by May Dawson
The vision was gone. In its place was nothing but the scene that had been there before: a man screaming, staked down to the grass with long spikes driven through his body, as the female demon dropped red mantle spiders onto his face.
That girl's terror seemed so real to me, and her brave fight against him, too. My heart pounded, wondering how the battle had played out for my murdered past incarnation.
"Go," Nimshi said softly, through cracked lips.
"I'll come back for you," I promised, and Samael smiled triumphantly.
"We'll see if those brothers of yours will even let the girl risk herself for you," Samael said to Nimshi.
He shook his head. "They won't."
"I'm not going to give them the choice." I promised Nimshi.
"Ellis. Tell them." Nimshi's voice was urgent.
Something cold and metal brushed against the back of my hand.
I jerked away, startled, and turned to find my sister standing beside me. She wore the same silk dress she'd worn the night she died, and her hair was piled on top of her head, but she looked like a warrior with black tattoos written across her arms and a sword in either hand.
"It's for you," she stage-whispered.
I wrapped my hand around the hilt, feeling the weight drop into my hand when she let go. "Thanks."
This was not the same sister I had left behind in the hospital bed at the house, but I was glad to have her here, anyway.
"I thought I wasn't really here," I said, perplexed at the weight in my hand.
"You aren't. Not enough of you to kill, anyway." She smiled at Samael when she said that. "Or he would have already have attacked, wouldn't he? He's not a very sporting type."
"It's true," Samael said. "Ellis is safe in her bed. She's more there than here. But what about you, Ashley Landon? Do you want to gamble on which side of the divide holds more of your soul?"
"Now that you mention it." Ash smiled the bright smile I'd loved so much, that I hadn't seen for a year. "I sure do."
She raised her sword into a battle pose.
The torture garden around us faded and disappeared. All except for Nimshi behind us, strung up and frantic. He was screaming at me to run, but all was deeply silent, an eerie vacuum of sound. I could see his mouth twist but couldn't hear what he said.
The tortured had disappeared. But the torturers were still here: Samael, the female demon, a host of others scattered across the field. All of their eyes were on us.
"Fight with me," Ash said. Her voice was the one thing I could hear.
"To save Nimshi," I said.
"Sure," she said brightly.
The demons ran at us, a roar going up that reminded me of the steady roar of a forest fire.
I took a step back, my shoulder bumping into my sister's, and we closed together, back-to-back, ready to fight our demons.
Chapter 12
The first demon reached me. I felt the world slow down around me. My vision faded at the edges as I saw him, an angel's face with eyes that were all pupil, as black as night, eerie and terrifying. He carried a foot-long spike in each hand, as if he'd picked up two of his instruments of torture to fight me, and he whirled to throw the spike at me, cocking back his arm.
I drove my sword into his chest. The blade vibrated in my hands as it struck his ribs and then it slid through. He tried to throw the spike with his dying breath, but it fell from his fingers.
I looked beyond him and saw more demons pouring out of the woods toward us. Where the hell had they come from?
"I have to get to Nimshi!" I said. I turned, slamming my blade into the stomach of the girl-demon I'd seen earlier, who had been coming at me with a wicked smile and an equally wicked blade. I kicked her off my sword, desperate to get to Nim.
Samael waved at me. There were dozens of demons between us and him, and Samael must have been a hundred feet away now. Yet somehow I could see him clearly as he winked at me, a smug smile written across that beautiful face. I could see Nim with him, still strung up.
"You can't get to them," Ash told me. Her words were quick, her breath coming fast as she ducked and parried. "Samael's magic. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."
"A mirror? Is he not really here?"
"You're not really here," Ash reminded me. She dragged her blade across the chest of a demon as she turned, and her eyes almost met mine before they flickered behind me. Ash jumped forward, twisted in mid-air to drive her sword through the body of the demon coming toward me.
"There's too many," I said to her.
There was a fine mist of demon blood splattered across her face, like freckles.
