I nodded my agreement, impressed that he had grasped such an abstract concept. Lily studied Xylo very intently after that, but I got back to work. Even if I wasn’t necessarily ready to forgive Samael for his deceit, I had to admit that I was very excited about the thought of Lily and Samael cutting loose through Castle Dracula, going on the murder spree of all murder sprees.
That bloody distraction would give me plenty of time to deal with Sanguina and Dracula without having to worry about an army of reinforcements flanking me.
I focused back on the specific rune I had targeted. In my peripheral vision, the other runes flickered and moved as if alive, begging for my attention. I pointedly ignored them, focusing on only this one angelic rune—refusing to acknowledge that it was part of anything greater. Then I carefully reached down to my katana. I needed blood, but with my newly strengthened skin, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to obtain any.
The edge of my katana easily sliced my palm open, surprising me. Was that because it had been formed from my Silver magic—the Eternal Metal—back in Kansas City, making it strong enough to overpower the protection I’d gained from my bond with Xylo?
Handy and scary. And further proof to Lily’s claims.
I stared down at the blood pooling in my palm, taking one last moment to consider my plan. I smiled at the serendipity of using my blood to defeat a creature so closely associated with blood as his source of power and sustenance, wondering if this small red puddle would be enough to take down Castle Dracula for good like my mother had wanted.
And I hadn’t even tapped into my Silver blood yet—which I would get once I removed the mark of the Beast.
“I will show you fear in a handful of blood,” I mused under my breath, grinning wickedly as I modified the famous quote. I heard Lily purr her agreement.
With a figurative roll of the dice, I used my blood to draw a mirrored version of the angelic rune, canceling it out.
With a faint puff, the rune evaporated—as did all the others around the ring. I let out a breath of relief. Typically, breaking the circle was enough, but since this had involved the Omegabet, I hadn’t been certain of the outcome. Singling out a rune and negating it had allowed me to pretend the Omegabet wasn’t even a factor, but with that rune gone, the Omegabet hadn’t been able to continue functioning.
Thankfully.
Lily was studying me pensively, looking impressed. “Do you know how many witches it took to make that? They were here for days…”
I climbed to my feet, dusting off my hands and glancing down at my palm to see the wound had already closed back up—not perfectly, but it was no longer an open gash bleeding all over the place. “That’s because Dracula didn’t want to share the full knowledge of this magic with anyone, so he broke it down, probably giving each witch a rune or two.”
Lily considered that for a few moments. “Perhaps. But that doesn’t explain how haggard they looked after it was completed. Well, for those who survived, anyway.”
I just stared back, not sure how to respond to that. “I’m more than just a pretty face and a sinister mind. I’m made from sulfur and spite, and all things that haunt the night.”
Lily blinked a few times, and then burst out laughing. “That you are, girl. That you are,” she agreed, before glancing down at her manacled foot. Then she grunted, leaning closer. With minimal effort, she bent down and snapped it off her ankle, hurling it behind her to crash into the stone wall. She looked back up at me. “The chain was indeed strengthened by the circle you just destroyed, simply mirroring the power.”
I nodded absently, knowing that was exactly how I would have done it.
“Now. Where is my Samael,” she asked in a foreboding tone, staring towards the door, looking anxious to get started.
“First, tell me how to remove the Mark of the Beast.” Her features darkened, but I held up a finger. “If I fail, we all fail. Then both of you will be locked up forever, and your secret love won’t be a secret anymore,” I warned her—not as a threat, but as a simple statement of fact. “And I’m sure Dracula and Sanguina will have strong opinions about how many of his soldiers you’re about to go murder.”
She growled under her breath, but I could see that she agreed with my assessment. “Attend me, goddaughter,” she said, crouching down.
She pointed at the ground, urging me to pay attention as she began drawing a symbol in the stone with her claw—as easily as if it were sand. “Only Greater Demons—or their family, in your case—can use such power. Still, we do not share this. Ever. The less who know, the better.”
