Altered Souls (Witch Avenue Series #2)

by Bolton, Karice

  Two of the creatures noticed the curtains move and immediately turned to face me through the glass. They let out nefarious shrieks into the dark sky as if signaling the world that a fight was about to take place. There was a large group of them. I had no idea how many my father sent, but I was ready, and I wanted to do this alone. I took a deep and steady breath, analyzing what set these creatures apart.

  Instead of staring into eyes that were recognizable, I was looking into cavernous holes that led to the creatures’ withering souls. There was no doubt that these malformed beings staring back at me had been called from the underworld. They were pieced together from dark sorcery. They were manmade. I could defeat them.

  Their clay-like flesh clung to a human silhouette without joints. Opening their gaping mouths in unison, I braced myself for the shrill round of wailing they wanted to shower on me. Their mouths, dark at first, revealed a fiery tunnel of destruction. I needed to end them before they unleashed what they were sent here for. My gut told me it wasn’t me who they were told to destroy.

  Sliding the spell book on the floor away from me, I was ready to send these messengers back. These weren’t Lonely Souls. They were one step beyond. There was no saving them.

  Taking a deep breath in, I looked directly into the horde knowing what I needed to do before they got to Logan. I yanked the curtain closed and stood back from the door. I needed to invite them in.

  “Aperto ostio,” I hollered.

  The door flung open with such force a gust of wind pushed me back. The spell worked!

  Instead of the creatures rushing toward me like I had prepared, they turned toward the hallway. They were here for Logan. I had to stop them.

  “Unguibus pugionibus,” I recited quickly.

  The mob of creatures froze and turned to stare at me.

  My fingertips burned as claws replaced my nails. This had to work. If they were a form of Golem, I could do this. I could end them.

  Unsure of their thinking capabilities, or attention span, I wiggled my finger at them, hoping I could distract them from their initial goal.

  “Tsk, tsk,” I uttered. “Your master would be disappointed.”

  One of the creatures quirked its head to the side and opened its mouth.

  “How sharp are your teeth?” I asked.

  A gurgling response was evoked from the being. It started moving toward me with lightning quick speed. I held up both hands amazed at what I saw. Each one of my fingertips carried a shimmering razor-sharp claw. Perfect for shredding these creatures to bits.

  “Recipio vestris malis interserit. Pelle conditori fallaciis et conminuito in eius excitate,” I hissed. “Ego praecipio tibi ut dimittas.”

  As long the spell worked, these beings would deliver my message.

  The first creature ran right into my claws. The flesh turned to dust, collapsing into a pile in front of me. It was a Golem. I lunged toward the group, thrilled to reach the next victim. They opened up their stance, inviting me into their circle. My excitement turned to fear.

  I slowly pivoted to greet every single creature whose gaping mouths did little to alleviate my worry. Some of them moved slower than others, but they all had a robotic quality. Driven by a task. They walked around me slowly, squawking, pointing. Facing the uncertainty of what these creatures wanted, my courage began to fade. The circle of beasts moved counter-clockwise in slow, deliberate steps. It was almost hypnotic.

  “Recipio vestris malis interserit. Pelle conditori fallaciis et conminuito in eius excitate,” I repeated. “Ego praecipio tibi ut dimittas.”

  I needed to do anything to keep my mind and body active. One of the creatures tugged on my hair from behind, which allowed an opening for one of the larger Golem to throw itself at me. I dove out of the way only to be left attached to the creature gripping my hair.

  My heart raced and there was no denying I might have bit off more than I should have. If only these creatures would get in arms reach, I might be able to get my claws in them. Unfortunately, I made a lesson for the one I took down and they were staying away out of my reach.

  The creature tightened its grip on my hair and threw me down to the ground. Motivated by desperation, I kicked my feet and tried to escape, but with each movement, the hair on my scalp pulled and tugged without freeing.

  One of the Golem staring over me reached out giving me an opportunity to grab its wrist and pull it toward me. The creature tumbled on top of me, and I dug my claws deep into its flesh. The pile of dust fell on me. The others took a step back, except for one.

  In a gesture of defiance, he stared at me with pitted eyes, opening the slit where his mouth should’ve been. Flames began spitting toward me. My claws were digging into the wooden floor as I braced myself for whatever might be coming.

  “Corvorum mundi venire et providere auxilium ad me,” I whispered, hoping my connection with nature wouldn’t fail me now.

  My neck muscles were getting tired from the force of the Golem holding me down and my own body fighting against possible fate. The heat from the Golem’s mouth burned my flesh, but I stayed focused.

  “Corvorum mundi venire et providere auxilium ad me,” I repeated.

  Wind began swirling through the room. The chill was coming from the front door. Arching my back, I attempted to see what was causing the change in the air, but the Golem had me pinned. I couldn’t move.

  I closed my eyes and heard a faint sound of swooshing and flapping of wings. They were on their way. My call for help worked. I had very little time now. I needed to tell the Golem my message.

  “Please tell my father we’re coming for my mother. We will bring her home no matter her condition. I’m not afraid and neither is Logan. We will bring our mothers home, and we won’t be stopped by such a cowardly man or his followers.”