"Discretion is the better part of valor," she admitted. "I'll make a path. You watch our backs."
Ash turned and ran through the crowd, cutting down any demon who dared get in her way. I ran after her, cutting down the demon who tried to drive a knife into her side as she went past.
Ash whistled, a long, low pitch that climbed dramatically at the end.
Suddenly the air above us seemed to swarm with wraiths. Their giant wings beat the languid air, and the scent of their rotting bodies seemed to choke me. Some of the wraiths dived at the demons.
Ellis grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the woods behind her. It was dark in here, the sun falling in ever-shifting patterns through the black leaves overheard. The two of us ran through the lifeless forest.
"I sure could use some of Samael's magic," she said. "We've got to walk everywhere."
"What do you mean about his magic? Tell me everything. I need to understand."
"I will," she said. "I'll try."
I stopped suddenly, looking up at the trees. Which all seemed like the same tree, with the same lacy intertwining limbs and clusters of black leaves, repeated endlessly.
"Is this even real?" I asked.
"No," she said. "And yes. We're really talking. I can't tell if this is happening somewhere in the Far, or if I'm in your dream. The Far is a weird place."
"No kidding. I need some answers, Ash."
She glanced back over her shoulder meaningfully. "Do you need them more than you need to not see me torn apart by a demon horde? Let's get back to neutral territory."
I ran with her, but that had created a far more pressing question for me. "Wait. Do you mean I popped out on the Hell side of the Far? Not the Heaven side? Not even maybe just neutral?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're one of the good guys, Ellis. Don't worry."
"I know," I said. "Just like you."
There was a flash of something in her face that I couldn't quite read, and then it was gone.
"So what happened with the Council?" she asked. "You have questions. I have questions! You start stories and never come back and finish them."
I glanced at her sharply, thinking of my sister’s fingers tightening in my hand when I brought up Nimshi. "You mean..."
"I mean despite what you always used to say, I do listen to you."
While my mind raced with the implications of all the one-sided discussions we’d had already, I tried to fill in the gaps for her. "Uh, the Council is making my boys fight Olivia's brothers. It's their idea of mediation. I always thought communication was the key to mediation, but I guess that's why I'm not a real Hunter yet."
"I can't wait to meet your boys," she said. "I've only heard their voices. Is Ryker still being annoying?"
I shook my head.
"What?" she demanded. "You had those arguments with me right there. So much drama, Ellis."
"Yeah, well, be thankful we left the room before we made up."
She crinkled her nose at me. "You're a shameless hussy."
"And you're jealous." I teased.
It was her turn to shake her head. But as much as she might deny it, her next question was, "Are they as sexy as they sound?"
"Sexier."
"Who's your favorite? Which one do you think you're going to end up with?"
I pulled a face.
"What?" she asked, laughter
in her voice. "You can't choose? Can I pick one then?"
"They're all mine," I said, and I'd meant to tease back, but I said it flatly. "Speaking of. I need to save the one Samael was torturing. Nim."
"I'll see what I can find out," she promised. "I think I can help you get into the Far. Just come talk to me."
"I always felt so lonely when I talked to you over on... that side." I admitted. I was reluctant to wake up from my dream now; it felt like it would be lonely to leave my sister behind. I couldn't imagine her here in this world without anyone. "I have so many questions."
"I know," she said. "We'll get to safety, and we'll figure everything out." She pointed ahead to the break in the forest, and the sandy road beyond that stretched between Heaven and Hell.
“Shouldn’t we stick to the shadows?” I asked.
She shook her head. “The shadows are for demons. They stay off the roads. The roads are for travelers.”
“Travelers?” But even as I said it, movement caught my eye. I jumped at the sight of distant figures, down the road. Two men with bowed heads, shuffling down the road.
“They’re just passing through.” Ash squinted at them. “Might want to let them know they’re headed the wrong way. But hey, whatever they want.”
