I tried to will the boards above me to open, but the demon’s magic was too powerful. I wondered if it was because I was underground, and he was above-ground. Was this yet another aspect of my magic that I had yet to find out? When I was buried alive in that other life, whenever that was, a small child had yanked off my necklace, which was why I was vulnerable. I had my necklace now – why wasn’t it helping me?
It was then that I heard it. A man’s voice chanting above me. Not Asmodeus, but, rather, it was a man who was shouting above the din of what seemed like a thousand villagers who were all yelling and hollering about burying the witch. I had never heard this man’s voice before, at least not in this lifetime. He had the sound of a revival preacher – a Southern accent, a deep and sonorous voice that carried in the wind. It carried, even though the mob was shouting excitedly, as mobs often do.
“Ah, ye, remember this. When this witch is below the ground, the evil witch shalt never be able to practice her communion with thee devil. Her witchcraft shalt not take effect.” He paused for a matter of seconds. “I shalt salt this ground that covers this witch so that the devil may never be able to assist her again.”
Oh, god. That preacher cursed me somehow. Of course he was able to curse me. I didn’t have my necklace on. If I had it on, he wouldn’t have been able to curse me. And maybe he wasn’t a preacher at all. Maybe he was actually one of Them. One of the Fallen. This was apparently before the days of the treaty between the Ars Goetia and the Maleficus. It was during the period of time when demons were able to curse witches at will, and witches were able to do the same against demons.
Somehow, someway, my whole history was coming back to me, bit by bit. Piece by piece. I had no idea why this was – maybe it was the desperate situation, perhaps it was just that I had that sword, maybe it was because a few days had passed since I found out my true heritage, so I somehow was able to access memories that were locked in a vault – but I really was remembering things that had happened to me in the past.
I despaired. I was buried underground, my necklace wasn’t helping me, nor would it. I was cursed. Asmodeus threw me down here in this hole, James Woodson’s body was in that apartment, lifeless, and I was possibly going to die. If I died, and came back, I’d probably come back too late to save James. His body would be in rigor mortis by then, and that would be that.
Stupid Lyra. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What the hell was I thinking, coming here, trying to fight this demon on my own? Like I was this big badass just because I had a stupid sword and necklace, both of which were useless if I somehow got buried alive?
The air pocket was rapidly running out, and I knew that I had minutes of air left. Maybe seconds.
I closed my eyes and waited for death.
I’m sorry, James. I’m so sorry.
Hale
The pack of wolves ran stealthily down the street, which was as deserted as a street in Manhattan could ever be. It was the early morning, before 5 AM, and they ran down the streets as they often do – going down alley-ways, and across lawns. As they ran, they emitted a scent that caused the people who saw them to see them as nothing but a pack of stray dogs. In fact, the people who saw them saw a pack of stray Pomeranians, so there was no fear. There was occasionally a person who would call animal control to try to pick them up, but the wolves were way too fast and powerful, and they would always outrun any man in a van who wanted to get them.
While they ran, the communicated with one another through their thoughts.
I can’t believe that stupid girl did this. This was the thought of Fred, whose Native name was Ahote, which means “restless one.” This suited Ahote, for he was the smallest of the pack, and also the most energetic. Just 19, he had the kind of enthusiasm for the pack and for the Blue’s Angels that annoyed Catori, who was the undisputed leader and the alpha male.
You call her stupid, I call her brave. Hale, who greatly admired Lyra, and always had, was quick to defend her. He knew that Lyra had a good heart, even if she did behave in a rash manner most of the time. With some time, patience, and a great deal of training, she was going to become a great warrior. At the moment, though, she was bound to make a lot of mistakes. As new warrior goddesses often did.
Everyone stop analyzing this situation and let’s keep moving. There is literally no time to spare. These were the thoughts of Catori, who was always the wise one and always the one who would keep everyone in line. Catori was one of the few members of the pack who went by his Native name, as he was the only one who was raised by Native parents. Every other member of the pack were raised by adoptive white parents who gave them white names, including Hale. Hale was slightly different from Matthew, David, Robert and Michael, whose Native names were Askook, Makya, Hakan and Unaduti, respectively, in that Hale didn’t know his Native name. He had been abandoned in front of a church, with no birth certificate, so nobody actually knew what his name had been. All the others were adopted with their birth certificate, and their names were changed so that they would fit in with society.
The pack knew what was happening. Lyra had sent out messages to the pack, albeit unconsciously, when she arrived in James’ apartment. Then the messages just stopped, and the pack knew that was not a good sign. It could mean that Lyra was dead. Or it could mean that she was unconscious. Whatever was happening, she needed their help, and they were going to come to her aid.
They didn’t have time to grab Sybil and Maddy for this, and perhaps that was just as well. Peter had explained that Lyra had freaked out on the roof because she saw a vision of the future, and saw that Sybil would have been killed in the altercation with the demons on the roof. With that knowledge, Hale had decided that he couldn’t risk the two girls, especially Maddy. If Maddy was killed, then Hale’s heart would be ripped out. He would never be the same. So, it was decided that the three girls wouldn’t work together until Peter had the chance to train all of them to work as a unit. That way, there would be much less risk to the lives of any of the three girls in their demon battles in the future.
