by SARA FREITES
“I can say I’d rather dream about you than have one of those horrible nightmares from Arlos,” I admitted.
“He is trying to enter your dreams now. However, Blake is doing an amazing job of preventing him from seeping in. I’ve tried reaching you in your sleep for the past several nights, as well”
“Yeah, I’ve had trouble sleeping, and not just because of Arlos. I’ve been an emotional wreck lately,” I told her in a shaky voice.
“I understand,” she sympathize with me. “I know you’ve lost your family, and I am so very sorry for that.” She moved in a little closer through the snow as the guardian form slinked by in the distance, gradually circling us.
“You’ve had a lot of bad things happen to you, too. I realized that after reading what you left in your spell book. I’m sorry for being so rude.”
“And I understand your frustration, but this is why I brought you here. I want to help you. I was able to gather some information on the dark and light evnauts just before Arlos’ trial in the book Rosetta gave to me. I learned a lot in just a few short chapters. I have a way to help you here. Although they are my children, I can’t allow Vex and Scythe to go on as they have.”
“I’m a little confused about that,” I stopped her. “Rosetta told me that only two evnauts can be born inside of a thousand years, but there are three now. Vex, Scythe and Blake.”
“Yes,” she said. “Vex and Scythe are twins. They share the same blood. Technically, they are one. One is not whole without the other.”
“They are weaker apart?” I asked.
“In this dimension, yes. In hell? That’s another story.”
“Then, we need to separate them.”
“A task far more difficult than it sounds, but yes. Unfortunately, though they are very different than him, together they may be almost as formidable as Arlos.”
“That’s not good,” I said.
“My sons, they are demons born of this place. Their abilities are favored in this realm, their physical bodies conditioned to the rules here. They can warp the rules of this dimension, find ways around gravity and so on because they were born here. They have the ability to call forth hell’s fire, to levitate, project visual illusions and possess other beings. Arlos may be far more powerful, but he is dramatically limited by this dimension because he is not from here. It’s hard to imagine how much more he could do if it weren’t for the simple fact that he wasn’t born here. Don’t get me wrong. Arlos is still stronger physically and may even hold some abilities the evnauts don’t. He has mastered mind-control and illusion projecting, but beyond that, I don't know the extent of what he can do, and not knowing is the most frightening part.”
“Well, that’s great,” I muttered disingenuously.
“Don’t worry about Arlos. I will take care of him when the time comes. I now have what it takes.”
“Then, what can we do about the twins? You said you had a way to take them out,” I reminded her.
She lightly winced at the end of my sentence.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I retracted, forgetting she was their mother. “But they killed my family.”
“No, no. I understand,” she assured me. “I know.”
“Can you fight with us?”
“I do want to help you, and I will. Regrettably, I won’t be able to help you physically the way I will against Arlos. I don’t have the strength to linger on this earth in my vampire body for very long.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, worried.
“If I were to materialize now and help you in this fight, my body wouldn’t last here long enough to travel to London and help you fight against Arlos. The wait would drain the mana I have left, and my body would eventually dispel.”
My chest felt heavy. “But you’re our only defense.”
“You’re wrong,” she contested. “First, you have my spell book. While none of the spells I wrote down were meant for battle, the feline guardian is an exception. You haven’t used it to fight yet, have you?”
“Very little,” I replied, afraid to disappoint her. “I’ve mainly used it to run away.”
“Oh, Autumn. That spell is far more powerful than you know. You must spend more time in it. Learn to utilize all of its strengths before you face Vex and Scythe.”
“I need to find something else to use to make the spell work again,” I said to myself.
“Then do so as quickly as possible. While the spell is cast, you are protected against the dark evnauts’ ability to make your eyes see things that aren’t there as well as their ability to possess your human body.”
“Like demon possession?” I reeled. “Is that even possible?”
“Yes. As half-demons, they can unite and take over your human body, therefore destroying you from within along with using your powers against the ones who fight alongside you. But as I said, they cannot do this to you while your guardian spell is cast because of the magic I used to create it. It protects you from this. That form can also tolerate not only their psychological assaults but their bodily ones, as well. The guardian is ten-times faster and stronger than you are and will undoubtedly give the evnaut siblings a run for their money. But I don’t suggest fighting them head-on. You also have Blake as a defense. Yes, he is an evnaut, but I have to be honest. Not only are there two against you and only one of Blake, but Blake has not awakened his demonic powers. Unlike his half-brothers, Blake doesn’t have the brute force and edge they have. Thus, he will be left at a disadvantage.”
“We’ve talked about this, Blake and I,” I interrupted. “But we’re afraid when Blake starts playing around with these demonic powers, he’ll become like one of them—like Arlos.”
“No, not at all. He won’t change, I assure you. As a light evnaut, he is a pure being. It’s the reason why he doesn’t look or behave like his half-brothers. From what I read in Rosetta’s book, a light evnaut could never become absolute evil.”
“Will Blake know how to awaken these powers?” I wondered aloud.
