by Hickory Mack
Once the gate was closed, Elsie sighed then looked at Frost. “If you don’t figure out how to clean yourself off, I’m going to spray you down with the hose again.”
He raised his lips in a snarl, and she set a hand on her hip. Now was not the time to test her patience.
“I guess you can wander the compound until you figure it out. I’m going back to our rooms to scream into the void for a while,” she told him. Cross frowned and scratched the back of his neck.
“I don’t suppose I’m invited?”
“Not if you’re going to play the role of information gatherer. Any info you have access to will dry up the second they know we’ve bonded. You have to act like you normally would,” she told him, leading everyone through the warehouse to the double doors that would take them to the elevator.
There was a crowd of soldiers and field agents on the other side, all waiting to turn their supplies in for inspection and go through their debriefings. Nobody tried to stop the reaper and her wolf, though they were thrown more than one disapproving look. Cross observed them all, doing well with his role as security, but Elsie ignored them. She couldn’t care less what these ingrates thought of her and her demon.
Cross brought her back to her room, still holding Frida. The cat kept looking up at him as though she couldn’t believe she hadn’t charmed him into petting her yet.
“I’ll have a pair of guards here in twenty minutes. Stay in your suites until then,” he said, all softness having disappeared from his expression and voice. Elsie took Frida back from him and nodded.
“Fine. Have one of them bring us something to eat,” she ordered, glaring at the woman in a lab coat who happened to be walking by. She didn’t look like an officer, so she shouldn’t even be on this floor. Cross followed her gaze and frowned.
“I’ll take care of that as well,” he said, his tone lowered.
“See that you do.” Elsie stole a look into his dark eyes then closed the door behind her. She let go of Frida, and the cat landed on the floor, glancing up at her once before sauntering off to more thoroughly explore her new living quarters.
Elsie leaned against the door, wondering where Frost had gotten off to. His silence was suspicious. He’d better not be wiping his nasty face on her comforter. Then again, maybe he was being smart and taking a nap. She slid down the door until her bottom hit the floor, banging the back of her head twice.
So much had happened in the past week, and she hadn’t had time to mentally process everything. Her mind ran in circles, thinking about the demon at the bottom of the compound and her part in bringing him here. Next, it swirled to all the people who’d died in the process, and all she could do was blame herself.
“Why am I so fucking useless?” she muttered into the silence. “Selfish. I literally let them get away with it because I need an elixir to live. Am I so fucking afraid to die?”
She thumped her head against the door again, guilt raging through her. Had she been willing to sacrifice herself, she could have saved those demons, along with the humans and hunters Cornick and his friends had chosen to sacrifice. Tears of anger dripped onto her cheeks.
“When did I turn into a coward?” she demanded of herself. “When did I start letting fear control me?”
Her magic welled up inside of her, waiting just below the surface, ready to be used the moment she asked for it. Elsie let it pool in her hand, surprised to see that it wasn’t the ethereal or white moon magic she held. Her emotional turmoil had called upon her dark moon magic. The magic of her father. The magic of the lost.
Clenching her fist, the magic swirled around her hand, a thick black ribbon of power. She slammed her fist into the floor, once, and then again, letting the pain distract her from the violence she so desperately wanted to unleash on this world. Or, at least, these two miles of this world. Whatever was on the surface had nothing to do with what was going on underneath it all.
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” she complained, hitting the floor one more time while ignoring the sticky wetness seeping from her knuckles. A pang of pain hit her heart, and she rested her hand on her chest. Her emotions were affecting Saint. She could feel his regret and sadness; he wanted to be here with her every bit as much as she wanted him.
‘I wish I could talk with you,’ she thought, doing her best to send comforting feelings back at him. She didn’t want him worrying about her when there was nothing he could do about it. Wherever he was, whatever he was up to, he’d stopped everything to give her his attention.
Frida came over and bumped her head against Elsie’s leg. “I miss him so much,” she told the cat, stroking her soft fur. “I want to be with him and Wren. I want to take Cross out of here and get to know him, but I can’t be with any of them!”
She tucked her knees up to her chest and cried into her lap, letting the tears fall. “I hate this. I hate feeling so fucking powerless.”
“No child of mine is powerless.”
Elsie’s head jerked up, and she scrambled to her feet, launching herself across the room and into her mother’s arms. Feeling completely safe for the first time in weeks, she fell apart, sobbing into Santisima’s robes as her mother stroked her hair.
“Dónde has estado?” Elsie demanded through her tears. “I needed you!”
Santisima took her daughter’s shoulders and held her at arm’s length before wiping away her tears. “I have been watching, my dearest child. You are strong, and you do not need me for this. What you need is a reminder of who you are. Elspeth, these people cannot break you. They are nothing compared to the power you have. And I don’t only mean your magic.”
She touched a finger over Elsie’s heart then her forehead. “This is where your power lies. What you are going through now is hard, and it may become even more difficult, but you need this to harden you for what is to come. Your resilience is your strength.”
