“Let her go,” Jace snarled.
“Well, if the boy commands it, then I suppose I must obey.” Re’Vel’s laughter was mocking and cold. “Let’s ask Rachel whose company she prefers. Rachel, would you like to stay here with the boy, or would you prefer to come with me?”
“I…I don’t…” I stammered, more confused than ever. Re’Vel was my friend. He said he would protect me.
“Rachel, he’s using Persuasion. Fight him,” Jace commanded.
“Why don’t you fight for her?” Re’Vel chuckled. “Why don’t you help her, son of Abe? Can you win the love of an Nkaribo—a direct descendent of the Fae? Demons will fight for her. They will crave her like a drug. And you? You are just a child. By the time you grow up to be a man, Rachel will already be mated with a child of her own. My child.”
“I’ll kill you before I let that happen,” Jace shouted. “I’ll tear your throat out. I’ll…”
“Perhaps. But others will come. Can you fight us all?” he asked, stroking my hair. “Can you fight Nevare? Your brother couldn’t.”
Jace charged at Re’Vel. With one flick of his hand, the Demon sent him flying backwards. He crumpled to the ground. Seeing him there and knowing it was Re’Vel who’d injured him, finally pushed Re’Vel’s insidious presence from my mind. I twisted from his grasp and stumbled out of his reach. I crouched into a fighting stance, ready to face him even though I knew I had no chance at defeating him.
Re’Vel laughed and raised both hands, shooting bolts of lightning at Jace who was just beginning to rise to his feet. Jace, the one who tried to save me. The one who came the second I called him. Jace, the one I truly loved.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Alisa
“Do you think everything’s okay?” I asked Bryce.
Rachel had made a beeline to the ladies room after she and Bryce filled up the water bottles. When Jace found out she was alone, he went ballistic, calling Bryce a series of names I couldn’t repeat. For the first time in the history of their relationship, Bryce apologized for his lapse in common sense, but Jace didn’t acknowledge him. He stalked away toward the direction of the pavilion, muttering curses about how Central would give Protector rankings to anyone these days.
“Maybe we should go check on them,” I said. “Just to make sure.”
“They’re fine. Jace has been gone less than a minute,” he said, kissing my neck. I shivered in the ninety-five degree heat. “Maybe we should play another game while we wait.”
“It’s too hot,” I said, pushing him away. His displays of affection embarrassed me. As much as I craved Bryce, I felt he was moving a little too fast. He was older than me. Probably more experienced too.
“You make me hot,” he said, reaching for me and pulling me close.
“Stop saying that.” A deep blush crept up my neck. I decided to change the subject. “Bryce, I have to tell you something. Promise me you won’t get mad.”
“Are you thinking of dumping me?” I shook my head. “Are you running away and joining the circus?” I laughed and shook my head again. “As long as you promise not to leave me, I promise I won’t get mad.” He seemed very serious all of a sudden.
“I overheard something,” I admitted. “The night you came home from WTB, when you were talking to your mom in the kitchen. She was crying…she said something about seeing the ties. What did that mean?”
“Nothing,” he said.
“It didn’t sound like nothing,” I pushed. Our relationship was still in the early stages, but I didn’t want it to be based upon lies. Besides, I knew he did something. He changed me somehow, and I had the right to know.
“Okay. When I whispered in your ear…like this,” he said, pulling me close and nibbling on my ear.
My stomach flipped over and my vision went hazy. I pulled away and tried to give him a stern look.
“It was a spell. My mom was upset because she thinks it’s too soon for me to make a commitment. She thinks I should have waited until you were ready.”
“You put a spell on me?” I gasped.
“No. I put a spell on me. I whispered the Claiming Words in your ear. I’ve tied myself to you. I’ve made a commitment to spend my life with you. But you’re under no obligation to me. Not yet,” he said.
I turned away from him, trembling. Why would he do that? And what did it really mean to tie himself to me? Of course, I felt obligated now. How could I feel otherwise?
“Don’t…” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t freak out on me. It’s just an initial tie, Alisa. It isn’t a permanent bond. Don’t you want to spend your life with me?”
I turned back around to face him. “I love you, but maybe your mom is right. Maybe it’s too soon for you to make such a huge decision. I’m only seventeen. I’m still in school. You may not want me in a year, or even in a month.”
“That’s impossible,” he insisted. “I’ll always want you.” He pulled me into his arms. “If I wasn’t sure about you, I wouldn’t have whispered the Claiming Words.”
“What does that mean? Claiming Words?” I asked. “Rachel said her brother’s tattoo has a claiming spell.”
“There are different kinds. Her brother’s tattoo is a Demon Mark. It’s permanent. The words I spoke are words of love, my intent to be with you forever.”
I couldn’t believe he’d even thought about forever. It amazed me that he loved me that much. After all, he’d only been home a few days. A lot could change over the summer. I’d watched Becky fall in and out of love a dozen times in a summer. And while I couldn’t imagine being with anyone but Bryce, I couldn’t imagine him wanting to spend the rest of his life with me.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“I…” his response was cut short by the sound of thunder. Not thunder. A deep rumble pierced the still, silent afternoon. The blacktop shook underneath our feet. My first thought was that we were experiencing an earthquake. Bryce peered into the distance, his eyes widening in horror. “Over there,” he said.