I still felt tense as we walked forward, toward the two people whose path would intersect ours.
The two men walked past us without even seeing us, it seemed, their eyes fixed on the road.
Ash whistled as we joined them on the road. “You might want to… you know.” She spun her finger in the air, miming turning-around.
They kept their eyes on the road, moving forward like zombies.
“Wonder what they did,” she said. “Ah well. They seem to be on a mission. Let’s leave them to it.”
“This place is creepy,” I said.
“Home is creepy too!” Ash promised me. “This place comes to grow on you. At least it’s all upfront. Wraiths to kill. Evil humans walk in one direction, good ones walk another. Home’s a mess.”
In the trees to our right, I caught a flash of gold. I took a step toward it, shielding my eyes with my hand. What the hell was that?
I opened my mouth to ask Ash if she had seen it too.
I tripped forward into nothingness.
Chapter 13
I woke from my dream with a start. Levi's hard forearm was braced across my lower back, holding me tight to his chest, but my heart was hammering like mad. It felt like I'd been yanked bodily out of my dreams. But I couldn't imagine what had woken me so roughly. Around me, the boys were asleep, breathing softly. Jacob slept on his side, one muscular arm tucked underneath his handsome face. Ryker slept on his back, like usual; his arm was flung out to one side, his curled fingers resting against my thigh.
I gripped Levi's jaw in my hand.
"Wake up," I whispered urgently. I kissed his cheek, and he came to life. His arm tightened around my waist. Deep blue eyes met mine.
"What is it?" Levi asked.
"I had a dream," I said. "A dream or maybe a vision."
"Let's wake the others," Levi said. I nodded and he rolled up, easily even with me in his arms. He elbowed Ryker on the way and then kicked Jacob's shin lightly. "Wake up, guys. Ellis had another vision."
Jacob sat up fast, his eyes wide and scared for a second, then giving way to his usual cool smug expression. I wondered what Jacob dreamt about. Ryker sat up his elbow, rubbing his eyes.
"My sister has a way for me to come into the Far, she said. We might have a way to rescue Nimshi," I said.
"She wants you to come into the Far?" Levi asked.
"Samael does. He says he'll give back Nimshi." I cocked my head to one side. "I thought we could only save Nim from Hell. But Samael spoke like he could come back to life."
"That's crazy," Ryker said. "Demons can't give life. They can't even heal anyone."
"I know," I said quickly. I wished we could bring Nim back, but I knew the reasonable thing to hope for was just to make sure his soul was safe in the Far. But still. "It's just strange."
"And your sister thought that was a good idea?" Levi's eyes were intent on mine.
"She seems to be a little more excited about a good fight than anyone should ever be," I said. I gently untangled myself from Levi, since my thoughts were racing. "Crazy like you guys."
Ryker nodded, those green eyes full of worry. He parted his lips, and I knew I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say next.
I had promised myself—and them—that I wouldn’t keep any secrets though. I took a deep breath and held up my hand, cutting Ryker off. I had to blurt this out before it became too hard. It felt like once I admitted there might be something off about Ash, those words would crystallize and become true. Until I said it, it might just be my imagination.
“I think Ash can control the wraiths. And it makes me wonder, when we all went into the Far the other day—”
The boys fell.
They fell like rag dolls, slumping back onto the bed. I screamed. “Ryker? Jacob? Levi?”
I was alone, in eerie silence. It felt like a punishment for doubting my sister… or maybe revenge. My heart pounded in my ears, my vision narrowing as painful adrenaline pumped through my body. Think, Ellis.
Ryker had fallen backward on the bed. My fingers shook as I pressed my fingers against his throat. I found the steady beat of his pulse. Not dead, at least. What the hell had just happened? "Wake up. You guys. Please. Wake up."
I started to reach for Jacob, who had fallen awkwardly, to roll him over and check his pulse. And then I stopped with my hand on his broad shoulder. If Ryker was breathing, hopefully they all were. But whatever had happened might very well be another attack, like the one on the road.