“It’s not that he doesn’t know,” she explained. “The powers are embedded in him, instinctual even. He has merely suppressed them since birth. He’ll know exactly what to do. Now, according to Rosetta’s book, you will need a strongly cursed weapon to finish the twins. The Soleil Dagger is just that. You already have it in your possession.”
“Are you sure we won’t need both daggers?” I questioned.
“Yes. I know you must feel the separated daggers are useless. But don’t forget, the twins have vampire blood coursing through their veins just as Blake does. One dagger alone does pose a threat to them. With persistent and skillful fighting, just that one dagger will enable Blake or the vampires to wear the evnauts down past the point of their self-healing ability. Through this, with the twins being unable to regenerate, they can be killed. The dagger, of course, can do the same damage to you, too, so be sure it does not find its way back into their hands.”
“Noted,” I said and pictured the vampires, Blake and myself bleeding, fighting relentlessly against the twins.
“Most importantly, be sure to sever the heads with the dagger once the twins are weakened. According to Rosetta’s demon book, this is the only way to be rid of a dark evnaut for good—killing off their demonic bodies, ensuring their death, as opposed to sending their demonic forms to hell.”
“Sending them to hell? Then, there is a way to do that?” I pushed.
“If you leave them to bleed to death, their bodies can slide into hell if they chose, but only because they are dark evnauts, and do not have souls.”
“So, Vex and Scythe were right about that part,” I said to myself.
“Despite the fact that their bodies were created here, they are of hell, unlike light evnauts. The problem is, once in hell, they could potentially return to this dimension. They can find their way back, but only because they were born here. This is why they are after at least one of the daggers. They want an escape that either can provide. I don’t want you to
have to kill them, but with the way things have turned out, it seems there is no other way. Just remember, you have these four advantages—a strong form to fight in, Blake by your side, others to fight alongside you and a cursed weapon that can end them. Thus, a way around their demonic powers.”
“Thank you, Latresma. I can’t wait to tell the others that we have a way.”
“You know, I never guessed I’d have such allies on my side—Blake, Thade and the others. They are one of your biggest assets. And you, one of theirs. I know you can do this. There’s no easy way. Nonetheless, you're not at the disadvantage that you thought you were.”
“What about Arlos?” I asked. “How will you get rid of him since he can’t be killed?”
“It’s true. Arlos is immortal in the spiritual sense. I searched your memories. Rosetta’s information about the daggers—uniting and cursing them, using them to send Arlos back to hell where he belongs. It’s surprising to me, honestly. I would never have guessed there was a way to send Arlos back to hell. All this time, I had plans of weakening him enough to cast him into an object, keeping him there forever. However, Rosetta's strategy of sending him back to hell is far more foolproof.
“Thus, I will send Arlos back to hell, and there, he will always remain alive. He is bound to that dimension. In turn, you will never have to be concerned about him slipping through again after I’ve sent him back…as long as he is not summoned by a powerful caster, that is. I’ll take care of all of this once you’re reborn. Please, don’t fight Arlos yourself if you can help it. Stay as far away from him as possible until I come. He won’t be able to fight me off the way he can the rest of you.”
“I need to know something,” I said after allowing everything she’d told me to sink in. “Why me?
“I’ve felt your feelings. You feel helpless, but this is not the case. Arlos laughed when I told him I’d return as a human, but I knew better. There is more to being human than what he knows, than what you know. Rosetta enlightened me to that years ago. Regardless, I was very lucky when I found you. I remember it like it was yesterday. My partial soul roamed for over three hundred years when I came across you, hardly the size of a fruit. But your little soul shined so bright, so strong.”
I scoffed, “I’m not strong, Latresma,” I admitted. My throat tightened just to hear my self say it. “I’m nobody.”
“You are someone to me, to everyone around you. I can feel how they each feel about you.”
“You really are lucky…lucky to have Blake, Thade and his clan,” I told her. “Without them, I’d be helpless. I lost my family and I’m afraid of losing more. I’m afraid of what I have to become to do this. I’m just a scared little girl who doesn’t want any part of this.” A tear rolled down my cheek. The truth was hard to hear even coming from my own lips.
She tilted her head to one side. “Don’t you believe everyone else around you is just as freighted?” she whispered. “It is okay to be frightened. I chose you before you were even born. I could see your life aura even while you were in your mother’s womb, and I don’t mean the blood-aura I gave you later on. I watched you grow from a shy, towheaded little girl into the vibrant, strong-willed young lady you are today. I saw every event in your life unfold and watched you gracefully yet ardently work your way through them. I knew what I was doing, who I chose to lay dormant in until the time was right. I’ve seen one possible future. I know what you can do, what you could become. You’ll soon discover what you’re capable of, and I assure you, it will only be the beginning. You doubt yourself so, held back by some sadness, resentment and doubt, but you’ll see.” She started to walk away but peered over her shoulder at me. “You have wings, Autumn. All you have to do is learn to use them.”
I sat up in bed, almost head-butting Blake. He sat back.
“Nightmares?” he asked.
“No, just the opposite,” I beamed. “You’re not going to believe this. Come here. I have to tell the others.” I took him by the hand and led him downstairs.
“That’s exactly what she said to me in my dream,” I explained to everyone.
