I hit the landing and took off like a rocket, hearing Reese in hot pursuit. We battled our way through the crowds until we finally reached the parking lot.
“Mind filling me in?” he called out as I practically crashed against the side of his truck, still too preoccupied with my phone.
“His eyes are blue,” I panted.
“Come again?”
“The guy in there. The one who was possessed, his eyes are blue.”
“So? Demons don’t usually stay in one person for any long length of time. It’s moved on to possessing someone else. That’s hardly news.”
“Daniel said they were brown!”
Reese’s face paled. “What are you talking about?”
“When I first ran into that guy, Daniel was with me. I couldn’t see his eye color, because it just looked black. Daniel told me they were brown! Why else would he say that—”
“Unless he couldn’t see the color either…” Reese slammed the keys into the ignition, and we floored it out of the lot.
“Hey, you’ve reached Carly. Leave your name and number. If I like you enough, I’ll get back to you,” the teasing voicemail laughed into my ear.
Whatever sparked the power outage must have tampered with cell service as well, because it took a good five minutes for any of my texts to even read, “Sent.” And I found even worse luck when I tried calling Adam, receiving another failure message that said, “We’re sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently not in service.”
“Goddamn it!” I punched my fist into the passenger door, and Reese outright jumped in his seat, seeing the knuckle-sized dent I left in the metal.
“Just take it easy there, Hulk,” Reese urged. “You said it yourself. Carly was thinking about heading home early. She could be in the shower for all we know.”
“She’s not.”
“How’d you know?”
“I just do.” That weird stirring under my skin was coiling itself around every muscle, propelling me forward. The closer we got to the school, the stronger it grew. “Do you really think Daniel could be Sitri?”
Reese gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Possibly. Only upper level demons can cloak their nature from us. With how much time you’ve spent around him, you would’ve seen past it at some point if he was anything less. Or he could be a Hellhound…”
“Yeah, but we would’ve noticed that. I mean, you saw what the other Hellhounds were like. Daniel’s been acting normal—”
“So long as they aren’t triggered by anything to make them angry, Hellhounds can still act like themselves, at least on the surface. Hell, there are some Hellhounds born with the condition, and they manage to live amongst society without detection. It’s not wholly impossible for Daniel to hide it.” He hesitated. “What if Carly was already turned? If Daniel really is one, he’s been that way for how long now—”
I actually laughed. “We’re talking about the girl who cries every time she watches an animal rescue relief commercial. Hell, she got choked up yesterday over a YouTube video. Carly’s the poster girl of emotional.”
“Point taken,” he sighed, finding what little relief he could in the matter.
My gaze fixed outside the passenger window.
“We don’t even know if Daniel’s planning on doing anything, to her or anyone else. I mean, he’s had more than ample opportunity to attack.”
My eyes remained glued to the sky. I’d seen a few harvest moons in my life, and they’d all been a washed out red. This one was bleeding an unnerving, effervescent scarlet. “You see anything in the forecast for a Blood Moon?”
Reese leaned over, seeing the circular sphere hanging overhead. “Shit.”
Muffled music reverberated through the metal door as we approached the gym entrance. Reese eased the door open just far enough for the two of us to slip through. BASTILLE’s “Requiem for Blue Jeans” played overhead on the loudspeaker, but no other sounds filled the gymnasium. No clamor, no voices, not even a footstep. It was impossible to close the door quietly, so I gently wedged the wooden triangle by our feet behind the frame to leave it open just a crack.
Leafless plastic trees adorned with pale decorative bulbs were aligned down the endlines of the basketball court, and the only real source of light came from the music-synced LED spot lighting solutions system mounted in the center of the gym. The lights eased between blue and red as the song’s ominous drums echoed across the space. Two sets of fog machines continued pumping out masses of thick gray clouds that now engulfed the entire floor up to the middle of my calves as Reese and I stepped out into the gym. At first glance, everything looked normal, until you took inventory of the decorations. Only a handful of balloons had been filled, and dozens of wound up string lights were still stacked on the lone bottom bleacher that was pushed out. Then there was the large banner clinging to the wall, tacked up on only one end, as the stepladder beneath it sat toppled over on the ground.
