Julie swallowed, glancing far below her. “What are you going to do?” she asked. “Kill me?”
“Yes,” the shadow said. “It’s the only way for me to break free and become all powerful. Just like I was praying you would, once you turned to the dark side, but of course your good side won out. The good side always seems to win.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “But look below you, Julie. You’re nothing! Just a spineless, little girl with no ambition. With no courage. With no hope, and who, will die being broken into a million pieces. Tell me, Julie, is this how you felt when you got hit by the car?”
“You’re not going to kill me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yup,” Julie said, glancing over her shoulder at the shadow. “Because if you kill me, you die too.”
“Lies!”
“Julie!”
The shout sounded, and the shadow jumped. She turned, just as Micah dove forward. He struck the axe in his hands forward, and the shadow jumped back. She let go of Julie, and Julie screamed, as she fell downward.
“Julie! I got you!” Micah wrapped his strong hand around hers, pulling her back up on the platform. “Who is this?”
“The evil version of myself,” Julie whispered, as she gazed at the shadowy version of herself. “The part of me that I’m afraid of. I have to face it, in order to find the piece of the sapphire.”
“But how?”
“By believing in myself,” Julie said, closing her eyes. Running feet sounded on the pavement.
“Ah, Julie…”
“Shh.”
She squeezed her eyes closed, trying with all her might to remember all the good in her life. Not the pain. Not the sacrifices, but the good things she’d had. The birthday parties with her sisters. Graduation, her wedding, even if it had been to a demon. She remembered the days spent with her grandparents, the times they’d gone to the zoo together as a family, and most of all, the love she had for her sisters.
“You’re dead!”
“Julie!”
“I will not let you take anything else from me!” Julie shouted, her hand striking out. She snapped her eyes open, grasping the golden rod, full of fire, as the shadow plunged it toward her. She grimaced, the heat burning through her palms, and stared into the dark eyes of her shadow. “You and I are not the same,” she said, softly but deadly. “I am not evil, I am not weak, and I sure as hell am not going to let you scare me anymore!” She plunged the rod backward, the spear piercing through the shadow.
The shadow screamed, fire spreading along its body, and combusting into a wall of flames. Seeping back where it belonged.
“Now that’s where I like my shadows,” Julie said, glancing at the shadow attached to her once more. “Let’s see if we can’t find this sapphire, huh?”
As if in response, a loud rumble echoed through the clock tower. She gasped, grabbing Micah for support, watching as light spread throughout the tower. The sapphire popping out from where it was hidden behind the long hand of the clock and falling into her hands.
“Hmm. Well, I guess you faced your darkness,” Micah said, grinning. “Wanna go for a walk through London with me?”
“Actually, I have a better idea,” Julie said, turning, and raising up on her tiptoes as she brushed a kiss across his lips.
“What was that for?” Micah asked, arching a brow at her in confusion.
“For helping me,” Julie said, as she grabbed his hand. “Now come on! Let’s get out of here!”
Jasmine swallowed, stumbling back, as the large, horned beast reared up high in the air. Its large hooves hit the ground in front of her, and she cried out as she fell over the railing and to the grass below.
“You wanna fight, you bastards?” Jasmine asked, as the beast jumped to the ground in front of her. “Well, let’s fight then!” she shouted, extending her hand toward the sword lying on the wall, the sword flying through the air and into her hand.
“It’s all we ever wanted, Jasmine,” the beast said, as it strode forward, green smoke spewing from its nostrils as it charged forward.
Jasmine gasped, somersaulting out of the way. The beast knocking the sword from her hands with its large tail, and she swore, staring at it as it lay on the other side of the beast. “On second thought…” She turned and raced down the path.
“I don’t think so!”
The beast spun around, racing after her, its large hooves racing across the ground as it jumped high in the air, blocking her path.
“Let me out of here!” Jasmine shouted. “I don’t want to fight you! I don’t want to fight a monster!”