“I don’t want to be strong. I want a peaceful existence, living out my life with my mates. Bringing magic back to the world and dealing with the hunters’ bullshit shouldn’t have to be my responsibility. Don’t I get a choice?! Why couldn’t you choose another daughter for this? Any of my sisters would be a better option than me. I don’t want this!” Elsie yelled.
Frost materialized at her side, his dark eyes glowing bright blue, the runes lit up along his coat. He was threatening Santisima. For her. Elsie grabbed a fistful of his hair, stopping him from attacking.
“I heard you were here with her,” the goddess said quietly. “I will allow it, and when you have served your purpose in keeping her safe, I will consider your debt fulfilled.”
“Debt? What debt does he have to you?”
“That’s between us,” Santisima said with the hint of a smile. “I know it isn’t fair that all of these things rest on your shoulders. However, it wasn’t my decision to make. You are the child of prophecy, destined for greatness.”
“You could have told me I’m expected to open the Dragon Gate and bring the Dragons back. I’m supposed to bring magic back to Earth? I don’t want any part of it!”
Santisima was quiet for a moment, her lips twisted downward.
“There are things in life that we do not get to choose. This is one of them. You’re unhappy and doubting yourself, but you have the strength and the power to do anything you set your mind to. You can destroy the Hunter Clans if that is your decision. You can, and you will open the gate. And I promise you, Elspeth, the future you want will be yours. Maybe you can’t rest and enjoy the way things are now, but those things will change.”
“When? When is all of this supposed to happen? How much longer do we have to put up with sacrificing our happiness in order to protect each other?” Elsie demanded, thinking of her history with Saint.
“I don’t know for certain, mija.”
“Can you help me with the curse the hunters put on me?”
Santisima answered without saying a word. Her lips pressed together, and she looked away for a fraction of a second, telling E
lsie everything she needed to know.
“Great. Just great. Why did you even come then? Can you tell me anything about it? Every curse has a counter, and you can see what they are. At least tell me how to break it!”
“The countercurse is in the hands of the witch who cast it, and she has taken the cure to her grave,” Santisima said. Elsie’s jaw dropped.
“Perrie’s dead? How?! That can’t be true. There has to be some way to break it, right?” she questioned, refusing to believe what she was hearing. The problem with a countercurse was the spellcaster was the one who decided what it would be, and the type of person willing to curse another tended to be especially devious.
“You needed to earn her forgiveness,” Santisima told her. “Perhaps she even wanted you to. If you wish to spend the next century searching for her soul, you may convince her. The witch was killed by the man you now answer to.”
“Which one? Cornick? Grant? She must have told them what the countercurse was. They killed her because of me,” Elsie muttered, feeling sick to her stomach.
“I prefer to think of it as karmic retribution,” Satisima replied. “She agreed to hurt you quite deeply, and she paid for it in a fitting manner.”
Frost leaned closer, and Frida chose that moment to make herself known. She stretched, then came to stand next to Elsie, looking at Santa Muerte curiously, but she did not offer chirps or purrs or demand to be pet. She seemed wary of the Goddess of Death.
“Hello, little one,” Santisima greeted her, but Frida only blinked at her in silence. “There is a witch pair who can break this curse. Alone, they are each stronger than your friend Perrie could ever have hoped to be. You must be patient. The path to find them will open to you on its own. An invitation will be made, and you must take it.”
“Why do you have to be so cryptic?”
Santisima looked confused. “I thought I was making myself clear.” She frowned at the Staff of Sanaia, leaning against the wall near the door. “You have not spent enough time with it. The staff does not yet resonate with your power.”
“I didn’t really believe it was part of anything important. Once I learned how to wield it, I stopped practicing every day, but I have resumed in the past week.” Elsie felt her face go hot as her mother’s stare grew stern.
“When have I ever lied to you, mija? There are other things you must learn as well, yes? You do not have time to learn all of them.”
“How do you know that?”
“I told you, I have been watching. You are important, Elspeth.”
“I’m trying my best. So much has been expected of me, and nobody can tell me how long I have to learn what I need to.” Elsie flashed an irritated look at her mother. “And the one who could tell me won’t.”
Santisima stepped forward and grabbed Elsie’s arm. “I knew this day would come. Your training in Molta was incomplete. With all of your sisters, I spent eight years in Molta, making it two years on Earth. I can change the flow of time there, and a four to one ratio seems to work best. But we didn’t have two years of Earth time for you. Everything had to be condensed. You were pushed harder than any of your sisters, and I am sorry for that.”
Elsie’s head swirled with what she was hearing. Her training was incomplete; there were things she still didn’t know. Things that she apparently needed now.
“I taught you the basics of some things you should have mastered, and others, I left until later. It is now later. Come, we’re returning to Molta.”
“What? No! My mates—”
“Will be fine. You must work harder than you have ever worked before. If you do, we won’t be gone for long. I’ll return you by morning, and by then, you will have full mastery of time control. It’ll free you up to learn the other two. Korshyo is right,” she said, using Wren’s oldest name. “You must learn to open a door to other locations in the same world.”
Elsie’s lip curled up, and her nose wrinkled. “I’m starting to get uncomfortable with how closely you’ve been watching me.”