Where was everyone? I recognized at least ten of the cars in the parking lot including Carly’s.
Reese turned to say something to me when he suddenly seemed to stumble over his own feet, disappearing into the layer of fog hovering above the floor. I ran to help him, only to be met with the same fate. My feet blindly collided with something solid, and I face planted onto the hardwood. The force stirred the fog just enough to clear out the immediate space. I gasped, scuttling across the floor until I crashed into Reese. He seemed to realize the same thing I had, because he pried me up and we both stumbled back toward the bleachers.
“Tiffany…”
Reese nodded. “Eric, too.”
“No.” Without thinking, I snatched up the clipboard behind us and raced over to where Reese had fallen, fiercely fanning the fog until it cleared. My hand shot to my mouth, forcing my palm to eat up the scream I couldn’t repress. Reese was right. Long shaggy locks were tangled across Eric’s face, his eyes fixed in an empty stare. His body lay contorted, his neck snapped in the most unnatural angle. Just like Tiffany’s.
I started frantically batting the air, trying to clear away the rest of the floor. Reese joined me as more and more classmates appeared beneath the fog, all their necks snapped. But no sign of Carly.
“She’s not here,” said Reese, watching me pull out my cell. “We need to go.”
Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback” sounded off behind us, and a heavy metallic clack! followed as we both whirled around towards the side exit.
“Oh, what’s the rush?” mused Daniel, gleefully twirling the ends of a chain in his hands.
Reese and I immediately bolted to the other end of the gym, shoving our weight into the push bars of each dual door leading to the hallway. Neither opened. The chain rattled behind us, but it wasn’t coming any closer. Something thudded, and we both turned around to see Daniel had used the chain to fasten the side exit shut with a large padlock snapped in place.
Every expletive exploded in my mind as Reese and I continued throwing ourselves into the doors.
“Come on, Kat. Won’t you stay? Our boss will be with us shortly, and he’s just dying to see you,” Daniel laughed, pulling out a bedazzled pink rectangle from his pocket. Carly’s cell. “We really appreciate the heads up, too. Saved us from having to come and hunt you down ourselves.”
My stomach dropped.
I told Carly in my texts to her that we were coming here.
I’d given them everything they needed.
Chapter 28
Tonight
“Where is she?” I demanded.
Daniel knew what I meant. “Somewhere around here, along with that idiot, McDowell. They got lost in the commotion, but we’ll find ’em soon enough. There’s really nowhere else to run. Every exit’s blocked, locked, or bolted shut.”
Carly and Mark had both gotten away, at least for the time being.
“Why kill everyone else?”
“Couldn’t really help it.” Daniel shrugged. “If anything, it’s your fault.”
�
��Mine?”
“Well, you are the one who broke Hell’s seal after all. Triggered the Blood Moon into effect.” He took a long drag of air and sighed. “And how wondrous it was. All that energy surging through your veins, just begging for release. It sent us all into a frenzy, and well…” Daniel casually gestured to the floor. “You see what happened.”
“Who’s we?”
“Trace, myself, and some other folks you may have seen around town,” he chuckled, pointing to the missing person’s flyers still plastered across the activities board beside the door.
The rest of the Hersey basketball and cheerleading teams.
“But enough about us,” insisted Daniel, motioning to me. “You’ve been very, very naughty lately, haven’t you, Kat?” It really wasn’t a question. He beamed from ear to ear, the smile jarringly happy.
“What do you mean she broke the seal?” asked Reese, stepping in front of me as to shield my body from Daniel. “Kat didn’t do anything.”
Daniel threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, how naïve you really are. Even with all your resources, you still haven’t got a clue.”
Reese stole a look over his shoulder, seeing me as equally confused.