“It’s the only way you’ll ever get the sapphire,” the beast told her, as it puffed out a breath. Opening its mouth, a ball of black smoke blowing into the air.
Poison, Jasmine thought, backing up a step. Damn, I wish I had that sword right now, she thought, as the beast lunged forward. Its large mouth opened, and she lifted her hand, flicking her fingers.
The sword appeared in her hand, and she struck it upward, striking it against his mouth.
The beast jerked back, shaking its head, and Jasmine rushed forward. She jumped high into the air, raising the sword, and the beast struck its large leg out. It’s large, metal hoof clanging with the sword. Jasmine cringed, the sound echoing in her ears, yelping, as she fell to the ground with a thunk.
“You think you can defeat us, here in the coliseum?” the black angels asked, its voice echoing through the stadium. “You’re no match for us! You’re weak, Jasmine. The weakest of all your sisters, and that’s why you will never find Sky.”
Sky.
Tears filled her eyes, and Jasmine stared up at the beast as it strode toward her, the memory of Sky making her heartache. Where was he? Was he okay? Would she ever see him again?
“You’re strong, Jasmine…”
His words echoed in her ears, and she suddenly narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t weak! How dare they say she was weak. They didn’t know her! They didn’t know what she’d been through!
“I’m not weak!” she shouted, jumping to her feet as the beast raced forward. She flung her hand out, the beast struggling to move against her hold.
“You can’t hold us forever!”
“You’re right, I can’t,” Jasmine said, glancing to her left and blinking. The sword hanging on the wall slinging through the air and plunging into the beast’s chest. “But I do have some tricks up my sleeve!”
“Lies! You will never defeat us!” the monster shouted, bursting free from her hold. It charged forward, and Jasmine flicked her fingers. The spike off the wall, slinging forward, and slicing through the beast’s side.
The beast stumbled, and she took her sword, racing forward and slicing the sword through his chest.
“I told you, I’m not weak,” Jasmine said, as the beast fell to the ground. “And you all should know that.” And she remembered the inscription that had been engraved on the picture of the coliseum back at the cave.
Love conquers all, whether it’s miles away, or centuries away. Love will always win out against evil.
“Don’t worry, Sky, I’ll see you again,” Jasmine said, as the ground rumbled underneath her, watching as the beast shook, glowing brightly as its heart rose from inside its chest, circling, and turning into the sapphire.
“Well, that’s an interesting place to keep a jewel,” Jasmine muttered, as it fell into her hand. “And guess what demons? I won!”
“Mummies? Are you freaking kidding me? Mummies are trying to attack us?” Jade asked, lifting her head, as the glass crashed in above them. The Scriver demons racing down the walls of the tomb. “Why?”
“They’re the protectors of the tomb,” Ashwin told her. “It’s what they do.”
“Yes, but…” Jade sighed. “You know what, I don’t even care. Let’s just get rid of them.”
“Jade! No!” Ashwin grabbed her by the arm, smoldering her ball of electricity. “You can’t kill them! If you do, this whole place will go down in dust. Do you
really want to be the reason the Taj Mahal is gone?”
“You mean… I would be responsible for destroying one of the 7 wonders of the world?”
“Yes!”
“But what do we do?” Jade asked, suddenly at a loss.
“Run!”
They turned, racing through the corridor and disappearing into a room. “Come on! The sapphire has to be buried with the emperor’s wife!”
“But where is it?” Jade asked, confused, as she stared around the room. There were so many doorways! How could they possibly pick the right one?
“Through here!” Ashwin shouted, pointing a finger to the room on their left.
“How could you possibly know that?” Jade asked as she hurried after him.
“Call it a gut feeling,” Ashwin told her, as they raced through the doorway, and across the tiled floor. They slid to a stop, the Scriver demons appearing around them almost instantly.
“Hmm. Somehow I’m not surprised I’m in this predicament,” Jade said, pressing her back against Ashwin’s as the demons circled her. “How’s it going, guys?”