I glanced in the direction of the pavilion and saw a wisp of smoke. “What is that?”
“Call my parents,” Bryce said.
“But I left my phone in the truck…” He was already gone. I bolted toward the truck and wrenched the door open. With trembling hands, I struggled to dial Jerica’s number on my phone.
“Pick up,” I muttered as the phone rang once, twice, three times. “Jerica,” I yelled when she answered.
“Alisa. What’s wrong?”
“Rachel…Jace…we’re at the old park, the one on West Street behind the abandoned school. There was an explosion…and then Bryce went running.”
“I’ll call Abe,” she snapped. “Help is coming.”
She disconnected. I jammed the phone in my pocket and raced toward the direction of the pavilion.
My sides were aching by the time I reached the empty parking lot in front of the pavilion. Bryce and Jace circled a pale, dark-haired man, while Rachel hovered to the side, looking anxious and terrified. I skirted along the periphery of the pavilion and reached Rachel’s side.
“It’s Re’Vel,” she whispered, grasping my hand. “The Demon. He found me.”
“It’s okay. I called Jerica. She’s sending help,” I whispered back.
We were both too unskilled and ineffective to help. Yes, we’d both faced Hunters in the past, but this was a Demon. He’d kill me without hesitation if I interfered, and I had no hope of turning the tide. I watched the battle, praying Jerica would be able to get in touch with Abe and the other Warriors.
Jace leapt over a table. Placing both hands in front of him, he shot a line of fire at Re’Vel. The Demon stepped out of the way effortlessly while Bryce extinguished the flaming bushes behind him.
“Careful,” Bryce warned. “Let me handle Re’Vel.”
Re’Vel flicked his pale hand toward Bryce, and a bolt of silver lightning shot toward him. Bryce put his hands in front of him and the lightning bolt sizzled into nothing. T
he Demon flew at Bryce and had him in a chokehold in a split second. Jace jumped forward, ripping the Demon off his brother, and throwing him across the pavilion. A concrete bench shattered from the impact, and I covered my head with my arms to protect myself from the debris.
“Shit,” Jace yelled. I looked up just in time to see him drop to the ground, presumably to avoid a blue fire bolt. Shards of ice scattered across the ground, some of the pieces melting right next to me.
Bryce countered the Demon’s attack with bolts of his own blue fire. The electric blue flames sizzled into shards of ice, some of which nicked the Demon’s pale flesh. Blood beaded up on the Demon’s face.
“And how did you develop such a dark gift, son of Abe?” the Demon asked, leering at Bryce.
The Demon Transported to the top of the pavilion. His cold laughter raised goose bumps on my arms. He shot fire from each hand, causing Bryce and Jace to duck out of the way. Bryce leapt to the roof, but the Demon knocked him back down immediately. I gasped and cried out.
Bryce staggered to his feet, and then appeared next to me in an instant. I reached out to him, but before I could touch him, Re’Vel leapt at Bryce, snatching him by the throat and throwing him across the pavilion. He fell against a picnic bench, and the sound made a sickening crack that made me cry out.
The Demon placed his hand in front of him and blinding white light sizzled between him and the two Alexanders. The white light spread outward, creating a shield.
“This has all been very amusing,” the Demon said, “but I’ve become tired of playing games with you. Rachel, come,” he said, turning to face her.
I watched in horror as Rachel’s expression changed from fear to one of dreamy content. She seemed spellbound, enchanted. She moved toward Re’Vel, her motions fluid. I snatched her arm, trying to hold her back, determined to protect her. She tried to pull away, but I held her in place.
The Demon’s eyes settled on me and I froze. He surveyed me calmly, then leapt toward me, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me against him before I could resist. One hand wrapped around my throat and before I knew what was happening, his hand was squeezing my windpipe and I could hardly breathe.
“Stay back,” the Demon hissed over his shoulder. Bryce had penetrated the barrier and stood just a few feet away. “If you choose to interfere, I’ll kill her. I can sever the ties that bind in an instant. Better keep your brother in check, because if he takes another step, you’ll have to find a new little human to hear your Claiming Words.”
“Please,” Bryce begged, his eyes pleading. “Don’t hurt her.”
Re’Vel released me and I staggered away from him, gasping for air. The Demon shot me an icy stare. “Stay there, human, or you’ll have to explain to Abe why he must bury his remaining sons.”
Re’Vel gestured for Rachel to come to him and she walked into his embrace without hesitation. Jace hurtled toward Re’Vel, but was flung backwards the moment he came within a foot of the Demon. Jace cried out in pain and the dreamy confusion on Rachel’s face faded. Her gaze sought out Jace, and when she saw him on the ground, bleeding from a gash on his forehead, her expression hardened.