“She’s been slowly breaking it since the night she was resurrected,” Daniel purred. “Kat first had to prove that she was worthy of her hellish groom-to-be. And what better way than to have her commit the unforgiveable? Gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, pride, greed and—”
“Lust,” I muttered. “The seven deadly sins.”
“Right you are. And you definitely tried our patience, I’ll give you that,” sighed Daniel. “Committing the first was always going to be the easiest. The transition into a Changeling made it impossible for you to resist the urge to eat so much. But for a girl always on the go, we knew the second would be the biggest challenge. So how could we stop you in your tracks?”
A thousand pound weight slammed into my chest. I couldn’t breathe. No, no, no, no.
“That’s right, pretty girl,” Daniel crooned. “Just as I predicted, you moped about in your misery and guilt over Blaine’s…untimely demise.”
“You,” I spat. “You killed him just for that?”
“We don’t do anything without reason.” Daniel paused, surveying the floor with a snicker. “Well, most of the time, anyway.”
My eyes pinched shut, forcing repressed tears to run down my cheeks. I was going to be sick. Blaine had been alive, and they killed him—not because he was a threat—but just because they wanted to make me despondent. All my mind’s eye kept conjuring up was Blaine. I could see him now. The dimples that formed when he genuinely laughed. Those perfect, bright white teeth. Those crystallized blue eyes that were nearly translucent. And now…
Now, Blaine was six feet under. Because of him.
I made no effort to hide my anger, my horror, and it only made Daniel smile wider. “Awww, you really cared about him, didn’t you? That’s so sweet.”
“I didn’t break the seal!” I sneered.
“Oh, but you did. Granted, it took you longer than most. Dark Mages channel their power through their emotions, so this should’ve been a cakewalk. Nowadays, people seem to break commandments like they’re speed limits. We anticipated you completing your Great Rite at least a week ago. But it’s here nevertheless.” He playfully kicked a stray balloon, letting it drift off into the accumulating fog. “You can deny it all you want, but you know it’s true. The little lightshow on your arm there should have been the indicator.”
My runes. The pieces slowly started to slide together.
My ravenous appetite.
The week I spent wallowing in bed.
The text message that taunted me over Blaine’s death and the anger that had me kicking the bathroom stall door clear off its hinges.
My longing for my old life.
Me slapping Reese in my bedroom, when I let my pride get the better of me…
My desire to stay here that I’d resort to blackmailing my mother just to ensure I wouldn’t be sent away.
And then Reese and me on his couch.
“I did it,” I muttered, almost inaudibly. I really did do it.
“Gotta say though, the boss isn’t too happy about the final one. He really had hoped that you’d check that one off the list with his help, not with…whatever the hell you’d call that,” said Daniel, cocking his head as he examined Reese. “I mean, really? Blackburn? No offense, but just look at the guy.”
“Wow,” Reese muttered. “And to think, you’re considered the nice one of the bunch.”
The inside of my arm vibrated, and I immediately recognized the sensation. Wrath.
Daniel cocked his head, noting the vibrant light illuminating out of the sleeves of my leather jacket. A smile crept onto my face, and his amusement vanished as I whirled around, kicking the dual doors. Just as before, my foot slammed into the steel and they burst open. I grabbed Reese and we bolted into the hallway.
“No, no, no!” The rune immediately started dissipating, and by the time I reached the chained emergency exit, the light was gone.
“Can you reactivate it?” bellowed Reese, seeing me hike up my sleeve.
“I don’t know how!”
He slammed his body into the door to no avail. We didn’t have the luxury of waiting any longer because Daniel was charging right for us. Reese yanked me down the connecting corridor, taking every turn and bend through the series of hallways in the hopes to lose him. Daniel’s footsteps weren’t more than twenty feet behind us.
We rounded the next corner, and Reese suddenly threw me sideways. I yelped, only to find his hand pressed against my mouth as darkness swallowed us up. A thin slit of light peeked out from the bottom slat in the door, and I quickly realized where we were. The janitor’s closet.