Hale’s lungs were burning, because they had to run, at top speed, all the way from their respective apartments in Brooklyn, across the bridge and into the Village. This was a long way, and they didn’t have a moment to spare. They were fast, extremely fast, faster than any car, especially when they had to be. But that didn’t mean that the pack didn’t become exhausted, because they did. Yet, they pressed on.
Hale tried to tune into Lyra’s vibrations, tried to figure out where she was and why she was so quiet, but he couldn’t. He knew that she was in trouble, and he prayed that he would find her still alive. She could die and come back, of course, but who knew when she could come back? And who knew how much she would suffer?
Remember, we get into that apartment and we attack. No holding back. We need to have the element of surprise, or else we’re all dead. This was Catori’s thoughts. He was nervous, because he knew, as did everyone else, that this was a particularly powerful demon. They probably couldn’t kill him – Lyra still had to do that, as she was the only one who had the sword and the power to do so – but they could surround him, wound him, and let Lyra finish him off.
They finally arrived at the apartment, and they all scaled the wall. Paw over paw, they stealthily crawled up the side of the building and arrived to where James’ apartment was. Catori peered in the window and saw that the demon was standing in the middle of the floor, and was pacing back and forth. To the side was the body of James Woodson, and the demon had apparently shed his host body and was in his native form. Huge and green and bald. Not to mention ugly. Very ugly.
Catori ordered the pack to stand down. Once we’re all surrounding the window, I’ll break it and leap on him. Everybody follow me. Hale, you find out where Lyra went, because she doesn’t seem to be in there.
There were seven members of the pack, all of them enormous, all of them vicious, all of them expert hunters. In their human form, they were a part of the Blue’s Angels, the most feared motorc
ycle gang in New York City. Strip clubs and sex clubs used them for protection, which they provided for a hefty price. They were all trained in MMA fighting, and most of them participated in, and often won, underground matches. In other words, in their human forms and their animal forms, they were all bad-ass mother-fuckers.
As well they needed to be, because this was one bad-ass demon.
The pack had all surrounded the window, where they needed to be, and Catori counted down. “3-2-1.” At that, he head-butted the window, shattering the glass. Asmodeus turned around, but he didn’t have time to react, as the pack was on him. They were all teeth, and jaws, and claws. Because they surprised Asmodeus, he was easily toppled, and the pack tore him apart. He started to scream, as Hale whimpered and sniffed around the room.
He picked up Lyra’s scent, underneath the floor board. With a whine and a loud bark, he pawed the floor ineffectually. Hale knew that, as a wolf, there was no way he would be able to get Lyra out of the floor, so he rapidly changed back into his human form, and went into the kitchen, where he found a butcher knife.
Be careful, he thought to himself. Chop up the floor two feet away from where she is, and tear it out. He could feel his adrenaline racing as he rapidly chopped up the floor and his huge hands desperately tore out enough of the floor to reveal Lyra laying there. Her eyes were closed, and her fingers were on her necklace.
Hale performed CPR on her and gave her mouth to mouth, and, to his relief, she coughed and then looked at him with glassy eyes. “Oh, shit,” she said. “Hale.” She looked over the melee that was occurring with the demon, who was finding his footing and was ready to counterpunch the pack, who was still tearing and attacking him.
“Lyra, you have to stab him. Stab him now with your sword.”
Lyra looked at Hale with bleary eyes and shook her head. “Hale, I…”
Then she seemed to finally come to and realize what was going on. She looked at James’ lifeless body and seemed to remember what had happened. She looked at the sword that was in her hand, and, even though she was shaking, she walked over to the demon and raised her hands above her head, her sword in her hand.
But before she did it, the demon got his second wind, and he dug a powerful talon straight into Catori’s chest. He yelped loudly and rolled off Asmodeus. Then, in one fell swoop, Lyra plunged the sword right into the chest of Asmodeus. The demon howled, a howl that could be heard in all the pits of the Infernum. He turned into a huge cloud of black smoke, and the body that housed the demon was a shell. The smoke dissipated and the body decomposed and eventually disappeared.
All of the wolves turned back into their human forms and they surrounded their fallen leader. “Catori,” Hale said desperately, getting down onto the floor and raising Catori’s head so that it was on his lap. “Speak to me.”
Catori simply raised his hand and stroked the cheek of Hale. “You,” he said softly and haltingly. “You, Hale, you are the leader now.” He smiled as he clutched his hand to his chest. “Make….Maddy….” Catori’s breathing got heavier and heavier, and then he closed his eyes forever.
Everybody in the pack stood there, around Catori, bowing their heads. They said a prayer to their Supreme Creator, as Lyra stood behind them, tears in her eyes.
Catori was dead, and so was James Woodson. Hopefully, James Woodson would be saved, but Catori never would be.