“Shall we leave, my love?” Re’Vel asked.
For a moment, Rachel seemed to waver. Torn between confusion and anger, she seemed to fight against Re’Vel’s compulsion. And then, in a move that would’ve made Abe proud, she elbowed the Demon in the ribcage, spun around, kicked him swiftly in the stomach, and raced to Jace’s side.
Rachel had made her choice and the Demon’s rage could not be contained. As Re’Vel sped toward Jace and Rachel, Bryce leapt between them, protecting his brother. He faced the Demon, and though Bryce was intimidating and powerful, I feared his magical abilities wouldn’t be enough to defeat Re’Vel.
Without thinking, I picked up one of the huge chunks of concrete that had fallen during the battle. I crept up behind Re’Vel.
Bryce’s eyes went wide when he realized what I was going to do. Re’Vel must have noticed Bryce’s brief distraction, because he turned around at the very second I hurled the concrete chunk. It hit him in the chest, temporarily stunning him. Bryce hooked his arm around the Demon’s neck and squeezed, choking him. Suddenly, Bryce cried out and released the Demon as if he’d been burned. The skin on his arm blistered and smoldered. Re’Vel shot past Bryce, grabbed Rachel, and held her with her back against his chest. Extracting a dagger from a sheath at his ankle, he held the tip to her neck.
I prayed help would arrive before it was too late. For all of us.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rachel
Re’Vel’s grip around my waist was unyielding. The flash of a blade glinted in the sunlight and then a stabbing pain erupted at the base of my throat.
“Don’t struggle, my love,” Re’Vel whispered in my ear. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just need a small blood offering to bind us together, to reinforce my claim.”
“You have no claim, Demon.” Abe’s cold, lethal voice came from right behind us. Re’Vel turned to face him, still holding my body against his. “Release her and we’ll spare your life.” To my surprise, Abe laughed. “What’s the matter, Re’Vel? Are you too weak to Transport with her?”
“The weakest Demon is stronger by far than the mightiest Warrior, old man. Your bones will be centuries in the ground while I’m still walking this Earth.”
“Release her, Re’Vel. You don’t want to hurt her,” Abe said.
“I would never hurt Rachel,” Re’Vel countered.
“You already have,” Abe replied. “Let her go. You’re surrounded and there are Warriors on their way.”
“Do you think I’m afraid of a few Spellbringers?” Re’Vel laughed. “I could have killed your boys in an instant, but I kept them alive because Rachel seems to have formed an attachment to your family. Next time, your boys won’t be so lucky.”
“Don’t threaten my family, Demon.”
Two Warriors—Craig and Quinn, the same Warriors from the night of the Hunter attack—Transported and stood near Abe. They held daggers in each hand and glared at the Demon.
The blade pressed more tightly against my throat and I felt a trickle of wetness slide down my neck. Re’Vel removed the blade and caressed my throat. “I’ll be back for you, my love. Next time, you’ll come willingly. And if you don’t? I’ll have what I need to take you by force.”
I slumped to the ground. For just a fraction of a second, I wondered what had happened.
“He’s gone,” a voice shouted.
Lifting my hand to my neck, I probed at the wound on my throat and was shocked by the intensity of the pain.
“Rachel, are you okay?” Abe asked, rushing toward me. “Craig, Quinn, secure the area. Make sure there were no witnesses, and make certain Re’Vel is really gone. Put up some security shields. Bryce, Jace, Alisa, are you okay?”
One by one, my friends reassured Abe they were relatively unhurt. Two more Warriors arrived and Abe snapped out commands while he inspected my wound. I waited for him to heal it, but he didn’t. Jace crouched down next to his father. He held my hand and inspected me for other injuries, but I was more worried about him than I was for my own wellbeing. I’d suffered a cut, but Jace had been electrified, flung around the pavilion, and had crashed into concrete with enough force to break it. Bryce had suffered similar treatment, and poor Alisa had nearly been choked to death. All because of me. I felt like crying, but I held back. Crying would just draw more attention to me and that was the last thing I wanted.
“I’m fine, Abe. I promise. Please, make sure the others are okay. Besides this tiny little cut, I’m not hurt at all.”
“Rachel, that’s not a tiny cut,” Jace said, moving my hand up to his lips and kissing my palm.
Abe performed cursory inspections of our injuries, and then with a few final instructions for the Warriors, directed us to the parking lot. Alisa grabbed my phone from the ladies room while Bryce quickly gathered up our tennis equipment and water bottles. We finally returne
d to the steaming hot cars, eager to leave.
Back at Jace’s house, we were scrutinized by Jerica. Abe set up a triage, healing injuries one by one, while asking us for every single detail about the Demon attack. We took turns filling Abe and Jerica in. Jerica took notes and sometimes asked for clarification, presumably for the report she’d eventually file regarding the incident. I told Jerica and Abe about Re’Vel’s fury when he discovered he couldn’t Transport with me, and his accusations that my father worked for Nevare. At the mention of the blond demon’s name, Jerica’s eyes widened with fear.
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