“The sapphire belongs to us!” one of the Scriver demons said, as he raised his blade. “It belongs to our master.”
“Oh yes, the great Cyrus and Mathias. I’ve heard,” Jade said, raising her hands in surrender. “Which is why I give up… never!” she shouted, flinging her hands out. Electricity shot from her hands, electricity zinging through the room, singing the demons to dust. “You know, it never amazes me how stupid demons are,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “Did they really think I was going to surrender?”
“It’s the one thing that will probably never change,” Ashwin said, following her as they neared the tomb. They brushed their hands over the dust tomb, together, sliding the casket open as spiders rushed out, scurrying across the floor.
“Agh! Spiders!” Jade screamed, shuddering. “I hate spiders!”
“Maybe because you almost were a spider?”
“You know about that?” Jade asked, shock filling her. “How?”
“Because I know everything, Jade,” Ashwin said, rolling his eyes as he laughed. “Oh, would you look at that…” He let out a whistle, staring down at the sapphire shard tucked in between the empress’s hands. “What a beauty!” He reached forward.
“Are you stupid?” Jade slapped his hand away. “You can’t get it like that!”
“Well, why not?”
“Because nothing is ever that easy,” Jade said. “Back in the cave, there was an incantation.”
“Well, what did it say?”
“In the eye of the beholder, when things are not quite as they see, believe in the greatest of powers.”
“That’s the incantation?” Ashwin snorted. “The greatest of powers? You and your sister are the greatest of powers!”
“Exactly,” Jade said, staring down at the sapphire. “You know what? Screw it!” She reached for the sapphire.
A loud rumble suddenly echoed through the tomb, and Jade froze. “Please tell me I didn’t just destroy one of the 7 wonders of the world!”
“No, but it looks like that’s not the sapphire you want,” Ashwin said, pointing to the sapphire in Jade’s hand, as it disappeared. “One of those is.” He gestured to the three pedestals as they rose from the ground behind them, each holding a sapphire shard.
“A puzzle?” Jade asked, crinkling her nose. “Let me guess, one of these is the real sapphire, and the other two…”
“I got it!”
A black angel appeared in a cloud of smoke. He raced toward the pedestals, wrapping his hand around the sapphire on the middle pedestal, his eyes widening as the sapphire suddenly turned to stone. The door behind the pedestal opening and sucking him inside.
“Well, that’s one down,” Jade muttered, tapping her finger against her chin. “So which one of these is the real sapphire…?” She trailed off, glancing at Ashwin. “Wait. The encryption back at the cave. It said to believe in the greatest of all powers…”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I think the universe is trying to tell me something,” Jade said, gesturing to the pedestals. “You take that one, I’ll take this one.”
“You’re sure?”
“Well, if I’m not, one of us will no longer be able to bug the other,” Jade teased. What am I doing? She wondered. I’m flirting with a vampire!
They each picked up the stones, and a loud roar filled their ears, as the platform they were standing on suddenly descended into darkness.
“Where are we going?” Jade asked, grabbing Ashwin, and steadying herself.
“Apparently, to a secret vault,” Ashwin said, glancing at her. “How did you know that was going to work? What’s the greatest of all powers?”
“Trust,” Jade said. “Something I have sorely been lacking lately.”
“Oh. I see. You’re talking about Julie.”
“And who said vampires were dumb?”
“Ah. No one?”
The platform came to a stop, and they walked forward, light washing through the darkness, and shining on the sapphire shard lying inside the glass container. “Now, that has to be the real one!”
“Man, I hope so!” Jade cried, rushing forward. “It’s so pretty,” she whispered, as she stared at the blue gem lying there. “Like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!” She lifted the glass container, grabbing the sapphire, and tucking it in her pocket. “Well, it was fun India, but I must get going.”
“And I have a brother to find,” Ashwin added, nodding to her. “Until the next time, Jade.” And he disappeared in a flash.
“You know, for a vampire, he sure is yummy looking,” Jade murmured, before disappearing from the tomb. It was time to get back to the cave.
