to settle at the dining room, flipping open the ancient volumes in silence.

  In the living room, Hale, Gretchen, Matt, Dad—all of us were lost in our own unhappy thoughts. For my part, I kept replaying Seth’s attack on Cassie in my mind, over and over. When Gretchen spoke, nearly 20 minutes later, I was a miserable mess of anxiety and guilt.

  “They’re here.” Gretchen, standing by the window, shot an unreadable look at me. I stood, eager to see Cassie in the flesh, needing to verify with my own eyes that she was okay.

  The door opened. Cassie’s eyes were swollen from crying. A long, jagged gash travelled from high on her cheek down to her jaw. Her lip was split, and a deep bruise was forming across the other side of her face. Marx and Caleb followed her in, looking grim.

  “Oh, Cass!” I darted forward, rushing to my friend.

  “I tried to call you.” Cassie’s words drove through my heart like white-hot needles. “I thought you’d get my message and connect with my thoughts like before.”

  I shook my head, guilt and helpless rage rising up in the back of my throat.

  “Hale, Murphy, we need to talk.” Marx stepped past us, into the living room. “Cassie’s been filling us in. Tonight’s the summer solstice.”

  “We know.” Hale grimaced. “Thane and Ian are looking into some old books. We’ve never had to research the summer solstice before.”

  “How long is this going to take? We’ve only got hours to figure this thing out.”

  “Wait—” The ramifications of our situation suddenly hit me. “We haven’t found the Temple. How are we going to stop—?”

  “The mines!” Ian raced out of the dining room, an urgent anxiety spilling across his face. “We’d been focusing on natural caves. What if the Temple was uncovered during a mining expedition?”

  “That would explain Idris’s field trip,” Gretchen said, glancing at Cassie
. Thane joined us, listening with a guarded expression.

  “We have to get over there. Whatever’s happening, it’s going to happen soon.” Dad’s trepidation had vanished; once again, I saw the soldier from his past emerging.

  Hale nodded. “I’ll call the men.”

  “Wait, Hale—” Thane grabbed the younger man’s arm, holding him back. “We’d be walking in blind. If the incubus is involved—?”

  “What choice do we have?” Ian’s voice cut through the chaos. “The solstice is here. If we hope to stop whatever ritual Idris has planned, we have to move now.”

  “You’re making a very large assumption that this ritual will be held at the mines,” Thane growled.

  “Yes. I am making an assumption,” Ian retorted. “And yes, we can’t be sure it’s the right location. But I am sure that we’ve checked every likely cave we could find in a 50-mile radius, and we don’t have any better leads. Right now, the mines are our best bet. Thane, we have just enough time to try one Hail Mary. And what if this ritual is being held at the mines? It would be stupid of us not to send in the troops.” Ian turned to Hale. “That’s my advice. Do with it what you will.”

  Hale gently but firmly removed Thane’s hand from his arm. “Ian’s right. We’ve got one shot, and this is our only lead. I’ll leave a skeleton crew at the mission, but the rest of us need to make a full-scale assault on the mines.”

  With that, the group disbanded. Cassie sat still on the couch, struggling to regain control of her breathing. I caught one of her hands, trying to offer what little comfort I could. Cassie’s hand tightened around mine.

  “Just tell me we’re going to get that jerk.” She looked up, through her tears. The new strength in her had not diminished.

  “One way or another,” I whispered. “You have my word.”

  Chapter 15

  Once they decided to attack, the Guard mobilized quickly. Hale made calls to the heads of each of the nine units stationed around Puerto Escondido. They planned to rendezvous at a turnout half a mile down the road from the old silver mines. It would take everyone an hour to gather weapons and meet up. From there, the assembled Guard would move on the mines as one.

  “Braedyn, we need your help.” Dad gestured for me to follow him and Gretchen. I eyed Cassie, uncomfortable about leaving her alone.

  “I—I need to get out of this thing.” She glanced down at the vestments she still wore.

  “My room,” I said. “Take anything you need.”

  She nodded gratefully. Dad held the front door open for Gretchen and me. On the porch, Gretchen turned to me. “Have you seen Lucas?”

  “Um—he’s not around?” I tried to keep my voice level.

  “Not that I’ve seen.”

  “He’s probably taking the afternoon off, like Hale suggested,” I said.

  Gretchen nodded slowly. “Yeah. Let’s hope he’s at a movie, and by the time it ends, this is all over.”

  I gave her a weak smile. Gretchen, clearly absorbed with other thoughts, didn’t give me another look.

  Dad led the way toward the Guard’s house. Amber, standing by her car, looked up. She was talking on her phone, but paused when she saw the sudden flurry of activity. I couldn’t stop to update her, though. I followed Dad, Gretchen, and Matt into the Guard’s house, down the side hallway, and into the basement.

  Gretchen pulled four massive black duffle bags out of a chest by the weapons rack. Dad grabbed one of the bags and handed it to Matt. The second he gave to me.

  “Fill it,” he said.

  “With—?”

  But Gretchen and Matt were already pulling weapons down off the rack, packing them carefully into the first two empty duffle bags.

  “Ah.” I followed their lead, pulling weapons off the rack and packing them into the duffle bag at my feet. We worked in silence for close to 10 minutes, and when we were done, each of the four duffle bags was stuffed full to the brim with wicked-looking knives, swords, axes, and spears.

  Dad and Matt each picked up one of the two heaviest duffels, straining to heave them off the floor.

  “Careful, guys,” Gretchen said.

  Dad nodded brusquely. “We’ve got this.”

  He headed up the stairs. Gretchen hefted the smallest remaining duffle bag up, struggling to loop the handles over her shoulder.