I nodded. That made sense. Secrets—like technological advancements—were power. If everyone had the same technology, the technology wasn’t as effective as a weapon. Think of times of war—the first to wield superior weapons like arrows, guns, grenades, or nuclear bombs usually had the upper hand. The same principle applied to magic.
I studied her symbol and the sequence in which she had drawn it until I was confident I could replicate it. I finally looked up at her. “I just draw it in reverse.”
She studied me thoughtfully for a moment, looking proud. “Aye. Now, where is my hot hunk of hell meat, sulfur-sugar?”
“Wow. Some things should not be said out loud, Godmother,” I said, grimacing. “Otherwise I might have to wash your mouth out with holy water.”
She leaned back and cackled. Xylo watched the two of us, not really following along but as if trying to learn normal human behavior.
He was studying the wrong two people if he wanted to learn that.
I climbed to my feet, dusting off my hands. “Dracula took Samael to the Coliseum. He’s been there for a long time, now, but he was okay as of a few hours ago.”
She stared at me for a good five seconds, grinding her teeth together loud enough for me to actually hear.
“He has broken the record for highest kill-streak,” Xylo offered helpfully.
I snapped my fingers, pointing at him. “That. He definitely did that.”
Instead of speaking, Lily turned on her heel and stormed over towards her cot. Then she calmly lifted it up—with one hand—and flung it across the room. It shattered against the far wall in a shower of splinters. Then she stomped down on the floor with one foot, obliterating the stone.
I frowned. Stone shouldn’t have broken like that, no matter how strong she was. It was almost as if the stone was—
She bent down and pulled something out of the hole she had made, and I suddenly realized that it had been a concealed hiding place—hollow, just like I’d thought.
She came back over to me, holding out a bundle of fabric and two wicked sawed-off shotguns made of a rough, uncut dark stone with purple crystals.
“These belonged to your mother,” Lily said reverently. “She asked me to give them to you. Perhaps it will frighten Sanguina to see them again. Like your mother had returned to finish what she started when she ripped Sanguina’s eyes out.”
My fingers shook as I reached out for the items. “Th-thank you,” I stammered, caught completely off guard. My mother had left me a gift—back before I was even born.
“Don’t thank me. My goddaughter looks like a filthy refugee. It’s embarrassing, is all.”
I smiled crookedly, staring down at the bundle of black fabric. “Right.” It was a pair of smooth black pants, a thin hoodie, and a girdle-like vest with straps and pockets for weapons.
“That was your mother’s slaughtering outfit.”
I nodded, my hands tingling slightly—imagining that my fingers were touching hers in some alternate reality where I might have had the chance to know her.
Lily pointed at the sawed-off shotguns, which looked more like two stone clubs than any type of modern weapons. “These…” she murmured officiously, “are truly something to behold. No one else can get them to work. Your mother tied them to her bloodline, so they only function for a Solomon. There’s a cloth satchel of spare bullets wrapped up in the clothes, because these only fire starstone amm
unition. She said she had more in her laboratory, but this is all she gave me.”
I smiled. “Perfect.”
“I’m about to leave, and we will only see each other again if we are both successful. I have full confidence in you, Callie. Do you have confidence in yourself?”
I turned to look at her challenging glare. I nodded, feeling a fire ignite in my veins at her tone. “Yes, godmother.”
“And you are sure you know just how capable your competition is?” she demanded like a drill instructor.
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t worry. My competition cannot see me.”
Lily snorted. “Of course they can see you. Dracula and Sanguina see all.”
I shook my head defiantly. “They aren’t my competition,” I said distractedly, feeling adrenaline suddenly pumping within my very soul. Xylo let out a dark, rasping chuckle, reading my thoughts.
Lily shifted her gaze from me to Xylo, and then back again. “Explain.”
I smiled, drawing out my answer as I met her eyes. “My competition cannot see me…because I do not own a mirror,” I said, winking.