Footsteps trampled towards us, and a shadow zipped past the doorframe as they continued down the hallway. Reese dropped his hand, but pulled me closer. “We need to get to the main offices,” he whispered.
“Why?”
“Because they have landlines in there. We can try calling for Reynolds again. Right now, we need a cavalry, and we need it fast.”
He slowly eased the door open and poked his head out. Only the reserved lights were on in the entire school, so it made it harder to see amongst the shadows in the hallways. And it was hard to keep an ear out, because we could still hear the music from the gym. Adam Lambert’s “If I Had You” echoed down the hall, and the clapping rhythm sounded like reverberating footsteps, only spiking my anxiety further.
Reese eventually seemed satisfied, because he waved for me to follow as he stepped out into the hallway. We backtracked down a few halls and took a shortcut through the pool. I hit Reese’s arm, still afraid to say anything. He turned to me and I pointed up to the observer’s platform. He nodded.
Tiptoeing across the border of the lanes, we headed up the bleachers to the upper deck. The lights were off in the overhead office, but the reflective glimmer from the pool still highlighted the objects on Coach’s desk. A landline phone. Reese twisted the doorknob. It was locked. Before I could curse, Reese held up his finger, handing his blade over to me before digging into his back pocket for his wallet. He plucked out a gift card and slid it into the crease of the door, pushing the plastic down on the latch. It clicked. Reese shot me a small smile, turning the knob.
Okay, even now I was impressed.
We headed in, and I closed the door behind us as he rounded the desk to the phone.
“Holy shit!” He suddenly ducked as a metallic pole came hurtling at his head. The beam smacked into the filing cabinet behind him, and he swiftly grabbed it, wrenching it forward. A mass of blonde hair flung out from the shadows, stumbling right into him.
Reese clumsily caught hold of the person, only to be immediately shoved back. “Carly?”
Another stealthy figure emerged, and the business end of a baseball bat caught the light.
“Watch out!” I bellowed.
Rees
e promptly stepped sideways, rushing the attacker. His hands blocked the attempted swing just before he hooked his arms around the assailant, driving them both into the far wall. They disappeared into the shadows, and I blindly felt around for the light switch. The overhead lights crackled on, causing everyone to wince.
Reese finally looked up at his attacker who was still pinned in his hold against the wall. “McDowell?”
“Get off me, you freak,” Mark sneered, shoving Blackburn away.
Carly’s face lit up at the sight of me, but Mark quickly yanked her back.
“Don’t,” he warned, snatching up his fallen bat. “They’re probably like Danny.”
“What happened?” I demanded, looking to Carly.
Her chin trembled and her entire frame was shaking. “Daniel… He…he killed Eric…and Rob, and Jennifer, and Tiffany…” She could barely talk. “His eyes…”
Reese headed back to the entrance, taking back his blade from me. Carly shrieked, and Mark quickly raised his bat in response.
Reese didn’t pay any mind. “Show us your necks.”
“What?”
“Unless you want this buried in your chests, show us the back of your necks,” Reese ordered, priming the blade in his hand.
Carly hesitantly swept her tangled mess of hair to the side, pulling it away from her neck. She turned around, revealing untarnished, milky white skin.
“You, too,” said Reese.
“Why?” Mark growled.
“It’s the only way to know for sure that you’re not one of them.”
“How?”
“That weird tattoo,” muttered Carly. “Daniel’s had it for weeks...”
“Show us your necks then,” countered Mark, motioning to Reese and me. We both took turns showing them, and Mark finally relented. We were all clean.
Reese lowered his blade, heading back to the desk.
“It’s no use,” said Mark, grabbing the cord to the phone. It had been cut. “We had the same idea. We tried the other offices too, but it’s the same thing.”
“What happened to Daniel?” Carly uttered, shakily bringing her hand to her mouth. “When he started attacking everybody, we tried stopping him, but nothing worked.”
Insidious: (The Marked Mage Chronicles, Book 1) Page 27