  I eyed the last bag, then bent to pick it up. It was heavier than I’d expected, even after watching the others struggle to lift theirs.

  I managed to leverage it up, slinging one strap over each shoulder, wearing it almost like a backpack. It wasn’t comfortable, but it made climbing the stairs possible.

  When I got outside, Dad was loading Gretchen’s bag into the back of Hale’s truck. Matt’s and his were already packed inside. Dad saw me coming and ran to help while Matt headed back into the Guard’s house.

  “Easy, honey.” Dad helped me ease the straps off my shoulders. The duffle bag clanked as the weapons inside shifted. Dad hefted it into his arms and deposited it beside the other three bags in the back of Hale’s truck.

  While adjusted supplies in the back of the truck, Hale drew a long, slender blade out of a scabbard. It had a long hilt, wrapped tightly in black leather. The graceful arc of the blade gleamed in the sunlight. I saw the faint rainbow-sheen imbedded in the metal, a side effect of the secret forging process that made Guard weapons so deadly to the Lilitu. He gave it a few practice swings, testing the balance, regaining the feel for the weapon. Hale—and most of the Guard, actually—usually preferred to work with the Guard’s daggers. But he was a master swordsman. He’d given me a few lessons, and what I’d seen of him wielding the sword—let’s just say he was quite impressive.

  Satisfied with the blade, Hale sheathed the sword and tucked it carefully behind his seat. “How are we doing, Murphy?”

  “Packed,” said Dad, surveying his handiwork.

  Amber watched all of this from the street, still leaning against her car.

  Gretchen paused beside the truck, glancing around. She and Dad shared a look of understanding. Dad turned toward me. “I don’t want you at this fight,” he said quietly.

  “But if there are Lilitu—?”

  “We’ve got seven spotters, not including you girls.” Dad’s eyes cut to Amber. “I think you should stay here. Keep an eye on Cassie. She’s tough, but I think she may be in shock. She shouldn’t be left alone.”

  I glanced back at my house, suddenly worried. Dad was right, someone needed to keep an eye on her. Matt hurried out of the Guard’s house, holding two sets of daggers. He tossed one to Gretchen. She snatched it out of the air, then turned back to me.

  “Look, Braedyn. If Lucas comes back, keep him away from this fight. He’s not ready.”

  I nodded glumly. Making that promise was like promising to hold the ocean at bay at high tide. But it’s what she needed to hear. “Okay.”

  Dad surprised me by grabbing me and pulling me close. “I love you, kiddo.” His voice, gruff with emotion, sent a shiver down my spine. This felt like goodbye.

  “Dad—?”

  “Let’s move out!” Hale climbed into the driver’s seat of his truck. Gretchen and Matt squeezed in beside him.

  Dad met my gaze. It looked like he wanted to say something else. Instead of speaking, he gave me a kiss on the forehead, then turned and strode for his truck.

  In moments, the soldiers of the Guard had gone.

  Only Thane and Ian stayed back. As soon as the other Guardsmen were out of sight, the two old archivists entered the Guard’s house, presumably to consult some of Thane’s books for any information they could glean on the importance of the summer solstice in Lilitu lore.

  Amber approached me, her face tight with anxiety. “Is everything okay?”

  “No,” I said, giving voice to some of the panic that had slowly been building in me since Seth confronted Cassie. “No it’s not.”

  I sprinted back to my house, only vaguely aware of Amber following me. Cassie looked up as we entered
. She’d changed into some old jeans of mine, and had wrapped a thick sweater over a pale pink T-shirt. My clothes were too big for her by at least two sizes, but she looked more comfortable in them than she had in those horrible vestments. She sat on the couch, feet curled beneath her, blotting at the gash on her cheek with a damp cloth.

  “Cassie?!” Amber’s face registered horror. “What happened to you?”

  “She was attacked by an incubus.” I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice.

  “Should we take her to a doctor or something?” Amber eyed the long gash on Cassie’s face.

  “No.” Cassie glanced up, eyes hollowed out by exhaustion. “Please. I don’t want to leave.”

  Amber crossed her arms, considering Cassie’s wounds. She turned to me. “Neosporin and hydrogen peroxide.”

  “What?” I stared at her blankly.

  “Hydrogen peroxide to clean those wounds, and Neosporin to help reduce scarring. Trust me, I’ve seen my share of scrapes.”

  “Um, I—think we have some in the upstairs bathroom.” I headed up the staircase to the second floor. I rooted through the bathroom medicine cabinet, coming up with the hydrogen peroxide, Neosporin, and some cotton balls. When I returned downstairs, Amber was sitting next to Cassie on the couch, a roll of paper towels in one hand. I let Amber doctor Cassie’s wounds. Cassie winced as the hydrogen peroxide bubbled along the gash, but she gritted her teeth and kept silent through the whole procedure.

  Once Amber had slathered the Neosporin over her the cut, Cassie sat back on the couch and closed her eyes.

  I glanced up at the clock on the mantle. 3:48 PM. Lucas would be expecting me any minute.

  “I need to make a call.” I turned to Amber. “Do you mind staying with her for a minute?”

  “Of course not.” Amber twisted the cap back on the Neosporin, studying Cassie with a worried expression on her face.

  “I’ll be right back.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and headed outside.

  I dialed Lucas, not thrilled about having to explain that our rendezvous needed to be postponed. But as I waited for him to pick up, guilt coursed through my body. Cassie had been attacked and the Guard was heading into a battle against unknown forces—how could I feel bitter disappointment that Lucas and I wouldn’t have tonight together? Our friends were hurting, they needed our help. Whatever disappointment I might feel, it was time to suck it up and turn my attention to more important things. And so that’s what I decided to tell Lucas.