Lily smiled a terrible, approving, crocodile smile. “Oh, I think we will get along splendidly, sulfur-sugar.” And surprisingly, she bent low to wrap me up in a hug. Since my hands were full, I had no way to stop her.
Like a grandmother pinching your cheeks or using a spit-soaked napkin to clean your chin in front of your friends at school.
She finally leaned back, looking mildly embarrassed that she had shown such emotion. “Yes, well. I’m off to go round up your godfather. He’s been helpless without me.”
I nodded with a faint smile. “Utterly.”
She turned to Xylo. “You harm her, and I will gobble you up. You will spend the rest of eternity reanimating in my gullet.”
He snorted. “That would be unpleasant. For you more than me.” His tone was a gust of frozen wind in a forgotten cemetery.
She arched a stunned eyebrow. I probably did the same. “Oh?”
“A Death Spinner doesn’t digest easily. Would likely wreak havoc on your delicate digestive system. All those internal organs to sear and sizzle. I’m willing to give it a try.”
We both kind of just stared at him for a few moments. “I see,” she finally said. “Do you want to know any secrets? Who you really are?”
Xylo stared at her with absolutely no reaction. “No, thank you. I have Callie. What else would I need?”
Lily frowned, moving her mouth wordlessly. I just stared at Xylo in disbelief. He hadn’t wanted to learn who he really was?
And that line! He’d just become my favorite skeleton.
Lily finally turned to me. “Give the bitches hell,” she hissed. And then she was running from the room with an earth-shattering roar.
“You too!” I cheered, even though she couldn’t hear me.
Then I frowned, replaying her words. “Why did she say bitches?” I asked, turning to Xylo. “Is there more than one Beast?”
Xylo frowned uncertainly. “Not that I know of.”
I shook my head. Too late now.
“I’m going to get changed and then we’re going to party. You might even get to high-five again.”
Xylo grinned toothily. “Goodie.”
“What was up with your sudden confidence? It was amazing.”
He nodded satisfactorily. “Did I do it right? I guessed that she wouldn’t know what Death Spinners can do either, so I decided to make something up.”
I nodded with a smile. “You nailed it, Xylo.”
“Good. I decided that I do not like bullies. I do not like them at all. Fuck bullies. Fuck turtles. And fuck Dracula.”
I grinned, trying not to laugh. “Fuck all of them,” I agreed.
Chapter 29
All things considered, Lily’s news that I had a secret weapon inside of me was a much-needed, favorable development for the plan I’d already concocted.
The only way to defeat a bully was to bully him back, to take away his power and authority, revealing the sniveling coward beneath.
To take down Sanguina. What I hadn’t known was that defeating her wasn’t an option, and that I had to try and dominate her. I’d already known that I would have Xylo and my Horseman’s Mask as power sources, having decided not to use the amulets at all.
Because I was finished playing by Dracula’s rules.
With Lily showing me how to remove the Mark of the Beast, I no longer needed the amulets anyway. The Beast would wake up the moment I nullified the Mark.
And then—at about two-million-miles-per-hour—the shitstorm would unload upon Castle Dracula.
Well, Lily was probably already making up for one hundred years of abstinence with an orgy of murder, mayhem, and excessive bloodshed as she searched out her…hot hunk of hell meat, Samael.
She might even be hungry, now that I thought about it. I should have told her about the frog legs at the waterfront pub…
Despite all the answers I’d received on how to defeat Dracula and how my mother had set all this up, I couldn’t help but wonder what Dracula had originally wanted with Roland. And why he had so quickly decided that I would qualify as a replacement—perhaps even a better one.
And why had Mina Harker—speaking through her possessed puppet—been so concerned about Dracula making a move for the Master’s Library or the Infernal Armory. They were all his to begin with. Well, Sanguina’s, technically.
Since I hadn’t spoken with Samael, I had no way of knowing what other games or schemes he might have spun up since he’d been unsupervised for so long.