  The high-pitched calls bounced off the walls as the bats swooped into the home. The tiny brown mammals dove from every direction, making it impossible to see much of anything. But I heard what I needed to. The Golem had been taken by surprise, and their squeals and screams were nothing compared to the beautiful winged creatures I had roused to my defense. Their sounds were magnificently haunting, and those were only the sounds I wanted to hear.

  The flesh of the monsters was picked and scratched to pieces as my winged friends came to my rescue. One Golem after the next dropped.

  “Don’t forget my message,” I hollered to the few that remained.

  “Triss,” Logan yelled.

  “Logan, stay back.” Turning my neck quickly, I strained to see through the tiny mammals hovering in the air.

  The strands of my hair began loosening as the last Golem released his grip, and I raised my head toward Logan’s voice. The small brown bats began to exit as quickly as they arrived, but I was still unable to spot Logan.

  “Are you okay?” Logan’s voice was closer. He had no intention of listening to my instruction.

  Even though the Golems were no longer surrounding me, my body didn’t respond to any request. I attempted to prop myself up on my elbows and they wouldn’t even budge. This wasn’t a spell, a curse, or any such thing. It was my body allowing the exhaustion of the last several days to sweep through me, and I didn’t mind. The room was cleared. I had managed to pull it off.

  “Golems were sent,” I replied, lying on the floor. “Lots of them.”

  Logan stood over me now. His eyes filled with rage.

  “And you survived,” Logan murmured.

  “Don’t look so happy about it,” I said completely perplexed.

  He sat down next to me on the floor, running his finger along my collarbone. I watched the rage turn to concern as he thought about what to say.

  “I was so worried about you. That you would come in while I was trying to destroy them.”

  He raised his eyebrows in confusion. “Worried about me?”

  I slowly sat up.

  “Yeah. They rushed by me on their way to you. It wasn’t until I taunted them that they stopped to play.�
� I couldn’t help but feel proud with my accomplishment.

  His mouth twisted as he pondered what I told him, and I began wondering why he wasn’t more thrilled with my abilities to wipe out an entire Golem set. This could mean great things once we get to Saranac Lake.

  “This was a test,” Logan finally spoke, interrupting my delusional fit.

  “A test? How so?” I asked, eyeing him carefully. I wasn’t about to let my achievement get blown to smithereens.

  “If the Golem wanted you, they would’ve taken you. They couldn’t touch you.”

  “I’m not following you.” I moved so I was sitting directly in front of him with my arms crossed. “They had plenty of opportunity, but I fought them off with the help of some spells.”

  A grin covered my face at the last thought. For once, my ability to commune with nature had paid off.

  “You’re protected.” Logan’s eyes darkened.

  “Protected. Protected from what?”

  Logan avoided looking into my eyes.

  “If a sorcerer conjures a soul or commands a spirit against someone,” he began, “and that person is righteous, they can’t be touched.”

  If it weren’t for the look in Logan’s eyes, I would’ve started laughing, but I could tell he was completely serious.

  “I’m far from righteous, Logan. Thanks, though.”

  “You’re a pure soul,” he whispered.

  I shook my head, thinking back to the horrible things I had acted on, even just recently.

  “Logan, you of all people know what I’ve done.” I started getting sick at the thoughts running through me. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to forget the image of the black sorcerer falling to the ground after my arrow etched a place in his chest.

  “The thoughts that have gone through my head about hurt—”

  “Those are just thoughts. You haven’t acted on them,” he interrupted. “I’m not making this up.”

  “I think that’s a fantastical misrepresentation,” I protested. “I’ve killed people. I’ve wanted people dead. You can’t tell me there’s anything righteous about that.”

  “That was self defense.”

  The chill from the open door had become impossible to ignore. I couldn’t stop shivering and gestured toward the opening. Logan closed it and helped me over to the couch.

  “I’m so proud of you. I really am,” Logan said, while he tried unsuccessfully to warm me up. “You were so brave and the spells were flawless, but it wasn’t enough.”

  “I threw so much at the Golem. How can you be so sure that it wasn’t my spells that did it?”

  I looked down and saw that one claw still remained in the place of a finger.

  “See?” I said waving it in front of him.

  Logan pulled me into him, pressing his lips on my head. The pace of his breathing shifted.

  “I’m not that innocent,” I mumbled.

  “You’re pure. This proved it. I’m telling you they could’ve taken you or destroyed you if they were allowed. Even the underworld has rules, and the righteous and pure of heart can’t be touched. That’s why you survived this. That’s why you’ve survived everything. The meeting in the floral shop, the one at the cottage…”

  The wetness spilled down my cheek.

  “It was a test,” he said softly. “The others I made excuses for, but this one I can’t ignore. Those creatures were too powerful.”

  “Why would my father do this?”

  “Think about all of the pawns he’s collecting to do who knows what,” he paused, taking in a breath. “Imagine if he had one who was untouchable.”

  Logan’s words spread through me with a harshness I didn’t want to believe. I couldn’t shake the power behind his words. I snuggled into him as his embrace tightened around me.

