by G. K. DeRosa
The little boy, Milos, tugged at my hand. “Are you the one that’s going to save us?”
My throat tightened, emotion clogging the passage of air. “I’m going to try,” I rasped out.
His mother grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back behind her. “Come on, children, let’s leave them to catch up.”
“You can stay,” I quickly countered. These were the first humans I’d encountered “in the wild”, as it were, for some time. I had lots of questions.
Stavros’ dark brows knitted together. “Maybe some other time.” He turned and ushered his family back down the corridor. The shuffle of footsteps was followed by the sharp slam of a door.
I glanced up at Trinity, confusion scrunching my brow. Had I done something wrong?
“They’ve been through a lot, Liv. Don’t take it personally.” She sat beside me on the couch. “It took days for them to even speak to me. They’ve come a long way.”
I took my friend’s hand and squeezed. “You did the right thing saving them back there.”
She smiled. “I could’ve never done it without you and Declan. So tell me, what’s happened?”
Chapter 8
“You’re out of your mind, Liv.”
Okay so that wasn’t exactly the response I’d hoped for when I told Trinity my plan about the daggers. I held the onyx blade in my hand, relieved it had survived along with the Book of Salvation, her and the others.
“I can’t think of any other way. Can you?” I fixed my steeliest gaze on my friend as she chewed her lip probably contemplating my sanity.
“What about the shield?”
“I already told you; I can’t find the next clue. Either it’s buried in that tomb under St. Patrick’s or it’s simply refusing to reveal itself to me.” I slumped back on the couch. “We can’t let the renegades go into Arx without something to protect them.”
Jayse sat across from me, his hands clasped together. His gaze flickered back and forth between Trinity and me. He hadn’t said much since I started my story. Rex and Ace had retreated into the guest room for a nap. Apparently, they didn’t find my tale riveting enough to hear a second time.
“But you have no idea if Azazel will agree to any of this.” Trinity’s voice took on a pleading edge.
Was I crazy to drag my friend into this? Not having Declan to bounce ideas off made it more difficult. I’d gotten too reliant on him for plotting.
“You’re right, I don’t,” I finally said. “But I think I know him well enough now that I can figure out his motivations.” And if I was wrong, we were royally screwed.
Jayse scooted to the edge of his seat. “Maybe we should come with you.”
I shook my head adamantly. “No. You guys have to go north and find as many bodies as you can. We’re going to need people to wield the daggers.”
“Assuming you two don’t get yourselves captured by the king of the vampires first.”
I rolled my eyes. Maybe he had a point.
No.
I didn’t want to drag anyone else into this. I only hoped Asher would come through for me like he always had. “We’ll be fine, Jayse. Stealth is the key to this operation and no offense, but you and Hans and Franz kinda stick out.” They didn’t exactly have the blood-slave look going for them.
A small smile crept across his lips. Jayse was actually kind of cute when he wasn’t so stern and military-like. He pointed a big finger at me. “Don’t get killed or my dad will have my ass.”
“I promise.”
He rose, and I couldn’t help notice the way he looked at Trinity. And the way she responded to him. “I’ll go wake the guys up, and we’ll be on our way. I want to get as far north as we can before the sun goes down.”
“You guys be careful too. I need you to bring the daggers back to Jaxon and his team.” I may not have liked his brother very much, but he deserved a fighting chance. “And I would be kind of upset if you got yourselves killed.”
He smirked, and with a nod disappeared down the hallway.
Trinity placed her hand on my knee and squeezed. “How are you really doing?”
“Oh you know, just peachy.” I gave her a half-hearted smile. “Trying to save the world—no biggie.”
She narrowed her dark eyes. “I mean about Declan.”
Heat flushed my face, and I hoped the dim light hid the crimson that surely stained my cheeks. I redirected the embarrassment, channeling my anger. “I’m pissed. He left me without even saying goodbye. I mean, besides that stupid note. I thought we’d really made some progress…”
“He was only trying to protect you.”