Hale was now the leader of the Animosh tribe and the Blue’s Angels. Not that he ever wanted this, but it was what it was. It was all he could do to hold back the tears. Catori was his big brother. Not by blood, but by bond. Cat was the one who had brought him into the fold, when he was an angry young Native American who was confused about what was happening to him when he started to shift. His adoptive parents were no help, because they didn’t realize that Hale was a Lycan. They couldn’t have possibly known, considering Hale was abandoned as a baby, so, when he realized that he was a Lycan, he was terrified and alone. Catori had taken him in, showed him that he wasn’t a freak, showed him how special his gift was. How he could use his gift to his benefit. How it really was a gift and not a curse.
Now he was gone, and Hale felt lost.
He stood up and put his arm around Lyra, who looked devastated. “This is my fault,” she said. “I should have went with the original plan. If I did, this might not have ever happened. I’m so sorry.” She hung her hand, her fingers touching her necklace desperately. “Please forgive me, Hale. Please forgive me.”
Hale put his arms around her and stroked her hair. “There’s nothing to forgive. If you would have went with the original plan, Sybil was going to die. You had no good options. Please don’t blame yourself.”
She simply nodded her head. “I can’t think of this right now. I have to find James and bring him back. If I don’t do that soon, he’ll never be able to come back.”
At that, she touched her necklace, drew a circle around her with some chalk she had in her pocket, chanted some words in Latin, and promptly disappeared.
33
Catori is dead and it’s all my fault. That was all that I could think as I rushed through the tunnel, on the way to the Gloaming. James was going to be thrilled, of course, so there was that. But I couldn’t get Catori’s lifeless body out of my head. Why was I so stubborn? Always wanting things my way? Why couldn’t I just follow the original plan on the roof and see what would happen?
I knew the answer to that question, of course. Sybil would have died if I went through with that plan. Still, when I decided to get that demon the second time, I shouldn’t have gone in alone. I should have summoned Peter.
No, not Peter. He was a half-demon. He kept that from me. He couldn’t be trusted. Perhaps he set up that last scenario, to bait me. Maybe he was in cahoots with the other demons, the real demons. Whatever was going on with him, I wanted nothing to do with him.
I sighed, realizing that Hale was right. There were no good options for me. Either go with the original plan and see Sybil die. Or do my own plan and Catori dies. Why somebody had to die in either scenario, I couldn’t understand. Maybe that was just how it was. How it would always be.
I found James, who was huddled on the couch, sleeping. His mop of blonde hair rioted around his head and his face looked like that of an angel. “James,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. “Wake up. You’re going home.”
He lifted his head and looked at me with bleary eyes. “Lyra. You’re coming for me? To take me back?”
“Yes. Now, understand, you’re faced with a murder charge. Just one, though, thank god. In another few minutes, you would have killed again. Not you, of course, but that damned demon who possessed you. But he’s gone and you can come back.” I should have been happier to be getting this poor kid out of here, at long last, but I couldn’t shake my grief over Catori.
He stood up and put his arms around me. He was sobbing into my shoulder as I patted his back. “Shhhh,” I said to him. “It’s okay, kid. You’re going to be okay. We don’t have time to spare, though. We kinda made a lot of racket last night, and, trust me, we don’t want the cops to be called. If they are, and they see your dead body, well, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do. Trust me, I’ve been there. It’s not fun to wake up in a body bag. It freaks people out.”
He started to laugh then. “Thank you for coming for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
I finally started to come around to the fact that it was all worth it. I hated to sacrifice Catori – thank god it wasn’t Hale who died – but getting this poor kid out of this place made everything worth it.
“My mom, is she okay? Did you check on her?”
I suddenly felt extremely guilty. I promised him I would check on his mom. Granted, I didn’t have a single second to spare in which to check on her, but a promise was a promise, and I felt that I let him down. “No, I’m so sorry. But you’ll get your chance to talk to her soon.”
James looked disappointed, but then he smiled. “You’re right, I can’t wait to see he
r and everyone. Thank god you made it. I thought that I was going to be stuck down here forever.”
I took James’ hand, and the two of us zoomed through the tunnel. In no time, we were back in James’ apartment, and he went back into his body. He opened his eyes, and looked disoriented. I wondered if it would be like it was with Olive – he really wouldn’t remember his ordeal.
It didn’t take two minutes to find out that was the case. “Hey,” he said, looking around the room. “I feel weird. Really weird.” He touched his arm, as if he was amazed that he was able to actually grip flesh. He looked at me with a strange expression on his face. “I know you,” he said. “But I don’t know where from. Are you dating my buddy Daniel?” He put his hand to his chin. “Or…”
I went over to him and put my hand on his shoulder. How was I going to explain what was going on? That he was facing a murder charge?
He looked down at his ankle. “What the?” he asked, looking at me. “What’s going on? Why do I have his ankle monitor on me?”
I sighed. “It’s a long story.”
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Lyra's Magic: Witches of Manhattan Book One Page 24