  “Whatever he’s planning is big, isn’t it?” I asked, letting the uncertainty about both of our mothers’ fates slowly settle in.

  “I doubt it only resides in the confines of our world,” he replied, anger bouncing off each syllable.

  “Before the Golem came, I had a nightmare.”

  “What was it about?” he asked softly.

  I took a deep breath in and was unable to let it out.

  “Your mom.”

  He stiffened.

  “It was a horrible dream. A short dream, maybe ten seconds, but I still can’t shake it.”

  He let out his breath slowly before he asked.

  “What was the dream?”

  “My father had your mom shackled. They spoke about your father’s death. It was horrifying.”

  “What was said about my father’s death?” Logan asked in a low voice.

  “That my father killed him,” I felt my throat begin constricting as the words escaped. “Your mom begged for your life.”

  My body began trembling as the silence filled the air. It was only a dream, but speaking the words created a sickness deep within my soul. The more minutes of silence that passed between us told me something I didn’t want to believe.

  “You want something to eat?” I asked, jumping off the couch and out of Logan’s arms.

  This couldn’t be happening. There was no way.

  “What you saw was real,” Logan started.

  “Nope. Impossible,” I shot back, busying myself as I looked in all the kitchen cabinets for an escape.

  “Babe, it’s not impossible. It’s what can happen with that spell you two shared,” his words were filled with a pain that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

  “It can’t be,” I said, turning around to face him, holding an unopened box of crackers.

  “You’re still sharing memories with him, only in real-time now,” he continued. “It can only happen if—”

  “Don’t say it,” I yelled. “I hate him. Truly hate him. How’s that for pure?”

  I threw the box of crackers against the wall letting my body slide down the cupboard.

  Logan was by my side instantly, scooping me into his arms.

  “It can’t be.” The tears wouldn’t stop and neither would the nausea. “I’m not connected to him. I’m not.”

  “This can work to our advantage,” Logan replied, once I’d managed to calm myself down. “If we can figure out what triggers these images, we might be able to know what to expect along the way.”

  I scowled at him and moved back against the wall.

  “I know I’ve never had feelings for him.”

  I looked into Logan’s eyes, which darkened about ten shades as he acknowledged what this connection might mean for our future together.

  “We’ll deal with things as they come,” Logan replied flatly.

  “You believe me, don’t you?” My voice broke before I could finish.

  Logan reached for my arm, avoiding my gaze, and pulled me closer to him.

  “Listen,” he said softly. “I’ve waited a long time for you. I’m not letting go that easily.”

  His gaze finally met mine, and I saw love mixed with the desperation of our circumstance. I would not let him down. I would fight for our love no matter what I had to do.

  Chapter 11

  “I thought you said this was a cottage?” I asked, attempting to see the house in the dark. The air was different here, warm and moist, with a hint of woodsy goodness.

  “I had to get what I could,” he said, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs. His eyes were full of mischief.

  Logan opened the screen door, allowing me in first. I knew he was excited to show me where in the Adirondacks we’d be calling home. Rather than bunk at a hotel, like I had suggested, he had quickly come up with this weekly rental. He said it was cheaper this way, but after driving up to this place, I doubted it.

  “Thought we should stay in Lake Placid. It’s far enough away from where your father seems to be, but close enough for us to get the job done. Whatever that might be.”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “I didn’t think we’d want to run the risk of bumping into him.”
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  “No doubt,” I said, dumping my bag off in the foyer.

  He flipped on the lights, and I stopped in my tracks to take in our new surroundings. The antler chandelier dangling in the entry hall was the size of a kitchen table, and there were two staircases leading out of the foyer.

  Logan eyed me closely.

  “This is beautiful,” I whispered, “but I don’t think I can afford this, splitting it or not.”

  “Ooh, hmm. I guess I can tell the rental agency we won’t be needing the place then.”

  Logan smiled and raised his eyebrows at me.

  “Well…” I said unable to hide my grin. “Maybe just for a few nights.”

  “Since I’ve got an uphill battle against a spell, I thought I’d better pull out all the stops.”

  I smacked him harder than I intended, but his words held far too much weight.

  “Not funny,” I replied quietly.

  “Let’s check out the place and go to town. Maybe pretend that our world’s not caving in on us.” His words shook me to the core, knowing what seemed to be on both of our minds no matter how hard we tried to push it away.

  “That would be a nice change,” I said, wandering into the great room.

  A stone fireplace was the centerpiece, with overstuffed, green cushions on the floor, and a beautiful bouquet of daisies placed on the coffee table.

  I spun around to see Logan facing me, smiling, His eyes danced as he looked at me with wonder. And love. I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone take that away.

  “Daisies?”

  He nodded.

  ‘This is a pretty special place,” I said, motioning around the room. “But do you know what I love the most?”

  Not saying anything at all, he came closer to me, and I held out my hand.

  “You,” I whispered, taking his hand as I forced all of the fear and sadness out of my mind. “I wouldn’t care if we were staying in a tent, I just want to be with you.”