“Yeah, yeah I know, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.” I cast my gaze down to a broken hangnail. I hated how much his leaving hurt. My lungs tightened at the mention of his name.
Trinity craned her head, forcing me to meet her eyes. “Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the ones you love.”
Another wave of heat surged up my neck. I opened my mouth, but Trinity cut me off before I could get a word out.
“Don’t even try to deny it. I spent a good amount of time with you guys, remember? The way he looks at you…” Her voice went up a notch and took on a dreamy tone. “I don’t think there’s anything he wouldn’t do for you.”
My lower lip quivered. God, I missed him. I blinked back the sharp stinging in my eyes.
Trinity’s chocolate irises sparkled. “And anyway, I can see the future, remember? You can’t keep anything secret from me.”
“Wh-what did you see? Did you have another vision about us?” I still hadn’t told her about the dream I’d had of Declan dying. I was scared she’d tell me it was my gift of foresight kicking in.
She winked and gave me a wry grin. “I think I’m going to keep this one to myself.”
Seriously? She wasn’t going to tell me what she saw? I punched her in the arm, a little harder than I’d intended.
“Ow!” she squealed. “Now I’m definitely not telling you.”
As annoyed as I was at her for not spilling, I tried to enjoy the light-hearted moment. There were so few and far between these days—especially without Declan. I wondered what he was doing right now. He’d be furious if he knew where I was.
A small part of me reveled in that fact. Stupid, overprotective, nephilim.
Chapter 9
A compact shimmering ball of light floated in Trinity’s palm. She pushed it outward and it collided with Sammarah’s car, bathing it in an electric glow.
“Wow,” I breathed. Someone had been practicing while we were gone.
She shrugged. “It’s been kind of boring just hanging out with the Christakos family. They don’t talk much.”
I got into the driver’s seat and started the engine, my jaw still slack as Trinity climbed in next to me. “Did you have this much power before?”
She shook her head. “When I was held by the vampires, it had almost depleted. Having your blood drained daily doesn’t do much for your magical mojo.” She paused, fiddling with her fingers. “But after meeting you and Declan and spending time with the book, I don’t know… something clicked.”
“Can you read the Book of Salvation?”
“Not really. But sometimes I get flashes. It’s hard to explain.”
I knew exactly what she meant. The same thing happened to me when the strange characters suddenly assembled into words I understood.
A comfortable silence filled the car for the remainder of the ride. My thoughts raced a mile a minute, only growing in intensity the closer we got to Manhattan. By the furrow of Trinity’s brow, I assumed she felt the same.
When we reached the rubble at the end of the tunnel into the city, I shifted the car into park and turned to her. “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be to go back to the place where I almost lost my soul.” She held up her finger and frowned. “And vowed I’d never set foot in again.”
A pang of guilt assaulted my insides. “You don’t have to come with me. You can wait here.”
She shook her head adamantly. “There’s no way I’m letting you go into the city alone.” She pushed the car door open and got out, scanning the dim tunnel. “Let’s get this over with.”
I moved beside her as she took out a pen from her purse and quickly scribbled a message. Then she placed the note on her palm and squeezed her eyes shut. Her lips moved rapidly, muttering in a language I didn’t understand.
I’d always thought magic was a bunch of mumbo jumbo—especially when Sammarah first told us about the divine bloodline and that the human who would wield it would have special gifts. But sitting here watching Trinity send a fire message to my vampire friend, I couldn’t deny what was right before my eyes.
The small piece of paper floated off her palm and vanished in a puff of smoke.
“Crazy…” I muttered. Why hadn’t Trinity been chosen to be the one? I was sure she’d have been much better at it than me. “How long till he gets it?”
“It should be instantaneous.” She leaned against the car and sighed. “Do you really think Asher will come?”
I nodded. There was no doubt in my mind. What I did doubt was whether he could deliver Azazel.