So I was really hoping that I didn’t have any more shockers on the horizon. Lily had told me quite a bit of history, but she’d been locked up in an Observatory for one hundred years. Not really up-to-date on current events. There was no way of changing that, so I just readied myself to hear more potentially bad news.
Thinking of Samael and how he had worked so hard to get Lily back—even lying to Dracula about hating her…
It was pretty goddamned cute, to be honest. That old childhood jingle came to mind—with a few appropriate modifications, of course…
Samael and Lily sitting in a tree. S.I.N.N.I.N.G. First comes Hell, then comes bondage, then comes lil’ Callie from a messed-up marriage.
I sighed, wishing I could have gotten something about an apple in there.
I had changed into my mother’s slaughtering outfit and was sitting down on a wooden chair I had found tucked under a desk. A tall mirror stood across from me, but I hadn’t approached it yet.
I glanced down at the two shotguns beside me. I’d loaded them with the strange-looking shells I’d found in the satchel that Lily had told me about, but there was no way to test the guns without drawing unwanted attention.
Because sawed-off meant they would be real fucking firecrackers in the sound department. Hell, maybe these starstone shells shot out miniature supernovas or something.
Have you ever tried to suppress a miniature supernova?
Me neither.
Xylo cleared his throat—the fact that he didn’t have a throat made the sound a poorly concealed hint that we had things to do.
I sighed, climbing to my feet. I left the guns where they were and walked up to the mirror, knowing I needed a way to observe my work while I drew the inverse of the Mark of the Beast on my forehead. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
But instead of doing that, I stared at my reflection for the first time in what felt like years. I’d found a trough full of water—triple-checking to make sure it wasn’t actually a crocodile toilet—and used it to dip my old clothes in so I could wipe off the majority of the blood, mud, and grime from my hair and skin. It was better than nothing.
And my mother had been similar enough in size to me, because her clothes all fit like a glove. I had the hood up—to hide some of the blood and mud I hadn’t been able to wash out—and to be honest, I looked pretty badass.
All that was left was to reverse the Mark of th
e Beast on my forehead and get ready to throw my willpower against the strongest Beast even Lily had ever seen.
One advantage to this crazy plan—rather than waiting the three days Dracula had given me—was that no one would expect it. I’d found a shortcut before the first day was even up.
Xylo walked up to me, carrying the shotguns like my own personal golf caddie. He’d also pulled his impenetrable crimson hood up over his head so that we were twinsies. “Where do we go after this?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I have no idea. Stay close just in case the Beast decides to come here.”
He nodded.
I took a deep breath as I cut my palm with my katana. Then I looked into the mirror and drew the inverse of the Mark of the Beast on my forehead with a bloody finger. The moment my finger finished the symbol, I doubled over, clutching at my abdomen.
Pain crippled me, just like it had in the Feast Hall when Samael had done it the first time. My scalp and forehead blazed with what felt napalm, and I gasped, trying to stay conscious. As intense as it was, the pain was over in mere moments and I found that Xylo was supporting me, preventing me from falling over.
“Are you okay, Callie?” he asked, sounding frightened, staring into my face. I nodded, letting out a shaky breath. Then I straightened my spine, opening myself up to my old powers—
And I almost let out a scream of joy to find them within my reach again. I knew I wouldn’t need them for the Beast—that they wouldn’t do me any good—but simply knowing that I had them back made me feel whole again. Complete.
Ready to throw some elbows.
I calmly prepared for something bad to happen next, knowing that the Beast was somewhere rubbing at her eyes, yawning as she woke up from her nap earlier than intended.
“Your eyes are shining…just like the Eternal Metal,” Xylo murmured, sounding awed.
I glanced back at the mirror and saw that my eyes were indeed shining with bright silver light.
Seeing them like this, with Xylo claiming they were his Eternal Metal…really brought it home for me.
Godless: Feathers and Fire Book 7 Page 18