The usual group listened around me with puzzled expressions pulling across their faces.
“I know it was just a dream, but I think we should use the advice to fight,” I added.
“I don’t think it was just a dream. I believe you had a vision,” Terry reassured me. “Latresma’s trying to help us,” Eden said
“Ah,” Thade said. “The evnauts can use one of the daggers to transport themselves into hell, essentially killing themselves here to move through dimensions. It’s not that the dagger has the power to do this, it’s just that it is the only thing that can kill them—a ‘cursed weapon’, as Latresma put it.”
“So, when a dark evnaut dies on Earth, its body goes to hell, but to keep Vex and Scythe from doing this, we have to sever their heads to disable their bodies and kill them. Makes sense,” Garret laid it all out.
“I wonder how Vex and Scythe figured that out,” Terry seemed to ask himself.
“I don’t like this idea of using that dagger. It can so easily be turned against us,” Garrett injected. “Just like Latresma told the human in her dream. And allowing the reincarnation to fight alongside us? Isn’t that slightly counterproductive in the scheme of things? We’re supposed to protect her, not throw her headfirst into battle. I mean, what if she dies? That would mean no Latresma, no one to send Arlos back to hell.”
“We have no choice at this point,” Harper piped up. “But if Latresma herself suggested it, then we should trust that she knows what she’s talking about.”
“No,” Thade shook his head. “I don’t think that’s quite what Latresma suggested. I have no intention of just throwing Autumn straight into a fight. I don't even feel comfortable just talking about it, but I would feel more comfortable if she’d learn how to defend herself just to be safe. That is what Latresma insisted.”
“I need to go by my house. For the guardian spell to work, I have to have an item on me that used to belong to a deceased loved one,” I reminded them. “I’m sure I could find something there.”
“Blake, can you take her there? Quickly?” Thade requested.
Blake nodded at Thade in response.
“Good. I’ll send a group with you. Autumn, we’re here to protect you, but we can’t always be, especially in unpredictable situations such as this. As Latresma said, you need to get used to defending yourself with that guardian spell if it comes down to a fight. At sundown, I want to see what you can do in it. And Blake? You’ll need to concentrate on awakening your demonic powers as soon as you two return.”
I let Thade’s words resonate in my head as he walked away. My eyes swept over the others.
In my dream, Latresma was so sure we could handle Vex and Scythe on our own. Honestly, I had no idea if we’d make it out alive. And from the looks on their faces, neither did anyone else.
Chapter 21
Mid-Air
We arrived at my partially burned home. Crime scene tape wrapped around the perimeter of the building as well as my grandmother’s house down the street. My stomach wrenched to see the scorched walls and roof of my home and what were once the main rooms now burnt rubble. Tears rose in my eyes. I thought about how my family and I had once lived there so carefree. I hated to see it abandoned and empty like this. It was how I felt on the inside.
Five of the cloaked clan guards followed shortly behind Blake and me as we landed in the backyard. They sat in the trees as Blake broke through my brother’s window. He and I crawled into Jacoby’s room. I chose his room only because I knew he had so many little trinkets lying around that would be easy to carry hands-free. With tears in my eyes, I carefully rummaged through his belongings, trying not to disturb them. But there on his desk, where I’d set it after the funeral, the moonlight hit the bright silver of my brother’s class ring. It was never as beautiful to me as it was then. Too large for my ring finger, it was almost a perfect fit around my thumb. I took it to
my room where I dug up a few old family photos from my vanity drawer to take with me. I also took the picture of Eden and Jacoby from its frame. In Jericho’s room, I took the little radio she always blasted. I couldn’t bring myself to search the rest of the house.
While the sun sank behind the city skyline, I found myself standing on the Sanctum rooftop—half of me excited out of my mind, the other half thought I was just losing it altogether. I tried calming myself by taking in the horizon. The sky displayed a cosmopolitan of blended colors. The blues and grays of rain clouds threatened to set loose a storm. Orange and peach streaked low across the horizon, the last remnants of the setting sun. When the sun had disappeared, the darkened cityscape became like an obscured, starry night sky.
The vampires had performed a quick sweep over the city before we took to the rooftops, but there didn’t seem to be any sign of the twins. Thade wondered if they’d left town or found a place to hide for a while. The haviden siblings, Harper and Blake confidently hopped up on the building beside me. The Soleil Dagger hung from Blake’s belt. Its blade caught my eye as it shimmered from the lights of a building across the way. Blake’s fierce eyes traced my worried face. Not only did I feel uneasy about roof-bounding again, but I was also eager to watch one of Blake’s new abilities in action. He’d spent a few hours alone on the rooftops after our return, and in that short time, his powers peaked. At that point, he could levitate, although I hadn’t seen him do it yet.
“Are you alright over there?” Blake called to me.
“Yeah.” I forced a small smile with my lie.
“Somehow, I don’t believe you,” he teased.
Garrett’s voice faded in the uprising wind as he called to me. “Alright, Autumn. Let’s see what you can do. I’ll be impressed if you can keep up with us. I know you’re fast with that guardian spell cast, but I’m curious to see how agile, as well.”