I ran for Levi's closet. I'd always thought it was strange that he stashed an arsenal of weapons alongside his handful of button-downs and his motorcycle boots, but at least it was quick for me to load a 9mm, buckle the holster over my shorts, grab two extra magazines and pick up a sword.
I wasn't sure if I should stand guard over them or go out in the house and try to figure out what the hell was going on. But Olivia was sleeping down the hall, and my mom was downstairs with Ash. What they in danger too?
I listened at the door, and then realized I could barely hear over the frantic hammering of my heart, which just made me feel more panicked. I shook my head—no time for fear—and stepped out into the hall. It was shadowed and empty.
I turned back to touch the door. Jacob had sealed me into Ryker's room with a spell, and he locked the door to his own room that way. He'd raised an eyebrow when I asked him to teach the spell. "You want to find my journal, don't you, Princess?" "Um, yeah. Obviously?" But he'd taught me anyway, and now I rested my hand on the cool wood where the door met the door frame and muttered, "Claude ostium, sequaces hoc magis si clausum."
Sometimes, being nosy pays off.
I turned and sprinted down the hall.
Mom stepped out into the hall from the stairs, her eyes wide. "I thought I heard a thump."
"It was the guys," I said. "They passed out. Something is going on."
Something supernatural was going on.
I went down the hall to Olivia's room. She didn't answer when I knocked on the door, and the second I knocked, I realized it was stupid. We might be under attack. Privacy didn't matter. I turned the knob and charged into the room.
Olivia was asleep. I crossed to her bed and shook her, calling her name, but she didn't wake.
God damn it. I had to at least get her to the same place as the boys so I could try to protect them all. Why the hell was Olivia affected by whatever this was and I wasn't?
I grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her over my shoulders. The boys made the fireman's carry look easy, but when I dragged her over my shoulders, my knees buckled. It felt like she was going to slip off. I threw the sword on the bed just long enough to wrestle with her limp body, wrapping one arm around one of her legs and letting the other dangle
over my shoulder, and then grabbed my sword's hilt again. My mother stood in the doorway. "It's clear," she whispered, looking down the hall.
"And you say I watched too many action movies," I muttered as I moved back out into the hall. "Levi's room. The guys are all in there."
My mother's eyes made a visible movement in the direction of the Heavens, but she headed down the hall in front of me. She tried to open the door, throwing her shoulder into it at the same time as she turned the knob, but it didn't budge.
"Reserare," I said, over her shoulder. She started to turn the knob, glancing back at me with surprise written over her face.
A shadowy figure stepped into the hall, carrying a sword in one hand.
I shoved my mom forward into the room and stepped in behind her, ducking low before I let Olivia fall off my shoulders. I didn't have time to let her down carefully.
"Take care of them," I told Mom. "Weapons are in the closet. Armor up in case he gets through me."
I slammed the door shut between us and turned to face the enemy.
Whoever it was lurked in the shadows. I could barely make out their silhouette; if I hadn't caught their movement from the corner of my eye, I could have missed them. They could have snuck up on me while I was trying to take care of Olivia and the boys.
"You should've kept sleeping." The voice was low, husky, familiar.
But I couldn't place it.
The figure twisted to one side, telegraphing intent even before raising their arm. The glint of a gun shone out of the shadows.
I slammed my back against the wall, making myself as small a target as possible. I was already drawing my gun. I still had my sword in my other hand and so the 9mm bucked in my hand wildly as I squeezed off two quick shots in their general direction, to keep them from aiming in. The gun roared deafeningly in such tight places, and my ears hummed.
"Come on," they said. "Show us one of your fireballs, Ellie. Burn the house down."
They fired back at me. I pressed myself against the wall, my heart pounding in my chest, and then leaned out to return fire. Just to get them to take cover themselves as I ran down the hall. I had to close the distance between us.