I stared at my watch, willing the minute hand to move faster. We had about eight hours to pull this off. I planned to be long gone when night fell in vamp city.
Sliding down the side of the car, I settled onto the charred asphalt. I fanned myself, tugging at my t-shirt. With the exit blocked with rubble, the tunnel was starting to feel like a sauna. I considered turning the A/C on in the car, but I didn’t want to drain the battery. I wasn’t sure how Trinity’s solar power worked, and I didn’t want to take advantage of her abilities.
“When did you first discover you had magical powers?”
She leaned her head back, pulling her long braids over her shoulder. “It was the summer after my eighth birthday. I remember it perfectly because we had this intense heat wave, and it was miserable in Brooklyn. My friends and I were running down the sweltering street and found a busted fire hydrant. I think it was the happiest moment of my young life.” She chuckled. “Anyway, my older brother, Theo, kept hogging the hydrant spray. I was so mad, I wished the water would jump over him and splash me instead. And then it suddenly did.”
“How did you do it?”
“I have no idea. I remember being so mad and focusing all the anger into the water. I felt a burst of energy spark at my birthmark and rush all the way out through my fingertips. The spray literally jumped up over him and soaked me.”
“That’s pretty amazing.” Why couldn’t I do stuff like that?
“Over time with my grandma’s help, I realized my powers were tied to the elements. She was like me. We could manipulate water, air, earth and fire—all my magic stems from that. But like I told you before, I never really practiced until recently. I’m hoping I’ll grow stronger.”
“So that you can set vampires on fire?”
She laughed. “Yeah that would be an extremely useful ability.”
“Why do you think I haven’t been able to decipher the next clue?” The failure was eating me up on the inside like a ravenous tapeworm. I couldn’t help but think that Sammarah had chosen the wrong person.
Trinity’s face grew serious, and she suddenly looked much older and wiser than her nineteen years. “Fate has set events in motion. We are not to question her timeline. Everything will happen when it’s supposed to.”
Her cryptic response reminded me of the stuff Sammarah used to say. “Well that was totally unhelpful,” I grumbled.
She gave me a smile and helped me to my feet. “I have faith in you, Liv. You should too.” She ticked her head toward the mountain of rocks and debris. “I think Asher’s here.”
I strained my ears and could just make out the grind of stone against stone. One of the larger boulders shook and then rolled down the mound. A hint of light seeped into the tunnel before a wide form blocked it out.
Asher crept through the opening, his big shoulders struggling to get through the small space. My heart did a little happy dance at the sight of my old friend.
“You came,” I rasped out, unexpected emotion clogging my throat.
“Of course I did.” He darted toward me and pulled me into his arms.
I scrunched my nose as I inhaled his sterile scent. He still didn’t smell like the old Asher, but I’d grown to appreciate the new version.
He pushed me out to arms’ length and pinned me with his crimson-rimmed emerald irises. “I told you never to come back to the city. What were you thinking?” He glanced around the car. “And where’s Declan?”
“There’s a lot we need to talk about.” I squeezed his hands and steered him toward the sedan. “And thank you for warning us about the vampire attack by the way. But couldn’t you have found a way of doing it without sentencing Crowder to Arx?”
He shrugged. “It was a calculated risk.”
I filled Asher in on the plan and held my breath as he mulled it over. His jaw ticked like he was chewing gum, an indulgence none of us had enjoyed in months.
“I don’t know, Liv,” he finally muttered, perched on the hood of Sammarah’s car. “Azazel can’t be trusted. Even Zeke has guys shadowing him at Grand Central.”
“Which is exactly why I think it’ll work.”
“Maybe…” He glanced over at Trinity. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
Her hand lifted to her neck and she curled her fingers around it protectively. “Me either,” she snarled.
Whoa. Had Asher fed from Trinity? How could she keep that from me?
The air suddenly thickened with tension. I couldn’t deal with whatever happened between them right now. I turned to Asher, tugging on his arm. “So can you get Azazel alone or not?”