“I’m going to beat you to the sapphire, Josslyn!” the black angel shouted, as he raced past her up the steps.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Josslyn said, grinning, as he suddenly panted. His steps slowed and she raced past him. “Pace yourself, black angel.”
She gripped the banisher, pulling herself up the steps, and turning as she started the climb up to the next level, glancing below her at the black angels and Scriver demons as they stood around, panting. “Screw this.” She disappeared in a reign of icicles, appearing in the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
“Well, it took you lawn enough.”
“Josi?” Josslyn’s eyes widened, as she stared at her daughter standing, staring out across the city of New York. “You’re here?”
“Of course I’m here. Where else would I be?” Josi asked, turning from the view, and staring at her mother. “After all, you did fail me, again.”
“What?” Josslyn frowned, glancing at Josi. “What do you mean? I didn’t fail you! You were kidnapped!”
“Which would have never happened, if you hadn’t brought us into this life!” Josi shouted, her image chasing from Josi, to Jami.
“All I ever wanted was a family,” Jami said, as she stared at Josslyn. “And now, because of you, I’m going to be dead.” She switched to Jessi.
“All I’ll ever be known as, is the juvie girl,” Jessi said, tears filling her eyes. “You have to find us, Mom! You have to help us! He’s going to kill us!”
“Who are you?” Josslyn asked, staring at the monster with her daughter’s face. “You’re not my daughter, so who the hell are you!”
“Your deepest fears.”
The dark voice filled the room, her daughter changing to a monster with long tentacles, and graying skin. “Mathias.”
“Cool power, huh?” Mathias asked, grinning, as he walked toward her. His tentacles snapped forward, the teeth at the end snapping toward her. “The Scrivers gave it to me, once I was resurrected.”
“How is it, that you and your brother, turned into these monsters anyway?”
“The prophecy. We were seen as a great evil. As a threat to the king and his castle, so when we died, the kingdom cast a curse on us. That if we were ever resurre
cted, we would be reborn like this, with the only thing to save us being the sapphire.”
“Beauty in the eye of the beholder,” Josslyn said, ducking underneath the tentacle. “Too bad you’ll never get to it first!” She turned and raced up the steps.
“No!”
Mathias scrambled up after her. One of his tentacles reaching for her, and Josslyn flicked her fingers. The tentacle turned to ice, and she stomped on it with her foot. The ice shattering across the steps.
“You witch!”
“Yes, I am a witch,” Josslyn said, ducking under the do not enter sign, and racing up the steps toward the torch. “Which is why, I’m going to beat you in this race.”
“But you won’t beat me!” One of the black angels said, as he appeared in a blink of an eye next to her, grabbing her by the arm and tossing her over the railing.
Josslyn screamed, her body falling downward, and she closed her eyes. She appeared in a reign of icicles next to the black angel, stabbing him through the heart, with her icicle.
“There, take that!” she shouted. “Even though I can teleport, that’s still not very nice!”
She scrambled up the last of the steps, shoving the door open. Staring at the ash covered floor, and out into the city. Her eyes landing on the images lying on the floor.
“There’s Eiffel, the Taj Mahal, the Coliseum, the Clocktower, and the Statue of Liberty.” She cocked her head, thinking. What had that incantation said?
Five times this sapphire has been split, through five different locations, for five sisters. Who holds the key?
Yes, the sapphire had been split into five different pieces, and yes, it was scattered across the world, but what did these symbols mean? She crouched down, pushing the image of the statue of liberty.
The image moved in between the image of the Taj Mahal and the clocktower. The ground shook, and a number appeared on the ground in front of her. Five more tries!
Five tries and then what? She distantly remembered something about the torch being off limits. Did that mean… there was going to be another explosion if she didn’t get it right?
Josslyn swallowed, staring at the images once more. Behind her, the door shook, and she flung her hand up. Ice covered the door, blocking the demons from entering. “Hey!”
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