“Don’t worry, I know when to look away. There are more important things in my life than watching my daughters with their mates.” Santisima gave a small amused laugh.
“I need to ask you something that’s important to me. Why didn’t you save Muriel? They killed her, and you didn’t help her.” It was a question that had eaten at her since she’d found out the older reaper’s fate. Her mother always claimed she’d be there when she truly needed her, but evidently that hadn’t been true in her sister’s case.
“Muriel was not your sister. She was a talented sprite I took in after finding her ripping holes through dimensions to steal shiny objects she took a liking to. I trained her, molded her into something of value, broke her of her greed. She was over two centuries older than you, yet she continued to behave as a child. It was the return of her greed that brought about her demise.” Santisima looked troubled.
“Even with her poor choices, I would have saved Muriel had I been able to. Unfortunately, at the time, I was with another of your sisters who was also in dire need. I couldn’t be in two places at once.”
“So you chose which of your children to help.” It was a statement, not a question. Santisima had needed to pick a reaper, and she’d chosen against the one who’d disappointed her.
“It isn’t that simple. This wasn’t a decision made lightly. I had to save the child with the potential to do the most good. Muriel was happily helping those who would hurt the ones who should have been under her protection. I had to leave her to her fate and save your sister.”
“I turned my back on those demons up north. Will you also turn your back on me?” Elsie asked. Santisima set a gentle hand on the top of her head and drew her in for a soft hug.
“Oh, darling, how could you think like that? Every decision you have made until now needed to be made. It may seem cruel, but that fox needs to be where he is right now. If it hadn’t happened, things that need to be set into motion would remain as they are. His suffering is well earned, and it will be the catalyst of change for both himself and the world. Do not second guess yourself or agonize over the past. You’ve done exactly what needed to be done.”
Elsie suddenly felt like she was going to throw up. She’d never felt so used before, and she’d been the hunters’ tool for over fourteen years. Who had decided what she did and didn’t need to do? Fate? Destiny? She’d have to ask Wren which of her siblings were responsible for such things because they were going to get their ass seriously kicked.
“What happens if I choose not to do any of this? What if I’m sick of being pushed around by the universe and decide to take my mates and run?”
“You certainly could,” Santisima said thoughtfully. “It would eventually kill your elemental mate, however. Without the return of its magic, the Earth will die. Far faster than anyone has paid attention to. Every year, dozens of magical species go extinct. Eventually, all that will be left is the humans, and we all know how it went when they were in charge. Imagine how they will behave when they have no natural predators left.”
“That doesn’t even account for the natural entropy the planet is going through. Everything is accelerated. If you choose yourself over the planet, the estimate is Earth has less than a century of survival left in it.”
“Fuck.”
“I wish I could give you more positive news, mija.”
“I’m not just being forced to bring magic and Dragons back to Earth. You’re expecting me to save the entire fucking planet? Why do you not seem to understand how unrealistic that is? I’m only one person! Why does it have to be me?!” Elsie shouted, uncaring if anyone outside heard her.
“You aren’t just one person. You are Elspeth, a half-fae demigoddess, but you are so much more. You have the eldest element at your side. A brujo from the old world. A demon who would do anything for you. An alebrije with untapped potential. You’ve even won over the loyalty of the fiercest wolf ever to have lived. That’s only the beginning. You will have the Key and th
e power of those who stand next to her. Together, you will hold the world in your hands.” Santisima smiled.
“None of that makes me feel any better.”
“The world has been changed by less. Mokiko used the magic of seven elemental spirits to force the Dragons into hibernation, and in turn Kaho used that magic to remove entire species from this planet by herself. You will have a girl standing by your side strong enough to take that power back. Elspeth, you are the right person for this.”
Elsie frowned, and her mother shook her head. “All you have to do is believe in yourself and those around you. Now, let’s get you to Molta. You have a lot to learn. Oh, and mija, pull yourself together as much as you can now. We don’t have much time to deal with a reminder lesson on how to keep your emotions in check. Molta will pull you to pieces if you can’t.”
“Yes, Mother. I remember.”
Saint sat on the steps outside of Julio’s house. It was little more than a two-room shack built into a hill, but the brujo had spent most of his time living outdoors anyway. He was far more at home among nature than within four walls. As far as Saint could see, it was the walls that had killed him.
Little was left of his family friend other than long black hair still attached to a skull, crushed beneath a fallen ceiling. The farthest wall had given way, and everything atop the hill had crushed him.
He took the vial out of his pocket and gripped it hard in his hand. He would have to return to Elsie with bad news. He didn’t know anyone else down here that could help them. Pushing the curls from his eyes, Saint squinted up at the sun. It was so damned hot down here, he’d forgotten how miserable he’d been during his stay in the south when he was kid.
His whole pack had come. Julio hadn’t just been a family friend; he was also the man who’d saved Saint’s life. He’d been bitten by a rattler demon, and though the poison had been drawn from his blood, his young body wouldn’t recover. Saint’s entire family had come to make sure he was brought through the vampire lands and safely delivered to Julio. The least he could do was bury the old man.