“It’ll be tough to elude his guards, but I can probably manage it.” His brows furrowed. “I just don’t know if I should do it. Declan already killed me once; I don’t think I’d come back a second time.”
I narrowed my eyes at my old best friend. “Let me worry about Declan. Just get Azazel away from his stalkers and out of vamp Marriott, and I’ll deal with the rest.”
He shook his head and blew out a long breath. Asher had known me practically my whole life, which meant he knew exactly when I’d set my mind to something. There was no going back now.
Asher slid off the hood of the car, his jeans squeaking on the smooth surface. “Stay here until I come back for you. I don’t want you wandering around the city, even if it is somewhat light out.”
“It’s going to take longer this way.” I squeezed my arms against my chest. “We can meet you—name the place and time.”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “Nope. If I’m going along with your crazy scheme, we’re doing it my way. I’ll find Azazel, draw him out and come back for you to supervise the meet-up.”
That meant condemning Asher to a traitor’s fate. If Zeke found out what he’d done, he’d kill him for sure. I opened my mouth to argue, but Ash held up a hand cutting me off.
“No deal otherwise.”
I huffed. “Fine.” Before I could blink, Ash vamp-sped through the narrow passageway he’d created in the mountain of rubble. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard the grating sound of a boulder being rolled over the opening on the other side. That sneaky vampire was making sure we stayed put.
I glanced over at Trinity who was sitting on the ground with her knees tucked into her chest. I was dying to ask her what had happened between her and Asher, but the tightness of her jaw and hollow look in her eye stopped me.
I hopped back up on the hood and stared at my watch. Great, more waiting.
Chapter 10
We huddled under the massive shadow of Rockefeller Center in silence. Ash’s body was wound so tight I was afraid he’d shatter if I touched him. Instead, I focused my gaze on the balmy breeze blowing through the tattered flags that surrounded the old ice skating rink.
My chest tightened as a memory flit
ted through my mind. My first Christmas in New York City. Dad had taken me ice-skating. I closed my eyes, feeling the rush of icy wind on my face. We raced around the rink as mom snapped pictures at the railing with hundreds of other tourists. My cheeks burned from the cold and my fingers were numb, but it had been one of the happiest memories of my childhood.
Ash’s arm whipped across my chest, pushing me back and yanking me from the blissful scene of long ago. I leaned flush against the wall, attempting to make myself invisible. Trinity did the same, her face blanching. I’d been so wrapped up in my own thoughts, I hadn’t stopped to think what this would do to her. She never talked about her time in captivity, but I’d seen enough at vamp Marriott to get a glimpse of what she’d endured.
I was a bad friend.
Asher ticked his head up, focusing down 49th Street. I strained my eyes to follow his gaze. “Someone’s coming,” he whispered, sniffing the air.
A minute later a distant figure materialized, the dark shadows clinging to him as he passed the desolate buildings.
“It’s Azazel.” Ash stepped away from the wall and peered down the road.
The confirmation should’ve made me relax, but instead a horde of buzzing bees swarmed my insides. I swallowed hard, forcing my frayed nerves to chill out. Everything’s going to be fine. I repeated the mantra in my head until Declan’s shifty uncle neared.
Azazel’s mismatched eyes bored into mine, and a trickle of sweat ran down my back. How Sammarah could’ve ever loved this man was beyond me. Then again she’d also married Nathanael… I cringed at the thought.
“Liv, my dear, what an unexpected pleasure.” He extended his hand, and I forced myself to accept his gesture. He ticked his head at Trinity. “You, I don’t know.”
“Trinity,” she muttered, her dark eyes scanning him.
Cold, calloused fingers wrapped around mine, and I gritted my teeth to keep from grimacing. “Thank you for coming, Azazel.”
“What can I say? You piqued my interest.” He rubbed his hands together after releasing mine. “And please, call me uncle. We’re practically family.”